Doc Watch: Vox Populi

TVTV: VIDEO REVOLUTIONARIES (B-minus) - This is a fun but marginal throwback to the 1970s, after the invention and marketing of the Sony videocamera that made it possible to shoot picture and sound together via a device that was easy to carry around and offered immediate playback possibilities. So, of course, legions of hippies and counter-culture utopians set out to reinvent journalism. They had limited success.

TVTV was a cooperative that developed relationships with CBS News and with PBS and made a small dent in the world of TV news. They also consorted with National Lampoon types (including Bill Murray and John Belushi, pre-"SNL") and later Hollywood to create what we would now call DIY YouTube content. They invaded the 1972 Republican convention Miami, sneaking in Vietnam vet Ron Kovic for a protest on the floor of the convention. They lurked behind the scenes at the Super Bowl.

The former long-hairs look back fondly on their days chronicling the counter-culture. The clips are entertaining. Like most things, this boomer fantasy sputtered and died by the time the Reagan era got going. But they planted a few seeds, and their gumption is charming.

HERE COME THE VIDEOFREEX (C+) - This is a lesser version of "TVTV." The Videofreex were another guerrilla video outfit, pointing the camera at the events the mainstream media tended not to show. This gang is just not as interesting as their contemporaries. And the production here is sluggish. One of the best scenes is a repeat of the joint venture with TVTV at the Miami convention.

The Videofreex eventually embarked for rural upstate New York, where they pirated Channel 3 for their own use and for the entertainment of the locals. They intended to cause outrage and gain publicity. The establishment, however, didn't care. So they put on cheap programming for about five years before fading away. You get the sense that they just were not that talented and didn't have anything truly compelling to say.

BONUS TRACK
Christopher Guest and Bill Murray cover the Super Bowl festivities for TVTV: