Reel People: Fishermen of Plum Island DVD

[Joe]

Reel People: Fishermen of Plum Island DVD
DVD by Jim Waldron
Reel People: Fishermen of Plum Island is a one-hour documentary film exploring the culture of fishing on Plum Island, Massachusetts. The barrier island just off the coast of Newburyport is one of the finest fishing locales in the Northeast and draws an exceptionally diverse group of people searching for Striped Bass, Bluefish, Cod, Flounder, Mackerel and others.
The film introduces you to people who find their excitement at the end of a piece of string. Plum Island Fishermen take all shapes and forms, from bait throwers and fly casters, women and men, children and octogenarians. The unique and entertaining characters all have their own rationale for time on the water. Shot over two years, the film follows a number of people out and around the island and listens to their motivations, their idiosyncrasies, their histories, and their love for the sport. Along with interviews and lots of people fishing, the natural beauty of Plum Island comes through. At the heart of Plum Island's fishing community lies the nearly fifty-year-old shop Surfland Bait and Tackle. Local legend Kay Moulton shares stories and photographs from seasons past, supported by her daughters Martha, Liz, and the dedicated staff.
The film mixes studio and on-site interviews with action footage, archival photographs, and amateur film spanning 60 years of fishing on Plum Island. The film is entertaining for both fishermen and those that simply enjoy a good story
Bonus Vintage Features. Filmed and narrated by local Plum Islander Bob Smith, two short films about rip fishing off Nantucket, and surf fishing Plum Island in the 1960s. Drawing from archival film and photographs the features show angling from the good old days your father told you about.

[TomS]

If anyone is interested, here is a quick review I put up on another forum:

Just a quick follow-up / mini-review.. I picked up a copy of "Reel People: The Fishermen of Plum Island" over the weekend and got a chance to watch it last night.

My first impression was "WOW" - the documentary is all shot in HD and looks absolutely amazing. This isn't your typical Youtube quality shaky-video cam with bad lighting and horrific wind-noise. All the interior shots are lit really well, and the sound is great.

The second thing you notice is that the focus of the movie is on the diverse group of people who fish Plum Island and the long history of sport fishing in the area, rather than on the fishing itself. While there is some amazing fishing footage, it acts as a backdrop to the stories and interviews of the fishermen discussing why they fish. It reminded me of another documentary entitled "Gotham Fish Tales" which focused on the fishermen of New York City.

I think the film will appeal to anyone who has been "afflicted" with Striper fishing, regardless of where you fish. Even if you don't recognize the faces of the people in the film, you most certainly will recognize a bit of yourself, your fishing buddies and the salty characters you run into on the water reflected in the movie.

If anything, show it to your wife and kids so that they can see you aren't the only one who has the "affliction". And as bad as they think you are, you can point out the guys who have it much worse than you

Needless to say, but if you have a "I'm a Kay's Customer" T-Shirt or have a "Martha Lubes My Reel" bumper sticker, then this film is definitely for you..

Definitely worth putting on the X-Mas wish list if you can't get out to one of the screenings this winter.

-- Tom