Waco: The Rules of Engagement

Sep 19, 1997

2h 16m

★ 7.6

Overview

In one of the most tragic face-offs in the history of law enforcement, the deadly debacle at Waco pitted the Branch Davidian sect against the FBI in an all-out war. This documentary makes the most of footage and recordings to examine how the events that led to the tragedy of April 19, 1993, unfolded, and how the FBI's unrelenting approach made what was already a bad situation much worse.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Fifth Estate Productions

SomFord Entertainment

Waco: The Rules of Engagement Trailers

Cast

Narrator (voice)

Dan Gifford

Self - Branch Davidian

Clive Doyle

Self - Sheriff

Jack Harwell

Self - Former Chief, Houston Fire Department

Joseph Penno

Self - Author

Dick J. Reavis

Self - Biblical Scholar

James D. Tabor

Self - Branch Davidian

David Thibodeau

Self - U.S. Senate (archive footage) (uncredited)

Joe Biden

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Sonny Bono

Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)

Howard Coble

Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)

John Conyers

Self - Branch Davidian (archive footage) (uncredited)

Graeme Craddock

COINTELPRO 101 exposes illegal surveillance, disruption, and outright murder committed by the US government in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. “COINTELPRO” refers to the official FBI COunter INTELigence PROgram carried out to surveil, imprison, and eliminate leaders of social justice movements and to disrupt, divide, and destroy the movements as well. Many of the government's crimes are still unknown. Through interviews with activists who experienced these abuses first-hand, with rare historical footage, the film provides an educational introduction to a period of intense repression and draws relevant lessons for the present and future.

8.5

The United States of Insanity

Oct 26, 2021

The story of controversial rap duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP), their fans, and their ongoing struggle with the FBI in a landmark case that may be a bellwether of change for First Amendment rights in America.

0.0

Children of the Cult

Oct 4, 2024

An international investigation into the Rajneesh movement. One of the world's biggest and most successful cults, it had communes in more than 30 countries in the 70s and 80s and was portrayed in the Netflix series Wild Wild Country' But until now, a central truth about the organization has remained hidden.

7.0

Incident at Oglala

May 8, 1992

On June 26, 1975, during a period of high tensions on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, two FBI agents were killed in a shootout with a group of Indians. Although several men were charged with killing the agents, only one, Leonard Peltier, was found guilty. This film describes the events surrounding the shootout and suggests that Peltier was unjustly convicted.

6.0

Manlife

Jun 4, 2017

For over 80 years, Merle Hayden has crusaded to recruit members to the utopian movement Lawsonomy. Founded by aircraft pioneer Alfred Lawson, Lawsonomy advocates for economic reform and clean, communal living that transforms followers into a "New Species" that will benefit the human race either in this life or the next. Merle joined Lawson as a teenager and never looked back. His high school sweetheart Betty Kasch, however, is tired of Lawson coming between them. Reunited after over 60 years apart, non-believer Betty wants Merle to join her in Florida. Merle's commitment to preserving Lawson's legacy, artifacts currently rotting in a barn alongside a Wisconsin highway, has Betty worried Merle may leave her for Lawson once again.

0.0

Jeffrey's Hell

Mar 31, 2024

In 2023, Writer/director Aaron Irons went deep into the Appalachian wilderness area known as Jeffrey's Hell to expand on the legends and stories from his 2022 found footage film, CHEST. He was never seen again. This documentary explores what really happened to Aaron and what secrets are being kept below the surface.

7.1

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

Apr 26, 2006

Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.

5.4

Trudell

Jan 20, 2005

A chronicle of legendary Native American poet/activist John Trudell's travels, spoken word performances, and politics.

7.2

Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul

Aug 30, 2022

Years after serving time for betting on games he officiated, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy revisits the scandal that shook up the league.

5.9

A

Sep 9, 1998

Roughly chronological, from 3/96 to 11/96, with a coda in spring of 1997: inside compounds of Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara. (Members confessed to a murderous sarin attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995.) We see what they eat, where they sleep, and how they respond to media scrutiny, on-going trials, the shrinking of their fortunes, and the criticism of society. Central focus is placed on Hiroshi Araki, a young man who finds himself elevated to chief spokesman for Aum after its leaders are arrested. Araki faces extreme hostility from the Japanese public, who find it hard to believe that most followers of the cult had no idea of the attacks and even harder to understand why these followers remain devoted to the religion, if not the violence.

6.3

A Compassionate Spy

Aug 31, 2022

Physicist Ted Hall is recruited to join the Manhattan Project as a teenager and goes to Los Alamos with no idea what he'll be working on. When he learns the true nature of the weapon being designed, he fears the post-war risk of a nuclear holocaust and begins to pass significant information to the Soviet Union.

7.0

1/2 Man

Jul 6, 1986

A visual documentary of Einstürzende Neubauten, the German underground band, by Japanese cult director Sogo Ishii, made during their 1985 tour of Japan. The band makes an elaborate and remarkably choreographed appearance in the ruins of an old ironworks which was scheduled for demolition; footage of same was incorporated into the movie and a brief appearance on stage.

4.2

Police State 2000

Jan 4, 1999

Alex Jones exposes the growing militarization of American law enforcement and the growing relationship between the military and police. Witness US training with foreign troops and learning how to control and contain civilian populations. You will see Special Forces helicopter attacks on South Texas towns, concentration camps, broad unconstitutional police actions, search and seizure and more.

8.0

A Journey

May 29, 2017

A cinematic journey through the world. Non-verbal.

10.0

Witness Underground

Jan 26, 2024

Punk rock, B-movies, and Jehovah’s Witnesses unite in this heartfelt documentary. As members of Jehovah’s Witness start to explore culture outside of their religion, they have to wrestle with the possibility of being excommunicated from friends and family. Featuring in-depth interviews and extensive home video footage, Witness Underground tells the story of punk rocker Witnesses pushing against the highly controlling Jehovah’s Witnesses religion as they build their own community through music and art. This prolific community of Witness musicians create their own record label, Nuclear Gopher, and become early adopters of promoting their music through the internet, including what may have been the first album to ever be livestreamed. This community’s history is well documented through archival footage of their home movies and self-produced music videos, all with a very charming energy.

7.6

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Jan 25, 2015

GOING CLEAR intimately profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.

5.2

Teaserama

Sep 16, 1955

A collection of numerous burlesque acts from the 1950s, including strippers, and cult character Betty Page introducing the acts.

6.6

The Scheme

Mar 31, 2020

The revealing, no-holds-barred tale of Christian Dawkins, convicted in federal court in the biggest criminal case in collegiate sports history, a criminal enterprise that infiltrated college basketball teams and funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to steer recruits to prominent athletic programs.

5.7

Deprogrammed

Apr 26, 2015

Ted "Black Lightning" Patrick's practice of "deprogramming," also known as "reverse brainwashing," started in the early 1970s and quickly snowballed into a vast underground movement composed of concerned parents, ex-cultists-turned-deprogrammers and some sympathetic law-enforcers whose mission was to physically and mentally remove individuals from cults.