'The Killing of America': 35 Years Later

At this year's True/False, I checked out The Killing of America, a profoundly upsetting documentary about our country's obsession with violence. The movie debuted in 1981, but it felt like it could have been made yesterday. For The New Republic, I spoke with its director to reconstruct the making of this upsetting film and why it basically vanished without a trace afterward. In 2016, The Killing of America is having something of a comeback. Here's my essay on the film and its lasting impact.