Vidal v. Buckley

Intellectual Insults: When TV Political Debate Turned Ugly

Acerbic intellectual heavyweights Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr. sparred brilliantly with each other as network commentators during the 1968 conventions, with each man trying to bludgeon the other’s ideology. With insults and shocking name-calling, the progressive Vidal and conservative Buckley debated as if the country’s future depended on their words. Distinguished filmmakers Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon will discuss how these verbal battles will be the subject of their next documentary and how their rancor helped to define a new era of public discourse in the media. The filmmakers will show excerpts from their work-in-progress, including highlights of the legendary debates, which still resonate in today's political landscape. Also included will be excerpts from an unseen interview with Christopher Hitchens, talking about Vidal and Buckley.

Presented with the Hamptons International Film Festival