Year in Review: 50 Biggest Documentary Hits

Our year in review party begins. A different list each day. Here's Glenn Dunks...

The documentary box office of 2018 was always going to be hard to beat - impossible, even. Last year we had five documentaries reach totals greater than $10mil. This year, unfortunately, we had none, although one of those five, Peter Jackson's colorized war doc They Shall Not Grow Old made the bulk of its money in the new year so there's that, as did Oscar winner Free Solo.

 Nevertheless, the realm of non-fiction more or less thrived in cinemas across America. Where indie flicks with big names faultered, sputtered and got chewed up by the markets divergance towards streaming, documentaries continued to post solid numbers for their boutique distributors. The clear winner for 2019 was Apollo 11, which capitalized on the 50th anniversary of man's first walk on the moon as well as being marketed as an event movie in IMAX. It missed an Oscar nomination, but as last year's snubs for Won't You Be My Neighbour and Three Identical Strangers suggest, box office doesn't always make that a done deal.

Still, we are here to talk box office so let's look at the list. 

TOP 50 GROSSING DOCUMENTARIES FOR 2019
Domestic Box Office Totals Only - Figures as of March 12th, 2020
RANK | TITLE | (DISTRIBUTOR, RELEASE DATE) | DOMESTIC GROSS

01 Apollo 11 (Neon, March 1st) $9.0  [REVIEW] 

02 Penguins (Disney, April 17th) $7.6...

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Best of November ICYMI

One month left to go in the year. AND THE DECADE. We are not prepared. If you've been spottily visiting the site please return daily (things are picking up with great speed) but here are 12 highlights you won't want to have missed from the month we're wrapping up right now.

Highlights
• Parasite's Palme d'Or Loot it's now one of the most successful winners ever
• Mati Diop and Atlantics Murtada talks to 2019's most exciting new cinematic voice
• Soundtracking: Yentl Chris writes beautifully about Babs' 1983 triumph
• Over & Overs: Sister Act Kyndall used to sing in the choir. She loves Whoopi & co.
• Little Claudia in Interview with the Vampire Jason's 'Horror Actressing' series wants more...
• Parasite and films on economic disparity Lynn on recent Asian films that address the issue more cogently than American films have 
• Antonio Banderas, a singular sensation Nathaniel wonders where he's been.
• Frozen 2 Tim goes deep on Disney's latest blockbuster
• FYC Lulu Wang Cláudio makes a case for the director of The Farewell

Most Discussed
• Spirit Nominations Clemency, Farewell, and more...
• SAG Screenings Little Women, Bombshell, etc...
• Oscar Trivia Which films in history received the most nominations but missed Best Picture? It's a fascinating list.

COMING IN DECEMBER: Little Women, Bombshell, 1917, Marriage Story, Uncut Gems, Cats, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, more interviews with Oscar hopefuls, and Best of 2019 and Best of Decade List-Mania and Awards begin (but do not end) and run through Oscar week 2020. 

October. It's a wrap!

The scariest thing that's happening on Halloween today is the realization that there are only two months of the year (AND DECADE) left to go [SCREAMS]. If you've been a spotty visitor lately, here are a dozen highlights we don't want you to have missed from the month that was...

• Hustlers for Best Costume Design - a convincing case!
• Beauty Break Cláudio survey's Almodóvar's luscious men
• Monthly Calendar of the Oscar Fanatic -Eurocheese's diary is freakishly accurate!
• Parasite Podcast - now that you've seen Bong Joon ho's instant classic, you can listen to the spoilery podcast
• Avengers Endgame's Oscar play - Abe wonders how it can fare
• Empty Joker - Michael isn't into it. Are you?
• How Had I Never Seen... Cabaret - Ben catches up with one of the all time great musicals
• Murtada on TV - Turkish television had him on to talk Almodóvar
• Female Directors in the International Film Race - as usual Nathaniel went deep into investigation when the longlist for Best International Film was announced
• Soundtracking - Chris's series takes on Ellen Burstyn's struggling singer in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
• Horror Actressing - Jason's series looks back at Pan's Labyrinth

Most Discussed Posts
• Ten Best Supporting Actors of the 2010s that weren't nominated - These still hurt
• Bombshell screenings shake up Actress categories - Eric hears the buzz

Coming in November
LOTS OF OSCAR CAMPAIGN FEVER. More on Parasite, JoJo Rabbit, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Knives Out, Waves, and The Irishman. New releases Harriet, Terminator Dark Fate, Klaus, Charlie's Angels, The Good Liar, Queen and Slim. Disney +'s debut, TFE's Thanksgiving bounty, new interviews, and anniversaries for Precious, Interview with the Vampire, and Meet Me in St Louis.

September. It's a Wrap

September was surely the fastest month of the year. Over in a flash and though we were just getting the hang of our new schedule (temporary corporate gig on the side for financial survival reasons) and posting was lighter than usual, we’re aiming for a more typically robust October.

Highlights of September
Remembering Jean Seberg - Mark offers up a primer before Seberg arrives
"Over the Rainbow" - a beautiful episode of Soundtracking to celebrate Judy
Reader Writes: Kris in Telluride - Let us know if you’d like to send a guest post!
The Irishman Jason reviews Marty's buzzy mafia epic
TIFF Awards - Chris & Nathaniel wrap up their coverage with personal kudos
How Had I Never Seen... M - a new series kicks off in which team members watch something classic that they've never before seen
I Am Love - Michael eats shrimp with Tilda for "The New Classics"
On Becoming a God in Central Florida have you watched Kiki's new series?
Horror Actressing Amy Irving in Carrie

Most Discussed Articles
She Had Oscar Buzz - Elie talks Kirsten, Scarlett, Emily and othes waiting on their first nomination
Celebrating JLo - Murtada wants to know what you think about when you think of the Hustlers star?

Coming in October: Joker, Pain & Glory, Parasite, Maleficent Mistress of Evil, Gemini Man, Celebrating the 2019 Honorary Oscar winners (Lynch, Davis, Wermuller, and Studi), and something spooky for the holidays TBD

August. It's (Nearly) a Wrap

That went quick! We're about to leaving the summer behind so herewith 15 highlights from August...

• 200 Oldest Living Screen Stars since we've updated the list
• Doc Corner: One Child Nation Glenn thinks it might be the Oscar frontrunner
• Underrated Ed Norton Performances beyond that Oscar nomination triple
• We Met Marsha Mason she's still working but mostly on stage
• Tarantino & Oscar They do have some blindspots
• Sigourney Weaver in Copycat Jason's new series on Horror Actressing
• Moulin Rouge! on Broadway reviewed
• Over & Over: Julie & Julia Ginny kicks off our new series on movies we each watch a lot
• Hobbs & Shaw get Sean all hot & bothered in his seat
• AGLIFF Nathaniel's trip to Austin for a very fun festival
• Dino De Laurentiis the team had a lot of fun doing this retrospective of the prolific producer's various eras from Bitter Rice through The Bible and on to King Kong and Dune

Most Discussed
• Yes No Maybe So: Bombshell  What an actressexual tease!
• Where'd You Go Bernadette you love talking Cate Blanchett
• Favourite Hitchcocks He has so many great ones, it's hard to narrow it down
• Yes No Maybe So: Little Women Greta Gerwig offers up a very now cast for the perennial classic

COMING IN SEPTEMBER
Nathaniel and Chris hit the Toronto International Film Festival, We all watch the Emmy Awards. We'll also celebrate nw films like The Goldfinch, Ad Astra, Downton Abbey, Judy, The Laundromat,  and It Chapter Two, with lookbacks to Blue Sky (1994) and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) just for the hell of it. Any requests?