Product Details

• Actors: n, a
• Directors: Billy Corben, Alfred Spellman
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 19, 2011
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004L9GLPE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,602 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Square Grouper: Godfathers of Ganja" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

In 1979, the U.S. Customs Service reported that 87% of all marijuana seizures in the U.S. were made in the South Florida area. Due to the region's 5,000 miles of coast and coastal waterways and close proximity to the Caribbean and Latin America, South Florida was a pot smuggler's paradise. In sharp contrast to the brazenly violent cocaine cowboys of the 1980s, Miami's marijuana smugglers were cooler, calmer, and typically nonviolent. Square Grouper paints a vivid portrait of Miami's pot smuggling culture in the '70s and '80s and its major players: the smuggling Black Tuna Gang, the pot dealing Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church and the tiny fishing village Everglades City.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect the excitement factor of "Cocaine Cowboys", but this is a fine documentary from Billy Corben. 4.5 stars. April 29, 2011

By Hudson

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been waiting to see "Square Grouper" since I first heard that Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys 1 & 2, Raw Deal) was directing the documentary. I became a Corben fan with "Cocaine Cowboys" and I've enjoyed all of his documentaries so far. What Corben does so well in his documentaries is that he infuses current footage and interviews from the actual people involved in the "crimes" with older archived footage and news broadcasts. These factors give his films such a realistic and edgy feel, not to mention authenticity provided by the first-hand sources including the "criminals", police, lawyers and FBI.

Knowing Corben's style, I went in to this film expecting "Cocaine Cowboys" with marijuana. This film is different though. It presents three separate stories, all set in the state of Florida (naturally, being a Corben film). The main difference in "Square Grouper" is that the pace isn't as fast as "Cocaine Cowboys". Much more mellow, yet still informative and imaginative. I find this fact very befitting the subject matter (or should I say, substance matter?).

The first story is about The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, who believe that marijuana is a sacrament, and the ensuing smuggling charges dropped on them. This part of the film examines the government's stand against a church centered around ganja. The media labeled them as a cult, they saw themselves as nothing but a church. Inevitably, the police become involved. The film begins with a verse from the Bible: "Behold I have given you every green herb bearing seed..." (Genesis 1:29) and I think this is a very important thing to consider for people who are against legalization (if you are a religious person)....

The second story is about The Black Tuna Gang, who smuggled marijuana in massive amounts into Florida, or so the courts and FBI want you to believe. The film features the principle smugglers and FBI agents giving conflicting stories about alleged jury tampering, the Black Tuna gang's plans to flee, and even a phony plot to assassinate the judge in the trial. The Black Tuna Gang were dealt extremely harsh prison sentences, and this portion of the film tells the story from all viewpoints.

The third story is about the small town of Everglade City and the process of the citizens being practically forced to get into the marijuana business for much needed money. The tales tell of how easy it was to smuggle and hide drugs into the town, due to being able to evade the small police force in the swamps of the Everglades. To me, this is the most interesting part of the movie.

The film is accompanied by Country-type music, which I found to be a little off-putting, but otherwise, this is a fine documentary if you are interested in the topic, and I know that lots of people are. Billy Corben said himself that "hip-hop fans MADE 'Cocaine Cowboys'." I feel it should be noted that the music in the film will not grab the "hip-hop crowd" like "Cocaine Cowboys 2". Myself, I like all kinds of music, with the exception of popular country, and the country type music in this film didn't ruin the film for me, so don't let the music become the focal point of your viewing of this film. I'm not saying hip-hop music would be appropriate for this documentary, I'm just saying that the music won't appeal to hip-hop heads, many of whom are big fans of "Cocaine Cowboys 1 & 2". But like I said, I didn't find that it detracted from the film. It was just... off-putting.

The special features on the DVD include a short "Touring Ten Thousand Islands" featurette, deleted scenes, songs and scoring of Square Grouper (and music videos), along with feature-length commentary from Billy Corben and a trailer for the film.

So, while it may not be as exciting and fast paced as "Cocaine Cowboys", Billy Corben continues his successful streak of gripping and interesting documentaries. Highly recommended for heads, and I would also recommend this film to folks who are adamantly against legalization. It may open your eyes, or you could just be entertained by people getting busted if you're that kind of person. Either way, I think you can't go wrong with "Square Grouper". An important documentary. 4.5 stars. Read more ›

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Human Drama - Pot Dealers on 1970s South Florida June 28, 2011

By stoic VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

In the 1970s, Floridians called the many bales of pot that were adrift in the ocean "square grouper." The new documentary, Square Grouper, tells three different stories about Florida's 1970s pot culture. The three stories are good - but vary in quality.

The first concerns the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, which started when a hippie traveled to Jamaica in search of pot. Eventually, this led to a network of hippies who claimed the herb as a sacrament. They bought a huge house in Miami Beach (to the consternation of their neighbors) and appeared on "60 Minutes" in 1979. This story is amazing - you can't make this up.

The second vignette was the sole disappointment. It concerns a group of pot dealers known as the Black Tuna gang. The former dealers are not contrite (about dealing, planning to "take care of" a judge, and trying to bribe a juror). In fact, they blame all of their problems on a government vendetta. The story is interesting, but I didn't like the Black Tuna people.

The final story sets the film back on course. Deep in Florida's backwaters lies the tiny fishing village of Everglade City. After the local fishing industry collapsed, many of the townspeople became involved in transporting pot; in fact, so many became transporters that - at one time - 80 percent of the men in the town were in the corrections system. Again, there are good stories - particularly about how the good ol' boys spent the money that they made dealing.

While I'm not crazy about the Black Tuna segment, Square Grouper is well worth watching.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and well done. May 11, 2013

By Howard S. Alford, Jr.

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was disappointed that they didn't include a part on the Joe Pegg Organization, the largest group to ever smuggle pot anywhere. That's why I wrote "Pot Smugglers: 5 East of the Light" to put the story out there about Joe Pegg and his group. PS: 5 EOTL is soon to be a movie so look for it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Laws are great April 29, 2013

By X

Format:DVD

Helps show that the "war on drugs" is an absolute joke and a failure. Many of these non-violent offenders did decades of prison time for a PLANT THAT GROWS IN THE WILD. The first group of smugglers portrayed, Coptic Church, were letting the children smoke their weed and thus should have been prosecuted for this over anything else but overall, the remainder of the people were just ordinary folks with families that certainly did not deserve the treatment they received by a worthless government agency (DEA).

3.0 out of 5 stars This is a documentary about PART of the history of smuggling weed April 5, 2013

By Joy McGilvery

Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase

This video was informative. I wasn't blown away by it, and it didn't hold my attention well. I love all the info of marijuana history. It is much more a documentary type than a video or smash hit video. I was glad I rented it vs. buying it.
If you want marijuana history back to about the 60's or 70's this is part of the history of smuggling in the US.
I will next watch their other film Cocaine Cowboys. I wasn't overwhelmed in "awe" but it wasn't the worst.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good history of things I was never aware of... March 20, 2013

By James Moat

Format:Amazon Instant Video

The documentary takes you through a time in history that many have forgotten, a time when a group used religion as means to attempt legalization of marijuana, a time when other groups took advantage of a black market drug. Very enjoyable to see the 70's and 80's from this director's perspective.

3.0 out of 5 stars I like Billy Courben March 7, 2013

By tjnf04

Format:Amazon Instant Video

Just did not ever connect with the format of this documentary, Not as well done, for my taste, as Billy's other works that are out there.

4.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable!! February 24, 2013

By Cabledawg01

Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase

Extremely educational flick. Your not going to be on the edge of your seat for this one but rather sit back,relax and enjoy some fine film making.