Special Coverage: Movie Mix

Hollywood's Selective Outrage

Dennis Perrin, Huffington Post. May 7, 2008.
The air-brushed Hollywood stars that populate PSAs aren't likely to tackle truly controversial issues any time soon.

Young at Heart

Sue Katz, Consenting Adult. May 6, 2008.
Young@heart, a film about a choir of elders whose repertoire includes the Ramones and the Clash, proves that rock n' roll will never die.

WH Campaigns Need Shot of Hollywood

Jeffrey Ressner, Politico. May 1, 2008.
If there's one thing Hollywood heavy-hitters excel at, it's shamelessly manipulating audiences. Why don't politicians take advantage of their talents?

Life Will Never Return to Normal for an Injured Vet Like Tomas Young

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. May 1, 2008.
Phil Donahue's documentary Body of War offers a chilling view of how the lies that led us to war changed the life of one Iraq veteran.

5 Things to Remember When Making a Political Comedy

Cole Abaius, Film School Rejects. April 30, 2008.
When it's not tragic, politics can be hilarious. Here's a guide to political comedy that is actually funny.

Gitmo Injustices Get Satirical Treatment From Harold & Kumar

Eileen Jones, AlterNet. April 26, 2008.
The iconic teens come face to face with the injustices at Gitmo -- and young audiences are going to eat it up.

Intelligent Design Propaganda Is Coming to a Theater Near You

Lauri Lebo, AlterNet. April 24, 2008.
With "Expelled," proponents of Intelligent Design prove that they are much better at marketing than they are at science.

The Demise of the 'Chick Flick'

Sarah Seltzer, RH Reality Check. April 21, 2008.
Studio heads are bewildered that big-budget chick flicks are bombing. Maybe they should stop making movies about rich, thin, white women.

Poland's Painful Past

Vera von Kreutzbruck, The Women's International Perspective. April 18, 2008.
Legendary Polish director Andrzej Wajda talks about the Katyn massacre.

Why Iraq Is Bombing at the Box Office

James Rocchi, Huffington Post. April 15, 2008.
If you haven't been asked to pay for a war with money or blood, why would you buy a ticket to watch a simulation of it?

Pras Michel on Skid Row

Katie Halper, AlterNet. April 12, 2008.
Pras Michel went undercover in LA's Skid Row to experience first-hand the hardships faced by homeless people.

The Perfect Lean, Mean, Macho Machine

Marco Lanzagorta, PopMatters. April 6, 2008.
"Die Hard" is a militaristic fantasy that serves as an allegory for an outnumbered and out-gunned America.

Feminism 3.0: Women and Media

Julia Barry, MediaRights.org. April 4, 2008.
Female filmmakers need to work together to achieve gender equality in media.

'Stop Loss': Patriotic Bluster Dressed up As a Protest Movie

Eileen Jones, The eXile. April 2, 2008.
'Ah signed up thinkin' Ah was goin' there fer mah country.' Hayseed accents can't hide the film's glamorization of war.

Bollywood Is India's Sexual Battleground

Triveni Gandhi, Campus Progress. March 29, 2008.
The ongoing battle over representations of sex in Indian movies reflects a larger conflict between tradition and change.

"Body of War" Depicts Personal Cost of War in Iraq

Amy Goodman, King Features Syndicate. March 27, 2008.
Tens of thousands of veterans suffer from severe mental and physical injuries. A new documentary tells one soldier's story.

No War for Old Men

James Rocchi, Huffington Post. March 26, 2008.
No Country for Old Men is a striking metaphor for the challenges faced by our democracy.

'Miss Pettigrew': A Hollywood Gem Among the Cultural Ruins

Dorothy Woodend, The Tyee. March 25, 2008.
Frances McDormand and Amy Adams star in a fun, mad dash of a film.

Lessons of the Writers' Strike

David Moberg, In These Times. March 24, 2008.
The Writers Guild strike that ended in February proved the power of organizing by creative workers. Now, actors in Hollywood may use the same script.

Are We Headed for a Sci-Fi Dystopia?

Marcy Darnovsky, AlterNet. March 22, 2008.
1997's 'Gattaca' featured a bleak future world ruled by bio-engineered superhumans -- an outcome that no longer seems far-fetched.

Girls Rock!

Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters. March 20, 2008.
Girls Rock! joyfully makes the case that girls can sweat, shout, and rock as hard as any boy.

"Torture Porn" Makers Shrug Off Label

Rachel Corbett, Women's eNews. March 20, 2008.
As "torture porn" movies deepen their imaginative excursions into violence against women, some of their creators are calling their work feminist.

Hollywood is Watching You

Art Brodsky, Huffington Post. March 18, 2008.
The MPAA is railing against net neutrality and trying to partner up with ISPs to spy on Americans who have done nothing wrong.

I Am Obama: The American Imagination and the New Black Hero

Derik Smith, PopMatters. March 13, 2008.
Americans are ready for a black hero. But Obama's success depends on his ability to carefully regulate perceptions of his race.

Middle Eastern Female Filmmakers Give Glimpse of Once-Veiled Worlds

Danna Harman, Christian Science Monitor. March 10, 2008.
Not willing to let men or Westerners speak for them, Middle Eastern female filmmakers get behind the camera.

Sundance Docs Showcase Activist Agendas

Pat Aufderheide, In These Times. March 5, 2008.
This year's Sundance Film Festival featured a host of political documentaries promoting activist causes.

'The Wire' -- Why Criticize One of the Best Crime Shows in TV History?

Brian Cook, In These Times. February 26, 2008.
The HBO series is the ultimate anti-cop show, a rebellion against the horseshit police worship afflicting American television.

Why So Many Films About Going It Alone?

Sally Kohn, Movement Vision Lab. February 24, 2008.
This year's slate of Oscar nominations shows Americans are drawn to entertainment depicting the lonely future we're desperate to avoid.

"Taxi to the Dark Side": How Did America Become a Country That Tortures?

Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters. February 22, 2008.
Alex Gibney's Oscar-nominated film documents the Bush Administration's reckless disregard for human rights and the rule of law.

Persepolis: Life in Iran During the Islamic Revolution

Chuleenan Svetvilas, AlterNet. January 19, 2008.
An animated coming-of-age story offers a personal look at a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution.

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About

Aside from being the most popular art form of all time, movies can also be a powerful tool for social change. This content file seeks to celebrate both the joy and power of the silver screen.

While we'll give weight to socially conscious and underrepresented movie-makers we acknowledge the significant cultural trends evident in even the most wispy Hollywood fare. And, yes, there will be the occasional review.

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