F.T.A. Virtual Theater Review

Jason Lockard March 04, 2021

Reviewed By Jason Lockard

The Vietnam war was a very controversial one. It lead to protests, movies, and TV shows. Bob Hope was known for his great work in bringing entertainment to the troops through the wars during his lifetime. But a group of performers got together to bring a traveling show to the troops. The only difference was that this show was anti-army and anti-war.

A film crew followed the performers around and documented the shows and interviewed solders. Than what came from all this footage was a film entitled F.T.A. This film was so controversial that it was pulled from theaters. Now Kino Lorber is giving this independent film a virtual theater release.

The live shows by this group of anti-war preformers dealt with racism in the military and war. The skits were written from magazines produced by military men and women who opposed the war they were in the middle of. The shows called political vaudeville.

The troop included most notably Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Paul Mooney, Peter Boyle and Steve Gaffe. Less known, Michael Alaimo, Len Chandler and Pamala Donegan. The film was directed by Francine Parker.

F.T.A. is a very well produced documentary. There is real emotion from people who were living through this war. It is good to not that there is some profanity and some racial slurs in this film so be aware of that. The comedy skits are a lot of fun and the songs are filled with heartfelt emotion. It really is a snapshot into a different time a tumultuous time in our country. It is an important film and a timely one as well.

The film has been restored in 4K by IndieCollect. This new release includes a brand new introduction by Jane Fonda who goes into detail on what this film was and why the group did these tours. The new film restoration looks really good. The film grain is perfect and the audio is crystal clear.

So if you are a fan of documentaries or if you enjoy the satire found in the movie and TV show M.A.S.H. I think this wll be one documentary of particular interest. Even for those unaware of all the controversy over the Vietnam war, this documentary shines a light on why people felt this war was so unnecessary! I highly recommend checking out this virtual cinema release.

I really feel this is an important film that everyone should experience at least once. If you would like to see the restored version of the 70s documentary F.T.A. as well as support an independent theater check it out KinoMarquee.com or digital streaming at KinoNow.com.