Square Grouper (2011) User Reviews

Movie Review: "Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja"

[jkarimi2007 · 12 June 2011]

This review is from my blog (WeedPress.wordpress.com) and can also be seen at thcfinder.com/marijuana-blog.

I just rented and watched Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja on Amazon.com. I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in a good story.

Square Grouper (click here for the official website) has three different stories to tell: the DEA/FBI frame-up of "The Black Tuna Gang," the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, and Everglades City.

Everglades City, a quiet fishing town on the coast in Florida, turned to marijuana smuggling after the National Park Service phased out commercial fishing in the area. These average Americans, long accustomed to fishing, became the subject of an intense DEA investigation that resulted in the arrests of 80% of the town's male population.

L.B. Turner, Everglades resident at the time, had this to say about the National Park Service: "Every time they figured out that we could make a living doing something, they put regulations on it." While the NPS had promised that commercial fishermen would not lose their livelihood, that promise ended up being broken. The men who turned to smuggling marijuana for a living aren't the kind of people you were warned about in D.A.R.E they're your next door neighbors! The Black Tuna Gang was an infuriating tale of corruption, frame-ups, and media bias. Robert Platshorn, the longest-serving non-violent marijuana "criminal" to date, was the scapegoat of the failed Operation Banco, the first joint FBI/DEA operation in US history. The IRS and Customs investigated Operation Banco due to it's high cost to taxpayers with little to no results. The DEA and FBI, needing results, set up "The Black Tuna Gang" and utilized " a campaign that showcased many tactics the drug warriors would hone and expand over the next twenty-five years: sleazy paid informants, so-called expert witnesses, selective prosecution, inflated statistics " (High Times February 2005) and more.

During the movie, Platshorn explained why he jumped into smuggling. "I honestly thought pot was going to be legalized. That we were only a few years away." Platshorn saw a closing window of opportunity to make money, and ended up in way hotter water than he ever expected. At the time of his arrest, the average sentence was roughly 3 to 7 years; Platshorn was sentenced to 64 years. Watch the movie for the whole story it's the best of the three in my opinion.

Finally, The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, a Rastafari sect from Jamaica that stirred up controversy in Florida in the late 70′s, highlighted the religious use of marijuana. The Church gained lots of media attention during their operation on Star Island, including a 1979 CBS News special titled "Holy Smoke" by Dan Rather. See the archived CBS News special here.

Here's a couple memorable quotes from Brother Louv of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church: "The young people do not support the system that the old people have asked us to inherit. It is corrupt. But by making millions of people criminals, they have destroyed the credibility of the youth, and the American system." "I know that men made drugs and I know that God made herbs. So if their judgment in there is that marijuana is a drug, then put me in the jail with all the drug addicts, put me in the jail with all the criminals, and I'll sit there and laugh at you. And I know there's probably ganja being burned in there also." Square Grouper was really quite interesting. The story telling was original, and the real-life smuggling stories told by the men of Everglades City were cynically humorous. Seeing a city councilman discuss the economic benefits that marijuana brought the struggling and neighborly town isn't something you see everyday. The heartbreaking set up of the Black Tuna Gang shows the impact the War on Drugs has had on individuals and families. And the courage of Brother Louv, speaking against the corruption of the War on Drugs, which entraps and harms patients, lawyers, doctors, sports stars, college students families, neighbors, friends is an inspiring call to action. I highly encourage everyone to watch "Square Grouper," and get a glimpse at some stories from the War on Liberty that you won't be seeing on TV anytime soon.

Don't expect the excitement factor of "Cocaine Cowboys", but this is a fine Billy Corben documentary. 4.5 stars (9/10).

[cthulu48 · 9/10 · 22 June 2011]

I've been waiting to see "Square Grouper" since I first heard that Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys 1 & 2, Raw Deal) was directing the documentary. I became a Corben fan with "Cocaine Cowboys" and I've enjoyed all of his documentaries so far. What Corben does so well in his documentaries is that he infuses current footage and interviews from the actual people involved in the "crimes" with older archived footage and news broadcasts. These factors give his films such a realistic and edgy feel, not to mention authenticity provided by the first-hand sources including the "criminals", police, lawyers and FBI.

Knowing Corben's style, I went in to this film expecting "Cocaine Cowboys" with marijuana. This film is different though. It presents three separate stories, all set in the state of Florida (naturally, being a Corben film). The main difference in "Square Grouper" is that the pace isn't as fast as "Cocaine Cowboys". Much more mellow, yet still informative and imaginative. I find this fact very befitting the subject matter (or should I say, substance matter?).

The first story is about The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, who believe that marijuana is a sacrament, and the ensuing smuggling charges dropped on them. This part of the film examines the government's stand against a church centered around ganja. The media labeled them as a cult, they saw themselves as nothing but a church. Inevitably, the police become involved. The film begins with a verse from the Bible: "Behold I have given you every green herb bearing seed..." (Genesis 1:29) and I think this is a very important thing to consider for people who are against legalization (if you are a religious person).

The second story is about The Black Tuna Gang, who smuggled marijuana in massive amounts into Florida, or so the courts and FBI want you to believe. The film features the principle smugglers and FBI agents giving conflicting stories about alleged jury tampering, the Black Tuna gang's plans to flee, and even a phony plot to assassinate the judge in the trial. The Black Tuna Gang were dealt extremely harsh prison sentences, and this portion of the film tells the story from all viewpoints.

The third story is about the small town of Everglade City and the process of the citizens being practically forced to get into the marijuana business for much needed money. The tales tell of how easy it was to smuggle and hide drugs into the town, due to being able to evade the small police force in the swamps of the Everglades. To me, this is the most interesting part of the movie.

The film is accompanied by Country-type music, which I found to be a little off-putting, but otherwise, this is a fine documentary if you are interested in the topic, and I know that lots of people are. Billy Corben said himself that "hip-hop fans MADE 'Cocaine Cowboys'." I feel it should be noted that the music in the film will not grab the "hip-hop crowd" like "Cocaine Cowboys 2". Myself, I like all kinds of music, with the exception of popular country, and the country type music in this film didn't ruin the film for me, so don't let the music become the focal point of your viewing of this film. I'm not saying hip-hop music would be appropriate for this documentary (at all), I'm just saying that the music won't appeal to hip-hop heads, many of whom are big fans of "Cocaine Cowboys 1 & 2". But like I said, I didn't find that it detracted from the film. It was just... off-putting.

The special features on the DVD include a short "Touring Ten Thousand Islands" featurette, deleted scenes, songs and scoring of Square Grouper (and music videos), along with feature-length commentary from Billy Corben and a trailer for the film.

So, while it may not be as exciting and fast paced as "Cocaine Cowboys", Billy Corben continues his successful streak of gripping and interesting documentaries. Highly recommended for heads, and I would also recommend this film to folks who are adamantly against legalization. It may open your eyes, or you could just be entertained by people getting busted if you're that kind of person. Either way, I think you can't go wrong with "Square Grouper". An important documentary. 4.5 stars.