'The Pleasures of Being Out of Step': The documentary details the varied career of writer Nat Hentoff
'Pleasures,' which is a laudatory documentary about longtime former Village Voice columnist Nat Hentoff, is directed by David L. Lewis.
'Pleasures,' which is a laudatory documentary about longtime former Village Voice columnist Nat Hentoff, is directed by David L. Lewis.
Nat Hentoff, the longtime former Village Voice columnist and First聽Amendment advocate, is the subject of David L. Lewis鈥檚 laudatory聽documentary, 鈥淭he Pleasures of Being Out of Step,鈥� and the title says聽it all. Still going strong in his 鈥�80s, Hentoff has had one of the more聽variegated careers in American letters. One of the great chroniclers of聽the jazz scene, he has also championed free speech with a libertarian聽fervor and rallied against abortion (alienating him from most of his liberal聽cohorts in the process).聽
The documentary includes peerless clips of Billie Holiday聽and Lester Young from a TV show Hentoff coproduced as well as聽snatches of an interview with a young Bob Dylan, a clip of Hentoff on聽William Buckley鈥檚 鈥淔iring Line鈥� TV show, and lots more worth your聽time. Grade:聽B+ (Unrated.)