Best of Enemies
In the summer of 1968 television news changed forever. Dead last in the ratings, ABC hired two towering public intellectuals to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions. William F. Buckley Jr. was a leading light of the new conservative movement. A Democrat and cousin to Jackie Onassis, Gore Vidal was a leftist novelist and polemicist. Armed with deep-seated distrust and enmity, Vidal and Buckley believed each other’s political ideologies were dangerous for America. Like rounds in a heavyweight battle, they pummeled out policy and personal insult—their explosive exchanges devolving into vitriolic name-calling. Live and unscripted, they kept viewers riveted. Ratings for ABC News skyrocketed. And a new era in public discourse was born.
Directed with consummate skill by filmmakers Robert Gordon and Academy Award-winning Sundance Film Festival alum Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet From Stardom), Best of Enemies unleashes a highbrow blood sport that marked the dawn of pundit television as we know it today.
Q&A with directors Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon following screening
About the Directors:
Morgan Neville - Director / Producer
Morgan Neville is an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. His last feature Twenty Feet from Stardom was the opening night film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win numerous awards, including the 2014 Academy Award. Neville has made a series of films about musical subjects including Troubadours, Search and Destroy and three Grammy-nominated films: Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, Muddy Waters Can’t Be Satisfied, and Johnny Cash’s America. His non-music films include The Cool School, Steinbeck and Shotgun Freeway: Drives Thru Lost L.A. Neville has also produced many documentaries, including Pearl Jam 20, Crossfire Hurricane and Beauty is Embarrassing.
Robert Gordon - Director / Producer
Robert Gordon is a Grammy Award-winning writer and filmmaker. His work has focused on the American south – its music, art and politics. His films include William Eggleston’s Stranded in Canton, Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, and the verité shocker, Very Extremely Dangerous. His work has been broadcast on PBS, A&E, and numerous international networks, and has been exhibited at the Whitney, LACMA, Haus Der Kunst (Munich) and many other museums the world round. His first book was “It Came From Memphis” and his latest is “Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion.
Directed with consummate skill by filmmakers Robert Gordon and Academy Award-winning Sundance Film Festival alum Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet From Stardom), Best of Enemies unleashes a highbrow blood sport that marked the dawn of pundit television as we know it today.
Q&A with directors Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon following screening
About the Directors:
Morgan Neville - Director / Producer
Morgan Neville is an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. His last feature Twenty Feet from Stardom was the opening night film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win numerous awards, including the 2014 Academy Award. Neville has made a series of films about musical subjects including Troubadours, Search and Destroy and three Grammy-nominated films: Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, Muddy Waters Can’t Be Satisfied, and Johnny Cash’s America. His non-music films include The Cool School, Steinbeck and Shotgun Freeway: Drives Thru Lost L.A. Neville has also produced many documentaries, including Pearl Jam 20, Crossfire Hurricane and Beauty is Embarrassing.
Robert Gordon - Director / Producer
Robert Gordon is a Grammy Award-winning writer and filmmaker. His work has focused on the American south – its music, art and politics. His films include William Eggleston’s Stranded in Canton, Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, and the verité shocker, Very Extremely Dangerous. His work has been broadcast on PBS, A&E, and numerous international networks, and has been exhibited at the Whitney, LACMA, Haus Der Kunst (Munich) and many other museums the world round. His first book was “It Came From Memphis” and his latest is “Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion.
