The 80th Annual Academy Awards is just around the corner (Sunday, February 24th) and in case you haven't seen these films, here is a list of nominated documentaries you should check out before the show (and if not...definitely after!):

NOMINATED FILMS--

Documentary Feature-

No End in Sight- Analyst and scholar Charles Ferguson examines the process behind the Bush Administration's decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Evidence of errors in judgment, ignored intelligence information, and a lack of any follow-up plan on the part of those in the government who orchestrated the invasion are presented within the context of the history of U.S./Iraq relations.

Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience- The experiences of Iraq War veterans are seen through their writings, accompanied by news footage and photographs. Eleven men and women who have served in the conflict chronicle the war and its effect on their lives in their letters and journals, and through works of fiction and poetry, while interviews with veterans of other wars express the common themes of all soldier's lives.

Sicko- Michael Moore's look at American health care explores the reasons behind the adoption of a for-profit system and profiles individuals whose lack of proper care and battles with insurance companies have drastically affected their lives. Moore compares the U.S. system unfavorably with the free, government-sponsored systems in other countries as he takes a group of Americans to Cuba to seek treatments they were unable to obtain at home.

Taxi to the Dark Side-The case of an Afghan taxi driver beaten to death in 2002 while in U.S. military custody forms the heart of this examination of the abuses committed during the detainment and interrogation of political prisoners. When New York Times reporter Carlotta Gall investigates the death of cab driver Dilawar--officially declared by the military to be from natural causes--she uncovers incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.

War/Dance-Chief among the victims of the ongoing warfare in northern Ugandan are the country's children. Three students in the Patongo refugee camp, all victims of terrible violence and losses, nevertheless prepare to enter a music competition that offers them a lifeline of hope. For Nancy, Rose, and Dominic, a former child soldier, the contest provides a welcome respite from the desperate circumstances of their daily lives.

(synopses courtesy of Oscar.com)

Hmm...does anyone notice a common thread among these nominated films? (...Mr. President, do you sense/smell anger??) True to Oscar nature, you better be willing to weep, shake your fists at the heavens in anger, and cry, "Why?..why? does the world have to be so cruel?!" In all seriousness, be an engaged member of society for once, and watch these films!

And while you're at it, check out these Oscar-nominated,

Documentary Shorts-

Freeheld- Facing death from cancer, Detective Lieutenant Laurel Hester of the New Jersey Police Department spends the final year of her life fighting a policy that will not allow her to transfer her pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree.

La Corona (The Crown)- In a women's prison in Bogotá, Colombia, the inmates compete in an annual beauty pageant. Four prisoners are profiled as they prepare for the contest; an unusual manifestation of a national obsession.

Salim Baba- Using a hand-cranked 1897 projector, Salim Muhammad offers his neighbors in the slums of Kolkata, India, a chance to view scraps of films. Although collectors have sought to buy his rare projector, Salim refuses to part with it, as his street shows are often the only films the local residents can afford to see.

Sari's Mother- On a farm in central Iraq, a mother struggles to care for her ten-year-old son, Sari, who is dying of AIDS. As the boy's condition worsens, his mother must deal with a health care system that has fallen into chaos under the American occupation.

(synopses courtesy of Oscar.com)

Tune in on Sunday (5PT, 8ET) to see who wins...and/or to watch Jon Stewart crack a few jokes and celebrity egos!