We are the enemy now (sung to the tune of “Your in the Army Now”).
Come on boys and girls. Somebody write the song.
Come on cartoonists. Draw our demise.
Walt Kelly drew a good one for the first Earth Day in 1971, including that now famous line: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” (See cartoon below).
That was directed at public apathy toward the pollution of nature.
We need a new one to depict the demise of the American Empire, since it is becoming quite clear now that the U.S. government and military constitute the gravest threat to the planet since Adolph Hitler took over Germany in the 1930s.
No, tea baggers, it’s not President Obama’s fault. Although clearly, he doesn’t seem to have the capacity to do anything to stop it.
Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, aka the super hero Iron Man in this sequel to the 2008 blockbuster. RDJ, Paltrow, Cheadle and Rockwell are joined by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash. Jon Favreau once again takes up the directorial reins for Marvel’s armored avenger. It hit theaters in May, and cable on demand this month. Review to follow soon.
How many stories does it take to make us understand and change?
Jesus and his disciples tried to warn people 2,000 years ago, but they could not understand.
People still do not get the message, although they worship him like a god, even George W. Bush.
The story of how human selfishness and greed threatens the survival of the species and the planet have been told for thousands of years, long before there was a Jesus, by word of mouth, on scrolls and carvings on rocks.
But now, armed with far more sophisticated knowledge of the planet and the human species and our behavior patterns, our psychology and sociology, the medium of our time is the film.
Inspired by everything they know about the universe, the earth and human kind, a number of film makers have tried to warn us. But for most of us, a movie is just another form of entertainment to go with our buttered popcorn and Coca-Cola. Interesting viewing, but unreal, with nothing important to say about us, our times or our future. Just another fantasy or fairy tale. And that is a mistake.
Narrated by Academy Award Winner Sissy Spacek, Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People is the first environmental history series ever made. Produced by Jamie Ross and Ross Spears, the documentary includes an all-star cast, including Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist E.O. Wilson and best-selling novelist Barbara Kingsolver, and explores the intersection of natural history and human history in one of America’s grandest treasures. Well worth catching. Look for it on a public television station near you.
The movie Detective Sherlock Holmes, played by Robert Downey Jr., along with his stalwart partner Dr. Watson, played by Jude Law, is an engaging battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
The Warner Brothers picture was released Dec. 25, 2009, but is now playing on cable. Written by Guy Ritchie, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg, and directed by Guy Ritchie, it is a thoroughly enjoyable film. Caught it right before the Alabama-Duke game Saturday. Loved Rachel McAdams as Holmes’ love interest. Turns out she is also pro-environment, one of the founders of GreenIsSexy.Org.
What does it say about the American press and public when it takes the publisher of a tasteless smut magazine to be the biggest defender of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in the 20th century? Who will defend it in the 21st century?
A documentary from Magnolia Pictures on Jack Abramoff and the power of money in the hands of lobbyists in D.C. was released May 7. It also stars William Branner, Tom DeLay, Donn Dunlop and Kevin Henderson. Written by Alex Gibney. Directed by Alex Gibney
The plot? A probing investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his criminal cronies.
The wild life and chaotic times of ‘gonzo’ writer Hunter S. Thompson is recounted by Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Sean Penn, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro and others, narrated by Nick Nolte, in this Starz Original documentary now playing on a cable or satellite channel near you. I caught it on late night cable Friday night. Hip people all over the country and the world will realize why this is important, as even Tom Wolfe called Thompson “the best comic writer of the 20th Century,” and one the best of the “new journalists.”
I’m not sure many average people in the South or Alabamaland get it, but part of our idea of advancing democracy and culture is to expose people to ideas they will never get from the mainstream, corporate newspapers or local television news. We understand there are many people who live in isolated communities with little diversity who are more apt to watch the safe little movies on the Hallmark Channel for their entertainment. But for the rest of those who live in cities and are curious about the real world, check this out.
From Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Charles Ferguson (“No End In Sight”), comes INSIDE JOB, the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs.
Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, INSIDE JOB, made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China, traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.
During the Bush years, we specialized in covering the politicization of the U.S. justice system as much as any news organization. Our archives are about the most comprehensive for anyone researching the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, and the original case against Richard Scrushy, which Glynn Wilson covered for The New York Times.
