Thompson on Hollywood

A Tale of Two Speeches, President Obama vs. King George VI

King George VI vs. President Barack Obama. The Huffington Post pegs both men's speeches against one and other and considers how they fared:"President Obama is facing a very hostile House of Representatives, and a country that is torn on the efficacy of his presidency, though they all knew he could speak. Firth (as King George) faced a unified nation, but a country torn on the efficacy of his speech. Oh, and a swarming enemy that was invading his little island. Both oversaw what could be considered empires at their crossroads. Here's a basic scorecard between the two."Here is the scorecard, King George VI's speech, a clip from the film (which Weinstein Co. may trim for a PG-13) and Obama's State of the Union, below:

By Sophia Savage
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January 27, 2011 2:07 AM
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Cine Foundation International Launches Protest Film Campaign, Calls for Panahi Release

Cine Foundation International was launched on December 10 as both a non-profit film company and human rights NGO aiming to "empower open consciousness through cinema." They are wasting little time, having announced a campaign calling for the release of Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. The campaign will include protest films that speak to human rights issues in Iran and throughout the world, six of which are commissioned feature-length, plus twenty shorts. Participating filmmakers may act anonymously or through pseudonyms since voicing their stories can be dangerous. The films, which will address themes of nation, identity, self, spiritual culture, censorship and imprisonment, will be aimed for public, web and various exhibition media.

By Sophia Savage
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January 3, 2011 8:45 AM
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WikiLeaks Reveal Bush Administration Attacks on Michael Moore

Michael Moore is nothing if not paranoid, but it looks like he has reason to be. When he reads through all the WikiLeaks cables, his own name crops up, more than once. It seems that the Bush administration was genuinely threatened by the damage that Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 could do. But the more the White House tried to hurt the movie, the more it fueled its success, Moore writes. Another WikiLeaks Cable from the Bush Administration About My Movies ...a note from Michael Moore

By Anne Thompson
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December 23, 2010 6:45 AM
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The Stars Who Want to Legalize Marijuana?

Which stars favor the legalization of marijuana? Here's a look, courtesy of The Daily Beast, at celebs who either vocally or inadvertently have been associated with (thanks, paparazzi) the mary jane. They range from venerable Morgan Freeman (who called it "God's own weed") and Prince Harry to Justin Timberlake and Zach Galifianakis, who pointedly smoked a joint on Bill Maher's talk show (see below).

By Sophia Savage
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November 4, 2010 1:39 AM
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Michael Moore Writes A Boot to the Head Election Memo

Michael Moore is worried--as are many Democrats--about the midterm elections Tuesday, which could return control of the House (if not the Senate) to Republicans (many of them right of center) and bring on true governmental paralysis. He'll be on Rachel Maddow Friday night on MSNBC, at 9:00pm ET/PT. Here's his latest missive:A Boot to the Head ...from Michael MooreFriends,

By Anne Thompson
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October 29, 2010 9:27 AM
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A Global Warming Campaign from Richard Curtis. Watch it. No Pressure.

This Richard Curtis 10:10 global warming spot will get your attention:

By Anne Thompson
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October 1, 2010 1:02 AM
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BP Oil Spill Makes Good PR for Hollywood's Costner and Cameron, Bad for BP's Hayward, Obama

The BP Gulf oil spill is playing better for Hollywood players James Cameron and Kevin Costner, who seem to be genuinely helpful, than hapless BP oil exec Tony Hayward or President Obama, who lacks the gravitas to act like the Daddy-in-charge. (Some pundits say that Obama is a better communicator than he is an actor--which is not always a good thing.)

By Anne Thompson
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June 19, 2010 9:38 AM
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Norton's Obama Doc Skips Fest Route

Producer Edward Norton considered taking the fall fest route with his By the People: The Election of Barack Obama doc, which has been filming since 2006. But Amy Rice and Alicia Sams' much-anticipated film about Obama's presidential run will quietly bypass the Venice and Toronto fests this year in favor of a short August Oscar-qualifying run in LA and NY and a splashy HBO event launch in September. Norton is repped by the new WME combine run by Ari Emanuel, brother of Obama's chief-of-staff, Ram Emamuel. This should be a big must-see.

By Anne Thompson
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June 23, 2009 2:16 AM
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Moore 's Global Meltdown Doc Gets Release Date

At last year's Cannes, Paramount Vantage and Overture Films made the announcement that they were backing Michael Moore's follow-up to 2007's Sicko. (Here's my video interview.) Overture execs Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett had worked with Moore when they released Bowling for Columbine at MGM/United Artists. (They're sharing a nice slice of the gross with Moore.) While the doc's still untitled, it now has a release date, October 2, and comes out twenty years after Roger and Me, another doc recounting the perils of capitalism run amuck. The opening will be a year and a day after the Wall Street $700 billion bailout. According to a press release, Moore's film: