Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja

An interesting subject receives tepid treatment in Billy Corben's documentary about South Florida pot smuggling in the 1970s and '80s. Juxtaposing an array of archival materials (including news footage featuring Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite) with newly shot interviews, Corben—who also helmed the similarly-themed Cocaine Cowboys (VL-3/07)—covers three separate cases. The first concerns the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, a fundamentalist Christian sect based in Jamaica that claimed marijuana use was tied to religious ritual. The second centers on the Black Tuna Gang, a group of small-time Miami businessmen who transformed their operations into what zealous prosecutors claimed was a major pot-dealing ring. And the last deals with the fishermen of little Everglades City, who became involved in transporting drugs when their legitimate business fell on hard times (the film's title refers to the name they used for the bales they hid in the swamp). Square Grouper's implicit point is that the laws criminalizing pot use led to miscarriages of justice—those convicted and sent to prison in the three examples being a harmless, largely nonviolent lot. Unfortunately, the documentary suffers from a fairly sluggish pace and considerable repetition, while self-serving comments from both smugglers and law enforcement agents add little insight. DVD extras include an audio commentary by Corben and producer Lindsey Snell, deleted scenes, an Everglades island tour, featurettes on the film's score and songs, and three music videos. Optional. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)