Harlan County U.S.A.

this doc destroyed me... it's not often that you get a documentary that not only informs you, but gives you all the emotions before it's through. the first thing you notice about this is the music. while living among the local people in brookside, kentucky, the filmmakers not only hear their stories, but hear their songs as well. some of them are traditionals, but most are written and performed by the local people themselves, and speak to their difficulties in mining town life. it's honestly not music i'd listen to in my leisure time, but it's very affecting for the film, and great to show... read more

Harlan County USA: No Neutrals There By Paul Arthur ESSAYS — MAY 22, 2006 The current popularity and cultural importance of documentaries would have been inconceivable in 1976, when Harlan County USA briefly ignited commercial movie screens. It was the dawn of the blockbuster age: the buzz around Jaws had barely receded, and Star Wars loomed on the horizon. Although realistic dramas still attracted mass audiences—as evidenced by Dog Day Afternoon, All the Presidents Men, and Network—feature-length nonfiction remained an essentially highbrow pursuit. During the mid-seventies, only a... read more

Fuck the capitalist pigs. read more