Summer is doc friendly (in theaters on on TV — more on that later), and I have seen two very good ones recently.

Werner Herzog’s latest Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a 3-D film that takes viewers inside the Chauvet caves in Southern France where the oldest known drawings by humans have been discovered.

This film really captivated me, and I think 3-D is an asset here (though usually it’s just a gimmick insufficient to save lackluster, big budget extravaganzas).   In Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the effect gives viewers a sense of what it would be like to see the actual drawing.  Given the strictly controlled access to the caves to preserve the site, we’re unlikely to see them in any other context.

This film is a perfect blending of science and the humanities, and it both touched me profoundly and sparked deep creative impulses along with a desire to embark on some great adventure.

I loved Morgan Spurlock’s new film, Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.  Spurlock, who burst on the scene in 2004 with Supersize Me, has created a polished, mature, and very important film that looks at the role product placement plays in the entertainment business.

This is a funny but very smart film that deserves to be widely seen.  You won’t regret searching it out!