Emily Osment is Haley Joel after he went to Thailand to get his dick chopped off cuz being an awkward male child star post puberty is hard to deal with….and nothing a little chop / chop hormone therapy can’t fix…because girl’s have it easy…and all they need to do is get in a bikini for validation, even when the paparazzi don’t care to document them doing it, they can do it themselves….just turn to social media if you don’t believe me…so many hot bikini girls get 1000s of likes and follows for doing nothing but posing in a bikini…I mean even fat chicks who get naked on cam get followers…cuz dudes are pathetic and can’t help but liking anything and everything with a vag…..even when we hate them and their gold digging, fame whore, parasite who steal our freedom ways…. Unless she is in fact his sister who used his fame as a wrung in the ladder, to which I say who cares…she’s in a bikini, let’s celebrate, born with a dick or not.
Horror director speaks about the freedom of leaving found footage behind. By Kevin P. Sullivan Ashley Bell in “The Last Exorcism: Part II” Photo: CBS Films
Southern goth-chic gets a swoony supernatural makeover in Beautiful Creatures , a teen franchise-starter that suggests what Twilight might have looked like with a reasonable budget, a competent script and halfway-decent special effects, but still saddled with next-best source material. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s book, the first of four, reps a calculated synthesis of proven YA-lit elements and recent publishing success tactics, which makes for ingratiating storytelling on the page. Fortunately, writer-director Richard LaGravenese has jettisoned most of the novel and refashioned its core mythology and characters into a feverishly enjoyable guilty pleasure, unapologetic in its mass-market rebel ‘tude. Though Beautiful Creatures has what it takes to support a series — a “gifted” girl, a smitten guy and powerful evil forces determined to keep them apart — the film could face trouble winning over cynical young auds who view it as the latest shameless attempt to cash in on the fantasy craze, which of course it is. And yet, now that the Twilight and Harry Potter series have run their course, the timing seems right for a soapy romance in which a sensitive small-town hunk (Alden Ehrenreich) falls hard for the new girl in town, not really minding that she’s a witch — or “caster,” as they prefer to be called here. With a dark-haired, pale-skinned look more likely to inspire 1920s audiences than today’s supermodel-obsessed tastes, Alice Englert ( Ginger and Rosa ) brings a refreshingly relatable quality to the role of 15-year-old Lena Duchannes, who’s moved to dead-end Gatlin, S.C., after things got out of control at her last school. Lena wants to keep a low profile while counting down the days until her 16th birthday, when a family curse predicts she will be “claimed” as a dark witch, but Ethan recognizes her as the mysterious girl he’s been dreaming about for months, and insists on getting to know this melancholy stranger. The best young-adult offerings tap into deeper themes that resonate with teens, but this one trades mostly in dopey wish fulfillment, granting magical powers and a devoted admirer to girls who imagine themselves as outsiders. It’s about feeling different, having a secret and discovering that special soulmate in whom one can confide. With his heavy brow knit in an expression of deep concern, Ehrenreich looks the way a young Orson Welles might if cast on a CW series, with a plucky Southern accent in place of a sonorous radio voice. Though the film preserves the idea of Ethan as narrator, it ditches the novel’s off-puttingly snide tone, allowing the popular girls — led by self-righteous ex-g.f. Emily (Zoey Deutch) — to damn themselves, while saving the amusing putdowns for Gatlin. Nearly everything about the book has been streamlined for the screen, which may rankle fans (who are likely to miss the ethereal song that binds Ethan to Lena, at least), but it makes for a far cleaner plot. While Lena spices up a traditional teen courtship with doses of magic — as when she caps a date by conjuring snow out of thin air on a muggy December afternoon — her powerful dark relatives (a vampy cousin played by Emmy Rossum and shape-shifting undead mom Sarafine, played with lip-smacking relish by Emma Thompson ) arrive to demonstrate what happens when witches go bad. The film goes out of its way to forge memorable character introductions, which will serve the series well, should sequels follow (more confusing is a scene toward the end when Ethan, a sophomore in the book, is shown leaving for NYU). By granting LaGravenese the freedom to refashion the novel as he sees fit, Warner Bros. gives Beautiful Creatures an edge over other recent hit fantasy-series adaptations, which have often shown stiff, gospel-like fidelity to their source material. By contrast, this project comes across as downright blasphemous — and not only against the potboiler that inspired it; LaGravenese’s script takes on Bible-beaters, book-banners and all who invoke God to justify small-minded prejudice. In one particularly campy scene, Sarafine goes head-to-head with Lena’s guardian ( Jeremy Irons , the picture of drawling Old South gentility) in the local church, dabbing holy water behind her ears like perfume as she dismisses the superstitious townsfolk’s notions of religion. Considering how little it takes to get certain groups riled up about what their kids are reading, the film goes awfully far out of its way to align itself with blacklisted literature, offering up Viola Davis’ voodoo “seer” (and resident librarian) as its high priestess. Garcia and Stohl clearly saw To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye as models for the series, although Beautiful Creatures demonstrates few of their insights into human nature, hewing closer to Judy Blume and Twilight fan fiction. Likewise, while Ethan and Lena turn one another onto Vonnegut and Bukowski, throwing their names around for punk credibility, either writer would surely recoil to see himself quoted in this context. The film ultimately plays like so much teenage girl poetry, heavy on the angst, endearingly naive in its notions of love and yet brought vividly to life by a game cast, evocative locations (both indoors and out) and stunning anamorphic lensing. Louisiana works nicely for Civil War-obsessed Gatlin, suggesting a tween-friendly True Blood . RELATED: ‘Beautiful Creatures’ NYC Premiere: Twi-Hard With A Vengeance? Follow Movieline on Twitter.
He loves Michelle Obama’s bangs and would eff George Zimmerman up… Does that make this killer likable? As the LAPD continues to search for Christopher Dorner, more excerpts from his rambling manifesto have reached the media. Via The Conservative Treehouse : I’m not an aspiring rapper, I’m not a gang member, I’m not a dope dealer, I don’t have multiple babies momma’s. I am an American by choice, I am a son, I am a brother, I am a military service member, I am a man who has lost complete faith in the system, when the system betrayed, slandered, and libeled me. I lived a good life and though not a religious man I always stuck to my own personal code of ethics, ethos and always stuck to my shoreline and true North. I didn’t need the US Navy to instill Honor, Courage, and Commitment in me but I thank them for re-enforcing it. It’s in my DNA. In addition to his mission to reform the culture of corruption within the LAPD, Dorner is also striving for a ban on assault weapons: Mia Farrow said it best. “Gun control is no longer debatable, it’s not a conversation, its a moral mandate.” Sen. Feinstein, you are doing the right thing in leading the re-institution of a national AWB. Never again should any public official state that their prayers and thoughts are with the family. That has become cliche’ and meaningless. Its time for action. Let this be your legacy that you bestow to America. Do not be swayed by obstacles, antagaonist, and naysayers. Remember the innocent children at Austin, Kent, Stockton, Fullerton, San Diego, Iowa City, Jonesboro, Columbine, Nickel Mines, Blacksburg, Springfield, Red Lake, Chardon, Aurora, and Newtown. Make sure this never happens again!!! In my cache you will find several small arms. In the cache, Bushmaster firearms, Remington precision rifles, and AAC Suppressors (silencers). All of these small arms are manufactured by Cerberus/Freedom Group. The same company responsible for the Portland mall shooting, Webster , NY, and Sandy Hook massacre. And conservative publications are already clamoring to accuse the press of failure to cover Dorner because of so-called leftist leanings, which they feel are made apparent towards the end of the manifesto where he rips into critics of the President: You disrespect the office of the POTUS/Presidency and Commander in Chief. You call him Kenyan, mongroid, halfrican, muslim, and FBHO when in essence you are to address him as simply, President. The same as you did to President George W. Bush and all those in the highest ranking position of our land before him. Just as I always have. You question his birth certificate, his educational and professional accomplishments, and his judeo-christian beliefs. You make disparaging remarks about his dead parents. You never questioned the fact that his former opponent, the honorable Senator John McCain, was not born in the CONUS or that Bush had a C average in his undergrad. Electoral Candidates children (Romney) state they want to punch the president in the face during debates with no formal repercussions. No one even questioned the fact that the son just made a criminal threat toward the President. You call his wife a Wookie. Off the record, I love your new bangs, Mrs. Obama. A woman whose professional and educational accomplishments are second to none when compared to recent First wives. You call his supporters, whether black, brown, yellow, or white, leeches, FSA, welfare recipients, and ni$&er lovers. You say this openly without any discretion. Before you start with your argument that you believe I would vote for Obama because he has the same skin color as me, f**k you. I didn’t vote in this last election as my choice of candidate, John Huntsman, didn’t win the primary candidacy for his party. Mr. President, I haven’t agreed with all of your decisions but of course I haven’t agreed with all of your predecessors decisions. I think you’ve done a hell of a job with what you have been dealt and how you have managed it. I shed a tear the night you were initially elected President in 2008. I never thought that day would occur. A black man elected president in the U.S. in my lifetime. I cracked a smiled when you were re-elected in 2012 because I really didn’t think you were going to pull that one off. Romney, stop being a sore loser. You could’ve exited graciously and still contributed significantly to public service, not now. Mr. President, get back to work. Many want to see you fail as they have stated so many times previously. Unfortunately, if you fail, the U.S. fails but your opponents do not concern themselves about the big picture. Do not forget your commitment to transparency in your administration. Sometimes I believe your administration forgets that. America, you will realize today and tomorrow that this world is made up of all human beings who have the same general needs and wants in life for themselves, their kin, community, and state. That is the freedom to LIVE and LOVE. They may eat different foods, enjoy different music, have different dialects, or speak a second language, but in essence are no different from you and I. This is America. We are not a perfect sovereign country as we have our own flaws but we are the closest that will ever exist. Dorner also delves into his personal tastes in film and in women: I thank my friends for the awesome shared experiences. I thank the unnamed women I dated over my lifetime for the great and sometimes not so great sex. It’s kind of sad I won’t be around to view and enjoy The Hangover III. What an awesome trilogy. Todd Phillips, don’t make anymore Hangovers after the third, takes away the originality of its foundation. World War Z looks good and The Walking Dead season 3 (second half) looked intriguing. Damn, gonna miss shark week. Mr. Vice President, do your due diligence when formulating a concise and permanent national AWB plan. Future generations of Americans depend on your plan and advisement to the president. I’ve always been a fan of yours and consider you one of the few genuine and charismatic politicians. Damn, sounds like an oxymoron calling you an honest politician. It’s the truth. Hillary Clinton. You’ll make one hell of a president in 2016. Much like your husband, Bill, you will be one of the greatest. Look at Castro in San Antonio as a running mate or possible secretary of state. He’s (good people) and I have faith and confidence in him. Look after Bill. He was always my favorite President. Chelsea grew up to be one hell of an attractive woman. No disrespect to her husband. Gov. Chris Christie. What can I say? You’re the only person I would like to see in the White House in 2016 other than Hillary. You’re America’s no sh*t taking uncle. Do one thing for your wife, kids, and supporters. Start walking at night and eat a little less, not a lot less, just a little. We want to see you around for a long time. Your leadership is greatly needed. Wayne LaPierre, President of the NRA, you’re a vile and inhumane piece of sh*t. You never even showed 30 seconds of empathy for the children, teachers, and families of Sandy Hook. You deflected any type of blame/responsibility and directed it toward the influence of movies and the media. You are a failure of a human being. May all of your immediate and distant family die horrific deaths in front of you. Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough, Pat Harvey, Brian Williams, Soledad Obrien, Wolf Blitzer, Meredith Viera, Tavis Smiley, and Anderson Cooper, keep up the great work and follow Cronkite’s lead. I hold many of you in the same regard as Tom Brokaw and the late Peter Jennings. Cooper, stop nagging and berating your guest, they’re your (guest). Mr. Scarborough, we met at McGuire’s pub in P-cola in 2002 when I was stationed there. It was an honor conversing with you about politics, family, and life. Willie Geist, you’re a talented and charismatic journalist. Stop with all the talk show shenanigans and get back to your core of reporting. Your future is brighter than most. Revoke the citizenship of Fareed Zakaria and deport him. I’ve never heard a positive word about America or its interest from his mouth, ever. On the same day, give Piers Morgan an indefinite resident alien and Visa card. Mr. Morgan, the problem that many American gun owners have with you and your continuous discussion of gun control is that you are not an American citizen and have an accent that is distinct and clarifies that you are a foreigner. I want you to know that I agree with you 100% on enacting stricter firearm laws but you must understand that your critics will always have in the back of their mind that you are native to a country that we won our sovereignty from while using firearms as a last resort in defense and you come from a country that has no legal private ownership of firearms. That is disheartening to American gun owners and rightfully so. The honorable President George H.W. Bush, they never give you enough credit for your successful Presidency. You were always one of my favorite Presidents (2nd favorite). I hope your health improves greatly. You are the epitome of an American and service to country. General Petraeus, you made a mistake that the majority of men make once, twice, or unfortunately many times in a lifetime. You are human. You thought with your p***s. It’s okay.I personally believe you should have never resigned and told your critics to shove it. You only answer to two people regarding the affair, your wife and children, period. I hope you return to government service to your country as it is visibly in your DNA. General Colin Powell, your book “My American Journey” solidified my decision to join the military after college. I had always intended to serve, but your book and journey motivated me. You are an inspiration to all Americans and influenced me greatly. To all SEA’s (senior enlisted advisers), you are just as important if not a greater viability to large and small commands. It’s time you take a more active role in leading your enlisted and advising officers. These are not your twilight years or time to relax. You can either strengthen the tip of the spear, or make it brittle. You decide. Pat Harvey, I’ve always thought you carried yourself professionally and personally the way a strong black woman should. Your articulation and speech is second to none. You are the epitome of a journalist/anchor. You are America. Ellen Degeneres, continue your excellent contribution to entertaining America and bringing the human factor to entertainment. You changed the perception of your gay community and how we as Americans view the LGBT community. I congratulate you on your success and opening my eyes as a young adult, and my generation to the fact that you are know different from us other than who you choose to love. Oh, and you Prop 8 supporters, why the f**k do you care who your neighbor marries. Hypocritical pieces of shit. Westboro Baptist Church, may you all burn slowly in a fire, not from smoke inhalation, but from the flames and only the flames. Tebow, I really wanted to see you take charge of an offense again and the game. You are not a good QB by todays standards, but you are a great football player who knows how to lead a team and WIN. You will be “Tebowing” when you reach your next team. I have faith in you. Get out of that circus they call the Jets and away from the reality TV star, Rex Ryan, and Mark Rapist Sanchez. Christopher Walz, you impressed me in Inglorious Basterds. After viewing Django Unchained, I was sold. I have come to the conclusion that you are well on your way to becoming one of the greats if not already and show glimpses of Daniel Day Lewis and Morgan Freeman-esque type qualities of greatness. Trust me when I say that you will be one of the greatest ever. Jennifer Beals, Serena Williams, Grae Drake, Lisa Nicole-Carson, Diana Taurasi, N’bushe Wright, Brenda Villa, Kate Winslet, Ashley Graham, Erika Christensen, Gabrielle Union, Isabella Soprano, Zain Verjee, Tamron Hall, Gina Carano, America Ferrara, Giana Michaels, Nene, Natalie Portman, Queen Latifah, Michelle Rodriguez, Anjelah Johnson, Kelly Clarkson, Nora Jones, Laura Prepon, Margaret Cho, and Rutina Wesley, you are THE MOST beautiful women on this planet, period. Never settle, professionally or personally. Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” is the greatest piece of music ever, period. Hanz Zimmer, William Bell, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bob Marley, Sam Cooke, Metallica, Rob Zombie, Nora Jones, Marvin Gaye, Jay-Z, and the King (Louis Armstrong) are musical prodigies. Jeffrey Toobin and David Gergen, you are political geniuses and modern scholars. Hopefully Toobin is nominated for the Supreme Court and implements some damn common sense and reasoning instead of partisan bickering. But in true Toobin fashion, we all know he would not accept the nomination. , John and Ken from KFI, never mute your facts and personal opinions. You are one of the few media personalities who speak the truth, even when the truth is not popular. I will miss listening to your discussions. Bill Handel, your effin awesome. For years I enjoyed your show. Anthony Bourdain, you’re a modern renaissance man who epitomizes the saying “too cool for school”. Larry David, Kevin Hart, the late Patrice Oneal, Lisa Lampanelli, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK, Dave Chapelle, Jon Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Dennis Miller, and Jeff Ross are pure geniuses. I’m a big fan of all of your work. As a child my mom caught me watching Def Jam comedy at midnight when I should have been asleep. Instead of scolding me, the next night she let me stay up late and watch George Carlin, Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor comedy specials with her for hours. My sides were sore for days. Larry David, I agree. 72-82 degrees is way to hot in a residence. 68 , degrees is perfect. Cyclist, I have no problem sharing the road with you. But, at least go the f**king speed limit posted or get off the road!!! That is a feasible request. Livestrong you fraudulent a$$holes. Cardinal Mahoney, you are in essence a predator yourself as you enabled your subordinates to molest multiple children in the church over many decades. May you die a long and slow painful death. If you continuously followed me while I was walking at dusk/night I would confront you as well. Too bad Trayvon didn’t smash your skull completely open, Zim. While Trayvon’s body erodes to bones 6 feet under, Zimmerman has put on no less than 40 pounds while out on bail. Zimmerman was arrested for battery on a Peace officer and avoided jail/prison because he completed a diversion program. Thats a history of being an a$$hole. Zimmerman couldn’t get hired by a LE agency because of poor credit/and a history of violence/restraining orders with women. So what does he do? Designate himself, neighborhood watch captain and make complaints to his city council about the horrible work ethic and laziness of the officers patrolling his neighborhood. Good one Zim. How classy that your father attempts to use his veterans status “disabled veteran” during your bail hearing but doesn’t state what his disability percentage is. Prior service personnel know it can be 5% disability to 100%. You and your attorneys always avoid mentioning your fathers occupation as a magistrate/judge because I’m sure he’s utilized his position to get you out of way more jams then the public has discovered and that your family is not indigent. Oh, tell your wife to stop perjuring herself in court. KCCO Anonymous, you are hated, vilified, and considered an enemy to the state. I personally view you as a culture and a necessity that brings truth to a cloaked world. Forge ahead! Charlie Sheen, you’re effin awesome. My opinion on women in combat MOS’, Designators, Rates, and AFSC’s. I wish all of you who attempt to pursue combat occupational roles the greatest success in completing, graduating, and qualifying in their respective schools/courses. Many want to see you fail. Remember, everyone of you is a pioneer. There was a time when they didn’t allow blacks to fight the good fight. This is your civil rights. Don’t quit!!! It’s time to allow gay service member’s spouses to utilize the same benefits that all heterosexual dependents are eligible for. Medical, Dental, Tricare, Deers, SGLI, BX, Commissary, Milstar, MWR, etc. Flag officers, lets be honest. You can’t really give a valid argument to as why gays shouldn’t be eligible as every month a new state enacts laws that allow same sex marriage. L GBT community and supporters, the same way you have the right to voice your opinion on acceptance of gay marriage, Chick Fil-A has a right to voice their beliefs as well. That’s what makes America so great. Freedom of expression. Don’t be assholes and boycott/degrade their business and customers who patronize the locations. They make some damn good chicken! Vandalizing (graffiti) their locations does not help any cause. Mr. Bill Cosby, you are a reasonable and talented man who has spoken the truth of the cultural anomalies within the black communities that need to change now. The black communities’ resentment toward you is because they don’t like hearing the truth or having their clear and evident dirty laundry aired to the nation. The problem is, the country is not blind nor dumb. They believe we are animals. Do not mute your unvarnished truthful speech or moral compass. Blacks must strive for more in life than bling, hoes, and cars. The current culture is an epidemic that leaves them with no discernible future. They’re suffocating and don’t even know it. MLK Jr. Would be mortified at what he worked so hard for in our acceptance as equal beings and how unfortunately we stopped progressing and began digressing. Chicago’s youth violence is a prime example of how our black communities values have declined. We can not address this nation’s intolerant issues until we address our own communities morality issues first. Accountability.” We know that’s a lot to digest — but do these parts of Dorner’s manifesto make him “likeable”? Do you think the American public are more sympathetic toward him because he shares many of the “common folk” tastes? Killing people is wrong period — but does Dorner have redeemable qualities that are protecting him from full persecution by the media? What do you think? Please Discuss!!! There’s also a petition up asking the White House investigate the LAPD corruption Dorner refers to and actually do something about it.
The biggest upset of this year’s Oscars took place weeks before the actual ceremony, when Zero Dark Thirty helmer Kathryn Bigelow was snubbed for a Best Director nod. Conventional wisdom holds that debates about torture and political bias in the Osama Bin Laden thanato-pic, which began weeks before the film’s release, derailed Bigelow’s chances at a second statuette. But the bigger story – one that’s hardly been told – is that Bigelow’s partnership with the Central Intelligence Agency during the production of ZDT inadvertently shined an unwelcome spotlight on the military-entertainment complex: the surprisingly close and definitely reciprocal relationship between Hollywood and the Pentagon. If, as some have alleged, the CIA did share confidential information with Bigelow and ZDT screenwriter Mark Boal – or lied to them – about the role of torture in the manhunt for Bin Laden, that’s certainly cause for debate, censure, and possibly even stronger measures.(Right.) But it’s not just the isolated cases of Bigelow, Boal and their sources that merit closer political scrutiny: It’s time we took a good, hard look at how the military-entertainment complex operates. Cooperation between Hollywood and the military brass goes back to the 1920s, when the Pentagon helped produce Wings , the first Best Picture Oscar-winner. The relationship between the studios and the armed forces has waxed and waned in the decades since, but tends to get cozier in times of conflict. During World War II, for instance, the Department of Defense enlisted Hollywood as its virtual press agent: one Pentagon memo called wartime Disney shorts aimed at children – tomorrow’s recruits – “an excellent opportunity to introduce a whole new generation to the [newly] nuclear Navy.” According to The Hollywood Reporter , it wasn’t until the 1980s, after memories of Vietnam had begun to fade, that “a steady growth [occurred] in the demand for access to military facilities and in the number of films, TV shows and home videos made about the military.” Sure, the decade saw the release of a number of searing films about Vietnam, such as Platoon and Full Metal Jacket , but most of the military-themed films fed to the public were hyper-macho, bazooka-toting fantasy fare like Top Gun , Red Dawn , Rambo II , and Predator . That increasing synergy between Hollywood and the Pentagon led to the current military-entertainment complex in which studios get to use taxpayer-subsidized military locations, equipment, personnel, and expertise in exchange for giving the military script approval. In this disproportionate exchange of power, the studios get significantly reduced production budgets, while the Pentagon gets to harness the power of cinema (and television) to advance a pro-war, pro-military agenda where multiplexes, flat screens and PCs become virtual recruitment offices. A prime example of this dynamic at work was last year’s Navy SEAL porn flick, Act of Valor , which hit theaters just a few months after SEAL Team Six assassinated Bin Laden. As a film drafted within the Pentagon and pitched to studios — a reversal of standard operating procedure — Act of Valor hails back to the days of World War II, when the military enlisted Hollywood in the production of naked propaganda. (In an inspired but ultimately unsuccessful move, active-duty NAVY Seals also made up the cast.) The film was received as the propaganda that it was; the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in its review that ” Act of Valor is intended to wow audiences with high-test action while planting a giant wet kiss on the smacker of the U.S. military – and it scores at both tasks.” The Military-Entertainment Complex doesn’t just produce overt propaganda, by the way. It has also had a hand in mindless, seemingly apolitical popcorn movies. Take Battleship , director Peter Berg’s board game-based stinker from last summer. (The picture is noteworthy for practically ending the big-screen dreams of Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna .) Along with Act of Valor and the upcoming Captain Philips and Lone Survivor , Battleship was one of four films that the U.S. Navy had a hand in producing last year. U.S. Navy documents, acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request via Muckrock (where you can view them in their entirety), show that the Department of Defense’s decision to work with Berg and Universal hinged on one main question: “Do we believe that [the movie] could have a positive impact on recruiting?” The Navy concluded yes, confidently declaring, “ Battleship will certainly continue to be a conversation starter that carries our ‘brand’ to many Americans who aren’t familiar with their Navy.” Apparently unconcerned that Battleship is about naval forces battling an alien invasion, Navy officials got Universal to agree “to consult with the DoD Project Officer [the technical advisor] in all phases of pre-production, production, and post-production that involve and/or depict the U.S. military” in order to ensure that the script “positively represents our service and our Sailors” and “accurately portray[s] the Navy.” Specifically, that meant the Department of Defense had veto power over every word of the script, with any military-related changes having to go through another approval process. The DoD also mandated contractually obligated screenings of the rough cut, when changes to the film could still be made, as well as a screening of the final cut in Washington, D.C., before the film’s theatrical release. The Department of Defense also insured that its public affairs personnel were able to take pictures and videos of the film’s cast, crew, and sets and were granted full permission to use those images, as well as any of the film’s marketing materials. The Department of Defense Production Assistance Agreement states that the Navy would employ those pictures and videos solely for internal use, but doesn’t guarantee that they won’t be visible to the public. “Some of the imagery may be viewed by the general public if posted on an open DoD web site or on ‘The Pentagon Channel,’ or other publicly-accessible media source,” states the agreement, opening the door to use those backlot shots as a recruitment aid. As if life as a Navy sailor had anything to do with a mission to destroy an alien mothership hovering over Hawaii. In the case of Battleship , the Navy reportedly agreed to participate because “whether or not we supported Battleship , the film was going to be made – it was going to carry our brand and represent who we are to the American people.” That would have been an unfavorable scenario for the Navy, but also an extremely unlikely one, since Battleship ’s production budget – already $209 million with the help of the Navy’s resources, including props, backgrounds, extras, and technical expertise – would have probably been too prohibitive had Universal been forced to bear all those costs. The Navy also considered the question “Can we support a film without impacting our operations?” It answered for itself: “Because filming took place on top of already scheduled training events, it did not impair the exercise and there was no cost to the Navy or American taxpayers.” But the lack of any immediate or upfront costs in this one case doesn’t address the questions of why citizens should subsidize Hollywood films – since all the military expertise and materiel appearing in these films are paid for with taxes – or how Americans would benefit from publicly funded propaganda for state-supported violence. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times , an Army spokesman indirectly responded to those concerns, stating, “We [the military] get asked all the time, ‘Why do you market?’ We’re a nation at war going on 11 years, which is … the longest period of consistent conflict that the U.S. Army’s ever been involved in”. Given the recent news that military suicides surpassed combat deaths and surged to a record high in 2012 and that sexual assault remains a disturbingly frequent and unpunished behavior within the armed forces, you can expect Pentagon brass will be looking for more positive depictions of the lives of U.S. soldiers and sailors in the coming months. And as studio budgets continue to rise and military enlistment continues to decline, neither Hollywood nor the Pentagon has any reason to disengage from the military-entertainment complex. And if studios are going to continue to get into bed with the military then taxpaying moviegoers have a right to know when they are being bombarded with propaganda that they’ve essentially financed. A modest step toward greater transparency – one that’s easy and cost-efficient to boot – would be adding a disclosure tag at the beginning of movies that have involved the participation of the armed forces. The Department of Defense already mandates that all movies the military helps to produce must thank the relevant branch of service, but that acknowledgement typically occurs at the very end of the closing credits. Such a disclosure tag wouldn’t just provide a franker context for the film to come. Given the Pentagon’s less-than-stellar track record with film production, it would also serve as a warning to audiences that they should lower their expectations. Now that’s patriotism. Inkoo Kang is a film critic and investigative journalist in Boston. She has been published in Indiewire, Boxoffice Magazine, Yahoo! Movies, Pop Matters, Screen Junkies, and MuckRock. Her great dream in life is to direct a remake of All About Eve with an all-dog cast. FOIA battleship Follow Inkoo Kang on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
New Yorker writer, Lawrence Wright appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe talk show to discuss his new book, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief , and Tom Cruise quickly became the focus of the conversation. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author — who did some 200 interviews with current and former Scientologists, as well as other sources for his book — was in the process of discussing reports of “abuse and involuntary confinement” within its Sea Org unit — the equivalent of Scientology clergy, according to Wright — when host Joe Scarborough brought up the Top Gun star (around the 6:20 mark of this clip). “Do you think Tom Cruise knows of these alleged problems with Scientology . And secondly, what’s in it for a guy like Tom Cruise, who has the freedom to do whatever he wants and chooses to stay in the church”. Wright’s response: “I’m glad you’ve put your finger on Tom Cruise, because I think he has a moral responsibility — he’s been the front pitchman for this organization for years. More people have heard about Scientology through him than any other person. There may be some willful blindness on his part, but if so, it’s time for him to open his eyes because he’s been selling this.” In the video, Wright points out that Cruise is “being treated very well” by church members. He even says they “hand-crafted a limousine for him.” I’ve asked Cruise’s spokeswoman if the actor would like to respond to Wright’s comments and will post them if they are forthcoming. As you might guess, the Church of Scientology doesn’t have good things to say about Going Clear, and has called it an “Error-filled unsubstantiated bigoted anti-Scientology book.” Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
President Barack Obama made history on Monday when he spoke about the Stonewall uprising and the gay rights struggle during his inaugural speech . Many in the LGBT community were thrilled, but an 11-year-old girl named Sadie wondered why Obama didn’t directly address transgender people, too. As a result, she spelled out her own vision for America: “Sadie was so proud of President Obama for including the gay community; however, she felt like the trans community wasn’t included,” said Sage, Sadie’s mother. “That inspired her to write her own ‘speech.'” Sadie’s speech , which began making the rounds on the Internet soon after the President spoke and was published in full on the website TransGriot, reads: “The world would be a better place if everyone had the right to be themselves, including people who have a creative gender identity and expression. Transgender people are not allowed the freedom to do things everyone else does, like go to the doctor, go to school, get a job, and even make friends. Transgender kids like me are not allowed to go to most schools because the teachers think we are different from everyone else. The schools get afraid of how they will talk with the other kids’ parents, and transgender kids are kept secret or told not to come there anymore. Kids are told not to be friends with transgender kids, which makes us very lonely and sad. When they grow up, transgender adults have a hard time getting a job because the boss thinks the customers will be scared away. Doctors are afraid of treating transgender patients because they don’t know how to take care of them, and some doctors don’t really want to help them. Transgender patients like me travel to other states to see a good doctor. It would be a better world if everyone knew that transgender people have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else. We like to make friends and want to go to school. Transgender people want to get good jobs and go to doctors like they are exactly the same. It really isn’t that hard to like transgender people because we are like everyone else.” Well said, Sadie. So very well said.
Pulling raw talent from the footnotes of rock ‘n’ roll history and splashing their names up on the marquee where they belong, Twenty Feet From Stardom wages a compelling crusade to get background singers some long-overdue recognition. Featuring such stalwarts as Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer and Tata Vega — many of whose voices are well known even if their names are not — this rousing group portrait should have commercial legs as long as its subjects’, leaving satisfied audiences everywhere listening with new ears. Director Morgan Neville’s loving spotlight, produced by late A&M Records exec Gil Friesen, ensures their contributions will go unsung no more. Not everyone is cut out for stardom, observes Bruce Springsteen at the outset, and the film ultimately hammers its “coulda been a contender” point a little too hard when circling back to that idea in the final stretch. But for most of its running time, this personality-packed docu is nothing short of absorbing as it recaps the essential role African-American background singers played in shaping the sound of 20th-century pop music. Hailing from the gospel tradition (all the big names grew up singing in church, and many had preachers for parents), these vocal powerhouses were the soul of a new sound being practiced by everyone from Ray Charles to Elvis Presley , replacing the earlier model, in which clean-cut crooners performed alongside two or three white ladies. Now in her 70s and reunited here with the Blossoms, Love paved the way for black women to support some of the most successful names in rock history, occasionally even “ghosting” for other acts who took the credit. That’s Love singing lead on the Crystals’ hit “He’s a Rebel,” for example, though producer Phil Spector personally stood in the way of her solo career. Most of the time, the music-buying public had no idea whom they were listening to, but the industry folks certainly did, creating opportunities for the likes of Clayton, who recalls screaming “Rape! Murder!” for the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” in the middle of the night with curlers in her hair, and the Waters Family, featured on “Thriller” and “The Circle of Life” (who, amazingly, also recorded dino-bird sounds on Avatar ). In virtually every minute of its first hour, the film reveals fresh details many might not already know about songs they’ve heard countless times, reinforcing its points with sound bites from Mick Jagger , Stevie Wonder and Sting. These stars aren’t merely endorsing the vocalists they swear by, either; speaking candidly, they offer meaningful observations about the vagaries of the biz. Neville’s approach establishes a real intimacy with the half dozen singers he follows most closely, varying the camerawork and editing just enough among them to capture the distinct personality of each. The featured ladies represent several generations of success and struggle, and the pic brings the myriad talking points to life with rare TV appearances, half-forgotten milestones and other archival treasures, while nifty graphics help direct viewer attention, putting the sidelines in our sight lines. And then comes the heartbreak. Though a few have broken out of the background to become headliners — like male example Luther Vandross, who started out singing support for David Bowie — most rely on the generosity of other artists for what limited exposure they get. At one point, Love was reduced to cleaning houses, and former “Ikette” Claudia Lennear (who posed for Playboy at the height of her celebrity) now works as a Spanish teacher. Some, like Grammy winner Fischer, seem more comfortable enriching others’ performances, while up-and-comer Judith Hill (who sang at Michael Jackson’s funeral) risks undermining her personal momentum every time she accepts a supporting gig. As the film’s title wistfully suggests, many background singers have musical talent far exceeding those for whom they have performed — a subject rich enough to have fueled the tuner Dreamgirls . And yet, for various reasons ranging from market forces to the fact they didn’t write their own songs, they never managed to launch successful solo careers. Just as entire documentaries could be made about one-hit wonders, the discussion of near-miss stardom is almost a distraction from the enormous contribution these vocalists have made to contemporary music, while reducing the measures of success to fame and fortune. And yet, this perceived injustice gives the pic a catchy hook, no doubt creating fresh career opportunities for its subjects, if not necessarily the stardom that has so long eluded them. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
“Welcome to Sommerton!” growls Arnold Schwarzenegger in his comeback flick, the ultra-bloody shoot-em-up The Last Stand . As Arnie catchphrases go, it’s no “Hasta la vista, baby” — hell, it’s not even a “Consider this a divorce” — but it’s been 10 years since the Terminator starred in a movie and we’ll take what we can get. In this violent modern Western, Arnold plays Sheriff Ray Owens, guardian of Sommerton Junction, a hamlet on the Arizona border that’s just a corn field away from Mexico. (Casting a bodybuilder with an impenetrable Austrian accent as a small-town American sheriff seems like a stretch until you remember that in real life, Californian voters cast one as their governor.) As in every Schwarzenegger flick, the residents of Sommerton never quite seem to notice that Sheriff Ray is big, strong and scary. The mayor treats him like he’s Paul Blart: Mall Cop and the waitress at the diner on Main Street pesters him at 4 am to ask why the milk man is late. But Ray takes these insults in stride: he’s old, and he doesn’t care who knows it. As did Sylvester Stallone ‘s Barney Ross in the first Expendables , he tempers expectations by being the first to declare — repeatedly — that his deltoids have seen better days, like he’s a King Lear who’s forced to kill. The world weariness plays better here, as unlike Stallone’s paid mercenary, Sheriff Ray, an ex-LAPD narcotics officer, just wants to keep the peace. When he sighs, “I’ve seen enough blood and death,” you believe him. The set-up of Andrew Knauer’s screenplay is classically simple: Three hundred and fifty miles away in Las Vegas, evil drug baron Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega of the Spanish twister Abre los Ojos ) has escaped FBI custody with the help of a giant magnet (seriously) and is zooming toward the Mexican border. Cortez has lined the freeways with hired goons who’ve out-thought the Feds’ panicked responses — the way he bursts through a police blockade in a speeding car is worth the price of admission — and now the only thing standing between North America’s most dangerous cartel boss and his freedom is 250 lbs of Austrian, er Arizonan , muscle who has just hours to prepare for a bloody showdown on his town’s literal Main Street. South Korean director Kim Jee-woon has toyed with wild west conventions before. His slapstick 2008 film The Good, The Bad and the Weird was like a Clint Eastwood movie with a pounding soju hangover. The first third of The Last Stand is a bit of a slog — Arnold still can’t act, but who cares? — and Kim doesn’t spring to life until people start dying. His favorite kill? The headshot. For a film that doesn’t star Tobin Bell, the screen is drenched in brain goo (too bad Stallone already squatted on the title Bullet to the Head ) and when the plot starts running out of craniums Kim summons a pick-up truck full of watermelons and takes aim. The Last Stand is an ill-timed love letter to weaponry. It’s so trigger-happy that a man gets shot in mid-air when he’s already falling to his death. There’s a gun so big that it’s simply referred to as “The Gun,” another that’s affectionately called a “little bitch,” and when a gun’s not in reach, there’s a flare gun handy. It makes sense that Kim might be pro-militia; unlike the current members of the NRA, Kim’s actually lived through a coup d’etat in his home country. Still, there’s something queasy about a film that celebrates local nut Johnny Knoxville’s illegal gun stash — and as someone who hopes Barack Obama ‘s gun control bill gets passed, I felt guilty cheering when a bonnet-wearing granny whips out her personal shotgun and gets in on the action. Besides Knoxville, who doesn’t get enough screen time to be annoying, Schwarzenegger teams up with fellow cops Luis Guzman and Jaimie Alexander (Lady Sif of Thor ), while Cortez’s crew is headed by a hilariously accented Peter Stormare, who sounds as convincing as a Southern trucker as Guzman would mimicking Queen Elizabeth. But Arnold’s real co-star in The Last Stand isn’t one of the humans hanging around in the margins. It’s Cortez’s escape car: a $120K Corvette with a fictionalized horsepower of 1000, 30 percent mightier than the fastest Lamborghini on the market. The Corvette’s curves are so seductive that you’d rather gawk at the dashboard than sexy hostage Genesis Rodriguez, who’s strapped into the passenger seat, and when it blitzes by a donut-eating cop (the flick traffics cheerfully in cliches), he mistakes it for a plane. Kim doesn’t just sit back and watch it roar — he gives the Corvette a true star moment with an inventive car chase set in a disorienting corn field. Fast and the Furious 6 (or as I prefer, Fa6t 6ix ): your move. A machine himself, Schwarzenegger is using The Last Stand to scrape the rust off his reputation. It’s a smart choice: it’s just bold enough, brutal enough, and dumb enough to feel like a return to form. In 2002, the year before Arnold took office, Jason Bourne kick-started ten years of soul-searching, shaky cam hijinks that annoyed action fans who like to appreciate blood squibs and stunts. But in The Expendables 2 , Jack Reacher , and now this, we’re seeing a cinematic return to men who crack quips, fight with their fists, and swagger around without having to carry the weight on the world on their over-developed shoulders. Is it a coincidence that classic action is making its comeback at the same time Schwarzenegger is making his own? Hey, he warned us he’d be back. Amy Nicholson is a critic, playwright and editor. Her interests include hot dogs, standard poodles, Bruce Willis, and comedies about the utter futility of existence. Follow her on Twitter . Follow Amy Nicholson on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
You know what they say: don’t let a ridiculous marketing opportunity about a Heisman Trophy finalist’s fake girlfriend go to waste. The Florence Freedom, an independent minor league baseball team, announced last night that it would hold Manti Te’o Girlfriend Bobblehead Day on May 23, a promotion that will include: Empty boxes of bobblehead dolls. A kiss cam for fans to smooch their imaginary friends. An air guitar contest. Freedom general manager Josh Anderson said the event is a great way to generate “buzz” for the season, adding of any controversy that might arise: “I don’t know who we’d be offending. It would just be isolated to the guy who made his season based off this story.” Unless a new report is accurate, Te’o was a victim and Ronaiah Tuiasosopo is behind the scam. What do you think? A Manti Te’o Girlfriend Bobblehead Day is… Hilarious! Inappropriate! View Poll »
