227: All the President's Men + Do the Right Thing

Hey film buds,Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate. I guess that’s something a lot of us have in common: independence days from Britain. July 4th is of a certain interest to me because in many ways I feel it has become Summertime Christmas. It is a holiday that feels with each passing year more and more divorced from whatever it was supposed to be about. For many, a holiday that celebrates a declaration of war has now become apolitical. But the truth is, no part of American history is apolitical and so we’re bringing some civic topics to today’s episode. Introduction - 00:00Opening ChatIndependence DayEarly American History (A Sloppy Crash Course) - 15:16For our first discussion, we’ll review All the President’s Men. The film was based on a book written by the reporters who broke the Watergate scandal, giving it gripping realism. We’ll discuss the modern day potency of the Watergate scandal, the depiction of history, and what it says about America in that moment. All the President’s Men - 33:36Review and DiscussionOur second film may deal with still entirely too topical of ideas and imagery, but is actually nearing 40 years old: Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. It is a complicated masterpiece about intersection of love, hate, legacy, pride, and race. We’ll discuss how the film is still relevant today, Spike Lee’s style, and depictions of one of the world’s most renown cities, New York. Do the Right Thing - 57:02Review and DiscussionThat’s all there is this week folks. Be sure to listen to last week’s episode, and be sure to come back next week when we review some summer documentaries. Also, sign up for our newsletter.End of Show - 1:23:54Happy 4th of July, y’all, and remember that the ideas of life, liberty, and property, the ideals of this Republic that we hold dear, are a promise we must keep and protect together. For ourselves, and our posterity. Thanks y’all, The BudsTotal Runtime - 01:27:24Be a Friend to the Film Buds:thefilmbuds.comThe Buds on PatreonThe Buds on bandcamp@filmbuds on Twitter@thefilmbudspodcast on InstagramPaul’s Letterboxd