Counter Culture Volume I

Synopsis

A compilation of six youth revolution films from the 1960s and early 1970s.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of production

1960-1972

Availability

Online

Notes

Expanded version of the DVD CULTURE COUNTER CULTURE which featured just 3 of these films

Subjects

Politics & government; Sociology

Keywords

civil disturbances; Cold War; history of the 20th century; New York; student life; student movements; United States of America; coffee houses

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 NTSC, VCD

Price

$9.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

140 minutes

Year

2006

Type

VHS

Format

NTSC

Price

$9.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

140 minutes

Year

2006

Sections

Title

Coffee house rendezvous

Synopsis

Made in 1969. Shows coffeehouses sponsored by churches and community organizations and how they functioned as gathering places for countercultural youth during the 1960s. Sponsored by the Coffee Institute.

Notes

Available for free online download from the Prelinger Collection in the Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/movies/details-db.php?collection=prelinger&collectionid=01880a

Duration

26 mins

Title

Greenwich Village Sunday

Synopsis

Jean Shepherd narrates this Stewart Willensky film, made in 1960, exploring the colourful counterculture of Greenwich Village at this key period of its cultural history, revolving around beat life, avant-garde poetry and music. Also known as VILLAGE SUNDAY.

Notes

Available for free online download from the Prelinger Collection in the Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/movies/details-db.php?collection=prelinger&collectionid=31239

Duration

12 mins

Title

Tragedy or hope

Synopsis

A film produced in 1972 for Harding College by Jerry Fairbanks Productions. Structured as a narrative in which a contemporary student activist’s ancestors educate him about "what’s right with America" in the hope of leading him away from "the road to anarchy and self-destruction." The head of the History Department attempts to assist them in this re-education, explaining to the Vietnam War veteran/football player that he’s an unwitting dupe of a communist conspiracy to undermine American society. Amidst footage of the March on the Pentagon and protests at Lafayette Park on the one hand, and film of the Berlin Wall and the Invasion of Hungary on the other, the activist learns "What’s Right with America", which is said to be materialist superiority. Other clips of archival footage include a brief discussion (accompanied by a montage) of those "radical speakers who are subsidised by communists" (Allen Ginsberg, Abbie Hoffman, and others). The shots then move from these scenes of "mass hysteria" to extended montages which depict all the wonders of American capitalist society (appliances; lipsticks being made; fields being farmed; barbershop quartets; footage from the Ford Motor Company). The film ends as the student and his ancestors decide to face the protestors and educate them on "what’s right with America".

Notes

Available for free online download from the Prelinger Collection in the Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/movies/details-db.php?collection=prelinger&collectionid=20780

Duration

24 mins

Title

Brink of Disaster

Synopsis

A film which summons the spirits of a circa 1972 student activist’s ancestors, who proceed to beat him up before setting back the clock, returning to haunt him, but also to educate him. The head of the History Department attempts to assist them in this re-education, explaining to the Vietnam War veteran / football player / honours student that he’s an unwitting dupe of a communist conspiracy to undermine American society. Amidst footage of the March on the Pentagon and protests at Lafayette Park on the one hand, and film of the Berlin Wall and the Invasion of Hungary on the other, the activist learns "What’s Right with America", which is said to be, quite candidly, materialist superiority. "The Commies" haven’t duped the shades of the Pioneer farmer who knew Ben Franklin, the Sailor who knew Fulton, and the Mechanic who knew Ford, and they tell their descendent exactly that. They win him over, and he decides he won’t let the student rioters into the library to wreak wanton destruction after all - rather, he’ll go and beat the hell out of them instead, shoulder-to-shouder with his teacher and disembodied kinfolk...

Duration

29 mins

Title

Chiefs

Synopsis

Director Richard Leacock’s documentation of the 1968 Police Chiefs Convention held in Hawaii where attention was focused on the means and weapons of crowd control in reaction to the youth, anti-war and other political movements whose protests were sweeping the country at that time, fortified with speeches denouncing these movements and shoring up morale in support of their own actions against them.

Duration

20 mins

Title

Social Seminar: Changing

Synopsis

The National Institute of Mental Health sponsored UCLA’s Extension Media Center to produce this film to illustrate how the 60s youth struggled to find an identity in a world of contradictory roles, morals and values, with special attention placed on deconstructing stereotypes such as hippie, hardhat, square, etc..

Duration

28 mins

Distributor

Name

Internet Archive

Email

info@archive.org

Web

http://www.archive.org/details/movies External site opens in new window

Phone

+ 415-561-6767

Fax

+ 415-840-0391

Address

Internet Archive
P.O. Box 29244
Presidio of San Francisco
San Francisco,
CA 94129-0244
USA

Name

MediaOutlet.com

Email

service@prosperohouse.com

Web

http://www.mediaoutlet.com/ External site opens in new window

Address

PO Box 1432
Bayonne
NJ 07002
USA

Notes

Specialises in US archival moving image and sound material, particularly vintage radio and public service films and broadcasts that have been digitally restored. Formerly known as Earthstation.com. Sale on multi-region DVD or CD.