Stay Cool

Let’s face it, documentary films aren’t ‘cool’... yet. Doc Film Online knows this and is here to help cultivate a proper cult following of our beloved genre.

How? By touting the coolest aspects of Documentaries most people aren’t aware of.

Below you’ll find lists of our favorites (or in some cases, not so favorites) in various categories that we feel make films cool. And trust us, we know cool. So read, debate and discuss. Expect a new one added each month.

Best Documentary Narrators

If there’s one thing most documentary filmmakers know, it’s that a great narrator can salvage a crappy film just as easily as a crappy narrator can ruin one. Yes, there are those rare gems that manage to ignore a narrator entirely, but for the vast majority of films in our beloved genre, there’s generally a voice behind the pictures. With this in mind, our team has developed a list of great narrators that have blessed the documentary genre. Admittedly, at times, we allowed non-documentary work to influence us (our greatest sin is loving fictional films almost as much as those that capture real life). Now, on to the list! Read more »

Best Actors turned Documentary Producers

It is a well known fact that every Hollywood actor and actress, once they reach a certain level of fame, use their celebrity status to help raise awareness on certain issues. Some, inevitably, turn their powers to documentaries- after all, they do know movies. Some lend their voices, others their presence, but the great ones know when to step back and mold such films from a producing standpoint. Though not everyone focuses on political issues, these ten stand out as Hollywood celebrities who have made the successful leap into documentary production. Read more »

Cool Soundtracks

Top On-screen Personalities

*Note: you’ll be happy to know that it was quite easy to keep both Al Gore and Michael Moore off this list. Read more »

Top New Directors

My favorite aspect of documentaries has always been, and always will be, knowing most of its directors are relatively new. This means, there is a high risk, high reward quality to documentary filmmaking that is truly unique to the genre. Admittedly, many films will miss the mark, but the few directors who are talented and innovative enough to survive the process show a level of creativity unmatched anywhere else.

So who are the young talents of today? Who makes keeps me entertained when so many others fail? Well, below you’ll see a list of my top five new directors. The two rules I followed are: they must have made their first film within the past five years and have only since made one additional work. With that in mind, here’s the list. Read more »

Worst Documentaries - The Crap Pile

Sometimes documentaries suck. It's true. I cant deny it. But, instead of ignoring these rejects of the film world, I say we highlight them, display them for the world to see so that hopefully, in the future, filmmakers will avoid the same fate. So here's our list of the top films you should avoid like the plague (Guh, I shiver just thinking about them). Read more »