Product Details

• Directors: Richard Hall
• Producers: Richard Hall and Simone Fary
• Region: All Regions
• Studio: Littlebig Media
• DVD Release Date: July 24, 2008
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001D787VI
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,950 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An entire political science course in 90 minutes, AMERICAN FEUD is the first historical documentary to trace the history of Liberalism and Conservatism in the United States.

Designed to appeal to a general audience as well as students and political activists, AMERICAN FEUD explores the back story of a political system seemingly in crisis.

"I began watching this with trepidation and ending in jubilation. This wonderful talkumentary is a scrupulously non-partisan, yet tough-minded celebration of democracy and a delightfully fiendish counterattack on the cant delivered from sides of the political spectrum. What's most striking about the film is how the better souls on both the left and right emerge as kindred spirits. Frequently hilarious, always honest, and very highly recommended!"

Ralph Peters, columnist and author of Looking For Trouble,
Adventures in a Broken World

Interviews with a diverse cast of characters give a nuanced picture of how two political philosophies have changed over time and suggest that mindlessly clinging to outdated ideas prevents us from having good government now and in the future.

Participants include:
* Kevin Phillips (former Republican strategist & author)
* Noam Chomsky
* G. Gordon Liddy
* Thomas Frank (What's the Matter With Kansas?)
* Lee Edwards (Heritage foundation scholar of Conservatism)
* Howard Zinn (A People's History of the U.S.)
* Mona Charen (Useful Idiots...)
* Michael Barone (Co-author, The Almanac of American Politics)
* David Boaz (Libertarian leader)
* Michael Kazin (historian)
* Donna Brazile, (CNN commentator)
* Adrian Wooldridge (Co-author, The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America)
* David Stoesz (Social Policy Scholar)

"This is a feud you want to get in the middle of...an accessible, wide-ranging review of how and why we came to use the labels "Liberal" and "Conservative" -- and what Americans can do to get beyond them."
-- Eric Liu, co-author of The True Patriot

Here's what you get in the DVD:
The 90 minute feature, which uses expert and man-on-the-street interviews, archival film, photographs, electoral maps, quotes, colorful graphics and music, and a little donkey and elephant to tell the history of Liberalism and Conservatism from the 1890's to the present.

60 minutes of DVD EXTRAS:
* 15 extra minutes of the Noam Chomsky interview
* Extra scenes including "Breaking the Stalemate" - an idea for fixing gridlock
* Producer/Director commentary track
* "Deleted Nuggets" 15 minutes of great interview clips from the cutting room floor
* Suggested reading list
* Behind the scenes time lapse wide shots of interviews (set-up and breakdown too)
* A secret hidden menu ("Easter Egg")

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A College Professor, PA, August 29, 2008

By	Mike (Penna) - See all my reviews

In the back and forth common to cable TV punditry, we tend to forget the serious complexities of American politics. Fary and Hall's American Feud revisits what is a deep history of American political ideology.

The book is obviously well timed for the election year cycle. But what appeals most is its refusal to reduce the discourse to focus group banalities that overwhelm reasonable discussion much less accurate definitions of the way American voters think and act.

The spectrum of writers, historians, and pundits featured in American Feud is impressive. From Thomas Frank to G. Gordon Liddy, the filmmakers have solicited opinions from the very people who shape mainstream thought.

Personally, I also liked the light-hearted format used throughout the film. It is an added benefit to have a documentary filmmaker who does not take himself too seriously.

As a professor of history with fifteen years in college classrooms, I would highly recommend the film.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational and Entertaining, August 27, 2008

By	Timothy Archibald "Timothy Archibald" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

American Feud investigates the history of Liberalism and Conservativism in United States. By combining a mixture of man-on-the-street interviews, in-depth interviews with experts, and light-hearted graphics, the film makers have created a documentary that successfully speaks to everyone.

Carefully balanced and unbiased, this film moves rapidly thru history and into the modern day, providing us with an easily digestible history lesson. No fan of politics myself, I found myself quickly engaged with the film, eased into the concepts and characters, and enlightened on the topic in a way I would not have expected.

A timely film coming out at the perfect time of year, American Feud is a must see for the season.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars rave review, August 15, 2008

By	C. Ungar "PA pundit" (Fleming, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The thoughtful and articulate group Hall & Fary have assembled says a lot worth hearing. Noam Chomsky alone is worth the price of admission. The content may be weighty, but the presentation never is. "American Feud" moves right along, and what's more it's fun, thanks to the onscreen antics of a miniature donkey and elephant plus the producers' penchant for interrupting interviews with rapid-fire definitions and illustrations that clarify and provide historical context. If you want to go into this fall's election (or any election) as an informed voter, "American Feud" is "must" viewing.