BuzzSugar

Edward Norton Developing Barack Obama Documentary

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:32:24 PDT

Edward Norton and his production company are developing a documentary about Barack Obama. Directors Amy Rice and Alicia Sams have been shooting footage since 2006, before Obama's declaration of candidacy when Norton and his group of collaborators approached Obama and he welcomed the idea. They've been steadily filming ever since.

According to Variety, "Norton said the motivation behind the film was not to glorify its subject." The idea for the project came after Obama gave a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which struck him as exciting, fresh and unique. For more of these insights from Norton,

We were all so struck by Barack’s speech and talked about how exciting it was to see someone from our generation, not our parents’, make his presence felt in such an inspiring way. It was akin to the way I remembered my dad describing how he felt when Kennedy gave his inauguration speech . . . It was more this generational experience, of seeing someone we felt represented us in a very unique and fresh way, and the desire to explore what would happen to the first person our age who staked a claim to national leadership.

Norton goes on to say that they already have hours of footage and plan to continue shooting through Obama's presidential run, but that "the film has to say something about politics in America, and just because you have access doesn’t mean you have insight." It's obviously not the first documentary to come out of a politician's election campaign - Alexandra Pelosi's Journeys With George is an interesting peek into the current president's 2000 campaign, for example - but I'm curious to find out what Norton and the two directors (both women, which is neat) will produce.

What do you think about this news? Given Norton's enthusiasm for Obama, do you think he will be able to avoid "glorifying" the subject?

Source and source

What Has Today Show Guest Host Sarah Palin Been Up to Lately?

Annie Scudder — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:00:21 PDT

Almost four years after Sarah Palin told Katie Couric she couldn't recall the specific newspapers she reads, the two are going head to head again. This morning, Sarah and Katie are hosting rival morning shows. Liberal-media critic Sarah is this morning's guest host on NBC's Today, while longtime Today show host Katie is cohosting ABC's Good Morning America all week. No, this is not a leftover April Fools' Day joke. If you turned on your TV this morning to see Sarah Palin and wondered what she's been up to lately, here is a rundown.

Keeping up the heat on Obama. She may be out of politics officially, but you can still count on Sarah Palin to weigh in on the day's politics. Last week Sarah said, "President Obama will have ‘more flexibility’ to weaken us if he’s reelected in November."
Backing up Santorum. When GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused a New York Times reporter of "bullsh*t" Sarah had his back. She said, “Welcome to my world, Rick, and good on ya."
Handling the Game Change drama. Last month, HBO released its high-profile movie about the 2008 campaign, Game Change, with Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. In response, Sarah wrote to ABC News: “I believe my family has the right priorities and knows what really matters/ For instance, our son called from Afghanistan yesterday and he sounded good, and that’s what matters. Being in the good graces of Hollywood’s ‘Team Obama’ isn’t top of my list."
Keeping up with her Facebook friends. If you follow Sarah Palin's Facebook page, you can count on a steady stream of musings. On March 24, she wrote a Facebook note claiming that Alaskan women don't tolerate sexism, titled Last Frontier Women Don’t Tolerate Misogynists. "I personally do not seek an apology from these narrow-minded men. With a full family and productive 'to-do' list everyday, I just don’t have time for them. But I do feel sorry for them and for their obvious need to compensate for something that’s missing in their own lives, which compels them to belittle others in order to feel big," Sarah quipped.
Working for Fox. It's somewhat surprising Sarah Palin is going on NBC, considering she's been a contributor for Fox News. Just last week, she wrote an op-ed on Fox Nation, titled God, Guns, the Constitution – Still Clinging.
Being nominated for a Razzie. At this past weekend's Razzies, Sarah was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as worst actress on account of her performance in the documentary The Undefeated, which chronicled her political career. She lost to Jack and Jill, which took home every single Razzie.

Watch the Kony2012 Viral Video Calling Us All to Action

Tara Block — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:47:00 PST

In this election year we've seen and are going to continue to see a lot of political signs in support of politicians on all sides of the spectrum. But there's one sign you're going to see plastered on walls, staked in the ground, and posted on Facebook this year that's calling people to recognize not a Republican or Democrat, but a rebel group leader in Uganda: Kony2012, a campaign to make one of the most horrendous war criminals in world history, Joseph Kony, famous enough to get him arrested by the end of 2012.

The powerful video above explains the almost 10-year plight of the Invisible Children organization, which began as just three college guys making a documentary on the child soldiers of Uganda. The movie became a movement, and while the organization has made incredible strides over the years, this is the year they really give it their all to stop Joseph Kony, leader of the rebel group LRA, from abducting, killing, and raping the children in Uganda and other areas of Africa.

Invisible Children is targeting 20 culture makers and 12 policy makers to make Joseph Kony a household name so that the world will know who he is and what he's done, and it's already catching fire. Celebrities like Sean Combs, Kristen Bell, Sophia Bush, Rihanna, and Zooey Deschanel have been tweeting their support. Check out the video above to see what the hype is all about.

Find out more about Kony2012 and how you can get involved here.

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

Breaking Dawn Part 1

Twilight's star-crossed lovers Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) tie the knot in this installment, but their idyllic honeymoon is interrupted when they discover that vampires can, in fact, impregnate humans. Bella is willing to do anything to protect the life of her baby, Edward will do anything to save Bella, and Jacob tries to keep his wolfpack at bay. The movie goes quickly from cheesily romantic to surprisingly graphic, but the film is very loyal to the book. DVD extras include a six-part making-of documentary, a wedding video, a Jacob featurette, and a commentary track with the director.

25%

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

Harold and Kumar (John Cho and Kal Penn) reunite for this holiday-themed sequel, the third part in their drug-fueled comedy series. This time, the guys have grown apart (Harold is now a husband in the suburbs while Kumar is a slacker in the city), but Christmas Eve hijinks force them to work together and grow close again. The boys - and Neil Patrick Harris - are as raunchy as ever, but this installment is as funny as the original, and festive to boot. DVD extras include deleted scenes.

69%

See one more new release after the jump.

4 Reasons Why The Purity Myth Piques Our Interest

Tara Block — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:00:00 PST

Feminist blogger Jessica Valenti's documentary The Purity Myth is available on DVD, and the flick exploring the virginity movement is on our must-see list. The film is adapted from Jessica's best-selling book of the same name, The Purity Myth, that looks into our country's obsession with virginity and how women are defined by their sexuality. Watch the trailer above to learn about the movie, and let us know in the comments what you think. Here's why we can't wait to see the documentary:

Feministing cofounder, author, and "poster girl for third-wave feminism" Jessica Valenti is behind it. Jessica is funny, frank, and smart, and she's already proven with her book that this is an important and interesting topic - we can't wait to see it come to life.
It explores the whole cultural phenomenon of virginity with clips from TV shows, celebrities, and movies. It's about recognizing how we're fed the information that puts purity and virginity on a pedestal, and the bigger issue, which is why women are valued based on their sexuality.
We get a behind-the-scenes look into the religious supporters of the virginity movement and the often-creepy purity balls. We can't help but be appalled and interested in why these people believe what they believe.
We see the reality of how this virginity movement affects politics. It's important to be reminded that this isn't just crazy people being crazy. The idea that women are defined by whether or not they have sex is serious, and if we don't take action there are serious political implications that will affect our rights as women.

James Beard Awards Kick off With Book, Broadcast, & Journalism Awards

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 09 May 2011 09:38:53 PDT

The best of the best of the nation's food world glitterati are in New York this weekend for the industry's Oscars, the James Beard Awards. Although the main ceremony doesn't take place until later this evening, the events kicked off on Friday with the announcement of the book, broadcast, and journalism awards.

A huge congratulations is in order for our friends at the San Francisco Chronicle; they took home the prize for best food section of a general interest publication. To check out the full list of winners, which includes Alton Brown and Top Chef: All-Stars, keep reading.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom Wants to End Miss Representation of Women

Annie Scudder — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:10:27 PDT

You've heard of the pay gap, but do you know about the leadership gap? As more women than men get college degrees and fill managerial positions, we're still not filling the halls of Congress or the seats in boardrooms.

Actress and former San Francisco First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom thinks the mainstream media's portrayal of women contributes to the leadership gap, and she makes this case in her documentary Miss Representation, which airs tonight on OWN at 9/8c. I spoke with Jennifer, and here's what she told me about the movie:

TrèsSugar: What inspired you to make this film?
Jennifer Siebel Newsom: I recognized the inequities in our society and that women are still so underrepresented in leadership spheres. We hold three percent of media positions of clout, we are three percent of fortune 500 CEOs, 17 percent of Congress - and we're 51 percent of the population. In the real world women are making incredible strides and the media continues to depict women as arm candy and second fiddle. Our stories aren't as revealed and rich and deep in mainstream media and there are often disparaging images of women or limited images of women. So I want to right that wrong and confront that injustice.

TS: Who are the worst offenders?
JSN: It's some of the reality TV. It's some of the news media or pundits getting away saying sexist remarks about female politicians. It's studio films. TV's getting better. It still has ways to go, but a lot of the alternative outlets on TV have created stories around strong female characters.

TS: Is there anything that gives you hope?
JSN: I think independent media is a bright spot. I'm really curious about OWN, Oprah's new network. There are more responsible media outlets and since women are 86 percent of consumers I want to encourage women to consume from those media outlets, to support the good guys.

To find out what Jennifer thinks about Disney princesses and to see the powerful trailer of Miss Representation, read more.

Eva Longoria Does Dinner With Eduardo Ahead of a Special Night With the President

Allie Merriam — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:22:50 PDT

Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz had a date night yesterday at her LA restaurant Beso. She had the evening off from shooting the final season of Desperate Housewives, which kicked off on ABC a few weeks ago. Her last episodes as Gabrielle Solis will air through 2012, and so far, things on the show have been as dramatic as usual. Eva was mum about her and Eduardo's outing on Twitter, but he's been sharing his thoughts on many things on his own page. He just posted a quote from Albert Einstein that read, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the the universe." Eva, who recently topped a list of TV's highest paid actresses with Tina Fey, has been busy with other projects. She produced a documentary called The Harvest, out on DVD yesterday, about underage migrant workers. Eva's also getting political and is one of most famous attendees to have RSVP'd to the first-ever national Latino gala for Obama, being held on Oct. 24, at the home of Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith.

4 Exciting Moves Maria Shriver Can Make Post-Arnold

Annie Scudder — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:05:56 PDT

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his love child have captured the attention of the world this week. Sad details about the affair continue to emerge, as pictures of the mistress flash across newspapers and websites everywhere. In her undoubtedly heartbreaking family breakup, Maria Shriver, the other half of the toppled power couple, has a chance to triumph.

Some are asking who Maria should date next. Tim Robbins? Alec Baldwin? While it would be fun to see JFK's niece hook up with a high-profile liberal after decades with a Republican, I doubt she's even thinking about a new love connection as she tries to stay strong for her kids. Still, with the public's goodwill behind her, Maria's next move could be her best yet.

In her 2008 book, Just Who Will You Be?, Maria discussed her reluctance to quit her successful journalism career at NBC to become first lady of California. She wrote, "You've got to be kidding! That's not me! I didn't grow up wanting to be first lady of anything!" Over the years she said she came to peace with being first lady and believed it helped her find her own voice. Maybe this next life stage will move her further along that path. Based on her experience so far, below you'll find four potential projects Maria could take on post-Arnold.

Tribeca Takeaway: The Bang Bang Club

Allie Merriam — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:30:56 PDT

This year's Tribeca Film Festival kicked off in NYC last night with the star-studded premiere of Cameron Crowe's The Union. Screenings commenced this morning for a handful of other movies, and today I was able to check out Ryan Phillippe's The Bang Bang Club.

Who's behind it? South African filmmaker Steven Silver both wrote and directed the piece. It's his first feature after a long career in documentaries - he wrote Gerrie & Louise, based on the life of a colonel in the South African Defense Force, and directed the Emmy-nominated story of a Jerusalem bus bombing in 2002's The Diameter of the Bomb.
What's it about? Phillippe heads a cast that includes Taylor Kitsch and South African actors Neels Van Jaarsveld and Frank Rautenbach. The four men play photojournalists at a Johannesburg newspaper who head into townships to document the communities' violence during the height of apartheid and in the run-up to the country's first democratic elections in the early '90s. Malin Akerman plays their editor, Robin Comley, who serves as a mentor, then love interest, for Phillippe's Greg Marinovich. The four men come to be known as the Bang Bang Club for their work, which goes on to win Pulitzers and bring them great acclaim at a high price. Along with Robin, they play as hard as they work. The film raises questions of what exactly the role of a photojournalist is - to document, to help those suffering, or, somehow, do both?

To see what I thought of the movie, just

What did I think? I was actually surprised at how much I liked this movie. I (perhaps unfairly) wasn't expecting much, but the finished product was quite good. The material was gripping, and the mix of action and romance pretty much means there's a little something for everyone. The violence is at times extremely graphic, but it never seemed excessive or exploitative. The topics of genocide, apartheid, and South African political upheaval are still sensitive ones nearly 20 years later, but I think Silver took the material, his actors, and settings and created an interesting, gripping final product. My one gripe was the cast's handling of the elusive South African accent - was Akerman going Australian? Kitsch speaking like a Brit? Phillippe, to his credit, seemed to have a good handle on the way of speaking. The Bang Bang Club will be out in limited release in the US tomorrow.