President Obama released the following statement on the passing of film critic Roger Ebert:
Michelle and I are saddened to hear about the passing of Roger Ebert. For a generation of Americans - and especially Chicagoans - Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive - capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient - continuing to share his passion and perspective with the world. The movies won't be the same without Roger, and our thoughts and prayers are with Chaz and the rest of the Ebert family.
In testimony on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brought up the movie Argo last month to help explain the terror attack against Americans in Benghazi, Libya. And now, with the Oscars tonight, the new secretary of state, John Kerry, is again plugging the film.
The Obama reelection campaign paid $345,353 for "a 17-minute campaign documentary by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim, set for release Thursday," the Daily Caller reports. "The price comes out to more than $20,300 per minute."
I’m not a movie critic and I read Atlas Shrugged decades ago when I was in the Army. So it wasn’t exactly fresh in my mind when I attended a special screening in Washington this week of the film version of the novel by Ayn Rand. I had low expectations. But it turns out to be a terrific movie.
Among those who make their living watching movies and writing about them, there seems to be a consensus that it is a matter of the gravest moment. The King’s Speech appears likely to win the Best Picture Oscar on February 27 rather than The Social Network, and this, they believe, will prove to be a calamitous cultural event.
I’ve been told 2010 was a great year for movies—everything from The King’s Speech to The Social Network to Inception. Not that I would know. As a parent of two toddlers, I get to a movie theater at most once or twice a year.
A few months back I came across the trailer for I Want Your Money, an upcoming right-of-center documentary on the perils of big government and redistribution. Naturally, I was interested. The trailer made me laugh, which is more than I can say about most movies. Even better, according to today's Times, the CGI caricatures of prominent politicians were designed by an artist for MAD Magazine. What's not to like? Check out out the trailer:
What is combat in Afghanistan like? For those of us who have not been embedded as reporters, but want to know what our soldiers in this difficult war are up against, there is now Restrepo, a documentary film by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger.
It’s likely that those of you lucky enough to receive a high definition television or Blu-ray player for Christmas – or happened to pick one up in the after-Christmas sales – have spent much of your time viewing modern releases in all their glory. Don’t get me wrong, the Blu-ray versions of Star Trek, The Dark Knight, and Iron Man can’t be topped for their sheen, shine, and digitally enhanced special effects.
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