In this series, Movies That Matter, we examine films that have affected public policy. See the last MTM here. Yesterday, the Senate Sub-Committee on Water and Wildlife held a hearing on S. 810, the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act. The bill, known by its awkward acronym GAPCSA, will end the use of chimpanzees…
In a scene from a season 2 episode of “Curb your Enthusiasm,” Larry David is pitching a new show idea to his old colleague Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She suggests they pitch it to HBO, and when Larry asks why, she tells him that she wants to curse. “I want to say ‘fuck,’” Louis-Dreyfus says, “and ‘cocksucker.’”…
“Must be awful lucky to see colors like that. I bet they don’t know how lucky they are.” – Pleasantville For the last three decades, conservatives running for office have been painting a vision of the America that looks a lot like the 1950s. Ronald Reagan, an actual movie star from the era, was the…
The news was announced this morning, and the internet fan sites are already lit up with outrage. Francis Lawrence will direct “Catching Fire,” the sequel to “The Hunger Games” beginning production later this year. Lawrence has three movies under his belt: 2005’s “Constantine,” 2007’s “I am Legend,” and 2011’s “Water for Elephants.” Producers must feel…
We’re counting down the Top Five Most Liberal Movies of All-Time. Click here to read about #5 and #4. But now it’s on to… 3. “The ‘Burbs” I think of 1989-1991 as Tom Hanks’ magic years – after his breakout role in “Big” and before he started to move away from comedy with “Philadelphia.” Along with “Joe…
Last month, we counted down the five most conservative movies of all time. Now it’s the liberals’ turn. I’ll admit that this list was a little tougher to construct. Because movie studios are profit-driven and must appeal to the most basic set of values, most successful studio movies have an undercurrent of conservatism running through…
On this date in 1889, Charles Chaplin was born. By 1918, he was the biggest star in the world. But Chaplin was more than an entertainer; he was also the first Hollywood activist. His early films, starring Chaplin as the Tramp, were subtle commentaries on class in America. The Tramp was a friend to the…
To go forward, we must first go back. Here’s what I wrote two weeks ago about “Mirror, Mirror” and “The Hunger Games.” The heroine of “The Hunger Games” has a lot in common with the Snow White of “Mirror, Mirror.” Both are teenage girls, abandoned by the death of their fathers and by mothers who…
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