Supermensch: The Legend Of Shep Gordon (2013)
An unabashed celebration of one of the greatest hucksters to ever wheel-and-deal their way through the entertainment industry. This uproarious doc recounts the heady career of Hollywood agent/producer/manager/whatever Shep Gordon, who used his considerable charm and guile to turbo-charge the careers of, among others, Alice Cooper, Raquel Welch and Sly Stallone.
Pumping Iron (1977)
The cult of Ahnold can be traced back to this iconic documentary, which dives biceps-first into the hyper-macho 1970s bodybuilding scene. Five-time Mr Olympia Schwarzenegger is aiming for title number six, and nothing – particularly not future-Hulk Lou Ferrigno – is going to stand in his way...
Living On One Dollar (2013)
Imagine if you and your mates took one of those 2am putting-the-world-to-rights conversations and actually ran with it. In an attempt to understand extreme poverty, four American friends travel to Guatemala to try existing on a dollar a day – illness, starvation and ferocious parasites await them.
Journey To Le Mans (2014)
Cameras track the drivers and crew of British racing team Jota Sport as they take on the toughest motorsport event in the world. It’s a 200mph tale of courageous vision, dangerous ambition and maniac insomniacs for whom way-too-fast is never fast enough.
The Motivation (2013)
One of the most inspiring sporting documentaries of recent times, The Motivation follows eight young skateboarders as they hone their skills to compete at the Street League Championship in New York. Netflix also has the excellent sequel, 2015’s Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story.
Somm (2012)
Taking buffery to a level beyond the reach of most normal humans, four hardcore wine, spirits and cigar experts study to take the prestigious and intimidating Master Sommelier exam. By turns nail-biting and rib-tickling, Somm offers astonishing insight into a world only a handful ever see.
Indie Game: The Movie (2012)
In pizza-strewn, tech-cluttered back rooms across the world, indie programmers work alone or in teams, painstakingly building weird and wonderful games and plotting ways to smuggle their wares into the corporation-dominated mainstream. If you’ve ever been in a David v Goliath situation, this’ll strike a chord.
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography (2012)
Yep, another skateboarding documentary, this time about the greatest team the sport has ever seen: late 1980s super-crew Bones Brigade, in which a teenage Tony Hawk honed his skills. Fame, glory, groupies, highs, lows and world-shaking talent – the whole wild story’s here, brilliantly retold.
Maravilla (2014)
The stirring tale of rags-to-riches middleweight champ Sergio Martínez, whose clashes with the oft-shady boxing industry have been every bit as visceral as anything he’s experienced in the ring. A fascinating look at a sport where money often has undue dominance – and a superstar in it for more than just a payday.
Stop At Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story (2014)
And if all the above have got your blood pumpin’ a little too hard, rein yourself in with this shocking tale of unchecked ambition and jaw-dropping deception, courtesy of BAFTA-winning director Alex Holmes. Like all the best documentaries, it depicts real events that almost defy belief. Oh, Lance.
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