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STUDIO: Disinformation
MSRP: $19.95
RATED: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 141 min
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Extended Interviews and Speeches
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
The Pitch
Your vote means dick.
The Humans
George W. Bush, John Kerry, Cynthia McKinney, the American people and John Conyers
Welcome to the line for some of that cheese.
The Nutshell
Uncounted is a look at the debauchery surrounding the general elections during the reign of George W. Bush. Taking elements of real journalism and speculative theory, this film tries to piece together what happened. I’m more than a little tired of both sides taking potshots at each other. But, director David Earnhardt busts his ass off in trying to show the horror of black box voting. That’s right, kids. It’s going to be that kind of documentary.
Who’s going to save the Electoral College when the shit goes down? This guy.
The Lowdown
The American Electoral Process has come under fire several times before the 2000 General Election. But, there was something about the awkward posing of Gore v. Bush that stuck in the throat of the collective American consciousness. Filmmaker David Earnhardt uses the alienated voters from the fallout of the Florida decision to influence his look at the 2004 general election and 2006 midterms. Earnhardt manages to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that other politico filmmakers often descend. But, he does make one mistake.
Uncounted is based around a case to find a villain and a hero. Earnhardt seems to think that there is some magical force that we can pin all the bullshit of a Diebold, a Bush White House or a Carlyle Group upon. But, what always gets ignored in his conversations with commentators such as Clint Curtis is accountability. The American political system didn’t make the monsters of today’s elections overnight. Decisions to forfeit quality for safety, intelligence for religious claptrap and the desire to forsake civil liberties created these problems.
No. He had money. People with money and connections never lose.
A lot of Right-Wingers will take notice of the lack of Republican voices offering a counterpoint in the documentary. I feel that it was a slight not to include them. But, the argument can be made that the right have had the last eight years to run their fucking mouths and it’s time for an outside opinion. That’s just my take, you’re entitled to your own.
When
the film is over, your opinion won’t change. The Frontline style of straightforward political insight doesn’t allow for big statements to be made. It’s more of an overview from the left about the failures of the last three major American elections. You’re going to have an opinion going and nothing will change that. But, give this documentary a chance.
Hell, yeah! Check out my IBM laptop from 1997. Just wait a second and check out those crazy Flying Toasters. Totally badass.
The Package
Uncounted arrives on DVD with a standard edition. You get some bonus material that is mainly excised material. Throw on some deleted scenes and a trailer, thus you get an average release. It’s not that Disinfo needed to throw more supplementals on here. The film can stand on its own wobbly legs.
The
A/V
Quality is pretty strong. You get a bit of haze with the archival footage, but that’s too be expected. The documentary exclusive footage works well for talking heads. You don’t really need a lot for stuff like this. It’s straightforward and painfully clear.
In the end, Uncounted
is a film that will work better in hindsight. There’s always a carnal pleasure in looking back at the paranoid stories of cultural events of the past. Right now, everything is way too fresh and we’re left with bias and confusion. Could this be a good film? I don’t know. Ask me again in a decade.
Bushie haz 30,000 more cheeseburgers than Frankenstein.