Only a select few people who pre-ordered Tesla‘s long-delayed Cybertruck have received one so far — it helps to be Jay Leno, apparently — but fans of the futuristic vehicle have already convinced themselves it’s a flawless product, and another triumph for Elon Musk. And they’re just a tad defensive when someone suggests otherwise.
On Thursday, the Center for Auto Safety took a swipe at the divisive truck in a tweet joking that anyone who drives one is insecure about their “manhood” and was “picked last in gym.” The...
On Thursday, the Center for Auto Safety took a swipe at the divisive truck in a tweet joking that anyone who drives one is insecure about their “manhood” and was “picked last in gym.” The...
- 12/8/2023
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Susan Sarandon has some choice words for Donald Trump. "He reminds me of your drunk uncle at a wedding, who gets up and starts talking and just loves the crowd," the Oscar winner said of the Gop front-runner in a new interview with the online network Tyt. Fresh off a rally for Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders in Mason City, Iowa, on Wednesday, the actress and political activist criticized Trump as irrational and suggested he's an embarrassment to the Republican party. "He's like a figure from a Kurt Vonnegut novel … I can't even address him seriously. I mean, he doesn't even...
- 1/28/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
The Slifr Movie Treehouse (the acronym stands in for the title of my blog, Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule) is a place where I like to gather a few of my movie-writing pals and exchange long e-mails on the way the movies shaped up for us in the year just left behind. It’s been a few years since I’ve undertaken this project, but the time felt right again, so I invited the very talented critical voices of Brian Doan, Odie Henderson, Marya Murphy and Phil Dyess-Nugent to take part, and to my great happiness they all agreed. (Bios for each writer can be found at the conclusion of each of their individual posts, which can be accessed by clicking below on the title of each post.)
What follows here are samples from the 16 posts we submitted over the week of January 11-17, and we’ll start...
What follows here are samples from the 16 posts we submitted over the week of January 11-17, and we’ll start...
- 1/19/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
Hosting a late night show is hard work, and last night (October 6) “The Tonight Show” stud Jimmy Fallon needed a little help from his predecessor Jay Leno.
Faking an injury, Fallon blurted out, "I don’t think I can continue, but of course, here at The Tonight Show, the monologue has to go on, so I think I’m gonna have to sub out. Can someone tag in for me please?"
From there, Leno rolled out onstage and proceeded to poke fun at politicians- "The election’s getting nasty. Did you see this, Ralph Nader called Hillary Clinton a corporatist and a militarist. Isn’t that unbelievable? Ralph Nader’s still alive?" Jay also blurted out, "After that last debate, Marco Rubio being called the best communicator in the Republican party. Which is kind of like being the smartest Kardashian." Check the clip!
Faking an injury, Fallon blurted out, "I don’t think I can continue, but of course, here at The Tonight Show, the monologue has to go on, so I think I’m gonna have to sub out. Can someone tag in for me please?"
From there, Leno rolled out onstage and proceeded to poke fun at politicians- "The election’s getting nasty. Did you see this, Ralph Nader called Hillary Clinton a corporatist and a militarist. Isn’t that unbelievable? Ralph Nader’s still alive?" Jay also blurted out, "After that last debate, Marco Rubio being called the best communicator in the Republican party. Which is kind of like being the smartest Kardashian." Check the clip!
- 10/7/2015
- GossipCenter
Jimmy Fallon pulled a hamstring midway through The Tonight Show monologue Tuesday, but thankfully there was someone in the building who could serve as emergency substitute. Jay Leno returned to the show where he spent over 20 years as host to deliver a five-minute monologue of political humor.
"The election is getting nasty. Ralph Nader called Hillary a corporatist and a militarist. Isn't that incredible … Ralph Nader still alive," Leno joked. Leno also called a presidential showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump the battle "between the Tortoise and the Bad Hair,...
"The election is getting nasty. Ralph Nader called Hillary a corporatist and a militarist. Isn't that incredible … Ralph Nader still alive," Leno joked. Leno also called a presidential showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump the battle "between the Tortoise and the Bad Hair,...
- 10/7/2015
- Rollingstone.com
What a welcome return! Jimmy Fallon delivered the opening monologue on NBC's The Tonight Show Tuesday before faking an injury and asking someone to take his place. Enter his predecessor, Jay Leno, who came prepared with endless material regarding the 2016 presidential race. "The election is getting nasty. See, this Ralph Nader called Hillary Clinton a 'corporatist' and a 'militarist.' Isn't that unbelievable? Ralph Nader is still alive," Leno joked. "And Hillary Clinton is not the only Democrat running. Martin O'Malley, the ex-governor of Maryland—do you know him? He's running for president. See, look! Nobody knows him. He's 2 percent in the polls—2 percent! He's...
- 10/7/2015
- E! Online
A review of tonight's "Girls" coming up just as soon as I photograph your breasts for a project on globalization... We're almost to the end of season 4, and while this show has always had very strong finales, it's hard to imagine next week's episode being so incredible as to alter my view on this season as a whole. Because up through "Daddy Issues," it's had some terrific individual moments and even episodes (with the bottle episode about Hannah coping with the Mimi-Rose news as a series highlight), but on the whole has been much more jumbled and uneven than previous years for the show. Two things happened at once going into this year: 1)HBO asked the producers to go back to making 10 episodes instead of season 3's 12 (10-episode seasons is the channel's new model, just as it sounds like Cinemax will be doing more 8-episode seasons), and 2)Hannah went to Iowa for 3 episodes.
- 3/16/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
It's 5pm on the west coast, meaning it's pencils down for Academy voters. Polls are now closed for the upcoming 87th Oscars, and now, we wait. But in the meantime, let's consider a few of the closer races that could make for some considerable drama on Sunday night. Best Picture and Best Director This goes without saying, but "Birdman" and "Boyhood" are still at each other's throats in the final lap. "Birdman" won most of the guilds, "Boyhood" won the BAFTA prize. And predictions run the gamut. Some are calling "Birdman" for both, others are calling "Boyhood" for both. Some predict "Birdman" for Best Picture and "Boyhood" for Best Director, others vice versa. If you're anticipating a split, but you're unsure which way to go, it's probably safer to pick one film for both and cross your fingers. Best Actor Yeah, Eddie Redmayne has dominated the circuit, winning the Golden Globe for drama,...
- 2/18/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
There is a strange, altogether idiotic subset of people who actually believe Eddie Murphy lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Dreamgirls" because the raunchy, critically reviled "Norbit" hit theaters right in the thick of Academy voting. Nevermind that eventual Oscar winner Alan Arkin won the BAFTA prize for his "Little Miss Sunshine" performance, indicating industry support at the right time (surprisingly few of us picked him to win the Academy Award), or that "Dreamgirls" was obviously not held in the expected esteem by AMPAS, witnessed by a lack of major category presence in fields like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. They couldn't understand Murphy's apparent fall from grace, and so they falsely contextualized it and a nonsensical myth was born. This year, "The Theory of Everything" star Eddie Redmayne is bearing the brunt of this stupidity. It has even spilled onto the pages of The Washington Post,...
- 2/6/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Music and Sex: Scenes from a life - A novel in progress by Roman AkLeff (first installment can be read here; second here (the last paragraph of which was moved into this part).
After the show, Walter took Norman to the West End, where Norman marveled at the broad beer selection. As they slowly worked their way through a small percentage of the fifty-plus on offer, Walter lamented how inferior college was making him feel.
"Screw that," rejoined Norman. "Just have fun and keep learning and next year's freshmen will feel inferior to you. If you already knew everything, you wouldn't have to go to college in the first place. Don't tell me about that, tell me about all the cool stuff you've been doing."
"Well, during orientation there was a great band playing outside for free called So What. I know you're not that into fusion, but they were hot.
After the show, Walter took Norman to the West End, where Norman marveled at the broad beer selection. As they slowly worked their way through a small percentage of the fifty-plus on offer, Walter lamented how inferior college was making him feel.
"Screw that," rejoined Norman. "Just have fun and keep learning and next year's freshmen will feel inferior to you. If you already knew everything, you wouldn't have to go to college in the first place. Don't tell me about that, tell me about all the cool stuff you've been doing."
"Well, during orientation there was a great band playing outside for free called So What. I know you're not that into fusion, but they were hot.
- 1/26/2015
- by RomanAkLeff
- www.culturecatch.com
Chicago – The awesomeness of history loses any of its stuffiness with the incredibly fun, indeed educational show “Drunk History” from Comedy Central, its two seasons now released on DVD. Hosted by its creator Derek Waters, the show is a celebration of various historic figures and their under-appreciated true tales, as expressed by funny people narrating in the universal language of inebriation; their recounts are then reenacted by famous actors working with their given dialogue, dressed with the comic cheapness of a bloated biopic.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
For junkies of history and clever comedy, “Drunk History” has an intoxicating appeal itself, as it allots for many viewer-friendly boxes to be checked off. As actors don’t have to act but only mouth their dialogue, the show becomes a bonanza of random funny people, with stars like Kristen Wiig and Jack Black providing loosey-goosey portrayals of Patti Hearst and Orson Welles, respectively. At the same time,...
Rating: 5.0/5.0
For junkies of history and clever comedy, “Drunk History” has an intoxicating appeal itself, as it allots for many viewer-friendly boxes to be checked off. As actors don’t have to act but only mouth their dialogue, the show becomes a bonanza of random funny people, with stars like Kristen Wiig and Jack Black providing loosey-goosey portrayals of Patti Hearst and Orson Welles, respectively. At the same time,...
- 11/26/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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Driverless cars are on the road now – Google’s fleet has logged about 700,000 miles of autonomous driving – and the California Dmv will be issuing regulations in a matter of weeks allowing self-driving cars to be sold to the public, possibly setting the regulatory pattern for the rest of the country (video). Google has predicted 2017 for first commercial availability, while Nissan and Mercedes say it will be 2020. The cars are highly complex systems whose sheer quantity of software surely exceeds the hundred million lines of source code in today’s non-autonomous vehicles. They weigh thousands of pounds and hurtle down public roads – robots with human payloads. But how will we know they’re safe?Google’s answer at Dmv workshops in March 2014 and May 2013 was, essentially, “trust us” (video, video, video). The company’s representative, Ron Medford, said Google would “self-certify” the car’s roadworthiness and...
Normal 0 false false false
Driverless cars are on the road now – Google’s fleet has logged about 700,000 miles of autonomous driving – and the California Dmv will be issuing regulations in a matter of weeks allowing self-driving cars to be sold to the public, possibly setting the regulatory pattern for the rest of the country (video). Google has predicted 2017 for first commercial availability, while Nissan and Mercedes say it will be 2020. The cars are highly complex systems whose sheer quantity of software surely exceeds the hundred million lines of source code in today’s non-autonomous vehicles. They weigh thousands of pounds and hurtle down public roads – robots with human payloads. But how will we know they’re safe?Google’s answer at Dmv workshops in March 2014 and May 2013 was, essentially, “trust us” (video, video, video). The company’s representative, Ron Medford, said Google would “self-certify” the car’s roadworthiness and...
- 7/1/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Handel)
Shares of Sirius Xm soared 7 percent to $3.83 on Monday as investors seemed to conclude that a buyout offer from Liberty Media is too low and headed higher. On Monday, multiple shareholders disparaged the offer of $3.68 that Liberty made public on Friday, including famed consumer activist Ralph Nader, who called the proposal “ludicrous” in a statement issued via press release. Nader also threatened legal action. “Sirius was trading over $4.00 a share just a few weeks ago and is a very fast growing company with bright indicators and registers four stars by Standard & Poor’s
read more...
read more...
- 1/6/2014
- by Paul Bond
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Billy Jack’: Tom Laughlin helped to revolutionize Hollywood’s film distribution system (See previous post: “Tom Laughlin: ‘Billy Jack’ Actor and Director, Robert Altman Difficult Star Dead at 82.”) Featuring the titular hero as a semi-mystical figure who, with a mixture of steely determination and purposeful violence, helps to rescue wild horses from becoming dog meat and allows an independent school to continue operating at an Indian reservation in Arizona — against the wishes of white reactionary bigots and ruthless capitalists — Billy Jack was a box office disappointment when released by Warner Bros. at, in Tom Laughlin’s words, "porno houses" (and drive-ins) in 1971. (Photo: Tom Laughlin in Billy Jack.) Unhappy with the studio’s handling of his film, Laughlin sued Warners. In May 1973, following a settlement with the studio, he began self-distributing Billy Jack at small-town movie theaters throughout the United States. He hired marketing expert, former United Artists honcho,...
- 12/19/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
What is it about some movies that no matter how badly scripted, acted, shot or directed they still possess a certain charm? We’ve all at some point, caught ourselves enjoying the visual equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries, gulping down every corny line, transfixed by ever dodgy special effect and blissfully ignoring the gaping plot holes.
Today, we take a look at some so bad they’re good movies that you’ve probably never seen, but definitely should take a look at.
5. Willie Dynamite (1973)
From the producers who brought you Jaws, The Sting and Driving Miss Daisy and the man who directed The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh comes this cinematic “classic.” Like the movie poster says, “Ain’t no one crosses Willie D. He’s tight, he’s together, and he’s mean. Chicks, Chumps, he uses them all. He’s got to be number-One.”
Willie Dynamite is...
Today, we take a look at some so bad they’re good movies that you’ve probably never seen, but definitely should take a look at.
5. Willie Dynamite (1973)
From the producers who brought you Jaws, The Sting and Driving Miss Daisy and the man who directed The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh comes this cinematic “classic.” Like the movie poster says, “Ain’t no one crosses Willie D. He’s tight, he’s together, and he’s mean. Chicks, Chumps, he uses them all. He’s got to be number-One.”
Willie Dynamite is...
- 10/17/2013
- by Jamahl Simmons
- Obsessed with Film
Oh, God, Comedy Central’s Drunk History is so hilarious if you’re in the right mood, and probably even if you aren’t. “Detroit” featured guest stars Luke and Owen Wilson (pictured, playing the Kellogg brothers) along with Jason Schwartzman as Ralph Nader, Richard Reihele as James Roche, Ken Marino as Houdini, and Alfred Molina as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. So, what’d we learn?
Key ‘Drunk History’ Lessons for the week of August 14, 2013
–John Kellogg (Owen Wilson) used to advise the patients of his sanitarium in Battle Creek, Mich: “You need to take at least two solid, ropey poops per day.
Key ‘Drunk History’ Lessons for the week of August 14, 2013
–John Kellogg (Owen Wilson) used to advise the patients of his sanitarium in Battle Creek, Mich: “You need to take at least two solid, ropey poops per day.
- 8/14/2013
- by Annie Barrett
- EW.com - PopWatch
By David Ropeik
(Click here for original article.)
The last line in Pandora’s Promise, Robert Stone’s new documentary about the environmental advantages of nuclear power, comes from Michael Shellenberger, co-head of the Breakthrough Institute. “I have a sense that this is a beautiful thing, the beginning of a movement,” he says. Provoking a new environmental movement in favor of nuclear power is a tall order, but a recent screening of Pandora’s Promise suggests that it might play a part, for some intriguing reasons.
Stone’s film premiered at Sundance to positive reviews (Variety, Slate) and is scheduled for theatrical release this summer. It makes a convincing case for nuclear power as a carbon-free source of energy to reduce the harm of climate change in a world in which population is rising and the demand for electricity is soaring as the developing world develops. (For the record, I...
(Click here for original article.)
The last line in Pandora’s Promise, Robert Stone’s new documentary about the environmental advantages of nuclear power, comes from Michael Shellenberger, co-head of the Breakthrough Institute. “I have a sense that this is a beautiful thing, the beginning of a movement,” he says. Provoking a new environmental movement in favor of nuclear power is a tall order, but a recent screening of Pandora’s Promise suggests that it might play a part, for some intriguing reasons.
Stone’s film premiered at Sundance to positive reviews (Variety, Slate) and is scheduled for theatrical release this summer. It makes a convincing case for nuclear power as a carbon-free source of energy to reduce the harm of climate change in a world in which population is rising and the demand for electricity is soaring as the developing world develops. (For the record, I...
- 6/10/2013
- Huffington Post
Legendary newsman Larry King may not be helming CNN's go-to program for politicians anymore, but that's not keeping him out of the fray this election season.
From promoting third-party candidates and claiming credit for Ross Perot, to slagging political pundits and the Electoral College, King isn't keeping his opinions to himself anymore.
In fact, King recently moderated a debate between candidates from the Libertarians, Greens and other alternative parties.
"It was spirited, it was lively," recalled King backstage at Free The Children's We Day youth rally in Calgary. "The audience appealed to a lot of young people. Three of the four favour the legalization of drugs. They're for free colleges. The constitution doesn't say two-party system, doesn't say Democrat or Republican. We've had a federalist president. We've had a Whig president. I don't know why we are a two-party system. I don't know that that has produced the best system.
From promoting third-party candidates and claiming credit for Ross Perot, to slagging political pundits and the Electoral College, King isn't keeping his opinions to himself anymore.
In fact, King recently moderated a debate between candidates from the Libertarians, Greens and other alternative parties.
"It was spirited, it was lively," recalled King backstage at Free The Children's We Day youth rally in Calgary. "The audience appealed to a lot of young people. Three of the four favour the legalization of drugs. They're for free colleges. The constitution doesn't say two-party system, doesn't say Democrat or Republican. We've had a federalist president. We've had a Whig president. I don't know why we are a two-party system. I don't know that that has produced the best system.
- 11/3/2012
- by Joshua Ostroff
- Huffington Post
Legendary newsman Larry King may not be helming CNN's go-to program for politicians anymore, but that's not keeping him out of the fray this election season.
From promoting third-party candidates and claiming credit for Ross Perot, to slagging political pundits and the Electoral College, King isn't keeping his opinions to himself anymore.
In fact, King recently moderated a debate between candidates from the Libertarians, Greens and other alternative parties.
"It was spirited, it was lively," recalled King backstage at Free The Children's We Day youth rally in Calgary. "The audience appealed to a lot of young people. Three of the four favour the legalization of drugs. They're for free colleges. The constitution doesn't say two-party system, doesn't say Democrat or Republican. We've had a federalist president. We've had a Whig president. I don't know why we are a two-party system. I don't know that that has produced the best system.
From promoting third-party candidates and claiming credit for Ross Perot, to slagging political pundits and the Electoral College, King isn't keeping his opinions to himself anymore.
In fact, King recently moderated a debate between candidates from the Libertarians, Greens and other alternative parties.
"It was spirited, it was lively," recalled King backstage at Free The Children's We Day youth rally in Calgary. "The audience appealed to a lot of young people. Three of the four favour the legalization of drugs. They're for free colleges. The constitution doesn't say two-party system, doesn't say Democrat or Republican. We've had a federalist president. We've had a Whig president. I don't know why we are a two-party system. I don't know that that has produced the best system.
- 11/3/2012
- by Joshua Ostroff
- Aol TV.
Stephen Colbert's super Pac is sitting on nearly $778,000 in cash, and five-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader knows exactly where to spend it. On Ralph Nader. If only Colbert would listen. The longtime consumer advocate told TheWrap in an exclusive interview that he has been trying to get the "Colbert Report" host to donate the money remaining in Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow's coffers to the nonprofit American Museum of Tort Law he plans to build. Also read: Stephen Colbert Recruits John Lithgow, Celebs for Super Pac Ads (Video) Dedicated to personal injury and other tort cases,...
- 10/31/2012
- by Alexander C. Kaufman
- The Wrap
The comedy throwback the weasel is alive and well, as Pauly Shore.s Pauly-Tics comedy special includes hilarious interview with politicos like Larry King, Ralph Nader and Herman Cain. It premieres on Showtime on October 26th at 9Pm, and is available for download at PaulyShore.com for $5. Pauly is giving away $100,000 to one viewer once the site reaches 100,000 downloads. The special will be available online on Election Day (November 6th). From the press release The election race is on, and comedian Pauly Shore is getting into politics. In the funniest way possible. In his latest stand-up special, .Pauly Shore.s Pauly-Tics,. the legendary comedian is at his very best . riffing on American politics and landing interviews with some...
- 10/17/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Baltimore (AP) — A doctor who ran against Mitt Romney for Massachusetts governor a decade ago is poised to do it again, this time as the Green Party's presidential nominee.
Jill Stein, an internist from Lexington, Mass., acknowledges that her candidacy is a super long shot. Still, she notes that a growing number of people are expressing frustration with the two major political parties and she cites the Occupy Wall Street movement as an example of that.
"We are in it to win it, but we're also in it to build it, and those are both wins in my book," Stein, 62, said in an interview at the Green Party's convention in Baltimore, where she was prepared to give her acceptance speech in the afternoon.
Stein was far ahead of comedian Roseanne Barr for the party nod. Convention organizers said Barr was not expected to attend.
Stein hopes the party will qualify in at least 40 states,...
Jill Stein, an internist from Lexington, Mass., acknowledges that her candidacy is a super long shot. Still, she notes that a growing number of people are expressing frustration with the two major political parties and she cites the Occupy Wall Street movement as an example of that.
"We are in it to win it, but we're also in it to build it, and those are both wins in my book," Stein, 62, said in an interview at the Green Party's convention in Baltimore, where she was prepared to give her acceptance speech in the afternoon.
Stein was far ahead of comedian Roseanne Barr for the party nod. Convention organizers said Barr was not expected to attend.
Stein hopes the party will qualify in at least 40 states,...
- 7/14/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Morgan Spurlock, the showman documentarist, nearly ate himself to death on Big Macs making Super Size Me and ended up making McDonald's change their menu. His latest, highly entertaining picture takes him into physically safer material as he examines the methods and ethics of those who pay for and those who accept product placement on TV and films, a growing phenomenon not only in the States but in Europe. His triumph is that he actually achieves his knockabout comic aim by making a $1.5m movie that pays for itself through product placement, the biggest contributor being the manufacturers of a health drink called Pom. It's an amusing, shallow film with some serious contributions from the likes of Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader and various academic students of advertising and opinion making, but it is short on historical perspective and he doesn't consider the Pentagon's placement of soldiers and military hardware over the years.
- 10/17/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
The Tea Party and the Wall Street demonstrators share the same conviction: They are the victims of theft by powerful institutions. The Tea Party blames government taxation. The demonstrators blame corruption in the financial industry.
The concern about taxation is perplexing, since U.S. tax rates are at a historic low. Indeed, there seems little chance that we can ever begin to pay off the American deficit without raising taxes. Many millionaires, led by Warren Buffet, have volunteered to pay higher taxes. A belief persists, however, that the middle class bears an unfair tax burden. In repeating this charge the other day, Mitt Romney included himself in the middle class.
Financial corruption is widely manifest. It was greed on Wall Street that apparently led to the current economic downturn. A bailout of failed institutions led to them repeating some of the same greedy practices. Some financial executives have been sentenced...
The concern about taxation is perplexing, since U.S. tax rates are at a historic low. Indeed, there seems little chance that we can ever begin to pay off the American deficit without raising taxes. Many millionaires, led by Warren Buffet, have volunteered to pay higher taxes. A belief persists, however, that the middle class bears an unfair tax burden. In repeating this charge the other day, Mitt Romney included himself in the middle class.
Financial corruption is widely manifest. It was greed on Wall Street that apparently led to the current economic downturn. A bailout of failed institutions led to them repeating some of the same greedy practices. Some financial executives have been sentenced...
- 10/9/2011
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Perennial Green Party candidate/professional election spoiler Ralph Nader is starting to get his voice back just in time for the 2012 elections, and while he has been clear that he isn't running this time around, he is looking for Democrats to give President Obama a primary challenge. On The Last Word tonight, Nader railed against "your corporate masters" and the "two-party dictatorship" to Lawrence O'Donnell, who managed to only get about one question in: why do people think of Nader as a tool with which Republicans keep getting reelected?...
- 9/21/2011
- by Frances Martel
- Mediaite - TV
As we all know, pop-culture face-offs are, by their nature, bipolar. Chaplin vs. Keaton, Sean Connery vs. Roger Moore, McDonalds vs. Burger King. The saddest thing about this is that, like our two-party government, our options are limited. And, yet, nobody ever seems to care much for a third choice when it’s presented — I’m looking at you Harold Lloyd, Timothy Dalton, Wendy’s, Ralph Nader.
Earlier today, you witnessed my esteemed colleagues Darren Franich and Joseph Brannigan Lynch debate the respective merits of Captains James Tiberius Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard as if they represent all that the...
Earlier today, you witnessed my esteemed colleagues Darren Franich and Joseph Brannigan Lynch debate the respective merits of Captains James Tiberius Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard as if they represent all that the...
- 8/2/2011
- by Christian Blauvelt
- EW.com - PopWatch
Jd Salinger, Saul Bellow and Norman Mailer were all devotees of the orgone energy accumulator, nicknamed by Woody Allen the 'Orgasmatron'. Its inventor, Wilhelm Reich, claimed that better orgasms could cure society's ills
When Wilhelm Reich, the most brilliant of the second generation of psychoanalysts who had been Freud's pupils, arrived in New York in August 1939, only a few days before the outbreak of war, he was optimistic that his ideas fusing sex and politics would be better received there than they had been in fascist Europe. Despite its veneer of puritanism, America was a country already much preoccupied with sex – as Alfred Kinsey's renowned investigations, which he had begun the year before, were to show. However, it was only after the second world war that the idea of sexual liberation would permeate the culture at large. Reich could be said to have invented this "sexual revolution"; a Marxist analyst,...
When Wilhelm Reich, the most brilliant of the second generation of psychoanalysts who had been Freud's pupils, arrived in New York in August 1939, only a few days before the outbreak of war, he was optimistic that his ideas fusing sex and politics would be better received there than they had been in fascist Europe. Despite its veneer of puritanism, America was a country already much preoccupied with sex – as Alfred Kinsey's renowned investigations, which he had begun the year before, were to show. However, it was only after the second world war that the idea of sexual liberation would permeate the culture at large. Reich could be said to have invented this "sexual revolution"; a Marxist analyst,...
- 7/8/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Jd Salinger, Saul Bellow and Norman Mailer were all devotees of the orgone energy accumulator, nicknamed by Woody Allen the 'Orgasmatron'. Its inventor, Wilhelm Reich, claimed that better orgasms could cure society's ills
When Wilhelm Reich, the most brilliant of the second generation of psychoanalysts who had been Freud's pupils, arrived in New York in August 1939, only a few days before the outbreak of war, he was optimistic that his ideas fusing sex and politics would be better received there than they had been in fascist Europe. Despite its veneer of puritanism, America was a country already much preoccupied with sex – as Alfred Kinsey's renowned investigations, which he had begun the year before, were to show. However, it was only after the second world war that the idea of sexual liberation would permeate the culture at large. Reich could be said to have invented this "sexual revolution"; a Marxist analyst,...
When Wilhelm Reich, the most brilliant of the second generation of psychoanalysts who had been Freud's pupils, arrived in New York in August 1939, only a few days before the outbreak of war, he was optimistic that his ideas fusing sex and politics would be better received there than they had been in fascist Europe. Despite its veneer of puritanism, America was a country already much preoccupied with sex – as Alfred Kinsey's renowned investigations, which he had begun the year before, were to show. However, it was only after the second world war that the idea of sexual liberation would permeate the culture at large. Reich could be said to have invented this "sexual revolution"; a Marxist analyst,...
- 7/7/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Justin Martin
On Justin Martin’s first day in New York City, he was fresh out of college and in the midst of job interviews. He retreated into Central Park and took in the grandeur around him, wondering who was behind it. That sparked an interest, and later an extensive study, into its history. Martin later married in Central Park.
In Martin’s new book, “Genius of Place” (Da Capo), he delves into the life of Frederick Law Olmsted, America...
On Justin Martin’s first day in New York City, he was fresh out of college and in the midst of job interviews. He retreated into Central Park and took in the grandeur around him, wondering who was behind it. That sparked an interest, and later an extensive study, into its history. Martin later married in Central Park.
In Martin’s new book, “Genius of Place” (Da Capo), he delves into the life of Frederick Law Olmsted, America...
- 6/7/2011
- by Barbara Chai
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
If there weren't another flick out there right now taking the title, Morgan Spurlock could have called this documentary about the current state of advertising Insidious.
Is there ever a time when we aren't being hit with imagery inducing us to part with our money? Spurlock asks consumer advocate, Presidential candidate and strawberry enthusiast Ralph Nader. "Yes," Nader responds, "when we're sleeping." (This alone disproves some critics who say Spurlock's films are entertaining, but sometimes devoid of reportorial value - we now know Nader watches Futurama.)
Rather than be an old fuss about it, Spurlock takes a "can't beat 'em join 'em" approach. His million dollar idea (actually, million-and-a-half) is to fund his droll expose on the underside of our entertainment culture entirely with sponsorship money. In a wonderful pretzel of meta-textuality, the act of raising the financing winds up becoming the bulk of the film.
Spurlock's jaunt though boardrooms,...
Is there ever a time when we aren't being hit with imagery inducing us to part with our money? Spurlock asks consumer advocate, Presidential candidate and strawberry enthusiast Ralph Nader. "Yes," Nader responds, "when we're sleeping." (This alone disproves some critics who say Spurlock's films are entertaining, but sometimes devoid of reportorial value - we now know Nader watches Futurama.)
Rather than be an old fuss about it, Spurlock takes a "can't beat 'em join 'em" approach. His million dollar idea (actually, million-and-a-half) is to fund his droll expose on the underside of our entertainment culture entirely with sponsorship money. In a wonderful pretzel of meta-textuality, the act of raising the financing winds up becoming the bulk of the film.
Spurlock's jaunt though boardrooms,...
- 4/22/2011
- UGO Movies
From the files of the Life Isn't Fair Department... Upon inviting her to campus to talk about her, uh, craft, Rutgers University learned that Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi wouldn't come cheap. And yet, she was invited anyway... In fact, the Jersey Shore star collected a $32,000 appearance fee for "Inside the Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi Studio," the money coming from the Rutgers University Programming Association, which puts on educational, cultural, social and recreational events for the student body, Not that Rutgers students aren't entitled to entertainment! The Rupa has engaged speakers such as Padma Lakshmi and Ralph Nader, musical acts like Lupe Fiasco and Third Eye...
- 4/2/2011
- E! Online
What’s a week’s worth of free movies? For some, that headline might be misleading simply based on movie consumption. If you watch a movie a day, then it’s totally accurate. If you watch seven movies a day, then we’re really giving away a day’s worth of free movies. The point is – we’re giving away seven free movies to watch over at the glorious SundanceNOW site. They have a wide array of stellar, often thought-provoking films, and I can personally assure you that they’re not all about hilarious sexual dysfunction. Some of them are about Ralph Nader. Anyway, you love movies. You love free movies. Therefore, you’re clamoring to know how to enter. Fortunately, it’s easy. Sign onto Twitter. Do you follow @rejectnation yet? Because you should. Almost 36,000 people do, and I hear peer pressure works. Find our post about SundanceNOW, retweet it, and...
- 3/30/2011
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Photograph by Erin Patrice O'Brien
Photograph by Erin Patrice O'Brien
Inspired by Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock's bold new documentary about the ubiquity of branding messages in our daily lives, we embark on our own no-holds-barred exploration of the relationship between content and advertising.
Photograph by Erin Patrice O'Brien
Since This Is America, There's Got To Be A Cheerleader. In This Case Her Name Is Claire, A Junior At Costa Verde High
in California who's nervous about her first day at school. The other girls seem too pretty, too cool, and too mean, and if Claire fails to keep her superpowers undercover (the same powers that saved the world at the end of season one of Heroes), "the Company" may kill her, savage her family, and take over the planet. So, to make her feel better, her dad (who's a superhero himself, of course, but has some seriously...
Photograph by Erin Patrice O'Brien
Inspired by Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock's bold new documentary about the ubiquity of branding messages in our daily lives, we embark on our own no-holds-barred exploration of the relationship between content and advertising.
Photograph by Erin Patrice O'Brien
Since This Is America, There's Got To Be A Cheerleader. In This Case Her Name Is Claire, A Junior At Costa Verde High
in California who's nervous about her first day at school. The other girls seem too pretty, too cool, and too mean, and if Claire fails to keep her superpowers undercover (the same powers that saved the world at the end of season one of Heroes), "the Company" may kill her, savage her family, and take over the planet. So, to make her feel better, her dad (who's a superhero himself, of course, but has some seriously...
- 3/24/2011
- by Rick Tetzeli and Ari Karpel
- Fast Company
I'm not the greatest fan of Morgan Spurlock. I felt his Super Size Me was over-dramaticized, heavy-handed, and unfair. I only ever saw one episode of his series 30 Days, and I haven't seen any of his other work. Having heard people describe him as "a poor man's Michael Moore," I entered the Paramount with low expectations for the premiere of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.
Product placement has become an integral, and inescapable part of TV and film production. Spurlock and co-writer Jeremy Chilnick began with the idea that if co-promotion of products could help make a movie a blockbuster, it could also influence the success of a documentary. So, they set out to make a documentary whose production was financed entirely through product placement and co-promotion. In order to do that, they decided to make the documentary about product placement and co-promotion.
The majority of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold...
Product placement has become an integral, and inescapable part of TV and film production. Spurlock and co-writer Jeremy Chilnick began with the idea that if co-promotion of products could help make a movie a blockbuster, it could also influence the success of a documentary. So, they set out to make a documentary whose production was financed entirely through product placement and co-promotion. In order to do that, they decided to make the documentary about product placement and co-promotion.
The majority of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold...
- 3/21/2011
- by Mike Saulters
- Slackerwood
Frequent candidate for President Ralph Nader is back on the scene and proves, at the very least, he is consistent with his viewpoint. Arguing that President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were war criminals and then claiming that the Obama administration continues to engage in the same activity, Nader made the logical deduction that President Obama must also be a war criminal who should be impeached.
- 3/21/2011
- by Matt Schneider
- Mediaite - TV
Documentarian Morgan Spurlock first captured attention with Super Size Me, which documented Spurlock's guinea-pig experiment where he ate nothing but McDonald's for an entire month. Spurlock's latest attempt to attempt to document how big business controls our lives is The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, which explores advertising and product placement in entertainment. Spurlock attempted a transparent meta-documentary by getting his own sponsors for the movie, which is why the official title is actually Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.
The documentary screened to receptive crowds at the SXSW Festival (though not quite as universally adored as Attack the Block), and fared similarly at Sundance earlier in the year.
Sony just released the first trailer for the documentary, which follows Spurlock as he attempts to find sponsorship for his own at the Pom Wonderful offices while also discussing the effect of advertising with Ralph Nader.
Next Showing: Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold...
The documentary screened to receptive crowds at the SXSW Festival (though not quite as universally adored as Attack the Block), and fared similarly at Sundance earlier in the year.
Sony just released the first trailer for the documentary, which follows Spurlock as he attempts to find sponsorship for his own at the Pom Wonderful offices while also discussing the effect of advertising with Ralph Nader.
Next Showing: Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold...
- 3/19/2011
- by Ryan Gowland
- Reelzchannel.com
Say what you will about documentary giant Morgan Spurlock, but the guy knows how to make a compelling documentary.
After making a massive splash on the documentary scene with his beloved fast food take down, Super Size Me, Spurlock has gone on to tap various ideas with his TV series 30 Days, the war on terror with Where In The World is Osama Bin Laden, and even the economy in a brief spot on Freakonomics, it’s time to take on a different beast: product placement.
That’s where The Greatest Movie Ever Sold comes in, and while it may have its flaws, it might be right up there as one of the best films from one of the biggest names in this genre.
Meta on a whole different level, Greatest Movie follows Morgan Spurlock as he attempts to find funding for, you guessed it, The Greatest Movie Ever Made. Through this funding,...
After making a massive splash on the documentary scene with his beloved fast food take down, Super Size Me, Spurlock has gone on to tap various ideas with his TV series 30 Days, the war on terror with Where In The World is Osama Bin Laden, and even the economy in a brief spot on Freakonomics, it’s time to take on a different beast: product placement.
That’s where The Greatest Movie Ever Sold comes in, and while it may have its flaws, it might be right up there as one of the best films from one of the biggest names in this genre.
Meta on a whole different level, Greatest Movie follows Morgan Spurlock as he attempts to find funding for, you guessed it, The Greatest Movie Ever Made. Through this funding,...
- 3/16/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Privacy watchdog group Epic and legendary consumer watchdog Ralph Nader claim the full-body scanners are easily hackable, store nude pictures for unknown periods of time, and don't even catch terrorists. Worse: They run a version of Windows Xp.
Newly installed full-body scanners at American airports give Transportation Security Administration (Tsa) employees the ability to use powerful advanced imaging technology (Ait) to see the naked bodies and genitalia of travelers. Four hundred ninety-two full body scanners are expected to be in use by December 2010 and an additional 500 units will be shipped out in 2011. The alternative is reportedly an embarrassing full-body search.
However, a new lawsuit by watchdog group Electronic Privacy Information Center (Epic) claims the body scanners are easily hackable, store nude pictures for unknown periods of time, and don't even catch terrorists. But that's not the worst news: the collective bargaining agent organization for American Airlines pilots alleges the machines pose a radiation risk.
Newly installed full-body scanners at American airports give Transportation Security Administration (Tsa) employees the ability to use powerful advanced imaging technology (Ait) to see the naked bodies and genitalia of travelers. Four hundred ninety-two full body scanners are expected to be in use by December 2010 and an additional 500 units will be shipped out in 2011. The alternative is reportedly an embarrassing full-body search.
However, a new lawsuit by watchdog group Electronic Privacy Information Center (Epic) claims the body scanners are easily hackable, store nude pictures for unknown periods of time, and don't even catch terrorists. But that's not the worst news: the collective bargaining agent organization for American Airlines pilots alleges the machines pose a radiation risk.
- 11/8/2010
- by Neal Ungerleider
- Fast Company
Waiting for "Superman", in case you haven't heard, is the hot new film from Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim. While his last film capitalized on liberal guilt over destroying our planet (and maybe voting for Ralph Nader?), "Superman" (yes, the film is weirdly insistent on those unnecessary quotation marks) is for people who feel bad about sending their kids to private school while poor kids wallow in the slums. "Teaching should be easy," Guggenheim declares as we watch a cartoon teacher rip open his students' skulls and pour what looks like blue Spaghetti-o's inside. (When he closes the skulls the kids sprout wings and fly out the open classroom window.) This is about as close as the film gets to depicting actual teaching. (I checked with the friend who paid for my ticket and he confirmed this scene was meant...
- 10/7/2010
- by Aaron Swartz
- Huffington Post
Dancing With the Stars has a hallowed tradition of Gop personalities: disgraced senator Tom DeLay, snappy dresser Tucker Carlson, and now Bristol Palin. Bristol’s mother Sarah appeared on Dwts, and is now prepping her own reality TV show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska. In fact, as an intriguing article from the L.A. Times argues, the Republican party is embracing reality TV. (John McCain is courting Snooki’s endorsement on Twitter, which is not a sentence anyone ever wants to write.) Are Democrats losing the all-important reality TV vote?
Democrats have mostly ignored the genre’s unique power to connect with John Q.
Democrats have mostly ignored the genre’s unique power to connect with John Q.
- 10/5/2010
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
This weekend Fox Business host (and frequent Fox News contributor) Judge Andrew Napolitano sat down with Ralph Nader to discuss, among other things, allegations that, under the Bush Administration detainees civil rights were violated. In the interview that aired on C-Span, Napolitano said of former President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney that they “should have been indicted” for torture.
- 7/13/2010
- by Colby Hall
- Mediaite - TV
Written by Landor Associates' Chief Strategy Officer, Russ Meyer, this series explores the evolution of the sustainability movement through the eyes of a marketer interested in the growth of green brands
Green cars, green cleaners, green plywood. Today there are eco-friendly alternatives in virtually every product category. Consumer interest in green products continues to rise as more products are introduced each year. It becomes increasingly more difficult to imagine a time when climate change and sustainability weren’t a concern. In less than a generation we’ve gone from giving little consideration to sustainability to it becoming part of most people’s daily lives.
With all the information coming at us every day, it’s often hard to get perspective. In this series focusing on the history of green brands and marketing, I’m hoping to provide that perspective--to give context to where we are with green marketing, how we got here,...
Green cars, green cleaners, green plywood. Today there are eco-friendly alternatives in virtually every product category. Consumer interest in green products continues to rise as more products are introduced each year. It becomes increasingly more difficult to imagine a time when climate change and sustainability weren’t a concern. In less than a generation we’ve gone from giving little consideration to sustainability to it becoming part of most people’s daily lives.
With all the information coming at us every day, it’s often hard to get perspective. In this series focusing on the history of green brands and marketing, I’m hoping to provide that perspective--to give context to where we are with green marketing, how we got here,...
- 5/12/2010
- by Russ Meyer
- Fast Company
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal issued a subpoena today to Craigslist over the prostitution ads often displayed in the classifieds Web site's "casual encounters" section. Reports indicate that Craigslist may be earning over $35 million in revenue from these ads.
“The Craigslist brothel business seems booming--belying its promise to fight prostitution,” said Blumenthal, who is leading 39 states in the effort to regulate the site's screening process. “The best evidence is the thousands of ads that remain on Craigslist--skimpily and slickly disguised with code words. We’re asking Craigslist for specific answers about steps to screen and stop sex-for-money offers--and whether the company is actually profiting from prostitution ads that it promised states and the public that it would try to block.” Last week, Jim Buckmaster, CEO of the company, posted a piece on Craigslist's blog about the recent Twitter campaign to shut down Cl personals. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion,...
“The Craigslist brothel business seems booming--belying its promise to fight prostitution,” said Blumenthal, who is leading 39 states in the effort to regulate the site's screening process. “The best evidence is the thousands of ads that remain on Craigslist--skimpily and slickly disguised with code words. We’re asking Craigslist for specific answers about steps to screen and stop sex-for-money offers--and whether the company is actually profiting from prostitution ads that it promised states and the public that it would try to block.” Last week, Jim Buckmaster, CEO of the company, posted a piece on Craigslist's blog about the recent Twitter campaign to shut down Cl personals. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion,...
- 5/3/2010
- by Austin Carr
- Fast Company
To celebrate Earth Day, we'll be running some environmentally-themed pieces. I got excited when the topic came up because it meant I could talk about one of my favorite sci-fi flicks, 1972's Soylent Green. I think it's safe to say that everyone knows what the secret ingredient in Soylent Green is at this point, but this glimpse into the future (it's set in 2022) turned out to be amazingly prescient in some regards, highlighting many of the environmental issues we're currently facing. Charlton Heston stars (sporting some killer duds) as Robert Thorn, a cop who becomes embroiled in a case much larger than it first appears. What looks like a simple death transforms into something bigger and more ominous. As events progress, Heston's character morphs into a futuristic version of Al Gore, Ralph Nader, and Morgan Spurlock -- with a badge. Sure, the technology looks dated, but the story is reminiscent of the best sci-fi,...
- 4/23/2010
- by Alison Nastasi
- Cinematical
Do the schoolbook publishers of America have standards? Courage? Ethics? In what sense do they stand behind their product? For "product" they sometimes produce, and not textbooks in the traditional sense. I ask these questions for a reason.
Right-wingers from Texas will be deciding what will be added and taken out of the textbooks of America's school children. They form the majority of the 15-member Texas State Board of Education. They believe current textbooks are slanted toward a liberal viewpoint, and that discussion of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, which one member describes as "hooey," wrongly excludes a consideration of Creationism.
"Teaching the controversy" about Evolution versus Creationism is of course the Wedge Strategy of the Discovery Institute, an Intelligent Design publicity organization in Seattle. Having failed in the courts to get Creationism into schools as a legitimate area of science, they created a "controversy" about the most thoroughly confirmed theory in the history of science.
Right-wingers from Texas will be deciding what will be added and taken out of the textbooks of America's school children. They form the majority of the 15-member Texas State Board of Education. They believe current textbooks are slanted toward a liberal viewpoint, and that discussion of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, which one member describes as "hooey," wrongly excludes a consideration of Creationism.
"Teaching the controversy" about Evolution versus Creationism is of course the Wedge Strategy of the Discovery Institute, an Intelligent Design publicity organization in Seattle. Having failed in the courts to get Creationism into schools as a legitimate area of science, they created a "controversy" about the most thoroughly confirmed theory in the history of science.
- 4/1/2010
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
I love Chuck Klosterman. Two years ago I didn't even know who Chuck Klosterman was. While scanning the bargain books at my place of employment, I found Killing Yourself to Live, read the inside flap and bought the book. I then read the book, loved it, and read Chuck Klosterman IV and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. There is just a certain way that Klosterman writes that brings together ideas, concepts, and people in ways that I never considered before, but ways that actually make sense. Eating the Dinosaur is the usual fare, and I enjoyed it the whole way through.
The book is divided into chapters and the chapters are divided into smaller numbered and lettered sections. These sections can sometimes meander away from the topic at hand, but everything comes together in the end to make a point about why people answer interview questions or the truths about...
The book is divided into chapters and the chapters are divided into smaller numbered and lettered sections. These sections can sometimes meander away from the topic at hand, but everything comes together in the end to make a point about why people answer interview questions or the truths about...
- 12/2/2009
- by Dustin Rowles
Bruce Feirstein charts the 100 people, companies, institutions, and vices most responsible for the economic mess. Tune into Vf.com for five new financial villains every day.71. Ralph Nader. For his epic narcissism. Let’s accept as fact—for a moment—that, if Mr. Unsafe at Any Speed hadn’t stayed in the 2000 election, Al Gore would have been president. This may not have prevented the terrorist attacks of 9/11, but let’s all agree that, for better or worse, Gore’s response would have been different. Certainly, the economic policies of the next eight years wouldn’t have been the same. So maybe it’s time for somebody to ask: Are you happy now, Ralph? Do you have any second thoughts about that 2000 election? Any regrets? Any three a.m. pangs of conscience about the war or the economic maelstrom that followed? Seriously, Ralph: do you still think it was worth it?...
- 9/23/2009
- Vanity Fair
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