1.

Frontline: The Persuaders
directed by: Rachel Dretzin, Barak Goodman

Frontline examines the "persuasion industries" -- advertising and public relations. To cut through consumers' growing resistance to their pitches, marketers have developed new ways of integrating their messages into the fabric of our lives, using sophisticated market research techniques to better understand consumers and turning to the little-understood techniques of public relations to make sure their messages come from sources we trust.
February 02, 2005

2.

Gates of Heaven
starring: Lucille Billingsley, Zella Graham, Cal Harberts, Dan Harberts, Phil Harberts
directed by: Errol Morris

From Academy Award®-winning* director Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line) comes this acclaimed film about success and failure in the grave business of animal interment. "Memorable, moving and poignant" (Channel 4 Film), Gates of Heaven is "so rich and thought-provoking it stays in your mind for tantalizing days" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). When financial hardship forces California's Foothill Pet Cemetery to close its pearly gates, its dearly departedloved ones are relocated to the nearby Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park. During this tense transition, filmmaker Morris meets a collection of eccentric cemetery operators and anguished animal-lovers and elicits a meditation on love and loneliness that's "strange, chilling [and] appallingly funny" (Newsweek). *2003: Documentary Feature, Fog of War (with Michael Williams)
July 07, 2005

3.

Bob Geldof: Geldof in Africa

Bob Geldof is the punk musician who led a global humanitarian campaign to help feed the starving in Ethiopia during the famine of 1985. He principally achieved this through two concerts, one in London's Wembley stadium and one in Philadelphia's JFK stadium, raising 40 million pounds, $73 million, all of which went direct to the starving. Over 2 billion people worldwide watched the concerts.
January 01, 2006

4.

Ghosts of the Abyss
starring: Bill Paxton, Don Lynch, Ken Marschall, Charles Pellegrino, Lewis Abernathy
directed by: James Cameron

Walt Disney Pictures and James Cameron, the Academy Award(R)-winning director of TITANIC (1997), present the groundbreaking cinematic achievement GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS. Joined by his personal friend Bill Paxton (TITANIC) and a team of the world's foremost history and marine experts, Cameron journeys back to the site of his greatest inspiration -- the legendary wreck of the Titanic. During the voyage, you will explore the entire ship, deck by deck, room by room, encountering mysteries that have remained hidden for almost a century. Revolutionary underwater robots were designed and built solely for the purpose of allowing the explorers to peer deep into the remains of the once great ship and bring those surreal and haunting images back to the surface. Loaded with never-before-seen footage, revealing interviews, and innovative DVD bonuses, this unprecedented motion picture event is a must-own companion for anyone who loves TITANIC.
April 04, 2004

5.

Gift of Hope: Tony Melendez Story
starring: Tony Melendez

Although he has no arms, his spirit soars, inspiring others with his music and his courage. Tony Meléndez may have been born without arms, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying life to the fullest. Tony was born with this birth defect in 1962 as a result of his mother’s taking the prescription drug, Thalidomide.

Today he is known around the world for playing the guitar with his feet. He was thrown into the limelight when he performed before Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles in 1987. Visibly moved by Tony’s performance, the Pope rushed into the audience to embrace him. In this program we meet Tony and see him perform in many locations. After hearing his inspiring story, you’ll understand why he has appeared on numerous television shows including "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," "The 700 Club," and many more. He has also received several awards including the Inspirational Hero Award from the NFL Alumni Association at Superbowl XXIII in Miami and the Branson Entertainment Award for the Best New Artist in 1999. Tony is a powerful speaker and is frequently invited to give presentations to young people on drug abuse, the importance of self-esteem, disability awareness, cultural awareness and family support. Tony’s inspiring story will challenge viewers to embrace life and give hope to those in need. This DVD includes new footage showing Tony’s life and ministry today.
February 02, 2005

6.

Girlhood
directed by: Liz Garbus

Academy Award® nominated director Liz Garbus follows Shanae and Megan for the next three years, as they try to make a life for themselves both inside and outside of Baltimore’s juvenile justice system. A story of mothers and daughters, crimes and consequences, and strength in the face of unimaginable adversity, girlhood is a testament to the faith and struggles of two girls just trying to grow up.
May 05, 2004

7.

Gladiator Days - Anatomy of a Prison Murder
directed by: Marc Levin

Across the United States, violent crime in prison is an everyday reality, with inmates routinely exposed to assault, riot, rape and murder. Gladiator Days: Anatomy of a Prison Murder examines the culture of institutional violence through the events that led to one burtal prison murder. Utah State Prison surveillance cameras capture this disturbing real-life account of the vicious stabbing of black inmate Lonnie Blackmon by convicted murderer, white supremacist Troy Kell and his accomplice Eric Daniels.
January 01, 2003

8.

The Gleaners and I
starring: François Wertheimer, Agnès Varda, Bodan Litnanski, Macha Makeïeff
directed by: Agnès Varda

Agnès Varda, Grande Dame of the French New Wave, has made 2001's most acclaimed non-fiction film-a self-described "wandering-road documentary." Beginning with the famous Jean-François Millet painting of women gathering wheat left over from a harvest, she focuses her ever-seeking eye on gleaners: those who scour already-reaped fields for the odd potato or turnip. Her investigation leads us from forgotten corners of the French countryside to off-hours at the green markets of Paris, following those who insist on finding a use for that which society has cast off, whether out of necessity or activism. Varda's own ruminations on her life as a filmmaker (a gleaner of sorts) give her a connection to her subjects that creates a touching human portrait that the L.A. Weekly deemed "a protest film that's part social critique, part travelogue, but always an unsentimental celebration of human resilience." This Edition features the 60-minute follow-up film GLEANERS: TWO YEARS LATER.
July 07, 2002

9.

Go Further
starring: Woody Harrelson, Ken Kesey, Tom Ballanco, Jessica Chung, Steve Clark
directed by: Ron Mann

Get on the bio-fueled bus with actor and activist Woody Harrelson and his band of "Merry Hempsters" as they embark on a 1,300-mile road trip from Seattle to Santa Barbara to promote environmental awareness and "Simple Organic Living." Pop and counter-culture documentarian Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential, Twist) chronicles every leg of Harrelson’s journey, from college campus appearances and encounters with curious onlookers, to a visit with 1960s icon Ken Kesey. With his fellow travelers, including one confessed junk food addict, Harrelson is determined to change hearts and minds, one hemp burger and sweet avocado chocolate mousse pie at a time. Featuring the music of Natalie Merchant, Bob Weir, Anthony Kiedis and Dave Matthews. "It’s all good, dude."
May 05, 2005

10.

Godfathers Collection - The True History of the Mafia

They were born in the foothills of Sicily. By 1924 their growing numbers and criminal activities had attracted the attention of Mussolini, who went about purging Italy of their secret society. America became their escape. In this stunning overview of the phenomenon known as La Cosa Nostra, THE HISTORY CHANNEL, RAI International and BIOGRAPHY present five programs that fully unveil the origins, the personalities, and the inner workings of the Mafia. Using never-before-seen footage and rare interviews with mob insiders and the agents who pursued them, THE GODFATHERS COLLECTION presents a gripping tale of greed, power, crime and betrayal. With in-depth portraits of crime bosses like Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, and Carlo Gambino, this is the definitive, eye-opening account of organized crime in America. Volume 1: Godfathers
Godfathers investigates the mob lke no other documentary before it. From the mass immigration of Italians at the end of the 19th century to money laundering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2000, this up-to-date, feature-length production offers a unique perspective on the history of the Mafia as seen through the eyes of an Italian journalist. With newly discovered footage from Italian archives and rare interviews from both sides of the law, Godfathers probes the psychology, the sociology, and the economics behind this powerful yet secretive society. Some of the biggest names in mafia history are introduced, and the ways in which their political savvy helped them orchestrate many of history's major events is explained.

Volume 2:
* LUCKY LUCIANO: CHAIRMAN OF THE MOB: He ran the Mob like a corporation--diversifying rackets, organizing gangs and running his own political candidates--and his top-secret war efforts earned him parole from a 50-year sentence.
* MEYER LANSKY: MOB TYCOON: From the pogroms of Eastern Europe to the heyday of the Vegas Mob, rare footage and interviews reveal the double life of the man known as the Mob's financial leader.
* GENOVESE: PORTRAIT OF A CRIME FAMILY: A soldier breaks the sacred mobster's oath of silence (omerta) and the Genovese family hits the headlines. From Joe the Boss to Vito Genovese to the "Odd Father" himself, every personality and gripping detail in this ongoing saga comes to life.
* BUGSY SIEGEL: Handsome, glamorous and the most vicious crime boss of all, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel began as a hit man on the streets of Brooklyn and died the victim of a mysterious murder, but not before turning a desert mirage into a Las Vegas dreamland.
January 01, 2004