Hollywood Investigator

Oliver Stone Favors Ron Paul Over Barak Obama

2012-01-26T01:20:00.000-08:00

Politically progressive filmmaker Oliver Stone favors libertarian Republican Ron Paul over Barak Obama for president!

Speaking to Ed Rampell of Rock Celler magazine, Stone explained:

Rock Celler: In Our History you ask if there's "a potential wild card in an internal economic collapse of the empire"? Is America an empire? And if so, do you foresee the fall of the empire?

Stone: Yes. Yes, both. I don't think it's a wild card, I think it's a given. There's no way that we can continue this spending spree. In fact, I think in many ways the most interesting candidate -- I'd even vote for him if he was running against Obama -- is Ron Paul. Because he's the only one of anybody who's saying anything intelligent about the future of the world.

How do we go on being who we are? We have an identity crisis here. But as long as we keep running this fantasy through our minds that we can dominate history, it's not a wild card, it's a given!

Read the entire interview.

Oliver Stone's praise for Ron Paul is yet another example of Paul's strong appeal to progressives, artists, and youth.

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Hollywood Invented Piracy

2012-01-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

The Pirate Bay issued this thought-provoking press release [on January 18, 2012]:

"Over a century ago Thomas Edison got the patent for a device which would 'do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear'. He called it the Kinetoscope. He was not only amongst the first to record video, he was also the first person to own the copyright to a motion picture.

"Because of Edison's patents for the motion pictures, it was close to financially impossible to create motion pictures in the North American east coast. The movie studios therefore relocated to California, and founded what we today call Hollywood. The reason was mostly because there was no patent.

"There was also no copyright to speak of, so the studios could copy old stories and make movies out of them -- like Fantasia, one of Disney's biggest hits ever.

"So, the whole basis of this industry, that today is screaming about losing control over immaterial rights, is that they circumvented immaterial rights. They copied (or put in their terminology: 'stole') other people's creative works, without paying for it. They did it in order to make a huge profit.

"Today, they're all successful and most of the studios are on the Fortune 500 list of the richest companies in the world. Congratulations -- it's all based on being able to re-use other people's creative works. And today they hold the rights to what other people create.

"If you want to get something released, you have to abide [by] their rules. The ones they created after circumventing other people's rules.

"The reason they are always complaining about 'pirates' today is simple. We’ve done what they did."

Read the entire press release.

Also read the Hollywood Investigator's special report on how Big Media is stealing YOUR copyrights!

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Journalists Should Oppose SAG/AFTRA Actors Union Merger

2011-12-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

America's two major actors unions -- SAG and AFTRA -- are once again talking merger. That's bad news for AFTRA's broadcast journalist members, because journalists and actors have opposing legal interests.

Tabloid reporter Mimi Brickmeyer explains why AFTRA's journalist members should oppose the planned SAG/AFTRA merger.

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Feminist Gloria Allred Once Celebrated Pedophilia

2011-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Feminist attorney Gloria Allred is in the news again, this time for representing Sharon Bialek, one of Herman Cain's accusers.

Allred has made a career out of badgering (only) men accused of sexual harassment, adultery, and even pedophilia, such as Michael Jackson. But few people remember that Allred herself once celebrated pedophilia, however inadvertently.

Years ago, Allred had a radio show on KABC-AM. Her bumper music was "Gloria," written by Van Morrison, and best performed by Jim Morrison of The Doors.

Listen to some of the lyrics, either as performed by Jim Morrison:

Or read some key excerpts here:

Come on baby
Here she is in my room, oh boy
Hey what's your name?
How old are you?
Where'd you go to school?...

Well, now that we know each other a little bit better,
Why don't you come over here
Make me feel all right!...

You were my queen and I was your fool,
Riding home after school.
You took me home
To your house.
Your father's at work,
Your mama's out shopping around.
Check me into your room.
Show me your thing.
Why'd you do it baby?

And so on. It actually gets more explicit -- and the above excerpts clearly indicate that the hero of the song is a pedophile.

I'm assuming Allred never paid attention to the lyrics, and simply used the song (or allowed its use) because it was about a girl named Gloria. At some point, though (after the song had been used for months, if not years), someone must have pointed out the meaning of the lyrics to Allred, because without explanation, her radio show's bumper music was suddenly switched to another song called "Gloria," this one sung by Laura Branagan.

Ironic, that the uber-PC Allred would allow herself be guilty of such a faux pas.

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Harvard's Lawrence Lessig Sees Left/Right Unity in Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig -- known primarily as an advocate for curbing the extremes of copyright law -- offers an interesting take on Occupy Wall Street.

Lessig theorizes that the Occupy movement has elements that should attract people from both the Right and Left. Assuming this development isn't thwarted, the Occupy Movement could herald a significant populist opposition to the Establishment's powers that be.

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Rise, Consise & Krookid -- Rappers for Ron Paul

2011-10-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Perhaps disgusted by Barak Obama's mimicry of George W. Bush, youth and hipsters are shifting their support from Obama to Ron Paul.

Rappers "Rise, Consise & Krookid" celebrate Ron Paul's peace and thrift policies in this latest song -- What If? Ron Paul 2012.

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2011 Tabloid Witch Award Winners Announced!

2011-09-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

The 8th annual Tabloid Witch Awards, sponsored by the Hollywood Investigator, have now been announced!

The Tabloid Witch Awards are a No Entry Fee horror film contest and festival.

Read about this year's winning horror films in the Hollywood Investigator.

======================

Union Dancers Demand Fair Music Video Contract

2011-09-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

Remember way back when MTV still ran music videos?

No, the format is not dead. In fact, music videos are doing financially well enough so that union dancers are demanding that producers give them a fair contract.

According to AFTRA (American Federation of Radio and Television Artists -- one of several unions that represent dancers), their members have formed the "It's About Time" Campaign to obtain a fair contract from music video producers.

In a recent press release, AFTRA says:

"AFTRA dancers have stepped up their campaign for a fair contract covering dancers and other performers in music videos by launching a social media and video campaign over the weekend.

"'It's About Time' features prominent dancers and choreographers calling for a contract that provides for safety, fair pay, residuals, health and retirement benefits and other provisions for professional performers. In this campaign, AFTRA is partnering with the Dancers' Alliance, a grassroots organization dedicated to educating dancers and building solidarity in the dance community.

"The online campaign began with a video message from dancer and choreographer Galen Hooks, who is a AFTRA Los Angeles Board member and a leader of the Dancers’ Alliance. Other participants include choreographer/director Brian Friedman, former Pussycat Doll Carmit Bachar, comedian Affion Crockett and many established dancers, including Bryan Tanaka, Randi Kemper and Shaun Evaristo.

"The campaign's theme of 'It's About Time' refers to the 30-year history of the modern music video, the recent resurgence in the popularity and profitability of music videos, and the need for dancers and other performers to finally be recognized for the talent and professionalism they bring to the music video industry.

"The launch of the campaign coincided with the weekend of the MTV Video Music Awards, which this year drew the largest audience in the network’s 30-year history.

"With the rise of Vevo and other ad-supported streaming services, music videos are generating revenue for the record labels like never before. According to ComScore, Vevo is now the second most viewed video content property after Google sites, with 63 million unique monthly viewers. Vevo is also the top partner channel on YouTube (a Google site), with nearly 60 million unique monthly viewers watching monetized Vevo content on YouTube.

"AFTRA commenced negotiations for a music video contract on June 21, 2011 with representatives of Sony, UMG, Warner, EMI, Disney and most of their subsidiary labels.

"While AFTRA has placed a high priority on achieving a fair agreement, industry representatives have been slow in responding to AFTRA's proposal and setting dates for continued negotiations."

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Police Can "Detain" You -- For Taking Photographs!

2011-08-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

If you take photos, they'd better have some "apparent esthetic value" -- or the cops can detain (i.e., arrest) you! This is because photography is a "suspicious activity."

Other "suspicious activities" cops are on the lookout for include using binoculars or attempting to "acquire uniforms without a legitimate cause." (Better not shop at any Army surplus clothing stores -- or you may might have 'splaining to do down at the police precinct!

Writing for the Long Beach Post, Greggory Moore reports:

Police Chief Jim McDonnell has confirmed that detaining photographers for taking pictures "with no apparent esthetic value" is within Long Beach Police Department policy.

McDonnell spoke for a follow-up story on a June 30 incident in which Sander Roscoe Wolff, a Long Beach resident and regular contributor to Long Beach Post, was detained by Officer Asif Kahn for taking pictures of a North Long Beach refinery.1

"If an officer sees someone taking pictures of something like a refinery," says McDonnell, "it is incumbent upon the officer to make contact with the individual." McDonnell went on to say that whether said contact becomes detainment depends on the circumstances the officer encounters.

McDonnell says that while there is no police training specific to determining whether a photographer's subject has "apparent esthetic value," officers make such judgments "based on their overall training and experience" and will generally approach photographers not engaging in "regular tourist behavior."

This policy apparently falls under the rubric of compiling Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) as outlined in the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Order No. 11, a March 2008 statement of the LAPD's "policy … to make every effort to accurately and appropriately gather, record and analyze information, of a criminal or non-criminal nature, that could indicate activity or intentions related to either foreign or domestic terrorism."

Among the non-criminal behaviors "which shall be reported on a SAR" are the usage of binoculars and cameras (presumably when observing a building, although this is not specified), asking about an establishment's hours of operation, taking pictures or video footage "with no apparent esthetic value," and taking notes.

Also listed as behaviors to be documented are "Attempts to acquire illegal or illicit biological agent (anthrax, ricin, Eboli, smallpox, etc.)," "In possession, or utilizes, explosives (for illegal purposes)," and "Acquires or attempts to acquire uniforms without a legitimate cause (service personnel, government uniforms, etc.)." Special Order No. 11 does not distinguish between how these behaviors should be handled and how (e.g.) photography should be handled.

Read the entire article.

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Las Vegas Police Beat Up Citizen Videographer Mitchell Crooks

2011-08-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Although the Fullerton police's beating of Kelly Thomas is now in the news, it's only one of many police beatings -- often of innocent civilians.

Cops especially hate citizens videotaping cops -- despite Americans' First Amendment rights to tape anyone on public streets.

In the above tape, taken on March 20, 2011, office Derek Colling beats up American citizen Mitchell Crooks for videotaping him on duty.

Seems that while Big Brother is installing video cameras everywhere to monitor US -- Big Brother doesn't like to be monitored back.

Big Brother is even passing laws in some states to make it illegal to videotape cops on duty -- a clear violation of the Constitution.

Fight Big Brother's Tracking YOUR Internet Use -- Stop HR 1981

2011-07-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

David Moon of Demand Progress reports:

"A direct assault on Internet users" is what the ACLU is calling it.

Yesterday a U.S. House committee approved HR 1981, a broad new Internet snooping bill. They want to force Internet service providers to keep track of and store their customers' information -- including your name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and temporarily-assigned IP addresses.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Demand Progress, and 25 other civil liberties and privacy groups have expressed our opposition to this legislation.

Will you join us in opposition by emailing your lawmakers right away? Just click here.

They've shamelessly dubbed it the "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act," but our staunchest allies in Congress are calling it what it is: an all-encompassing Internet snooping bill.

CNet Reports: Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, who led Democratic opposition to the bill said, " 'It represents a data bank of every digital act by every American' that would 'let us find out where every single American visited Web sites.' "

"The bill is mislabeled," said Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the panel. "This is not protecting children from Internet pornography. It's creating a database for everybody in this country for a lot of other purposes."

Please click here to join the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Consumer Federation of America, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Demand Progress and 25 other civil liberties and privacy groups in opposing this legislation.

Thanks for fighting for Internet freedom.

-- The Demand Progress team

P.S. The bill just passed committee, so it's time to push back hard. Will you please ask your friends to take action too?

Join the effort to protect YOUR internet privacy!

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Fullerton Police Beat Homeless Man -- Kelly Thomas -- to Death

2011-07-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

On July 5, 2011, six Fullerton police officers responded to a call that a man appeared to be burglarizing cars. They found Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old (and 135 pounds) schizophrenic homeless man. The cops then beat him to death.

Upon realizing what they'd done, the cops ran off. By the time an ambulance (and new police officers) arrived, they six guilty cops were gone. (But apparently, the Fullerton P.D. knows who they are -- there's an "internal investigation" going on.)

The six cops left Kelly Thomas in a coma. Thomas died five days later.

Here are before and after shots of Thomas:

This story remained buried for three weeks, until the London Daily Mail reported on it. Then KFI-AM's John and Ken Show picked it up, beginning coverage on July 27, and going all day on it on July 28.

John suggests that if the homeless man were black, the Los Angeles Times would have been more aggressive in its coverage. That this beating is worse than that of Rodney King (who, after all, survived).

In any event, by now the story's gone viral. The best, original source for news on this story appears to be Friends for Fullerton's Future.

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York Entertainment Seeks Family Films

2011-07-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

If you're an independent filmmaker with a completed family film on your shelf -- and you're still seeking distribution -- good news! York Entertainment is currently seeking what you have!

YE's president, Tanya York, emails us:

"We are currently looking for 'Family' type films to acquire. If you or any of your colleagues have a finished film that falls under that genre, please let me know ASAP as we're currently finalizing our AFM [American Film Market] line-up."

Tanya York may be contacted at:

York Entertainment
13101 Washington Blvd. Ste 424
Culver City, CA 90066

Tel: 310-684-3628
Fax: 818-647-6677

Ms. York's email: york at yorkentertainment dot com

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All Women's Horror -- 2011 Viscerea Film Festival to Screen July 17th

2011-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles's 405 freeway is closing this weekend -- Angelinos are calling the expected traffic nightmare Carmageddon -- but that hasn't stopped the all-women nightmares at the Viscera Horror Film Festival, scheduled for this Sunday.

Viscera promises "some of the most creative and original new short horror films made by women today. Some are terrifying, some are pulse pounding, and some are hilarious. All showcase what can be accomplished when twisted, cool, darkside-proud women get down to business."

TIME:

Sunday, July 17, 2011

5 p.m. -- Screenings begin.
8 p.m. -- Back patio "after party."
10 p.m. -- A second "after party at the Rosewood Tavern, 448 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, Ca 90036, ph: (323) 944-0980

PLACE:

The Silent Movie Theater
611 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, Ca. 90036
ph: (323) 655-2520

Tickets may be purchased at: Advance tickets

$15 online. $20 at the door.

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Hollywood Hates Arabs

2011-07-13T01:37:00.000-07:00

Jack Shaheen, author of Reel Bad Arabs, and host of a documentary version of the book, is now hosting a film series about Hollywood's portrayal of Arab.

The film series runs on Turner Classic Movies throughout July, as part of TCM's Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film project. Shaheen joins TCM host Robert Osborne to discuss the featured films and Hollywood's depictions of Arabs and Muslims, from early cinema to the present.

"When colleagues ask whether today's reel Arabs are more stereotypical than yesteryear's" writes Dr. Shaheen, "I can't say the celluloid Arab has changed. He is what he has always been -- the cultural 'other.' Arabs have too often been viewed as backward, barbaric and dangerously different through Hollywood's distorted lens. Unfortunately, these stereotypes are now deeply ingrained in American cinema."

Buy the entire Reel Bad Arabs DVD documentary at Amazon.com.

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Janice Hahn "Gang Banger, Stripper" Video Goes Viral

2011-06-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a video that's gone viral.

Janice Hahn, a Democratic member of the Los Angeles City Council (15th district), is running for a U.S. House of Representatives seat (36th Congressional District) in a special election scheduled for July 12, 2011. Hahn hopes to replace the pro-war Jane Harman, who retired shortly after winning reelection in 2010.

This video satirizes Hahn's past support of "gang intervention programs," which has supposedly made it too easy for gang members to avoid prison -- and keep plying their trade on the streets.

Hahn's opponent, Republican Craig Huey, denies any involvement in the production of this video, and has condemned it.

Despite Huey's denounciations of the video, it has gone viral, and has been much talked about on talk radio (e.g., Los Angeles's John and Ken Show).

The clueless, pro-censorship Hahn has even circulated a petition, calling on the FCC to remove the video from YouTube.

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"Food Rights" Documentary - Farmageddon -- Comes to Santa Monica

2011-06-16T01:04:00.000-07:00

360 Degree Communications's Mary Elizabeth Murphy reports that the company's new documentary, Farmageddon, explores "the escalating fight for food rights in America" and the "many important issues around food, including farm families harmed by the overreach of government, food safety legislation, and consumer-food rights. There is a particular focus on raw milk..."

Antiwar Congressman Ron Paul is also featured in the film.

Farmageddon will have a one week theatrical run in Santa Monica, California, beginning June 24, 2011.

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Growing Up Palestinian-American: Jennifer Jajeh's I Heart Hamas

2011-06-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

It can't be easy being a Palestinian-American in Hollywood -- or anywhere in America.

Writer/actress Jennifer Jajeh, a Christian Palestinian-American, grew up in the U.S., and toured Israel and Palestine. She now courageously places her identity in the forefront, and mines her life experiences, in her one-woman show: I Heart Hamas: And Other Things I'm Afraid to Tell You.

Despite its provocative title, I Heart Hamas is getting rave reviews in major American cities.

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Obnoxious Texting at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater Results in a PSA

2011-06-10T01:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a video that's gone viral...

An obnoxious film patron in Austin, Texas was tossed out after being repeatedly warned (according to the theater owner) not to text. The patron later left an obscenity-land voice mail on the theater's answer machine -- which the theater promptly turned into a Public Service Announcement!

This PSA now runs prior to film screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater.

The theater owner reports that most patrons like the PSA a lot. Only a few have complained.

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2011 Tabloid Witch Awards to Screen at Loscon 38

2011-06-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Tabloid Witch Awards are returning to Loscon, the Los Angeles Science Fiction convention, which has for many years convened every Thanksgiving weekend at the LAX Marriott Hotel.

This year's Tabloid Witch Award-winning films are expected to screen on Friday and Saturday nights, November 25 and 26, 2011. Filmmakers will participate in panels and Q&A sessions with Loscon attendees.

Loscon previously hosted Tabloid Witch screenings in 2005, 2007, and 2009.

The Tabloid Witch Awards is a No Entry Fee horror film contest and festival, sponsored by the Hollywood Investigator.

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California -- April 2011 Unemployment Rate Is 38.4% Higher Than Other States

2011-05-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Richard Rider reports:

Here's an unsettling thought: We have been comparing California's unemployment with the national average. But we should be comparing California vs. the average of the other 49 states.

This distinction is important because California holds about 12% of the entire nation's population, and thus materially impacts the national average.

Consider the latest figures for the month of April, 2011. If you take California's dismal 11.9% unemployment number out of the national average, the average for the other 49 states is not 9.0% -- but 8.6%. (See this report).

Bottom Line: In actual percentages, California's unemployment rate is a full 3.3% higher than the average for the other 49 states. In terms of percentage difference, that makes California's unemployment on average 38.4% higher than the other states.

Richard Rider is Chairman of the San Diego Tax Fighters.

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California, Los Angeles Crack Down on Extras Casting Ripoffs

2011-05-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

This press release was sent "from the Office of the City Attorney, Carmen A. Trutanich:

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office and the State Labor Commissioner this week sent a joint letter to Central Casting of Burbank, California, the entertainment industry's largest background casting business, advising it to cease and desist from charging or collecting any fee from background actors in violation of the State’s labor laws.

In an effort to achieve industry-wide compliance, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich also sent similar warning letters to 13 other companies doing business in the City of Los Angeles which supply background actors for film and television.

Recently enacted State Labor Code section 1702.1 prohibits talent services from charging fees to background actors -- commonly known as “extras” -- for registration, photo processing and other services in exchange for finding them work. Also, long-established state law prohibits any employer from requiring a job applicant or employee to pay a fee or consideration of any type to apply for a job or to process a job application.

Responding to complaints by background actors, the City Attorney’s undercover investigation found that Central Casting charges applicants a cash-only $25 “photographic/electronic image” fee, regardless of whether the applicant actually receives work, and that other casting companies collect fees ranging from $15 to $80. According to a 2008 press story linked to its own website, Central Casting registers 500 new background actors per week for jobs that typically pay minimum wage for 12-hour workdays.

“The Labor Commissioner’s office is committed to enforcing all of California’s labor laws. This includes ensuring actors are not required to pay a fee which the law prohibits,” said Labor Commissioner Julie Su. “An employer that requires a mandatory fee from actors applying for work as background performers in the entertainment industry violates this important rule.”

If found in violation, the background casting companies and their agents, directors and employees could be subject to misdemeanor prosecution with a maximum penalty for each offense of one year in jail and a fine of $10,000.

Failure to fully comply with state law also constitutes an unlawful business practice subject to injunctive relief, full restitution, and a $2,500 penalty for each violation.

The City Attorney’s office has previously sent letters to the talent service industry notifying them of the new regulations under the 2009 Krekorian Talent Scam Prevention Act that went into effect January 1, 2010. Letters were also sent through a mass mailing to casting directors instructing them not to aid and abet violations of the law by casting workshops which charge actors to audition.

Contact:

Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Public Information Office (213) 978-8340

Labor Commissioner, Erika Monterroza (415) 703-5279

Sarah Silverman Promotes Barak Obama

2011-05-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a blast from the past -- a promotional video that Sarah Silverman shot for candidate Barak Obama back in 2008:

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/

Steve Colbert Explains Ayn Rand

2011-04-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Steve Colbert explains novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982):

===========================

Rula Jebreal's Miral Depicts Palestinian Experience

2011-04-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jewish American film director Julian Schnabel (Basquait, The Diving Bell) has just come out with Miral, an autobiographical feature film based on the novel by Schnabel's Palestinian wife, Rula Jebreal.

Miral has already stirred controversy in the Jewish community. Some Jewish leaders are slamming the film for being "one-sided." Schnabel admits that Miral shows Palestinian experiences from a Palestinian perspective. (Why is such "one-sidedness" never a problem when only the Israeli perspective is shown?)

Miral is not yet released on DVD in the United States, but it will likely happen. It is currently available as a PAL DVD import, which can be viewed on any region-free DVD player

You can read an interview with Rula Jebreal at Alternet.org, and read more about the controversy here.

Among other controversies, Miral depicts the torture of Palestinian women by the Israeli State, something that Jabreal says she suffered and which continues today to other Palestinians.

Hollywood Wants Internet Censorship -- Fight Back!

2011-04-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

DemandProgress.org reports:

We stole it right out from under them: This week, the special interests pushing the Internet Blacklist Bill called a big press conference with their allies in Congress, trying to create the illusion of broad support for Internet censorship. But our team caught wind of it and scrambled to make sure you were heard. Teaming up with conservative bloggers who also oppose the bill, we stole the story right out from under them:

* POLITICO: Groups blast Leahy piracy bill

* THE HILL: Groups slam online piracy effort

It was a great success, but we need your help now more than ever. Hollywood is dead set on passing a bill this year. Their lead sponsor has pledged to ram it through: "inaction is not an option, and we must pass online infringement legislation in this Congress." That's why an anonymous activist has agreed to match the donations of anybody who becomes a monthly sustainer, but only if you donate this week.

Become a sustainer today and help us defeat COICA and anything else the Hollywood executives throw at us. Your first two months' donations will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis. (You can cancel your monthly contributions at any time.)

Will you become a monthly sustainer of Demand Progress?

* Yes, I'll click here to become a monthly sustainer and have my first two contributions matched.

* Sorry, I can't, but I'll donate $5 or $10 today.

Check out some of this week's press coverage of our opposition to Internet censorship:

"In their attempts to reign in online file sharing, Hollywood moguls are once again willing to risk massive censorship," said Aaron Swartz, executive director of Demand Progress, a liberal-leaning group. (Congressional Quarterly)

And:

But the progressive activist organization Demand Progress and a group of conservative bloggers lead by Republican National Committee Internet Director Patrick Ruffini are staunchly opposed to the bill and the administration's recent moves to seize and shut down domains linking to pirated content. (The Hill)
We won the press war this week and made sure Washington knows we strongly oppose these noxious bills. But as Hollywood ramps up their attacks, we need your support so we can keep fighting for Internet freedom.

Thanks so much for your help: We're a 100% membership-funded organization and need your support to keep up our work.

-- The Demand Progress Team

News Broadcast Explains Threatened California Amazon Sales Tax

2011-03-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a local TV broadcast, which sheds more light on California's impending sales tax on internet sales:

Wal-Mart Behind California "Amazon Sales Tax" -- But Prop 26 May Block It

2011-03-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

Previously we reported that California is threatening to destroy Amazon affiliated business with an internet sales tax.

It now seems that giant "bricks & mortar" retailer Wal-Mart is behind this tax attempt, hoping to hurt its "online only" competitors.

But good news: One analyst suggests that California's recently passed Proposition 26 imposes a 2/3 super-majority requirement in the state legislature for this tax to pass. This would require Republican votes, which might not happen.

Califorina Internet Tax Threatens Amazon.com Associates

2011-03-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

The California state legislature is threatening the livelihoods of over 10,000 Californians who earn money as Amazon Associates for online retailer, Amazon.com.

These Californians place links on their websites to Amazon. When someone clicks through to Amazon and makes a purchase, the Associate earns a commission.

Amazon is not required to collect sales taxes on purchases made to Californians because there is no "business nexus." But now California is considering a law to classify Amazon Associates as a "business nexus".

Other states have done likewise. In all such instances, Amazon ended its Associates program rather than be forced to collect the sales tax. Amazon has even ended its Associates program in big states such as New York and Illinois.

History shows Amazon is not bluffing. If California declares Amazon Associates a “business nexus,” Amazon will end its Associates program in the state.

This will hurt over 10,000 Californians' earnings -- and will lower California's income tax revenue.

This loss in state revenue will not be made up in sales taxes, because by ending the Associates program, Amazon will once more not be required to collect sales taxes.

"Bricks and mortar" retailers complain that Amazon has an "unfair advantage" because online buyers don't pay sales taxes. But they ignore that: 1. their buyers don't pay for shipping, and 2. this legislation will NOT compel Amazon to collect sales taxes -- it will only hurt 10,000 Californians trying to earn money and thus further hurt the state's revenue.

Californians, please contact your state senate and assembly representatives and tell them to oppose any attempt to force Amazon to collect sales taxes, or to declare Amazon's Associates a "business nexus."

Feds Say: Linking to a Site Is Copyright Infringment

2011-03-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

From DemandProgress.org:

Ever sent someone a link to a copyrighted YouTube video? Of course: Everybody has. And now the US Government seems to think that means it can put us in prison.

Bryan McCarthy ran a website that linked to various websites where you could watch online streams of TV shows and sports networks. A couple months ago, the government seized his domain name and on Friday they arrested him for criminal copyright infringement.

Tell the government that this is crazy: There's nothing wrong or illegal about sharing a link.

The government doesn't even allege that McCarthy made a copy of anything! Just that his site linked to various sites with copyrighted material. Under that sort of thinking, everyone who's sent around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video is a criminal.

This is another shocking overreach by the department of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- a steamship-era department that's proving once again it doesn't understand the Internet.

We need to push back -- and fast -- before they try to lock up all Americans.
Click here to tell ICE to drop its charges.

Thanks for taking a stand.

-- The Demand Progress team

P.S. We need to convince ICE to back down, and the first step is making sure they know that Americans are watching, and are disgusted by their behavior. Will you help shine light on ICE's abuses by forwarding this to your friends?

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Also read how hypocritical Big Media companies are threatening YOUR copyrights.

Tabloid Witch Winner Shawna Baca Seeks Funding for Ascended Master

2011-02-25T03:22:00.000-08:00

2007 Tabloid Witch Award winner Shawna Baca is seeking to raise $20,0000 via Kickstarter.com for her next film, Ascended Master.

This is your chance to invest in a proven filmmaker!

Kickstarter.com is an effective film-fundraising tool. Last year, 2006 Tabloid Witch Award winner Mike Flanagan raised $23,150 via Kickstarter.com -- %154 of his budget!

Tell Facebook, Google to Protect YOUR Online Privacy

2011-02-22T08:58:00.001-08:00

From DemandProgress.org:

"Imagine the cops rifling through your mail, your calendar, your receipts. All your private information, available for them to look through. To do this offline, they'd have to get a warrant from a judge and break into your house. But every day the cops -- and anyone else with a good lawyer! -- get access to your online email and calendar just by asking.

"Major online service providers like Gmail and Facebook just hand over your personal data to the police when they get a legal request -- usually without even telling you they've done so! And since you never know about the request, you never get a day in court to challenge it. Your privacy is gone before you even know it.

"Click here to tell Google and Facebook that if they're going to store your private information, they need to promise to keep it private!

"Twitter has just taken a bold stand to protect its users' privacy. When the US Government demanded they turn over information about people affiliated with WikiLeaks, they told the people affected and now they have the chance to challenge the request. But Facebook and Google are refusing to do the same! Sign our petition demanding they -- and other major Internet companies -- adopt sensible privacy protections and stop turning over your personal data to anyone who asks.

Tell Google and Facebook that they need to follow Twitter's lead and protect our privacy. We're meeting with Google NEXT WEEK, and will deliver the petition then.

Thanks for taking a stand.

-- The Demand Progress team

P.S. We're meeting with Google next week, and want to have as many people as possible signed on by then. Could you forward this email to your friends?

KCBS-TV Reporter Serene Branson Breaks Down During Grammy Award Telecast

2011-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

KCBS-TV news reporter Serene Branson began speaking weirdly during last night's Grammy Awards broadcast. Some think it was an on air stroke, but that's being denied.

KCBS-TV is trying to pull the news clip from the internet (in violation of copyright's Fair Use Doctrine). News organizations like exposing others, not themselves.

Here's a parody (well within Fair Use laws) of the broadcast:

"Worst Band Ever" Goes Viral With Pink Floyd Massacre

2010-12-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

Posted on YouTube as "Worst Band Ever Butchers Pink Floyd":

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Feds Still Censoring/Seizing So-Called "Pirate" Sites

2010-11-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

Although the fed's latest internet censorship attempt has failed (for now), they're still shutting down internet sites suspected of piracy, despite a lack of evidence.

As with federal asset forfeiture laws, with suspected "internet piracy" it's guilty until proven innocent.

Once again, the feds are trashing the Constitution.

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Internet Censorship Bill Stymied -- TSA Porno Scanners Next Target

2010-11-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

DemandProgress.org reports progress on the internet censorship bill that we previously reported:

On November 18, 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to send the Internet blacklist bill to the full Senate, but it was quickly stopped by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) who denounced it as "a bunker-buster cluster bomb" aimed at the Internet and pledged to "do everything I can to take the necessary steps to stop it from passing the U.S. Senate."

Wyden's opposition practically guarantees the bill is dead this year -- and next year the new Congress will have to reintroduce the bill and start all over again. But even that might not happen: Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Hollywood's own senator, told the committee that even she was uncomfortable with the Internet censorship portion of the bill and hoped it could be removed when they took it up again next year!

This is incredible -- and all thanks to you. Just a month ago, the Senate was planning to pass this bill unanimously; now even the senator from Hollywood is backing away from it. But this fight is far from over -- next year, there's going to be hearings, negotiations, and even more crucial votes. We need to be there, continuing to fight.

Can you chip in a couple bucks so we can keep our lobbyist in DC?

We're doing everything we can: working with key staffers to remove the most egregious parts of the bill, lobbying more members of Congress to speak out against this bill, and insisting on hearings so the whole Senate can learn about how dangerous this is. And, of course, we'll keep working with you to make sure more people hear about this bill and tell their senators.

Keep on fighting,

-- Aaron Swartz, David Segal, and the Demand Progress team

P.S. Are you as outraged as we are at those new TSA scanners? Click here to write a letter to your state legislators asking them to ban the practice. We've already gotten a bill introduced in New York -- will your state be next?

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Music Industry Supports Internet Censorship Bill

2010-11-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

From DemandProgress.org:

Congress is bringing back the Internet blacklist bill for a vote on Thursday -- just a week from now! We've spent the week meeting people in DC and I can tell you our petition is definitely making a difference. This bill was supposed to pass without objection, but now even Politico is calling it "hotly debated" -- all thanks to you.

We've found the most effective way to get through to senators is for constituents to call in to Congress.

Remember, this bill--in blatant violation of the Constitution--would let the Attorney General create a blacklist of websites that every American ISP would be required to block. Wikileaks, YouTube, and others are all at risk. Human rights advocates, constitutional law experts, and the people who invented the Internet have all spoken out against this bill -- but some of the most powerful industries in the country are demanding that Congress rush it through. The music industry is even having all of their employees call Congress to pose as citizens in support of the bill.

-- Aaron Swartz, David Segal, and the Demand Progress team

P.S. Can you please forward our petition to your friends? So far over 250,000 people have signed. Can you help us hit 300,000 before the vote?

=============================

The music industry is supporting this bill, doubtless to make it easier to take down "pirate" sites. But if this bill passes, it can be used to censor any site that the military, or any politically well-connected group, wants to censor.

Another example of how over-broad intellectual property protection threatens free speech.

=============================

Halloween in November on Theofantastiqe: Horror Film Aesthetics

2010-11-08T00:23:00.001-08:00

It's early November, but if Halloween is still on your mind, you may want to read this interview in Theofantastique, in which Thomas M. Sipos discusses his book, Horror Film Aesthetics.

Theofantastique covers the intersection of the horror genre and metaphysical issues.

Read the interview for a peek into Sipos's views on the subject.

Or go directly to Amazon.com to buy the book!

2010 Tabloid Witch Award Winners Announced

2010-10-05T00:43:00.001-07:00

On October 4, 2010, the Hollywood Investigator announced the winners of the 2010 Tabloid Witch Awards.

Movie Muslims -- Films That Reflect Their Humanity

2010-09-09T23:59:00.001-07:00

In this time of rising bigotry against our fellow Americans, who happen to be of Muslim heritage, it's good that Hollywood has produced some films that reflect the humanity of Muslims.

Paris Hilton Drug Bust Conspiracy Theory

2010-08-30T00:54:00.000-07:00

Heard about Paris Hilton's latest arrest?

Hilton was riding in a limousine in Las Vegas. A cop stopped the limo due to a strong marijuana smell coming from it. While the cop was collecting information, Hilton removed lip balm from her purse, whereupon a small packet of cocaine fell out of her purse. Hilton was then arrested.

On Sunday night, August 29, KABC-AM's Leo Terrell offered an intriguing theory. He suggests that Hilton intentionally got herself arrested.

Why? Because Hilton hasn't been in the news for six months. Lindsay Lohan has blown Hilton off the news pages, courtesy of Lohan's arrest. After a slap on the wrist (a few days in county jail), Lohan was rewarded with a lucrative TV interview.

This could be the latest celebrity fad. Used to be if you wanted to keep your name in the news, you adopted an African baby. Now, you get arrested. Being a celebrity, you get a slap on the wrist, followed by major news coverage, paid interviews, and more pay for future film and TV projects.

Regarding her arrest, Hilton says that she's not worried,

Hopefully, Hilton and Lohan will eventually run into judges that punish them like real people -- several years in prison, with no access to cell phones, twitter, or reporters! Give them hard time, the sort that ages you a decade!

When young girls see that the price of crime is loss of youth, beauty, and fame, then they'll stop idolizing and emulating these vapid, brain-dead, drugged-out "stars," and strive to lead a straight, drug-free life.

(Yes, I know that if Hilton facilitated her arrest by intentionally dropping the cocaine from her purse, it's not a "conspiracy," because a conspiracy requires more than one person. However, if her current boyfriend (some Las Vegas "mogul" she was sharing the limo with), helped Hilton get arrested by emitting the marijuana smoke from the limo to attract the cop's attention, then it would be a conspiracy.

Copyright Laws Restricts Progress

2010-08-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

An expansion of Fair Use, and a shortening of copyright terms, are necessary to encourage progress and innovation.

That's a reasonable conclusion from the finding of economic historian Eckhard Höffner, who believes that England's strict copyright law (enacted in 1710), compared to Germany's non-existence of copyright, was a major reason that German industry caught up to England's despite the latter's head start.

Höffner writes:

"Publishers in England exploited their monopoly shamelessly. New discoveries were generally published in limited editions of at most 750 copies and sold at a price that often exceeded the weekly salary of an educated worker.

"London's most prominent publishers made very good money with this system, some driving around the city in gilt carriages. Their customers were the wealthy and the nobility, and their books regarded as pure luxury goods. In the few libraries that did exist, the valuable volumes were chained to the shelves to protect them from potential thieves.

"In Germany during the same period, publishers had plagiarizers -- who could reprint each new publication and sell it cheaply without fear of punishment -- breathing down their necks. Successful publishers were the ones who took a sophisticated approach in reaction to these copycats and devised a form of publication still common today, issuing fancy editions for their wealthy customers and low-priced paperbacks for the masses."

Also read these Hollywood Investigator articles: Long Copyright Terms Resemble Book-Burning, and Big Media Is Stealing YOUR Copyrights, and Pirate Party Demands Copyright Reform.

South African Horrorfest's 6th Event Nears

2010-08-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

The 6th annual South African Horrofest Film Festival will run November at the The Labia Theatre, Orange Street, Cape Town, South Africa.

This 6th installment will include a range of new movies, classics, sneak previews, and premieres from around the world, as well as several chapters of short films (international and local), Halloween dress-up prizes, and audience give-aways before each film. A big Horror DVD collection (of several dozen movies) will be up for grabs for one lucky viewer.

There will also be a spectacular live movie soundtrack performance to the screening of a classic silent horror film by The Makabra Ensemble (created by members of Terminatryx, collaborating with members of Lark and violin maestro Matthijs Van Dijk).

The final festival line-up will be released soon.

The new literary leg added in 2009 with the Lounge Of Horror fiction readings has been expanded in 2010 to include Bloody Parchment's short story competition.

Closing date for film and short story entries is late-August. (Extensions by request - see website for full info.

Another added feature comes in the shape of a dark art and photography exhibition which is in the works. The S.A. Horrofest is nurturing South African moviemaking (and encouraging its own fresh identity), and fiction writers, artists and photographers.

While last year's special guest (American Werewolf in London's John Landis) couldn't make it, we are looking into bringing a prominent figure in horror movies to the event.

Check out the original HorrorFest promo clip produced by the festival organizers (expanded soon for the 2010 event): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFh62j-3IpI

Tabloid Witch Award Winner Within Premieres on Lifetime

2010-07-26T22:53:00.001-07:00

If you love ghostly horror stories about haunted children -- like The Sixth Sense! -- you'll want to see Within, premiering on the Lifetime network on Saturday, July 31st, 9 p.m. EST. It will also air on Sunday, Aug 15th, 7 p.m. EST, and Friday, Aug 20th, 9 p.m. EST.

Within won the 2009 Tabloid Witch Awards for Best Horror Feature Film, Best Child Actor (Mia Ford) and Best Supporting Actor (Brent Sexton). Within also won for Outstanding Feature Film at the Big Bear Horror Film Festival.

In Within, nine-year-old Rachel Weiss sees the evil spirits that reside within others and compel their "hosts" to do very bad things. When her new friend Michelle's schoolyard pranks turn from petty theft to life-threatening attacks on other children, Rachel's visions may be the key to stopping the violence -- and solving the mystery of a young boy's decade-old disappearance.

Within's soundtrack will be available on iTunes starting July 27th. Jeffrey Toyne composed the ambient score. Director Hanelle Culpepper and her husband wrote the lyrics for the Halloween song. Singer-songwriter Miriam contributed two tracks.

"Within is a slow turning screw of Horror, with each new scene slowly and surely stepping up the skin crawl factor. You might just find yourself a little bit paranoid around your child's new friend after this one." -- E.C. McMullen Jr, Feoamante.com

"...Within is never dull. Its well-paced story holds our interest, and even manages to surprise despite its familiar conceit. The fate of 'bad seed' Michelle is also unexpected; a surprisingly dark ending that may discomfort Hollywood studio executives who are always trying to up the 'feel good' factor in films." -- Thomas M. Sipos, Hollywood Investigator

"...I get back to the fest for Within, the winner of 'Outstanding Feature Film,' and rightfully so. Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Haunting of Molly Hartley, American Zombie)and directed by Hanelle M. Culpepper,Within features two of the best child performances I've seen in ages by Sammi Hanratty (Young Chuck on Pushing Daisies" and Mia Ford. --Sean Abley, Fangoria.com

David Landsberg's Sex Tax Infringes Lady Magdalene's Copyright, Says Producer J. Neil Schulman

2010-07-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

J. Neil Schulman is alleging that David Landsberg's upcoming film, Sex Tax, infringes the copyright to Schulman's own film, Lady Magdalene's.

Read the full story here.

UPDATE -- July 13, 2010

J. Neil Schulman has changed his mind. He now believes that David Landsberg did not copy Schulman's film.

Read latest story here.

The Hollywood Investigator Is Now an Urban Fantasy Novel

2010-06-30T04:55:00.001-07:00

You've read the tabloid -- now read the novel!

Hollywood says it loves equal opportunity and multicultural diversity. Development executive Diana Däagen thinks the studio's hiring is based more on ageism, sexism, and nepotism.

And so, surrounded by followers of Wicca, astrology, Native American shamans, telephone psychics, UFO prophets, a channeled warlord from Atlantis, and the alchemy of Hermes Trismegistus, Diana's coven of New Age witches hatch a plot to infiltrate and diversify the entertainment industry until Hollywood "looks like America" -- no matter how many eggs must be broken along the way.

Only the intrepid supermarket tabloid reporters of the Hollywood Investigator and Weekly Universe family of family publications can stop Diana's path toward world media domination.

Hollywood Witches is an urban fantasy/satire, available on both paper and on Amazon Kindle.

Viscerea Ladies of Horror to Screen in Los Angeles, July 17, 2010

2010-06-08T04:09:00.000-07:00

As a sponsor of the Viscera Film Festival, the Hollywood Investigator is pleased to announce the Viscera's premiere Los Angeles screening -- and an appeal for donations!

"Want to support women in horror? How about women horror filmmakers? Then donate today and become an official Sponsor of the Viscera 2010 Premiere!

What you do: Donate any amount from $1.00-$99.00.

What the Festival does for you: List your name/Company's name on the Viscera Festival Website. Project your name/Company’s name on the big screen. Hand out any of your promotional material.

What it means: Your donation of even $1 will help to pay the expenses of the theater, bloody carpet, backdrop, video/photography services, catering, and the organization of the Festival. We believe that women are truly coming together in one of the most difficult industries to break into today. Any donation will help to serve that purpose!

How to do it: Push the Paypal donation button and pay by Credit Card or Paypal account!

About the 2010 Viscera Festival:

The first annual all female-directed and/or produced horror film festival "Viscera" comes to Los Angeles on July 17th, 2010!

The Chainsaw Mafia, Pretty-Scary.net, and the Downtown Independent are excited to announced the Viscera 2010 Film Festival Premiere, which will be a bloody carpet theater event on July 17th, 2010 in Los Angeles, California!

Twenty-eight short female-directed/produced horror films, from 30 seconds to 30 minutes, and from all over the world, will appear on the big screen for one night only! These films represent 3 years of films painstakingly curated by Shannon Lark of The Chainsaw Mafia and released on the Viscera DVD collections.

Brea Grant (Heroes, Halloween II), Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever, How to Love Like a Hot Chick) and Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Drones) are the Festival's special inspirational guest presenters and will host the award ceremonies. Special Guests in attendance include Juliet Landau (Angel, Ed Wood), Guinevere Turner (American Psycho, Go Fish), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Mary Lambert (Pet Semetary), Jessica Harper (Suspiria), Micheline Pitt (PinUp Girl Clothing), and Allison Anders (Gas, Food, Lodging) as well as many of the filmmakers.

The Downtown Independent Theater features 222 stadium style seats within the theatre, along with a rooftop bar with a projection screen for those who don't want to miss the show.

Co-Directors Shannon Lark and Heidi Martinuzzi encourage both men, women, filmmakers, and all artists to attend the event in support of the ambition and drive of filmmakers who have stepped outside the traditional roles of women in horror films and taken on directing, writing, and producing their own independent projects. Several filmmakers will be present to walk the bloody carpet and accept their statues, followed by an after-party on the Downtown Independent rooftop until 2am.

Tickets are only $15.00 and available now online, with the carpet walk starting at 4 p.m. Show support for the event by joining Viscera's Facebook page, making a donation, and purchasing the newly released 2008-2009 Viscera DVD.

The Chainsaw Mafia was created by Chainsaw Mafia CEO Shannon Lark to promote independent filmmakers through internet-based networking, live performance, and annual film festivals with monetary awards. The Chainsaw Mafia was created and facilitated by women, who actively encourage progressive roles for women and men in all areas within the horror genre. Increasing and expanding boundaries of the genre with interactive theater, film, photography, and dance, The Chainsaw Mafia assists the men and women who create the horror genre to produce their art and promote themselves.

Pretty-Scary.net is an online entertainment magazine created in 2004 by Los Angeles-based film journalist Heidi Martinuzzi. Pretty/Scary celebrates creative, innovative, intelligent, and awesome images of women in horror, sci-fi & fantasy films, literature, and art."

Also read the Hollywood Investigator's interview with Shannon Lark!

Is Up in the Air Offensive to Asians?

2010-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

Films have long been "edited for television," at least for broadcast TV. It's also common for airlines to edit (some would say, censor) the films they screen on planes.

That's natural. Passengers on a flight are a captive audience. They chose to fly, not to see a film. Nor can they change the channel. Besides, many flights carry children, which means no R rated films.

So when I flew American Airlines a few weeks ago, I was not surprised to see the curse words and a nude scene cut from Up in the Air. I was surprised to see the word "Asian" removed. Apparently, someone decided that the word "Asian" was used offensively.

It's the scene in which Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) lectures to Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) about how to pick the quickest, fastest moving security line.

Ryan sees old people on one line, and passes. "Too much metal" in their bodies sets off the metal detector.

Then Ryan passes on a line with children. "I've yet to see a stroller folded in under twenty minutes" he says.

Then he sees Asians on a line, and says, "Bingo. Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently and have a thing for slip-on shoes. God love 'em."

Natalie replies, "That's racist."

Ryan says, "I'm like my mother. I stereotype. It's faster."

A funny line in an overall great film.

However, in the American Airlines version, the word "Asians" was replaced with "business people." (Not "businessmen" -- that would be sexist.)

This makes Natalie's "That's racist" reply nonsensical -- which is why her line was removed. Her lips move, but emit no sounds. Of course, passengers who could lip read knew what she said.

I think "business people" was spoken by actor George Clooney. It sounded like him, and it's common for actors to dub different versions of as film.

If you only saw Up in the Air on American Airlines, now you know why the joke fell flat. A line that flirts with political incorrectness is usually funnier than the polite choice.

An American Rendition Tackles Torture and the "War on Terror"

2010-03-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

Robert Johnson of the New Jersey Star-Ledger reviews An American Rendition, a new play that tackles America's pro-torture policy in the "War on Terror":

"Americans would rather not consider the suffering of people water-boarded, beaten and deprived of sleep as part of our government's so-called war on terror.

"Choreographer Jane Comfort tackles what she calls this 'collective unwillingness to look' in 'An American Rendition,' a grimly mocking work of contemporary dance-theater coming to the Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College on Saturday.

"The piece recalls the by-now much publicized activities of government agents who sequestered individuals without trial and have subjected them to practices explicitly prohibited under U.S. and international law.

"While 'An American Rendition' focuses on the plight of a fictional character mistakenly detained and transported to a U.S.-operated black site, the piece ironically juxtaposes the gruesome incidents of his captivity with weirdly light-hearted scenes inspired by reality television."

Read the rest of the article.

Also read: Pentagon Possessed: A Neocon Horror Story.

Film Independent Seeks Diverse Filmmakers

2010-03-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

From Film Indepdendent:

Film Independent's signature diversity program Project:Involve, is dedicated to increasing diversity in the film industry by cultivating the careers of under-represented filmmakers. The program selects individuals from diverse backgrounds and filmmaking tracks; including writers, directors, producers, agents, managers, marketing, distribution, and acquisitions execs; to participate in the nine-month program which runs from October until June. As a Fellow, participants are paired one-on-one with industry mentors, assigned a team to make a short film, and attend monthly filmmaking workshops and other educational seminars.

Project:Involve receive...

* One-year membership with Film Independent
* One pass to the Los Angeles Film Festival
* One pass to the Film Independent Filmmaker Forum
* Year-round mentorship and alumni support
* Opportunity to screen short film at our Project:Involve screenings

Filmmakers including Effie T. Brown (Rocket Science), Jon Chu (Step Up 2), Cherien Dabis (Amreeka), and Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned) are all Project:Involve Fellows - you could be next.

Submit by March 29, 2010.

School Choice Documentary, The Cartel to Premiere April 16th

2010-03-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

From Bowden Media:

"The Cartel is being released nationwide next month. This documentary focuses on school choice and charter schools, and advocates for the expansion of institutions like charter schools, and less government involvement in the education system.

Premiering on April 16, "The Cartel will play at Laemmle's Summit 5 Theater in Los Angeles.

Also read about school choice filmmaker Fernanda Rossi.

Off Season Premieres at Gasparilla Film Festival

2010-03-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

From a press release:

Off Season, which was nominated for the 2010 BAFTA Award for Best Short Film, will be premiering next week at the Gasparilla Independent Film Festival, in Tampa Florida.

In Off Season, an alcoholic transient, with only his Jack Russell terrier for a companion, steals from summer cottages during the brutal and desolate off season at a lakeside resort. When he ventures from his usual path in search of a full bottle of booze, he makes a terrifying discovery that threatens his solitary existence.

Off Season was shot over seven days in February 2009 in the Georgian Bay region of Ontario. Its production was as frightening as the events being filmed. Long snowmobile rides across vast stretches of frozen lake in the blackness of night and brutal, subzero temperatures were only some of the hardships that director Jonathan Van Tulleken, producer Jacob Jaffke, and their crew overcame.

Bill Sage, whose acting credits include Sex and the City, High Art, American Psycho, and Third Watch, stars in Off Season as the loner.

Director Jonathan Van Tulleken's short films have been selected for a wide number of international film festivals, among them Toronto, Edinburgh and Slamdance. He has had his work screened on the BBC and as part of the Virgin Media Shorts Awards in over 200 UK cinemas. In '09 he was picked by Creativity Magazine as one of their top 10 directors to watch and most recently his film Off Season was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Short.

Producer Jacob Jaffke has overseen commercials, music videos, webisodes, and short and feature films. He was production manager on Ti West's The House of the Devil, was line producer on Joe Maggio's Bitter Feast, and most recently was a Producer on James McKenney’s Hypothermia.

Off Season was an Official Selection at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival and 2009's Encounters Short Film Festival.

U.S. Pirate Party Urges More Copyright Fair Use

2010-03-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

According to the United States Pirate Party:

The United States wishes to increase its enforcement of current copyright laws and is asking for your input. We have included a handy email tool that will allow you to
send an email from this site.

Also read this article from the Swedish Pirate Party.

Godspeed Premeires in Theaters March 26, On DVD/VOD April 20

2010-03-06T01:01:00.000-08:00

Robert Saitzyk's Godspeed premiered to critical acclaim at a number of film festivals and won the Special Jury Award for Exceptional Artistic Achievement at the CineVegas Film Festival.

Charlie Shepard (Joseph McKelheer, The Hamiltons, The Violent Kind) is a modern day faith healer, a man who claims that if you let go and believe, then his power to heal is very real. Living with his young son and wife, Charlie ekes out a meager living from his "healing" sessions in a small Alaskan town. With his marriage failing, and an old drinking habit coming back to haunt him, his family is brutally murdered by unknown assailants.

Six months later, Charlie has abandoned his former life and the house his family lived in. Even local fish and game man Mitch (Ed Lauter, Seabiscuit) can't break through Charlie’s desolation. Then, a young, mysterious girl named Sarah (Courtney Halverson) appears in town, and seeks out Charlie.

It's here on Charlie's journey to Sarah's remote home, buried deep in the Alaskan wilderness, where he must eventually confront Sarah’s troubled brother Luke (Cory Knauf, The Violent Kind, The Hamiltons) -- a dark journey that will ultimately reveal the truth of his family's killings and lead to tragic, violent consequences for all.

Shot in and around Anchorage and Wasilla, Alaska, Godspeed was directed and edited by Robert Saitzyk and produced by Houston King and John Flanagan. Saitzyk’s previous films include After the Flood and White of Winter, which premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

Theatrical Dates:

March 26, 2010, Cinema Village, New York, NY

April 9, 2010, Laemmle's Sunset 5, Los Angeles, CA

April 16, 2010, Bear Tooth Theatre, Anchorage, AK

"Godspeed is a truly marvelous film…It’s an indie masterpiece, angry yet breathtaking cinema with a one-fingered salute to authoritarian moviemaking. Godspeed…is one of the finest movies in a long time." – Fangoria

"Director Robert Saitzyk somehow manages the impossible and completely sidesteps the usual traps inherent in such Old Testamental material...with a powerful combination of grace and fury." – Marc Savlov, The Austin Chronicle

Actress Heather Graham Supports Health Care Public Option

2010-02-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

Actress Heather Graham (Boogie Nights, Austin Powers, Twin Peaks), has lent her time and fame to support a public option in health care reform:

Darcy Halsey Announces The Reunion Web Series

2010-02-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

Actress Darcy Halsey, profiled in the Hollywood Investigator in 2007, updates us:

I am so excited that I am finally able to show this online project, that I co-wrote and co-directed, called The Reunion. It's been a long time coming!

We've finally finished the pilot presentation for the interactive web series about (as many of you know from seeing the choose-your-own adventure play) a 10 year high school reunion. But since we've gone online, we've added a twist, and the night has turned into a murder mystery.

Remember Jason? The guy who died at the senior party? Yeah, well, it's 10 years later (1994) and still no one knows who did it. Yeah.

Please check out our site and enjoy exploring the night. It's a bit raucous and naughty, but what high school reunion isn't?

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

Darcy

The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu Set for Fall Theatrical Release

2010-02-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

From MPI Media Group:

New York, NY (February 15, 2010) -- MPI Media Group has acquired all North American rights to The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu, a new comedy-thriller. The film will receive a Fall 2010 theatrical release through MPI's Dark Sky Films label, to be followed by DVD and Video On Demand in October.

The distribution deal for The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu was negotiated by Greg Newman, executive vice president of MPI Media Group, and Nate Bolotin of XYZ Films.

Kyle Davis (Friday the 13th, Men of a Certain Age) stars as Jeff, a bored guy stuck in a dead-end job whose life suddenly changes when a strange old man gives him an ancient relic and tells him he is the last descendant of H.P. Lovecraft, author of such classic horror short stories as "The Dunwich Horror," "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" and the influential Cthulhu Mythos stories.

Jeff and his friend Charlie embark on an adventure to protect the relic from falling into the hands of the Starspawn and his minions, who want to release the hideous cosmic entity Cthulhu back into the world.

The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu marks the feature directorial debut of Henry Saine, whose career was launched with two comedic short films, Not in My Family and Love Royale. It's also the writing and producing debut of Devin McGinn, who co-stars as Charlie. The cast includes Barak Hardley, Honor Bliss and Sujata Day.

The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu had its world premiere in October at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Ore., and was a selection at the January 2010 Slamdance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah.

Principal Photography Begins on Dark Sky Film's Hypothermia

2010-02-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

From MPI:

Chicago, IL (February 9, 2010) - Dark Sky Films announces the start of principal photography and production on James Felix McKenney's feature Hypothermia.

Hypothermia, written and directed by McKenney, stars Michael Rooker, who's long career in film includes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

Hypotermia co-stars Blanche Baker (Sixteen Candles, Taking Chance, The Girl Next Door).

Also in the cast are Greg Finley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager") and McKenney regulars Don Wood (The Off Season, Automatons), Ben Forster and Amy Chang. The film will be produced in partnership with Larry Fessenden's Glass Eye Pix.

The story occurs in Maine during winter. Ray Pelletier and his wife Helen have been ice fishing the frozen expanse of Lake Noyade for over two decades, but this year something is different: no fish bite. Is it their new neighbors on the ice -- Stevie Jr. and his overbearing Dad -- with their high-tech gear and over-sized rig that is driving the fish away? Or is it something else?

The answer comes in an onslaught of ferocious attacks that unites the two families against a mysterious creature from under the ice.

Producers on the film are 2010 Spirit Award nominee and horror director Larry Fessenden and his partners Peter Phok and Brent Kunkle, along with Dark Sky Films producer Derek Curl (The House of the Devil, Hatchet 2). The Co-Producer is Jacob Jaffke (The House of the Devil, Bafta nominated short Off Season).

Hypothermia is produced in association with Offhollywood Pictures, and is one of the first feature films to be shot in 4K on REd One digital cinema cameras updated with the new, high-dynamic range Mysterium-X sensor alongside David Fincher's Social Network and Steven Soderbergh's Knockout.

Says Fessenden, "It is very gratifying to have the support of such a cool company as Dark Sky so we can keep making these auteur-driven genre films we call Scareflix. Having Michael Rooker headline the cast in a role like this is especially exciting because it is a different side of Rooker we’ll be exploring. I know the fans will be gratified to spend some real screen time with him in this rugged and sympathetic role.

The monster has been created by effects veteran Chris Bridges who has lent his talents to such films as Diary of the Dead, 300, Silent Hills, Saw III, Max Payne, since his on-set debut on Mimic. Stunt and movement artist Asa Liebmann will be inside the suit. Gore effects will be handled by Brian Spears (Plaguetown, I Sell the Dead, Bitter Feast, Stake Land.

Dark Sky Films is dedicated to the discovery, preservation and production of new and classic horror, sci-fi and cult films from around the world. Based in Chicago, Dark Sky Films is a wholly owned subsidiary of The MPI Media Group.

Military Censors Black Lung Album Interview

2010-02-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

We thought we had seen everything when it came to interviews, but this one was brand new. The US Military Authorities have decided to censor an interview that was to appear on the website of the Belgian electro music magazine Side-Line.com.

More specifically, the interview given by David Thrussell (Black Lung, Snog etc) has been censored, and part of the transcript has been removed from being published. The interview handled David Thrussell newest release which was commissioned by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which is a funding body of the U.S Government and the Pentagon.

The resulting album Full Spectrum Dominance got released under the name of Black Lung.

The Black Lung interview which got censored handled the specific preparation and what exactly got recorded for the release. [You can read the censored interview here].

Kind regards,

Bernard Van Isacker
Side-Line chief editor

2nd Annual All Sports Film Festival

2010-02-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

(Hollywood, CA) – February 4, 2010 – The 2nd Annual All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival will be held on July 9 and 10, 2010 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California.

Whether it is a dramatic or comedic piece, ASLAFF welcomes screenwriters and filmmakers to share their great stories in regards to the world of sports. This festival will give the many sports fanatics an outlet for their love of competition in the medium of cinema.

ASLAFF will include any subject matter that deals with mental and physical competition for the sake of winning. The stories will include anything from auto racing and badminton to spelling bees and chess.

Our jury and judges already include ESPN Sideline Reporter Holly Rowe. Also on the panel are established producers, screenwriters, and television staff writers. More are soon to be added.

There will be an opening reception on Friday night followed by the premiere of several short films and a feature film. Saturday will be filled with the presentation of short and feature films.

For more information and updates, please check the festival website at AllSportsLAFilmFest.com or email Pat@AllSportsLAFilmFest.com.

Viscera Film Festival Announces Official Selections

2010-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Viscera Film Festival, a horror Film Festival that presents women created horror films from all over the world has announced the 2009-2010 officially selected Viscera films. Viscera judges Heidi Martinuzzi, Devi Snively, Elisabeth Fies, Stacie Ponder, and Shannon Lark are proud to present the following:

Barbee Butcher by Sophie Lagues

Beautiful As You Are by Doug Mallette and Mary Katherine Sisco

Hollywood Skin by Maude Michaud

I Spit on Eli Roth by Devi Snively

Mary Jane Go Round by Ginnetta Correli (Viscera Award Winner)

Mockingbird by Marichelle Daywalt

Salome's Picnic by Victoria Waghorn

Switch by Melanie Light

The selected films are placed on a compilation DVD which is viewed by Viscera's Sponsors, who are journalists, websites, artists, and affiliated Film Festivals for potential reviews/screenings around the world.

The Viscera Film Festival will have its first screening in the Spring of 2010 (date TBA) in Los Angeles, celebrating Viscera's 2009, 2008, and 2007's selections, accompanied with an award ceremony.

Each selected filmmaker will receive a Viscera Statue and filmmaker Ginnetta Correli will receive the 2009-2010 Viscera Award for her film Mary Jane Go Round.

The Viscera Award is a monetary award suited specifically for women coming together exclusively or creating films on their own instead of participating in cat fights and talking about hairspray.

------------------------------

The Chainsaw Mafia
Contact: Shannon Lark, CEO of the Mafia and Director of the Viscera Film Festival
E-mail: Shannon@thechainsawmafia.com
Web: www.thechainsawmafia.com

Women of Horror Film Festival Announced

2010-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Received from Mitchell Wells:

We are thrilled to announce another Women of Horror Film Festival in May -- Women of Horror 2.

With each festival we try to bring a new and different theme into the movie theater, and once again it's Lady's Night!

On Saturday, May 1st from 5pm to 2am, Horror Society will feature films directed, produced, or written by women.

Our goal for this festival is to show the female side of the horror genre in a way that most of the horror fans are not familiar with. Many studios and companies need to stay away from this point of view because it does not attract the audience they are looking for. To us that is a shame. There are so many female directors doing indie horror now without the recognition they need and deserve. This is our chance to show those women that are making these types of films.

So with that said, we are looking for films (both feature and short) that go along with this theme. If you are a female director, producer, or writer, here is your chance to get your film screened to an audience that will appreciate it. Submission fees are real cheap at only $20 for a short or a feature length film.

April 17th will be the final day for submissions. Anything postmarked after that date will not be considered.

The theater is located on 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave in Portage Park. It’s a beautiful theater located in a great part of the city with state of the art equipment. We will have the theater from 5pm to 2am with vendors, giveaways, and more.

More information at: http://www.horrorsociety.com/festivals

Advertising, Sponsorship, and Vendor Tables are available for companies wanting to promote their horror related products directly to their consumers.

Mitchell Wells (Festival Director)
admin@horrorsociety.com
1-773-706-9836

--------------------------------------
Horror Society
www.horrorsociety.com
admin@horrorsociety.com
(773) 706-9836

Israeli Comics Satirize IDF in Haiti

2010-01-30T07:39:00.001-08:00

It's interesting to see how differently Israel is portrayed in the U.S. vs. in Israel. In American entertainment, no comedian -- no matter how "dangerous," "daring," or "cutting edge" -- dares to seriously mock Israel. A gentle ribbing, perhaps, but nothing harsh.

Israeli comics, however, mock Israel as harshly as American comics mock America.

Here's a clip from the Israeli TV show, It's a Wonderful Country, a sort of Israeli Saturday Night Live. The point of the joke, apparently, is that Israel sent only a token rescue force to Haiti, and only for P.R. purposes.

Something else you don't see on American TV. The "black actor" in this clip appears to be a white actor in blackface. Note his white arm.

There is a sizable black Ethiopian Jewish population in Israel, but I guess they have yet to make inroads into TV. However, I don't suppose Arab countries are any more enlightened in their attitude toward blacks.

Martin Scorsese Praises Anti-Communist My Son John

2010-01-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

This essay is reprinted courtesy S.T. Karnick:

Turner Classic Movies presents a grand total of two Hollywood movies about the dangers of international communism (and Communism) Wednesday night beginning at 8 EST. Will host Robert Osborne be as sympathetic to these films as he has always been toward anti-anticommunist movies? Not bloody likely.

Leo McCarey's My Son John (1952) has been uniformly lambasted by mainstream critics since the day it was released—because the villains are Communists. Yet Martin Scorsese, a smart cineaste and certainly no rabid anti-communist, classed the film among his all-time favorites and wrote very sympathetically and understandingly about it. It's actually a highly interesting film, and well worth watching, very much in the style of McCarey's other non-comedy films of the 1930s and '40s, such as Love Affair and Going My Way.

This clip (although of poor visual quality) gives a good sense of the film's style and quality:

Tune in and decide for yourself. I've seen My Son John, and the critical reception toward it has been absurdly dismissive of this heartfelt and very absorbing film. Had it been pro-Communist, I'm certain the reception would have been the very opposite, given that so many weak and inane films (such as The Front) have been falsely praised as courageous and brilliant.

-- S. T. Karnick

S. T. Karnick edits The American Culture, where this article first appeared.

Angelina Jolie Quits Atlas Shrugged

2009-10-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie has for several years now been rumored to star in an upcoming film, based on Ayn Rand's epic-length novel, Atlas Shrugged. Well, it appears that Jolie has quit.

Atlas Shrugged has been in development for at least three decades, so it comes as no surprise that the Jolie version also will not come to pass.

Brian Doherty reports in Reason:

"With Rand fan Angelina Jolie, long rumored to star as railroad heroine Dagny Taggart, begging off the project, the producers are now preparing to turn Atlas Shrugged into a mini-series on the new cable channel Epix, possibly starring Charlize Theron. (In Hollywood, nothing is fact until the cameras roll—or until after they finish rolling. Atlas Shrugged is not yet at that stage and may never come to fruition.)"

Excessive Copyright Protection Stifles Free Speech

2009-07-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Interesting video on the subject:

And also this one:

Ron Paul an Official Write-In Candidate in California

2008-10-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

According to the Daily Paul:

"In California, you must have 55 declared electors filed with the Secretary of State's office before you become an 'official' write-in candidate for president. Unless a voter writes in an 'official' write-in candidate for an office, his or her vote doesn't count.

Gail Lightfoot has been spearheading a drive to get the required number of electors, and I just got an email from her that Evelyn Mendez, Program Manager Candidates & Elections in the California Secretary of State's office, indicates we have 70 completed elector forms! Gail is working with her to finalize the 55 electors.

Bottom Line:

Ron Paul will be an official write-in candidate for the office of president in California! If you write in 'Ron Paul,' it WILL count!"

Details at the Daily Paul.

Hillary Clinton's Dark Hollywood Doings

2008-09-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

Young Hillary Clinton

2008-05-31T21:13:00.001-07:00

Hilarious spoof of one power-mad child-woman:

Californians: Vote YES on Prop 98 and NO on Prop 99

2008-05-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Californians, there will be a statewide election on June 3rd, 2008.

Contrary to lies you may have heard on the radio, Proposition 98 is real eminent domain reform. Proposition 99 is the sham.

Prop 98 protects all private property from eminent domain abuse: homes, small businesses, family farms and ranches, rentals, and houses of worship.

Prop 99 protects almost nothing: some homes, some of the time. Homes must be owner-occupied for over 12 months. Even then, homes can be taken if the city merely claims there are "health and safety" reasons. Entire residential neighborhoods can be re-zoned into non-existence.

What about rent control?

It's true that Prop 98 prohibits government from establishing rent control. However, tenants already living under rent control are protected. Rent control will apply to them for as long as they live in their residences. Furthermore, Prop 98 prevents government from taking rental property and giving it to private developers. Thus, Prop 98 increases protection for current tenants.

By contrast, Prop 99 allows government to take rental property and give it to private developers. Current tenants would be worse off under Prop 99.

ABC News Can't Spell

2008-05-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

In the ABC News article, George's Bottom Line on Clinton for Veep, the author (there's no byline on the article) misspells "principle."

The author writes: "That's the principal they're running on right now."

Yet it should be "principle," not "principal."

This is not a "typo," which is when a person knows the correct spelling but hits the wrong key. This is a misspelling. This is ignorance.

Clinton Cackles. People Die.

2008-05-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Former Democratic Senator Mike Gravel is now running for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination. Gravel has a longtime antiwar record, opposing the draft during the Vietnam War and reading The Pentagon Papers into the Congressional Record.

Until recently, Gravel was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. He got in some good jabs against pro-war Hillary Clinton.

Lady Magdalene's Culver City Press Junket

2008-03-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Filmmaker J. Neil Schulman's Lady Magdalene's will screen on in Culver City's Backlot Film Festival, on April 3, in preparation of which he organized the below press junket:

The Trouble With Indie Films

2008-03-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

I love indie films, for many of the reasons that filmmaker J. Neil Schulman (Lady Magdalene's) doesn't. However, Neil makes so many valid observations about indie films, I asked if it were okay for me to reprint them here:

"Independent film has become, in its own way, as strict and narrowly selective as commercial movies. I did not set out to make an arthouse film for a limited audience. I set out to do what I have always done, first as a novelist then later as a screenwriter, which is to make an entertainment for as large an audience as could possibly be receptive to my own admittedly idiosyncratic esthetics and opinions. I have always enjoyed suspense and strong plots. Many in the indie film community today consider plot to be atavistic or bourgeois. My favorite books and movies have always been uplifting, romantic, and driven by heroic characters. This is at odds with the spirit of much of independent film today, which is existentialist, naturalist, and tends to regard good as less powerful than evil. I am not a Candide who sees only the rosy side of life; but I do feel it to be my job as an artist to make it easier, not harder, for the person I entertain to confront the challenges in their own lives. To me, the purpose of fiction and drama -- even comedy and farce -- is the same as myth: to infect us with hope, and silence despair.

"We did everything we could to make an entertaining movie with appealing, memorable characters as well as a strong plot, and as high production values as we could achieve on our budget. I think if there is such a thing as a formula for box office success, this is it. But the only way anyone can know for sure is to be offered to an audience and let them decide.

"That opportunity is what we're working towards."

Rocket Science Censors Christ from Battle Hymn of Republic

2008-03-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know if this was intentional, but it is curious.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic has five stanzas. It's the epitome of a Judeao-Christian song, in that it combines Old Testament imagery with specific reference to Christ. You thus have both the "Judaeo" and "Christian" parts.

But I guess the "Christian" half of Judaeo-Christianity bothers some people.

The recent indie film, Rocket Science, features a modern version of The Battle Hymn of the Republic over the end credits. The first four stanzas are sung. There's time enough to sing the fifth stanza, that one that references Christ. Instead, the song repeats the refrain a second time.

I wonder, was somebody at HBO/Time-Warner uneased by the Christ reference? And if Christ was censored out, did that decision come from the creative or corporate end? If you're gonna do the first four stanzas, it makes sense to sing the fifth as well.

You hear about "liberal" Hollywood. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but it's a curious omission.

Rocket Science itself is a so-so indie film. A teenage, coming-of-age film; the difficulties of being an outcast, finding a girl, dealing with oddball parents and hippy-dippy teachers or guidance counselors. (The clueless speech thearpist in Rocket Science reminded me of the clueless teacher in Heathers -- a far superior film.)

For the curious, here are the complete lyrics to The Battle Hymn of the Republic:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on.

REFRAIN: Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.

REFRAIN

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My Grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."

REFRAIN

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His Judgement Seat.
Oh! Be swift, my soul, to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

REFRAIN

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

REFRAIN

Darcy Halsey Stars in Polly G.

2008-02-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

CSI actress Darcy Halsey -- whose antiwar, libertarian activism was profiled in the Hollywood Investigator! -- now stars in a new web comedy series called Polly G.!

Halsey wrote, produced, and acted in Polly G.! As she explains, "It's about a young woman who marries everyone in her head so she starts a 12 Step relationship program to detox from men. Prepare to see strippers, mimes, lawnmower pinatas, and motorboats (not the kind you think)!"

August Evening

2008-02-04T00:44:00.001-08:00

Indie films are supposed to eschew glamor, and instead tell stories about marginal people ignored by mainstream Hollywood -- and in styles other than the conventional "three act structure." Indie films are supposed to be "different."

Unfortunately, indie films have "gone Hollywood" over this past decade. With rare exceptions, they've become predictable. Endless films about quirky, dysfunctional families. Inbred films offering "inside peeks" into the world of indie-filmmaking. Films peppered with pop culture references. Films full of navel-gazing angst by young adults contemplating their tedious relationships.

August Evening now threatens to rescue the indie film, returning the genre to its roots as a movement that once upon a time delivered originality and authenticity.

Despite its over two-hour length, August Evening is an absorbing film, shot in a minimalist (and occasionally rough), unsentimental style. It follows the travails of Jamie (Pedro Castaneda), an elderly Mexican-American laborer who loses his wife and agricultural job in quick succession. Yet he accepts these tragedies with remarkable stoicism, taking his lumps and moving on with quiet fortitude.

Living with Jamie is Lupe (Veronica Loren), his daughter-in-law by his long deceased son. She's sort of adopted Jamie and his late wife as the parents she would have like to have had, staying with them rather than moving on and remarrying.

If August Evening has a theme, it's about the way life's misfortunes force people to move on, pushing them out of their comfortable ruts. Loved ones die, jobs are lost, yet people cling to their memories and routines, until financially or socially their fingers are pried loose from the past.

With a matter-of-fact, semi-documentary style (allowing for the occasionally romantic shot), August Evening follows Jamie and Lupe as they move among the homes of Jamie's other, less-than-perfect, grown children, his job loss having made him dependent on them. Along the way, he unselfishly tries to marry off Lupe, because "it's right" that she should marry again, never mind that her marriage would leave him that much more alone.

A newcomer to acting, Pedro Castaneda infuses his character with a simple, quiet wisdom, and manly unselfishness, reminiscent of Richard Farnsworth's performance in The Straight Story. Castaneda has been nominated for a Best Male Lead Independent Spirit Award this year, and he deserves to win. As does August Evening, which is up for the Spirit Award's John Cassavetes Award.

August Evening does not yet have distribution, but keep looking for it on Amazon.com. They'll have it when it comes out on DVD.

While I'm on the subject of the Spirit Awards (I'm a voting member), I'd like to endorse Parker Posey for Best Female Lead for her work in Broken English. This may be her fest film since the 1990s, the decade which saw Posey's excellent Clockwatchers, Henry Fool, The House of Yes, and Dinner at Fred's -- yes, I include Dinner at Fred's on that list; it's a Christmas classic waiting to be discovered.

I also hope the late Adrienne Shelly wins Best Screenplay for Waitress. And if you haven't seen it, see Ms. Shelly's previous Sudden Manhattan, a small and funny film which I'd describe as the work of "a female Woody Allen." It's a quirky, observational, navel-gazing indie film -- but done at a time when quirky, observational, navel-gazing indie films were still something of a novelty.

Besides which, Adrienne Shelly did it so well.

Tabloid Witch Award Mini-Documentary

2008-01-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

One of our 2007 winners, Erasmo Romero III, has produced a mini-documentary about the Tabloid Witch Awards. I come across as rather wooden. Had I known how I'd look, I'd have made an effort to be more lively and animated. Oh well...

2008 Tabloid Witch Awards Gets Its First Feature Entry

2008-01-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Last week, the 2008 Tabloid Witch Awards received its first feature entry!

As of now, the 2008 Tabloid Witch Awards has one feature entry, and seven short entries. And we're just beginning the year!

The Tabloid Witch Awards is a No Entry Fee horror film contest, sponsored by the Hollywood Investigator. Winners of the 2008 contest will be announced in October, and will receive promotion and trophies! Past winners also received in film screening in Santa Monica, California -- in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area!

WGA Writers ... Anti-Union Hypocrites?

2007-12-16T00:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a Los Angeles contractor provided a unique and interesting perspective to the WGA writers strike.

This contractor told me that many of her clients are wealthy writers (and directors, actors, producers, and other Hollywood types) who will hire illegal immigrant (i.e., nonunion) labor to renovate or work on their houses.

So, this contractor reasoned, these actors, directors, and writers are hypocrites. They undercut blue collar union carpenters, plumbers, builders, etc., but expect everyone to sympathize when their own Hollywood unions go on strike.

Hers is a thought-provoking perspective, one that hadn't occurred to me.

Tabloid Witch Award in Argentina

2007-11-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

The Tabloid Witch Awards -- and all its winners! -- have been covered by an Argentinian publication, Sin Cortes!

Thanks go to Argentinian winner, Daniel de la Vega (director of Death Knows Your Name), for publicizing the Tabloid Witch in Latin America.

Daniel even uploaded a YouTube of him and his team with their Tabloid Witch plaques in Buenos Aries:

L.A. Weekly Cites Hollywood Investigator's Charles Bukowski Exposé

2007-11-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

In 2003 the Hollywood Investigator broke a news story (written by Ben Pleasants) about writer Charles Bukowski's Nazi past.

That news revelation has now been cited in a legal battle over the fate of Bukowski's East Hollywood bungalow. Read the details in the L.A. Weekly, which cites the Hollywood Investigator news story!

Tabloid Witch Award winner Shawna Baca Needs YOUR Help!

2007-11-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

One of the 2007 Tabloid Witch Award winners, Shawna Baca requests that you view her new video and vote for it should you find it worthy.

Shawna writes: "Chillin’ with the Gonzalezes is the story of a blue-collar couple whose lives are constantly interrupted by their conniving live-in Grandma and her best friend and partner-in-crime: a cutthroat saleswoman trapped in the body of a nine-year-old neighbor girl. This is the 'Granny Krumps' episode.

Please vote for Chillin’ with the Gonzalezes as featured in the Myspace/FOX Television Storyteller Challenge. Fox and Myspace are looking for the next television show.

This was made in 4 days. Please support independent filmmakers and diversity. Pass this along and help spread the love.

Thanks,

Shawna Baca"

Dead Noon's Obligatory Shower Sequence

2007-11-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

In the Hollywood Investigator's recent coverage of the 2007 Tabloid Witch Award recipients, actress Elizabeth Mouton discusses Dead Noon's Obligatory Showers scenes. Now here's your chance to see it!

Martin Sheen Questions 9/11 Official Version

2007-11-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Another celebrity voices his political views. Take it for what it's worth:

Antiwar Ad Backs Ron Paul

2007-10-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

Rolfe Kanefsky's Nightmare Man Finds Distribution

2007-10-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I met writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky, whose Nightmare Man swept the 2006 Tabloid Witch Awards.

Rolfe told me that Nightmare Man has finally found a theatrical distributor. It should be out in November -- look for it!

Student Tasered for Asking Kerry a Question

2007-09-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

Is this still a free country?

We've seen Americans arrested for asking Bill Clinton a question. We've seen Americans penned into Free Speech Zones so they wouldn't ask Bush, or Hillary, or Kerry any questions. Now here's actual footage of a student tasered for asking Kerry a question:

Shannon Lark Competes for Miss Horrorfest

2007-09-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

San Francisco's First Lady of Horror, Shannon Lark, who is also the Founder & Director of the Viscera Film Festival (co-sponsored by the Tabloid Witch Awards), is now running for Miss Horrorfest.

Below is her entry:

Enjoy it! Then vote for her!

"Side-Line" Goth Site Hacked

2007-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Side-Line website was knocked down for several days after a cyberattack.

Side-Line, whose magazine covers industrial, ebm, and gothic music, was attacked from Tuesday morning, August 28, and collapsed on 10:30 a.m (CET), due to a denial-of-service attack (DoS attack).

Due to the damage caused at the server facility, the magazine's technical staff took over 48 hours to restore the site and its database. "Luckily enough we have always a backup of all of the Side-Line news and forum data so that relaunching the site did not cause too much damage", said editor-in-chief Bernard Van Isacker.

As of today, Thursday August 30, 11 a.m. (CET) the site is back up with all of the functionalities working as they should. "There is only a minor problem that continues to persist but with a minor impact for the visitors and which we are working on right now to resolve", Van Isacker said.

Side-Line stresses that its activities in no way stopped, as some rumors insinuated. Van Isacker said, "The (online) magazine is in an excellent condition and even such an attack will not get us down on our knees." The magazine thanks War-n Harrison from trip pop band Hungry Lucy for his technical assistance in getting everything solved asap.

The magazine asks that everyone who tried to contact the magazine in the past days resend their email, as it's not sure that all the incoming email was saved.

Shame on Time-Warner Cable

2007-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Shame on Time-Warner Cable!

Upon buying Adelphia Cable in Santa Monica early this year, they dropped C-SPAN 2 from basic tier and replaced it with...a blank screen!

All three C-SPAN channels are a vital public service. It's what the lucrative cable monopolies pay for the privilege of operating outside the free market. Sure, C-SPAN 2 is still carried on Santa Monica's City-TV, but not 24/7.

Most other "news" sources are partisan and dummied-down. From neocon Reich-Wing Radio to their knee-jerk opposites on Air America, from biased blogs to YouTube clowns, people go to whichever carnival barker tells them what they want to hear.

Amid this idiocracy, C-SPAN shines as a stark example of unbiased, intelligent, and in-depth political coverage. C-SPAN, C-SPAN 2, and C-SPAN 3 should all be available on the basic tier of every cable system. The media monopolies owe it to us.

Tabloid Reporter Marlise Elizabeth Kast Tells All

2007-08-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Yet another tabloid reporter dishes dirt on her former employers. The Hollywood Investigator has received this following bit of info concerning Tabloid Prodigy: Dishing the Dirt, Getting the Gossip, and Selling My Soul in the Cutthroat World of Hollywood Reporting:

Marlise, the daughter of a minister, grew up in a loving, conservative, slightly sheltered family, and aspired to a career as a respected journalist or television news anchor. But, right out of college, with a journalism degree and few job prospects, she became a star reporter for Globe, playing the high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with some of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities.

There was almost nothing Marlise wouldn’t do to get the story behind the celebrity facade. Dumpster diving and hiding in the bushes were child’s play compared to ploys like posing as a drunk to crash one star’s wedding or bluffing her way through the L.A. Police Department to confirm the DUI of another celeb’s daughter. Using a combination of charm and brains, Marlise assumed countless identities and managed to convince insiders to confess the juicy secrets of Hollywood stars.

Along the way, though, Marlise felt torn between her journalistic duties and her moral responsibilities. Marlise tried to ignore the battle with her conscience, but was she abandoning her principles in exchange for a shot at celebrity reporting? As this riveting memoir reveals, her redemption is more honest and personal than any celebrity news she’s ever reported.

Music CD Art Design Contest

2007-07-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Alfa Matrix has submits this info about their new contest to the Hollywood Investigator:

Alfa Matrix has decided to give the opportunity to talented designers & photographers to submit their own design for the 3rd edition of the Endzeit Bunkertracks box compilation devoted to dark elektro music.

The label is looking for something dark, evil, hellish, disturbing, eye-catching, and still fitting the sampler series’ colour concept around black, red, grey and white... In addition to the box front cover the label will also need various additional images/designs for each disc carton sleeve and the accompanying booklet.

For further details, please contact endzeit@alfa-matrix.com

Deadline for submissions is set to September 15th 2007

Save Internet Radio -- Fight the RIAA

2007-04-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Got this notice from "David" and it's worth passing on:

"Just 17 days until the music dies, unless we do something! On May 15th the new royalty rates for Internet radio go into effect (retroactive to 01/01/2007) because of a ruling by the Royalty Rates Board.

These rate increases, heavily lobbied against by NPR, and heavily lobbied for by the Recording Industry Association of America (the same *ssholes that killed Napster), threaten to kill Internet radio. You had better listen to your favorite internet radio station as much as you can between now and May 15. It may be on the air long after that.

Congressmen Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL) have introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act (HR 2060) and they are seeking additional co-sponsers. This bill could save Internet radio. Contact your Representative and demand action.

For more info: SaveInternetRadio.org

The U.S. House of Representatives: House.gov

Might as well give your Senator a shout out also: Senate.gov

We can't let Clear Channel and the RIAA rule the world.

What's So Terrible About Don Imus?

2007-04-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

I don't understand the uproar over Don Imus calling several black female sports players "nappy headed hoes." It's no worse than much of what Howard Stern has been saying for years on his radio and TV shows. Is it because Stern has a black female sidekick, Robin Quivers? Does Quivers grant Stern a license that Imus lacks?

For that matter, Imus's remark is nothing we haven't heard over and over from hundreds of rappers and standup comics. And not just from black comics. Carlos Mencia specializes in "offensive" racial humor. So, do rappers and comics enjoy a special license that Imus lacks? But Imus too is a satirist, as are Stern and Mencia.

Unlike Imus and Mencia, Rosie O'Donnell is no satirist. She's the self-proclaimed "Queen of Nice." Yet she survived the controversy of her "Ching Chong" remark with little problem. Is it because she's perceived as being pretty far to the Left? But Imus is also perceived as liberal, if not Left. Is it because O'Donnell is a lesbian, whereas Imus is a white male? But Stern is also a white male, and one who's perceived as further to the Right than is Imus. So why are O'Donnell and Stern off the hook, but not Imus?

As for Imus's critics, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have said worse racist remarks, and they're not satirists, but supposedly responsible community leaders.

More than anything, it's the sheer arbitrariness of the uproar over Imus that I don't understand. It seems that all of society can say the same offensive remarks for years on end, but then someone is arbitrarily chosen to be "it." The sacrificial goat who must be killed to atone for everyone else's sins. Who then, after the sacrifice, continue saying the same offensive remarks with no price to pay.

Really strange.

Streets of Fire DVD rot

2007-04-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Add Streets of Fire to the many DVDs suffering from "DVD rot." I bought a pristine Streets of Fire DVD a couple of years ago. No problem. When I tried to view it for a second time a year later, on the same DVD player, the DVD kept pausing at some point. I was unable to play it past 20 minutes.

You can even see bubbles forming in the DVD, near the spindle hole.

DVD rot!

If you don't know what that is, read: Big Studios Stealing YOUR Time and Money With Faulty DVDs.

You might also Google "DVD rot" and see what comes up. Hint: don't waste too much money on your DVD library. DVDs are not built to last -- and that might even be intentional!