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Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story

Play trailer Poster for Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story Released Sep 26, 2008 1h 26m Documentary Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A campaign adviser has a change of heart before his death.
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Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story

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Critics Consensus

Boogie Man is a complex, absorbing study of the contradictory life and times of architect of modern smear politics.

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Critics Reviews

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Drew Toal Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Jonathan F. Richards Film.com Director Stefan Forbes has assembled a brilliantly complex portrait that shines an unnerving light on the man who painted the landscape of contemporary American politics. Nov 10, 2008 Full Review Jessica Reaves Chicago Tribune By the end of Forbes' brisk, economical portrait, Atwater has been revealed as a repugnant and pathetic soul--and a political visionary, among the first to fully understand and harness the raw power of voters' fears. Rated: 3/4 Oct 31, 2008 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture Boogie Man provides an incisive and fascinating look at a man who sold his soul for victory. Rated: 3/5 Oct 1, 2019 Full Review Dorothy Woodend The Tyee (British Columbia) Boogie Man is an incredibly timely and relevant film that uncovers the origins of political dirty pool (Atwater was the architect of much of the attack-ad style currently being deployed in the 2008 American election). Aug 22, 2017 Full Review Luke Y. Thompson L.A. Weekly Fascinating to a political junkie like me who wasn't aware of the game back then. Dec 30, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Was definitely looking for more juicy tid bits about this notorious scumbag but don't think the filmmakers dug deep enough. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member To some an evil genius, to some a complicated genius. This doc comes down more on the former, but does show through a great many interviews that he was a very complex man. I think perhaps too much credit (or blame, depending on your point of view) is given to Atwater, Rove, and so on. By ignoring how "real" issues also motivate voters docs play into the same cynicism they accuse those on the Right of dwelling on in their campaigns. The Left of course are a bunch of choirboys who get rolled with dirty tricks that have never, ever been seen in American politics, or so the narrative seems to go. Still, I enjoy presidential campaigns so much that I enjoy these docs in spite of their flaws. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Wanabe leaders of the world learn, this is how you steal, lie, cheat, manipulate, push and pull yourself into the leadership of the most corrupt society in the world and get paid whilst doing said. The cockiness of these actions if followed meticulously could make you the leader of any insane society in the free world, of course that depends on if you can find one, left. Nibbles: Oreos and milk. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member one of the best documentaries i've seen, hands down. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member The film comes in with an agenda, so it fails to present an objective portrait of the late Mr. Atwater. I get the sense, which watching this that it was made by people still bitter about the 1988 election results, and parts of this film have a slight tinge of bullshit. Still, it is a fascinating peek behind the curtain. It should be watched with a discerning eye so you can separate fact from conjecture presented by many of the interviewees (including Dukakis, undoubtedly upset about having never been president) in the film. There is no doubt that certain tactics employed by Atwater in the '88 election changed how elections would work for years to come. Not in a good way. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Boogie Man vividly portrays the anxious, ambitious political consultant who clawed his way to the top of, and transformed, Republican politics in the 1980s and 1990s. Atwater brought the national G. O. P. a sharper style of wedge issue politics rooted in white resentment, taken directly from Strom Thurmond's South Carolina. Atwater introduced Ronald Reagan to white Southerners in a town famous only for the murder of civil rights volunteers. Eight years later, Atwater helped pave George H.W. Bush's way to the White House with his racist Willie Horton ads. All the while, Atwater played blues guitar alongside legendary black musicians and mentored the next Republican svengali, Karl Rove. The film explores the questions, puzzles, and contradictions of Atwater's brief life through his own words and those of people who knew him without necessarily forcing an overall interpretation on the viewer. Fascinating viewing for anyone interested in politics, history, or human nature. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story

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Movie Info

Synopsis A campaign adviser has a change of heart before his death.
Director
Stefan Forbes
Producer
Stefan Forbes, Noland Walker
Production Co
InterPositive Media
Genre
Documentary, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 26, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 25, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$60.3K
Runtime
1h 26m
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