Anti-War Monger

Related Content

• J. Edgar: Clint Eastwood's Inspired Take on a Giant of the 20th Century
  November 10, 2011
• To Honor His Life 31 Years After His Death, Five Videos That Prove John Lennon Was Mortal
  December 9, 2011
• Maricopa Teen Caught With 500 Child-Porn Videos and Pictures After Year-Long FBI Investigation
  December 2, 2011
• Mexican Smugglers Exploit the Corrupt Reputation of U.S. Border Officers
  December 1, 2011
• Feds Arrest Connecticut Cops For Abusing Latinos' Civil Rights, But In Arizona, Feds Do Nothing More Than Threaten Lawsuits
  January 25, 2012

More About

• John Lennon
• Richard Nixon
• Bobby Seale
• Documentary Films
• Protests and Demonstrations

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

The first glimpse we get of John Lennon in action on The U.S. vs. John LennonDVD (Lions Gate) is a rare live performance of "Attica State" at a rally held to protest the 10-year sentencing of John Sinclair, a fellow radical, for offering an undercover cop two joints. Now, one could argue that the song itself, in which Lennon throws in his lot with the inmates at a prison riot, may not be the strongest case you could make on behalf of his lyrical genius. But it is a fitting introduction to this fascinating documentary about the U.S. government's attempts to silence Lennon's voice of protest as his threat to Nixon's war in Vietnam became more obvious, having given America's anti-war movement its anthem with "Give Peace a Chance." The FBI was writing down his lyrics at that gig. And Nixon's goon squad only grew more paranoid as John and Yoko started hanging with the likes of Bobby Seale. In addition to footage of Lennon himself, who brilliantly responds to "What should Nixon do?" with "He should just declare peace," this documentary draws on interviews with everyone from presidential hopeful George McGovern to Lennon's most dangerous ally, Seale, and his second most dangerous ally, Yoko.