DVD Recommendations Needed

Okay, here’s the dilemma. We’re ten days from the election and we’ve got conservative friends and family members that you know won’t bother reading any books or articles that you mail them. Knowing they’re more likely to watch a DVD than read, what’s the best way to convince them to vote for John Kerry (or against George Bush) using a credit card and an Amazon.com account? Fahrenheit 9/11 and Going Upriver seem like the obvious choices, but I wanna hear some pros and cons here. Is there another great DVD that I’m overlooking?


posted by greg on October 22, 2004 @ 1:18 pm

21 comments

  1. well, even though it was developed for his supporters, i cant see how you could watch that “bush:faith in the white house” documentary and not be scared shitless. seriously. ive heard excerpts on kpfk. scary shit. the oc peace coalition is actually screening it. that’s how bad it is.

    id also recommend outfoxed for a little lesson in de-spinning, and bush’s brain for a lesson on the little man behind the curtain.

    finally, i dont know if its out yet, but “control room” was a great look at the eyes through which the world sees us and goes a long way to forcing people to think about why they may hate us. it also shows the journey of concience of the marine assigned to media liason as he wrestles with loss and propaganda.

    Comment by josh — October 22, 2004 @ 1:59 pm

  2. “Going Upriver” is awesome and, on the plus side, doesn’t have the negative press and perceived bias of “Farenheit.” I’d recommend it, though it made me sincerely wish I was voting for John Kerry circa 1971 instead of 2004.

    The Frontline comparative biography of Bush and Kerry is also great, though that isn’t on DVD, just streaming from the PBS website.

    Comment by Alex — October 22, 2004 @ 2:09 pm

  3. I’d agree with Alex; you’ve got a better chance of actually changing minds with something that doesn’t have Michael Moore’s name attached to it. Moore’s been made into too much of a boogieman on the right.

    Comment by Geoduck — October 22, 2004 @ 2:52 pm

  4. going upriver, without a doubt – i’ve seen all of them listed above, and going upriver is the easy choice.

    Comment by anonymous — October 22, 2004 @ 3:12 pm

  5. How about “The American President”? It is entertaining, and if Cheney isn’t channeling Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss’s), I’d be suprised! President Andrew Shepard’s (MIchael Douglas) speach at the end has this part:

    “We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.”

    Sound like any canidate(s) you know of?

    Comment by Marcus — October 22, 2004 @ 3:57 pm

  6. Uncovered – the truth behind the rush to war in Iraq

    Outfoxed – about FOX

    And there’s another one by that guy, but I can’t remember the name.

    Comment by eRobin — October 22, 2004 @ 4:30 pm

  7. -1984-

    Comment by sgo — October 22, 2004 @ 4:47 pm

  8. The Battle of Algiers

    Comment by slappy — October 22, 2004 @ 4:54 pm

  9. Try “Something About W”.

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002YBTZ4/qid=1098492611/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/104-8070982-8336723?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846

    I saw it here at its premiere in San Francisco. It’s like F9/11 lite — very well-produced & argued, but nothing hysterical, lots of standard spokespeople like Molly Ivins, Krugman, Al Franken, and several comedians. Also it’s only 45 minutes long so your friends are more likely to be able to find the time.

    I sent it to my Mom in Texas and it won her over.

    Comment by Reagan Richey — October 22, 2004 @ 5:55 pm

  10. Actually, The Fog of War was really amazing. Though you’d have to convince this undecided to see Parallels without a pundit doing the dirty work of explaining the thesis in easy-to-understand language.

    Comment by Alex — October 22, 2004 @ 5:56 pm

  11. I would not recommend Outfoxed, Uncovered, Unprecedented, or Fahrenheit 9/11. I would recommend Fog of War. I would also recommend George W. Bush and the Rise of the Religious Right, which has been airing on Sundance. The latter actually focuses on the history of the Religious Right and the rise of the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition. Neither of these documentaries is a cheap-shooting piece of one-sided murk, and they both were instrumental in my refining my opinions on our recent wars and the President. I don’t hate George Bush like so many do, and I still believe that war has its place. Nothing has been more instrumental in moving me, though, than those documentaries.

    Comment by E-Rock — October 22, 2004 @ 6:33 pm

  12. I would recommend “A Patriot Act” by Mark Crispin Miller. Excellent commentary, very powerful video of a stage show.

    Comment by steve — October 22, 2004 @ 9:07 pm

  13. F9/11 (as well as Michael Moore) is a joke, and I would not recommend anyone see such a worthless pile of garbage propaganda. That movie is enough to make all the old Democrats that are Democrats “just because” turn and run to the Bush camp. The timing of its release alone has already given Kerry a big black eye. Every time someone tries to “help” John in his bid for the oval office, it seems to cause him to lose a little more credibility.

    Honestly, I don’t think anything will change anybody’s mind unless they are confused or undecided about their candidate. I hear lots of talk on TV and see the hubub on the web about all these supposedly undecided voters, but I have yet to meet someone who is undecided.

    I am among the many who will never, ever, vote for any candidate that is not a member of the political party I identify with. I, and many others, vote based entirely along party lines. I wish I could just mark one box, or punch out a single chad, to cast my ballot for my party and all the ballot initiatives supported by my party. It would save me lots of time.

    Let’s face it. Your average Democrat is no more likely to vote for Bush than your average Republican would vote for Kerry. There are always a few rare exceptions, but everyone I know either despises Kerry or despises Bush, and the matter is not open for reconsideration.

    This election will be won (or lost, depending on who you vote for,) based on principles and (non-)traditional values. The election will be won by the side that has more voters in their respectful electoral colleges.

    This election is more than the struggle for power between two political parties. This election is about the struggle between those that want to hold on to the values and principles this nation was built on, and those who want to see American become what other nations want us to become.

    I know lots of old folks who are die-hard Democrats, who have more in common with the present-day Republican party than their own. They think Kerry is a traitor and an idiot, but they are going to vote for him because he is a Democrat.

    I also know lots of middle-aged voters that don’t necessarily like Bush, but they find the Republican agenda a better match for their values, and they are going to vote for Bush because it’s all about maintaining control of their agenda, and keeping power with the party that will run this country how they want it run.

    The election is close enough that people who even remotely sense that you are trying to change their mind are going to be pissed off. The lines have, for the most part, been drawn in the sand and it’s time for battle.

    Comment by AddInsult2Injury — October 22, 2004 @ 10:00 pm

  14. “The World According to Bush” directed by William Karel. I am pleased that it’s recently become available at Amazon.com, but unfortunately there is a 1-3 week wait for a copy which works against the whole “before election” element.

    It aired on CBC Newsworld last weekend here in Canada and I have a copy (on DVD, and also to download) for anyone here interested- contact me and I can get a copy to you.

    Other than that, you can download (or stream) a version here. The quality’s not great, but it’s easy enough to download.

    Mm besides that, I also liked Outfoxed and The Corporation. They aren’t overtly about Bush, but they all tie into the spectrum.

    Comment by Christine — October 22, 2004 @ 11:35 pm

  15. Sorry, one of my links was broken!

    Amazon’s selling the DVD here.

    Comment by Christine — October 22, 2004 @ 11:38 pm

  16. The above suggestions are all good. I agree, though, that F911 is too much of a lightning rod. I might also add to the list “Bush’s Brain” and the Greg Palast doc, “Bush Family Fortunes:
    The Best Democracy Money Can Buy”.

    Comment by Jill — October 23, 2004 @ 3:44 am

  17. Yes, moving you’re missing is The Corporation.

    Comment by tom — October 23, 2004 @ 1:21 pm

  18. Seriously, any Greenwald-produced documentary (Unprecedented, Outfoxed, etc…) would go straight in the trash. If any of you actually do plan on recommending DVD’s to people outside “the choir,” don’t bother recommending any of those because you’ll be wasting your time because those simply antogonize your target rather than reason with him or her.

    Comment by E-Rock — October 23, 2004 @ 2:48 pm

  19. HIJACKING CATASTROPHE
    9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire
    Narrated by Julian Bond
    ISBN: 1-893521-97-4

    Lots of interviews with CIA pros and weapons inspectors Blix and Ritter.

    from Media Education Foundation
    http://www.mediaed.org

    Comment by Mark — October 23, 2004 @ 3:44 pm

  20. I think the negative hype on F911 is way overblown. I’ve known plenty of non-lefties who saw it and were affected by it, by the reminders of the nation’s experience on 9/11, by the military recruiting scenes, by Lila Lipscomb. Michael Moore is not even in the movie much. Mostly he lets the subjects on the other side of the camera do the talking

    However, I just watched Going Upriver on DVD this afternoon and found it very compelling. I came away a) impressed with Kerry’s convictions and patriotism and b) depressed at how similar Iraq seems to Vietnam.

    My full blog review is here:
    http://homepage.mac.com/elisa_camahort/iblog/C36081249/E724085131/index.html

    Comment by Elisa — October 23, 2004 @ 8:16 pm

  21. Sorry to be posting again, but last night we managed to get a copy of “The World According to Bush” up and set to be download (using BitTorrent)… good quality and all that. ~690MB in size.

    If you want to download, click here.

    If you’re unsure about downloading with BitTorrent or have any other questions, you’re more than welcome to ask them on my blog. Slow connection? I might be able to get you a version on DVD, just contact me.

    Sorry for the obvious plug. Really, I’m just doing it because I want everyone who wants to watch the film *can*. Especially before the election. Because this documentary is that good. I might even say I prefer it over Fahrenheit 9/11.

    Thanks for your time!

    Comment by Christine — October 24, 2004 @ 10:40 pm

Copy link for RSS feed for comments on this post

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.