'$ellebrity,' rock and roll photographer Kevin Mazur's first “feature-length” documentary, focuses on the media and what it means to be famous in America, tracking the rise of celebrities from classic Hollywood through the paparazzi frenzies of today.

And to get a truly accurate picture of such things, he went right to some well-known sources, interviewing stars like Jennifer Aniston, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock.

Here's a description on the movie's official website:

Fame is now a national pastime, it is what millions of us follow, believe in and seemingly what we care about most - as well as a billion dollar-a-year industry. But what does our intense fascination with celebrity say about us? And how much is too high a price to pay for our own curiosity run rampant? Sellebrity captures the free-for-all of pop culture today and the ever-changing face of fame.

In the film, the frequently faux-pregnant Aniston describes being hounded by paparazzi thusly: “False imprisonment ... When I’m in my car, they’re surrounding [me]. I can’t see. They flash light bulbs; it’s nighttime, and my vision is impaired.”

“All of a sudden, you’re a victim to what they’re saying and what they’re writing,” added Lopez. (Proving that her love life moves in warp speed, she was interviewed sitting arm-in-arm with her now ex-husband Marc Anthony.)

Elton John is the most vocal about today's culture of insta-fame, saying reality television “numbs my brain” and adding, “The people being called celebrities who have their own reality shows, I wanna kill them.”

While being harassed by the paparazzi can't be easy, we'd be remiss if we didn't note that some major stars manage to avoid such perils with ease -- because they don't court the attention.

For example, you don't often see photos of Johnny Depp out and about. He's so media-averse that he lived in France for years and even recently bought a house in Nashville since that's not a place photographers typically lie in wait.

Other celebs like Crow and Kelly Clarkson also call Nashville home, while Julia Roberts lives in New Mexico and Harrison Ford is a Wyoming resident. And that's just to name a few.

So while it may be unfair to say "stop going out in New York and Los Angeles, you big dolts," that seems to be the magical solution to the problem.

'$ellebrity' initially premiered earlier this year at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin (oh, Sandra Bullock lives there, by the way), but it'll be out in select theaters next month.

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