Horns & Halos (Documentary set)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: B     Documentary: B

 

 

I have yet to see an anti-George Bush documentary I did not like.  Early on, Unprecedented (reviewed elsewhere on this site) exposed the details of the 2000 Election fiasco and how the Republicans corrupted Democracy as the Democrats stood by.  Even after you subtract all the bunched facts, manipulations, fabrications and other loose usages of reporting, Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 still offers plenty of censored footage and inarguable facts about how much further the corruption has gone, making it the most important Documentary work (yes, it still qualifies!) since Peter Davis’ 1974 Hearts & Minds.  It exposed Vietnam, while Moore’s film exposes its new variation.  So now we have Horns & Halos (2002), which tells us another “fascinating tale” of freedom of the press versus an administration who does not seem to care much about it.

 

This story evolves around a book entitled Fortunate Son by former Pop Culture book writer James Hatfield.  Referencing, among other things, the song by Credence Clearwater Revival about wealthy young men who got exempted from the draft because it was the kind of conflict where only the poor and minorities are sent to die because the conflict is questionable at the very least, the title goes further by looking at the Bush family and how the second President Bush had a very checkered past.

 

Of course, which person has not, especially most politicians.  However, for someone who is so pious and ultra-conservative, why was his past at the time not being questioned at all?  St. Martin Press had the writer rush forward with his book, then pulled it when they had not checked his background and found out he had a criminal record.  He even lied about this when asked.  The company recalled the book and actually burned the remaining copies “fearing lawsuits” but one wonders if they do that to all books that could happen over.  I wonder.

 

Then, a second chance arrives for the book in the form of a new independent publisher called Soft Skull in New York.  Run by Sander Hicks, whose band White Collar Crime is a post-Punk Devo-like group that has its moments.  He becomes the CEO of the fledgling company who sees a chance for big success with a reissue of the “burned book” that would get larger demand as Bush became more unpopular after the events of 9/11.  Unfortunately, other legal problems and problems with the author on several levels get in the way and the story takes on all types of unexpected and questionable twists.

 

Many people have notes and Neo-Conservatives have even complained quite hypocritically about the industry built around how bad Bush is, but why no one is explicitly arguing that its existence is because the behavior is the most outrageous, illegal, and unscrupulous of any administration is history is never heard.  The reason so many good documentaries keep surfacing is because the mainstream media is negligent on a grand level in reporting the facts and all these independent productions (and book that are popping up all over the place) can barely keep up with all the unprecedented violations of the law and ethics.  This is also the result of even the independents and supposed Liberals letting things like The Iran-Contra Affair, BCCI Scandal, and especially the Savings & Loan Scandal (lead by yet another Bush family member, brother Neil) just slide by for the last quarter century.  How much more abuse can the United States take, a first world country constantly treated like a third-world banana republic while millions suffer?  The events of 9/11 do not make those things or their effects suddenly disappear any more than revisionism of Vietnam make excuse atrocities there.

 

There are extras on both DVDs, and the case includes a booklet foldout insert with the Director's Statement, frequently asked questions about the film, and diary excerpts from Sander Hicks.  Co-directors Michael Galinski and Suki Hawley offer an audio commentary and deleted scenes on DVD 1, while DVD 2 includes two feature interviews with author James Hatfield; a set of extended interviews that appear in the main program; protest coverage, a Ralph Nader rally at Madison Square Garden with Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roberts & Eddie Vedder, protests at George Bush's Inauguration, performance footage of Sander Hicks & White Collar Crime singing "God is Kick Ass" and "Hi Mom", Rogers' Reel to Reel profile on Horns And Halos at The 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, Sander Hicks Interview; KCET Profile on Horns And Halos and all-audio WNYU feature radio interview with the co-directors adding about another hour.  Pretty much all of this just further enhances the story told in the main documentary and especially in this election year of 2004, Horns And Halos is a must-see.  Beyond that, it will be a fascinating document of injustices against freedom of the press that time will vindicate more and more.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo