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Alexander Marlow

BartletCare: ‘West Wing’ First Couple Endorses Pelosi Health Care Reform Bill

by Alexander Marlow


As we come down to the wire on Pelosi’s government-run health care bill, look for the left to trot out every possible relic of more prosperous times in a desperate attempt to pass this thing (or at a minimum avoid reading it).  Thus, it’s hardly a surprise Ex-President Josiah Bartlet, the greatest statesmen of our time, as well as Ex-First Lady Betty Rizzo decided to put their 100% approval ratings among likely voters who care what Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing have to say on the line to support the cause of rationed care.  Bartlett, like so many other Democrat ex-politicians, can’t seem to take the hint that a graceful exit is far preferable to wearing out your welcome.  (more…)

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Posted Nov 7th 2009 at 1:28 am in Celebrity News, Obama, Politics | Add a Comment »

Dr. Ted Baehr

‘V’ Teaches Us to Combat False Saviors

by Dr. Ted Baehr

The first episode of the new science fiction television series “V” is a wake up call to those looking for salvation in the wrong places. We cannot predict where the series will go, but the opening episode features a young pastor, who plays a lead role in opposing the rush to consider some benevolent looking aliens to be the saviors of mankind.

The aliens are called “visitors,” shortened to “Vs,” thus the title of the program. They appear over major cities in large hovering spaceships that project messages in the local language. More than just the classic we-come-in-peace message, the messages say, “We’re here to help you.”

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The opening episode makes it very clear, however, that they are not here to help. It turns out the Vs have planted many of their kind, who look human, prior to their dramatic arrival in spaceships. The alien plants have done their best to foul up life on earth in order to encourage a hunger for “change” (salvation). The Chicago Tribune draws a parallel to the Obama administration but, while many believe President Obama was not born in the United States, it’s unlikely he was born on another planet. Even so, it’s interesting that the evil aliens offer “universal health care” to all people. Thus, the first episode clearly seems to be saying that President Obama’s health care proposals, now making their way through the U.S. Congress, are a false hope that will lead to tyranny and slavery. (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 6:36 pm in Religion, Television | 17 Comments »

NewsBusters

NewsBusted: Is George W. Bush Becoming More Popular?

by NewsBusters


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(more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 6:20 pm in Media Criticism, Political Humor, Video | 10 Comments »

John P. Hanlon

Review: No Need to Visit ‘Cougar Town’

by John P. Hanlon

On ABC’s “About the Show” web page for the new show “Cougar Town”, the executive producer of the program notes that “you only get one chance to experience your 20s. Even if it’s when you’re 40 something.” That, in short, is a brief synopsis of the new Courteney Cox comedy that follows a divorced mother who starts to date younger men. I recently watched the last few episodes of the program and although I found some potential in the minor characters on the show, the program is crippled by a weak main story line and its overall coarseness.

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In the program, Cox’s character Jules Cobb is a real estate agent who has recently started dating men in their twenties who are only a few years older than her son. Her dalliances with these men and her coming to grips with her age compose the overall plot of the program. In her daily life, Cobb is surrounded by an offbeat set of characters including her neighbor across the street, her young assistant at work and her ex-husband. (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 3:54 pm in Reviews, Television | 26 Comments »

Stage Right

‘Sesame Street’: It’s About My Children, Not the Puppet

by Stage Right

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Just as I suspected, it has happened.  They are trying to “Falwell” me and my colleagues here at Big Hollywood for raising concerns about “Sesame Street’s” description of Fox News as “Trashy.” We are “stupid,” “idiotic” and we are whining and pathetic (impressive debate tactics there, Mr. Socrates).  And, according to PBS’ own Ombudsman, Michael Gelter, we are….  right:

I don’t know what was in the head of the producers, but my guess is that this was one of those parodies that was too good to resist. But it should have been resisted. Broadcasters can tell parents whatever they think of Fox or any other network, but you shouldn’t do it through the kids

I was planning on letting the issue die after being romanced by Media Matters, but I noticed something fascinating.  I’ve written here about a lot of subjects.  Mostly about theatre and the arts, and I also defended that “racist-fascist” Rush Limbaugh,  but, never has a post of mine gotten the kind of hate-filled comments this one did.  Also, for the first time I started receiving hate e-mails… the long, rambling, Holden Caufield kind of e-mails (you can forgive me for feeling a little “Grouchy”).  What gives?  Why was this post different? (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 1:49 pm in Culture, Television | 57 Comments »

Ben Shapiro

‘Washington Post’ Endorses Plagiarism to Defend Obama

by Ben Shapiro

Yesterday, the White House announced that it was removing Alma Thomas’ plagiaristic piece “Watusi (Hard Edge)” from its walls.  The White House announced that the painting was moved “because it didn’t fit the space right.”  The Washington Post pointed out that posters at FreeRepublic.com had examined the similarity between “Watusi (Hard Edge)” and Henri Matisse’s “The Snail” (1953), ignoring the fact that Big Hollywood actually broke the story.  The Washington Post covered for the White House, explaining, “Stephens’s explanation makes sense because it is inconceivable that the White House’s art experts would imagine Thomas’s painting was fraudulent or a copy … Elaborations on earlier artists’ work, even full appropriation, have been common practice in art for hundreds of years.”  

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Andrew Breitbart immediately emailed the author of the piece, Blake Gopnik, to point out that Big Hollywood had not been properly attributed on criticism of the piece.  Here’s Andrew’s email: 

“Ben Shapiro at Big Hollywood broke this story with a legitimate report. Not blog opinion. To credit Free Republic or conservative opinion sites is either bad journalism or… bad journalism. Even at Free Republic they cite Shapiro and Big Hollywood. The story was cited properly all over the Internet, why the Washington Post breach? We have been at the forefront of reporting on what the MSM won’t regarding this admin. We had the ACORN story, the NEA propaganda conference call. All hard news stories. And so is this. Shapiro is a Harvard law grad. He is hardly worthy of this kind of brush off. We’d like to see a correction as soon as possible.” 

And here is Gopnik’s response:   (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:49 am in Art, Featured Story, Media Criticism, Politics | 96 Comments »

Darin Miller

Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’: Charity Vs. Big Government

by Darin Miller

Generally after a story has been told as a book, play, musical, numerous animated, live, made-for-TV films, and Muppets movie, its content is completely exhausted. But Disney’s latest, “A Christmas Carol,” by writer-director Robert Zemeckis of “Forrest Gump” and animated films “Beowulf” and “The Polar Express,” resurrects the classic tale through vibrant visuals while sticking to the classic story.

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Briefly, “A Christmas Carol” is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey), a miser who hoards his money and pays his single employee, Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman), the bare minimum. Scrooge lives alone in a huge, dark mansion, leading a lonely life. When his nephew Fred (Colin Firth) invites him to Christmas dinner, Scrooge berates him for being happy when he has so little money. When local charity representatives ask for support, Scrooge tells them that he supports the poor through paying taxes. “Are there no work houses? Are there no prisons?” Scrooge asks. To him, taxes are all the dues he owes to society. (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 10:48 am in Film, Politics, Reviews | 47 Comments »

Big Hollywood

EXCLUSIVE: Carrie Prejean’s Attorney Responds to ‘Inaccurate and Misleading’ Rumors

by Big Hollywood

In an exclusive to Big Hollywood, Carrie Prejean’s attorney Charles LiMandri, released an official statement today regarding ”inaccurate and misleading” rumors leaked to the media within hours of Ms. Prejean reaching an agreement with The Miss California USA pageant, an agreement with assurances of confidentiality:

“In my 26 years of practice, I have never dealt with a situation quite like this.  We came to a confidential agreement and yet within hours, rumors about what happened in the mediation were flying around the web and being accepted by news organizations as absolute fact. Carrie and I plan to continue to honor our confidentiality agreement with the other parties. But I can tell you this; many of the rumors circulating are inaccurate and misleading.”

(more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 10:17 am in Culture, Politics | 61 Comments »

Big Hollywood

Sheda Vasseghi: Profiles in Courage From the Streets of Iran for Hollywood’s Gutless Wonders

by Big Hollywood

Sheda Vasseghi in today’s World Tribune:

“The mainstream Hollywood crowd, an apologist group that enjoys traveling to Taliban-run countries such as Iran spreading their holier-than-thou “cultural understanding” of rogue regimes, has been effectively censored by Moslem clerics. Filmmaker Roland Emmerich chose not to blow up the Kaaba at Mecca in his film 2012 for fear of a fatwa (death sentence issued by Moslem clerics) being placed on his head.

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“Yet, in 2005, actor Sean Penn went to cover a so-called Islamic Republic “election” wanting Americans to visit Iran and become familiar with its culture. In March 2009, director Phil Alden Robinson found that Iranians were not very different; and actress Annette Bening (surely with a headscarf given Iran’s brutal enforcement of hijab) hoped her trip to Iran would jump start a bridge between the U.S. and the mullahs in Tehran. (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 8:30 am in Celebrity News, Politics | 46 Comments »

Michael van der Galien

Matt Damon, State Dept. Create Global Warming Propaganda PSA

by Michael van der Galien

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Recently, actor Matt Damon narrated a video for the State Department, addressing the problem of chronic  worldwide hunger. The video is extremely well made; those who watch it can’t help but be touched by it.

This first minute of the three-minute video revolves around one problem: Hunger. Poor children are seen dying of starvation, others are lying on the streets of third-world countries, not able to walk. Damon explains that six million children die of hunger every year – needless to say, a shocking statistic.

Even the most egotistical viewer cannot help but get angry at and upset by so much suffering, most of which is needless.

But then, one minute into the video, the subject suddenly changes. We move from dying children to tornadoes and tsunamis. Damon forgets about the children for a while to focus on … you knew it was coming … global warming. (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 6:51 am in Celebrity News, Politics | 89 Comments »

Victoria Jackson

I QUIT POLITICS

by Victoria Jackson

I quit politics. 

For one thing, I can’t sleep because I absent-mindedly forgot to include three of my favorite Freedom Fighters in my Truth Tellers list, Levin, Malkin and Coulter. I love them.  If they ever find out that I forgot to mention them in my last blog, they will forever not know how much I respect/honor them.  This is giving me a headache, and making me chew off all of my new fake fingernails.  I can’t even enjoy my rented DVD Season Two Compilation of “Mad Men.”  Oh, and I love Stossel, Gallagher, Stein and Morris too! 

Okay, then I find out Gingrich is pal-ing up with Pelosi about Global Warming!  Eww!  Defector!  Oh man!  Strike him off my list.  Now!  He’s off!    

Picking leaders is painful. Voting.  If you put their name up on your car, or in your yard or tattoo it to your face, you are suddenly responsible for every move they make and every word they say.  Too much pressure. 

Thirdly, I cannot bear the hatred of the Left.  Their comments.  The look on their faces in my rear view mirror when I see them noticing my “Fox News: Truth” bumper sticker, or my “Glenn Beck” bumper sticker, or my “Okay, joke’s over.  Bring back the Constitution” bumper sticker.  Their snide glances and snaps of disgust.  I can’t take it anymore.  Hatred hurts.  (more…)

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 5:13 am in Featured Story, Politics | 99 Comments »

Big Hollywood

Open Thread Friday

by Big Hollywood

Johnny_Weissmueller

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Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 4:14 am in Open Thread | 99 Comments »

Michael Yon

Smithsonian Air&Space on Kopp-Etchells Effect

by Michael Yon

November 04, 2009

Helo Halo

Luminous halos twirled above a Boeing CH-47 Chinook on a recent night around 11:30 p.m. local time at Forward Operating Base Jackson in Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, as helicopters ferried casualties and supplies in and out of the base. The photographer was independent journalist Michael Yon, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who has covered Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines with a camera. Helicopter pilots don’t have a name for the effect, but one explained to Yon, “Basically it is a result of static electricity created by friction as…dissimilar material strike against each other. In this case, titanium/nickel blades moving through the air and dust.” Yon says, however, that a researcher studying helicopter brownout emailed him to say that scientists are not 100 percent sure what causes the effect. Depending on the viewing angle, it creates dazzling little galaxies. An even longer exposure reveals stars and another aircraft marked by a string of lights at upper left of center; Yon suspects this aircraft was a Predator or Reaper UAV, which, unlike manned military aircraft, fly with their lights on in the Afghan night to avoid collisions. Yon, who made these shots with a Canon 5D Mark II with a 50 mm lens at an ISO of 800, claims that the night was far darker than his sensitive camera conveys, as evidenced by the green chemlights on the ground to guide the pilots. He was moved to create a name, the Kopp-Etchells Effect, for the rotor phenomenon to honor a pair of fallen soldiers, U.S. Army Corporal Benjamin Kopp and British Army Corporal Joseph Etchells, who died one day apart in July after fierce fighting in Helmand (Kopp had been evacuated to the U.S. before he died). “The tent in the foreground is a medical tent,” says Yon, “so that casualties can be kept in a tent until the last minute. A substantial number of British casualties in Helmand have been lifted off of this exact spot…because this is probably either the most dangerous place in Afghanistan, or nearly the most dangerous.” (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 11:12 pm in Michael Yon Dispatches, Military | 10 Comments »

Big Hollywood

Fort Hood: Wise Words From Michael Yon

by Big Hollywood

Wise, wise words from Michael Yon: 

Now is not a time to psychoanalyze the attacker by using a media-supplied telescope that already said he was dead, and that there were multiple attackers.  Media: STOP, please.  There will be time to pursue answers and justice after Christmas.  We must remember that family members lost loved ones just before the holidays.  Justice and answers will come with time.

When stories of this kind break, the weatherman becomes the most accurate part of the newscast. We know nothing right now. We know less than nothing because too much of what we’re told is wrong.

All we know is that people are dead and wounded, and families and loved ones are suffering. That’s all that matters right now. The rest is noise.

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 9:38 pm in Featured Story, Military, News | 73 Comments »

Carl Kozlowski

Review: Clooney’s ‘Men Who Stare at Goats’ Biased but Amusing

by Carl Kozlowski

Give the military-industrial complex an unlimited budget, and it’ll find unlimited ways to kill people. From megaton nuclear missiles to Donald Rumsfeld’s allegedly humane, small-scale nuclear “bunker busters,” and from robot soldiers to Barack Obama’s beloved predator drone planes, our nation’s finest scientific minds will find ever-newer ways to obliterate anything that gets in the path of the American Way. 

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Of course, our enemies do the best they can on the killing front as well, and at one point it was widely believed that the Soviets were engaged in training soldiers in psychic warfare. British journalist Jon Ronson stumbled across America’s response to those mental-murder programs and wrote about them extensively in his humorous nonfiction book “The Men Who Stare at Goats.” 

Now, with the help of screenwriter Peter Straughan, who has invented a streamlined story in which to connect the book’s hilarious and almost impossibly wild anecdotes, “Goats” has hit the nation’s movie screens. Fast-moving, funny, and supremely subversive entertainment of a kind that Hollywood rarely takes chances with anymore, it also arrives at a rich historical moment, as President Obama’s own decision on whether to surge or pull troops out of Afghanistan hangs in the imminent balance.  (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 5:58 pm in Film, Reviews | 55 Comments »

Big Hollywood

Jon Voight Speaks at DC Anti-ObamaCare Rally

by Big Hollywood


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The Mighty Jon Voight took no prisoners on the steps of the Capitol today, hitting Obama with ACORN, “corrupt” White House Czars, ObamaCare, Afghanistan and this memorable chestnut:

“Could it be he has had 20 years of subconscious programming by Rev. Wright to damn America?”  

(more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 4:07 pm in Politics, Video | 120 Comments »

John Nolte

PBS Ombudsman: ‘Sesame Street’ Fox News Slam Crossed Line

by John Nolte

Earlier this week, Big Hollywood’s Stage Right broke the story of a ”Sesame Street” episode which referred to Fox News as “Pox News” and “trashy.” In response to the episode, PBS also received a number of complaint letters from viewers which prompted a reply from PBS Ombudsmen Michael Getler:

I don’t know what was in the head of the producers, but my guess is that this was one of those parodies that was too good to resist. But it should have been resisted. Broadcasters can tell parents whatever they think of Fox or any other network, but you shouldn’t do it through the kids.

In response to Stage Right using “Sesame Street’s” unfortunate behavior as an example with which to speak for the many, many many parents frustrated with the idea of partisan programming aimed at children, some online outlets responded with the expected and usual dismissive snarky contempt. But now that PBS is on record agreeing with Stage Right, we’re left to wonder if they find PBS ”stupid,” “asinine,” “absurd,” and “idiotic.”

You can read Getler’s full article here, along with some of the complaint letters PBS received. (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 1:58 pm in Culture, Media Criticism, Theatre | 153 Comments »

Jeffrey Jena

Exclusive: Behind the ‘V’ Controversy

by Jeffrey Jena

I missed the series premiere of “V,” but not the ongoing flap afterwards. The remake of the 1984 sci-fi classic seems to have hit a lot of nerves on the left and found an audience on the right. Left-wing media types are outraged that the series “degrades” the Obama administration, and some on the right are wondering if a Hollywood talent has been dismissed from his job for political reasons. As I write this, I’m watching O’Reilly go on about “the writers taking shots at President Obama.” 

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As it happens, I’m acquainted with Scott Peters who developed and wrote the remake of “V” for ABC.  Mr. Peters was also the creator and executive producer of “The 4400” and a writer for “The Outer Limits.” As far as I know Mr. Peters has only made one mistake in his career and that was directing me in the low-budget film “Don: Plain and Tall” back in 2003. It was the story of my friend comedian Don McMillan’s life as a comic. I played myself in the film and the part was horribly miscast. 

When I started reading some of the rumors and theories about Mr. Peters’ latest show and the behind-the-scenes politics, I laughed out loud.  Let me try to shed some light on the “V” controversy. (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 1:14 pm in Featured Story, Politics, Television | 130 Comments »

Ben Shapiro

White House Painting: Obama Throws Artist Under the Bus

by Ben Shapiro

Today, the Washington Post reported that a painting by artist Alma Thomas entitled “Watusi (Hard Edge)” was being removed from the White House’s East Wing.  For those who don’t remember, Thomas’ painting is a plagiaristic copy of Henri Matisse’s “The Snail” rotated 90 degrees – see my piece, and the paintings side by side here.  According to Semonti Stephens, Michelle Obama’s deputy press secretary, the painting was moved “because it didn’t fit the space right.”  

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The White House explicitly denied that the painting was being removed because of its obvious similarity to the Matisse piece.  And the Washington Post writers cover for the White House in typical press lackey fashion:

Stephens’s explanation makes sense because it is inconceivable that the White House’s art experts would imagine Thomas’s painting was fraudulent or a copy … Elaborations on earlier artists’ work, even full appropriation, have been common practice in art for hundreds of years. 

Right.  And Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services because Obama didn’t like his red glasses.  It had nothing to do with his tax cheating.  (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 11:27 am in Art, Politics | 69 Comments »

Stage Right

INTRODUCING: ‘Yosi Needs a Hug’ by Gary Eaton

by Stage Right

Fellow Big Hollywood contributor Moxie and I have been in the process of developing a radio show over the past couple of months.  Over the course of the development and rehearsal process, we’ve been focusing much attention on the NEA Conference Call story and the fall-out associated with it.

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One of our ongoing segments has been to read aloud (in suitably dramatic fashion) Yosi Sergant’s twitter feed.  (It really is quite entertaining).  It became such a popular segment with the handful of friends who listen to our practice shows that Moxie decided we needed a “Yosi Update” theme song.  She “Volun-Told” our friend and musician, Gary Eaton to write the diddy and within twenty four hours he had completed his masterpiece.

We hope that you, our the loyal readers of Big Hollywood, who are well-versed with the players involved in this story, will appreciate our “Yosi Update” song:   (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 10:03 am in Art, Music, Political Humor, Politics | 36 Comments »

Burt Prelutsky

Burt’s Eye View: Mother Nature and the Left

by Burt Prelutsky

When Barack Obama was campaigning — not that he’s ever stopped — back in 2008, he made a number of promises.  As we all know, like a cad on the make, he was only trying to get us in the sack.  Once he had his way with us, he barely remembered our name, let alone his various vows.

Some of the things he swore to included keeping lobbyists out of his administration, providing five days for the public to review pending legislation and a bi-partisan approach to problem-solving.  Instead, lobbyists, particularly those representing unions, have freer access to the Oval Office than Michelle and the kids.  Not only is the public not given time to digest major legislation, neither are the legislators.  Early on, you may recall, Congress was given less than 24 hours to vote on an 1100-page, trillion dollar, so-called stimulus bill; more recently, when it came to health care, Obama was telling the sheep on Capitol Hill to vote even before an actual bill was written!

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So far, as bi-partisanship is concerned, the Republicans have been banished to Washington’s equivalent of Siberia.  These days, bi-partisanship simply means that  David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel are in agreement.

There is one promise, however, that Obama has kept.  He vowed transparency, and anyone who can’t plainly see what the rock star and his left-wing groupies (Axelrod, Emanuel, Jeff Jones, Valerie Jarrett, Cass Sunstein, Anita Dunn) are up to is simply spending too much time watching “American Idol” and college football. (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 8:22 am in Politics | 40 Comments »

John Nolte

‘L.A. Times’ Writer Slams ‘Anti-Hollywood Crowd’ With Everything But Facts

by John Nolte

The other day, the L.A. Times’ Patrick Goldstein responded to this post of mine with a beauty of a headline: 

“New Muhammad biopic drives the anti-Hollywood crowd nuts” 

You know, sometimes you just have to put politics aside and take a moment to admire the tactics of your opponents, because no matter how you slice it, that is one gorgeous humdinger of a headline.

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At a glance, the headline intentionally furthers the whole “conservatives are intolerant” narrative with the inference that I somehow have a problem with a big-budget biopic about the prophet Muhammad. Later in his piece, Goldstein doubles down on that smear with this:

But as usual, the news has aroused a storm of derision from conservative bloggers, who always find a way to be offended by any high-minded Hollywood project.

Odd… Especially when the very first sentence – the opening line — of my piece says the exact opposite: (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 6:43 am in Film, Media Criticism, Religion | 104 Comments »

Charles Winecoff

Note to Andrew Sullivan: Don’t Blame Breitbart For My Thought Crimes

by Charles Winecoff

Dear Andrew Sullivan,

Thank you for your Halloween Daily Dish in response to my Big Hollywood blog about the latest LGBT assault on Mormons.  We actually met once, briefly, at DC Pride, circa 1990.  I had never heard of you or The New Republic.  I do remember liking your accent.

More recently, about five years ago, I shot you an email to say thanks for a column you’d written about the threat of Islam to gays.  You sent a nice thank you back.  I’ve also admired your calling the hate crimes bill “boutique legislation” and urging your readers to stop sending checks to the Human Rights Campaign.

I appreciate the restraint of your posting, “A Gay Voice Against Marriage Equality,” though the title concerns me a little, as the last thing I want is for LGBTers to assume I am some kind of Anita Bryant (she was very active when I was coming out, and we don’t need a repeat of that).  Few things are as terrifying as the thought of becoming the object of gay fury (which I understand you’ve had some experience with).  It’s a sorry state of affairs when people within the gay community no longer feel they can speak freely without risking ostracism or threats.  I sometimes wonder if there should be a hate crimes bill to protect gay people from other gay people.

That said, there are a couple of points in your piece I’d like to address.

First, one does not have to ”search high and low” to find lesbians and gays who are suspicious of the cause formerly known as same-sex marriage.  Contrary to popular mythology, not all of us feel a pressing need for “marriage equality,” nor do we derive our self-worth from the state.  I know gay Californians who voted for Prop 8 last year because they sincerely believe it is in the best interest of children (some of whom will grow up to be gay), and of society as a whole (which includes gay people), to uphold the ideal of the man-woman nuclear family. (more…)

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 5:03 am in Culture, Featured Story, Politics | 171 Comments »

Big Hollywood

Open Thread Thursday

by Big Hollywood

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Posted Nov 5th 2009 at 4:11 am in Open Thread | 115 Comments »

Jeffrey Jena

Stand Up Notes From Flyover Country: Facebook Comment to Folks in the News

by Jeffrey Jena

Obama Fallen Soldiers

Like millions of other Americans I have been caught up in the Facebook/social networking craze. I believe that Facebook is like a near-death experience except your life passes before your eyes one friend request at a time. I have  been trying to “friend” a lot of people in the news, without much success. There’s been no acceptance of my friend requests from President Obama, Dede Scozzafava, Jeremiah Wright and a host of others. So in order to reach them with some timely advice I am posting some comments here. If you are on their Facebook friend list maybe you could pass them along. 

@ Dede Scozzafava – When you try to stand in the middle of the road you get run over. Thanks for showing where you stand when the heat was on. Go stand in the “has-been” line behind Arlen Specter.

@ Barack Obama - Mr. President, if the trip to Dover wasn’t a photo-op or political why take a photographer along? (more…)

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Posted Nov 4th 2009 at 6:05 pm in Celebrity News, Political Humor, Religion | 59 Comments »

Jeff Varga

Obama Parable?: Brownshirt Lizards Return in ‘V’

by Jeff Varga

This is my first “coming out” article as a conservative and Christian because Hollywood is taking its last breath before dying and I don’t really have much to lose. I’m a director, but made a good living for about seven years compositing visual effects. That is, until I was blacklisted for objecting to anti-Christian and anti-American propaganda that I was forced to listen to 8 hours a day by 90% of the people around me. But that’s a story for a different time.

Today, I’m writing to comment on “V,” as I’m sure many viewers missed the parallels of the questions raised in the show regarding our own politics today.

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Hollywood script-writing 101 classes tell writers, “If you want to write a good script, write what you know.” Kenneth Johnson, creator of the original “V” series and story writer of the resurrected version, apparently knows his history. For disclosure purposes, I have met him and visited his home many years ago, but don’t know really much about him other than he has a good grasp on good and evil and human, albeit lizard, nature. (Possible political jab that the Left is slimy … even though lizards are not?)

What completely blows my mind is that all these comic book and sci-fi loving fans embrace and cheer for the underground rebels and immediately suspect the Visitors as wolves in sheep’s clothing (or lizards, in this case). So why is it so impossible for these same fans to see who the real-life lizards are? The aliens arrive and we don’t know anything about them other than they all look like celebrities too old for the CW Network, and they come offering hope and in the shows own words: “universal health care.” No, President Obama, nor Harry Reid, nor Nancy Pelosi didn’t arrive in a spaceship (or did they… hmmm?). No, they came with years of very questionable history behind them that anyone not rushing to embrace the empty promise of “hope” and “change” would immediately see. (more…)

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Posted Nov 4th 2009 at 5:03 pm in Politics, Television | 87 Comments »

Greg Gutfeld

Daily Gut: Where are Roland Emmerich’s Balls?

by Greg Gutfeld

So Roland Emmerich’s new movie is called “2012,” but it should be titled “Dude, Where’s my Balls.”

In the flick, the director enlists every CGI trick in the book to destroy various religious icons– including the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Christ the Redeemer statue. And for those of you who worship at the altar of Obama, the White House gets nailed as well.

But there was one thing missing among the carnage: an Islamic target.

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Emmerich at his London home.

According to Sci Fi Wire, by way of Cinematical.com, this was no accident. In an interview, the director said he hoped to destroy the Kaaba, an Islamic holy site, but his fellow screenwriter Harald Kloser persuaded him not to.

Here’s what the hack had to say about crushing the Kaaba:

“Well, I wanted to do that… but my co-writer Harald said I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie. And he was right. … We have to all … in the Western world … think about this. You can actually … let … Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have … a fatwa, and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is. So it’s just something which I kind of didn’t [think] was [an] important element anyway in the film, so I kind of left it out.” (more…)

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Posted Nov 4th 2009 at 3:22 pm in Daily Gut | 72 Comments »

James Hudnall

Left Lashes Out at ‘V’, Obama-Friendly ABC Purges Showrunner…

by James Hudnall

Last night a brave and insightful documentary was aired that accurately portrayed the wave of ObamaMania that swept the nation. It was called “V” and aired on ABC to mostly rave reviews and tremendous ratings.

There was another documentary about the Obama campaign on HBO, but that left out a lot of relevant facts, so spaceships and lizard-people aside, ABC wins the veracity award.

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The parable is, an attractive group of aliens show up, out of the blue, and offer universal health care, advanced technology and world peace in exchange for our trust and devotion. All we have to do is believe everything they say without question. Which means, don’t ask anything about their hidden motives or past associations because that would be racist impolite. In fact, one reporter who is offered an exclusive interview with their leader is admonished not to say anything negative or they would be denied access (Hi, Fox!).

And what do you know, the aliens are really here to eat us. And maybe even take over our car companies and banks. That part is unclear. But I’m sure they will reduce unemployment, because there will be less people looking for work. Oops, I guess “V” has nothing to do with Obama, because he sure isn’t doing well on that front. But anyhoo–

The New Republic’s Jonathan Chait was outraged by the pilot. Outraged, I say! (more…)

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Posted Nov 4th 2009 at 1:19 pm in Featured Story, Politics, Television | 210 Comments »

Jason Killian Meath

Coming Soon: ‘The Surge — The Untold Story’

by Jason Killian Meath

Earlier this year, I met with Washington’s Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a non-partisan, non-profit public policy research organization, with some of the most accomplished academics in the field of military affairs. ISW wanted to produce a military history in the form of a documentary film. The purpose was to bring greater understanding of the real story behind the Surge in Iraq — the story the mainstream press often misses, or simply doesn’t have time to tell.  Surprisingly, though there were a handful of good books on the Surge, there hadn’t yet been a definitive documentary film.  Now, The Surge: the Untold Story is the only documentary of its kind giving audiences a look into the Surge, as told by top U.S. military commanders. Here’s the trailer:

Understanding the Surge – The Trailer from ISW on Vimeo.

The short film features never-before-seen interviews that move beyond Washington politics to tell the truth of how a failing mission was transformed into one of the most successful military operations in a generation. Audiences will watch rare interviews from high profile figures like General David Petraeus, General Raymond Odierno, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker – among many others. The documentary reveals the personalities of a new generation of U.S. military leaders and explains how they successfully implemented a counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq that brought the country back from the brink of civil war and catastrophe. (more…)

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Posted Nov 4th 2009 at 11:25 am in Film, Military, Video | 45 Comments »

Michael Wilson

Glenn Beck, CNN, John Nolte, the Canadians and Me

by Michael Wilson

John Nolte, the Editor-in-Chief of Big Hollywood emailed me last night and asked if I had any interest in doing a piece about The Onion wishing Glenn Beck dead in this video. At first, I thought maybe it was a job for Wolf Blitzer, but then remembered that Glenn is “somewhat” reviled at CNN and they might not fact-check a bit on him. But I felt compelled to write for two reasons: the first is that Glenn and I have a mutual friend who frequently says “the answer to bad speech is more speech,” the second is that John’s request immediately reminded me of a phone call I received from the Canadian Broadcasting Company a few years back. (Bet you didn’t think I could work everything from the headline into one paragraph, did you?)

Glenn_Beck Foxnews

After I made “Michael Moore Hates America,” I spent several years (and still occasionally) doing interviews for the press on movie stuff. They’d always call me, because, you know, I’m a crazy, angry right-wing nut job and I’d made the only “conservative” documentary any of them had ever heard of. Something controversial would happen in the world of cinema, my phone would ring for a few days and then I’d go back to my life. In one episode, I received a call from the CBC. They wanted to know if I could do a satellite interview with them on an evening news talk show. The topic was the about-to-be-released film “Death of a President” where President George W. Bush was digitally assassinated. (more…)

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Posted Nov 4th 2009 at 9:51 am in Media Criticism, Politics | 100 Comments »

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