Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb

So much interesting history packed into this film. Hunter's political work was truly amazing and is an inspiration for many. He really changed my outlook on politics...

This film is prime Hunter S. Thompson - a man on a mission to protect his home and willing to take on the establishment to do it. The message and brilliance of this film is its staying power - the issues of police reform, environmentalism, land use, and drug laws are just as relevant now as they were then. I hope everyone takes the time to watch the film and PAY ATTENTION at the local level.

A great documentary about Hunter S. Thompson's 1970 campaign to become Sheriff of Pitkin County. The issues that the country faced during the Nixon era are eerily similar to today's contentious partisan environment. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these larger national themes get seamlessly woven into Hunter's local campaign. I highly recommend this documentary, as the directors do a great job showing that local elections are just as important as national elections and that collectively getting out to vote really does matter.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. In a surprisingly intimate look that show cases not just a passoinate side of Hunter S. Thompson but those around him, those that worked towards building better world, especially when it comes to the role of law enforcement. Ideas like that the role of the police shouldn't just be to make everyone out to be a criminal but understand the cause of crime and how a community can work towards unifying one another. It honestly felt that the same exact arguments between the conservatives and the freaks could be made today and unfornately probably even 20 years from now. But the film does a great job of creating a spark of hope, that change is possible, even radical change. As long as people stand up and use their voice with such passion that they just can't be ignored. For any fans of Hunter S. Thompson or just anyone that wants to see how politics at the community level can bring about huge change, this is a great film to check out.

This doc was extremely well made and a great insight into the life of Hunter Thompson at a time when he was a serious journalist taking action. As we are facing one of the most important political times in recent history, Hunter's message is more important than ever. The issues Hunter was fighting for in 1970 are scarily similar to now and there is so much we can learn from watching Freak Power. As the saying goes..."History repeats itself" but maybe this time we can be inspired by Hunter to help make the changes needed.