Let the Good Times Roll/Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

Incorporating interviews with locals and historians, talking a bit about the history of the French-speaking Cajun people who settled in Louisiana during the early days of the United States, Let the Good Times Roll provides a taste of the culture, food, and fun that go hand-in-hand with life on the bayou (including a wonderful three-panel shot showing different foods being prepared for consumption--including crawfish and alligator). The Cajuns interviewed here range from the scholarly (who downplay the rowdier reputations of some Cajuns) to the proud, salt-of-the-earth type extolling Cajun values of family, community, hard work, charity, and fun for all ages. The music is a powerful driver here--with excellent cuts from the Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, Warren Storm (“The Godfather of Swamp Pop”), Miss Molly, and the “Bad Whiskey Man,” Walter Junior. Too often, however, the music onscreen is not credited, making tracking the various featured acts difficult for the Cajun novice. Ultimately, this feels more like a “lite” teaser to Cajun culture that suffers from comparison to a classic such as Les Blank's J'ai Ete au Bal (VL-11/90). Optional. Aud: C, P. (C. Block)