Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story

2008
7.6| 1h26m| en
Details

Boogie Man is a comprehensive look at political strategist, racist, and former Republican National Convention Committee chairman, Lee Atwater, who reinvigorated the Republican Party’s Southern Strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans. He mentored Karl Rove and George W. Bush and played a key role in the elections of Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

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InterPositive Media

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Also starring Michael Dukakis

Also starring Mary Matalin

Reviews

Lancoor A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action
Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.
Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.
Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Fara Gold American politics at it's most revealing, in "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story", illuminating the most destructive forces at work in American politics over the last thirty years.The media, candidates, personal friends and colleagues reveal a deeply troubled man, seeking power at all costs. Lee Atwater is a real bully in every sense of the word, using his somewhat smarmy southern charm to both make himself look like "every man", as well as, the candidates he represents.At one point, the conservative political strategist, Mary Matalin defends Atwater as "brilliant" and appears sentimental about her colleague and his unethical approaches to politics. In every clip, quote and historical reference Lee Atwater appears to be the Devil himself. The scariest part of this film, is seeing Rove groomed to be Atwater's successor.Rove can attribute every one of his devious political strategies to the mastermind evil genius of Lee Atwater. This film portrays the average American as a sentimentalist, carefully "played" at our most basic fears and prejudice.Watch this film and share it with others, to awaken your consciousness to what is truthful and real in the dirty world of American politics. What you hear in the next campaign slogan, should be considered carefully, as a probable misrepresentation of the truth.
BlackJack_B I couldn't sleep one night and this documentary was on CBC Newsworld. The political career of Lee Atwater and how he helped Ronald Reagan and George Bush get to the White House is sobering stuff.Atwater was a master at spin. He would use every dirty trick in the book to make the GOP's opponents in the elections look bad. Unscrupulous, underhanded, ruthless and unrelenting, he would do everything he could to undermine the opposition. He even would attack his own, such as Bob Dole. He would use the power of fear to get people to vote for the Republicans.Despite all this, he still comes off as a charismatic, very likable, affable and cool guy. His love of blues music and the guitar just make you want to forgive him for his evil ways. He comes off as a true charismatic enigma.A very interesting look at how the political machine worked in the 1980's and how easy it is to control people with words and images, Boogie Man is definitely worth a watch to see how Atwater manipulated the American people to see things his way.
Bill357 I'm not being sarcastic. I really did enjoy this film!I know this was supposed to be a political hit piece but much like antiwar movies, it makes the supposed subject of scorn seem pretty cool, while the Democrats end up looking like the principal on Ferris Bueller's Day Off.The truth is that Democrats bow at the alter of political correctness and can't stand people who don't and (especially ones from the north) can barely hold their contempt for Southerners. Lee Atwater was both politically incorrect and a southerner and that drove them all bonkers.They couldn't take away the fact that the complete waste of humanity, Willie Horton, really was one scary dude that actually committed the crimes for which he was convicted. For some strange reason, liberals cannot handle seeing any black person criticized for any reason, even rape and murder! To this viewer it appears that Atwater and his cronies judged Horton on the content of his character and told it like it is. He was a scary murderer who was let out on a weekend furlough, under a program supported by Dukakis. The accusations of racism look more like sour grapes to me.I especially liked the end where after his supposed conversion to liberalism and eventual death, that he never read his bible and wasn't really sorry. He did die an SOB after all!
corinne calesso Terry McCauliff introduced this mind blowing film at the Democratic Convention. The Starz sponsored "Impact Film Festival 08" showed Boogie Man at both political conventions. That says everything about the conflicting legacy of Lee Atwater, presented with heart and humor in Boogie Man. The filmmaker Stefan Forbes is brilliant in his storytelling. Where did he find those old clips of Atwater, in a creepy, sweaty trance.....performing funky blues on his electric guitar. Atwater's raw passion and his demons were in the room when he wailed into the mic. Bill Clinton playing saxophone looks darned angelic in comparison. Forbes' bluesy, gritty music track is so intertwined throughout that is seems to ooze out of Lee Atwater's crazy pores. When you see this film, you'll know what the Democrats need to do to get Barack and a new Congress elected in November. And beyond. I promise!