The First Amendment Project

This trio of short documentaries questions the health of America's First Amendment rights during the Age of Dubya. While it would seem all is relatively well--given the fact that this DVD is being released without threats of Red State boycott or government seizures--the filmmakers nonetheless take repeated aim at today's sociopolitical scene here, lamenting that the far right is out of control. The most memorable of the three segments, from filmmakers Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob (The War Room), looks at the trademark infringement lawsuit brought by the Fox News channel against funnyman-turned-political commentator Al Franken. The stupidity of the lawsuit, coupled with Fox icon Bill O'Reilly seen at an indelicate extreme in his public behavior, makes for amusing viewing, but the chill of Big Brother is really nowhere to be seen. Less successful is Mario Van Peebles' (Baadasssss!) study of the minor brouhaha rising from poet Amiri Baraka's controversial poem "Somebody Blew Up America," on the 9/11 attacks (Baraka comes across not as a victim of a repressive conservative society, but rather as an insensitive old man). The third segment, John Walter's (How to Draw a Bunny) straightforward study of the raucous political demonstrations in New York during the 2004 Republican National Convention and the resulting heavy-handed police crackdown, will probably not budge opinions on either side of the political aisle. Given the cyclical nature of national politics, this title could become fairly dated in a few years. Optional. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)