Vox says three documentaries, the Reagan Show, A Gray State and Get Me Roger Stone "come at the same challenge with different and surprising approaches." The problem, of course, is getting to anything substantive when you have as a subject a man who has even at times impersonated a publicist to talk about himself. Trump is the quintessence of a man for whom there is only the public man. As a consciousness, Trump operates to do what he can to support and embellish that persona. He should leave office before he does more damage than he already has done.
The Reagan Show
Vox says this is the best of the three, a completely "real footage" account of the Reagan years which had a pool of material five times the size of footage on the previous five president's combined.
Its basic perspective is the reminder that Reagan himself said being an actor might be the best preparation for the highest office in the world. You get to see rare outtakes that are more revealing than what you have seen before, The best thing about the film is the absence of talking heads. It stands on all its prophetic glory waiting for the inferences of the viewer. The Reagan Show will be out June 30 and eventually will air on CNN.
A Gray State
This is a chilling film about David Crowley, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. He was found dead, with his wife and daughter, at his Minnesota home in 2015. He was deemed a good guy, charismatic, and one whose war experiences inclined him to the mentality that later became identified as alt-right.
I have not done the research to determine the current status of any investigation into the circumstances of what happened. The film stands as a poignant and revealing look at the effect that the war experience had on a young American, It seems consistent with what we encounter in the Trump era with the higher profile given to conspiracy theorists and their effusions.
The film is awaiting distribution.
Tackling the Trump era on film is a challenge. These 3 documentaries point the way forward. https://t.co/97hdSQB43Z via @voxdotcom
— Stephen C. Rose (@stephencrose) May 6, 2017
Get Me Roger Stone
This "Better Call Saul" spinoff title probably means that in terms of PR this will be the most talked about film of the three.
Stone's blatancy is so palpable that he appears to be the perfect twin of the President. Vox says Stone describes himself as "a dandy and a dirtbag, a sleazeball who embodies the rage and drive for fame that’s at the heart of the worst corners of American politics." He’s an InfoWars regular and an object of fear even to friends.Vox cites two Stone rules: “It is better to be infamous than to never be famous at all.” Another: “Hate is a more powerful motivator than love.” Netflix will air this May 12.
