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ReelPolitik
A blog about film and politics, and the politics of filmmaking.
Anthony Kaufman is a film journalist and critic, who has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Village Voice and Slate, and contributes regularly to Variety, indieWIRE, the Wall Street Journal Online and the Utne Reader.
[Email Me]
Articles
- "Piracy May Be an Indie Filmmaker's Best Friend" (Indiewire, October 2011
- "The Decline of Indies on Netflix" (indieWIRE, Sept, 2011)
- "Secretariat" Isn't Hollywood's Only Secretly Conservative Blockbuster" (IFC News, October 2010)
- "Absurdistan: The New Iraq War Cinema" (Village Voice, April 2008)
- "Is Foreign Film The New Endangered Species?" (New York Times, January 2006)
ReelPolitik
Chastity and Motherhood: How Conservative is "Twilight: Breaking Dawn"?
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 21, 2011 10:11 AM
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- 2 Comments
Is there any better example of the need for Planned Parenthood than "Twilight: Breaking Dawn"? That's a joke, of course. For those looking for examples of the conservative and reactionary nature of Hollywood, there's no stronger proof than Stephanie Meyer's no-sex-before-marriage "Twilight" franchise.
Oscar Doc Short-list Short on Social Issues
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 20, 2011 8:18 PM
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- 0 Comments
When it comes to select areas of the Academy like the documentary or foreign-language branches, it's always near impossible to gauge which films will make the short-list and final cut. I was suprised not to see "Better This World" -- more than even Herzog or Errol Morris -- on the short-list, for example, with its timely social issues about the government crackdown on civil disobedience, and its engaging story and filmmaking style (and its IDA and Gotham noms). Or Steve James' harrowing and emotionally weighty examination of inner-city violence, "The Interrupters," also snubbed. So now what do we have: films about dance, photography, horse whispering, a monkey, Jane Goodall, inner-city football -- it's not exactly global warming.
Syrian Filmmaker Nidal Hassan Still Missing; France Calls for His Release
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 17, 2011 1:17 PM
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- 0 Comments
On November 3rd, renowned Syrian filmmaker Nidal Hassan ("Three Stories of Life, Love and Death," "Flint Mountains") was arrested on his way to visit authorities to obtain his passport to attend the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX 2011). He has not been heard from since.
Art as a Weapon: New Doc Focuses on Burma's Saffron Revolution, Shepard Fairey
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 17, 2011 9:07 AM
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- 2 Comments
"Art as a Weapon," a new feature documentary about the intersection between street art, Buddhism, and the struggle for Democracy, has just launched its Kickstarter campaign. The film promises to offer a peek into the lives of Burmese school children learning how to use spray paint, Buddhist monks who write poetry, and street artist Shepard Fairey creating a three-story mural in support of Burma.
"Punishment Park" Screens for Defiant Occupy Wall Street Protesters
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 15, 2011 6:33 PM
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- 0 Comments
Tonight, at Zuccotti Park, a group calling itself Occupy Cinema has announced a last minute screening of Peter Watkins's incendiary 1971 classic "Punishment Park." The event will follow the 7PM Occupy Cinema working group meeting, which will take place at 60 Wall Street.
"The Iron Lady" review: Will Republicans Drool Over Margaret Thatcher Pic?
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 15, 2011 9:31 AM
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- 0 Comments
Will Republicans drool over the new Margaret Thatcher film "The Iron Lady," which stars Meryl Streep as the famous British ring-winger, or will they cringe at the film's depiction of her dementia? An early review in the Daily Telegraph suggests the Weinstein Company release isn't the hatchet job that conservatives had first claimed.
Palin Filmmaker Bannon Planning Doc on "Crony Capitalism"
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 14, 2011 9:21 PM
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- 2 Comments
Right-wing doc-maker Steven Bannon is apparently at it again. After his Sarah Palin doc "The Undefeated" stirred up talk everywhere about the former Alaska governor's popularity (or not) as a viable political contender, Real Clear Politics reports that Bannon is planning on making a new film based on Palin adviser Peter Schweizer's forthcoming book, "Throw Them All Out," which details allegations of ethically dubious insider trading and conflicts of interest among members of Congress.
Are Big Marketing Pushes A Good Model for Arthouse film?
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 14, 2011 2:00 PM
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- 1 Comment
Are aggressive film distributors like Relativity, FilmDistrict, Fox Searchlight and others doing a disservice to independent films, making them seem bigger than they are in promotional materials, or are they indie filmmakers' most valuable supporters, helping small films compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace?
Occupy Wall Street: The Movie; Will There Be a Definitive Film of the Movement?
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 14, 2011 10:06 AM
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- 2 Comments
So far, Occupy Wall Street has inspired a dozen prominent filmmakers, from Haskell Wexler to Jonathan Demme to Jem Cohen, to document the rising protest movement. And a handful of Hollywood and indie films, produced after the rebellion's rise, from "Margin Call" to "Tower Heist," have capitalized on the coincidental timeliness of their stories. But is there a definitive #OWS movie out there? And what would it look like?
Oscar's Issues: Doc Noms Could Raise Awareness for Society's Ills, Injustices
- By Anthony Kaufman
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- November 12, 2011 12:43 PM
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- 0 Comments
Forget Best Picture or Best Actor, the Oscar for Best Documentary may be the Academy Awards' most important and influential. Consider the platform it gave to the problems of global warming when "An Inconvenient Truth" won the top prize. Or the media ruckus that Michael Moore caused when he rallied against George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Or more recently, the way "Gasland" raised awareness about fracking. It's nice for anyone to win an award, but how many films can say they influenced the national discourse?
Recent Comments
Of course, because don't we want all our movies to be politically correct and focus-group
That's a fascinating take on the subject, Harry Harrison. And thank you for pointing out that
Ah, Harry, it's funny how certain internet types reduce everything to "moron",
FACTOID: "Similarly, what qualifies Gibney to tackle wikileaks?" Um, mr. factoid, using
Documentary filmmaking, particularly of the type likely to turn up at major festivals and be
The music industry renders your argument moot: the other 86% of the population is overwhelmingly
A close friend of mine works at ITVS. I can tell you that it is a secretive place where the managers
I knew this would be more political oriented. And that's why Pitt signed onto the project. So
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I did see Moulin Rouge. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but not
African-Americans make up about 14% of the population, and movies reflecting the concerns of