It is one of the greatest documents ever written and it was conceived by some of the most genuine badass guys of all time. Not only was it new but it was and is radical. It has survived over 200 years with relatively few changes. I am including the link to the full Constitution here, so that the public that is so quick to want to throw it away or reinterpret it for their own ends can be reminded what a truley magnificent document it is.
This was a series that was put out over the internet by BMW in 2001 and 2002 in an effort to increase the brand and introduce new buyers to the performance joys of owning a BMW. Clive Owen plays “The Driver” in each of the eight films and he has been hired by a different person with a different agenda. The great thing about these shorts is that each one is directed by a different world class director and feature more than a few major stars.
If you only watch one of these it must be the number 4 video “Star” it features Madonna and was directed by her husband at that time Guy Ritchie. It is hilarious and has some fantastic driving in it. You can read the entire synopsis of each episode here .
I grew up in Florida during the 60’s and early 70’s. This was before Disney brought about it’s stranglehold on Florida tourism and there was still a southern quaintness about the state. It was a time when you could take the family and kids to the beach and not have to park over a mile away and then step over 1000 people in order to find your 5 x7 piece of sand. This was a great time to grow up in Florida, as it did not require a boatload of cash to spend a fun day with the kids. But I digress, this is not a tale of the ruination of the Florida that was, because Florida has always been and will always be in a state of flux. Always on the cusp of greatness but never to make it into true legitimacy due to a lack of culture.
No Sir, this is the story of one of the most badass movies of all time. In this film you have; Martial Arts, rednecks and hippies, rape, Native Americans and politics. This movies is not just a story of ass kicking, but more about personal responsibility and one man’s effort to find peace when violence and hatred are constantly kicking him in the balls. This is the tale of Billy Jack
I first saw this movie at the drive-in in St. Augustine. I was in the 5th grade so it must have been 1973. I think that one of the few joys that my father had in his life at that time was going to the drive-in. Either that or it was the only form of entertainment available to a family of six being raised on a carpenter’s salary. It didn’t matter to me whether or not anyone else in the family liked it or not, because I loved it. Watching a movie was a great way to escape the bullshit that was going on in my house on a daily basis. I still love the movies, sadly the drive-in as an institution no longer exists and I now have an awesome in-home theater which helps cut down on the mosquito bites, but it was at the drive-in that my deep love and appreciation of the action-packed and alpha-male stacked movies first began.
We would all load up in the fake wood-paneled station wagon having already been warned to not ask for snacks or drinks from the concession stand. I didn’t care about the snacks or the mosquitoes, these things were always secondary to the story unfolding on the screen. This is still true for me now as it was then, fuck the snacks bring on the mayhem. Now back to Billy Jack.
When I say that I am a fan of this movie, I am not implying simply that I liked or enjoyed this film. I have in my 46 years seen hundreds if not thousands of movies, I have always preferred to watch a movie to watching a television show. I can recount years of my life that have passed with no notice as to what was popular on TV. Mork and Mindy, missed it. Dallas, not one episode. Batchelor and Bachelorette, skipped these on purpose. Just about any reality television has been avoided, I am not sure whose reality they are putting on TV, but it is not mine or anyone I know. Movies have a beginning and an ending. The story takes place in the span of the film, there is no wondering what will happen next week or next season. Even the James Bond series ends every film with the bad guy being taken care of and the world saved.
Billy Jack is a movie that I have passed down or pushed upon everyone that I know. I have forced my two daughters to watch it – more than once. It reinforces or introduces principals and concepts that are as important in today’s society as ever before. The primary message being that it is the duty and obligation of the strong in society to protect the weak from the tyranny of evil men. The idea of the Genuine Badass in the role of the shepherd rather than the sheep or the wolf was planted in a young boys mind that summer at the drive-in. The scouts, rescue squad, fire department and ultimately the Marine Corps are just continuations in the life of a Genuine Badass that were awakened for the first time while watching Billy Jack.
I memorized every scene in the movie. All of the moves, the cool one-liners, the actors tone and inflections. I did this not for myself, but for every boy that rode the bus with me. I was one of the very few fifth graders that was allowed to see r-rated movies, so it became my duty, my obligation and my solemn honor to recant the entire movie – kick by kick and punch by punch. I became the greatest storyteller in the fifth grade and popular because of it.
I have gone out of my way to not disclose too much about the plot of the movie. I have always felt that the movie should be allowed to unfold and speak for itself. Billy Jack does this in spades, it speaks volumes about the ills of society and how small mindedness is a cancer that needs to be cut out. When Billy Jack appears on the screen for the first time, you know instantly that this man is in charge but you also realize that this man has not chosen to take the easy path. You are in for a treat.
Billy Jack is available from Netflix as a Play it Now video that you can watch immediately or you can buy it from Amazon here (Billy Jack) or if you want to spoil the fun and read the synopsis, you can find it at imdb.com (Billy Jack)
The White Stripes playing Ball and a Biscuit live from the DVD “Under the Blackpool Lights.”
This is a great live dvd, it’s very grainy because it was shot in 8mm. The sound quality is as pretty close to the energy of a live show. I saw them at the Hard Rock in Orlando back in 2003 during the Elephant tour and it was absolutely amazing.
VALIDATION
I don’t want to give away the movie by telling too much here . I think it is just better to watch it and let it unfold. It is only 16 minutes long and you know you have the time. Or if not you should make the time. This is not your normal Genuine Badass type video, but very cool anyway. Everyone can learn a little something from this short film. I am challenging all the GBA’s out there to try and validate at least one person a day. If we could get this to spread, just imagine the possibilities.
After a short absence and the loss of all the previous posts due to a technical error, genuinebadass.com is making a triumphant comeback. The look will probably be different because I cannot remember or locate the template that was being used before. Oh well, life is change and one should embrace the changes that come.
