Whatcha Watchin’? Want Some Suggestions?
by Lah-May
Want some education along with your entertainment? Here are some insightful films:
Waterbuster—Filmmaker J. Carlos Peinado tells the story of how his tribe, the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Nation, was driven from their lands when the Garrison Dam was built in the 1940s-50s. No doubt, the government's perception of the “path of least resistance” was instrumental in determining the location of the dam.
New York Dolls—Forerunners, if not the inventors, of punk rock, the New York Dolls were quickly rising to the top only to lose momentum after losing some of its band members to drugs and death. Focusing on bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane, the film follows Kane discussing his life then and now. A 2004 reunion of the surviving members of the band in London at the Meltdown Festival brings Kane the fame he missed and the reconciliation he needed. Note: The ending will throw you for a loop!
Sir! No Sir!—The anti-Vietnam war movement wasn't limited to radical students and hippie youth. Hitherto unmentioned in history books, a large number of GIs also worked to bring an end the aggression against the Vietnamese.
Why We Fight—Anyone who still thinks the U.S. goes to war for world peace and justice needs to watch this film. The military industrial complex looks after its own interests—and there are a lot of people within the war industry who benefit from death and destruction.