Icarus Films has tabbed Aug. 18 as the DVD debut date for Seventeen,
the 1983 PBS-banned documentary from filmmakers Joel DeMott and Jeff Kreines. It was originally scheduled to air as part
of the network’s six-part Middletown series (aka: The
Middletown Film Project) — “Middletown” was the nickname for Muncie,
Indiana — but this sixth and final segment of the series, which examined
student life at Muncie’s Southside High School, was dropped as a result of the
“rough content” of the final cut (language, interracial dating, pot smoking, etc.).
The film resurfaced on the festival circuit and racked up
awards along the way, including the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the
1985 Sundance Film Festival.
The only bonus nugget included with the DVD release is an
essay booklet
This DVD is a travesty. I saw the real film earlier this month at BAM with one of the filmmakers -- it's beautiful and powerful. This DVD looks like it was transferred to video at K-Mart. It's also censored and contains credits for people who did not work on the film. If the film doesn't start with a hand-written title saying "Seventeen" and nothing more, it's not the real film. Don't waste your money -- I suspect the real film will be available soon enough!
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