On DVD: HIT AND STAY

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 22: HIT AND STAY

Joe Tropea and Skizz Cyzyk’s exploration of Vietnam era protests by the Catholic left made its bow at the Chicago Underground Film Festival last year. Other fest screenings have included Rehoboth Beach, Sidewalk, Indie Memphis, and Maryland.

The Catonsville Nine were a group of Catholic activists who burned draft files in 1968, then prayed as they waited to be arrested. Among their number were priests, including Father Philip Berrigan and his brother, Daniel. It wasn’t the first time that Father Philip was involved in an action – the previous year, he was one of the Baltimore Four, responsible for dousing other draft records in blood. The Catonsville Nine’s trial generated national attention, and while they were convicted of destroying property and interfering with draft laws, nearly half their number went underground. Expanding from their story, Tropea and Cyzyk’s film considers several other incidents of protest actions taken by the religious left, inspired by the actions of Berrigan and his cohorts.This attempt to be comprehensive unfortunately robs the project of necessary focus, devolving into a survey that detracts from the potentially far more interesting Catonsville story.