Alex Gibney's latest, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, chronicles the career of America's iconic counterculture bad boy journalist--deemed by many to be a national treasure. Drug user and gun advocate Hunter Thompson assailed the establishent in his highly acclaimed and very popular articles about political campaigns, the Kentucky Derby and the Hell's Angels.

'Gonzo' is the term applied to the highly personalized form of journalism that was pioneered by Thompson.

Like Thompson as journalist, filmmaker Gibney assails contemporary cultural and the political scene with his searing documentaries about corporate evils, corrupt politics and sigfinicant upstarts. His films clearly reflect his personal point of view--his likes, dislikes and a stick it to the man who deserves to be stuck attitude. Is Gibney 'Gonzo,' too?

I asked him that question recently during an interview, and he said quite emphatically, "NO, I'm not." Gibney doesn't claim complete objectivity. Actually, he thinks that's not quite possible. He does, however, look into all sides of the story, and he never makes himself the subject of the film--which would be the 'Gonzo' approach. "I think that title would be better bestowed upon Michael Moore," Gibney commented. "Michael is a character in all of his films. I'm only in mine when it's absolutely necessary to include a question I might have asked off camera. That's not to say that 'Gonzo' can't work effectively in documentary fllm."

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is in theaters now. Read my review.

In Gunnin' For That #1 Spot, Beaties Boy/Documentarian Adam Yauch covers the history-making 2006 Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic basketball game, and follows eight top high school players who come to New York's famous Rucker Park public court to challenge each other. Unfortunately, Yauch's hip hop shooting and editing style--as entertaining as it is--keeps us from getting clear visual shots at the magnificent moves of these young a-list athletes as they score. Yauch gives us his best g-g-g-g-game, but where's theirs?

Sure, doc makers who escape the confining principles of strictly verite filmmaking are legit--especially when they're covering past events to which they had no direct access. Audiences won't sit through an endless parade of jowly talking heads expounding on a subject. So, doc makers find ways to make events come to life for us. They deliver dramatic expose and pacing. Hooray!

In Taxi To The Dark Side, for example, director Alex Gibney wasn't there to shoot American soldiers torturing suspected terrorists, so he created dramatic effects to bring the story to life and make it immediate for us. The story is presented in a suspenseful way, with pacng that grips us. Well done!

But Yauch, by comparison, who had direct access his film's thrilling central event, shrouds his storytelling with cinematic effects. Ouch!

Does direct access place inherent limits on the director's leeway for creative interpretation? Not necessarily. There's no suggestion that Yauch be limited to giving us a play by play scenario ala ESPN, but let's see these great ball players shooting strait with some strait shooting. Please give us their game, not yours.

Read my review.