Hi. How are you? If you’ve been following along, then you know I’m scrambling to catch up on 2013 movies. If there’s one thing I can take away from working in film distribution, it’s that watching films outside of your company’s is rare. Why? Because you watch the same clips and the same films over and over (a four-year-old’s dream) to strategize how to get as many butts in the theater seats as possible, and sometimes, after calling it a day, it’s nice to just go home and read, eat peanut butter, or do anything that doesn’t involve turning on your television. (That’s not easy for a guy like me: movies are my life. I love escaping from the real the world for 90+ minutes.)

In time, however, you learn to balance that, shut down the brain, and do what you love most: watch movies. Over the last few months, I managed to watch a handful of documentaries I’ve been wanting to see and below are my favorites. In no particular order, of course.

BLACKFISH - Trailer

CALL ME KUCHU - Trailer

CUTIE AND THE BOXER - Trailer

THE PERVERT’S GUIDE TO IDEOLOGY - Trailer

SHEPARD & DARK - Trailer

NARCO CULTURA - Trailer

SOUND CITY - Trailer

STORIES WE TELL - Trailer

THE ACT OF KILLING - Trailer

THE PUNK SINGER - Trailer

TV JUNKIE - Trailer
(Note: TV JUNKIE played at Sundance in 2006 but never released on home video until this year.)

Docs I have not seen when this article was written (but wanted to):

BLOOD BROTHER

THE SQUARE

20 FEET FROM STARDOM

AFTER TILLER

CRASH REEL

THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR

DIRTY WARS

GOD LOVES UGANDA

LET THE FIRE BURN

This year — based on the suggestion of my pal Nathan Rabin — I watched a documentary from 2006 that that I’ve never heard of called TV JUNKIE. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (in 2006) and won the Special Jury Prize for documentary (and was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize). Then it disappeared after the festival ended. Until now.

I’m not sure why this never got a proper theatrical or DVD release - it’s one of the most compelling documentaries I’ve ever seen in my life. It was never sold to a film distributor and was shelved until the digital age made it slightly easier to get the film out into the world.

In this poignant and heartbreaking story, Rick Kirkham, an INSIDE EDITION Reporter, is obsessed with filming every aspect of his life. This includes fighting with his exhausted-but-supportive wife, filming his excessive drug abuse, and shooting over 3,000 hours into his descent into madness. You can feel his tremor of something - sadness, loss, anger - vibrate through him. And we are watching it all happen as cowards cringing while he self-destructs.

Rick loved shooting and filmed everything - he held nothing back and I admire is determination. You see, dear reader, Kirkham’s tragic story he hoped would to lead him to fame and glory pushed him so far down the rabbit hole recovering seemed inconceivable.

TV JUNKIE was carefully edited with candor and compassion by the films’ directors Michael Cain (fellow Dallasite!) and Matt Radecki. Please do yourself a kindness and see this film.

TV JUNKIE is still currently unavailable on DVD, but you can rent or buy it on iTunes by clicking HERE. I highly suggest you do this.

Favorite Documentaries of 2013

Movies You've Never Seen But Should: TV JUNKIE