Horns and Halos

Horns And Halos (2 DVDs) captures the unlikely connection of three men - an ex-con biographer, a janitor turned publisher, and U.S. President George W. Bush - whose paths to power and popularity become tangled in a controversial book. In October 1999, an article appeared in the New York Times indicating that publisher St. Martin's Press had recalled Fortunate Son, the first published biography of George W. Bush, when it was revealed that the author, J.H.Hatfield, had been convicted for trying to murder a co-worker. At the time of its recall, the book was a bestseller, no doubt due to the book's allegations that Bush had been arrested for cocaine possession in 1972. Several weeks later, small underground imprint Soft Skull Press, led by the self-styled "punk of publishing," Sander Hicks, announced that it would re-publish the book. Set against the backdrop of the fierce 2000 presidential campaign, Horns And Halos follows Hatfield and Hicks as they battle lawyers, media, and mounting debt to get Fortunate Son back on shelves. After months of lawsuits, bad press and financial ruin, Soft Skull attempts to make a splash at the Book Expo of America, as Hatfield reluctantly reveals his sources for the book's cocaine allegations. The consequences are explosive. Definitely not worth it for the three second cameo of an AKer at the Soft Skull booth at Book Expo America, but the bonus disc does feature two interviews with James Hatfield; extended interviews from the movie; protest coverage of the Bush inauguration; the Ralph Nader Rally at Madison Square Garden featuring Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Eddie Vedder; a Sander Hicks interview; WNYU feature radio interview with the Directors, and more.