A wave of Israeli strikes aimed at dismantling Hezbollah in Lebanon has triggered a cycle of violence and escalation that could result in regional war, sources tell Rolling Stone.
Israel’s military said it has conducted more than 1,600 strikes in Lebanon over the past two days, aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s ability to launch rockets into Israel.
Those strikes have killed 558 people and injured more than 1,800, according to the Lebanese health ministry, and tens of thousands of Lebanese are fleeing north to escape the fighting. International air carriers have suspended...
Israel’s military said it has conducted more than 1,600 strikes in Lebanon over the past two days, aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s ability to launch rockets into Israel.
Those strikes have killed 558 people and injured more than 1,800, according to the Lebanese health ministry, and tens of thousands of Lebanese are fleeing north to escape the fighting. International air carriers have suspended...
- 9/24/2024
- by Mac William Bishop
- Rollingstone.com
The Daily Show‘s host Jon Stewart returned Monday night to criticize Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, likening his country’s remote explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies aimed at targeting Lebanon’s paramilitary group Hezbollah to something out of a 1980s Bond film.
“By the way, Lebanon is also a country,” Stewart said, responding to a clip of Netanyahu saying he will not tolerate “wanton rocketing” of Israel. The host also questioned what Netanyahu was doing if not “wanton rocketing” of other nations, to uproarious applause from the audience.
“What makes you think they’re going to accept your rocketing or whatever other James Bond sh– you’ve been up to?” he asked.
He continued, saying, “Exploding pagers. Ah! Lebanon expected Israel to attack from the south but instead they attacked from the 1980s. What?!”
The political-comic host then joked that Lebanon should hit back with a pixelated green-and-white arcade shooting game from that era.
“By the way, Lebanon is also a country,” Stewart said, responding to a clip of Netanyahu saying he will not tolerate “wanton rocketing” of Israel. The host also questioned what Netanyahu was doing if not “wanton rocketing” of other nations, to uproarious applause from the audience.
“What makes you think they’re going to accept your rocketing or whatever other James Bond sh– you’ve been up to?” he asked.
He continued, saying, “Exploding pagers. Ah! Lebanon expected Israel to attack from the south but instead they attacked from the 1980s. What?!”
The political-comic host then joked that Lebanon should hit back with a pixelated green-and-white arcade shooting game from that era.
- 9/24/2024
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Deadline Film + TV
Clint Eastwood has made some of the most revolutionary films in his career both as an actor and a director. He has been making films since the 60s and still continues to be inspired and fascinated by the art of filmmaking. While mostly known for his spaghetti westerns with Sergio Leone, he has made some brilliant westerns of his own along with some Oscar-winning dramas.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Naomi Watts in J. Edgar | Credits: Warner Bros
Eastwood directed the biographical film J. Edgar in 2011, based on the famed first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To ensure the film was as historically accurate as possible, the director went deep into his research and even went the extra mile, meeting the then-director of the FBI in person. Eastwood and the FBI disagreed on the inclusion of one disputed aspect of Hoover’s life in the film.
The FBI Was Apprehensive...
Leonardo DiCaprio and Naomi Watts in J. Edgar | Credits: Warner Bros
Eastwood directed the biographical film J. Edgar in 2011, based on the famed first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To ensure the film was as historically accurate as possible, the director went deep into his research and even went the extra mile, meeting the then-director of the FBI in person. Eastwood and the FBI disagreed on the inclusion of one disputed aspect of Hoover’s life in the film.
The FBI Was Apprehensive...
- 8/27/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Chicago — Vice President Kamala Harris — the daughter of immigrants, raised in the Oakland flatlands — accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night at the United Center. For the bleeding-heart, coconut-pilled liberals thrilled by Harris’ shock ascension to the top of the ticket one month ago, the convention festivities Thursday night might have felt a little deflating: speeches addressed squarely to Republican voters, throngs of Democrats waving miniature American flags, and Harris proclaiming her intention to “ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.”
The Harris campaign,...
The Harris campaign,...
- 8/24/2024
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
The 2024 Democratic National Convention concludes Thursday, with Vice President Kamala Harris set to formally accept her party’s nomination for President of the United States.
“Our convention is an opportunity to bring the story of our party to the American people — not just the story of what we’ve achieved under the Biden-Harris administration, but how the Harris-Walz ticket is planning to build on that historic record for a new way forward into the future,” Convention Chair Minyon Moore said in a statement. “The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country:...
“Our convention is an opportunity to bring the story of our party to the American people — not just the story of what we’ve achieved under the Biden-Harris administration, but how the Harris-Walz ticket is planning to build on that historic record for a new way forward into the future,” Convention Chair Minyon Moore said in a statement. “The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country:...
- 8/22/2024
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to the Michael Douglas-narrated documentary America’s Burning, directed by bestselling writer David Smick and produced by Ian Michaels. The film will hit theaters July 12.
America’s Burning follows the U.S. economy’s journey over time as the country has been a massive wealth-creating machine, but only half of the country has access to the markets. Capitalism has, as James Carville put it, become “a racket” — the ultimate corporate insider’s club, a system centrally controlled by the well-connected few. The middle class is shrinking, and the American Dream’s promise of social mobility for all who work hard is dying. However, America has an impressive history of resilience, and the film shows why our best days could still lie ahead. Watch a trailer below.
Executive produced by Barry Levinson and Douglas, America’s Burning features interviews with Carville,...
America’s Burning follows the U.S. economy’s journey over time as the country has been a massive wealth-creating machine, but only half of the country has access to the markets. Capitalism has, as James Carville put it, become “a racket” — the ultimate corporate insider’s club, a system centrally controlled by the well-connected few. The middle class is shrinking, and the American Dream’s promise of social mobility for all who work hard is dying. However, America has an impressive history of resilience, and the film shows why our best days could still lie ahead. Watch a trailer below.
Executive produced by Barry Levinson and Douglas, America’s Burning features interviews with Carville,...
- 6/3/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The Go-Gos, Ava Duvernay and Los Lobos will be among the honorees inducted into the California Hall of Fame next week.
Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will headline a ceremony at the California Museum on Feb. 6.
Other inductees include master chef Helene An, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, computer scientist Vinton Cerf, federal judge and civil rights leader Thelton E. Henderson, basketball player and sports broadcaster Cheryl Miller, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and artistic director and choreographer Brenda Way.
The inductees will be the 17th class of individuals to receive the honors, which were started by then-California First Lady Maria Shriver.
Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will headline a ceremony at the California Museum on Feb. 6.
Other inductees include master chef Helene An, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, computer scientist Vinton Cerf, federal judge and civil rights leader Thelton E. Henderson, basketball player and sports broadcaster Cheryl Miller, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and artistic director and choreographer Brenda Way.
The inductees will be the 17th class of individuals to receive the honors, which were started by then-California First Lady Maria Shriver.
- 1/30/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli soldiers are now in the Gaza strip, in what he characterized as the next stage of the war with Hamas.
Appearing at a press conference that was covered on major news networks, Netanyahu said that ground forces have gone into Gaza, entering the terrritory through the “gates of evil,” with the objective of eradicating Hamas’ military capabilities and to retrieve hostages.
“Our brave troops and combatants are now in Gaza or around Gaza,” he said.
He also pushed back against accusations that Israel was committing war crimes, saying that it was Hamas that was using people as “human shields,” per the BBC. He said that Israeli Defense Forces were taking steps to try to protect civilians.
Netanyahu said that the Israeli troops “are deployed all over’ the Gaza strip.
He said that they decided to expand operations in Gaza in a “very educated” manner.
Appearing at a press conference that was covered on major news networks, Netanyahu said that ground forces have gone into Gaza, entering the terrritory through the “gates of evil,” with the objective of eradicating Hamas’ military capabilities and to retrieve hostages.
“Our brave troops and combatants are now in Gaza or around Gaza,” he said.
He also pushed back against accusations that Israel was committing war crimes, saying that it was Hamas that was using people as “human shields,” per the BBC. He said that Israeli Defense Forces were taking steps to try to protect civilians.
Netanyahu said that the Israeli troops “are deployed all over’ the Gaza strip.
He said that they decided to expand operations in Gaza in a “very educated” manner.
- 10/28/2023
- by Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Prince Harry didn’t hold much back in his controversial autobiography, Spare. He shared information about Prince William, Kate Middleton, King Charles, and more. One bit of information some people think he should have withheld is how many people he killed while he was in the military. Former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta shared his thoughts in a recent interview.
Prince Harry focused on the wrong detail, says Leon Panetta Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Panetta spoke with Piers Morgan about Prince Harry’s revelation that he killed 25 Taliban fighters. The former defense secretary says Harry should have focused on the mission instead of the number of people he killed.
“Based on my experience both in the military and as secretary of defense, I have to tell you the strongest warriors I knew in battle were those who focused on the mission and not how many individuals on the other side they killed,...
Prince Harry focused on the wrong detail, says Leon Panetta Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Panetta spoke with Piers Morgan about Prince Harry’s revelation that he killed 25 Taliban fighters. The former defense secretary says Harry should have focused on the mission instead of the number of people he killed.
“Based on my experience both in the military and as secretary of defense, I have to tell you the strongest warriors I knew in battle were those who focused on the mission and not how many individuals on the other side they killed,...
- 1/26/2023
- by Sheiresa Ngo
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
“We didn’t learn the lessons that were so brightly clear 75 years ago,” proclaims Dror Moreh, the director behind the documentary “The Corridors of Power.” The film is a brutal and frank look at the role that politics has played in America’s response–or lack of a response– to the numerous instances of genocide that have occurred since the end of the Cold War.
For Moreh, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2012 documentary feature “The Gatekeepers,” the film is a call for citizens to push their political leaders towards intervention, rather than being merely bystanders to atrocities. Watch more of our exclusive video interview above.
See‘The Corridors of Power’: Oscar nominee Dror Moreh returns with another riveting political documentary feature
Moreh began working on the film in 2014 and in the intervening years his perspective on America’s role in dealing with issues of genocide. “[Former Un Ambassador] Samantha Power...
For Moreh, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2012 documentary feature “The Gatekeepers,” the film is a call for citizens to push their political leaders towards intervention, rather than being merely bystanders to atrocities. Watch more of our exclusive video interview above.
See‘The Corridors of Power’: Oscar nominee Dror Moreh returns with another riveting political documentary feature
Moreh began working on the film in 2014 and in the intervening years his perspective on America’s role in dealing with issues of genocide. “[Former Un Ambassador] Samantha Power...
- 12/5/2022
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
In The Corridors of Power, filmmaker Dror Moreh takes a bracing look at the factors that kept America — the sole remaining superpower in the immediate post-Cold War era — from intervening in global instances involving genocide, war crimes and other large-scale atrocities.
“The idea of the movie started, basically, when I saw the horrible picture that came out from Syria, especially after the chemical attack [in 2013], especially after the Syrian regime has crossed Obama’s red line,” Moreh revealed during Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary awards-season panel, noting that President Barack Obama had indicated that the U.S. would commit to opposing the Assad regime. “So I asked myself: What goes on in those decision-making rooms when they decide to intervene in one place, but not the other, or they don’t decide?”
Related: The Contenders Documentary – Deadline’s Full Coverage
“After the Second World War, the world had watched what had happened and said,...
“The idea of the movie started, basically, when I saw the horrible picture that came out from Syria, especially after the chemical attack [in 2013], especially after the Syrian regime has crossed Obama’s red line,” Moreh revealed during Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary awards-season panel, noting that President Barack Obama had indicated that the U.S. would commit to opposing the Assad regime. “So I asked myself: What goes on in those decision-making rooms when they decide to intervene in one place, but not the other, or they don’t decide?”
Related: The Contenders Documentary – Deadline’s Full Coverage
“After the Second World War, the world had watched what had happened and said,...
- 12/4/2022
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
Jennifer Griffin has signed a new multi-year deal to serve as Fox News Channel’s chief national security correspondent.
The terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
Griffin has been in Lviv and Kyiv to cover Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has secured interviews with Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. She will be honored on Saturday with the Freedom of the Media Gold Medal for Public Service Award from the Transatlantic Leadership Network.
Griffin led the network’s coverage of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and reported on the one-year anniversary last month.
Griffin joined Fox News full time in 1999 and was based in Jerusalem. having previously reported from Moscow as a freelancer from 1996 to 1999. She began working a national security correspondent in 2007, the start of the Iraqi troop surge. She has interviewed Defense Secretaries Leon Panetta and Robert Gates,...
The terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
Griffin has been in Lviv and Kyiv to cover Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has secured interviews with Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. She will be honored on Saturday with the Freedom of the Media Gold Medal for Public Service Award from the Transatlantic Leadership Network.
Griffin led the network’s coverage of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and reported on the one-year anniversary last month.
Griffin joined Fox News full time in 1999 and was based in Jerusalem. having previously reported from Moscow as a freelancer from 1996 to 1999. She began working a national security correspondent in 2007, the start of the Iraqi troop surge. She has interviewed Defense Secretaries Leon Panetta and Robert Gates,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Jane Alsobrook, an influential film executive, producer and publicist whose marketing work led to the success of numerous films in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, died Dec. 13 at her home in Sedona, Ariz. of breast cancer. She was 78.
Alsobrook’s career in movies began in 1971. She was recruited to help organize the Los Angeles Film Exposition, or Filmex and soon became part of what is now known as “New Hollywood” — a group that included Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, George Lucas and more. While working for Roger Corman, she also supervised the 1975 Academy Award campaign for “Amarcord,” resulting in four nominations and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 1975, Alsobrook entered the music industry as national publicity director for ABC Records, working alongside legends such as The Pointer Sisters, Steely Dan, Crosby and Nash and Chaka Khan. She then moved back to the world of film in...
Alsobrook’s career in movies began in 1971. She was recruited to help organize the Los Angeles Film Exposition, or Filmex and soon became part of what is now known as “New Hollywood” — a group that included Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, George Lucas and more. While working for Roger Corman, she also supervised the 1975 Academy Award campaign for “Amarcord,” resulting in four nominations and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 1975, Alsobrook entered the music industry as national publicity director for ABC Records, working alongside legends such as The Pointer Sisters, Steely Dan, Crosby and Nash and Chaka Khan. She then moved back to the world of film in...
- 1/10/2022
- by Wyatte Grantham-Philips
- Variety Film + TV
Jane Alsobrook, a marketing and publicity specialist who coordinated the U.S. campaigns for numerous successful independent and foreign films in the 1970s and 1980s, has died. She was 78.
It was revealed today that Alsobrook died December 13 at her home in Sedona, Az on after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
While doing post-graduate work at USC in the early 1970s, Alsobrook joined Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams to help launch the Los Angeles Film Exposition, aka Filmex, the city’s first film festival.
She then joined Roger Corman’s New World Pictures to handle marketing and publicity, notably for Fellini’s Amarcord, which won the Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1975. The following year she shifted gears to become national publicity director for ABC Records, and in the late ’70s she helped engineer the launch of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, starring The Ramones, which Corman released.
In the early 1980s,...
It was revealed today that Alsobrook died December 13 at her home in Sedona, Az on after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
While doing post-graduate work at USC in the early 1970s, Alsobrook joined Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams to help launch the Los Angeles Film Exposition, aka Filmex, the city’s first film festival.
She then joined Roger Corman’s New World Pictures to handle marketing and publicity, notably for Fellini’s Amarcord, which won the Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1975. The following year she shifted gears to become national publicity director for ABC Records, and in the late ’70s she helped engineer the launch of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, starring The Ramones, which Corman released.
In the early 1980s,...
- 1/10/2022
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
As the U.S. enters a new era of foreign policy in the Middle East, A Starting Point, the civic media organization created by Chris Evans, actor/filmmaker Mark Kassen and entrepreneur Joe Kiani, will explore America’s past, present and future in the region during a new six-part series, Influence and Power in the Middle East, guest hosted by former CIA Operative and Texas Congressman Will Hurd.
Drawing on his unique insights and on-the-ground experience, Hurd will lead exclusive conversations with several of the most influential foreign policy makers of the past four administrations including Former Un Ambassador John Bolton, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Former Saudi Arabia Ambassador Joseph Westphal, Former Yemen Ambassador Barbara Bodine and others.
Airing on Aug. 30, the six-part series connects the major national players, history, culture, and influence that shapes America’s strategic relationships and military involvement in the Middle East.
Drawing on his unique insights and on-the-ground experience, Hurd will lead exclusive conversations with several of the most influential foreign policy makers of the past four administrations including Former Un Ambassador John Bolton, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Former Saudi Arabia Ambassador Joseph Westphal, Former Yemen Ambassador Barbara Bodine and others.
Airing on Aug. 30, the six-part series connects the major national players, history, culture, and influence that shapes America’s strategic relationships and military involvement in the Middle East.
- 8/16/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Gavin Newsom kicked off a weekend statewide tour to campaign against California’s Sept. 14 recall, telling reporters that he will get some reinforcements: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
“We are comparing schedules right now, but we anticipate the President and Vice President will be here in a matter of weeks,” Newsom said at an event in San Francisco. Biden issued a statement on Thursday backing Newsom’s efforts to stay in office, giving Newsom what his campaign will be a needed push to boost turnout, as recall proponents have so far enjoyed an advantage in awareness and enthusiasm for ousting Newsom from office. As Newsom has done in the past, he characterized the recall as a Donald Trump-aligned effort to remove him from office, and accused Newsmax, One America News Network, Fox News and Right Side Broadcasting Network of “ginning up support” for it over the past year. He...
“We are comparing schedules right now, but we anticipate the President and Vice President will be here in a matter of weeks,” Newsom said at an event in San Francisco. Biden issued a statement on Thursday backing Newsom’s efforts to stay in office, giving Newsom what his campaign will be a needed push to boost turnout, as recall proponents have so far enjoyed an advantage in awareness and enthusiasm for ousting Newsom from office. As Newsom has done in the past, he characterized the recall as a Donald Trump-aligned effort to remove him from office, and accused Newsmax, One America News Network, Fox News and Right Side Broadcasting Network of “ginning up support” for it over the past year. He...
- 8/13/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Starz & Strife, a documentary examining what the filmmaker calls the “lost heart of America,” has set an on-demand rental and purchase run via Virgil Films in August before a premiere on Starz.
The film is written and directed by David Smick, an economic strategist and best-selling author of books like The Great Equalizer. Barry Levinson is an executive producer.
On August 11, the film will be available for rent or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and other platforms. On September 21, it is slated to start airing on Starz.
The film features activists like Hawk Newsome, past political leaders like James Baker, Leon Panetta and Rahm Emmanuel, academics like Amy Chua and Francis Fukuyama and business figures like Home Depot founder Ken Langone. Current elected officials such as Rep. Chrissy Houlihan of Pennsylvania and Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland also make appearances.
“This film explores the epidemic of hate...
The film is written and directed by David Smick, an economic strategist and best-selling author of books like The Great Equalizer. Barry Levinson is an executive producer.
On August 11, the film will be available for rent or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and other platforms. On September 21, it is slated to start airing on Starz.
The film features activists like Hawk Newsome, past political leaders like James Baker, Leon Panetta and Rahm Emmanuel, academics like Amy Chua and Francis Fukuyama and business figures like Home Depot founder Ken Langone. Current elected officials such as Rep. Chrissy Houlihan of Pennsylvania and Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland also make appearances.
“This film explores the epidemic of hate...
- 8/6/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Deadline has highlighted 11 movies that had a transformative impact on the film industry and/or the wider world in the decade of the 2010s. The non-exhaustive list includes movies from across the globe and considers their effect on box office, careers, companies, industry trends and cultural conversation. Our list includes movies released between 2010-2019.
The King’s Speech (2010)
A case can be made that The King’s Speech is the most successful independent British film ever. Made for a budget of around $15 million, the film went on to make north of $415M and score an array of awards, including the Best Picture Oscar (among 12 Academy nominations). The film typified the hard-fought way British independent films get made (although unusually there was no BBC or Film4) and, whether we like it or not, helped cement a global fascination for all things British aristocracy and royal family. The film propelled careers (Tom Hooper and...
The King’s Speech (2010)
A case can be made that The King’s Speech is the most successful independent British film ever. Made for a budget of around $15 million, the film went on to make north of $415M and score an array of awards, including the Best Picture Oscar (among 12 Academy nominations). The film typified the hard-fought way British independent films get made (although unusually there was no BBC or Film4) and, whether we like it or not, helped cement a global fascination for all things British aristocracy and royal family. The film propelled careers (Tom Hooper and...
- 12/30/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Director Scott Z. Burns is challenging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to explain what parts of The Report are “fiction,” after Pompeo slammed the film on Twitter.
The Amazon Studios drama centers on the CIA’s use of enhanced interrogation or torture.
On Friday Pompeo tweeted: “I watched The Report. Fiction. To be clear: the bad guys are not our intelligence warriors. The bad guys are the terrorists. To my former colleagues and all of the patriots at @CIA who have kept us safe since 9/11: America supports you, defends you and has your back. So do I.”
Burns took issue with the way Pompeo defended the CIA’s work as patriotic, and called the secretary of state’s comments “misguided.”
The movie chronicles the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence investigation that led to the 2014 release of a report on the CIA’s use of torture in the war on terror.
The Amazon Studios drama centers on the CIA’s use of enhanced interrogation or torture.
On Friday Pompeo tweeted: “I watched The Report. Fiction. To be clear: the bad guys are not our intelligence warriors. The bad guys are the terrorists. To my former colleagues and all of the patriots at @CIA who have kept us safe since 9/11: America supports you, defends you and has your back. So do I.”
Burns took issue with the way Pompeo defended the CIA’s work as patriotic, and called the secretary of state’s comments “misguided.”
The movie chronicles the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence investigation that led to the 2014 release of a report on the CIA’s use of torture in the war on terror.
- 12/29/2019
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The Washington Post this week released a blockbuster expose called “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War.”
After a lengthy legal battle, the Post got hold of documents compiled by Sigar, the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction. John Sopko, the Inspector General, interviewed over 600 people connected to the Afghan war effort to prepare a series of reports called “Lessons Learned,” which purported to explain what had gone wrong since America’s invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
The “Lessons Learned” reports were critical, but “left out the harshest and...
After a lengthy legal battle, the Post got hold of documents compiled by Sigar, the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction. John Sopko, the Inspector General, interviewed over 600 people connected to the Afghan war effort to prepare a series of reports called “Lessons Learned,” which purported to explain what had gone wrong since America’s invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
The “Lessons Learned” reports were critical, but “left out the harshest and...
- 12/13/2019
- by Matt Taibbi
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: With Dan Rather calling the former Notre Dame University president, one of “the most influential men in American life,” the new documentary Hesburgh spotlighting the life and work of Father Theodore Hesburgh is packed with high profile names praising the Catholic priest.
In the exclusive trailer above, ex-White House Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta calls Father Hesburgh the “conscience of the country” during the political and cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1970s.
Add to that the April 26 opening film features interviews and footage from the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Jimmy Carter, current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Coretta Scott King and Ted Koppel discussing the former Rockefeller Foundation boss and his quest for a better America.
“Ted Hesburgh was an extraordinarily effective leader at a time when our country was deeply divided,” director Patrick Creadon told Deadline of his latest subject.
In the exclusive trailer above, ex-White House Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta calls Father Hesburgh the “conscience of the country” during the political and cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1970s.
Add to that the April 26 opening film features interviews and footage from the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Jimmy Carter, current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Coretta Scott King and Ted Koppel discussing the former Rockefeller Foundation boss and his quest for a better America.
“Ted Hesburgh was an extraordinarily effective leader at a time when our country was deeply divided,” director Patrick Creadon told Deadline of his latest subject.
- 3/14/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Family members of fallen soldiers are furiously lashing out at President Donald Trump after he falsely claimed past presidents did not personally reach out to the families of slain service members.
“When my brother was killed, Pres Bush listened while I screamed at him & then held me as I sobbed, you fat f—— liar,” Delilia O’Malley tweeted on Monday.
The passionate declaration comes as Trump faces a new wave of criticism after saying at a Monday press conference in the Rose Garden that past presidents — particularly Barack Obama — had never called the families of U.S. servicemen and women...
“When my brother was killed, Pres Bush listened while I screamed at him & then held me as I sobbed, you fat f—— liar,” Delilia O’Malley tweeted on Monday.
The passionate declaration comes as Trump faces a new wave of criticism after saying at a Monday press conference in the Rose Garden that past presidents — particularly Barack Obama — had never called the families of U.S. servicemen and women...
- 10/17/2017
- by Char Adams
- PEOPLE.com
On Friday, former Secretary of State Leon Panetta reacted to President Trump's latest remarks on ongoing tensions with North Korea. And he's sounding the alarms.
- 8/11/2017
- by Joseph A. Wulfsohn
- Mediaite - TV
Mr. Robot has returned for a second season. I already published some spoiler-free thoughts on tonight's two-hour premiere, so now it's time to get into the specifics, coming up just as soon as I've discovered Seinfeld... "And this is why I'm different: sometimes, my mask takes over." -Elliot The Mr. Robot season 1 finale made an interesting choice in skipping over what seemed like major pieces of the larger fsociety plot — how the Evil Corp hack went down, what happened to Tyrell Wellick — to focus on Elliot dealing with the knowledge that he was Mr. Robot, and vice versa. At the time, I felt this was the right choice, since the show is ultimately about Elliot and what's going on inside his head, and his epiphany about having multiple personalities was much more important than any plot mechanics involving secondary characters. "Unmask"(*) actually rewinds to show Elliot executing the hack while Wellick watches — marveling that,...
- 7/14/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Us spy agency probed film-makers’ gifts to officers and alleged access to classified material, and has tightened procedures for interaction with Hollywood
The CIA’s controversial, year-long cooperation with the makers of the Oscar-winning film Zero Dark Thirty triggered two internal investigations and a guidance report, according to more than 100 pages of CIA documents disclosed to Vice News following a Freedom of Information request. Two of the investigations, entitled Alleged Disclosure of Classified Information by Former D/CIA, and Potential Ethics Violations Involving Film Producers, related specfiically to Zero Dark Thirty; the third, CIA Processes for Engaging with the Entertainment Industry, was a more general re-evaluation.
According to the Vice report, a number of CIA employees who were involved in the real-life hunt for Osama bin Laden, whose death at the hands of Us Navy Seals is the centrepiece of the film, consulted with director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal.
The CIA’s controversial, year-long cooperation with the makers of the Oscar-winning film Zero Dark Thirty triggered two internal investigations and a guidance report, according to more than 100 pages of CIA documents disclosed to Vice News following a Freedom of Information request. Two of the investigations, entitled Alleged Disclosure of Classified Information by Former D/CIA, and Potential Ethics Violations Involving Film Producers, related specfiically to Zero Dark Thirty; the third, CIA Processes for Engaging with the Entertainment Industry, was a more general re-evaluation.
According to the Vice report, a number of CIA employees who were involved in the real-life hunt for Osama bin Laden, whose death at the hands of Us Navy Seals is the centrepiece of the film, consulted with director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal.
- 9/11/2015
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Read More: Kirby Dick's 'The Hunting Ground' is an Alarming Look at Campus Rape After their 2012 activist powerhouse "The Invisible War," about rape in the military, expectations are high for the potential cultural impact of Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering's "The Hunting Ground." But can their exposé about rape on college campuses follow in the successful footsteps of its predecessor? While "The Invisible War" was not a commercial hit, earning only $72,000 at the U.S. box office, it is widely credited as making an impact on policy changes at the highest level of the U.S. military. Shortly after "The Invisible War's" Sundance premiere, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced new initiatives to combat military sexual assault and several months later, there were widespread military dismissals for sexual misconduct. "The Invisible War" was shown at over 1,400 community screenings, in over 100 U.S. cities, was...
- 3/6/2015
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
Beverly Hills — A half-hour sitting across a table from Michael Mann is more than enough time to remind you of all the stuff you don't know. A consummate researcher-filmmaker, he never puts something out into the creative ether without knowing it inside and out, without knowing its world, its players — everything that needed to exist in order to birth it in the first place, he's canvased it. So no, he wasn't shocked to hear that last month, corporate giant Sony had been maliciously hacked leaving privileged information scattered to the public. "Three years ago we were hearing about General Dynamics, that they got the plans for this fighter jet," he says, referencing the 2010 disclosure that a number of defense contractors had been breached. "And the Home Depot hack [which saw over 50 million credit card accounts compromised in April of last year]. Major, major cyber criminal intrusions. When you get into the world of this, everything is vulnerable. Everything is porous. And you realize...
- 1/14/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
For nearly three-weeks, Sony Pictures has been fortifying security and watching confidential information spill into the cultural conversation after a hacker group calling itself the "Guardians of Peace" broke into the company’s computer systems with chaotic intent. It’s been a weird event to watch from the outside. The leak spawned fun tidbits (the idea that the "Jump Street" franchise may crossover with "Men in Black" sent the Internet into a tizzy) and sour revelations, personal correspondences scrutinized under a microscope. For many, the attack feels harmless — it’s just Hollywood after all! But pulling back to a macro view, the idea that the tap of a few buttons could cripple a major corporation is downright terrifying. What if the info didn’t feel so superfluous? What if criminally obtained knowledge flipped the state of the world forever? Welcome to the scenario revolving around Michael Mann’s new movie "Blackhat.
- 12/12/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd is set to lead the cast of The Boat Builder, a drama from writer-director Arnold Grossman about a former Merchant Marine captain bent on constructing a seaworthy vessel in his front yard. Malcolm In The Middle alum Jane Kaczmarek is aboard playing his daughter Katherine, who opposes the scheme, and Denver-based newcomer Tekola Cornetet will play Rick, a bright foster child who befriends Abner during his quest.
The Boat Builder marks the first film for Grossman, an author and former political strategist who produced TV spots for Democratic candidates Pat Schroeder, Gary Hart and Leon Panetta. Project originally was set to star Nebraska‘s Bruce Dern and shoot in La before the Oscar nominee departed the film. Now the SAGIndie feature will shoot in the San Francisco Bay Area starting this month, with Richard Bosner (Fruitvale Station, pictured above with Cornetet and Lloyd) producing. David Lascher,...
The Boat Builder marks the first film for Grossman, an author and former political strategist who produced TV spots for Democratic candidates Pat Schroeder, Gary Hart and Leon Panetta. Project originally was set to star Nebraska‘s Bruce Dern and shoot in La before the Oscar nominee departed the film. Now the SAGIndie feature will shoot in the San Francisco Bay Area starting this month, with Richard Bosner (Fruitvale Station, pictured above with Cornetet and Lloyd) producing. David Lascher,...
- 8/13/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
According to newly declassified documents first reported by the Associated Press, former CIA chief Leon Panetta revealed secret information to Zero Dark Thirty screenwriter Mark Boal while the latter was in attendance for a debriefing about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. "I had no idea that individual was in the audience," Panetta said in a statement, referring to his 2011 speech at CIA headquarters. His spokesman, Jeremy Bash, added that Panetta assumed everyone in the audience had the proper clearance.
Read Mark Boal's Landmark Story "The Kill Team...
Read Mark Boal's Landmark Story "The Kill Team...
- 12/11/2013
- Rollingstone.com
Washington -- Newly declassified documents show Tuesday that former CIA Director Leon Panetta revealed secret information to Zero Dark Thirty scriptwriter Mark Boal when Panetta gave a speech at CIA headquarters marking the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Panetta said through a spokesman that he didn't know Boal was in the room. Judicial Watch filed a request for the more than 200 pages of documents, which the CIA released Tuesday. The documents concerned the internal investigation of its role in the film about the bin Laden raid. Photos: 9/11 in Film "I had no idea that individual was in the
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- 12/11/2013
- by The Associated Press
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the heels of "selfie" becoming the word of the year, four women documented history with a selfie of their own, snapping a picture of themselves after becoming the first females to complete the Marine Corps infantry evaluation course. Private First Class Harlee Bradford, nicknamed "Rambo," posted the photo to Instagram on Nov. 9, including the caption, "And then there was four." She and the other three women were among a group of 15 enlisted women who were the first to volunteer for a Marine Corps pilot course. In January, the Pentagon announced plans to integrate women into combat jobs that were previously held only by men. "Not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters. "But everyone is entitled to a chance." These women took that chance, and throughout the 59-day course, they were required to meet the same physical standards as the male students,...
- 11/20/2013
- by Laura Marie Meyers
- Popsugar.com
Former Obama administration Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta both criticized President Barack Obama's Syria policy at an forum at Southern Methodist University on Tuesday night, arguing that Obama had jeopardized the U.S.'s credibility by failing to enforce his own red line, and that he should not have gone to Congress for authorization to strike.
- 9/18/2013
- by Evan McMurry
- Mediaite - TV
When a relatively young actor dies suddenly, as James Gandolfini did in June, it's tempting to wonder about the roles he'll never get to play. When we didn't know we'd be losing him so soon, it was always fun to see Gandolfini show up, a casual surprise: In 2012 alone he played a disillusioned dad in David Chase's Not Fade Away, a defeated hit man in Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, and Leon Panetta in Zero Dark Thirty. But, perhaps with the exception of the hit man, none of those characters were particularly sexy, or even essentially sexual.
So it's a small blessing that in Nicole Holofcener's grown-up romance Enough Said, one of the last films Gandolfini made before he died, his character is sexy just because. Gandolfini's charisma isn't som...
So it's a small blessing that in Nicole Holofcener's grown-up romance Enough Said, one of the last films Gandolfini made before he died, his character is sexy just because. Gandolfini's charisma isn't som...
- 9/18/2013
- Village Voice
Not surprisingly, Discovery Channel announced this morning it will roll out its documentary from the Naudet brothers, in which they interviewed every living White House Chiefs of Staff, on Sept. 11. The two hour special will air for one hour that night and one hour the next night, at 9 Pm Et/Pt. Gedeon and Jules Naudet, you’ll recall, are the young documentary filmmakers who happened to be at the right/wrong place at just the right/wrong time when Jules accompanied members of the Engine 7, Ladder 1 firehouse in Lower Manhattan to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 and shot footage of American Airlines Flight 11 hitting the north tower of the center and the complex’s collapse. (He and Gedeon were working on a docu about the firehouse at the time.) That footage became the 2002 documentary 9/11 which was aired to acclaim by CBS.This time, working with NBCUniversal’s Peacock Productions,...
- 7/17/2013
- by LISA DE MORAES, TV Columnist
- Deadline TV
James Gandolfini left us far too soon at age 51; he died of cardiac arrest on June 19 in an ambulance on the way to a Rome hospital after suffering a severe heart attack. The actor was scheduled to receive the City of Taormina award on Saturday during his stay in Italy; the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily is now preparing a tribute to the actor. Gandolfini not only carried the iconic role of gangster and family man Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos"--a cable show that redefined what was possible on television-- but delivered a remarkable series of movie performances as well. He was on a roll last year alone: he starred in "Sopranos" creator David Chase's 60s family drama "Not Fade Away," as a tough old-school suburban Italian-American Dad trying to hold the line with his rock-loving musician son; as authoritative Leon Panetta in Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty,...
- 6/20/2013
- by Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
James Gandolfini was taken from us too soon — way too soon — at the relatively young age of 51.
Gandolfini was arguably best known for his role as Tony Soprano, the troubled head of an East Coast Mafia family, on the HBO series, "The Sopranos," which ran for six seasons from 1999-2007. The show was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series every year it was eligible, winning in both 2004 and 2007. Gandolfini was nominated six times for Outstanding Lead Actor and won thrice.
Gandolfini was excellent in the part, though his successful film career allowed him to show off his remarkable range and remind us that there was a lot more to this guy from Jersey than just, well, a guy from Jersey. Here are his most decidedly un-Tony-ish movie roles.
5. Leon Panetta, 'Zero Dark Thirty' (2012)
You can't get much more polar opposite from a New Jersey...
Gandolfini was arguably best known for his role as Tony Soprano, the troubled head of an East Coast Mafia family, on the HBO series, "The Sopranos," which ran for six seasons from 1999-2007. The show was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series every year it was eligible, winning in both 2004 and 2007. Gandolfini was nominated six times for Outstanding Lead Actor and won thrice.
Gandolfini was excellent in the part, though his successful film career allowed him to show off his remarkable range and remind us that there was a lot more to this guy from Jersey than just, well, a guy from Jersey. Here are his most decidedly un-Tony-ish movie roles.
5. Leon Panetta, 'Zero Dark Thirty' (2012)
You can't get much more polar opposite from a New Jersey...
- 6/20/2013
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
It is a fate common to great actors whose most enduring success comes on television that the highest praise they receive is actually a trap concealed inside a compliment. Referring to someone’s “iconic role” or “indelible performance” can be a way of saying that a performer could really do only one thing, and his legacy is that he did it perfectly. With the sudden death of James Gandolfini at the horribly young age of 51, all of us who loved and admired his work are, naturally, going to spend a lot of time thinking about The Sopranos, 86 hours of television...
- 6/20/2013
- by Mark Harris
- EW - Inside TV
James Gandolfini movies James Gandolfini died today of a suspected heart attack while in Rome, Italy. Although the 51-year-old actor’s fame rests on his role as mob boss Tony Soprano in the hit HBO series The Sopranos, which earned him three Emmy Awards, three SAG Awards, and one Golden Globe, Gandolfini was also featured in dozens of big-screen productions. Most notable among James Gandolfini’s movie are the following: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen’s The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001), in which Gandolfini plays Big Dave Brewster, a boisterous department store owner who may be having an affair with Billy Bob Thornton’s wife, Frances McDormand, and who’s being (anonymously) blackmailed by Thornton himself. Steven Zaillian’s remake of All the King’s Men (2006), starring Sean Penn as a populist Southern politician, with Gandolfini as fellow ruthless politician Tiny Duffy, demoted to Lieutenant Governor. Armando Iannucci’s...
- 6/20/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
by Lynn Elber, AP
Los Angeles (AP) - James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's "The Sopranos" was the brilliant core of one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51.
Gandolfini died while on holiday in Rome, the cable channel and Gandolfini's managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. No cause of death was given.
[Related: James Gandolfini Dies of Heart Attack at 51 (Report)]
"He was a genius," said "Sopranos" creator David Chase. "Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes."
Gandolfini, who won three Emmy Awards for his role as Tony Soprano, worked steadily in film and on stage after the series ended. He earned a 2009 Tony Award...
Los Angeles (AP) - James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's "The Sopranos" was the brilliant core of one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51.
Gandolfini died while on holiday in Rome, the cable channel and Gandolfini's managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. No cause of death was given.
[Related: James Gandolfini Dies of Heart Attack at 51 (Report)]
"He was a genius," said "Sopranos" creator David Chase. "Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes."
Gandolfini, who won three Emmy Awards for his role as Tony Soprano, worked steadily in film and on stage after the series ended. He earned a 2009 Tony Award...
- 6/19/2013
- by The Associated Press
- Moviefone
Washington — Several weeks after overseeing the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, then-cia Director Leon Panetta revealed the name of the raid commander in a speech attended by the writer of the film "Zero Dark Thirty," according to a draft report by Pentagon investigators.
Under security rules, the commander's name was not to be made public, but the draft report did not say whether Panetta knew a member of the public was in his audience at CIA headquarters. A former CIA official familiar with the event said Wednesday that Panetta did not know of the writer's presence; if the disclosure was inadvertent it would not constitute a violation of the rules by Panetta.
The former official spoke on condition of anonymity because a security issue was involved.
The unpublished draft report was first disclosed by the Project on Government Oversight and confirmed by Rep. Peter King, who asked for the investigation nearly two years ago.
Under security rules, the commander's name was not to be made public, but the draft report did not say whether Panetta knew a member of the public was in his audience at CIA headquarters. A former CIA official familiar with the event said Wednesday that Panetta did not know of the writer's presence; if the disclosure was inadvertent it would not constitute a violation of the rules by Panetta.
The former official spoke on condition of anonymity because a security issue was involved.
The unpublished draft report was first disclosed by the Project on Government Oversight and confirmed by Rep. Peter King, who asked for the investigation nearly two years ago.
- 6/6/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
While you already had us at Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, director Michael Roskam is continuing to stack the cast for his North American debut with great talent. He's lined up his "Bullhead" star Matthias Schoenaerts for a part, and now another always solid actor has come aboard as well. The excellent "The Sopranos" star James Gandolfini -- recently seen as Leon Panetta in "Zero Dark Thirty" -- has joined the picture. Based on a short story by Dennis Lehane ("Mystic River," "Gone Baby Gone"), the story follows a lonely New York bartender, caught in the midst of a bad heist and a killing, who rescues a puppy from a garbage can and becomes the target of the dog's abusive and mentally unstable former owner. Rapace will play Nadia, who has a scar across her neck, who crosses paths with the bartender. No word yet on Gandolfini's role. And also...
- 3/11/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
As I am perpetually two years behind whatever is cool and zeitgeisty on the teevee, I've not been watching this new Netflix joint, "House Of Cards." Which is probably to my detriment. Our own Howard Fineman has been watching the show, and he describes an artful and innovative depiction of "the competition for power for its own sake." And just this weekend, I was at a party where an old friend of mine spoke thrillingly of byzantine plots and cagey backstabbing -- Washington as the setting for the polite bloodlust of brilliant political chess masters.
Which must be why so many people in Washington are into this show: For the escapist fantasy!
In reality, we have the House of Senate, and there's no way of describing those people's machinations without briefly wondering if the word "moron" is strong enough. They are on recess now, having ended their current session by...
Which must be why so many people in Washington are into this show: For the escapist fantasy!
In reality, we have the House of Senate, and there's no way of describing those people's machinations without briefly wondering if the word "moron" is strong enough. They are on recess now, having ended their current session by...
- 2/18/2013
- by Jason Linkins
- Huffington Post
If there were an award for Film With Greatest Impact On Public Policy, the military-rape documentary "The Invisible War" would appear to be a shoo-in. Among this year's other top entries for the documentary Oscar, "The Gatekeepers" can't claim an immediate impact on the Israeli government—and "Searching for Sugar Man" didn't force sudden moral upheaval in the music biz. But just two days after seeing "The Invisible War," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced a significant change in military policy. That's the documentary equivalent of a box office blockbuster. Talking with TheWrap's founder and editor-in-chief,...
- 2/15/2013
- by Chris Willman
- The Wrap
The Senate failed to move forward on Thursday with the confirmation of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-ne) to replace Leon Panetta as the next Secretary of Defense. Just after the Senate Republicans blocked a vote to move forward with Hagel’s nomination, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-nv) took to the floor of the upper chamber to admonish his Gop colleagues for ratcheting up “the level of obstruction here in Washington.”...
- 2/14/2013
- by Noah Rothman
- Mediaite - TV
In "The Invisible War," director Kirby Dick and producer Amy Ziering took on the incendiary topic of rape in the American military, interviewing dozens of victims and putting many of them on camera to tell their horrifying stories for the first time. The movie, nominated for Best Documentary Feature, landed like a cluster bomb in the military community after its debut at Sundance in January 2012. It has since been screened for Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, members of Congress and hundreds of military personnel, raising awareness of an issue that...
- 2/12/2013
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
This afternoon, the Senate Armed Services Committee will push toward a vote on former Gop Sen. Chuck Hagel's nomination to succeed Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-nv) would like to advance to a full Senate vote by mid-week, but within the committee, Hagel's nomination is expected to face tough opposition from Republicans who dislike his views on Israel, Iran, the Iraq War, and nuclear arms.
- 2/12/2013
- by Andrew Kirell
- Mediaite - TV
If there is one movie everyone has had an opinion on this Oscar season, it's "Zero Dark Thirty." With folks like ex-cia director Leon Panetta and filmmaker Michael Moore among the many, many, many pundits, politicians, observers and more weighing in about the film, its portrayal of torture and more, even the filmmakers have had to get in the fray, with director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal forced to remind folks that this is a movie, not a documentary and that depiction is not endorsement. But here's thing -- so far no one who has praised or defended the film was on the ground, but now, one man who was in the midst of action, has seen the movie. Esquire managed to track down the Navy Seal who actually killed Osama Bin Laden in a rather fascinating, must read profile that reveals, among other things, that he's living on...
- 2/11/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Everyone knows that with all of the rampant campaigning going on, Hollywood’s Oscar season can get quite political, but this year it’s literally poliitics. And not as usual. An infusion of real politicians, and political issues, have been characterizing this Academy campaign season for several weeks and it seems to be ramping up to new heights just as ballots went out this week and voting is now going on in earnest through February 19. Of course real-world politics have often seeped into Oscar season but, whether it is the political nature of the films or some other reason, it’s careening out of control.
Related: Oscars: Anything Goes In This Year’s Race
Starting with the October release of Warner Bros‘ Argo, several real-life Presidents have been used to either officially – or unofficially – make an endorsement of a contender or at least be used in ways we haven’t seen before.
Related: Oscars: Anything Goes In This Year’s Race
Starting with the October release of Warner Bros‘ Argo, several real-life Presidents have been used to either officially – or unofficially – make an endorsement of a contender or at least be used in ways we haven’t seen before.
- 2/9/2013
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, in the latest hearings on the September attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. In her appearance before the Senate last month, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended the administration's response to the attacks. Panetta's testimony today could be his last on Capitol Hill, as former Sen. Chuck Hagel has been tapped to replace him.
- 2/7/2013
- by Andrew Kirell
- Mediaite - TV
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