Goat Man

The story of a nonconformist of epic dimension, this little piece of Americana introduces viewers to the tale of Ches McCartney. According to acquaintances from his rural Iowa hometown, McCartney was always a bit different. At 14, he ran off to New York City where he married a professional knife-thrower ten years his senior. Later, back in Iowa, he sold wife number two or three (the precise number and order of his spouses is in doubt) for $1,000. One exceedingly Iowan-looking older lady indicates that the woman in that transaction never lost her eye for the cut of McCartney's jib despite the sale. After a debilitating injury suffered while in the employ of the WPA, McCartney took to the road. Always fond of goats, he outfitted himself in goatskin clothing and departed with two goat-pulled covered wagons to see the world. Eventually, he settled in Georgia and found a community civility that was lacking in Iowa (where his neighbors viewed him with a palpable distaste that's still evident from their interviews on this video). During his time in Georgia, McCartney was briefly a preacher and always an eccentric. This loving profile, replete with introductory Bible verses for each segment, is an immensely enjoyable visual document, chockfull of more interesting tidbits than it's possible to list here. Minor technical difficulties, such as excessive background noise in places, only serve to reinforce its folksy feel. While hardly a mandatory purchase, this is recommended for more adventurous collections. Aud: P. (M. Tribby)