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Tag Archives: Film
FILM : Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Patti Smith. Photo by Steven Sebring.‘This androgynous Jersey girl obsessed with Rimbaud and Shelley and Whitman came to the big city 40 years ago’By Andrew O’Hehir / August 6, 2008 Almost at the beginning of Steven Sebring’s documentary “Patti Smith: … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Documentary, Entertainers, Film, Independent Film, Music, Musicians, Poetry, Punk Rock, Rock 'n Roll
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FILM : The Sociology of Wealth in the USA
Johnson and Johnson heir and filmaker Jamie Johnson.‘Johnson is obviously thoughtful and also disturbed by his view from the top of the class pyramid of American society’By Roger Baker / The Rag Blog / August 4, 2008 Having no choice … Continue reading
FILM : Arianna Huffington on ‘Swing Vote"
Kevin Costner in ‘Swing Vote’. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.What the new film tells us about the ’08 race, and why Obama needs to put Kevin Costner on his iPodBy Arianna Huffington / August 4, 2008 The makers of … Continue reading
Oh Where is the Jon Voight of Yesteryear…
Voight OffensiveBy Mike Klonsky / The Rag Blog / July 30, 2008 Wing-nut Jon Voight (channeling his late amigo Charlton Heston) warns us that electing Obama will bring about “a socialst era” in America. I doubt it. He blames it … Continue reading
MUSIC : Toby Keith’s Ode to Lynching
‘Hang them high in the street / For all the people to see’By Max Blumenthal / July 29, 2008 Despite his background as a comedian, Stephen Colbert is known by many of the authors who have appeared on his show … Continue reading
FILM : Hollywood’s Response to War
How Vietnam Gave us Dude, Where’s My CarBy Michael Bronski One of the most amazing cultural responses to the war against Iraq has been the plethora of documentary and feature films produced by independent companies and even Hollywood studios. From … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Film, Filmmakers, Hollywood, Independent Film, Iraq War, Popular Culture, Vietnam
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FILM : John Cusack’s Savage "War, Inc." Playing (and Marketing) To Its Strength
Hilary Duff in John Cusack’s “War Inc.”John Cusack: Bypassing the Corporate MediaBy Joshua Holland / July 12, 2008 Cusack’s anti-war polemic, War, Inc., continues to defy expectations, despite the traditional media’s dismissive reception. It’s not uncommon for a big-budget Hollywood … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Alternative Media, Corporate Media, Film, Filmmakers, Iran War, Iraq Occupation, Marketing, Media, Peace Movement, Satire
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FILM : Mackenzie’s "The Exiles" Explores A Forgotten Urban Culture
Tommy Reynolds (right) in Kent Mackenzie’s “The Exiles.” Still from Milestone Films.All-night party in a lost cityBy Andrew O’Hehir / July 10, 2008 In the late 1950s, a USC filmmaking student named Kent Mackenzie began hanging out with the community … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Film, Filmmakers, Independent Film, Native Americans, Sociology, Urban Culture
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FILM : Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Bedtime for “Gonzo”By Andrew O’Hehir / July 4, 2008 Gonzo journalism pioneer Hunter S. Thompson and documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney don’t seem like the most natural pairing, at least at first. Gibney’s films, including the Oscar-winning “Taxi to the Dark … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Authors, Film, Filmmakers, Gonzo Journalizm, Journalism, Literature, Media, People, Writers
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Film : John Cusack’s War, Inc
John Cusack stars as a hit-man Brand Hauser in war-torn Turagistan in War, Inc.Cusack’s Savage Satire Strikes a Chord with Soldiers and Their FamiliesBy Arianna Huffington / June 12, 2008 “Whose top advisers are linked to war profiteers?” asks John … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Film, Filmmakers, Military Contractors, Satire, War Profiteering
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Gary Chason on His Life in Independent Film
Still from Gary Chason’s God Thinks You’re a Loser.The Independent Film Movement:Letter From the Front LinesBy Gary Chason / The Rag Blog / June 11, 2008 [Gary Chason is an Austin-based filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, casting director, playwright, stage director and … Continue reading
Posted in Rag Bloggers
Tagged Arts, Austin, Film, Filmmakers, Independent Film, Technology, Texas, Writers
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FILM : Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young and the Protest Song
‘CSNY: Déjà Vu’: A Political Concert DocumentaryBy Jennifer Maerz / July 30, 2008 Bob Dylan’s “John Brown” is one of the most moving antiwar songs ever recorded. The track avoids sloganeering, resonating an anti–Vietnam War sentiment with a straightforward, human, … Continue reading →