I have to be honest and say that I had been putting off watching this documentary by the fabulous Phantom Power.
This wasn’t because I didn’t think it would be good, quite the opposite in fact, because his other films are great. However, I did know it was likely to make me angry, and that kept me back.
I just watched it and it did make me angry, but it is a must see just the same.
It often happens that the media are so obviously trying to assassinate someone’s character that the viewer begins to feel sorry for the subject of all the vitriol, and actually comes out of the ordeal more popular than before.
That DOESN’T happen with this documentary about Donald Trump, even though it is such an obvious attack piece.
The website of the film says…
This film was suppressed 25 years ago.
The film was commissioned in 1988 by Leonard Stern as the first of a series on celebrity businessmen and finished in 1991. Back then, the only way for a film to be seen was on television or in the theater. Donald threatened to sue any broadcaster or distributor that took on the film. In effect, it was suppressed. It was screened twice in back-to-back standing room only showings at the Bridgehampton Community House on July 3, 1991, the same day that Donald announced his engagement to Marla Maples.
It is worth the watch…
Journalist and activist Danny Schechter passed away on Thursday.
I met him in Edinburgh around the time of the G8 in Gleneagles and he was an extremely nice man and we bounced a few emails back and forth after that.
So, in honour of him, here is his documentary Weapons of Mass Deception, about the media coverage surrounding the Iraq war…
Another excellent video from the Phantom Power channel on Youtube.
The full title of this one is…
THE GALLERY OF ROGUES – The Art of Satire in the Scottish Independence Referendum with Greg Moodie
Greg explains the thinking behind the cartoons he has been making, both pre and post referendum…
It’s now available to watch free. Scotland Yet, the magnificent documentary by Jack Foster and Christopher Silver…
Very interesting little slice of UK political past and most likely present here.
The behaviour in Whitehall and Westminster has never been particularly good….
Danny Schechter’s documentary about media coverage in the Iraq War is still worth the watch…
The first trailer for the upcoming film about the independence referendum by Jack Foster and Christopher Silver, Scotland Yet, is up on youtube.
Jack Foster, was also on the podcast a while back…
The Fog Of War – 11 Lessons From the Life of Robert S.McNamara
McNamara was the Defense Secretary under JFK and Lyndon Johnson and was later at the World Bank.
And before you ask, it isn’t exactly a glowing tribute.
