Well, the writer’s strike seems to have drawn to an amicable close, and that means that unlike the Golden Globes we will again have the pleasure of tuning into the movies’ most glamorous and magical night, the 80th annual Academy Awards. To honor our old pal Oscar, we’ve taken this week to share a few of our own past favorite films that Oscar has smiled upon, and it’s been our pleasure all week long to air films such as “Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square” or “Prelude to War” that have been honored either with Oscar nominations or the coveted statue itself. In any case, I for one am as excited about this particular Oscar year than I have been in a long while (and selfishly I must admit I’d love to see “There Will Be Blood” and the Coen’s “No Country For Old Men” grab a statue or two). But the doc category is an interesting place as well this year, and between the harrowing and poignant “War/Dance” and “Taxi to the Darkside” to Michael Moore’s rabble rousing “Sicko,” I haven’t exactly picked the horse I’m betting on yet. What do you guys think? Let us know at viewers@documentarychannel.com.

Being a long time aficionado of a good rock and roll movie, I’m really happy about this recent trend in which the Peter Boddanoviches and Martin Scorseses of the world have been driven to make music films. Scorsese is turning out to be the most prolific with his newly completed Rolling Stones documentary “Shine a Light” currently making the rounds at film festivals and new doc projects in the works about the late great George Harrison and Bob Marley respectively. Also of note is “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” filmmaker Julian Schnabel, who recently shot “Lou Reed’s Berlin” which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like—the legendary former Velvet Underground front man performing his classic album Berlin in its entirety. I have to admit sounds pretty cool to me.
There are also filmmakers like the recently profiled in our Featured Doc Maker column Jonathan Demme who has an Oscar on his mantle somewhere for the horrifying Silence of the Lambs but still manages to squeeze Neil Young and Jimmy Carter into his busy schedule. Keep up the good work guys. You’ve made music and film nerds the world over very, very happy.

This week I had the opportunity to write about filmmaker Alex Gibney’s new film “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson.” As a writer and a fan in general of things weird, I’ve long admired Hunter and his work, and over the years every time a new film is released that gives me yet another glimpse into the mind of Thompson, I relish the opportunity to see it. Gibney’s film, at two hours, is by far the best documentary to tackle such a larger than life subject as Thompson so definitively and comprehensively. Having seen all the other films and poured over several Thompson biographies in my day, I honestly didn’t come to the table expecting to learn anything I didn’t already know about Thompson. But learn I did, and in Gibney’s hands even the information I already knew was presented in new and exciting ways. For example, I knew that Thompson had run for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado, but never did I expect to see the commercial spot that was aired in support of Hunter’s campaign. But here it is in all its surreal glory, featuring Thompson riding a Harley, the Colorado wind whipping through what was left of his hair, his trademark mirrored shades bolted firmly in place. I would have voted for him. “Gonzo” is legitimately great stuff. Even the uninitiated would have a hard time arguing that Thompson’s was a genuinely compelling tale. Another surprise the film held for me was the fact that not only did I not cringe when “Cheeseburger in Paradise” singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett turned up in the film, I actually liked it! Under normal circumstances I’ve never really bought into Buffett’s yachts and hawaiian shirts shtick, but here Buffett’s presence is genuinely welcome as he tells the hilarious story of helping Thompson literally unplug and then plug back in a fax machine, making it appear to be on the fritz and thus buying Hunter a bit more time to finish a piece. So much did I enjoy this anecdote that I vowed then and there not to snub my nose the next time the cover band at whatever watering hole I find myself in launches into a version of “Magaritaville.” Until the song is over I’ll just remember that when Buffett references his long lost shaker of salt, Hunter would have had an entirely different (and slightly more illegal) usage of said salt shaker. That will undoubtedly make me a smile a bit.