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Aside from being the most popular art form of all time, movies can also be a powerful tool for social change. This content file seeks to celebrate both the joy and power of the silver screen. While we'll give weight to socially conscious and underrepresented movie-makers we acknowledge the significant cultural trends evident in even the most wispy Hollywood fare. And, yes, there will be the occasional review.
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Background |
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The Secretary of Defensiveness
Want to watch a truly edifying movie? MoveOn.org's excerpt from Rumsfeld's Meet the Press interview is very simply a lie caught on camera.
Internet Movie Database
Can't remember who wrote Gallipoli? This database of movies, stars, directors etc. is the answer to your prayers or, at least, your questions.
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Recommended Sites |
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Listen!
Radio interviews with Errol Morris, director of Fog of War, and Nathaniel Kahn, director of My Architect.
Witness
Co-founded by Peter Gabriel, this organization empowers populations suffering human rights abuses by training them to produce videos that force the world to stand up and take action.
The Politics of War
An online film series from First Run Features, with over 200 titles that thoughtfully and provocatively engage in the subject of war.
Moviefone
Movie listings for your location.
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Discussion |
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Other Content Files |
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Mining China's Transition
Scott Foundas, LA Weekly
'Blind Shaft' uses the tragi-comic story of two corrupt miners to explore China's turbulent transition from socialism to capitalism.
Posted
on March 19, 2004.
Rove-ing Lunatic
Anne S. Lewis, Austin Chronicle
Think Karl Rove's underhanded tactics began in 2000? A filmmaker plumbs the disturbing history of a man prepared to do whatever it takes to get George Bush elected.
Posted
on March 17, 2004.
Macho Macho Mamet
Armond White, Africana.com
David Mamet's 'Spartan,' the story of an apolitical black soldier's political indoctrination, unwittingly comments on portrayals of black men in Hollywood.
Posted
on March 12, 2004.
Personal Voices: A Movie That Touches The Heart
Anjahni Davi, AlterNet
A film about loss and longing in Cuba has unexpected parallels to one viewer's own story.
Posted
on March 10, 2004.
Texas Trail Mix
Anne S. Lewis, Austin Chronicle
A Texas filmmaker fresh off the campaign trail shares his recipe for a riveting political documentary.
Posted
on March 12, 2004.
And the Oscar for Bigotry Goes to...
Mike Davis, Robert Jay Lifton, tomdispatch.com
Two great thinkers delve into Mel Gibson's 'Passion' and see signs of hate, imperialism and a Jesus defined by violence.
Posted
on March 9, 2004.
On the Road with Dubya
Bruce Kluger, AlterNet
'Journeys with George,' an intimate look at Bush on the campaign trail, documents the transition from plain-spoken good old boy to slippery statesman.
Posted
on March 4, 2004.
Young is Restless
John Payne, LA Weekly
In his latest movie, 'Greendale,' Neil Young manages to comment on Bush, small-town America, and the media; but did he mean to?
Posted
on March 2, 2004.
And The Altie Goes To ...
Editorial Staff, AlterNet
The people have spoken -- 'Lord of the Rings,' 'Lost In Translation,' top Alternative Movie Award winners.
Posted
on February 26, 2004.
The Oscars' Black History Lessons
Armond White, Africana.com
A close look at the history of the Academy and black actors may give you reason to think twice about how race is regarded at the Oscars.
Posted
on March 1, 2004.
Passion Show
John Powers, LA Weekly
Even before opening day, Mel Gibson's 'Passion' was pumped up by a media out of touch with America's religious majority and a savvy PR team eager to help.
Posted
on February 26, 2004.
Uncovering Bush's Iraq
René Tony Donnes, AlterNet
The producer/director of 'Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War,' talks about getting friendly with CIA guys, the phenomenal public response to the film, and what's next in the pipeline.
Posted
on February 26, 2004.
What Would Jesus Watch?
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
The history of Jesus on screen is marked by controversy, contradiction, and very little profit. The latest Jesus flick, from the director of Lethal Weapon, has the first two in the bag.
Posted
on February 22, 2004.
The Passion of the Evangelicals
Robert Lovato, Pacific News Service
Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" is being used to widen the reach of evangelical media networks even as it decreases the distance between church and state.
Posted
on February 25, 2004.
Frank Capra: Public Enemy No. 1
Laura Picard, Morphizm
A look at Hollywood's Depression-era attempt at censorship is a reminder that the American culture war started well before Janet Jackson and Clear Channel were around.
Posted
on February 20, 2004.
The League of Extraordinary Subtitles
Naeem Mohaiemen, Bright Lights Film Journal
DVD piraters in China create their own subtitles to subversive, and often hilarious, effect.
Posted
on February 17, 2004.
Pan-tastic
James Parker, In These Times
The latest, most faithful, version of Peter Pan is sophisticated and meaningful -- and it's failing miserably.
Posted
on February 16, 2004.
Rumsfeld's Fog of War
David Swanson, AlterNet
Refreshingly simple 'do's and 'don't's for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld from former Defense Secretary McNamara and presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich.
Posted
on February 9, 2004.
And the Winner Is...
David Templeton, North Bay Bohemian
Announcing top honors for the year's most non-Oscar-like award shows, with nods to everything from the most luxuriant hair to the best use of a moist towelette.
Posted
on February 10, 2004.
Through The Documentary Looking Glass
Morris Dickstein, Dissent Magazine
Documentaries act as a mirror, critically reflecting the world around us -- its politics, history, quirks and characters.
Posted
on February 7, 2004.
World of Horror
Dorothy Woodend, AlterNet
In the last five years the public's appetite for horror movies has increased exponentially. When real life for many is scarier than anything on the silver screen, why is the lust for fear universal?
Posted
on February 2, 2004.
The Other 'Bicycle Thief'
Andrea Dahlberg, Bright Lights Film Journal
Using the simple story of a man and his cart to explore complex issues of colonialism, this first African-made film recognized cinema's potential to be a catalyst for social change.
Posted
on February 2, 2004.
Corporations Are Insane
Ross Crockford, AlterNet
A new film argues that our era's dominant institution is a psychopath. Add up the symptoms, and the corporation starts to resemble Ted Bundy.
Posted
on January 29, 2004.
The Weather Underground: An Interview
John K. Wilson, AlterNet
Bill Siegel discusses some of the controversies surrounding his documentary about a radical activist movement in the 60s and the inner struggles that inspired it.
Posted
on January 29, 2004.
Seabiscuit's Joyride
Traci Hukill, AlterNet
The U.S. may currently dominate the globe, yet rooting for the underdog -- even when he's a horse -- is the American way.
Posted
on July 31, 2003.
Sundance and the New Negro Cinema
Ernest Hardy, LA Weekly
With a few notable exceptions, Sundance's laudable effort to diversify its lineup has resulted in the film equivalent of eating your broccoli.
Posted
on January 27, 2004.
A Personal Fog of War
Geoffrey Dunn, Metro Silicon Valley
Opening across the nation only days ago, 'Fog of War' has already sparked nearly as much controversy as Robert McNamara did during the Vietnam War.
Posted
on January 26, 2004.
LOTR Dating Manual
Liz Langley, AlterNet
While others have picked up on the antiwar subtexts in Tolkien's work, I might be the first to interpret the whole trilogy as a dating manual.
Posted
on January 27, 2004.
Upping the Anime
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
Japanese animé hits the US, shattering cartoon stereotypes by confronting complex social issues like homelessness and gender roles.
Posted
on January 27, 2004.
Girlhood Interrupted
Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
The first film to be made in Afghanistan since the reported removal of the Taliban concerns the regime's many offenses, especially against women.
Posted
on January 21, 2004.
Two Tales of a Monster
Todd Lillethun, In These Times
Are serial killers capable of love? Are they born or made? These sympathetic movies follow a damaged, but human, being wrestling with her past and a surfacing madness.
Posted
on January 22, 2004.
What's Up, Documentary?
Tai Moses, AlterNet
In an otherwise underwhelming year at the movies, documentaries came out ahead of the pack.
Posted
on January 11, 2004.
Lights . . . Camera . . . Hit the Dirt!
Annia Ciezadlo, LA Weekly
As bullets fly and electricity falters, a fragile new film industry is emerging in Iraq, one determined filmmaker at a time.
Posted
on January 15, 2004.
Interview With a Wizard
Markus Tschiedert, GreenCine
'Lord of the Rings' star Ian McKellen discusses his transition from Shakespearean actor and gay activist to Gandalf the White Wizard.
Posted
on January 5, 2004.
Robert McNamara's Mea Culpa
Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
'Fog of War' explores the psyche of the former Secretary of Defense, uncovering terrain every bit as murky as the battlefields of Vietnam.
Posted
on January 6, 2004.
Occupation Revisited
Ella Taylor, LA Weekly
This mid-60s re-release recounting France's brutal occupation of Algeria provides some unsettling possibilities for the United States' future in Iraq.
Posted
on January 12, 2004.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Stuart Klawans, The Nation
A pair of Irish filmmakers find themselves in the midst of a coup in Venezuela with footage that contradicts both local and U.S. media coverage.
Posted
on January 6, 2004.
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Head On
Ever since Fatih Akin's Gegen die Wand (Head On) won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in February, the film's been in the news. Good news and bad news. The good news is that this weekend it became the...
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Samurai @ Midnight Eye
Midnight Eye readers have voted Hideyuki Hirayama's A Laughing Frog (Warau Kaeru) best Japanese film of 2003. Takashi Miike's Gozu is a healthy second, then there's a bit of breathing room before Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Bright Future...
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Shorts, 3/14.
Via Greg.org, Todd Levin's painfully funny interpretation of the program for the New York Underground Film Festival. Heavens. No wonder the cinetrix and Aaron are so enthusiastic: A Girl and a Gun, our freshest addition to that righthand column. Another...
More »
From the Forums
Those Clumsy Oscars
Mik Duffy sums up the Oscar mindset:
"...they prefer mediocre movies with clumsy redemptive theme(s) and
inspirational messages to genuine artistry, innovation and story
telling verve. It's that simple."
Is it that simple? Read what others had to say and enter the debate in the Thoughts on Oscar forum.
February 2, 2004 @ 3:25PM.
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