Documentaries: The epic thread of interesting ones!

[Anderson]

The thing that gets me about it is that even the Union's own didn't really seem to want to fight that hard for the locals. I had always envisioned Unions slightly different than what was shown at the end of the docu. And the fact that the area remains almost the same is crazy/sad.

Well, it's a two-part problem in terms of why the area still remains bad.

1) They lose almost all of their potential aid to more urban ghettos. Fed and State lawmakers see the larger areas benefitting from the same amount of aid since it gets spread around to more people. The same line of thinking for 40-50 years deprives the same funds from other pockets. Those pockets pop up around the country as these weird time capsules of lands forgotten.

2) The people of the area are predominantly white and impressionable. They are easy pickings for the Right prop machine and they get prodded into depriving themselves of the cash. They view it as a handout and they don't want to take cash from a government that they've been taught for generations to distrust. They're scared of authority and they tend to be a little more aggressive towards it than most.

The UMWA didn't fight for Harlan County because it didn't make economic sense. They could wait out the older miners until they died from black lung. Then, they move the operation out of county or into West Virginia/VA. Pick a new crop of workers or hire scabs. Start back up and pay the new guys less. As long as the UMWA played ball, they kept their jobs with new union members.

[B_Metal]

The thing that gets me about it is that even the Union's own didn't really seem to want to fight that hard for the locals. I had always envisioned Unions slightly different than what was shown at the end of the docu. And the fact that the area remains almost the same is crazy/sad.

[Anderson]

Agreed. My joke was not meant to offend but if it did then forgive me. My point, however badly mad, was that it's an interesting documentary about a fucked up time in a fucked up industry and area.


Yeah, loved that one. Guy really had brass ones.

Harlan County USA is one of the greatest American documentaries ever made. My point is that for the region, shit has changed very little. They're still fucked, they still have no strong representation and the area is Third World level poor. It's like another world and I feel that Barbara Kopple really nailed with the documentary.

[B_Metal]

I've observed it. It's one of the most continually fucked over regions in this country. It's easy to make jokes about them, but if they got an inch of the federal aid that goes to other areas...they'd be able to dig out of a lot of the shit.

The last time they got any major handouts was during FDR's tenure. That last handout was a federal program to give them clean running water and electricity. Just imagine that. Electricity and Running Water has only been a staple in that region for 68 years.

Agreed. My joke was not meant to offend but if it did then forgive me. My point, however badly mad, was that it's an interesting documentary about a fucked up time in a fucked up industry and area.

Finally saw 'Man on Wire' the other day. Man, what a fantastic movie. I can't believe the balls on that guy.

Yeah, loved that one. Guy really had brass ones.

[Matt]

Finally saw 'Man on Wire' the other day. Man, what a fantastic movie. I can't believe the balls on that guy.

[Anderson]

OK, bad choice of words. The environment is still something most here probably have never observed.

I've observed it. It's one of the most continually fucked over regions in this country. It's easy to make jokes about them, but if they got an inch of the federal aid that goes to other areas...they'd be able to dig out of a lot of the shit.

The last time they got any major handouts was during FDR's tenure. That last handout was a federal program to give them clean running water and electricity. Just imagine that. Electricity and Running Water has only been a staple in that region for 68 years.

[B_Metal]

They're not white trash. White trash implies that they've had better surroundings around them and they chose to be that way. Harlan County is 3rd World in the 1st world. They're criminally poor.

OK, bad choice of words. The environment is still something most here probably have never observed.

[Anderson]

Harlan County, USA - coal miners unions striking in the mid 70's. It's fascinating on two levels. On one you get this look at unions and the like, on the other you get a look at inbred white trashness. Good docu.

They're not white trash. White trash implies that they've had better surroundings around them and they chose to be that way. Harlan County is 3rd World in the 1st world. They're criminally poor.

[Lisa]

I'm copying and pasting my own post from CHUD from about a month or two back...

I just watched the documentary Six Degrees of Helter Skelter, made and hosted by Scott Michaels, the guy who runs the "Find A Death" website and the "Dearly Departed Tours" in Hollywood. So unbelievably creepy and unsettling, more than any other documentary on the subject of the Mansons. This one had all sorts of forensic detail, which is fine by me, it's one of the reasons I love "Forensic Files" and other TruTV shows. But, it also had actual police crime scene photos of the victims, which I'd never seen. And now I'm not really looking forward to going to sleep tonight - it was that graphic. Also not as graphic, but just as creepy, they went up into the ranch in Death Valley where the family was finally arrested, and which was untouched in nearly 40 years - so they actually found a couple of things that they believe belonged to Manson himself. And they also found what was left of Tex Watkins' truck out behind the ranch - that was confirmed. Just... gaaaah! *Shiver*

[B_Metal]

Harlan County, USA - coal miners unions striking in the mid 70's. It's fascinating on two levels. On one you get this look at unions and the like, on the other you get a look at inbred white trashness. Good docu.

[Abraham Smashington]

Beer Wars - on instant and is a fascinating look at the system that keeps the microbreweries down.

[Abraham Smashington]

yep.

[Nathan]

This was discussed on the latest 'cast, right?

[Abraham Smashington]

Fixed. It's We Are Wizards

[Nathan]

It is? Don't see it.