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5.0 out of 5 stars
"Southern Strategy" Grand Master, July 26, 2010
No matter your political leaning, this is an interesting documentary of a haunted man. Even as told from the perspective of some that stood in the way of his goals, he was respected for his ability to achieve at nearly any cost.
In today's political and media-centric climate, this is both a cautionary tale and lament for someone that changed and mastered the rules of the game of politics.
Very interesting for anyone with an interest in our political process.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Fighting with monsters, July 6, 2010
This review is from: Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (DVD)
Nietzsche writes that, "he who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster." In "Boogieman: The Lee Atwater Story," director Stefan Forbes casts contemporary American politics as horror show, giving his subject a treatment usually reserved for the deadly-but-perhaps-misunderstood stars of cult cinema.
Forbes makes it clear that he views Atwater, the political operative responsible for attack ads that George Bush used to defeat Michael Dukakis in 1988, as a destructive force. He highlights Atwater's eager manipulation of bigotry and resentment, his beatification of the big lie, but also takes pains to point out deeper insecurities and endearing quirks. Atwater loved cult films, did splits while playing blues guitar, doused his food with hot sauce, and capped off his lean and hungry look with a sly smile suggesting that you, too, might be in on the joke. We're compelled to celebrate Atwater's ascent to the top of the nation's political class in much the same way that it might cheer King Kong's victory over Godzilla, to thrill in his excesses even as we are appalled by them.
Forbes exploits a trade secret of political historians: the audience loves a protagonist who toes the line and gets away with it, like Lyndon Johnson holding court for reporters while sitting on the toilet. But, he shows that Atwater understood something essential about the transgressive core of American politics and that his understanding won elections. The question posed, then, is whether monstrosity is a pre-requisite, the cost of victory one's own humanity.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A stunning documentary on the political life of Lee Atwater, March 10, 2010
This review is from: Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (DVD)
"Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story" is a fascinating documentary about the political life of the Republican. The film focuses on Lee Atwater and the tactics he used as a Republican political operative. He was a consultant to 3 presidents and served as the 1988 campaign manager for George Bush.
Atwater's most notorious act as a political consultant include an ad he used against Michael Dukakis that Atwater continuously denied having any part of.
The documentary also delves into Atwater's life as a musician and entertainer. He played the guitar in a blues band and is described in the film as having so much soul, he was really a "black person in a white body".
Interviews in the documentary include ones with Tom DeLay, Tucker Eskew, Sam Donaldson and Michael Dukakis, to name a few. The film also includes footage of George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Karl Rove.
"Boogie Man" is a great lens into the world of Lee Atwater and really dives right into the backstabbing, corruption, controversy and success of his political career.
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