There were a bunch of great reviews of The War Tapes this weekend, which come as we prepare for the June 2nd premiere of the movie in New York City. We hope that you'll join us on the opening weekend if you're in the area, and if you need more reasons to go, here's some of what is being said in the press:

The New York Post:

...one of the most important films to come out of Operation Iraqi Freedom, "The War Tapes" is also making history. The first war documentary to ever be filmed by the soldiers themselves, the 97-minute film offers a raw, candid look at armed conflict as it unfolds.

Meanwhile, New York Magazine tells it's readers:

See The War Tapes. Maybe this picture can be worth a thousand lives.

Time Out New York, which places the movie in "must-see territory", says:

The War Tapes is, finally, the film to pay attention to.

And the NY Times review from from the Tribeca Film Festival said:

[The soldier's] riveting videotapes and accompanying commentary, sometimes shouted while under fire, gives a stronger taste of the Iraq war experience than any film I can remember.

Outside of New York, the Concord Monitor features a lengthy and thoughtful opinion piece looking at the movie, by the paper's editor. He notes how important it is for Americans to come face to face with the reality of the Iraq War, given the ease with which most Americans can push it out of their minds:

Moriarity speaks of how his coworkers back home in New Hampshire all seem to want to know what it was like over there. But when he hauls out his photographs and tries to fill them in, they show little interest.

To me, this reflects the most troubling aspect of the war in Iraq: There is a determined disconnect between the war our country is fighting and the public back home. At least some of the ignorance is intentional. Rather than actually face events, we prefer to enjoy the sport of talk-show hosts dueling over what events mean.

Technology has so shrunk the world that if we made it a priority, we could witness what is happening in Iraq in real time. But something makes us avert our gaze.

In a small but important way, The War Tapes provides an antidote to this willful blindness.

While each of these reviewers takes something slightly different away from the picture, all of them agree on one thing: This is a movie that every American should see.

If you're in NYC next weekend-- June 2nd to June 4th-- make sure that you come out and see the film!

Posted on May 30, 2006 09:18 AM by Alex | Permalink