Cinematic Fantastic

Dave Chappelle's Block Party Why people didn't flock to this soul-stirring, joyful movie is a mystery. It's got the beguiling Chappelle as host and ringleader, great performances from Jill Scott, Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, The Fugees, Common and John Legend, to name a few, and it was shot by no less than Michel Gondry. Irresistible.

The Ground Truth Patricia Foulkrod's shattering expose of the psychic toll the war in Iraq has taken on the men who fight it, and how the government often turns its back on them when they return home, refusing to acknowledge that they are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorders. A powerhouse of a movie.

Crossing the Bridge: The Sounds of Istanbul German director Fatih ("Head On") Akin takes us on a revelatory musical tour of Istanbul, from traditional to Turkish hip-hop, offering not just great musical delights but a fascinating glimpse into that city's unique and contradictory multicultural identity, straddling East and West. I rushed out to buy a Sezen Aksu CD after hearing her unforgettable songs.

The War Tapes Iraq again. What makes Deborah Scranton's film unique is that it offers us a view of the war through the eyes of three National Guardsmen who fought there. Each was given a mini-DV camera to film their experience there, and upon their return. Here's the real skinny; it's not pretty, but it's essential viewing.

Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple A deeply unsettling portrait of Jim Jones's tragic transformation from an idealistic, socially progressive Indiana preacher to the megalomaniac, drug-addled monster who choreographed the mass suicide of his followers. Stanley Nelson's haunting film, informed by the voices of the few survivors of Jonestown, can give you nightmares.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold Jonathan Demme's lovely tribute documents Young's "Prairie Wind" concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Filmed just weeks before Young's operation for a brain aneurysm, the film, and the concert, are haunted by a sense of mortality. Anyone who loves Young's music will love this; those of a certain age may find it produces repeated lumps in the throat.