American Gangster - The Complete First Season

American Gangster - The Complete First Season

Great educational peace of work, I find this to be interesting as well as entertaining September 9, 2008

What an Eye Opener!

Not only do you get a real look into the lives of mostly high profile drug dealers and those people and large communities (often metropolitan cities) affected by the drug dealers' actions, you also get an look at the corruption within the United States government, FBI, CIA, and other government divisions which is far too often kept under the radar by the mainstream media. It is very sad to know how corrupt the government is, how free speech within the United States media is just an illusion (you'll notice a reoccurring true life theme of how those journalists who exposed government corruption were always blackballed in their media careers and harassed by the government), AND have a close up into what some people would do to their own neighborhoods and families for money.

Not only do I highly recommend both the 1st and 2nd season DVDs but I would want every single American to view it. I WOULD REALLY URGE PARENTS TO VIEW THESE DVDs WITH THEIR CHILDREN (probably ages 13-17). These documentaries are that important!

In addition to being an excellent educational tool both DVDs are intense, thrilling, and easily kept the attention of myself and my friends. It is worth every penny of its price! August 31, 2008

Disappointing and Depressing.

I heard a lot of buzz about this series so I gave these episodes a gander after they came out on DVD. I was not previously familiar with BET or its slant on the issues of the day. What I saw in the depictions of these men was extremely unsettling. All of them, in some way, were presented as being victims of The Man or The System. This is preposterous in my view. Being born poor or of low socioeconomic status is never an excuse to commit to a life of crime. Do I begrudge the person who must steal a loaf of bread to survive? No, I do not but I do begrudge the person who steals to get rich or to die trying. There is no explanation or justification possible for this. The inner-city is not a place without hope. There are tens of thousands of black Americans who were born at the same time as Tookie Williams or later Ricky Ross--who came from exactly the same kinds of neighborhood they did--who never broke the law and went on to lead productive lives. In our urban areas today, there are thousands of individuals who come from the community who work in the community as postal workers, teachers, policemen, firemen, small store owners, and entrepreneurs with differing levels of status.

Such a message does not come across in these episodes as the only voice of reason is Bernard Parks, the former Chief of the LA Police. That Tom Hayden, a revolutionary throughout the 1960s, would be described as a community activist is obscene. He believes, and has written, that those in jail are uniformly oppressed, political prisoners. Of course he would think that Tookie Williams was only a victim of circumstance. What else would he say? As for the folks he murdered, they are no longer capable of speaking for themselves.

I also believe that the whole CIA conspiracy angle with crack cocaine is pretty sick and fallacious. Nobody in the CIA was authorized to work in the streets of America or to do anything here. Obviously, I am not naïve enough to pretend that there are not rogue agents out there doing what they want until they're caught but that does not equate with a government conspiracy to circulate crack in our urban areas. That Ross worked hand-in-hand with someone who became a government informer is an inevitable byproduct of choosing the business he did. Most of us choose, on a daily basis, not to take the easier route or be corrupted by money should it include the possibility of going to jail. The fellows profiled here made different choices...and they paid the price.
January 29, 2008

Awesome Series

I purchased this set for my partner for Christmas because we has watched it on BET and it was EXCELLENT!!!!!!! It was well worth the price and I even received it before christmas... January 20, 2008

American Gangster is GANGSTA!

I can't wait for the next season to be available. This series features interesting and poignant, yet tragic stories of the great rise and fall of African American gangsters. These cautionary tales are entertaining, educational, funny, shocking, and sad all at the same time. American Gangster is a great new perspective on the bastardized American Dream that so many African American males fall prey to. Check it out, you won't be disappointed...and as Fat Albert used to say, you might learn something along the way! 5 stars! January 12, 2008

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