By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue Apr 5, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Film
While films based on comic books have become a mainstay over the past decade, few in the film industry have taken them seriously past The Dark Knight. Many credit DC Comics and Warner Brothers with getting visionary director Christopher Nolan to work the Batman series. Marvel Comics tried the same deal with Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky. Film industry watchers took note when Aronofsky agreed to direct Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine, but Aronofsky recently backed out of the project. Now, Fox is suing him. [The Movie Blog]
Rainn Wilson (best know as Dwight from The Office) stars in the film Super as a somewhat off-kilter vigilante–who believes himself to be a super hero. Although this film is a comedy, it is said to probe themes of criminal justice and mental health–subjects about which most political junkies are accustomed to thinking. The film is in limited release currently. My fingers are crossed that it makes it to my city. The link is an interesting interview with the director. [IFC.com]
Blockbuster had to file for bankruptcy recently, after losing a very sizable chunk of its demand to Netflix and Redbox. Although there are several opinions as to how relevant Blockbuster will continue to be in the future, who ends up with the property could be an interesting story. No matter what, the story of Blockbuster over the past few years have shown how much the film industry has changed. [Guardian]
Also from the Guardian, Michael Moore is suing the Weinstein brothers–who have produced most of his films. Moore states that their accounting has kept him from a sizable chunk of money. No matter your thoughts on Michael Moore’s politics, the man changed documentary film making forever by putting himself at the center of the action. There could never have been Morgan Spurlock or James O’Keefe without Michael Moore. [Guardian]
James Cameron–no matter what you think of his films–has incredible sway over the technical aspects of film making. He and George Lucas pushed for 3-D almost a decade ago, and thanks in large part to his blockbuster Avatar, the technology is all over our cinema’s nowadays. Now, he is pushing for a higher frame rate–to 48 or 60 fps from the current industry standard of 24 fps–which has been the standard since the 1920s. Read this post from /Film to see the implications of such a switch [/Film]
Again from /Film, The Weinstein brothers made waves earlier this year when they re-cut The King’s Speech to receive a PG-13 rating after the Oscars in order to make a higher return on what they expected to be a huge Oscar haul. Although the Academy delivered the film with plenty of awards on Oscar night, the re-cut film had no impact on the film’s money making abilities. A victory for artistry over calculated finance? I say so. [/Film]
I do a film podcast every week on 88.1 WRFL Lexington called Surreelfilm. You can check out the podcast here. I promise, it doesn’t suck.
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue Apr 5, 2011 at 2:30 PM ET
Since I travel quite a bit, I’m introducing a new feature to The Recovering Politician — borrowing with gratitude from PBS, the Today show, and The Daily Dish — Where in the World is the RP?
To win, you must be the first person in the comment section to name the location where I am standing in the pictures below. Identifying the city is not good enough — please give a more precise location within the city.
The winner receives a free signed copy of The Compassionate Community. My family, close friends, and business associates who already know my whereabouts are disqualified.
Speaking of my book about faith and public policy, today’s contest features pictures of me meeting new friends and sharing the multi-faith, love-your-neighbor message of The Compassionate Community.
Guess away in the comment section below!
UPDATE 3:52 PM Winner, winner, chicken matzoh ball soup dinner: John Hawkins correctly guessed that the RP was standing in the right-wing, conservative hot bed of Union Square, San Francisco. John will collect an autographed copy of The Compassionate Community, as soon as the RP escapes from the clutches of his new friends.
Here’s what more than a billion people know and you don’t: India just won the World Cup in cricket. You think the NCAA tournament is a distraction? [NYTimes]
Okay, then! Now I know we all (recovering politicians, especially) feel better. Thanks, Dan! [ProGolf Talk]
Much ado about nothing? Or poor sportsmanship vs. questionable parenting? Either way, we’re sure there’s more than one campaigner that would have loved to have done this rather than kiss that baby. [The Spin]
The RP loves sports movies. In case you missed it in theatres, this film should have won the Oscar. Agree? Well,DO YOU?!? [Amazon]
The Politics of Swing could show a clip from Caddyshack every week. One of our favorites: [Wisdom Shared]
Finally, a piece about another swing sport you know nothing about (unless you live in Florida or are a member of ETA) [Jackass Jai Alai]
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Tue Apr 5, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
The Politics of the Media
Time Magazine lists the 140 best Twitter feeds, including a special section on politicians. #awesome [Time Magazine]
According to this year’s Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index Map, the happiest American is “a tall, Asian-American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year.” And the New York Times actually found him. [New York Times]
The Poynter Center evaluates stereotyping and bias in media coverage of the devastation in Japan. [The Poynter Institute]
How do newspapers make money when all their content is free online? Arthur Brisbane, public editor for the New York Times, explains the paper’s decision to charge for online content. [New York Times]
Media humor: Reporters shouldn’t try everything they cover. [Youtube]
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue Apr 5, 2011 at 11:00 AM ET
We’ve been receiving some incredible feedback about the stunningly candid article posted yesterday by former Missouri State Senator — and current recovering politician — Jeff Smith. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, click here.
You will be hearing a lot more from Jeff as he contributes regularly to the site — writing about his past, his ideas for reform, and his musings on any number of issues. Stay tuned in the weeks ahead.
In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about Jeff and his story, go to his RP profile page (which also can be found on the blue menu at the top of this site under “Contributing RPs”); check out this article published recently in The New Republic; or watch his video interview with Dylan Ratigan, by clicking here, or on the picture below:
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Apr 4, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET
I hope you enjoyed today’s posts.
Perhaps Jeff Smith’s piece gave you a new, unique perspective on political scandal, while reminding you that in a highly polarized, hyper-partisan system, the players are manifestly human.
Maybe my essay on Bobby Kennedy will change the way you view April 4; not simply a day of grief, but also one of transcendence.
Tomorrow, we will launch a new feature on The Recovering Politician: RPTV. In 15 Minutes of Fame, I’ll interview David Sirota, the New York Times-bestselling author, who has just published a new book, Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live In.
If you were alive during the 80s, are a pop culture fan, and are interested in the decade’s political ramifications, you’ll love it. If you want to get a head start, click the link below:
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Mon Apr 4, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Tech
David Kirkpatrick breaks down the Consumer Electronics Show and lets you know the most exciting things to look for in the world of technology in 2011. [The Daily Beast]
The relationship between Amazon and Apple has been pretty rocky of late. Now, with Amazon’s release of “cloud” music storing and streaming service horning in on Apple’s music game, it doesn’t seem like it will improve anytime soon. Here’s a good explanation of where the relationship is now and how it could evolve moving forward. [CNET]
Google is certainly at the forefront of web companies. However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t failed at times. Remember the hype surrounding Buzz and Wave? Now, Google is releasing its new +1 feature. It will work similar to Facebook “likes” in that it allows you to give a +1 to search results you enjoy. [Gizmodo]
Speaking of Google, they are set to present a wonderful opportunity to Kansas City, KS: a 1 Gbps fiber-optic network. Over 1,000 cities applied to be chosen for this fantastic experiment. The U.S. does not have the greatest infrastructure for speedy internet in the world (especially if you’re comparing us with South Korea). However, if this is successful it could signify a change is possible and faster internet for all is on the horizon. [ars technica]
By Sandra Moon, RP Staff, on Mon Apr 4, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
The Politics of Faith
1040 for Peace: Is tax season an opportunity to protest war? Some are doing just that. [Soujourners]
Fiscal v. Social Conservatism: Can the Tea Party’s flavor satisfy Iowa’s Religious Right? [NY Times]
Westboro Baptist Church branches out from their usual routine of protesting military funerals and decides to picket Elizabeth Taylor’s funeral. [Huffington Post]
Presbyterian Minister who used to preach against homosexuality now supports and speaks out for same-sex marriage rights. [Salon.com]
In contrast to an earlier congressional hearing focusing on Islamic radicalism, recent Senate hearing focuses on protecting civil rights of American Muslims. [USA Today]
