Headline: Damning DVD Recalls Rise and Fall of Legendary GOP Hatchet Man

Harvey Leroy ‘Lee’ Atwater (1951-1991) was barely out of his teens when he burst onto the political scene in South Carolina in the early Seventies. Back then, the guitar-playing wunderkind loved the blues almost as much as he did serving as a consultant to conservatives during election campaigns.
A protégé of Strom Thurmond, he learned the tricks of the trade at the feet of an inveterate racist who once swore that blood would run in the streets of his state before he would allow integration. Thurmond, in fact, was such a hypocrite that he remained a bigot even after fathering a child with a 15 year-old black servant.
As for Atwater, he devoted most of his days to denying African-Americans equal rights. And while he might have repented shortly before succumbing to brain cancer, that 11th-hour confession did little to undo the damage he had inflicted on minorities as the architect of the Reagan revolution.
For Atwater was a scoundrel who believed that anything goes in politics, so he felt it was okay to lie, cheat, make up fake opinion polls and generally tell the people what they wanted to hear and in order to prevail. He is probably best known for having masterminded the infamous Willie Horton ad which turned the tide in the 1988 presidential race in favor of Bush over Michael Dukakis.
Atwater’s reward for having erased a 17-point deficit en route to the White House was his being named Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Understanding the power of the visual image, Lee fervently believed that “perception is reality,” so he was not above manipulating folks to vote against their own interests by serving them a pack of lies. Rationalizing that all that mattered was power, he single-handedly transformed U.S. politics into a series of tabloid moments.
His reign came to an abrupt end upon his dire diagnosis in 1990, but by then Atwater protégé Karl Rove was already well versed in all of his Machiavellian tactics. On his death bed, Atwater found religion and repented, going out of his way to apologize to every individual whose reputation he’d smeared, including Willie Horton.
Before he passed away, he released a statement which proved he had undergone a spiritual catharsis: “My illness helped me to see that what was missing in society is what was missing in me: a little heart, a lot of brotherhood.” Too bad that message was totally lost on Rove.
A fascinating, warts-and-all documentary about one of the most notorious and influential figures in 20th Century politics.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 86 minutes
Studio: InterPositive Media/Passion River Films
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, MSN and other additional interviews, unpublished photographs, theatrical trailer, discussion guide and additional biographical info.

To order a copy of Boogie Man, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037E8HMY?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0037E8HMY

To see a trailer of Boogie Man, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY3XnLv4YpA <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY3XnLv4YpA>

Fresh
Film Review by Kam Williams

Nowadays, a handful of agribusiness conglomerates control every step of the food chain, from the seed all the way to the plate, thereby determining the bulk of America’s deteriorating diet. Since most people care more about the convenience and cost of what they eat than how unhealthy the contents might be for their bodies or for Earth, they’ve remained blissfully unaware of this dangerous trend towards the elimination of consumer choice in favor of adulterated, processed products devoid of nutritional benefit.
Consequently, the rise of Walmart, Cargill, ADM and the other mega manufacturers and distributors cornering the market has heralded in an era of deceptively-lower prices, while the true toll of our increasing dependency on genetically-modified crops is never apparent at the cash register. For, as the groundbreaking expose’ Fresh warns, “Cheap food is an illusion,” since grocery bills fail to factor in such additional costs as government subsidies, and the toll that the ubiquitous use of industrial additives like hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup is taking on the population.
Directed by Ana Sofia Joanes, Fresh issues an urgent clarion call for consumers to put their purchasing power to work before it’s too late by supporting their local farmers producing natural and organic foods. Some of these intrepid individuals serve as the subjects of the informative documentary, including former pro basketball player Will Allen, an African-American who not only tills three acres but devotes time to teaching seminars encouraging others to follow in his footsteps. “We will not move from this spot,” he addresses an assembly of aspiring farmers on site, ”until every one of you tells me you can go home and do this.”
Another very vocal advocate summarizes that, “This is a social justice movement as much as it is an environmental movement or energy crisis movement,” concluding, “Food is a human right.” A chilling contrast of the sustainable and corporate approaches to agriculture which makes a persuasive argument that your daily choices matter in terms of the long-term prospects of both humanity’s and the planet’s survival.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 72 Minutes
Studio: Specialty Studios
Distributor: Ripple Effect Productions

DVD Chronicles Cooking Teacher’s Dedication to Her Pupils

Pressure Cooker
Film Review by Kam Williams

Philadelphia public schoolteacher Wilma Stephenson is a throwback who reminds me of one of those no-nonsense nuns I feared in grammar school when I was a child. For, this strict disciplinarian is a veteran with 38 years of experience who brings that same rare combination of dedication, know-how and high expectations to her classroom on a daily basis.

Consequently, her students dare not show up late or unprepared, or cut-up, step out of line or fail to focus on the task at hand out of fear of incurring the wrath of this ever-vigilant taskmaster. But it is important to understand that her dead serious approach to education comes out of love and wanting to maximize the potential of each and every one of her pupils.

Stephenson teaches Culinary Arts at Frankford High to underprivileged kids whose only avenue for making it out of the ghetto lies in landing a scholarship to an institution of higher learning. So, she does her best to turn those willing to apply themselves into gourmet chefs by the time that graduation day rolls around.

And because she knows that none of here students parents’ can afford the cost of college tuition, she also gets personally involved in the application process, helping them understand the ins-and-outs of the scholarship application process. In fact, Wilma proudly points out that 11 members of last year’s cooking class landed three-quarters of a million dollars in financial aid.

But now she and her current crop of promising students are the subjects of Pressure Cooker, a riveting, inspiring, heartrending and ultimately triumphant documentary co-directed by Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker. This uplifting bio-pic, which left me in tears (and is guaranteed to do the same to you), focuses narrowly on the fates of three aspiring chefs inspired to dare to dream big during their senior year despite hailing from humble origins.

Each of the trio has a sadder story than the next. First, we meet fatherless Tyree Dudley, whose single-mom has her hands full between work and caring for him and his sister. Then there’s Fatoumata Dembele, who only arrived in America from French-speaking Mali four years ago. Not only is she struggling to adapt to a new language and culture, but she is being raised by her single-dad. Finally, we have Erica Gaither who was abandoned by her mother. But because her father is overburdened by his job, care of little, legally-blind Tyree has fallen mostly upon Erica’s shoulders. Thus, it is no surprise that she suffers from anxiety and depression.

Over the course of Pressure Cooker, we watch as Wilma Stephenson sensitively dons whatever hat might be appropriate at the moment. She may be nails during the class hour, but once the bell rings she can quickly turn into a surrogate mother, mentor, psychologist, shoulder to lean on, guidance counselor or even matchmaker for a couple of wallflowers without a date to the prom.

Again and again, Stephenson goes above and beyond the call of duty, determined to keep the kids focused on earning their ticket out of the ‘hood, that full scholarship to the culinary institute of their choice. And by the time the film’s critical moment arrives when they are all finally about to learn their individual fates, the palpable tension in the auditorium’s air is etched in the faces of the proud teacher and her understandably anguished students alike. Just don’t be surprised to find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and welling up while rooting for these endearing underdogs as well.

A fitting tribute to a selfless role model with an big heart and an indomitable spirit.

SistahFaith:

Book Review by Kam Williams



“The women in this book have come a long way to meet you. Some of them write under a new name to protect their families. Others speak in their own name to save their lives…

As you read these stories, be comforted if you are afflicted. Be clothed with the robe of many colors, the garment of praise. Walk with us on a journey past hurt, past shame, past rejection.

A journey straight to the heart of God.”

— Excerpted from the Introduction (pg. xv)



It was perhaps a watershed moment for the black community, when Mo’Nique, during her tearful acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, said she was sharing her Award with all the Preciouses and with anyone “who’s ever been touched,” ostensibly meaning molested as a child. “It’s now time to tell, and it’s okay,” she assured, being an incest survivor who’d come out of the closet herself. With so many sisters still silently suffering as victims of abuse, it is hoped that the movie might inspire some to seek help.

A timely-arriving aid in this regard is SistahFaith: Real Stories of Pain, Truth and Triumph. This intimate collection of tales of individuals overcoming adversity was compiled by Marilynn Griffith, who was sexually assaulted at 13 and became a mother at 14. The book is comprised of dozens of moving memoirs recounting nightmares involving everything from incest to rape to abortion to attempted suicide.

This cautionary tome’s contributors come from all walks of life, including several celebrities, such as Bunny DeBarge of the renowned Motown recording group. She talks about how she turned to drugs to repress the fact that she’d been molested by a family member for years. She blames her terribly self-destructive spiral on being stuck in denial and without a shoulder to lean on.

Although shame and humiliation seems to be a recurring theme in these women’s tragic lives, fortunately, so is redemption, especially with the help of God. Considerable solace is taken in the scriptural passages referring to the Biblical character Tamar (2 Samuel 13:2) who was raped by her own brother.

In sum, SistahFaith is a heartening, hopeful reminder that healing, compassion and support await those vulnerable souls ready to take the painful steps along the path to salvation and emotional, physical and spiritual recovery.

Whiz Kids
Film Review by Kam Williams

Eggheads Enter National Science Bee in Inspirational Documentary

Nowadays, more students drop out than graduate from inner-city public high schools all across the country, so it’s no surprise to learn the U.S. lags behinds so many other industrialized nations in terms of literacy and overall academic achievement. You don’t really have to hear the statistics to get the sense that the American educational system is in a state of shambles. Recent news reports about teenagers gang-raping a 7 year-old in Trenton and about 40 gang-related shootings in Chicago over the course of just one weekend leave you with the feeling that all hope might be lost when it comes to this generation.
That’s because the uplifting success stories never seem to enjoy equal time, which is what makes Whiz Kids such a welcome breath of fresh air. Directed by Tom Shepard, this inspirational documentary chronicles the exploits as well as the daily lives of a trio of 17 year-old aspiring researchers competing for the $100,000 Grand Prize awarded by Intel’s Science Talent Search, the nation’s most prestigious competition of its kind.
Each of these ambitious eggheads hails from a modest background, so they want to win the competition not only for the honor but to help defray the cost of their impending college educations. Shot during their junior and senior years of high school, this touching triskelion paints intimate portraits of adolescents so likable that it makes it impossible to pick out one to root for.
Born in Pakistan, Harmain Khan and his four siblings were raised in New York City by a welfare-mom who had to rely on food stamps and public assistance after the family was abandoned by her husband. Still, Harmain developed an avid interest in paleontology at an early age, and as a teen started conducting some groundbreaking fossil dating at a college willing to share its state-of-the-art facilities.
Ana Cisneros’ parents were born in Ecuador and only speak broken English, so what she’s managed to accomplish is also nothing short of amazing. In a basement lab built by her dad, Ana’s embarked upon some fascinating genetic experiments in which she successfully trained plant roots to grow straight down rather than spread horizontally.
Finally, we have West Virginia’s Keydra Welcker, whose project turns out to be the most timely, given the ecological disaster presently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. Outraged by her father’s former employer DuPont’s polluting of the nearby Ohio River, this budding environmentalist invented a way to remove cancer-causing chemicals from the local water. And her early test results have been so encouraging that she’s already applied for a patent on the process to boot.
Although director Shepard does a masterful job of winding the tension during the movie’s inexorable march to the Science Talent Search finals staged in Washington, DC, all of the entrants were winners in my book regardless of the outcome. That undeniable fact is easily proven by the closing credits postscript which updates Harmain, Ana and Keydra’s eventual choices of what college to attend.
A heartwarming bio-pic about three brilliant, young brainiacs guaranteed to restore your faith in America’s future while bringing tears to your eyes.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English and Spanish with subtitles.
Running time: 82 Minutes
Distributor: Shadow Distribution
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