Inside Job

CHICAGO – Two of the best documentaries of 2010 were recently released on DVD and both are well-worth your time in the very near future as they serve as prime examples of the vitality of the form of non-fiction filmmaking. Both “A Film Unfinished” and the Oscar-winning “Inside Job” are riveting filmmaking, proof that subjects that one might consider dry can be turned into a devastating experience.

CHICAGO – If you watched the Oscars on Sunday night and ran to your local Redbox or whatever you use to watch Blu-rays and DVDs in 2011, you may have been struck by a bit of a shock — none of the acting winners are currently available on Blu-ray and DVD. Get your calendar. We’ll let you know when to expect the 2011 Oscar winners.

CHICAGO – Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reveals their short list for the Oscar for Best Documentary and every year there’s a notable snub or two that makes one question the process. Last year, “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” one of the most-beloved films of the year, didn’t make the cut. This year, “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” failed to make the cut, continuing a pattern in which films not deemed “serious enough” by Academy members can’t get past the first round.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Director Charles Ferguson is an absolute genius at distilling incredibly-complex subjects down to their bare essentials without dumbing them down in the slightest. He produced the best documentary about the Iraq War in the amazing “No End in Sight” and he’s now delivered a nearly—equal masterful feature on how our economy got to where it is today with the excellent “Inside Job,” arguably the best documentary of a great year for the form.