You think spelling bees are for wussies? You won't after seeing Spellbound, a documentary that puts reality TV to shame by focusing on eight contestants (out of 248, and no one past the eighth grade) who entered the 1999 National Spelling Bee, a two-day bloodbath.

Director Jeff Blitz gets in close to Angela Arenivar, April Degideo, Ashley White, Emily Stagg, Harry Altiman, Ted Brigham, Napur Lala and their families. Whether from a Texas ranch, a Missouri trailer park or a Washington, D.C., housing project, these spellers define something unique about the American character. By the time they're onstage, your pulse is pounding right along with theirs. Spell this movie: g-r-e-a-t.

“Time to Pretend”

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”