Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris unveiled his new documentary The Pigeon Tunnel – about the spy-turned-novelist David Cornwell, aka John le Carré – at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday. Audience buzz afterwards ranked it among Morris’s best work, a canon that includes the classics The Thin Blue Line and Gates of Heaven.
Morris said it took years for The Pigeon Tunnel to be completed. But during a Q&a, he referenced a different endeavor that apparently isn’t fated to come together – a nascent documentary project on former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The controversial figure who guided American foreign policy during the Nixon and Ford administrations recently reached the century mark.
Henry Kissinger celebrates his 100th birthday in Bavaria, June 20, 2023.
“Someone wanted me to interview quite recently, on the occasion of his hundredth birthday, Henry Kissinger,” Morris told the audience at the Chuck Jones Theater in Mountain Village. “And as my wife has pointed out,...
Morris said it took years for The Pigeon Tunnel to be completed. But during a Q&a, he referenced a different endeavor that apparently isn’t fated to come together – a nascent documentary project on former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The controversial figure who guided American foreign policy during the Nixon and Ford administrations recently reached the century mark.
Henry Kissinger celebrates his 100th birthday in Bavaria, June 20, 2023.
“Someone wanted me to interview quite recently, on the occasion of his hundredth birthday, Henry Kissinger,” Morris told the audience at the Chuck Jones Theater in Mountain Village. “And as my wife has pointed out,...
- 9/2/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
John Oliver started off Last Week Tonight roasting Fox News for the second week in a row. The HBO Max host show started off by noting that Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg attended the train derailment in Ohio.
However, over on Fox News, Jesse Watters and Rachel Campos-Duffy asked why some personalities had not visited the site in East Palestine.
“Think about the environmental activists and corporate America, they weren’t there,” Campos-Duffy said on Fox & Friends Weekend.
The Real World: San Francisco alum continued, “This is an Erin Brockovich moment. There was a blockbuster Oscar-winning movie written about something like this.”
Watters added that Brockovich was actually paying a visit to East Palestine with Campos-Duffy asking, “But where is Julia Roberts?”
Oliver’s reaction to the Fox News segment left him confused and asking what they were talking about before educating the television personalities on Roberts’s profession.
However, over on Fox News, Jesse Watters and Rachel Campos-Duffy asked why some personalities had not visited the site in East Palestine.
“Think about the environmental activists and corporate America, they weren’t there,” Campos-Duffy said on Fox & Friends Weekend.
The Real World: San Francisco alum continued, “This is an Erin Brockovich moment. There was a blockbuster Oscar-winning movie written about something like this.”
Watters added that Brockovich was actually paying a visit to East Palestine with Campos-Duffy asking, “But where is Julia Roberts?”
Oliver’s reaction to the Fox News segment left him confused and asking what they were talking about before educating the television personalities on Roberts’s profession.
- 2/27/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
When Steve Bannon turned himself into authorities at Manhattan Supreme Court Thursday morning following his indictment on charges related to a border wall fundraising scam, the former Trump adviser was his usual unapologetic self — framing his alleged misdeeds as a political attack.
Repeatedly pointing out that the midterm elections were “six weeks” away, Bannon described the situation as an “irony” when walking into the courthouse, saying: “on the very day the mayor of this city has a delegation down on the border, they’re persecuting people here who are trying to stop” migrants.
Repeatedly pointing out that the midterm elections were “six weeks” away, Bannon described the situation as an “irony” when walking into the courthouse, saying: “on the very day the mayor of this city has a delegation down on the border, they’re persecuting people here who are trying to stop” migrants.
- 9/8/2022
- by Victoria Bekiempis
- Rollingstone.com
The book has got mixed reviews from the US media, but the New York Times has almost trashed the book in a critical review.
Jared Kushner, married to the Trump’s favourite daughter Ivanka Trump, distances himself from the events of January 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress’ Electoral College vote count of the 2020 election results sealing Trump’s defeat.
Kushner wrote that he was flying back to Washington, D.C., from Saudi Arabia when he got a call from attorney Eric Herschman saying rioters had stormed the Capitol. But Kushner’s assessment of the riot, which led to multiple deaths and scores of injuries, is that the White House could not have known there would be violence that day.
"The violent storming of the Capitol was wrong and unlawful. It did not represent the hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters, or the tens of millions of Trump voters,...
Jared Kushner, married to the Trump’s favourite daughter Ivanka Trump, distances himself from the events of January 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress’ Electoral College vote count of the 2020 election results sealing Trump’s defeat.
Kushner wrote that he was flying back to Washington, D.C., from Saudi Arabia when he got a call from attorney Eric Herschman saying rioters had stormed the Capitol. But Kushner’s assessment of the riot, which led to multiple deaths and scores of injuries, is that the White House could not have known there would be violence that day.
"The violent storming of the Capitol was wrong and unlawful. It did not represent the hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters, or the tens of millions of Trump voters,...
- 8/21/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist to Donald Trump, was found guilty of contempt of Congress stemming from his refusal to comply with a subpoena by the January 6th Committee.
He faces a minimum jail sentence of 30 days. He also could face a fine of up to 100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Not until this month did Bannon say that he would talk to the committee. But prosecutors said that was too late for the trial, as he had already missed key deadlines for complying with the subpoena.
Bannon, a Hollywood film producer in the 1990s who then pursued politics via documentaries and at Brietbart.com, said that he planned to appeal.
“I only have one disappointment, and that is the gutless members of that show trial committee, the [January 6th] Committee, didn’t have the guts to testify in open court,” Bannon told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Washington.
The...
He faces a minimum jail sentence of 30 days. He also could face a fine of up to 100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Not until this month did Bannon say that he would talk to the committee. But prosecutors said that was too late for the trial, as he had already missed key deadlines for complying with the subpoena.
Bannon, a Hollywood film producer in the 1990s who then pursued politics via documentaries and at Brietbart.com, said that he planned to appeal.
“I only have one disappointment, and that is the gutless members of that show trial committee, the [January 6th] Committee, didn’t have the guts to testify in open court,” Bannon told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Washington.
The...
- 7/22/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Some look at Steve Bannon as one of the evil men in America and others still defend the guy for their own reasons. It’s hard to say one way or the other without being able to sit down with him and speak for a few minutes, but it is easy enough to think that he’s not the greatest person in the world after hearing a few of the quotes that he’s let be heard aloud in the past. But thinking that someone could play his part in a movie isn’t too hard since one, any actor worth their awards or
Five Actors Who Should Play Steve Bannon in a Movie...
Five Actors Who Should Play Steve Bannon in a Movie...
- 1/25/2021
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
Updated, with Giuliani comment, additional Dominion comment: Dominion Voting Systems filed a defamation lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani on Monday, accusing him of repeatedly peddling falsehoods about the company, including the debunked claim that its software was rigged in favor of Joe Biden.
The 107-page lawsuit cites numerous instances in which Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, was given a platform to advance conspiracy theories on Fox News, Newsmax, One America News Network and other outlets.
In the lawsuit (read here via Axios), Dominion states, “As a result of the defamatory falsehoods peddled by Giuliani—in concert with Sidney Powell, Russell Ramsland, L. Lin Wood, Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne, Lou Dobbs, Fox News, Fox Business, Newsmax, One America News Network (“Oan”), The Epoch Times, and other like-minded allies and media outlets determined to promote a false preconceived narrative about the 2020 election—Dominion’s founder and employees have been harassed and have received death threats,...
The 107-page lawsuit cites numerous instances in which Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, was given a platform to advance conspiracy theories on Fox News, Newsmax, One America News Network and other outlets.
In the lawsuit (read here via Axios), Dominion states, “As a result of the defamatory falsehoods peddled by Giuliani—in concert with Sidney Powell, Russell Ramsland, L. Lin Wood, Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne, Lou Dobbs, Fox News, Fox Business, Newsmax, One America News Network (“Oan”), The Epoch Times, and other like-minded allies and media outlets determined to promote a false preconceived narrative about the 2020 election—Dominion’s founder and employees have been harassed and have received death threats,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
“Today the sun was shining, the birds were singing and McDonald’s share price in Florida just went way up because America just got a brand new dad.”
Trevor Noah’s latest monologue breaks down some of the noteworthy moments from Joe Biden’s inauguration. He said the moment where Biden was sworn in would stay in his memory forever, revealing his bewilderment that Biden’s middle name is Robinette.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, Noah said this inauguration had it all, making jokes about Lady Gaga’s and Michelle Obama’s outfits and the instantly meme-able photo of Bernie Sanders. “Former presidents, the youngest inaugural poet, an amazing singer wearing her own Etsy store, an old man on his way to the post office and even a lady whose outfit just called me a broke bitch,” he said.
He then continued by touching upon the various people that Trump pardoned, including Steve Bannon,...
Trevor Noah’s latest monologue breaks down some of the noteworthy moments from Joe Biden’s inauguration. He said the moment where Biden was sworn in would stay in his memory forever, revealing his bewilderment that Biden’s middle name is Robinette.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, Noah said this inauguration had it all, making jokes about Lady Gaga’s and Michelle Obama’s outfits and the instantly meme-able photo of Bernie Sanders. “Former presidents, the youngest inaugural poet, an amazing singer wearing her own Etsy store, an old man on his way to the post office and even a lady whose outfit just called me a broke bitch,” he said.
He then continued by touching upon the various people that Trump pardoned, including Steve Bannon,...
- 1/21/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Biden placed his hand on a comically large bible and swore his oath of office Wednesday afternoon in front various dignitaries, a smattering of socially distanced attendees and many, many miniature flags. Now the real work begins. While the White House moves to assemble ambitious legislative packages to address the climate crisis, immigration reform, and other priorities, Biden got a head start with a flurry of executive orders Wednesday to reverse or freeze a long list Trump-era rules and regulations.
“I’m going to start by keeping my promises to the American people,...
“I’m going to start by keeping my promises to the American people,...
- 1/20/2021
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
Donald Trump is going out like he came in: corrupt as hell.
The departing president left the White House for Mar-a-Lago at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, slinking out after a disastrous and deadly four years. One of his last acts on the job was granting a flurry of pardons and commutations (nearly 150 in all), many of them to his white-collar cronies. The last-minute pardon spree had long been expected, and wasn’t at all out of character for a president who routinely abused his ability to unilaterally absolve allies of federal crimes.
The departing president left the White House for Mar-a-Lago at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, slinking out after a disastrous and deadly four years. One of his last acts on the job was granting a flurry of pardons and commutations (nearly 150 in all), many of them to his white-collar cronies. The last-minute pardon spree had long been expected, and wasn’t at all out of character for a president who routinely abused his ability to unilaterally absolve allies of federal crimes.
- 1/20/2021
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Michael Pack, the controversial CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, is resigning as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, at the request of the Biden administration.
“It is disheartening that my resignation has been requested,” Pack wrote in his letter. “This will long be viewed as a partisan act that harmed an office designed to serve the American people and the national interest.”
Pack, a conservative documentary filmmaker (Hollywood vs. Religion, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words) and confidant of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, had only been CEO of the agency since June of last ...
“It is disheartening that my resignation has been requested,” Pack wrote in his letter. “This will long be viewed as a partisan act that harmed an office designed to serve the American people and the national interest.”
Pack, a conservative documentary filmmaker (Hollywood vs. Religion, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words) and confidant of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, had only been CEO of the agency since June of last ...
- 1/20/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Pack, the controversial CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, is resigning as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, at the request of the Biden administration.
“It is disheartening that my resignation has been requested,” Pack wrote in his letter. “This will long be viewed as a partisan act that harmed an office designed to serve the American people and the national interest.”
Pack, a conservative documentary filmmaker (Hollywood vs. Religion, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words) and confidant of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, had only been CEO of the agency since June of last ...
“It is disheartening that my resignation has been requested,” Pack wrote in his letter. “This will long be viewed as a partisan act that harmed an office designed to serve the American people and the national interest.”
Pack, a conservative documentary filmmaker (Hollywood vs. Religion, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words) and confidant of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, had only been CEO of the agency since June of last ...
- 1/20/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Donald Trump granted pardons to rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black on Tuesday night as part of a last-minute spree that saw Trump issue clemency to many political allies on his final full day in office.
Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty on a federal weapons charge last year and received a full pardon. Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, received a commutation after being charged in 2019 with falsifying information on federal forms to buy firearms.
Bradford Cohen, the attorney for both rappers, confirmed to...
Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty on a federal weapons charge last year and received a full pardon. Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, received a commutation after being charged in 2019 with falsifying information on federal forms to buy firearms.
Bradford Cohen, the attorney for both rappers, confirmed to...
- 1/20/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Update, 9:55 Pm: The White House has confirmed that Steven Bannon has been pardoned by Donald Trump.
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon,” said the official announcement tonight. “Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen.”
Overall, 73 individuals were granted pardons in the last hours of the Trump administration. Another 70 individuals saw their sentences commuted. (See the full list below.)
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were also among those that made the cut, so to speak. Yet, despite a hard-core effort for a pardon from Trump,, Tiger King star Joe Exotic was not one of the lucky ones. Trump and members of his family and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani were not on...
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon,” said the official announcement tonight. “Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen.”
Overall, 73 individuals were granted pardons in the last hours of the Trump administration. Another 70 individuals saw their sentences commuted. (See the full list below.)
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were also among those that made the cut, so to speak. Yet, despite a hard-core effort for a pardon from Trump,, Tiger King star Joe Exotic was not one of the lucky ones. Trump and members of his family and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani were not on...
- 1/20/2021
- by Dominic Patten and Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black are among the people to have been pardoned or had their sentences commuted by Donald Trump in his last full day in office.
Late on Tuesday, the president granted 73 pardons and commuted the sentences for 70 other individuals. Pardons were given to Trump’s political allies including his former campaign manager Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy, the former deputy national finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Other notable people receiving pardons included current Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez who had a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics from the early ’90s. Ken Kurson,...
Late on Tuesday, the president granted 73 pardons and commuted the sentences for 70 other individuals. Pardons were given to Trump’s political allies including his former campaign manager Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy, the former deputy national finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Other notable people receiving pardons included current Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez who had a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics from the early ’90s. Ken Kurson,...
- 1/20/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black are among the people to have been pardoned or had their sentences commuted by Donald Trump in his last full day in office.
Late on Tuesday, the president granted 73 pardons and commuted the sentences for 70 other individuals. Pardons were given to Trump’s political allies including his former campaign manager Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy, the former deputy national finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Other notable people receiving pardons included current Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez who had a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics from the early ’90s. Ken Kurson,...
Late on Tuesday, the president granted 73 pardons and commuted the sentences for 70 other individuals. Pardons were given to Trump’s political allies including his former campaign manager Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy, the former deputy national finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Other notable people receiving pardons included current Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez who had a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics from the early ’90s. Ken Kurson,...
- 1/20/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
YouTube, which remains one of the sole major platforms on which President Trump still operates a live account, has taken down two channels belonging to former White House chief strategist and prominent alt-right figure Steve Bannon.
The bans resulted from claims made by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani during a stream on Bannon’s War Room channel on Friday, where Giuliani claimed that the election had been stolen, The Mercury News reports. The War Room channel, which distributed episodes of Bannon’s podcast of the same name, counted 330,000 subscribers prior to its shuttering. YouTube also banned a second Bannon channel for violating its three-strike rule dubbed Trump at War -- A Film by Stephen K. Bannon, per The Mercury News.
YouTube said it removed a video from Bannon’s channel back in November for making threats against people -- presumably referring to when he called for the beheading of Dr. Anthony Fauci...
The bans resulted from claims made by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani during a stream on Bannon’s War Room channel on Friday, where Giuliani claimed that the election had been stolen, The Mercury News reports. The War Room channel, which distributed episodes of Bannon’s podcast of the same name, counted 330,000 subscribers prior to its shuttering. YouTube also banned a second Bannon channel for violating its three-strike rule dubbed Trump at War -- A Film by Stephen K. Bannon, per The Mercury News.
YouTube said it removed a video from Bannon’s channel back in November for making threats against people -- presumably referring to when he called for the beheading of Dr. Anthony Fauci...
- 1/11/2021
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
The January 6 assault on the Capitol by insurrectionists left many Americans shocked, ashamed, and glued to their TV sets. Errol Morris was one of them. For years, the filmmaker has documented the tragic and dangerous actions of powerful men and the lies they tell the world, most prominently in his Oscar-winning portrait of former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. But the violent outbreak on Wednesday echoed a more-recent subject of Morris scrutiny: Steve Bannon.
“He is one of the evil geniuses behind it all,” Morris said in a phone call from his office on January 7. He’s got the proof on film with his 2019 documentary “American Dharma,” which pitted the director against Bannon, Trump’s notorious campaign director-turned-senior advisor, the alt-right hero and former Breitbart News publisher who exploited raging and disenfranchised white conspiracy theorists and cemented the seditious rage at the core of Trump’s base.
Bannon relishes his role.
“He is one of the evil geniuses behind it all,” Morris said in a phone call from his office on January 7. He’s got the proof on film with his 2019 documentary “American Dharma,” which pitted the director against Bannon, Trump’s notorious campaign director-turned-senior advisor, the alt-right hero and former Breitbart News publisher who exploited raging and disenfranchised white conspiracy theorists and cemented the seditious rage at the core of Trump’s base.
Bannon relishes his role.
- 1/9/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Update, January 7: Facebook has blocked Donald Trump’s account through the end of his presidency. The block includes the platforms Facebook and Instagram. Sacha Baron Cohen issued the following statement below.
Finally–Facebook suspends Trump “indefinitely”!
The dam is breaking.
Every social media company, every online platform, every advertiser has a choice:
Stand with Trump and the domestic terrorists who attacked the Capitol
Or stand for democracy.#BanTrumpSaveDemocracy pic.twitter.com/qWA9WWPvhs
— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) January 7, 2021
Earlier: Sacha Baron Cohen returned to Twitter for the first time in 2021 to react to the siege at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists. Addressing the executives of social media giants Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google, the “Borat” comedian called for a complete banning of Donald Trump from the platforms after the U.S. president “incited a violent attack on American democracy.”
Baron Cohen’s post reads as follows: “Hey Mark Zuckerberg,...
Finally–Facebook suspends Trump “indefinitely”!
The dam is breaking.
Every social media company, every online platform, every advertiser has a choice:
Stand with Trump and the domestic terrorists who attacked the Capitol
Or stand for democracy.#BanTrumpSaveDemocracy pic.twitter.com/qWA9WWPvhs
— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) January 7, 2021
Earlier: Sacha Baron Cohen returned to Twitter for the first time in 2021 to react to the siege at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists. Addressing the executives of social media giants Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google, the “Borat” comedian called for a complete banning of Donald Trump from the platforms after the U.S. president “incited a violent attack on American democracy.”
Baron Cohen’s post reads as follows: “Hey Mark Zuckerberg,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The latest Senate hearing facing the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook played out as expected: Republicans complained that the platforms were too aggressive in their moderation practices; Democrats suggested that they have been too lenient to control the flow of misinformation.
That was particularly true as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-ca), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, queried Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about President Donald Trump’s false claims that he won the election and of mass voter fraud.
“On November 7th, President Trump tweeted this, ‘I won this election by a lot.’ That is obviously not true. President Trump lost the election. The warning label that Twitter applied to the tweet says, ‘Official sources may not have called the race when this was tweeted. Does that label do enough to prevent the tweet’s harms when the tweet is still visible and is not accurate?...
That was particularly true as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-ca), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, queried Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about President Donald Trump’s false claims that he won the election and of mass voter fraud.
“On November 7th, President Trump tweeted this, ‘I won this election by a lot.’ That is obviously not true. President Trump lost the election. The warning label that Twitter applied to the tweet says, ‘Official sources may not have called the race when this was tweeted. Does that label do enough to prevent the tweet’s harms when the tweet is still visible and is not accurate?...
- 11/17/2020
- by Ted Johnson and Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Twitter is taking action against Steve Bannon after the former White House chief strategist made controversial comments on his podcast Thursday.
During a Thursday episode of his War Room YouTube podcast, Bannon suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI director Christopher Wray should be fired but things should also be taken “a step further.”
“I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. I’d put the heads on pikes, right? I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to Federal Bureaucrats: you either get with the program ...
During a Thursday episode of his War Room YouTube podcast, Bannon suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI director Christopher Wray should be fired but things should also be taken “a step further.”
“I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. I’d put the heads on pikes, right? I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to Federal Bureaucrats: you either get with the program ...
- 11/6/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Twitter is taking action against Steve Bannon after the former White House chief strategist made controversial comments on his podcast Thursday.
During a Thursday episode of his War Room YouTube podcast, Bannon suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI director Christopher Wray should be fired but things should also be taken “a step further.”
“I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. I’d put the heads on pikes, right? I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to Federal Bureaucrats: you either get with the program ...
During a Thursday episode of his War Room YouTube podcast, Bannon suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI director Christopher Wray should be fired but things should also be taken “a step further.”
“I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. I’d put the heads on pikes, right? I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to Federal Bureaucrats: you either get with the program ...
- 11/6/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A few movies may have been scared off by the pandemic (like Blumhouse’s “Halloween Kills” and MGM’s “Candyman” reboot), but Hollywood’s spooky season comes to a crescendo all the same this weekend with several new horror offerings.
While Sony is charging $24.99 to rent its watered-down teen-witch sequel “The Craft: Legacy,” theatergoers can see Amblin-produced haunted-iPad chiller “Come Play” in theaters for less. Paramount is giving audiences a choice with hoodoo horror movie “Spell”: See it in theaters or via PVOD.
Netflix subscribers have options as well, with new releases including Sundance midnight movie “His House” and Polish import “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.”
To recap the other horror options that have come out this month, there are four “Welcome to the Blumhouse” movies on Amazon. Hulu had “Bad Hair” and “Books of Blood.” “Saw” co-creator Darren Lynn Bousman made “Death of Me,” while “Final Destination...
While Sony is charging $24.99 to rent its watered-down teen-witch sequel “The Craft: Legacy,” theatergoers can see Amblin-produced haunted-iPad chiller “Come Play” in theaters for less. Paramount is giving audiences a choice with hoodoo horror movie “Spell”: See it in theaters or via PVOD.
Netflix subscribers have options as well, with new releases including Sundance midnight movie “His House” and Polish import “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.”
To recap the other horror options that have come out this month, there are four “Welcome to the Blumhouse” movies on Amazon. Hulu had “Bad Hair” and “Books of Blood.” “Saw” co-creator Darren Lynn Bousman made “Death of Me,” while “Final Destination...
- 10/30/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Washington — The disinformation operation was christened “Project Clintonson.” It brought together two notorious figures in Republican political circles, Blackwater founder Erik Prince and Trump adviser Roger Stone. Their objective couldn’t have been more explicit.
“We do not need to make major gains among African American voters,” said a 13-page proposal for Project Clintonson that Prince sent to unnamed donors a week before Election Day 2016. “We merely need to dampen turn out [sic] and make it difficult for the Black Democratic elected officials in Hillary’s pocket to turn out Black voters at Obama-like levels.
“We do not need to make major gains among African American voters,” said a 13-page proposal for Project Clintonson that Prince sent to unnamed donors a week before Election Day 2016. “We merely need to dampen turn out [sic] and make it difficult for the Black Democratic elected officials in Hillary’s pocket to turn out Black voters at Obama-like levels.
- 10/28/2020
- by Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
Utopia has acquired “Dope Is Death,” a look at the establishment of an unconventional detoxification program in the Bronx in the early 1970s to deal with the heroin epidemic.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
- 10/26/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Donald Trump really, really wants the 2020 election’s “October Surprise” to be Hunter Biden. For years, his fixer Rudy Giuliani has been circling the globe in search of dirt on Hunter and his father Joe Biden. Now Trump and his team are hoping that they can use it to change the subject in an election that thus far has been dominated by Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Giuliani unveiled the fruits of his labor earlier this month when he presented the New York Post with a laptop hard...
Giuliani unveiled the fruits of his labor earlier this month when he presented the New York Post with a laptop hard...
- 10/22/2020
- by Ryan Bort, Tim Dickinson and Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
Errol Morris’ surreal investigations into humanity have been influencing documentary filmmakers for generations, so it was only a matter of time before he began influencing himself. Morris’ last effort, the 2018 Steve Bannon one-on-one “American Dharma,” was inspired by Bannon’s own creepy affinity for Morris’ work. Now comes “My Psychedelic Love Story,” which owes its existence in part to “Wormwood,” the category-busting Netflix miniseries in which Morris investigated whether the FBI used LSD to take down government scientist Frank Olson.
That bizarre chapter of ‘60s conspiracy and psychedelia has now birthed another one, as Morris’ feature-length interview with former Timothy Leary lover and FBI informant Joanna Harcourt-Smith came to him because of “Wormwood.” Morris’ movies have always been rabbit-hole journeys that work best when staying true to his playful instincts: “Wormwood” was an intriguing experiment in breaking the familiar Morris mold, but “My Psychedelic Love Story” brings him back to where he belongs.
That bizarre chapter of ‘60s conspiracy and psychedelia has now birthed another one, as Morris’ feature-length interview with former Timothy Leary lover and FBI informant Joanna Harcourt-Smith came to him because of “Wormwood.” Morris’ movies have always been rabbit-hole journeys that work best when staying true to his playful instincts: “Wormwood” was an intriguing experiment in breaking the familiar Morris mold, but “My Psychedelic Love Story” brings him back to where he belongs.
- 10/22/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Half a decade ago, the ascendance of the alt-right was about as plausible as the election of Donald Trump, and we all know how that worked out. Like the 2016 election, director Daniel Lombroso’s provocative alt-right portrait “White Noise” isn’t all that surprising, but that doesn’t lessen the terror within. In capturing the racist trifecta of alt-right pundits Mike Cernovich, Laura Southern, and Richard Spencer, the documentary shows how they became emboldened by celebrity stature, and comes so close to letting them run the show it risks trumpeting their cause. Fortunately, it doesn’t take the most discerning bullshit detector to realize that “White Noise” has been engineered to expose a fundamental danger to whatever moral fabric America has left.
However, for the lucky few who somehow avoided any of this movie’s subjects and their small armies of white nationalist devotees, “White Noise” provides a handy primer...
However, for the lucky few who somehow avoided any of this movie’s subjects and their small armies of white nationalist devotees, “White Noise” provides a handy primer...
- 10/20/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
When a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign thanked Ice Cube for working with the White House on a plan for Black America, it immediately triggered questions of who Ice Cube was supporting in 2020.
Ice Cube explained shortly afterward on Twitter that he was contacted by both parties about his Contract with Black America, which includes an array of policy proposals, including judicial reform, lending reform and FCC licensing.
“Both parties contacted me,” he wrote. “Dems said we’ll address the Cwba after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the Cwba.”
Responding to criticism that he was now “working for the Darkside,” Ice Cube wrote, “Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to...
Ice Cube explained shortly afterward on Twitter that he was contacted by both parties about his Contract with Black America, which includes an array of policy proposals, including judicial reform, lending reform and FCC licensing.
“Both parties contacted me,” he wrote. “Dems said we’ll address the Cwba after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the Cwba.”
Responding to criticism that he was now “working for the Darkside,” Ice Cube wrote, “Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to...
- 10/15/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Washington — Elliott Broidy, a former top fundraiser for President Trump and the Republican Party, has been charged by the Department of Justice with criminal conspiracy for allegedly acting as a foreign lobbyist without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
A charging document signed by lawyers in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division says Broidy and an associate, Nickie Lum Davis, took millions of dollars to “orchestrate back-channel, unregistered campaigns to lobby the Administration and DOJ” on behalf of two unnamed foreign individuals. The first person is widely believed to Low Taek Jho,...
A charging document signed by lawyers in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division says Broidy and an associate, Nickie Lum Davis, took millions of dollars to “orchestrate back-channel, unregistered campaigns to lobby the Administration and DOJ” on behalf of two unnamed foreign individuals. The first person is widely believed to Low Taek Jho,...
- 10/9/2020
- by Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
If you watch the White House press briefings with semi-regularity, you’ll likely see her there: ever-present scarf, belted trench dress, brows flawlessly filled in, piles of dark hair teased to near-Nineties Fran Drescher heights. She will always be wearing heels; she will almost never be wearing a mask. All heads will swivel as she poses her query, which could double as an excerpt from a journalism-school textbook for how not to ask a question. Does President Trump feel he is being unfairly maligned by the media for his response to the Covid-19 pandemic?...
- 9/25/2020
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
Tucker Carlson hit back at Facebook, complaining that the social giant “censored” a clip from his Fox News program on Facebook and Instagram that promoted a Covid-19 conspiracy theory.
On Wednesday, Facebook and Instagram placed warning labels over video posts from “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that said, “This post repeats information about Covid-19 that has been reviewed by independent fact-checkers.”
Carlson, on his Fox show Wednesday night, griped about Facebook’s action to flag his posts as misinformation. In a clip he posted on social media, he said, “Facebook has censored our video with a Chinese whistleblower. Big tech wants control over the facts you see.”
In the video Carlson’s show posted on Facebook and Instagram Tuesday night, the Fox News host interviewed discredited Chinese virologist Dr. Li-Meng Yan, who told Carlson, “This virus, Covid-19 Sars-CoV-2 virus, actually is not from nature. It is a man-made virus created in the lab.
On Wednesday, Facebook and Instagram placed warning labels over video posts from “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that said, “This post repeats information about Covid-19 that has been reviewed by independent fact-checkers.”
Carlson, on his Fox show Wednesday night, griped about Facebook’s action to flag his posts as misinformation. In a clip he posted on social media, he said, “Facebook has censored our video with a Chinese whistleblower. Big tech wants control over the facts you see.”
In the video Carlson’s show posted on Facebook and Instagram Tuesday night, the Fox News host interviewed discredited Chinese virologist Dr. Li-Meng Yan, who told Carlson, “This virus, Covid-19 Sars-CoV-2 virus, actually is not from nature. It is a man-made virus created in the lab.
- 9/17/2020
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Thursday night, where he and the host debated Christie’s recent advisory role to President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
“I might like you someday, and this is seriously endangering the possibility that that will happen,” Colbert quipped.
Colbert then grilled Christie on his involvement with Trump despite all of the president’s failings, including the Covid-19 crisis and his treatment of children at the Mexico border; Christie defended himself by saying he agreed more...
“I might like you someday, and this is seriously endangering the possibility that that will happen,” Colbert quipped.
Colbert then grilled Christie on his involvement with Trump despite all of the president’s failings, including the Covid-19 crisis and his treatment of children at the Mexico border; Christie defended himself by saying he agreed more...
- 8/28/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
On the latest Last Week Tonight, John Oliver returned to the topic of President Donald Trump’s planned border wall between the United States and Mexico, which he has been discussing since the beginning of his 2016 campaign.
Oliver played a clip of Trump outlining his reasoning behind its construction, and reminded viewers that Last Week Tonight had played the very same clip in their first segment about the wall four years ago, “when I was approximately 50 years younger,” he said.
Trump has continued to promise the construction of the “super-duper...
Oliver played a clip of Trump outlining his reasoning behind its construction, and reminded viewers that Last Week Tonight had played the very same clip in their first segment about the wall four years ago, “when I was approximately 50 years younger,” he said.
Trump has continued to promise the construction of the “super-duper...
- 8/24/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Trump’s senior campaign adviser Jason Miller said the president “has a very good track record of hiring excellent people” and somehow kept a straight face while uttering the absurd comments.
Miller was put on the spot by NBC News’ Chuck Todd on Meet the Press Sunday morning. Todd asked the campaign aide about this week’s arrest and indictment of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on fraud and money laundering charges and pointed out the slew of Trump’s cronies who have had “issues with the law.
Miller was put on the spot by NBC News’ Chuck Todd on Meet the Press Sunday morning. Todd asked the campaign aide about this week’s arrest and indictment of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on fraud and money laundering charges and pointed out the slew of Trump’s cronies who have had “issues with the law.
- 8/23/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Only one day after he was indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering charges, a video has surfaced showing former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon joking with one of his alleged co-conspirators about stealing “all that money from ‘We Build The Wall,’” a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $25 million with the promise to erect a barrier on the southern border.
“Welcome back and this is Stephen K. Bannon. We’re off the coast of Saint-Tropez in southern France, in the Mediterranean. We’re on the million-dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage.
“Welcome back and this is Stephen K. Bannon. We’re off the coast of Saint-Tropez in southern France, in the Mediterranean. We’re on the million-dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage.
- 8/21/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
“Golden Arm,” a buddy comedy set in the world of ladies arm wrestling, has sold global rights to Utopia, Variety has learned. The film will be released theatrically in the first half of 2021. HBO has licensed rights to broadcast and stream “Golden Arm.”
“Golden Arm” was originally intended to premiere at this year’s SXSW, but those plans were upended when the festival was cancelled due to coronavirus. The movie centers on a tough lady trucker who trains her timid best friend to compete in the National Ladies Arm Wrestling Championship.
“Golden Arm” was directed by Maureen Bharoocha and boasts a cast that includes Mary Holland, Betsy Sodaro, Dot-Marie Jones, Eugene Cordero, Ron Funches, Dawn Luebbe, Ahmed Bharoocha, Aparna Nancherla, Olivia Stambouliah and Kate Flannery.
“‘Golden Arm’ is a true gem of a film that will delight and surprise audiences; a hilarious story of badass women and female friendship, set...
“Golden Arm” was originally intended to premiere at this year’s SXSW, but those plans were upended when the festival was cancelled due to coronavirus. The movie centers on a tough lady trucker who trains her timid best friend to compete in the National Ladies Arm Wrestling Championship.
“Golden Arm” was directed by Maureen Bharoocha and boasts a cast that includes Mary Holland, Betsy Sodaro, Dot-Marie Jones, Eugene Cordero, Ron Funches, Dawn Luebbe, Ahmed Bharoocha, Aparna Nancherla, Olivia Stambouliah and Kate Flannery.
“‘Golden Arm’ is a true gem of a film that will delight and surprise audiences; a hilarious story of badass women and female friendship, set...
- 8/21/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Before he had the ear of the president, former White House Chief Political Strategist Steve Bannon tried his hand at Hollywood. As a producer, he was behind several small movies, but he really hit his movie-making stride writing and directing conservative documentaries aimed at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here’s a complete list of every Hollywood project in which Bannon’s had a hand.
“The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer
Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on the opposite sides of the law. Here’s the trailer.
“Titus” (1999) — Co-Executive Producer
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this modern-styled adaptation of the Shakespeare “Titus Andronicus.” That story packs an interesting mix of 1950s aesthetics and ancient Roman subject matter. Bannon served as co-executive producer on the project,...
“The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer
Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on the opposite sides of the law. Here’s the trailer.
“Titus” (1999) — Co-Executive Producer
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this modern-styled adaptation of the Shakespeare “Titus Andronicus.” That story packs an interesting mix of 1950s aesthetics and ancient Roman subject matter. Bannon served as co-executive producer on the project,...
- 8/21/2020
- by Phil Hornshaw
- The Wrap
Update: Former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon is free on a $5 million bond, secured by $1.75 million in assets, on charges of fraud and money laundering.
A smiling Bannon left federal court in Manhattan with a smile, claiming his indictment was a “fiasco.” Bannon said that “This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall.”
Bannon has pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in an alleged scheme to steal cash donated to a “We Build the Wall” online fundraiser.
The charges were brought by Southern District of New York prosecutors who work for the federal Department of Justice.
Earlier: Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Donald Trump, has been indicted by federal prosecutors in an alleged scheme along with others to funnel money from a We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign for their own personal benefit.
Bannon was named along with three other defendants,...
A smiling Bannon left federal court in Manhattan with a smile, claiming his indictment was a “fiasco.” Bannon said that “This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall.”
Bannon has pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in an alleged scheme to steal cash donated to a “We Build the Wall” online fundraiser.
The charges were brought by Southern District of New York prosecutors who work for the federal Department of Justice.
Earlier: Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Donald Trump, has been indicted by federal prosecutors in an alleged scheme along with others to funnel money from a We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign for their own personal benefit.
Bannon was named along with three other defendants,...
- 8/21/2020
- by Ted Johnson and Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve Bannon, the chief executive officer of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in New York. Bannon, who also served as chief White House strategist and senior counselor to the president, is accused, with three others, of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was arrested by agents with the U.S. Postal Service and was expected to appear in court Thursday.
Bannon is the sixth person who served in the inner circle of President Trump’s 2016 campaign...
Bannon is the sixth person who served in the inner circle of President Trump’s 2016 campaign...
- 8/20/2020
- by Tessa Stuart and Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
After President Donald Trump went on a social media spree, advancing false claims of a coronavirus cure, Dr. Anthony Fauci defended his work against some of the attacks on him personally.
On ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Fauci, “Can you continue to do your job when the president of the United States is publicly questioning your credibility in this way?”
Fauci sighed and said, “I don’t know how to address that. I just am certainly going to continue doing my job. I don’t tweet. I don’t even read them, so I don’t really want to go there. I just continue to do my job no matter what comes out, because I think it is very important in the middle of a crisis in regard to an epidemic, a pandemic. This is what I do, this is what I have been...
On ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Fauci, “Can you continue to do your job when the president of the United States is publicly questioning your credibility in this way?”
Fauci sighed and said, “I don’t know how to address that. I just am certainly going to continue doing my job. I don’t tweet. I don’t even read them, so I don’t really want to go there. I just continue to do my job no matter what comes out, because I think it is very important in the middle of a crisis in regard to an epidemic, a pandemic. This is what I do, this is what I have been...
- 7/28/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The director of Sergio and many docs talks about docs and movies taken from true stories.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sergio (2009)
Sergio (2020)
Reds (1981)
The Two Popes (2019)
Rules Don’t Apply (2016)
Bulworth (1998)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ishtar (1987)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Man On Wire (2008)
The Fog of War (2003)
American Dharma (2018)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Under Fire (1983)
Salvador (1986)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet American (1958)
A Private War (2018)
The War Room (1993)
The Final Year (2017)
Independence Day (1996)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
When We Were Kings (1996)
Soul Power (2008)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Titicut Follies (1967)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Before Night Falls (2000)
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
American Factory (2019)
Dina (2017)
Honeyland (2019)
The Act of Killing (2012)
The English Patient (1996)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Purple Noon (1960)
Other Notable Items
Sergio Aragonés
Wagner Moura
Narcos TV...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sergio (2009)
Sergio (2020)
Reds (1981)
The Two Popes (2019)
Rules Don’t Apply (2016)
Bulworth (1998)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ishtar (1987)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Man On Wire (2008)
The Fog of War (2003)
American Dharma (2018)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Under Fire (1983)
Salvador (1986)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet American (1958)
A Private War (2018)
The War Room (1993)
The Final Year (2017)
Independence Day (1996)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
When We Were Kings (1996)
Soul Power (2008)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Titicut Follies (1967)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Before Night Falls (2000)
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
American Factory (2019)
Dina (2017)
Honeyland (2019)
The Act of Killing (2012)
The English Patient (1996)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Purple Noon (1960)
Other Notable Items
Sergio Aragonés
Wagner Moura
Narcos TV...
- 7/14/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
In “White Noise,” Daniel Lombroso’s lively and disturbing documentary portrait of three alt-right influencers, there’s a riveting scene in which Richard Spencer, a rock star of white nationalism who talks like a noodgy corporate assistant and has meticulous gelled hair that’s supposed to be his designer version of a Hitler fade (though Hitler didn’t have James Garner’s sideburns), is getting ready to give a speech at Michigan State University. In the white-cinder-block green room, he goes into a panic when he learns that there’s a riot taking place outside, with hundreds of students protesting his appearance.
You’d think he might welcome the publicity; Steve Bannon certainly would. But Spencer, who is basically an overblown trust-fund kid, is terrified that he’s going to be blamed for another disaster like the one that happened in Charlottesville, Va., when Heather Heyer, who was protesting against...
You’d think he might welcome the publicity; Steve Bannon certainly would. But Spencer, who is basically an overblown trust-fund kid, is terrified that he’s going to be blamed for another disaster like the one that happened in Charlottesville, Va., when Heather Heyer, who was protesting against...
- 7/11/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Pack, the new chief executive of the agency that oversees Voice Of America and other government-funded broadcast outlets, said Wednesday that he is implementing new policies to ensure that editorials that reflect the views of Donald Trump’s administration are given greater prominence and placement.
The move comes amid concerns that Pack will try to transform Voa and other outlets in ways that threaten their independence. Much of the wariness comes from Trump’s scathing criticisms of Voa and recent public push for the Senate to confirm Pack. His nomination languished for two years before he was confirmed earlier this month.
In his announcement, Pack, the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, said that the editorials, produced through the agency’s Office of Policy, will remain distinct from Voa’s news and featuring programming, and that the editorials are part of the mission of the broadcast...
The move comes amid concerns that Pack will try to transform Voa and other outlets in ways that threaten their independence. Much of the wariness comes from Trump’s scathing criticisms of Voa and recent public push for the Senate to confirm Pack. His nomination languished for two years before he was confirmed earlier this month.
In his announcement, Pack, the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, said that the editorials, produced through the agency’s Office of Policy, will remain distinct from Voa’s news and featuring programming, and that the editorials are part of the mission of the broadcast...
- 6/25/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Newly installed Voice of America leader Michael Pack, who purged most of the organization’s leadership on the evening of June 17, is also a longtime conservative documentarian whose work has been seen most widely on PBS — but is also known as an acolyte of right-wing activist Steve Bannon.
The Voa has been run by filmmakers before. While most of its directors have been journalists or scholars, the founding director of the public broadcaster dedicated to sharing American news and culture was Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and President Roosevelt speechwriter Robert Sherwood. (He also coined the organization’s name.) Following Sherwood was John Houseman, a longtime Orson Welles collaborator who went on to become a respected film producer and production executive in addition to his work as an actor.
Pack has a longstanding relationship with PBS — like Voa, a public broadcasting outlet. From 2003 through 2006 he oversaw programming at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,...
The Voa has been run by filmmakers before. While most of its directors have been journalists or scholars, the founding director of the public broadcaster dedicated to sharing American news and culture was Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and President Roosevelt speechwriter Robert Sherwood. (He also coined the organization’s name.) Following Sherwood was John Houseman, a longtime Orson Welles collaborator who went on to become a respected film producer and production executive in addition to his work as an actor.
Pack has a longstanding relationship with PBS — like Voa, a public broadcasting outlet. From 2003 through 2006 he oversaw programming at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,...
- 6/18/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Thompson on Hollywood
Newly installed Voice of America leader Michael Pack, who purged most of the organization’s leadership on the evening of June 17, is also a longtime conservative documentarian whose work has been seen most widely on PBS — but is also known as an acolyte of right-wing activist Steve Bannon.
The Voa has been run by filmmakers before. While most of its directors have been journalists or scholars, the founding director of the public broadcaster dedicated to sharing American news and culture was Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and President Roosevelt speechwriter Robert Sherwood. (He also coined the organization’s name.) Following Sherwood was John Houseman, a longtime Orson Welles collaborator who went on to become a respected film producer and production executive in addition to his work as an actor.
Pack has a longstanding relationship with PBS — like Voa, a public broadcasting outlet. From 2003 through 2006 he oversaw programming at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,...
The Voa has been run by filmmakers before. While most of its directors have been journalists or scholars, the founding director of the public broadcaster dedicated to sharing American news and culture was Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and President Roosevelt speechwriter Robert Sherwood. (He also coined the organization’s name.) Following Sherwood was John Houseman, a longtime Orson Welles collaborator who went on to become a respected film producer and production executive in addition to his work as an actor.
Pack has a longstanding relationship with PBS — like Voa, a public broadcasting outlet. From 2003 through 2006 he oversaw programming at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,...
- 6/18/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Michael Pack, the new CEO of the government-run global media media entity that oversees Voice of America and other news outlets, plans to clean house of the agency’s top career leadership, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Tuesday.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-ny) said in a statement that he had learned that Pack, confirmed by the Senate earlier this month to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, “intends to force out a number of the agency’s career senior leadership tomorrow morning.”
“My fear is that Usagm’s role as an unbiased news organization is in jeopardy under his leadership,” Engel said. “Usagm’s mission is ‘to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy’ — not to be a mouthpiece for the President in the run up to an election.” Engel suggested that the the action was connected...
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-ny) said in a statement that he had learned that Pack, confirmed by the Senate earlier this month to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, “intends to force out a number of the agency’s career senior leadership tomorrow morning.”
“My fear is that Usagm’s role as an unbiased news organization is in jeopardy under his leadership,” Engel said. “Usagm’s mission is ‘to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy’ — not to be a mouthpiece for the President in the run up to an election.” Engel suggested that the the action was connected...
- 6/17/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Voice of America’s director and deputy director resigned this week after the congressional confirmation of conservative filmmaker Michael Pack to oversee the government broadcast agency. Pack is a close ally of former campaign strategist and White House adviser Stephen Bannon.
Director Amanda Bennet and deputy director Sandra Sugawara resigned Monday, according to Voice of America, a news organization funded by the American government that maintains independence and objectivity.
After a push from President Donald Trump’s administration, Pack is now the CEO-designate for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees the international network and other federally-funded media organizations. Pack’s promotion was widely opposed by Democratic leaders.
Also Read: Voice of America Reporter Says He Was Banned From Air Force Two Over Report on Mike Pence's Maskless Mayo Clinic Visit
In the duo’s four-year tenure, according to Voa, the organization’s radio, television and online...
Director Amanda Bennet and deputy director Sandra Sugawara resigned Monday, according to Voice of America, a news organization funded by the American government that maintains independence and objectivity.
After a push from President Donald Trump’s administration, Pack is now the CEO-designate for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees the international network and other federally-funded media organizations. Pack’s promotion was widely opposed by Democratic leaders.
Also Read: Voice of America Reporter Says He Was Banned From Air Force Two Over Report on Mike Pence's Maskless Mayo Clinic Visit
In the duo’s four-year tenure, according to Voa, the organization’s radio, television and online...
- 6/16/2020
- by Lindsey Ellefson
- The Wrap
Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris is back with a new feature based on the life of psychologist and psychedelic advocate Timothy Leary. Per Showtime, who will air the documentary at a soon-to-be-announced date, the film “will examine why Leary, the High Priest of LSD, became a narc in 1974 and seemingly abandoned the millions he urged to turn on, tune in and drop out.”
Inspired by Tripping the Bardo With Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story, the memoir by Leary’s longtime partner Joanna Harcourt-Smith, she is heavily featured in the documentary, as one can glean from the trailer. It’s an intriguing subject for Morris, who is is considered to be one of the most influential documentarians in film history with The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War, and many more. His controversial latest film, American Dharma, focused on political strategist and white nationalist Steve Bannon.
See the trailer below.
Inspired by Tripping the Bardo With Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story, the memoir by Leary’s longtime partner Joanna Harcourt-Smith, she is heavily featured in the documentary, as one can glean from the trailer. It’s an intriguing subject for Morris, who is is considered to be one of the most influential documentarians in film history with The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War, and many more. His controversial latest film, American Dharma, focused on political strategist and white nationalist Steve Bannon.
See the trailer below.
- 6/5/2020
- by Stephen Hladik
- The Film Stage
The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the global media agency that oversees the Voice of America.
Michael Pack, a documentary filmmaker, will serve as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also provides grants to overseas outlets like Radio Free Europe and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The Senate voted 53-38 on the nomination, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) voting with all Republicans.
Other Democrats, led by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-nj), objected to his confirmation while Pack’s nonprofit, Public Media Lab, is under investigation by the D.C. Attorney General, Karl Racine.
On the Senate floor on Thursday, Menendez used charts to outline claims that Pack used donations from Public Media Lab, for his own benefit.
“Given his alleged use of a small non profit for self-enrichment, can we trust that he will not use the massive resources of the U.S. government...
Michael Pack, a documentary filmmaker, will serve as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also provides grants to overseas outlets like Radio Free Europe and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The Senate voted 53-38 on the nomination, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) voting with all Republicans.
Other Democrats, led by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-nj), objected to his confirmation while Pack’s nonprofit, Public Media Lab, is under investigation by the D.C. Attorney General, Karl Racine.
On the Senate floor on Thursday, Menendez used charts to outline claims that Pack used donations from Public Media Lab, for his own benefit.
“Given his alleged use of a small non profit for self-enrichment, can we trust that he will not use the massive resources of the U.S. government...
- 6/4/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
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