CNN will premiere the six-part series United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper on Feb. 18.
The series will feature figures who have been in the spotlight in various political scandals, with Tapper interviewing former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, actress Rielle Hunter, former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey and former CIA officer Valerie Plame.
In a statement, Tapper said that the series was “a surreal chance to go back and talk to the major players and unpack what actually happened, getting at the real truths and the confounding motivations and decisions.”
Two episodes will air for the series debut at 9 p.m. Et, and the remaining episodes will air at that time on subsequent Sundays.
The series comes from CNN Originals and is produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation. Aaron Saidman and Eli Holzman are executive producers for Ipc; Tapper, showrunner Gil Marsden and Amy Entelis, Lyle Gamm and Katie Hinman are EPs for CNN.
The series will feature figures who have been in the spotlight in various political scandals, with Tapper interviewing former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, actress Rielle Hunter, former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey and former CIA officer Valerie Plame.
In a statement, Tapper said that the series was “a surreal chance to go back and talk to the major players and unpack what actually happened, getting at the real truths and the confounding motivations and decisions.”
Two episodes will air for the series debut at 9 p.m. Et, and the remaining episodes will air at that time on subsequent Sundays.
The series comes from CNN Originals and is produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation. Aaron Saidman and Eli Holzman are executive producers for Ipc; Tapper, showrunner Gil Marsden and Amy Entelis, Lyle Gamm and Katie Hinman are EPs for CNN.
- 1/18/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Much has been made about the dearth of strong female roles in contemporary cinema, and the problematic depictions of women in many recent movies, but the past two decades have provided plenty of counterexamples. While the onus is on writers and directors to craft strong female characters, the actresses themselves bring these figures to life, and they’re often the main reason we keep being drawn back to these works.
In no particular order, our favorite — and we’d like to think the best — female performances of the 21st century.
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle” begins with a laugh that catches in your throat: A wide-eyed cat looks off-screen to the screams of a man and woman in apparent orgiastic bliss. Then comes the cutaway, which reveals a far more nefarious incident: Middle-aged Michéle (Isabelle Huppert), in the process of getting raped by a masked assailant on the floor of her home.
In no particular order, our favorite — and we’d like to think the best — female performances of the 21st century.
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle” begins with a laugh that catches in your throat: A wide-eyed cat looks off-screen to the screams of a man and woman in apparent orgiastic bliss. Then comes the cutaway, which reveals a far more nefarious incident: Middle-aged Michéle (Isabelle Huppert), in the process of getting raped by a masked assailant on the floor of her home.
- 9/22/2017
- by Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland, Michael Nordine, Jude Dry, Jamie Righetti and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Former covert CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson has apologized for sharing an article on Twitter Thursday that suggested American Jews support war in Iran. The article was posted on the Unz Review, a website that describes itself as having “controversial perspectives largely excluded from the American mainstream media.” Philip Giraldi is the author of the article, “America’s Jews Are Driving America’s Wars,” which asks if Jews should “recuse themselves when dealing with the Middle East.” Plame Wilson apologized after a barrage of criticism, saying she “messed up.” Ok folks, look, I messed up. I skimmed this piece, zeroed in on the neocon criticism,...
- 9/21/2017
- by Ashley Boucher
- The Wrap
A crowd-funding campaign was recently started to purchase Twitter for the sole purpose of banning President Donald Trump from the platform.
Actor Mark Hamill is a fan of the idea and said he donated to the GoFundMe cause.
Now, the whole notion is satirical, which the Star Wars icon pointed out to his fans, but the fact remains the campaign so far as collected more than $80,000.
Its goal is a billion dollars. So yeah, there is a ways to go.
The campaign was started by Valerie Plame Wilson of Santa Fe, N.M., who said Trump's use of Twitter is now...
Actor Mark Hamill is a fan of the idea and said he donated to the GoFundMe cause.
Now, the whole notion is satirical, which the Star Wars icon pointed out to his fans, but the fact remains the campaign so far as collected more than $80,000.
Its goal is a billion dollars. So yeah, there is a ways to go.
The campaign was started by Valerie Plame Wilson of Santa Fe, N.M., who said Trump's use of Twitter is now...
- 8/28/2017
- by Ryan Parker
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ryan Lambie Aug 24, 2017
Doug Liman on Swingers, getting arrested, American Made, Bourne and much more...
It was only a couple of weeks ago that we last spoke to Doug Liman, who in July was promoting his compact, $3 million war thriller The Wall. Now, he's back with another thriller, this one taking place over a much broader canvas. American Made tells the story of Barry Seal, a pilot who wound up running missions in and out of Central America for the CIA; taking covert photographs and smuggling in guns.
See related Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 6 questions answered Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 7 review: The Dragon And The Wolf
The film's the perfect vehicle for Cruise, given that he gets to fly lots of planes, but then again, Barry Seal's hardly your typical heroic Cruise lead: Seal earns a fortune running guns for the CIA and cocaine for the cartels, but...
Doug Liman on Swingers, getting arrested, American Made, Bourne and much more...
It was only a couple of weeks ago that we last spoke to Doug Liman, who in July was promoting his compact, $3 million war thriller The Wall. Now, he's back with another thriller, this one taking place over a much broader canvas. American Made tells the story of Barry Seal, a pilot who wound up running missions in and out of Central America for the CIA; taking covert photographs and smuggling in guns.
See related Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 6 questions answered Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 7 review: The Dragon And The Wolf
The film's the perfect vehicle for Cruise, given that he gets to fly lots of planes, but then again, Barry Seal's hardly your typical heroic Cruise lead: Seal earns a fortune running guns for the CIA and cocaine for the cartels, but...
- 8/23/2017
- Den of Geek
Though Doug Liman has built much of his blockbuster filmography on memorable action set-pieces, from The Bourne Identity all the way through Edge of Tomorrow, his earlier work (Swingers, Go) speaks to a more efficient, character-driven filmmaker. His new picture The Wall feels like a little bit of both. We got a chance to chat with the director about the film, the intricate design of the titular wall and how he deals with his short attention span while making movies.
You’ve worked on a decent amount of action thrillers. What jumped out to you when you read this script?
The reason why I’m drawn to making action movies is because I love pinning characters down in impossible situations and then seeing how they survive. And, you know, I’ve created some pretty outrageous situations; spies with amnesia or aliens and time travel in Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow.
You’ve worked on a decent amount of action thrillers. What jumped out to you when you read this script?
The reason why I’m drawn to making action movies is because I love pinning characters down in impossible situations and then seeing how they survive. And, you know, I’ve created some pretty outrageous situations; spies with amnesia or aliens and time travel in Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow.
- 5/11/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Academy Award winner Christian Bale might not be the first name that springs to mind when thinking of former Vice President Dick Cheney – but this is the performer reportedly now on board for the lead role in Adam McKay’s planned film about the controversial figure. While the project currently remains untitled, the movie will also feature Academy Award nominees Amy Adams and Steve Carell.
The film continues a move into more socially relevant work by filmmaker Adam McKay – also an Academy Award winner – after the success of 2016’s The Big Short. This Dick Cheney movie will see McKay bring the producers of The Big Short back together – as his Gary Sanchez producing company reunites with Plan B’s team – including Brad Pitt. The project also will cast Steve Carell as former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney – wife of Dick.
Now that casting choices have been announced,...
The film continues a move into more socially relevant work by filmmaker Adam McKay – also an Academy Award winner – after the success of 2016’s The Big Short. This Dick Cheney movie will see McKay bring the producers of The Big Short back together – as his Gary Sanchez producing company reunites with Plan B’s team – including Brad Pitt. The project also will cast Steve Carell as former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney – wife of Dick.
Now that casting choices have been announced,...
- 4/6/2017
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
David Crow Jan 23, 2017
The Homeland season 6 premiere is more prescient than ever as an intelligence community and a new president cross paths...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Justice League: Cyborg, Flash, Batman & more in new pic Future DC films will be "hopeful and optimistic" DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar The Crow reboot to finally shoot in January
6.1 Fair Game
Not since perhaps its first year has a Homeland season premiered at a more appropriate time. Debuting in the shadow of Osama Bin Laden’s death, which had in turn released a massive cultural sigh of relief after the anxiety that haunted the Bush years, season 1 of Homeland came out a time when Americans were taking some perspective on the incomprehensible tragedy that was 9/11, and deciding they wanted to turn a page as the Obama era came into full-swing.
With its freshman effort, Homeland provided a...
The Homeland season 6 premiere is more prescient than ever as an intelligence community and a new president cross paths...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Justice League: Cyborg, Flash, Batman & more in new pic Future DC films will be "hopeful and optimistic" DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar The Crow reboot to finally shoot in January
6.1 Fair Game
Not since perhaps its first year has a Homeland season premiered at a more appropriate time. Debuting in the shadow of Osama Bin Laden’s death, which had in turn released a massive cultural sigh of relief after the anxiety that haunted the Bush years, season 1 of Homeland came out a time when Americans were taking some perspective on the incomprehensible tragedy that was 9/11, and deciding they wanted to turn a page as the Obama era came into full-swing.
With its freshman effort, Homeland provided a...
- 1/16/2017
- Den of Geek
Rebecca Clough Jan 20, 2017
As America gets its new President, we look at some excellent political drama films that may have slipped under your radar...
Political dramas can be entertaining, informative and even educational, opening up debates and offering new points of view. (When experiencing a year of tumultuous change like the one we’ve just had, they can also be a comforting reminder that, no matter what your situation, it could always be worse...) With the full whack of corruption, war, and conspiracy, here are 25 political dramas which deserve to be better known.
See related 25 underrated political thrillers 17 new TV shows to watch in 2017 Taboo episode 3 review The Girl On The Train review 25. The Marchers/La Marche (2013)
When teenager Mohamed (Tewfik Jallab) is shot by police, his friends want revenge, but he has a better idea: peaceful protest. Marching from Marseille to Paris, they band together with quite an assortment of characters along the way.
As America gets its new President, we look at some excellent political drama films that may have slipped under your radar...
Political dramas can be entertaining, informative and even educational, opening up debates and offering new points of view. (When experiencing a year of tumultuous change like the one we’ve just had, they can also be a comforting reminder that, no matter what your situation, it could always be worse...) With the full whack of corruption, war, and conspiracy, here are 25 political dramas which deserve to be better known.
See related 25 underrated political thrillers 17 new TV shows to watch in 2017 Taboo episode 3 review The Girl On The Train review 25. The Marchers/La Marche (2013)
When teenager Mohamed (Tewfik Jallab) is shot by police, his friends want revenge, but he has a better idea: peaceful protest. Marching from Marseille to Paris, they band together with quite an assortment of characters along the way.
- 12/22/2016
- Den of Geek
Given that his most recent film, The Big Short, was met with such impressive critical acclaim – not to mention Academy Award nominations and wins – it is unsurprising that Oscar winning filmmaker Adam McKay is keen to push on with projects that carry more weight than, say, Step Brothers. With that in mind, he has written a new feature length drama script about former U.S Vice President Dick Cheney, and will be directing it for Paramount Pictures.
Following comments from McKay about the project, it seems likely that the film will take a fairly in-depth look at the whole career of Dick Cheney – as opposed to the very limited snapshot of the man that appeared in 2008’s W.
“I’ve always found Cheney fascinating. Questions of what drove him, what his beliefs were; but once we started digging I was astounded at how much he had shaped modern America’s...
Following comments from McKay about the project, it seems likely that the film will take a fairly in-depth look at the whole career of Dick Cheney – as opposed to the very limited snapshot of the man that appeared in 2008’s W.
“I’ve always found Cheney fascinating. Questions of what drove him, what his beliefs were; but once we started digging I was astounded at how much he had shaped modern America’s...
- 11/22/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
From a quest for a "fishtail bun" tutorial to an inquiry about what channel Homeland is on, the latest court-ordered release of Hillary Clinton's private emails gives us the biggest glimpse yet into her personal life.
The roughly 7,800 pages of emails released on Monday are full of fun tidbits and celebrity name-drops for politi-philes and laymen alike to geek out over.
Here are the highlights:
1. Clinton's nicknames for Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are nothing short of hilarious.
In a January 2012 note to confidant Sid Blumenthal, Clinton refers to Romney as "Mittens" and Gingrich as "Grinch."
"If Mittens can't beat Grinch in Florida,...
The roughly 7,800 pages of emails released on Monday are full of fun tidbits and celebrity name-drops for politi-philes and laymen alike to geek out over.
Here are the highlights:
1. Clinton's nicknames for Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are nothing short of hilarious.
In a January 2012 note to confidant Sid Blumenthal, Clinton refers to Romney as "Mittens" and Gingrich as "Grinch."
"If Mittens can't beat Grinch in Florida,...
- 12/1/2015
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- People.com - TV Watch
Shortly before news broke of British auteur Ken Loach’s latest production (a surprise since his 2014 title Jimmy’s Hall was intended to be his last film) his 1990 film Hidden Agenda received a Blu-ray release. An interesting footnote in Loach’s extensive filmography, the film is a definite departure from a director whose work is usually invested in portraits of British Socialist realism. Sandwiched between 1986’s Fatherland (a co-production with West Germany, also seeing a Blu-ray release this November courtesy of Twilight Time) and 1991’s Riff-Raff, Loach tried his hand at a political thriller based on actual events. It took home the Jury Prize at that year’s Cannes Film Festival (of the many times Loach has competed for the Palme d’Or, he’s won this particular distinction three times, and the Palme itself in 2006) and caused a significant furor in the UK thanks to its blunt references to...
- 11/10/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Take another look @ images of actress Naomi Watts, posing for photographer Nathaniel Goldberg in the October 2015 issue of "Vogue" (Australia) magazine:
Watts covers Vogue Australia’s October 2015 issue wearing a 'Burberry Prorsum' dress from the Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection.
After years as a struggling actress, Watts came to attention in David Lynch's psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive" (2001). The following year she enjoyed box-office success with "The Ring" (2002), the remake of a successful Japanese horror film.
Watts then received nominations at the Academy Awards and the Screen Actors' Guild Awards in the Best Actress categories for her portrayal of 'Cristina Peck' in Alejandro González "21 Grams" (2003).
Her subsequent films include David O. Russell's comedy "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), the 2005 remake of "King Kong", the crime-thriller "Eastern Promises" (2007) and the Tom Tykwer-directed thriller "The International" (2009).
Since then, Watts portrayed 'Valerie Plame Wilson' in the biographical drama "Fair Game" (2010) and 'Helen...
Watts covers Vogue Australia’s October 2015 issue wearing a 'Burberry Prorsum' dress from the Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection.
After years as a struggling actress, Watts came to attention in David Lynch's psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive" (2001). The following year she enjoyed box-office success with "The Ring" (2002), the remake of a successful Japanese horror film.
Watts then received nominations at the Academy Awards and the Screen Actors' Guild Awards in the Best Actress categories for her portrayal of 'Cristina Peck' in Alejandro González "21 Grams" (2003).
Her subsequent films include David O. Russell's comedy "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), the 2005 remake of "King Kong", the crime-thriller "Eastern Promises" (2007) and the Tom Tykwer-directed thriller "The International" (2009).
Since then, Watts portrayed 'Valerie Plame Wilson' in the biographical drama "Fair Game" (2010) and 'Helen...
- 10/8/2015
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Sneak Peek new images of Brit actress Naomi Watts, posing for photographer Nathaniel Goldberg in the October 2015 issue of "Vogue" (Australia) magazine:
Watts covers Vogue Australia’s October 2015 issue wearing a 'Burberry Prorsum' dress from the Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection.
After years as a struggling actress, Watts came to attention in David Lynch's psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive" (2001). The following year she enjoyed box-office success with "The Ring" (2002), the remake of a successful Japanese horror film.
Watts then received nominations at the Academy Awards and the Screen Actors' Guild Awards in the Best Actress categories for her portrayal of 'Cristina Peck' in Alejandro González "21 Grams" (2003).
Her subsequent films include David O. Russell's comedy "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), the 2005 remake of "King Kong", the crime-thriller "Eastern Promises" (2007) and the Tom Tykwer-directed thriller "The International" (2009).
Since then, Watts portrayed 'Valerie Plame Wilson' in the biographical drama "Fair Game" (2010) and...
Watts covers Vogue Australia’s October 2015 issue wearing a 'Burberry Prorsum' dress from the Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection.
After years as a struggling actress, Watts came to attention in David Lynch's psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive" (2001). The following year she enjoyed box-office success with "The Ring" (2002), the remake of a successful Japanese horror film.
Watts then received nominations at the Academy Awards and the Screen Actors' Guild Awards in the Best Actress categories for her portrayal of 'Cristina Peck' in Alejandro González "21 Grams" (2003).
Her subsequent films include David O. Russell's comedy "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), the 2005 remake of "King Kong", the crime-thriller "Eastern Promises" (2007) and the Tom Tykwer-directed thriller "The International" (2009).
Since then, Watts portrayed 'Valerie Plame Wilson' in the biographical drama "Fair Game" (2010) and...
- 9/9/2015
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
The actors are joined by Natasha Lyonne, plus assorted former CIA agents and ambassadors, in Global Zero funded video designed to aid the passage of Obama’s agreement through Congress
The actors Morgan Freeman, Jack Black and Natasha Lyonne have leant their support to Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran.
The stars feature in a new video designed to help persuade legislators to get the agreement through Congress when it goes to the vote in September. Alongside them are an eclectic mix of camera-friendly experts including ex-cia agent Valerie Plame, Queen Noor of Jordan and retired Us Ambassador Thomas R Pickering, who urge Americans to support the agreement lest they wind up “super dead”.
Continue reading...
The actors Morgan Freeman, Jack Black and Natasha Lyonne have leant their support to Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran.
The stars feature in a new video designed to help persuade legislators to get the agreement through Congress when it goes to the vote in September. Alongside them are an eclectic mix of camera-friendly experts including ex-cia agent Valerie Plame, Queen Noor of Jordan and retired Us Ambassador Thomas R Pickering, who urge Americans to support the agreement lest they wind up “super dead”.
Continue reading...
- 7/29/2015
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Judith Miller, whom many critics say made grave errors in her reporting on weapons of mass destruction leading up the the Iraq War, is happy Rolling Stone didn’t fire reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely for her erroneous “A Rape on Campus” story. “I’m glad she wasn’t fired,” Miller told BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith at an event for her new book. “Everybody is entitled to a misstep.” Miller’s own missteps forced her dismissal from the New York Times; her former employer wrote a book review about Miller’s new book, which defends much of her Iraq War reporting.
- 4/10/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Former CIA operative Valerie Plame took to social media to criticize former New York Times reporter Judith Miller’s recent column that deflected her role in ginning up support for the Iraq War. Miller had written in The Wall Street Journal: “I took America to war in Iraq. It was all me.” She then went on to sarcastically deflect responsibility from President Bush, Vice President Cheney and neoconservatives in the White House and Pentagon. “Ok, I had some help from a duplicitous vice president, Dick Cheney. Then there was George W. Bush, a gullible president who could barely locate Iraq...
- 4/7/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Tribeca has added conversations with buzzy filmmakers and industry figures including Christopher Nolan, George Lucas, Harvey Weinstein, Cary Fukunaga, Brad Bird, Gus Van Sant, Catherine Martin, Stephen Colbert, Courtney Love, and composer Carter Burwell with sound mixer Skip Lievsay. We'll also hear from Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein about how he launched careers (including his), crafted films and became one of the industry's top players. Other professionals coming aboard the fest include French artist Jr, Snapchat stars Jerome Jarre and Chris Carm, former spy Valerie Plame, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, and architect and designer David Rockwell. Tribeca is announcing new films to the Festival lineup as part of the "Tribeca Talks: After the Movie" series — "Code: Debugging the Gender Gap and The Diplomat," and the New York premieres of "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck" and "Misery Loves Comedy," as well as a retrospective screening of...
- 3/16/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Read More: New Films Starring Oscar Isaac, Glenn Close and Kristen Stewart Added to 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Lineup The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival has announced the lineup of panels and conversations, which will include big names like Christopher Nolan, George Lucas, Harvey Weinstein, Cary Fukunaga, Brad Bird, Gus Van Sant, Catherine Martin, Stephen Colbert, Courtney Love and composer Carter Burwell with sound mixer Skip Lievsay. A variety of professionals from the top of their fields also are participating in "Tribeca Talks" events including French artist Jr, Snapchat stars Jerome Jarre and Chris Carm, former spy Valerie Plame, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, and architect and designer David Rockwell. In addition, new films are being added to the lineup of the "Tribeca Talks: After the Movie" series: "Code: Debugging the Gender Gap" and "The Diplomat"; the New York premieres of "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck" and "Misery...
- 3/16/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
Recent events in America and the world at large have provided plenty of fodder for Hollywood adaptation. There have been movies about everything from hunting Osama Bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty to the Valerie Plame scandal to weird biopics about George W. Bush. But it has been awhile since we had a good movie about scandal in America’s press corps. That gap will be filled with Truth, a movie about the scandal that eventually got Dan Rather in serious trouble with CBS.
Truth is based on the memoir by Mary Mapes and concerns the public brouhaha in 2004 following a CBS report that George W. Bush received special treatment while serving in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. The documents the report was based on were suspected of being forgeries. The upshot of the scandal resulted in serious damage to Rather’s reputation and the firing of his producer Mapes.
Truth is based on the memoir by Mary Mapes and concerns the public brouhaha in 2004 following a CBS report that George W. Bush received special treatment while serving in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. The documents the report was based on were suspected of being forgeries. The upshot of the scandal resulted in serious damage to Rather’s reputation and the firing of his producer Mapes.
- 10/28/2014
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
Here's the latest Austin and Texas film news.
Slackerwood isn't at San Diego Comic-Con this year but plenty of Austin people are, including local filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Indiewire has a roundup of the Sin City: A Dame to Kill For panel with Rodriguez, co-director Frank Miller, and several cast members. The article also includes a new (short) red-band trailer for the Sin City sequel, which hits theaters August 22.We don't normally include images with Slackery News Tidbits, but the newly revealed 2014 Texas Book Festival poster (pictured right) featuring the Texas Theatre in Seguin is so gorgeous, I couldn't resist. (Someone tell me how to get one of these, please.) In addition, the festival announced eight authors that will attend -- quite an eclectic bunch, from Martin Amis to Ziggy Marley, and from Valerie Plame Wilson to chef Lidia Bastianich. Texas Book Festival runs from Oct. 25-26 ... as usual, conflicting with Austin Film Festival,...
Slackerwood isn't at San Diego Comic-Con this year but plenty of Austin people are, including local filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Indiewire has a roundup of the Sin City: A Dame to Kill For panel with Rodriguez, co-director Frank Miller, and several cast members. The article also includes a new (short) red-band trailer for the Sin City sequel, which hits theaters August 22.We don't normally include images with Slackery News Tidbits, but the newly revealed 2014 Texas Book Festival poster (pictured right) featuring the Texas Theatre in Seguin is so gorgeous, I couldn't resist. (Someone tell me how to get one of these, please.) In addition, the festival announced eight authors that will attend -- quite an eclectic bunch, from Martin Amis to Ziggy Marley, and from Valerie Plame Wilson to chef Lidia Bastianich. Texas Book Festival runs from Oct. 25-26 ... as usual, conflicting with Austin Film Festival,...
- 7/28/2014
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
As you've probably heard, "Edge of Tomorrow" has been blowing critics' minds. It's easily one of the most fun films of this summer blockbuster season. This latest sci-fi/action/whizbang movie to star Tom Cruise has a ton going for it -- plenty of action, great effects, a clever storyline, and committed performances from the leads, along with assured orchestration of all these elements from a well-regarded director.
But, wait, I hate Tom Cruise!
First of all, you shouldn't hate the guy. Beyond the lunatic antics on talk shows, there's not a performer out there who seems more committed to doing whatever it takes to give wide audiences a fun experience at the cinema. As a film nerd I can applaud his work with Kubrick in "Eyes Wide Shut," but at the same time I can celebrate his more visceral thrills brought out via a slew of "Mission Impossible" films,...
But, wait, I hate Tom Cruise!
First of all, you shouldn't hate the guy. Beyond the lunatic antics on talk shows, there's not a performer out there who seems more committed to doing whatever it takes to give wide audiences a fun experience at the cinema. As a film nerd I can applaud his work with Kubrick in "Eyes Wide Shut," but at the same time I can celebrate his more visceral thrills brought out via a slew of "Mission Impossible" films,...
- 6/6/2014
- by Jason Gorber
- Moviefone
By Mark Cerulli
Everyone in the west knows the name – Gaddafi. For over 40 years he was an international riddle, visiting world capitals yet sleeping in a bulletproof tent; a statesman who surrounded himself with female bodyguards and, of course, a pariah scorned by the west for acts of international terror…
In Mad Dog: Inside The Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi , a remarkable Showtime documentary premiering April 11th, director Christopher Olgiati and his team went deep inside the late despot’s hidden world. The resulting portrait is chilling, horrifying and impossible not to watch.
The film’s Executive Producer, Roy Ackerman spoke with Cinema Retro about putting together this daunting and dangerous project. “Chris (Olgiati) and I had worked together before… and he came to me about doing a film on the Lockerbie Crash and we spent a lot of time developing that but for various reasons we came to focus on Gaddafi.
Everyone in the west knows the name – Gaddafi. For over 40 years he was an international riddle, visiting world capitals yet sleeping in a bulletproof tent; a statesman who surrounded himself with female bodyguards and, of course, a pariah scorned by the west for acts of international terror…
In Mad Dog: Inside The Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi , a remarkable Showtime documentary premiering April 11th, director Christopher Olgiati and his team went deep inside the late despot’s hidden world. The resulting portrait is chilling, horrifying and impossible not to watch.
The film’s Executive Producer, Roy Ackerman spoke with Cinema Retro about putting together this daunting and dangerous project. “Chris (Olgiati) and I had worked together before… and he came to me about doing a film on the Lockerbie Crash and we spent a lot of time developing that but for various reasons we came to focus on Gaddafi.
- 4/9/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
A new trailer for the big budget summer sci-fi "Edge of Tomorrow," starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, has crash-landed. Directed by Doug Liman, this is an adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka's animated young adult novel "All You Need Is Kill." In the near-future of "Tomorrow," Earth is under the siege of an alien race. Tom Cruise plays a Major who dies violently during a suicide mission, but is somehow thrown into a time loop, forced to relive the day he died again and again. The rest of the plot details sound like makings of a video game -- with each successive replay of his death, the major gains increased skill to fight his adversaries. Liman's last film was the modest Valerie Plame drama "Fair Game" in 2010. In the 90s, he cut his teeth in indie films "Swingers" and "Go." He's certainly come a long way.
- 3/25/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Nazanin Boniadi is getting deeper into the espionage and intrigue of “Homeland.” Boniadi, who guest-starred on the Showtime drama's third season, will be a series regular when “Homeland” returns for its fourth season. Also read: CIA Spy Valerie Plame Says ‘Homeland’ Has ‘Jumped the Shark This Season’ Boniadi, who currently stars in an eight-episode arc of the ABC drama “Scandal,” plays Fara Sherazi, a strong-willed Muslim CIA analyst who Saul (Mandy Patinkin) recruited for her expertise in international banking on “Homeland.” The final episodes of “Homeland's” third season (spolier alert!) found Sherazi enlisting her relatives in Tehran to help Carrie complete her secret mission.
- 3/14/2014
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
“He ‘stood by me’ even though our ratings were blockbuster and we kicked Fox’s ass? Thank you for ‘standing by me’,” Kathy Griffin snarked at Winter TV Press Tour 2014 when asked about CNN chief Jeff Zucker saying at the tour he was committed to having Griffin back with Anderson Cooper to host CNN’s New Year’s Eve show. Griffin came to the final session of Winter TV Press Tour 2014 to participate in a Q&A for PBS’s second round of Makers: Women Who Make America documentaries. She was joined by former CIA agent Valerie Plame, and Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson — all three women are part of the next batch of six one-hour documentaries looking at women’s roles in war, comedy, space, business, Hollywood and politics. “It’s compelling TV, Claire Danes is fabulous — and I think they have jumped the shark this season,” Plame said when...
- 1/22/2014
- by LISA DE MORAES, TV Columnist
- Deadline TV
Outed CIA spy Valerie Plame thinks “Homeland” has seen better days. Plame’s cover was famously blown in a 2003 Robert Novak column. Until then, her mission to protect the U.S. from enemies in the Middle East was a lot like that of “Homeland” lead Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes. Also read: ‘Homeland’ Season Finale: Very Brave, Very Bizarre (Spoiler Alert) “It’s compelling TV — Claire Danes is of course fabulous,” Plame said at a Television Critics Association panel Wednesday, before going all CIA analyst on the show. She added: “I think they have jumped the shark this season.
- 1/22/2014
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
PBS is partnering with AOL for six new one-hour documentaries as part of its Makers: Women Who Make America franchise. Scheduled to premiere in June and August 2014, the docus build on the multi-platform initiative founded by filmmaker Dyllan McGee, which launched in 2012. The new series expands on the three-hour PBS documentary of same name, which premiered in February 2013 and told the story of the American women’s movement over the last half-century. Kathy Griffin, former CIA agent Valerie Plame, former Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson and the producers of Makers are scheduled to discuss the project at the press tour tomorrow. Among those profiled in the docu-series are Lena Dunham, Chelsea Handler, Shonda Rhimes, and Sarah Silverman. Each of the new documentaries tackles a different sphere of influence, including business, war, space, Hollywood, politics and comedy. McGee’s credits include The African Americans: Many Rivers To Cross (PBS), Emmy-nominated Gloria: In Her Own Words...
- 1/21/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
New Homeland season 4 teaser spoilers dished out by Producer Alex Gansa. As previously reported, TV Line recently got to talk with Homeland showrunner, Alex Gansa, and he delivered some new, season 4 spoiler dish. It turns out that we might see Jessica and Dana in action a couple more times even though they've reportedly been eliminated from the show. Mandy Patinkin aka Saul is confirmed to return for action, and more. Alex started off the spoiler session by answering questions about Jessica and Dana, stating, "We should always hold out that possibility. It’s a definite possibility. I would not be surprised if you saw Jessica or Dana one or two more times." Next, Alex confirmed Saul's return stating, "It definitely includes Mandy Patinkin. That I can tell you. And the rationale is, Saul is now a private contractor, and the CIA does outsource so much intelligence work to these private contractors.
- 12/18/2013
- by Eric
- OnTheFlix
Homeland fans are still holding out for a miracle.
It’s been 24 hours since the Showtime drama killed off Damian Lewis’ Brody and not everyone is convinced that he’s dead.
Related | Homeland Exclusive: Two Original Castmembers Not Returning as Regulars in Season 4
“All [the] evidence points to his death, undoubtedly,” exec producer Alex Gansa tells TVLine, dismissing speculation that Brody’s public hanging was somehow staged. “I encourage [doubters] to watch the episode again. The issue has been settled. He is not unkillable.”
One burning question down, another 10 to go. Read on as Gansa addresses the other big unsolved mysteries coming...
It’s been 24 hours since the Showtime drama killed off Damian Lewis’ Brody and not everyone is convinced that he’s dead.
Related | Homeland Exclusive: Two Original Castmembers Not Returning as Regulars in Season 4
“All [the] evidence points to his death, undoubtedly,” exec producer Alex Gansa tells TVLine, dismissing speculation that Brody’s public hanging was somehow staged. “I encourage [doubters] to watch the episode again. The issue has been settled. He is not unkillable.”
One burning question down, another 10 to go. Read on as Gansa addresses the other big unsolved mysteries coming...
- 12/16/2013
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon bring standout performances to working class drama Sunlight Jr. The spotlight burns red hot this fall for actress Naomi Watts thanks to luxury sets, international locations, a familiar designer wardrobe and arguably the world’s most famous haircut. I’m talking about Watts’ starring role as “the people’s princess,” Diana, the Princess of Wales, in director Oscar Hirschbiegel’s bio-drama Diana. Yet, the true spotlight role, the better movie that showcases Watts’ impressive dramatic skills takes place far away from the red carpet and unfolds on the opposite of the tracks in Florida in the couples dramaSunlight Jr. Watts joins writer/director Laurie Collyer (Sherrybaby), and Matt Dillon in a grounded and heartfelt blue-collar story about Melissa and Richie, a working poor Florida couple expecting their first child while experiencing financial difficulties. Watts is something of an expert at melodramas thanks to her roles...
- 11/15/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Jana Winter attempts to use New York's reporter shield law to avoid testifying in Colorado about her scoop.
On Tuesday, attorneys for Fox News appeared before a New York appeals court in the latest attempt to prevent reporter Jana Winter from being forced to testify in the ongoing criminal trial of James Holmes, accused of a deadly shooting rampage at an Aurora, Colo., midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in July 2012.
In her reporting, Winter cited law enforcement sources as revealing that Holmes had sent a University of Colorado psychiatrist a notebook previewing his attack. The description of Holmes' writings by law enforcement possibly violated a judge's gag order, and Holmes' attorneys have made the argument that law enforcement illegally compromised the process and attempted to influence the result of a high-profile death penalty case.
As a result, a subpoena has been issued for Winter's testimony, but since the...
On Tuesday, attorneys for Fox News appeared before a New York appeals court in the latest attempt to prevent reporter Jana Winter from being forced to testify in the ongoing criminal trial of James Holmes, accused of a deadly shooting rampage at an Aurora, Colo., midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in July 2012.
In her reporting, Winter cited law enforcement sources as revealing that Holmes had sent a University of Colorado psychiatrist a notebook previewing his attack. The description of Holmes' writings by law enforcement possibly violated a judge's gag order, and Holmes' attorneys have made the argument that law enforcement illegally compromised the process and attempted to influence the result of a high-profile death penalty case.
As a result, a subpoena has been issued for Winter's testimony, but since the...
- 11/13/2013
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Friday night on HBO means one thing: Bill Maher and Real Time! October 25th sees Bill moderate a panel with Richard Dawkins, Maajid Nawaz, Valerie Plame, Michael Moore, and Al Sharpton. The salon allows Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, as the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests. Maajid Nawaz, co-founder of the think tank Quilliam, is the top-of-show interview guest. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, author Valerie Plame and talk-show host Rev. Al Sharpton. Dawkins has a memoir out, An Appetite for Wonder, the review is here. Michael Moore is allegedly hiding the...
- 10/25/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Naomi Watts' star turn as real-life CIA agent Valerie Plame lets her director make bold accusations about the Bush administration – but he may yet be proved right
• Reel History on The Enigma of Kasper Hauser
• Reel History on Land of the Pharoahs
• Reel History on Girl with a Pearl Earring
Fair Game (2010)
Director: Doug Liman
Entertainment grade: B+
History grade: B+
Valerie Plame was a CIA operations officer working on nuclear non-proliferation at the time of the invasion of Iraq, in 2003.
People
The film's action begins shortly after the events of 11 September 2001. Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) and her husband, the former ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), host Washington dinner parties. Obviously, no one knows Plame is a CIA agent. She pretends to be a run-of-the-mill venture capitalist, smiles sweetly and serves pudding. Her guests spout ever sillier opinions about the war on terror; she must remain silent and composed.
• Reel History on The Enigma of Kasper Hauser
• Reel History on Land of the Pharoahs
• Reel History on Girl with a Pearl Earring
Fair Game (2010)
Director: Doug Liman
Entertainment grade: B+
History grade: B+
Valerie Plame was a CIA operations officer working on nuclear non-proliferation at the time of the invasion of Iraq, in 2003.
People
The film's action begins shortly after the events of 11 September 2001. Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) and her husband, the former ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), host Washington dinner parties. Obviously, no one knows Plame is a CIA agent. She pretends to be a run-of-the-mill venture capitalist, smiles sweetly and serves pudding. Her guests spout ever sillier opinions about the war on terror; she must remain silent and composed.
- 8/21/2013
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
It's a horror story that any movie fan can relate to, Twi-Hard or not: You're watching TV and you see the name of your favorite movie listed on your channel guide, only to flip over and discover that the "Twilight" they're showing doesn't have Edward and Jacob battling for the love of Bella — but instead Gene Hackman and Paul Newman fighting over Susan Sarandon.
You were just punked by Same Name Syndrome. (Hey, at least it also includes a topless Reese Witherspoon.)
It happens often. In fact, just this week, "The Butler" hits theaters ... except it's officially titled "Lee Daniels' The Butler," 'cause the rights to the title "The Butler" belong to a 1916 silent short film that no one's ever seen (yes, really). Read all about that silly saga here.
Anyway, here's our guide on How to Differentiate Movies With the Same Title (That Are Not Remakes).
'Savages' (2012) vs.
You were just punked by Same Name Syndrome. (Hey, at least it also includes a topless Reese Witherspoon.)
It happens often. In fact, just this week, "The Butler" hits theaters ... except it's officially titled "Lee Daniels' The Butler," 'cause the rights to the title "The Butler" belong to a 1916 silent short film that no one's ever seen (yes, really). Read all about that silly saga here.
Anyway, here's our guide on How to Differentiate Movies With the Same Title (That Are Not Remakes).
'Savages' (2012) vs.
- 8/12/2013
- by Scott Harris
- NextMovie
On the big screen, film critic turned filmmaker Rod Lurie has explored a Valerie Plame-like scandal ("Nothing But the Truth"), the case of a homeless man who claims to be a former famous boxer ("Resurrecting the Champ") and the issues surrounding the nomination of the first female Vice President ("The Contender"), a theme he sort of revisited on the small screen with his 2005-2006 ABC drama "Commander in Chief," starring Geena Davis as a VP who ascends to the presidency after the death of the President. Lurie has a new TV project in the works, this one on cable -- Starz announced today that it's developing "Monsters of God," a period drama set in 1867 Texas during the Comanche Wars and centered aroun two ex-cavalrymen who struggle to maintain order over the men they command in unsettled territory. Luri and Marc Frydman will executive produce the project, which will be...
- 6/12/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
“I grew up reading superheroes where the most important element of that name was ‘hero’ rather than ‘super.’ But, lately, a number of the books from the big two superhero publishers, DC and Marvel, seem to have forgotten the hero part of the name.” My friend and fellow writer Corinna Lawson, the woman some of you may know as the Geek Mom who writes for Wired, wrote those words in her latest piece, entitled “The Cliffs of Insanity: Putting the Hero Back in Superhero.” It struck a deep chord in me. “The Death of Captain America” (Captain America #25, March 2007) scared me and deeply bothered me. It seemed to signal the defeat of American idealism, the loss of belief in this country’s basic precepts of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and freedom for all. And worst of all, it seemed to me that Marvel was telling its readers, most importantly the kids of America,...
- 2/18/2013
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Naomi Watts has played her share of real people. In addition to appearing in biopics like "Ned Kelly" and "J. Edgar," Watts starred as Valerie Plame in "Fair Game" and she'll be playing Princess Diana in a 2013 film. J.A. Bayona's new disaster film "The Impossible" tells the true story of a family of tourists who are separated from each other in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, with Watts' Maria and son Lucas (Tom Holland) split off from husband Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their younger sons (Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast). The real-life Maria Belon...
- 12/19/2012
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Former CIA agent exposed in 2003 praises emergence of heroine 'whose most important weapon is her intellect'
The heroine of Kathryn Bigelow's controversial new movie Zero Dark Thirty stands out for her weapon of choice when helping to run down Osama bin Laden – a quick and ruthless mind.
Unlike other female spies portrayed in Us popular culture, "Maya" – who is closely based on a real-life and unidentified CIA operative – does not use sex to seduce her enemies or, like Angelina Jolie characters, attempt to prove she can kick ass harder than men. Instead, it is Maya's drive, ferocious determination and keen intellect that bags the most wanted man on the planet.
It is a portrayal that has struck a chord with someone who should know: the high-profile former CIA agent Valerie Plame. "In popular culture, female agents are usually either highly sexualised or hugely physical – it is either using a sequinned dress or a gun.
The heroine of Kathryn Bigelow's controversial new movie Zero Dark Thirty stands out for her weapon of choice when helping to run down Osama bin Laden – a quick and ruthless mind.
Unlike other female spies portrayed in Us popular culture, "Maya" – who is closely based on a real-life and unidentified CIA operative – does not use sex to seduce her enemies or, like Angelina Jolie characters, attempt to prove she can kick ass harder than men. Instead, it is Maya's drive, ferocious determination and keen intellect that bags the most wanted man on the planet.
It is a portrayal that has struck a chord with someone who should know: the high-profile former CIA agent Valerie Plame. "In popular culture, female agents are usually either highly sexualised or hugely physical – it is either using a sequinned dress or a gun.
- 12/17/2012
- by Paul Harris
- The Guardian - Film News
Time magazine has released its 2012 list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and among politicians and activists, a few entertainers landed in prime spots. The comedy world in particular seems to be extra influential this year: Louis C.K. (paean by Joan Rivers), Kristen Wiig (salute by Judd Apatow), Chelsea Handler (by Kathy Griffin), and Stephen Colbert (by Doonsebury's Garry Trudeau) all made the cut. On the movie-star front, Viola Davis (by Cecily Tyson), Tilda Swinton (by British director Sally Potter), Jessica Chastain (by Gary Oldman), and Harvey Weinstein (by Johnny Depp) are all wielding major influence this year, and musically, Rihanna (by Stella McCartney) and Adele (by Pink) are apparently shaping our culture. Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James gets a nod, too, but the most interesting entry from the entertainment world is Claire Danes — because Valerie Plame wrote the tribute. Art imitating life...
- 4/18/2012
- by Margaret Lyons
- Vulture
We got our first look at Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean on the set of Tom Hooper‘s Les Miserables last week and finally here are the first photos of Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert. It looks like Crowe with perfect expression for the cruel policeman on his horse and in official uniform is a great [...]
Continue reading Russell Crowe in Les Miserables First Look on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Russell Crowe to Join Hugh Jackman In Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables? Russell Crowe Joins Hugh Jackman In Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables Doug Liman wants Russell Crowe in Valerie Plame film...
Continue reading Russell Crowe in Les Miserables First Look on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Russell Crowe to Join Hugh Jackman In Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables? Russell Crowe Joins Hugh Jackman In Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables Doug Liman wants Russell Crowe in Valerie Plame film...
- 3/26/2012
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
HollywoodNews.com: Our selected celebrity to be included in our “Hot Hollywood Celebrity Photo Gallery of the Week” is Sean Penn.
Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 12
Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt - 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival - "The Tree of Live" Premiere - Arrivals - Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France
This year, the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at their World Summit will recognize a high-profile personality making an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace. Sean Penn is that person. Sean is an actor, founder and CEO of J/P Haitian Relief Organization, and will be presented with the 2012 Peace Summit Award during the summit for his work to rebuild and aid the victims of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well as his ongoing advocacy for peace and human rights protection worldwide.
Penn has been...
Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 12
Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt - 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival - "The Tree of Live" Premiere - Arrivals - Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France
This year, the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at their World Summit will recognize a high-profile personality making an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace. Sean Penn is that person. Sean is an actor, founder and CEO of J/P Haitian Relief Organization, and will be presented with the 2012 Peace Summit Award during the summit for his work to rebuild and aid the victims of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well as his ongoing advocacy for peace and human rights protection worldwide.
Penn has been...
- 3/19/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Doug Liman's last effort behind the camera was the Valerie Plame drama "Fair Game," which didn't quite become the box office hot button smash or Oscar contender it seemed like it would be on paper. And while the director is currently lining up his next feature film (more on that in a second), he's going to get back to politically charged material by taking on a provocative documentary. The New York Times reports that Liman is teaming with the Aclu and Pen American Center for "Reckoning With Torture: Memos And Testimonies From The War On Terror." The unique project will use real documents on prisoner abuse and torture that have been gathered (sometimes throught the Freedom Of Information Act) to put together the script, and Liman needs your help. The plan is crowdsource recordings of ordinary citizens reading the contents of the documents themselves, which will only serve to...
- 2/16/2012
- The Playlist
Naomi Watts as Marilyn Monroe, Blonde Naomi Watts – instead of the previously rumored Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, Best Supporting Actress nominee for The Help) — will play Princess Diana in Oliver Hirschbiegel's Caught in Flight, whose distribution rights are being offered to highest bidder by producing company Ecosse Films at the just-opened Berlin Film Festival, says The Hollywood Reporter. As per the Reporter, production is slated to begin in the U.K. later this year. Stephen Jeffreys' Caught in Flight screenplay follows Diana during the last two years of her life, when she became known less for her troubled marriage to Prince Charles than for her humanitarian causes, such as visiting AIDS patients and calling for an end to the use of land mines. (Since 1997, the year Diana died in a Paris car crash, more than one hundred and fifty countries have signed a treaty banning the use of land mines.
- 2/10/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Although Jessica Chastain continues her reign as the hardest working lady in showbiz, it looks like even she has to rest at some point or another.
News broke in November that she was attached to "Caught in Flight," a film about the last two years of Princess Diana's life, but now it's official that Naomi Watts will be donning that crown later this year.
Is it possible that Chastain was simply too busy to take on the role? It was announced just yesterday that she plans to do a double feature with Joel Edgerton called "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" after wrapping Kathryn Bigelow's bin Laden drama.
On the other hand, Watts does seem like a more natural fit, especially age-wise. Watts, who was born in England but spent some of her teen years in the land down under, certainly bears a striking resemblance to the late Princess.
News broke in November that she was attached to "Caught in Flight," a film about the last two years of Princess Diana's life, but now it's official that Naomi Watts will be donning that crown later this year.
Is it possible that Chastain was simply too busy to take on the role? It was announced just yesterday that she plans to do a double feature with Joel Edgerton called "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" after wrapping Kathryn Bigelow's bin Laden drama.
On the other hand, Watts does seem like a more natural fit, especially age-wise. Watts, who was born in England but spent some of her teen years in the land down under, certainly bears a striking resemblance to the late Princess.
- 2/9/2012
- by Jenni Miller
- NextMovie
By now, you may feel you know everything you need to — and maybe more than you want to — about Bernie Madoff and his greedy, sociopathic, evilly brilliant Ponzi scheme of an investment business. But the riveting new documentary Chasing Madoff doesn’t just rehash the depressing details of how Madoff bilked thousands of innocents out of their savings. Instead, the director, Jeff Prosserman, looks at the underlying question that haunted the Madoff scandal. Namely, how did he fool everyone for so long? The answer turns out to be: He didn’t.
Borrowing the graphic visual techniques and first-person into-the-camera flavor of Errol Morris (whose films,...
Borrowing the graphic visual techniques and first-person into-the-camera flavor of Errol Morris (whose films,...
- 9/2/2011
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
Granta
For its latest issue, “Ten Years Later,” the literary magazine Granta examines how the world has changed since the Sept. 11 attacks.
“What makes this issue unique is that it references an event felt around the world,” Granta Editor John Freeman told Speakeasy. “9/11 was a spectacle created for global consumption, and it had global repercussions. From the war in Iraq to the drone strikes in Pakistan, to the greater transparency demanded upon U.S. relations in the Middle East. So...
For its latest issue, “Ten Years Later,” the literary magazine Granta examines how the world has changed since the Sept. 11 attacks.
“What makes this issue unique is that it references an event felt around the world,” Granta Editor John Freeman told Speakeasy. “9/11 was a spectacle created for global consumption, and it had global repercussions. From the war in Iraq to the drone strikes in Pakistan, to the greater transparency demanded upon U.S. relations in the Middle East. So...
- 8/24/2011
- by Barbara Chai
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd is not only a terrific writer, but also a big film buff. She has recently written pieces in which she compared Holly Golightly to Betty Draper (“Mad Men and Bad Girls,” 7/31/10); mourned the decline of the romantic-comedy (“Tragedy of Comedy,” 8/3/10); referenced “The Social Network” (2010) to show “how little human drama changes through the ages” (“Lord of the Internet Rings,” 10/9/10); cheered the Valerie Plame biopic “Fair Game” (2010) as “a vivid reminder of one of the most egregious abuses of power in history” (“The Unfair Game,” 10/12/10); and capably illustrated why the debt ceiling standoff was like a “summer horror blockbuster — without the catharsis” (“Washington Chainsaw Massacre,” 8/2/11). Heck, she even dated Aaron Sorkin!
Therefore, I guess it makes sense that someone in the White House and/or at Paramount fed Dowd, rather than someone else, some previously-unreported/inside-info for her latest column (“The Downgrade Blues,” 8/6/11) about...
Therefore, I guess it makes sense that someone in the White House and/or at Paramount fed Dowd, rather than someone else, some previously-unreported/inside-info for her latest column (“The Downgrade Blues,” 8/6/11) about...
- 8/9/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
So, I’m sure you all know that Mark Wahlberg is already set to star in the upcoming Allen Hughes’ project titled Broken City.
And it sounds pretty cool actually, because our little Marky Mark will play an ex-cop turned private detective, and not some tough guy.
Because I just can’t stand that, ok? That’s why I wish to thank God for the latest casting news that comes from Hollywood, and it goes like this – Russell Crowe has joined Broken City as well!
Ok, now we’re talking about something that makes sense!
Here’s the thing. Crowe comes on board to play mayor, who’s wife is apparently cheating on him (how dares she!?) so that’s when Wahlberg comes in, to solve the whole thing, I guess.
But let’s stop rumors, and reveal that the private detective will confirm the suspicions, and when the mayor...
And it sounds pretty cool actually, because our little Marky Mark will play an ex-cop turned private detective, and not some tough guy.
Because I just can’t stand that, ok? That’s why I wish to thank God for the latest casting news that comes from Hollywood, and it goes like this – Russell Crowe has joined Broken City as well!
Ok, now we’re talking about something that makes sense!
Here’s the thing. Crowe comes on board to play mayor, who’s wife is apparently cheating on him (how dares she!?) so that’s when Wahlberg comes in, to solve the whole thing, I guess.
But let’s stop rumors, and reveal that the private detective will confirm the suspicions, and when the mayor...
- 8/8/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
A New Zealand-born Australian thesp Russell Crowe, the Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator has signed on to play the key role of the mayor in the new Allen Hughes noir film Broken City.
The flick already has Mark Wahlberg in the lead, playing an ex cop who is hired by the mayor (Crowe) to look into whether his wife is cheating on him. After her boyfriend ends up dead, the P.I. gets sucked into a shadowy underworld of dirty politics and murder and start digging into the politician’s business and uncovering a real estate scandal.
The Broken City screenplay written by Brian Tucker made the 2008 Black List so it’s definitely worth checking out.
Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli) is directing independently financed noir drama Broken City and will begin production this November. As for Wahlberg, he is not only starring, but also producing through his Closest to the Hole banner.
The flick already has Mark Wahlberg in the lead, playing an ex cop who is hired by the mayor (Crowe) to look into whether his wife is cheating on him. After her boyfriend ends up dead, the P.I. gets sucked into a shadowy underworld of dirty politics and murder and start digging into the politician’s business and uncovering a real estate scandal.
The Broken City screenplay written by Brian Tucker made the 2008 Black List so it’s definitely worth checking out.
Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli) is directing independently financed noir drama Broken City and will begin production this November. As for Wahlberg, he is not only starring, but also producing through his Closest to the Hole banner.
- 8/8/2011
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
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