Robert Gottlieb, the legendary editor at Simon & Schuster, Alfred A. Knopf and The New Yorker who helped shape the work of many of the world’s greatest writers over the past six decades, has died, according to Knopf and The New Yorker. He was 92.
A partial list of the literary talents whose work Gottlieb edited includes Nobel laureates such as Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing and V.S. Naipaul; bestselling novelists such as John le Carré, Michael Crichton and Ray Bradbury; Hollywood types such as Elia Kazan, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Nora Ephron and Lauren Bacall; Pulitzer Prize-winners such as John Cheever, Katharine Graham and Robert Caro; and even a president, Bill Clinton.
Gottlieb was featured in the documentary Turn Every Page, directed by his daughter Lizzie, which premiered at last year’s Tribeca Festival and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. The film focuses on Gottlieb and Caro as...
A partial list of the literary talents whose work Gottlieb edited includes Nobel laureates such as Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing and V.S. Naipaul; bestselling novelists such as John le Carré, Michael Crichton and Ray Bradbury; Hollywood types such as Elia Kazan, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Nora Ephron and Lauren Bacall; Pulitzer Prize-winners such as John Cheever, Katharine Graham and Robert Caro; and even a president, Bill Clinton.
Gottlieb was featured in the documentary Turn Every Page, directed by his daughter Lizzie, which premiered at last year’s Tribeca Festival and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. The film focuses on Gottlieb and Caro as...
- 6/14/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Cropping up with all kinds of heat and big names being thrown around a couple of weeks ago, and then going quiet again, it looks as if Lee Daniels' "The Butler" is pushing ahead, and the cast is getting more intriguing with each passing day.
While it was widely expected the previously reported David Oyelowo would be taking the title role, Variety reports that instead it's Forest Whitaker who will be taking the part of Eugene Allen, a servant who worked in the White House for 34 years, under eight presidents, and watched the political changes that allowed segregation to come to an end. But don't worry, Oyelowo is still onboard, only he'll be playing Allen's son which leads us to guess this story will be told in flashback of some kind. Meanwhile, remember when Orpah Winfrey was kickaround as a co-star? Well, here name is still in the ring to play Allen's wife.
While it was widely expected the previously reported David Oyelowo would be taking the title role, Variety reports that instead it's Forest Whitaker who will be taking the part of Eugene Allen, a servant who worked in the White House for 34 years, under eight presidents, and watched the political changes that allowed segregation to come to an end. But don't worry, Oyelowo is still onboard, only he'll be playing Allen's son which leads us to guess this story will be told in flashback of some kind. Meanwhile, remember when Orpah Winfrey was kickaround as a co-star? Well, here name is still in the ring to play Allen's wife.
- 3/6/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
For me the best news produced by the Florida primary was Newt Gingrich's vow to take his fight all the way to the floor of this year's Republican convention. It has been way too long since a national political convention was more than a coronation stage-managed by public relations experts. It seems likely that Mitt Romney will be this year's Gop nominee, although with the party's revolving-door Surges of the Week we can never be sure. It is unlikely to be any of the other remaining candidates, although Ron Paul may use his pledged delegates to win a speaking slot. I'll enjoy that. He has the rare quality of talking turkey, and is funnier than his rivals. He is, in fact, the only candidate in either party who is likely to say something unexpected (on purpose) every time he speaks.
Newt is a seasoned politician and surely doesn't believe...
Newt is a seasoned politician and surely doesn't believe...
- 2/3/2012
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
In the midst of an extraordinarily divisive Gop Primary that will assuredly lead into an even more divisive Presidential Election, sometimes us regular American (professionally blogging) shmoes are left to wonder if rival politicians really can ever agree on anything. It turns out, there is, in fact, one – and Only one – issue on which nearly every president of the last hundred years has seen perfectly eye-to-eye regardless of their politics, platform, or party affiliation: Dogs are awesome. Because we strongly agree with this sentiment as well, we’ve compiled the following playfully subjective list of the 12 Most Adorable Presidential Dogs of the last hundred years (sorry, William Henry Harrison’s pneumonia-retriever). Enjoy it now, cause it’s the last time we’ll all be agreeing on something vaguely political for the rest of 2012 (click any for Full Size): 12. Liberty, Gerald Ford’s Golden Retriever 11. Millie, George H. W. Bush’s Springer Spaniel 10. Rob Roy,...
- 1/11/2012
- by Dan Hopper
- BestWeekEver
Oscar nominee and Hollywood legend Tony Curtis is still turning heads. An estate sale hosted by Julien's Auctions of Beverly Hills brought in over $1 million dollars this Saturday (Sept. 18) after selling off a variety of Tony Curtis memorabilia.
Items at the auction included:
A signed Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" lithograph (sold for $53,125)"Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket (sold for $46,875)Earthenware vases by Pablo Picasso (sold for $20,625)Sterling silver cigarette case from the JFK/Lyndon Johnson inauguration (sold for $6,875)
A portion of the proceeds were set aside to benefit the Shiloh Horse Rescue, a charity founded by Tony Curtis and one of his five wives, Jill Vandenberg Curtis.
Items at the auction included:
A signed Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" lithograph (sold for $53,125)"Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket (sold for $46,875)Earthenware vases by Pablo Picasso (sold for $20,625)Sterling silver cigarette case from the JFK/Lyndon Johnson inauguration (sold for $6,875)
A portion of the proceeds were set aside to benefit the Shiloh Horse Rescue, a charity founded by Tony Curtis and one of his five wives, Jill Vandenberg Curtis.
- 9/18/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Fine art, jewelry and Hollywood memorabilia owned by Tony Curtis -- including the yachtsman jacket he wore in "Some Like It Hot" -- brought in over $1 million on the auction block on Saturday, more than twice the presale estimates.
Curtis, who enjoyed a 60-year career in show business before his death in 2010 at age 85, appeared in more than 100 films and received an Oscar nomination for the 1958 drama "The Defiant Ones." He was an art lover and painter as well.
The estate items on sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills featured property Curtis acquired throughout his life, from the time he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II to the 2000s. The presale estimate on the collection was $500,000.
Highlights included the Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" shoe lithograph, signed by Warhol to Curtis around 1955, which sold for $53,125; the "Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket,...
Curtis, who enjoyed a 60-year career in show business before his death in 2010 at age 85, appeared in more than 100 films and received an Oscar nomination for the 1958 drama "The Defiant Ones." He was an art lover and painter as well.
The estate items on sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills featured property Curtis acquired throughout his life, from the time he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II to the 2000s. The presale estimate on the collection was $500,000.
Highlights included the Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" shoe lithograph, signed by Warhol to Curtis around 1955, which sold for $53,125; the "Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket,...
- 9/18/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Here is the great lesson of the newly unsealed Jacqueline Kennedy oral history tapes: Jackie said some snarky things. And her biting, often witty remarks have actually burnished and freshened up her image. Doesn’t it make her seem more real, likable, shrewd and contemporary to have called Indira Gandhi “a prune”? If you watched Diane Sawyer’s two-hour special last night, Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words, you’d already heard the most explosive, cutting bits from that oral history: that Jackie had called Lyndon Johnson out on his “enormous ego” and said Martin Luther King was a “terrible” man (based partly…...
- 9/14/2011
- James on ScreenS
First Lady Jackie Kennedy-- perhaps servicing as a thermometer on the public's demand for non-recent political news-- has become the hottest media topic of the week with new interviews surfacing with Arthur Schlesinger. Among her comments therein are some strong words for Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson which, given today's understanding of those men, may appear shocking. On tonight's O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly and historian Kenneth Davis discuss the context of her statements at the time.
- 9/14/2011
- by Frances Martel
- Mediaite - TV
Jackie Kennedy was not a fan of Martin Luther King or Lyndon Johnson.
That's according to a new book with interviews of the former first lady. The Associated Press got their hands early on a copy of Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy and it looks like Jackie O can still draw headlines.
The book will be released Sept. 14 and comes out on the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's first year in office.
According to the AP, Jackie shared in her husband and brother-in-law's dislike of Johnson and even discussed ways to prevent him from winning the future Democratic nomination.
The former First Lady also told historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. of her opinions of King, who she said made fun of her husband's funeral and the Cardinal who officiated at it.
He made fun of Cardinal Cushing and said that he was drunk at it.
That's according to a new book with interviews of the former first lady. The Associated Press got their hands early on a copy of Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy and it looks like Jackie O can still draw headlines.
The book will be released Sept. 14 and comes out on the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's first year in office.
According to the AP, Jackie shared in her husband and brother-in-law's dislike of Johnson and even discussed ways to prevent him from winning the future Democratic nomination.
The former First Lady also told historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. of her opinions of King, who she said made fun of her husband's funeral and the Cardinal who officiated at it.
He made fun of Cardinal Cushing and said that he was drunk at it.
- 9/9/2011
- by reelz reelz
- Reelzchannel.com
"A smart, confident kick start to what looks like being a notably strong Venice film festival, The Ides of March showcases George Clooney, its director, co/writer and joint lead actor, back in the politically committed mood that spawned Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck." The Telegraph's David Gritten: "A political thriller exploring themes of loyalty, ambition and the gap between public ideals and private fallibility, it engages the brain within the context of a solid entertainment." 4 out of 5 stars.
At the Playlist, Oliver Lyttelton sets it up: "Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) is something of a wunderkind. Still in his 20s, he’s a senior adviser to the campaign of Democratic primary candidate Governor Mike Morris (Clooney). Morris seems to be the real deal, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of candidate, and Myers had never been more fired up, particularly with mentor Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) at the helm, and...
At the Playlist, Oliver Lyttelton sets it up: "Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) is something of a wunderkind. Still in his 20s, he’s a senior adviser to the campaign of Democratic primary candidate Governor Mike Morris (Clooney). Morris seems to be the real deal, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of candidate, and Myers had never been more fired up, particularly with mentor Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) at the helm, and...
- 9/1/2011
- MUBI
George Clooney's campaign thriller starts out with crusading zeal, but feels a little commercial for an opening night slot at the Venice film festival
The 68th Venice film festival opened to a backdrop of crisis in the Eurozone, swingeing government cuts to the city's maintenance grant and the inevitable, ongoing soap-operatics of Silvio Berlusconi. Happily it also opened to The Ides of March, which at least reminds us that the world of Us politics is no bed of roses either. This handsome, solid campaign thriller paints its primary colours in darkening shades of grey.
George Clooney directs and stars as Democrat governor Mike Morris, a centre-left poster boy, manoeuvred towards the nomination by a pair of driven back-room advisers. Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the rumpled, battle-hardened veteran, nominally in charge but increasingly outpaced by Stephen (Ryan Gosling), his hotshot young lieutenant. Morris is within a whisker of securing...
The 68th Venice film festival opened to a backdrop of crisis in the Eurozone, swingeing government cuts to the city's maintenance grant and the inevitable, ongoing soap-operatics of Silvio Berlusconi. Happily it also opened to The Ides of March, which at least reminds us that the world of Us politics is no bed of roses either. This handsome, solid campaign thriller paints its primary colours in darkening shades of grey.
George Clooney directs and stars as Democrat governor Mike Morris, a centre-left poster boy, manoeuvred towards the nomination by a pair of driven back-room advisers. Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the rumpled, battle-hardened veteran, nominally in charge but increasingly outpaced by Stephen (Ryan Gosling), his hotshot young lieutenant. Morris is within a whisker of securing...
- 8/31/2011
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Character actor who portrayed smarmy politicians, sadistic generals and unspeakable authoritarian figures
There is a scene in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II (1974) that crystallises the entire film career of the character actor Gd Spradlin, who has died aged 90. As the corrupt senator Pat Geary, Spradlin asks the mafia boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) for a bribe, so that he can grant gaming licences to the "family" for several casinos in Nevada. During the meeting, Geary launches into an attack on the Corleones, a name he pronounces with derision. "I intend to squeeze you. I don't like your kind of people. I don't like to see you come out to this clean country with oily hair and trussed up in those silk suits trying to pass yourselves off as decent Americans. I'll do business with you, but the fact is I despise you masquerading in the dishonest way you pose yourself.
There is a scene in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II (1974) that crystallises the entire film career of the character actor Gd Spradlin, who has died aged 90. As the corrupt senator Pat Geary, Spradlin asks the mafia boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) for a bribe, so that he can grant gaming licences to the "family" for several casinos in Nevada. During the meeting, Geary launches into an attack on the Corleones, a name he pronounces with derision. "I intend to squeeze you. I don't like your kind of people. I don't like to see you come out to this clean country with oily hair and trussed up in those silk suits trying to pass yourselves off as decent Americans. I'll do business with you, but the fact is I despise you masquerading in the dishonest way you pose yourself.
- 8/16/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
One of the finest documentaries ever to come out of America, Steve James's Hoop Dreams (1994) followed two black teenagers from Chicago's South Side over a period of five years as they tried to turn their skills at basketball into "a ticket out of the ghetto" via superior high schools and basketball scholarships that would make them rich sporting superstars. It was an intense human drama with an enormous cast, painfully depressing but neither glib nor hectoring, that threw a searching light on American society and an all-embracing system that turned a healthy recreational activity into brutal business. James's latest film, The Interrupters (the subject of a major piece by Andrew Anthony in last Sunday's New Review), is shorter, set in the same Chicago milieu, and equally serious. Though quietly impressive, it's inevitably a lesser thing, lacking Hoop Dreams's narrative force and allegorical power.
Made in collaboration with the journalist...
Made in collaboration with the journalist...
- 8/13/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Joyce McKinney, the focal point of Errol Morris' lens in Tabloid.
Errol Morris Digs The Dirt With Tabloid
By Alex Simon
When Errol Morris’ documentary The Thin Blue Line hit movie screens in 1988, it helped jump-start the rather tired genre back to life again. After a renaissance of the documentary film in the 1960s through the early ‘70s from the likes of The Maysles Brothers (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens), D.A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back), and Robert Drew (Crisis, Primary), the documentary film seemed relegated to late night spots on local PBS affiliates, narrated by boozy British actors in the downslide of their careers. Morris’ tale of Randall Adams, a man not only wrongly jailed for murdering a Dallas cop in the late ‘70s, but convicted due to the testimony of the man who actually did it, was an intoxicating blend of first-person realism, film noir detective story, and very real moral outrage.
Errol Morris Digs The Dirt With Tabloid
By Alex Simon
When Errol Morris’ documentary The Thin Blue Line hit movie screens in 1988, it helped jump-start the rather tired genre back to life again. After a renaissance of the documentary film in the 1960s through the early ‘70s from the likes of The Maysles Brothers (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens), D.A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back), and Robert Drew (Crisis, Primary), the documentary film seemed relegated to late night spots on local PBS affiliates, narrated by boozy British actors in the downslide of their careers. Morris’ tale of Randall Adams, a man not only wrongly jailed for murdering a Dallas cop in the late ‘70s, but convicted due to the testimony of the man who actually did it, was an intoxicating blend of first-person realism, film noir detective story, and very real moral outrage.
- 7/18/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
DVD Playhouse—July 2011
By Allen Gardner
The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.
By Allen Gardner
The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.
- 7/7/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Gilmore Girls premiered season three on September 24, 2002. It kicked off with drama, as Rory came home for her last year of high school to find Jess with another girl. Later on, she dealt with boy problems between Jess and Dean, along with the non-stop comedy from her family.
In addition, Lorelai dealt with some issues of her own. Between her hilarious arguments with Emily, and "motherly talks" with Rory, there was never a boring moment when she was in the scene!
Want to go back and remember some of the most hilarious moments from Season 3? We've posted the most memorable Gilmore Girls quotes from that time below:
Lorelai: (about Emily's manipulative tactics) She's like Lyndon Johnson with the Senate. Effortless. | permalink Young Christopher: (in flashback, about baby Rory) She's pretty.
Young Lorelai: She's perfect.
Young Christopher: I guess this means we have to get married now. | permalink Jess: If a horse-drawn carriage shows up here,...
In addition, Lorelai dealt with some issues of her own. Between her hilarious arguments with Emily, and "motherly talks" with Rory, there was never a boring moment when she was in the scene!
Want to go back and remember some of the most hilarious moments from Season 3? We've posted the most memorable Gilmore Girls quotes from that time below:
Lorelai: (about Emily's manipulative tactics) She's like Lyndon Johnson with the Senate. Effortless. | permalink Young Christopher: (in flashback, about baby Rory) She's pretty.
Young Lorelai: She's perfect.
Young Christopher: I guess this means we have to get married now. | permalink Jess: If a horse-drawn carriage shows up here,...
- 5/26/2011
- by Jackie@tvfanatic.com (Jackie Burkhart)
- TVfanatic
With the great evangelist in his twilight, his children are jostling over his image and the family name. In this week's Newsweek, Lisa Miller reports on the younger Grahams' politics, infighting-and efforts to protect their father from the press.
Billy Graham was upstairs, napping. In the kitchen of the mountaintop home where he and his wife, Ruth, raised their five children, the table was set for lunch. Except for a flickering candle on that table and the exuberant pacing of two large dogs named China and Lars, the house was still, as empty as a museum after hours. The walls-witness to so many squabbles and pranks, prayers and hymns, private conversations with would-be presidents, rock stars, and prizefighters-did not speak.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Should We Hit Gaddafi Next?
A floorboard creaked above me. May I see him? I asked. May I say hello?
No, said his son Franklin.
Billy Graham was upstairs, napping. In the kitchen of the mountaintop home where he and his wife, Ruth, raised their five children, the table was set for lunch. Except for a flickering candle on that table and the exuberant pacing of two large dogs named China and Lars, the house was still, as empty as a museum after hours. The walls-witness to so many squabbles and pranks, prayers and hymns, private conversations with would-be presidents, rock stars, and prizefighters-did not speak.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Should We Hit Gaddafi Next?
A floorboard creaked above me. May I see him? I asked. May I say hello?
No, said his son Franklin.
- 5/17/2011
- by Lisa Miller
- The Daily Beast
The president roasted Donald Trump in Washington, toured tornado devastation in Alabama, and gave a commencement speech in Miami-while directing the secret mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Lloyd Grove on Obama's uncanny ability to compartmentalize. Plus, full coverage of bin Laden.
Presidents are different from you and me. Certainly Barack Obama is.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Democrats' Negotiator in Chief
On Saturday night, he was joking, laughing, and chitchatting at the head table of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Dapper in his tux, he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. On Sunday morning he slipped away to Andrews Air Force Base for his regular golf foursome. The round was abbreviated to nine holes by chilly, rainy weather, but that didn't stop him from practicing drives and spending four hours and 22 minutes outside the White House grounds.
Gallery: Timeline of Bin Laden's Life...
Presidents are different from you and me. Certainly Barack Obama is.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Democrats' Negotiator in Chief
On Saturday night, he was joking, laughing, and chitchatting at the head table of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Dapper in his tux, he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. On Sunday morning he slipped away to Andrews Air Force Base for his regular golf foursome. The round was abbreviated to nine holes by chilly, rainy weather, but that didn't stop him from practicing drives and spending four hours and 22 minutes outside the White House grounds.
Gallery: Timeline of Bin Laden's Life...
- 5/3/2011
- by Lloyd Grove
- The Daily Beast
Continuing in the honor of the upcoming Texas Frightmare Weekend, Tmp takes a look at some of the most notorious "curses" that have seemingly plagued Hollywood over the years. Chronicling odd circumstances and strange occurrences, some of these instances are just plain creepy.
Curses and misfortune have persisted in the realm of artistic creation since the premiere of Shakespeare's Macbeth, quite possibly before that. But the stories behind the curses that terrorize some productions would seek to prove that the supernatural can affect more than just the imagination. The following stories are just a few of the more intriguing ones we've discovered haunting the hallowed history of Hollywood.
Calories Or Curses?
A Confederacy of Dunces
Widely regarded as one of the most cursed projects in Hollywood, A Confederacy of Dunces, based on the absolutely hilarious and bestselling book by John Kennedy Toole, has yet to even get off the ground.
Curses and misfortune have persisted in the realm of artistic creation since the premiere of Shakespeare's Macbeth, quite possibly before that. But the stories behind the curses that terrorize some productions would seek to prove that the supernatural can affect more than just the imagination. The following stories are just a few of the more intriguing ones we've discovered haunting the hallowed history of Hollywood.
Calories Or Curses?
A Confederacy of Dunces
Widely regarded as one of the most cursed projects in Hollywood, A Confederacy of Dunces, based on the absolutely hilarious and bestselling book by John Kennedy Toole, has yet to even get off the ground.
- 4/14/2011
- Cinelinx
© 2010 Kennedys Productions (Ontario) Inc. and Zak Cassar An image from the miniseries “The Kennedys.”
The controversial coming miniseries “The Kennedys” features mystery, bribery, skulduggery, and a good deal of adultery. What it doesn’t have is History, since that network dropped the show. The miniseries starring Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, and Barry Pepper will air on ReelzChannel on April 3. The Journal’s Lauren A.E. Schuker has put together a guide to the series.
Episode Highlights From ‘The Kennedys’
Note:...
The controversial coming miniseries “The Kennedys” features mystery, bribery, skulduggery, and a good deal of adultery. What it doesn’t have is History, since that network dropped the show. The miniseries starring Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, and Barry Pepper will air on ReelzChannel on April 3. The Journal’s Lauren A.E. Schuker has put together a guide to the series.
Episode Highlights From ‘The Kennedys’
Note:...
- 3/21/2011
- by Lauren A.E. Schuker
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
In times of trouble, Obama often looks to his predecessors for guidance. In this week's Newsweek, Christopher Dickey and John Barry wonder amid such a pileup of disasters, crises, and wars, who's the best model?
When the world is in meltdown mode and everyone is looking to America's president for answers, where does he turn for advice, for reassurance, for the courage of his convictions and just the courage to make a decision?
Related story on The Daily Beast: Selling the Civil War to African Americans
One thing we do know about Obama: when the going gets tough, he goes to the library and pulls out the history of one predecessor or another. And so, to glean an idea of the enormous pressures those earlier presidents faced, and the ways in which they reached their most crucial decisions, we spoke to advisers who worked with some of them, and to...
When the world is in meltdown mode and everyone is looking to America's president for answers, where does he turn for advice, for reassurance, for the courage of his convictions and just the courage to make a decision?
Related story on The Daily Beast: Selling the Civil War to African Americans
One thing we do know about Obama: when the going gets tough, he goes to the library and pulls out the history of one predecessor or another. And so, to glean an idea of the enormous pressures those earlier presidents faced, and the ways in which they reached their most crucial decisions, we spoke to advisers who worked with some of them, and to...
- 3/21/2011
- by Christopher Dickey & John Barry
- The Daily Beast
According to an MPAA press release, former Democratic Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd has been appointed as the next chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America. Dodd reports to work on March 17, just three months after the last of his five terms in Congress. Here's Dodd's quote from the press release:
"I am truly excited about representing the interests of one of the most creative and productive industries in America, not only in Washington but around the world," said Senator Dodd. "The major motion picture studios consistently produce and distribute the most sought after and enjoyable entertainment on earth. Protecting this great American export will be my highest priority."
Dodd replaces Dan Glickman, who stepped down in 2010 after six years in the position. Glickman's predecessor was Jack Valenti, the former Lyndon Johnson special assistant who became famous --and later infamous -- for creating the MPAA's Classification and Ratings Board,...
"I am truly excited about representing the interests of one of the most creative and productive industries in America, not only in Washington but around the world," said Senator Dodd. "The major motion picture studios consistently produce and distribute the most sought after and enjoyable entertainment on earth. Protecting this great American export will be my highest priority."
Dodd replaces Dan Glickman, who stepped down in 2010 after six years in the position. Glickman's predecessor was Jack Valenti, the former Lyndon Johnson special assistant who became famous --and later infamous -- for creating the MPAA's Classification and Ratings Board,...
- 3/1/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Obama's new press secretary doesn't report directly to the president. Lloyd Grove talks to alumni of the office and longtime White House reporters about the limits on Jay Carney's clout.
When Jay Carney takes over from Robert Gibbs as President Obama's chief spokesman this month, it might become a case of "be careful what you wish for" for White House beat reporters.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Gabrielle Giffords' Shooting: The Impact on Obama's Presidency
Carney certainly has friends in the press room-but does he have clout in the West Wing?
Time magazine's former Washington bureau chief, 45, spent two decades as a journalist before joining the administration two years ago as Vice President Biden's communications director, and is expected to be far more responsive to the needs of his erstwhile colleagues than the sometimes flippant Gibbs. The 39-year-old Gibbs, a trusted Obama confidant since the latter's 2004 Senate race,...
When Jay Carney takes over from Robert Gibbs as President Obama's chief spokesman this month, it might become a case of "be careful what you wish for" for White House beat reporters.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Gabrielle Giffords' Shooting: The Impact on Obama's Presidency
Carney certainly has friends in the press room-but does he have clout in the West Wing?
Time magazine's former Washington bureau chief, 45, spent two decades as a journalist before joining the administration two years ago as Vice President Biden's communications director, and is expected to be far more responsive to the needs of his erstwhile colleagues than the sometimes flippant Gibbs. The 39-year-old Gibbs, a trusted Obama confidant since the latter's 2004 Senate race,...
- 2/1/2011
- by Lloyd Grove
- The Daily Beast
American comedian David Frye has died. He was 77.
The funnyman, best known for his impressions of U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, passed away last Monday after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest at his Las Vegas home.
Starting his career in clubs and at colleges across the U.S., he went on to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during the 1960s and 70s.
As well as his beloved impersonation of Nixon, the New Yorker was known for his satirical takes on Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, William F. Buckley, Walter Cronkite, Kirk Douglas and Howard Cosell.
His sister Ruth Welch says, "He was a generous person and a very good brother in time of need. He was very much loved by the whole family, and he'll be terribly missed."...
The funnyman, best known for his impressions of U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, passed away last Monday after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest at his Las Vegas home.
Starting his career in clubs and at colleges across the U.S., he went on to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during the 1960s and 70s.
As well as his beloved impersonation of Nixon, the New Yorker was known for his satirical takes on Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, William F. Buckley, Walter Cronkite, Kirk Douglas and Howard Cosell.
His sister Ruth Welch says, "He was a generous person and a very good brother in time of need. He was very much loved by the whole family, and he'll be terribly missed."...
- 1/30/2011
- WENN
Truman in his slippers, the Kennedy grandchildren shivering through the speeches, the Kennedy siblings' impromptu lunch of soup and sandwiches-jfk intimates tell Eleanor Clift what they remember most from that snowy January day a half-century ago.
Weather forecasters had predicted light snow turning to rain on the eve of President Kennedy's inauguration, but the snow fell heavy and steady, covering Pennsylvania Avenue with an 8-inch white blanket and forcing the Army Corps of Engineers' snow-removal force to work through the night to clear the parade route. January 20, 1961, dawned sunny and cold, with gusty winds that made the 22 degrees registered at noon for the swearing-in feel like 7 degrees.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Chelsea Clinton's Secret Wedding Plans
It had just begun to snow when press aide Sue Vogelsinger made her way to the Mayflower Hotel to give Harry Truman an advance copy of the inaugural speech.
She found...
Weather forecasters had predicted light snow turning to rain on the eve of President Kennedy's inauguration, but the snow fell heavy and steady, covering Pennsylvania Avenue with an 8-inch white blanket and forcing the Army Corps of Engineers' snow-removal force to work through the night to clear the parade route. January 20, 1961, dawned sunny and cold, with gusty winds that made the 22 degrees registered at noon for the swearing-in feel like 7 degrees.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Chelsea Clinton's Secret Wedding Plans
It had just begun to snow when press aide Sue Vogelsinger made her way to the Mayflower Hotel to give Harry Truman an advance copy of the inaugural speech.
She found...
- 1/20/2011
- by Eleanor Clift
- The Daily Beast
The country's greatest political dynasty lost one of its last, most warmly regarded figures Tuesday. Sargent Shriver, perhaps best known now as the father of Maria Shriver, died at age 95 after a years-long decline due to Alzheimer's. "Our dad, Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., lovingly known as 'Sarge,' today went to heaven to join the love of his life, our mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. He was surrounded by his five children, five children in-law, and his 19 grandchildren," the family said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "He was a man of giant love, energy, enthusiasm, and commitment. He lived to...
- 1/18/2011
- by Tom Gliatto
- PEOPLE.com
Hillary Clinton called him "my biggest headache" but also an "inspiration," President Obama said Holbrooke "made a difference"-Howard Kurtz reports from a sparkling, humor-filled tribute that somehow matched the spirit of the man. Plus, Newsweek's report on Holbrooke's war with the White House.
It was somehow fitting that it took two presidents, a vice president, a secretary of State, a Joint Chiefs chairman, two heads of state, and 20 foreign ministers to pay tribute today to Richard Holbrooke, a man of boundless energy, unbridled ambition, and maddening contradictions.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Nice Rhetoric, but Need Real Results
Amid the splendor of the Kennedy Center, the bull-headed diplomat who tried most recently to solve the puzzle of Afghanistan and Pakistan was remembered as an indomitable force who often had little time or patience for niceties of domestic life.
The two-hour service had an upbeat, gently humorous tone sprinkled with superlatives,...
It was somehow fitting that it took two presidents, a vice president, a secretary of State, a Joint Chiefs chairman, two heads of state, and 20 foreign ministers to pay tribute today to Richard Holbrooke, a man of boundless energy, unbridled ambition, and maddening contradictions.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Nice Rhetoric, but Need Real Results
Amid the splendor of the Kennedy Center, the bull-headed diplomat who tried most recently to solve the puzzle of Afghanistan and Pakistan was remembered as an indomitable force who often had little time or patience for niceties of domestic life.
The two-hour service had an upbeat, gently humorous tone sprinkled with superlatives,...
- 1/14/2011
- by Howard Kurtz
- The Daily Beast
U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke was a team player with a strong moral compass. Wesley Clark, Paul Begala, David Axelrod and more remember his astounding career.
David Gergen
Related story on The Daily Beast: An American in Full
"He was a sort of force of nature. He was to diplomacy what Lyndon Johnson was to politics. And you had this sense of, ‘We're just not going to meet this kind of guy again. And I just, I just thought he was indestructible.
"He was a man that if you were president and you had to face somebody who was a criminal or one of the really bad guys out there, you called Dick Holbrooke." -On Parker Spitzer
Paul Begala
"What I think was unique about Holbrooke was this: A lot of people in diplomacy at his level are very bright. And a few people are very tough. But it's never the same person.
David Gergen
Related story on The Daily Beast: An American in Full
"He was a sort of force of nature. He was to diplomacy what Lyndon Johnson was to politics. And you had this sense of, ‘We're just not going to meet this kind of guy again. And I just, I just thought he was indestructible.
"He was a man that if you were president and you had to face somebody who was a criminal or one of the really bad guys out there, you called Dick Holbrooke." -On Parker Spitzer
Paul Begala
"What I think was unique about Holbrooke was this: A lot of people in diplomacy at his level are very bright. And a few people are very tough. But it's never the same person.
- 12/14/2010
- by The Daily Beast
- The Daily Beast
Richard Holbrooke pushed harder and cared more than other American foreign-policy players. Peter Beinart on Holbrooke's special blend of superpower swagger and moral passion.
There will probably never be another American diplomat like Richard Holbrooke. The reason is partly personal. Most diplomats are careful, reserved, discreet... diplomatic. Holbrooke was the opposite. He didn't merely court reporters; he stalked them. And when they didn't write enough about him, he wrote about himself. He did not do subtle. When he bore down on people, he had about as much respect for personal space as Lyndon Johnson in a men's room. As Democratic doyenne Pamela Harriman once put it, "he's not entirely housebroken."
Related story on The Daily Beast: An American in Full
In all these ways, Holbrooke was part of the sociology of 20th-century American Jewry. He entered the Foreign Service in the 1960s, when it was still something of a Wasp club.
There will probably never be another American diplomat like Richard Holbrooke. The reason is partly personal. Most diplomats are careful, reserved, discreet... diplomatic. Holbrooke was the opposite. He didn't merely court reporters; he stalked them. And when they didn't write enough about him, he wrote about himself. He did not do subtle. When he bore down on people, he had about as much respect for personal space as Lyndon Johnson in a men's room. As Democratic doyenne Pamela Harriman once put it, "he's not entirely housebroken."
Related story on The Daily Beast: An American in Full
In all these ways, Holbrooke was part of the sociology of 20th-century American Jewry. He entered the Foreign Service in the 1960s, when it was still something of a Wasp club.
- 12/14/2010
- by Peter Beinart
- The Daily Beast
Exclusive: In his first U.S. series gig, veteran British actor Michael Gambon has joined the new HBO drama Luck as a recurring. Also added to the series as a recurring is Patrick J. Adams. Luck, a David Milch/Michael Mann collaboration starring Dustin Hoffman, takes a provocative look at horse racing -- the owners, gamblers, jockeys and industry players. Gambon, who previously worked with Mann on The Insider, will play a yet-to-be-named character described as a nemesis or worthy adversary for Hoffman's Ace Bernstein. Adams will play Nathan Israel, who works closely with Bernstein. Luck, which is currently in production, recently added Joan Allen as a recurring. Executive producing the series are Milch, Mann, and Carolyn Strauss. Gambon, who earned an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Lyndon Johnson in the 2002 HBO movie Path to War, plays King George V in Oscar hopeful The King's Speech and reprises his role as Prof.
- 12/10/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
From Mark Twain publishing Grant's memoirs to Nixon's unapologetic account, it's always controversial when a former president picks up a pen. But as Josh Robinson writes, few have stood the test of time.
Sitting at the Tehran Conference in 1943, as the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union shored up their alliance, Winston Churchill already had plans to set down his wartime memoirs, once the whole grisly business was done. So it was with great confidence that he turned to Josef Stalin and Franklin Roosevelt with a promise. "History will judge us kindly," he said in his growling baritone, "because I shall write the history."
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Strange Bush Fetus Secret
Gallery: The 20 Best-Selling Politicians
It is a lesson that men in power have taken to heart. None more so than the former presidents of the United States. And as George W. Bush's memoirs,...
Sitting at the Tehran Conference in 1943, as the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union shored up their alliance, Winston Churchill already had plans to set down his wartime memoirs, once the whole grisly business was done. So it was with great confidence that he turned to Josef Stalin and Franklin Roosevelt with a promise. "History will judge us kindly," he said in his growling baritone, "because I shall write the history."
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Strange Bush Fetus Secret
Gallery: The 20 Best-Selling Politicians
It is a lesson that men in power have taken to heart. None more so than the former presidents of the United States. And as George W. Bush's memoirs,...
- 11/9/2010
- by Joshua Robinson
- The Daily Beast
The relationships between rappers and presidents have always been tenuous at best. Or at least so we thought. This week, there have been two incidents that have united the worlds of hip-hop and presidential politics in ways that nobody really saw coming. Earlier this week, George W. Bush declared that the moment that Kanye West announced "George Bush doesn't care about black people" during a telethon was the lowest point of his presidency. West responded in typical fashion, saying that he related to Bush because they both have been under the same kind scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Bill Clinton tipped his hat to Lil Wayne earlier this week in anticipation of the Mc's release from Rikers Island. "This guy's smart. And he's got abilities," Clinton said. "And he's got a new chance now. And what I hope is that this is not just something to brand him as a cool guy, but...
Meanwhile, Bill Clinton tipped his hat to Lil Wayne earlier this week in anticipation of the Mc's release from Rikers Island. "This guy's smart. And he's got abilities," Clinton said. "And he's got a new chance now. And what I hope is that this is not just something to brand him as a cool guy, but...
- 11/4/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
After setting record-breaking ratings on BBC America, the Doctor Who cast and crew will film a two-part story on American soil for the first time in the show's history, announced BBC.
Those trying to deduce what the story could be about might start by looking for anything significant that might have happened in a Utah desert during the 1960s. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory start their adventure in Utah and end up in The Oval Office itself, which means one of four different U.S. presidents could make an appearance: Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, or Richard Nixon.
“The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually! And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location -- and...
Those trying to deduce what the story could be about might start by looking for anything significant that might have happened in a Utah desert during the 1960s. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory start their adventure in Utah and end up in The Oval Office itself, which means one of four different U.S. presidents could make an appearance: Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, or Richard Nixon.
“The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually! And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location -- and...
- 10/10/2010
- by Tom Cheredar
- Geeks of Doom
Marshall Flaum, a visionary documentarian and five-time Emmy-winning producer-director-writer, died Oct. 1 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of complications following hip surgery. He was 85.
Marshall Flaum and Jacques Costeau During a 55-year career, Flaum's work included collaborations with Jacques Cousteau, Jane Goodall, David Wolper, Jack Haley Jr. and Hanna-Barbera, with subjects ranging from Lyndon Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright to James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
In the first of his two Oscar-nominated docs, "The Yanks Are Coming" (1963), Flaum created what he called "the entertainment documentary." He became one of the first in his field to integrate popular music of the time with stock footage of World War I.
"Let My People Go: The Story of Israel" (1965), for which he received his second Academy Award nom and a Peabody Award, examined the plight of the Jews.
After serving in the Army in World War...
Marshall Flaum and Jacques Costeau During a 55-year career, Flaum's work included collaborations with Jacques Cousteau, Jane Goodall, David Wolper, Jack Haley Jr. and Hanna-Barbera, with subjects ranging from Lyndon Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright to James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
In the first of his two Oscar-nominated docs, "The Yanks Are Coming" (1963), Flaum created what he called "the entertainment documentary." He became one of the first in his field to integrate popular music of the time with stock footage of World War I.
"Let My People Go: The Story of Israel" (1965), for which he received his second Academy Award nom and a Peabody Award, examined the plight of the Jews.
After serving in the Army in World War...
- 10/5/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"The Summer Man" is another very fine and very consequential episode of Mad Men. We're up to June 1965, hence the title of the episode, moving swiftly through time with over a third of the season left. It was just before Thanksgiving 1964 when the season began, and Lyndon Johnson, the assassinated JFK's vice president, had just been elected president in a landslide. As always, there be spoilers ahead. Another big campaign is underway, for mayor of New York City, and it deeply affects two of our major characters. But before we get to that, let's talk about the Summer Man. It's Don Draper, of course. He's gone through a string of depressing holidays, the winning of a big award, and now the death of his closest friend -- Mad Men creator Matt Weiner has seemed determined to showcase Don...
- 9/13/2010
- by William Bradley
- Huffington Post
Lee Daniels, director of the critically-acclaimed film Precious, is lining up his next movie, The Butler, and has approached Denzel Washington to star.
According to Deadline, Daniels will re-write and direct the story of Eugene Allen, a servant at the White House from 1952 to 1986 under eight different presidents where he witnessed the collapse of segregation in the United States. Allen was invited the inauguration of President Barack Obama before passing away in March.
The film will be based on a series of articles by Wil Haygood about Allen and a first draft from Danny Strong (Recount).
Since his previous work received six Oscar nominations, Daniels has been desperately searching for financing for Selma, a civil rights story about Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. He has even lined up a cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Liam Neeson, David Oyelowo, Ray Winstone, Robert De Niro, Cedric the Entertainer, all of...
According to Deadline, Daniels will re-write and direct the story of Eugene Allen, a servant at the White House from 1952 to 1986 under eight different presidents where he witnessed the collapse of segregation in the United States. Allen was invited the inauguration of President Barack Obama before passing away in March.
The film will be based on a series of articles by Wil Haygood about Allen and a first draft from Danny Strong (Recount).
Since his previous work received six Oscar nominations, Daniels has been desperately searching for financing for Selma, a civil rights story about Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. He has even lined up a cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Liam Neeson, David Oyelowo, Ray Winstone, Robert De Niro, Cedric the Entertainer, all of...
- 7/31/2010
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Exclusive: While Precious director Lee Daniels continues to wait for financing to mobilize on the Civil Rights drama Selma, he has closed a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to rewrite and direct The Butler. The Laura Ziskin-produced drama is based on Eugene Allen. A servant in the White House over 34 years, Allen watched the eight presidents he worked for wrestle with and finally stem the tide of segregation. The film is based on a series of articles written on Butler by Wil Haygood. After Haygood's first article, the long-retired Allen was invited to be a guest at the inauguration of the country's first African American president, Barack Obama, bringing his experience full circle. The first draft was written by Recount's Danny Strong. Daniels will begin re-writing immediately and I'm told the picture could be ready to start before year's end--Daniels has gone as far as approach Denzel Washington...
- 7/30/2010
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
How much trust do we put in our elected officials? How far-reaching, how blatant are the lies that the government tells us, reaching all the way up the ladder to the big man in the oval office? Daniel Ellsberg discovered the answers to these questions first hand during his time working with the Rand Corporation in collaboration with Robert McNamara and the U.S. government during the Vietnam War. This was a devastating revelation that ultimately shifted his views and his life, resulting in a shift in the interpretation of the First Amendment in relation to the publication of classified documents in the media.
Is this all a bit much to take in? Well, The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg And The Pentagon Papers is the kind of documentary that can present enough information to make your head spin, or to inform and awaken audiences to the underbelly of American history.
Is this all a bit much to take in? Well, The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg And The Pentagon Papers is the kind of documentary that can present enough information to make your head spin, or to inform and awaken audiences to the underbelly of American history.
- 4/2/2010
- by Travis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to play the role of director of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a new J. Edgar Hoover biopic which will be directed by Clint Eastwood.
It actually sounds pretty interesting, and maybe DiCaprio could be just a perfect actor for this kind of role…
So, he could play the first FBI director, huh? And what kind of man was Hoover?
Well, one thing’s for sure – he definitely was (and obviously still is) a controversial figure, so no wonder he has been portrayed many times in the media.
The FBI boss has been played by several actors in the past, from Ernest Borgnine and Bob Hoskins through to Billy Crudup, who took a supporting slot as a young Hoover in last year’s Public Enemies.
He was known for harassing political activists and wire-tapping public figures, but also credited with building the...
It actually sounds pretty interesting, and maybe DiCaprio could be just a perfect actor for this kind of role…
So, he could play the first FBI director, huh? And what kind of man was Hoover?
Well, one thing’s for sure – he definitely was (and obviously still is) a controversial figure, so no wonder he has been portrayed many times in the media.
The FBI boss has been played by several actors in the past, from Ernest Borgnine and Bob Hoskins through to Billy Crudup, who took a supporting slot as a young Hoover in last year’s Public Enemies.
He was known for harassing political activists and wire-tapping public figures, but also credited with building the...
- 4/1/2010
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
The Shutter Island star is in talks to play the notorious FBI director in a new film to be directed by Clint Eastwood and scripted by Milk writer Dustin Lance Black
He was one of the most notorious figures of postwar America, a behind-the-scenes puppet master revered by some and feared by many. Now the late FBI boss J Edgar Hoover looks set to be brought to the big screen – in the form of Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Shutter Island star is reportedly in negotiations to star in a Hoover biopic directed by Clint Eastwood. The film would chart Hoover's rise to power, spotlighting his founding of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which he ran right through to his death in 1972. During his 50s and 60s heyday, Hoover was a pivotal and polarising presence within the Us political landscape. Unremitting in his pursuit of "subversives", he was known for harassing...
He was one of the most notorious figures of postwar America, a behind-the-scenes puppet master revered by some and feared by many. Now the late FBI boss J Edgar Hoover looks set to be brought to the big screen – in the form of Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Shutter Island star is reportedly in negotiations to star in a Hoover biopic directed by Clint Eastwood. The film would chart Hoover's rise to power, spotlighting his founding of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which he ran right through to his death in 1972. During his 50s and 60s heyday, Hoover was a pivotal and polarising presence within the Us political landscape. Unremitting in his pursuit of "subversives", he was known for harassing...
- 4/1/2010
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Chicago – Is the Iraq war merely a continuation of Vietnam? In both cases, were we led to war under false pretenses, with the assurance that we were preserving democracy? Viewers on both sides of the political spectrum will be arguing about these questions long after this documentary, and the current war itself, is over.
Without even mentioning Iraq, this film indirectly highlights several provocative and unsettling similarities between the past and current wars, proving that history tends to repeat itself more often than one would care to admit. “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” is the deservedly Oscar-nominated portrait of the outraged military analyst who leaked a top-secret Pentagon study to the press. Younger viewers less familiar with Ellsberg will be riveted by his story, while older viewers will be startled by the extent to which he evolved, and the risks he undertook,...
Chicago – Is the Iraq war merely a continuation of Vietnam? In both cases, were we led to war under false pretenses, with the assurance that we were preserving democracy? Viewers on both sides of the political spectrum will be arguing about these questions long after this documentary, and the current war itself, is over.
Without even mentioning Iraq, this film indirectly highlights several provocative and unsettling similarities between the past and current wars, proving that history tends to repeat itself more often than one would care to admit. “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” is the deservedly Oscar-nominated portrait of the outraged military analyst who leaked a top-secret Pentagon study to the press. Younger viewers less familiar with Ellsberg will be riveted by his story, while older viewers will be startled by the extent to which he evolved, and the risks he undertook,...
- 3/31/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Irish actor Liam Neeson has been confirmed to play President Lyndon Johnson in the civil rights drama called "Selma.” Neeson, whose career is on fire at the minute, will work with Oscar nominated “Precious” director Lee Daniels. At the Oscars this year , Daniels hinted that Neeson and Cedric the Entertainer were on board for his next project. However, it was only confirmed this week. Lenny Kravitz and Hugh Jackman have already signed up for the movie. The movie centers on the civil rights disputes that raged during the 1960s. It primarily focuses on the historic marches staged by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965 in Selma, Alabama. David Oyelowo will play King, Jackman will star as the racist sheriff Jim Clark, and Kravitz has been cast as activist Andrew Young. Cedric the Entertainer will play Ralph Abernathy. ...
- 3/25/2010
- IrishCentral
Liam Neeson and Cedric The Entertainer have joined the cast of Lee Daniels’ Martin Luther King historical drama. The director of this year’s hard-hitting Oscar-nommed tearjerker Precious has already confirmed that Hugh Jackman and Lenny Kravitz are attached to Selma. The flick focuses on the Civil Rights march in 1965, which Dr Martin Luther King Jr led from Selma to Montgomery. MTV broke the news of Neeson and Credric’s involvement, with the former set to play President Lyndon Johnson. Cedric will play Ralph...
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- 3/25/2010
- by Josh Winning
- TotalFilm
Perhaps tired of waiting for Steven Spielberg to get around to making the Abraham Lincoln bio-pic, Liam Neeson is jumping forward 100 years in presidential history to play Lyndon Johnson in Lee Daniels' civil rights period piece, Selma, according to MTV.
Daniels is in high demand thanks to the double Oscar-winning Precious, and he quickly leaped to tackling this ambitious project, which will obviously focus on Selma, Alabama, an epicenter of the civil rights movement. Many films have tried to approach this subject from various points of view over the years - laudably in many cases - but very few of them have had much of a cultural impact.
Selma is progressing about as well as you could imagine; the cast may include Robert De Niro as Alabama governor George Wallace, and has already landed Hugh Jackman as Sheriff Jim Clark, Lenny Kravitz and Cedric the Entertainer as civil rights...
Daniels is in high demand thanks to the double Oscar-winning Precious, and he quickly leaped to tackling this ambitious project, which will obviously focus on Selma, Alabama, an epicenter of the civil rights movement. Many films have tried to approach this subject from various points of view over the years - laudably in many cases - but very few of them have had much of a cultural impact.
Selma is progressing about as well as you could imagine; the cast may include Robert De Niro as Alabama governor George Wallace, and has already landed Hugh Jackman as Sheriff Jim Clark, Lenny Kravitz and Cedric the Entertainer as civil rights...
- 3/25/2010
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Liam Neeson has been waiting to get to work on Steven Spielberg's Lincoln biopic which appears to be stalled. What's an actor to do when he can't get into the Oval Office on film? Sign up to play a different president. In this case Neeson will be taking on the role of Lyndon Johnson in Selma. It's a very good fit.
- 3/24/2010
- by Robin Ruinsky
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Liam Neeson is still waiting for Steven Spielberg to get his act together so that he can at last play Abraham Lincoln, but in the meantime, he'll play another American President who played a landmark role in Civil Rights. Lee Daniels told MTV that Neeson has signed on to play President Lyndon Johnson in Selma, Daniels' next film about the civil rights march that took place in the Alabama city in 1964. Daniels also confirmed that Cedric the Entertainer will play Martin Luther King Jr.'s close associate Ralph Abernathy, while Englishman David Oyelowo was confirmed last week to play King. He also entered us into the next round of "is he or isn't he" speculation about Robert de Niro's role as Alabama Governor George Wallace; at one point De Niro was the only confirmed actor for the film, but Daniels told MTV, "Wallace is not [cast], but [an offer is] ...
- 3/24/2010
- cinemablend.com
'It's so easy to forget, and that's why it's important to canonize these people,' the 'Precious' director tells MTV News.
By Adam Rosenberg
Lee Daniels
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
This week marks the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil-rights protest march from Selma, Alabama, to the State Capitol Building in Montgomery. It was a critical moment in the 1960s civil-rights movement, one that "Precious" director Lee Daniels has chosen to focus on in his next film, "Selma."
MTV News spoke with Daniels on Tuesday about the project and why he's chosen to tell this particular story for film audiences four and a half decades later.
"I think that we forget. So many people have forgotten. So many African-Americans have forgotten. So many white Americans have forgotten," he said.
Recalling how many people laid their lives on the line in the name of equality for all,...
By Adam Rosenberg
Lee Daniels
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
This week marks the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil-rights protest march from Selma, Alabama, to the State Capitol Building in Montgomery. It was a critical moment in the 1960s civil-rights movement, one that "Precious" director Lee Daniels has chosen to focus on in his next film, "Selma."
MTV News spoke with Daniels on Tuesday about the project and why he's chosen to tell this particular story for film audiences four and a half decades later.
"I think that we forget. So many people have forgotten. So many African-Americans have forgotten. So many white Americans have forgotten," he said.
Recalling how many people laid their lives on the line in the name of equality for all,...
- 3/24/2010
- MTV Movie News
When the first person to be cast in Lee Daniels' historical biopic Selma was Hugh Jackman, it seemed clear that Daniels was struggling over the casting of the two major characters in the film, Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Johnson. After all, how can any actor step into the shoes of two instantly recognizable historical figures, especially King, who is as iconic as the Lincoln Memorial at this point. Clearly Daniels believes that David Oyelowo is up to that challenge. THR reports that the British actor has been cast to play King in the film, even as Daniels is still shipping it around to potential funders. Oyelowo had a role in The Last King of Scotland and the TV version of A Raisin in the Sun, but is largely unknown, which makes him a pretty good choice to slip into the role rather than overtaking it with that...
- 3/17/2010
- cinemablend.com
It was a little strange to learn that Hugh Jackman was the first official cast member of Lee Daniels' historical film Selma, given that it focuses on Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon Johnson and their roles in the 1965 Civil Rights March. I mean, Jackman wasn't going to be playing either of those characters, right? Um, right? Now Wolverine himself has stepped in to explain things, and yes, he is definitely playing an appropriate role. He'll play Jim Clark, an Alabama sheriff who violently arrested several of the marchers, as he told Vulture. Given that he knew he probably wasn't supposed to admit even that-- "that's enough trouble for one night," he told them-- he declined to explain any further. But Clark's Wikipedia page notes that he was responsible for "Bloody Sunday," in which he ordered his mounted police to charge a group of peaceful protesters. A year...
- 3/11/2010
- cinemablend.com
Lee Daniels usually tries to paint himself as a Hollywood iconoclast, so it's no surprise that casting details for the Precious director's next project have been leaking out in all kinds of non-traditional ways. In USA Today a few days ago Daniels casually dropped the news that Hugh Jackman had joined the cast of Selma, his biopic about the 1965 civil rights march and the role that Martin Luther King Jr. and then-President Lyndon Johnson played in making it happen. By doing that, though, he cast doubt on what we thought was the only confirmed cast member, Robert De Niro as Alabama Governor George Wallace. As Daniels has been hitting the party circuit over Oscar weekend, though, he and his future stars have done a lot of clearing things up. First up, Movieline got him to confirm that De Niro in fact is still on board-- good news both for fans...
- 3/8/2010
- cinemablend.com
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