by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
Support Leroy on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
MOVIES - From Variety: AMC Theatres will require patrons to wear masks when it reopens its theaters after initially not requiring them.
GEORGE FLOYD - From YahooNews: New Mexico Shooting Raises Specter Of Right-Wing Violence Around Statue Protests
BLM - From YahooLifestyle: Support grows for making "Juneteenth" (June 19th) an official holiday.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Mark Wahlberg's canine adventure film, "Arthur the King," movies to Lionsgate. The film reunited Wahlberg with is "2 Guns" and "Contraband" director, Baltasar Kormakur.
BLM-HOLLYWOOD - From BET: Actress Gabrielle Union talks her "America's Got Talent" departure and on holding "bad apples" accountable.
GEORGE FLOYD - From YahooNews360: Why was George Floyd's death the breaking point?
POLITICS - From YahooNews: Five bombshells about President Trump from John Bolton's book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir."
MOVIES - From Deadline: Actress Kristen Stewart will portray Princess Diana in director Pablo Larrain's film, "Spencer."
BLM-EDUCATION - From YahooNews: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are donating $120 million toward student scholarships at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The couple is giving $40 million to each of three institutions: the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College. The organizations said it is the largest individual gift in support of student scholarships at HBCUs.
GEORGE FLOYD - From CNN: Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who was pushed by two Buffalo, New York, police officers earlier this month, has a fractured skull and is not able to walk, his lawyer said in a statement provided to CNN on Monday.
From YahooEntertainment: Whoopi Goldberg says police officers have to 'relearn how to police': 'Because now they're soldiers — and we're not in a war'
SPORTS - From YahooSports: Here is a look at Super Bowl champion QB Tom Brady in his new uniform for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
POLITICS - From InformedComment: How American cities were Reduced to Esper’s “Battlespace”: From Fallujah to Minneapolis
OSCARS - From Deadline: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced that the 2021 / 93rd Academy Awards ceremony has been moved from February 28, 2021 to April 25, 2021 - the latest date ever for the Oscars. Films will be eligible to compete for the 93rd Academy Awards though Feb. 28th.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Director Antonie Fuqua and actor Will Smith's runaway slave thriller, "Emancipation," will be introduced at the virtual Cannes market and will begin production in early 2021.
LGBTQ - For BuzzFeed: The Supreme Court on Monday issued its most sweeping decision ever to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, finding that a federal ban on sex discrimination in workplaces also protects employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
POLITICS-CELEBRITY - From FoxNews: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) challenges actor Ron Perlman... to wrestle with former wrestling coach and protector of sexual assailants, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
GEORGE FLOYD - From People: Legendary singer, actress, and filmmaker, Barbra Streisand, has given Gianna Floyd, the daughter of the police-slain George Floyd, an unknown numbers of shares of stock in The Walt Disney Company.
MOVIES - From Deadline: After his "Gone with the Wind" op-ed, Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley ponders permanent Hollywood change.
BLM - From Deadline: "Saturday Night Live" alum, Jay Pharoah, was profiled by the Los Angeles Police Department and then one of them put his knee on his neck.
OBITS:
From Deadline: The British actor, Ian Holm, has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 19, 2020. Holms was best known for his appearances in such films as "Alien," "Chariots of Fire," "The Sweet Hereafter," and "The Fifth Element." He also appeared in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film series. Holm won a Tony Award in 1967 for his performance in "The Homecoming." He received a best supporting Oscar nomination for his role in "Chariots of Fire" (1981), a role for which he won the BAFTA.
From CNN: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1993-98), Jean Kennedy Smith, has died at the age of 92, Wednesday, June 17, 2020. She was also the last surviving sibling of assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
---------------------------------------------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER News:
From YahooFinance: Why Black wealth has stayed 'relatively flat' since Tulsa massacre
From InTheseTimes: The four questions we must ask before we agree to police reform.
----------------------------------------------------
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:
From CDC: The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From YahooLife: What is "happy hypoxia?" And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?
From JuanCole: Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19. Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.
From TheIntercept: The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...
From NPR: A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.
From TheAtlantic: The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.
From ProPublica: Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns
----------------
Showing posts with label Barbra Streisand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbra Streisand. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 1st to 9th, 2016 - Updated #48
Support Leroy on Patreon.
MOVIES/TV - From Deadline: The new president of the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, is Gabrielle Carteris, a longtime union activist.
---------------
POLITICS - From THR: Spike Lee interviews Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders.
---------------
TELEVISION - From ScreenRant: Finn Jones, the actor who will portray Iron Fist/Danny Rand in the Marvel/Netflix series, "Iron Fist," talks about his training regimen.
---------------
TELEVISION - From HitFix: Melissa McCarthy will appear in Netflix's revival of "The Gilmore Girls."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Some ugly dude will play the lead villain in "Wolverine 3."
---------------
MOVIES - From Moviefone: According to Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige, other Marvel characters will appear in Sony's 2017 Spider-Man reboot film.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: There will be an "Edge of Tomorrow 2," and the two screenwriters who wrote the script for the Jesse Owens biopic, "Race," will pen this sequel.
---------------
COMICS - From HitFix: Comic book publisher, BOOM! Studios, is publishing a comic book prequel to Universal's upcoming film, "Kong of Skull Island."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Charlize Theron has finalized a deal to appear in "Fast 8," the next installment of "The Fast and the Furious" franchise.
MOVIES - From HitFix: Kristofer Hivju of "Game of Thrones" also headed to "Fast 8."
--------------
COMICS - From SlashFilm: AMC is bring comic book writer, Garth Ennis' "Preacher" to television. Now, the team behind that series is bringing another Ennis comic book, "The Boys," to Cinemax.
---------------
STAR WARS - From YouTube: First trailer for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: First set photo from "The Mummy" reboot with Tom Cruise.
---------------
MOVIES - From HitFix: Ryan Reynolds to return for "Deadpool 2."
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Warner Bros. moves the release date of "Wonder Woman" up two weeks to June 2017 and moves Andy Serkis' "Jungle Book: Origins" to 2018.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Sony has revived its notorious "Cleopatra" film project.
---------------
BREAKING: ATasteofCountry; Country music singer and legend, Merle Haggard, has reportedly died at the age of 79, today, Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - which is also his birthday.
---------------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: Beyonce addresses "Formation" controversy.
---------------
TELEVISION - From Variety: For the first time, a woman (Richard Talalay) will direct episodes of "Sherlock" starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
---------------
COMICS - From PRNewswire: Online media publisher, Valnet, Inc., has purchased Comic Book Resources (CBR), the comic book news site. CBR often seemed like nothing more than a PR arm of Marvel and DC Comics, but it had its good moments. The sale is apparently in the 8 figures.
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Common talks about Jared Leto's method acting approach to playing the Joker in "Suicide Squad."
---------------
OBITS - From Variety: The screenwriter, Barbara Turner, has died at the age of 79, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. She wrote such films as "George" and "Pollock." Turner is also the mother of Oscar-nominated actress, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
---------------
MOVIES - From WeGotItCovered: Denzel Washington's film adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, Fences, is scheduled to start film in July.
---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From ABCNews: Laquan McDonald's killer has a new job... with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (KKK).
---------------
CRIME - From ThinkProgress: Louisiana man faces 20 years to life for stealing $31 worth of candy from a Dollar General.
---------------
ECO - From EcoWatch: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlfie kills a family of wolves, although Oregon was so afraid to shot a bigger problem - the Bundy clan and their cabal.
---------------
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Sony Pictures has registered a domain name from its 2017 Spider-Man movie.
---------------
COMICS - From ScreenRant: Here is a first look at Mads Mikkelsen as the villain in Marvel's "Doctor Strange."
From IGN: "Doctor Strange" director, Scott Derrickson, tweets a photo of leaders, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
---------------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: The cast of "Class," a "Doctor Who" spin-off, has been revealed.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 4/1 to 4/3/2016 weekend box office is "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" with an estimated take of $52.3 million dollars.
---------------
THEATER - From TheWrap: Judi Dench won her 8th Olivier Award, the British equivalent of the Tony Awards.
---------------
COMICS - From CBR: See a 12-minute sneak peek at "Batman: The Killing Joke," an upcoming original animated film from the DC Comics Universe.
---------------
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Zack Snyder on why he had to show Bruce Wayne's parents dying again in "Batman v Supeman."
---------------
POLITICS - From BRAdvocate: The improbably journey of new Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
---------------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Dave Bautista of "Guardians of the Galaxy" joins "Blade Runner 2."
---------------
POLITICS - From RSN: Rosario Dawson's open letter to Dolores Huerta.
---------------
CRIME - From TheDailyBeast: Scandal involving San Francisco cops sending racist and homophobic texts continues to grow.
POLITICS - From RSN: Response to Barbra Streisand's "Sexism in Politics" essay, regarding Hillary Clinton.
---------------
MOVIES - From CBR: Marvel's "Doctor Strange" was recently shooting in New York City, and the result was lots of photos of Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor in costume as Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo, respectively.
From YahooMovies: There is smart phone video taken by bystanders of filming.
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: There will be a sequel to "Sicario" with the original cast returning, Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benecio del Toro.
---------------
COMICS - From Polygon: There is more casting news from Marvel/Netflix's "Iron Fist" television series.
---------------
COMICS - From LatinoReview: There has been a bit of chatter about FOX's X-Men spin-off, "New Mutants," but FOX is saying that some of the casting rumors are untrue.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: John Carpenter's 1984 film, Starman, is being remade by Shawn Levy, director of "Night at the Museum."
---------------
MOVIES - From NYTimes: Whoopi Goldberg enters the dope game launching marijuana products for women.
---------------
POLITICS - From RSN: Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone announces his support for Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
---------------
ECO - From Grist: The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation gave $1 million to help the Seychelles islands protect their ocean territory.
---------------
MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered: Robin Wright to star opposite Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner 2."
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Kevin Bacon joins Mark Wahlberg in "Patriots Day."
---------------
CRIME - From BuzzFlash: Another horror story about law enforcement and justice in Louisiana - Two Texas moms jailed over allegedly stealing two hot dogs.
---------------
From YouTube: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Blu-ray clip, "Casting Rey."
From YouTube: "Everybody Wants Some" clip, "Rappers Driving"
MOVIES/TV - From Deadline: The new president of the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, is Gabrielle Carteris, a longtime union activist.
---------------
POLITICS - From THR: Spike Lee interviews Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders.
---------------
TELEVISION - From ScreenRant: Finn Jones, the actor who will portray Iron Fist/Danny Rand in the Marvel/Netflix series, "Iron Fist," talks about his training regimen.
---------------
TELEVISION - From HitFix: Melissa McCarthy will appear in Netflix's revival of "The Gilmore Girls."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Some ugly dude will play the lead villain in "Wolverine 3."
---------------
MOVIES - From Moviefone: According to Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige, other Marvel characters will appear in Sony's 2017 Spider-Man reboot film.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: There will be an "Edge of Tomorrow 2," and the two screenwriters who wrote the script for the Jesse Owens biopic, "Race," will pen this sequel.
---------------
COMICS - From HitFix: Comic book publisher, BOOM! Studios, is publishing a comic book prequel to Universal's upcoming film, "Kong of Skull Island."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Charlize Theron has finalized a deal to appear in "Fast 8," the next installment of "The Fast and the Furious" franchise.
MOVIES - From HitFix: Kristofer Hivju of "Game of Thrones" also headed to "Fast 8."
--------------
COMICS - From SlashFilm: AMC is bring comic book writer, Garth Ennis' "Preacher" to television. Now, the team behind that series is bringing another Ennis comic book, "The Boys," to Cinemax.
---------------
STAR WARS - From YouTube: First trailer for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: First set photo from "The Mummy" reboot with Tom Cruise.
---------------
MOVIES - From HitFix: Ryan Reynolds to return for "Deadpool 2."
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Warner Bros. moves the release date of "Wonder Woman" up two weeks to June 2017 and moves Andy Serkis' "Jungle Book: Origins" to 2018.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Sony has revived its notorious "Cleopatra" film project.
---------------
BREAKING: ATasteofCountry; Country music singer and legend, Merle Haggard, has reportedly died at the age of 79, today, Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - which is also his birthday.
---------------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: Beyonce addresses "Formation" controversy.
---------------
TELEVISION - From Variety: For the first time, a woman (Richard Talalay) will direct episodes of "Sherlock" starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
---------------
COMICS - From PRNewswire: Online media publisher, Valnet, Inc., has purchased Comic Book Resources (CBR), the comic book news site. CBR often seemed like nothing more than a PR arm of Marvel and DC Comics, but it had its good moments. The sale is apparently in the 8 figures.
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Common talks about Jared Leto's method acting approach to playing the Joker in "Suicide Squad."
---------------
OBITS - From Variety: The screenwriter, Barbara Turner, has died at the age of 79, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. She wrote such films as "George" and "Pollock." Turner is also the mother of Oscar-nominated actress, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
---------------
MOVIES - From WeGotItCovered: Denzel Washington's film adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, Fences, is scheduled to start film in July.
---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From ABCNews: Laquan McDonald's killer has a new job... with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (KKK).
---------------
CRIME - From ThinkProgress: Louisiana man faces 20 years to life for stealing $31 worth of candy from a Dollar General.
---------------
ECO - From EcoWatch: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlfie kills a family of wolves, although Oregon was so afraid to shot a bigger problem - the Bundy clan and their cabal.
---------------
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Sony Pictures has registered a domain name from its 2017 Spider-Man movie.
---------------
COMICS - From ScreenRant: Here is a first look at Mads Mikkelsen as the villain in Marvel's "Doctor Strange."
From IGN: "Doctor Strange" director, Scott Derrickson, tweets a photo of leaders, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
---------------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: The cast of "Class," a "Doctor Who" spin-off, has been revealed.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 4/1 to 4/3/2016 weekend box office is "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" with an estimated take of $52.3 million dollars.
---------------
THEATER - From TheWrap: Judi Dench won her 8th Olivier Award, the British equivalent of the Tony Awards.
---------------
COMICS - From CBR: See a 12-minute sneak peek at "Batman: The Killing Joke," an upcoming original animated film from the DC Comics Universe.
---------------
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Zack Snyder on why he had to show Bruce Wayne's parents dying again in "Batman v Supeman."
---------------
POLITICS - From BRAdvocate: The improbably journey of new Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
---------------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Dave Bautista of "Guardians of the Galaxy" joins "Blade Runner 2."
---------------
POLITICS - From RSN: Rosario Dawson's open letter to Dolores Huerta.
---------------
CRIME - From TheDailyBeast: Scandal involving San Francisco cops sending racist and homophobic texts continues to grow.
POLITICS - From RSN: Response to Barbra Streisand's "Sexism in Politics" essay, regarding Hillary Clinton.
---------------
MOVIES - From CBR: Marvel's "Doctor Strange" was recently shooting in New York City, and the result was lots of photos of Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor in costume as Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo, respectively.
From YahooMovies: There is smart phone video taken by bystanders of filming.
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: There will be a sequel to "Sicario" with the original cast returning, Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benecio del Toro.
---------------
COMICS - From Polygon: There is more casting news from Marvel/Netflix's "Iron Fist" television series.
---------------
COMICS - From LatinoReview: There has been a bit of chatter about FOX's X-Men spin-off, "New Mutants," but FOX is saying that some of the casting rumors are untrue.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: John Carpenter's 1984 film, Starman, is being remade by Shawn Levy, director of "Night at the Museum."
---------------
MOVIES - From NYTimes: Whoopi Goldberg enters the dope game launching marijuana products for women.
---------------
POLITICS - From RSN: Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone announces his support for Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
---------------
ECO - From Grist: The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation gave $1 million to help the Seychelles islands protect their ocean territory.
---------------
MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered: Robin Wright to star opposite Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner 2."
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Kevin Bacon joins Mark Wahlberg in "Patriots Day."
---------------
CRIME - From BuzzFlash: Another horror story about law enforcement and justice in Louisiana - Two Texas moms jailed over allegedly stealing two hot dogs.
---------------
From YouTube: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Blu-ray clip, "Casting Rey."
From YouTube: "Everybody Wants Some" clip, "Rappers Driving"
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Negromancer's Fave Poli-Reads - April 2015 Edition - Update #16
From RSN: Bernie Sanders is running for the Democratic nomination in 2016.
From TheIntercept: There is a protest over a PEN Award to Charlie Hebdo.
From AlJazeera: Killers on Blackwater payroll get long prison sentences... their boss needs to follow them to jail.
From RSN: Free range parenting vs. busy body servants of the police state.
From TheHill: Watch President Obama trash talk Washington Wizards forward, Paul Pierce.
From Salon: White Christian America in sinking numbers.
From YahooPolitics: Hilary is in.
From TheIntercept: American media talks about the "Iran nuclear deal," but never interviews any Iranians, while allowing pro-Israel voices to screech their side.
From NBC: Your professor might be on food stamps.
From FirstLook: Glenn Greenwald on how political smears in the United States remain the same.
From GuardianUK: Honestly, there is no chance of Mike Huckabee being President. Besides, for all his bigotry, I'm pretty sure that he is gay.
From RobertReich: The rise of the non-working rich.
From RSN: Obama makes historical breakthrough on Iran. Now, white guys in the Senate get to show how much they envy the achievements of Black men.
From TIME: Indiana tries Sharia law fro LGBTQ. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about the state of Indiana being on the wrong side of history.
From ThinkProgress: Maggots and rats on privatized prison food. Michigan in need of a violent revolution.
From BuzzFlash: Roundup is safe, but Monsanto lobbyist won't drink it.
From RSN: Barbra Streisand - Obama Has Turned the Economy Around.
From Esquire: Charles Pierce takes down clown David Brooks on "religious freedom."
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Barbra Streisand: Why Is It Easier to Get an Assault Weapon Than to Vote?
From Reader Supported News:
Why Is It Easier to Get an Assault Weapon Than to Vote?
By Barbra Streisand, Reader Supported News
07 September 13
A great democracy does not make it harder to vote than to buy an assault weapon." - President Bill Clinton
The former president is absolutely right about what a great democracy should do. Unfortunately this is not the case in the United States today.
There have always been attempts by conservatives to restrict the franchise. It took women well over a century and painful struggle to get the right to vote. For African Americans in the South, activists were beaten and killed before the federal government stepped in to end "Jim Crow" laws against voting. Then it took massive voter registration drives in an atmosphere of intimidation to fully extend the right and access to vote for all citizens.
Until recently, there was a movement in the states towards making voting more convenient and accessible. Now, conservative governors and legislators are turning back the clock on progress.
Many Americans suffer from the difficulty of voting on a Tuesday in November instead of the weekend -- a relic of an agricultural nation. But it wasn't enough for some conservatives.
So, they discovered a "solution" in search of a "problem" -- the infinitesimal amount of voter fraud. But the real motive was stated by GOP Pennsylvania House Majority leader Mike Turzai, "Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."
According to the authoritative Brennan Center, since the beginning of 2011, 19 states have passed 25 laws and two executive actions restricting voting. The laws vary, but all have the same impact. In these states, it is now more difficult for those Americans who typically have the least access to power in our democracy to participate. Some of the restrictions are particularly perverse.
Texas allows a state-issued "concealed carry permit" for guns to count as a voter ID but not a duly authorized ID from the flagship University of Texas. Tennessee and North Carolina also prohibit university identification from their own systems. A student without a driver's license essentially loses his/her rights while a gun owner, simply by owning a gun, does not. On Election Day 2012, Florida had hours-long lines because of new restrictions on early voting. North Carolina also eliminated same-day registration and reduced early voting. Indiana now allows other voters to challenge and demand proof of registration from fellow voters before they can vote.
The purpose of these voter restrictions laws is to make it more difficult for the young, the elderly, the poor and minorities to vote. Our voter participation rates are already among the lowest in the world's democracies, but conservatives seem intent on lowering it further.
But guns, why, owning them should be easier than ever. Congress failed to renew the assault weapons ban, but one can buy an assault weapon from an individual or a gun show without having to show any identification. Even after the movie theatre carnage in Colorado and the slaughter of school children in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut by individuals wielding assault weapons and large ammunition clips, Congress failed to provide enough votes for simple background checks.
A recent study by two professors at Cleveland State University estimated that Americans own between 262 and 310 million firearms. The U.S. population is less than 314 million. Over 30,000 Americans die every year from firearms, and one person in three knows someone who has been shot according to the Brady Center. There are many suggestions about reducing gun violence in the United States. But allowing someone to buy an assault weapon without showing any identification surely is not one of them. Despite the paranoia fostered by the gun lobby, no government agency is going to come and take away guns from American citizens. In fact, the only national database of gun ownership is controlled by the NRA!
It is time to promote sensible reforms about gun violence and to stop further restrictions on voting. The only way this will happen is if enough Americans vote for politicians willing to oppose the NRA and its backers -- the gun manufacturers, and vote out those politicians who seek to restrict Americans' right to vote for their own narrow partisan reasons.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
Why Is It Easier to Get an Assault Weapon Than to Vote?
By Barbra Streisand, Reader Supported News
07 September 13
A great democracy does not make it harder to vote than to buy an assault weapon." - President Bill Clinton
The former president is absolutely right about what a great democracy should do. Unfortunately this is not the case in the United States today.
There have always been attempts by conservatives to restrict the franchise. It took women well over a century and painful struggle to get the right to vote. For African Americans in the South, activists were beaten and killed before the federal government stepped in to end "Jim Crow" laws against voting. Then it took massive voter registration drives in an atmosphere of intimidation to fully extend the right and access to vote for all citizens.
Until recently, there was a movement in the states towards making voting more convenient and accessible. Now, conservative governors and legislators are turning back the clock on progress.
Many Americans suffer from the difficulty of voting on a Tuesday in November instead of the weekend -- a relic of an agricultural nation. But it wasn't enough for some conservatives.
So, they discovered a "solution" in search of a "problem" -- the infinitesimal amount of voter fraud. But the real motive was stated by GOP Pennsylvania House Majority leader Mike Turzai, "Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."
According to the authoritative Brennan Center, since the beginning of 2011, 19 states have passed 25 laws and two executive actions restricting voting. The laws vary, but all have the same impact. In these states, it is now more difficult for those Americans who typically have the least access to power in our democracy to participate. Some of the restrictions are particularly perverse.
Texas allows a state-issued "concealed carry permit" for guns to count as a voter ID but not a duly authorized ID from the flagship University of Texas. Tennessee and North Carolina also prohibit university identification from their own systems. A student without a driver's license essentially loses his/her rights while a gun owner, simply by owning a gun, does not. On Election Day 2012, Florida had hours-long lines because of new restrictions on early voting. North Carolina also eliminated same-day registration and reduced early voting. Indiana now allows other voters to challenge and demand proof of registration from fellow voters before they can vote.
The purpose of these voter restrictions laws is to make it more difficult for the young, the elderly, the poor and minorities to vote. Our voter participation rates are already among the lowest in the world's democracies, but conservatives seem intent on lowering it further.
But guns, why, owning them should be easier than ever. Congress failed to renew the assault weapons ban, but one can buy an assault weapon from an individual or a gun show without having to show any identification. Even after the movie theatre carnage in Colorado and the slaughter of school children in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut by individuals wielding assault weapons and large ammunition clips, Congress failed to provide enough votes for simple background checks.
A recent study by two professors at Cleveland State University estimated that Americans own between 262 and 310 million firearms. The U.S. population is less than 314 million. Over 30,000 Americans die every year from firearms, and one person in three knows someone who has been shot according to the Brady Center. There are many suggestions about reducing gun violence in the United States. But allowing someone to buy an assault weapon without showing any identification surely is not one of them. Despite the paranoia fostered by the gun lobby, no government agency is going to come and take away guns from American citizens. In fact, the only national database of gun ownership is controlled by the NRA!
It is time to promote sensible reforms about gun violence and to stop further restrictions on voting. The only way this will happen is if enough Americans vote for politicians willing to oppose the NRA and its backers -- the gun manufacturers, and vote out those politicians who seek to restrict Americans' right to vote for their own narrow partisan reasons.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
2012 Women Film Critics Circle Awards - Complete List
The Women Film Critics Circle Awards went to many different films in 2012, although Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty received three awards. The Women Film Critics Circle is an association of women film critics, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media. Founded in 2004, this group is the first women critics’ organization in the United States.
2012 Women Film Critics Circle Awards:
BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
A Royal Affair
BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Zero Dark Thirty
BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (Screenwriting Award)
Two Days In NY (Julie Delpy)
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Quvenzhanee Wallis, Beast Of The Southern Wild
BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Maggie Smith, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Where Do We Go Now (from Lebanon with Egypt, France, and Italy)
BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Zero Dark Thirty
WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE-TIE
Killer Joe
Think Like A Man
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Lincoln
WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Killer Joe
BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Hemingway And Gellhorn
BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
Zero Dark Thirty
BEST ANIMATED FEMALES
Brave
BEST FAMILY FILM-TIE
Life Of Pi
Rise Of The Guardians
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barbra Streisand
ACTING AND ACTIVISM.AWARD
Sally Field – Field is a dedicated advocate for women's rights. She has served on the Board of Directors of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women's NGO, and has co-hosted the Global Leadership Awards. Field suffers from osteoporosis and has become a vocal advocate for women's health issues, encouraging early diagnosis of such conditions through technology, such as bone density scans.
*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women -TIE
Compliance
The Invisible War
*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America
Middle Of Nowhere
*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity
A Royal Affair (from Denmark)
COURAGE IN ACTING: Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD: Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT A WOMAN
Queen Of Versailles
WOMEN’S WORK: BEST ENSEMBLE
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
BEST SCREEN COUPLE
Moonrise Kingdom: Bill Murray and Frances McDormand
*WFCC HALL OF SHAME*
Bachelorette with Kirsten Dunst, had all sorts of ditzy former high school classmates getting together for the wedding of a girl they used to make fun of. Just stupid on so many levels: male strippers, drinking, general girly silliness.
Ici-Bas (Down Below). Rape romance: A raped nun (Celine Sallette) falls in love with her rapist. The male fantasy horror of 'rape romance' on screen. A WFCC Hall Of Shame pick in tribute to the unnamed Indian student and rape murder victim, in the kind of traditional culture where women and girls are pressured to marry their rapists.
Skyfall: 'Bond Girl' is only on screen long enough to sell trailers and products like OPI's 'Skyfall Collection' of nail polishes, and gets bumped off at the end of Act II; M turns into a cowering incompetent and gets bumped off at the end of Act III; and the female sharp-shooter in Act I loses her nerve and leaves 'Field Operations' to become an office assistant in Act III. I loved the Sean Connery/James Bond films as a kid. Women got to be part of the action; the Bond Girl was always there to celebrate success at the end. But as a 50th anniversary tribute to the Bond series made in 2012, Skyfall truly broke my heart!
MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD
Helena Bonham Carter, Les Miserables
BEST LINE IN A MOVIE 2012
"...You can't kill the animals in a movie, only the women." - Christopher Walken/Seven Psychopaths
JUST KIDDING AWARD:
Best Male Images In A Movie: Magic Mike
*Please Note: The WFCC Top Ten Hall Of Shame represents the ‘don’t tell me to shut up’ sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie. Clarification: If an aspect of the movie is intentionally negative to make a point, rather than offensive, that is not under consideration for this category.
*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower20rack in her bathroom, to make it look like a suicide. He later confessed that he was having a “bad day.” Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.
*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.
*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her. And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days. Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.
2012 Women Film Critics Circle Awards:
BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
A Royal Affair
BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Zero Dark Thirty
BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (Screenwriting Award)
Two Days In NY (Julie Delpy)
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Quvenzhanee Wallis, Beast Of The Southern Wild
BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Maggie Smith, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Where Do We Go Now (from Lebanon with Egypt, France, and Italy)
BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Zero Dark Thirty
WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE-TIE
Killer Joe
Think Like A Man
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Lincoln
WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Killer Joe
BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Hemingway And Gellhorn
BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
Zero Dark Thirty
BEST ANIMATED FEMALES
Brave
BEST FAMILY FILM-TIE
Life Of Pi
Rise Of The Guardians
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barbra Streisand
ACTING AND ACTIVISM.AWARD
Sally Field – Field is a dedicated advocate for women's rights. She has served on the Board of Directors of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women's NGO, and has co-hosted the Global Leadership Awards. Field suffers from osteoporosis and has become a vocal advocate for women's health issues, encouraging early diagnosis of such conditions through technology, such as bone density scans.
*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women -TIE
Compliance
The Invisible War
*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America
Middle Of Nowhere
*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity
A Royal Affair (from Denmark)
COURAGE IN ACTING: Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD: Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT A WOMAN
Queen Of Versailles
WOMEN’S WORK: BEST ENSEMBLE
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
BEST SCREEN COUPLE
Moonrise Kingdom: Bill Murray and Frances McDormand
*WFCC HALL OF SHAME*
Bachelorette with Kirsten Dunst, had all sorts of ditzy former high school classmates getting together for the wedding of a girl they used to make fun of. Just stupid on so many levels: male strippers, drinking, general girly silliness.
Ici-Bas (Down Below). Rape romance: A raped nun (Celine Sallette) falls in love with her rapist. The male fantasy horror of 'rape romance' on screen. A WFCC Hall Of Shame pick in tribute to the unnamed Indian student and rape murder victim, in the kind of traditional culture where women and girls are pressured to marry their rapists.
Skyfall: 'Bond Girl' is only on screen long enough to sell trailers and products like OPI's 'Skyfall Collection' of nail polishes, and gets bumped off at the end of Act II; M turns into a cowering incompetent and gets bumped off at the end of Act III; and the female sharp-shooter in Act I loses her nerve and leaves 'Field Operations' to become an office assistant in Act III. I loved the Sean Connery/James Bond films as a kid. Women got to be part of the action; the Bond Girl was always there to celebrate success at the end. But as a 50th anniversary tribute to the Bond series made in 2012, Skyfall truly broke my heart!
MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD
Helena Bonham Carter, Les Miserables
BEST LINE IN A MOVIE 2012
"...You can't kill the animals in a movie, only the women." - Christopher Walken/Seven Psychopaths
JUST KIDDING AWARD:
Best Male Images In A Movie: Magic Mike
*Please Note: The WFCC Top Ten Hall Of Shame represents the ‘don’t tell me to shut up’ sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie. Clarification: If an aspect of the movie is intentionally negative to make a point, rather than offensive, that is not under consideration for this category.
*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower20rack in her bathroom, to make it look like a suicide. He later confessed that he was having a “bad day.” Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.
*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.
*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her. And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days. Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Streisand and Rogen to Talk "The Guilt Trip"
BARBRA STREISAND AND SETH ROGEN TAKE “THE GUILT TRIP” TO 20 CITIES
THE HOLIDAY FILM FROM PARAMOUNT WILL SCREEN EXCLUSIVELY AT AMC THEATRES ON DECEMBER 2ND IN SELECT MARKETS, FOLLOWED BY A LIVE STREAMING Q&A WITH THE FILM’S STARS
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., and AMC Theaters have partnered to bring the upcoming holiday comedy “THE GUILT TRIP” to audiences in 20 cities across the country in advance of its theatrical release on December 19th.
These exclusive screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s stars Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, to be streamed live via satellite from Los Angeles.
The screenings and subsequent live Q&A will take place December 2nd at participating AMC Theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
For more information and to reserve your seat, please visit http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/landing/11245221
“THE GUILT TRIP” stars Rogen as Andy Brewster, an inventor about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, and who better to accompany him than his overbearing mother Joyce, played by Barbra Streisand. After deciding to start his adventure with a quick visit at mom’s, Andy is guilted into bringing her along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of ever-changing landscape, he is constantly aggravated by her antics, but over time he comes to realize that their lives have more in common than he originally thought. His mother’s advice might end up being exactly what he needs. The Guilt Trip is directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Dan Fogelman and produced by Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn and Evan Goldberg.
“THE GUILT TRIP” opens everywhere December 19th, 2012. To learn more about the movie, visit http://www.guilttripmovie.com
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
THE HOLIDAY FILM FROM PARAMOUNT WILL SCREEN EXCLUSIVELY AT AMC THEATRES ON DECEMBER 2ND IN SELECT MARKETS, FOLLOWED BY A LIVE STREAMING Q&A WITH THE FILM’S STARS
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., and AMC Theaters have partnered to bring the upcoming holiday comedy “THE GUILT TRIP” to audiences in 20 cities across the country in advance of its theatrical release on December 19th.
These exclusive screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s stars Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, to be streamed live via satellite from Los Angeles.
The screenings and subsequent live Q&A will take place December 2nd at participating AMC Theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
For more information and to reserve your seat, please visit http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/landing/11245221
“THE GUILT TRIP” stars Rogen as Andy Brewster, an inventor about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, and who better to accompany him than his overbearing mother Joyce, played by Barbra Streisand. After deciding to start his adventure with a quick visit at mom’s, Andy is guilted into bringing her along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of ever-changing landscape, he is constantly aggravated by her antics, but over time he comes to realize that their lives have more in common than he originally thought. His mother’s advice might end up being exactly what he needs. The Guilt Trip is directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Dan Fogelman and produced by Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn and Evan Goldberg.
“THE GUILT TRIP” opens everywhere December 19th, 2012. To learn more about the movie, visit http://www.guilttripmovie.com
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Meet the Fockers Just Wants to Make You Laugh... Nothing More
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 111 (of No. 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, and a brief drug reference
DIRECTOR: Jay Roach
WRITERS: Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, from a story by Marc Hyman and Jim Herzfeld (based upon characters created by Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke)
PRODUCERS: Robert De Niro, Jay Roach, and Jane Rosenthal
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman
EDITOR: Alan Baumgarten, Lee Haxall, and Jon Poll
COMEDY
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson, Spencer Pickren, Bradley Pickren, Alana Ubach, Ray Santiago, Tim Blake Nelson, Shelly Berman, and Cedric Yarbrough
In 2000’s Meet the Parents, “Greg” Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) meets his girlfriend Pam Byrne’s (Teri Polo) parents, Jack (Robert De Niro) and Dina Byrnes (Blythe Danner), but Jack Byrnes is the suspicious father that is every date’s worst nightmare. Much hilarity ensued as Greg tried to earn Jack, a retired CIA officer’s, trust. Four years later, here comes the sequel, Meet the Fockers (the MPAA allegedly demanded that the studio find a family with Focker as a real last name before they allowed the name to be in the film’s title.), and this time Greg and Pam are planning marriage. Jack has more or less grown to accept Greg, mainly because most of his attention is currently on his grandson, Little Jack (Spencer and Bradley Pickren), whom the Byrne’s are sitting while his parents are away.
So it’s time for the Byrnes to meet the Fockers, Greg’s parents, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Roz (Barbra Streisand). Greg and Pam join her parents for the long road trip to Miami where the Bernie and Roz live, and while the trip goes well, the initial meeting between the two sets of parents goes a little awry. That’s just a taste of troublesome things to come, especially after Jack learns that Greg has a few bombshell secrets that Greg’s trying to hide in order to stay in Jack’s vaunted “circle of trust.”
Meet the Fockers is exceedingly funny, although also deeply shallow. The film’s vulgar and crude comedy matches such teen and twenty-something favorites as There’s Something About Mary and American Pie for raunchiness. Meet the Fockers was a giant hit over the 2004 Christmas holidays and well into 2005 because it is ostensibly a family comedy with a lot of belly laughs and plenty of outrageous humor – some of it capable of chasing prudes out of the theatre. Still, the screenwriters and the cast, who are so game to play this script to the hilt, are to be commended for making great humor out of incidents, misunderstandings, misfires, miscalculations, etc. that would bring real families to the brink of a war of the relatives.
Ben Stiller, coolly playing the straight man, keeps this movie sane. Robert De Niro is too intense and actually makes his character hateful, except for the opening and closing scenes. Dustin Hoffman alternates between being annoying and funny. Barbra Streisand is a comedy dynamo, and shows a side of her talent that hasn’t been seen much the last 20 years or so – that of the delightful comedienne. Overall, Meet the Fockers gives much laughter for its value, whether you see it at home or in a theatre. In fact, this is a must-see for people who just want to watch a movie that will make them laugh.
6 of 10
B
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, and a brief drug reference
DIRECTOR: Jay Roach
WRITERS: Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, from a story by Marc Hyman and Jim Herzfeld (based upon characters created by Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke)
PRODUCERS: Robert De Niro, Jay Roach, and Jane Rosenthal
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman
EDITOR: Alan Baumgarten, Lee Haxall, and Jon Poll
COMEDY
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson, Spencer Pickren, Bradley Pickren, Alana Ubach, Ray Santiago, Tim Blake Nelson, Shelly Berman, and Cedric Yarbrough
In 2000’s Meet the Parents, “Greg” Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) meets his girlfriend Pam Byrne’s (Teri Polo) parents, Jack (Robert De Niro) and Dina Byrnes (Blythe Danner), but Jack Byrnes is the suspicious father that is every date’s worst nightmare. Much hilarity ensued as Greg tried to earn Jack, a retired CIA officer’s, trust. Four years later, here comes the sequel, Meet the Fockers (the MPAA allegedly demanded that the studio find a family with Focker as a real last name before they allowed the name to be in the film’s title.), and this time Greg and Pam are planning marriage. Jack has more or less grown to accept Greg, mainly because most of his attention is currently on his grandson, Little Jack (Spencer and Bradley Pickren), whom the Byrne’s are sitting while his parents are away.
So it’s time for the Byrnes to meet the Fockers, Greg’s parents, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Roz (Barbra Streisand). Greg and Pam join her parents for the long road trip to Miami where the Bernie and Roz live, and while the trip goes well, the initial meeting between the two sets of parents goes a little awry. That’s just a taste of troublesome things to come, especially after Jack learns that Greg has a few bombshell secrets that Greg’s trying to hide in order to stay in Jack’s vaunted “circle of trust.”
Meet the Fockers is exceedingly funny, although also deeply shallow. The film’s vulgar and crude comedy matches such teen and twenty-something favorites as There’s Something About Mary and American Pie for raunchiness. Meet the Fockers was a giant hit over the 2004 Christmas holidays and well into 2005 because it is ostensibly a family comedy with a lot of belly laughs and plenty of outrageous humor – some of it capable of chasing prudes out of the theatre. Still, the screenwriters and the cast, who are so game to play this script to the hilt, are to be commended for making great humor out of incidents, misunderstandings, misfires, miscalculations, etc. that would bring real families to the brink of a war of the relatives.
Ben Stiller, coolly playing the straight man, keeps this movie sane. Robert De Niro is too intense and actually makes his character hateful, except for the opening and closing scenes. Dustin Hoffman alternates between being annoying and funny. Barbra Streisand is a comedy dynamo, and shows a side of her talent that hasn’t been seen much the last 20 years or so – that of the delightful comedienne. Overall, Meet the Fockers gives much laughter for its value, whether you see it at home or in a theatre. In fact, this is a must-see for people who just want to watch a movie that will make them laugh.
6 of 10
B
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