THE LEFT COAST REPORT
A Political Look at Hollywood
The current batch of Oscar nominations underscores the notion that now more than ever Hollywood is out of touch with America.
The simple fact that twice as many people have seen the documentary "March of the Penguins" than have seen any of the five nominations for Best Picture ("Brokeback Mountain," "Crash," "Capote," "Munich" and "Good Night, and Good Luck") drives the point home.
The combined audience total for all of the Best Picture nominations is less than the number of moviegoers who flocked to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
Another indication of the growing chasm between Hollywood and the rest of the universe is the scarcity of bona fide movie stars; those who enjoy that special combination of box office success and larger-than-life personas.
Long associated with the term "movie star" is the name of Jamie Lee Curtis's dad, Tony Curtis.
Tony recently told Fox News's Bill McCuddy that he hadn't yet seen "Brokeback Mountain" and had no intention of doing so. He claims that other Academy members feel similarly.
"This picture is not as important as we make it. It's nothing unique. The only thing unique about it is they put it on the screen. And they make 'em [gay] cowboys."
Curtis reminded folks that his contemporaries wouldn't have cared for the highly acclaimed Best Picture nominee. "Howard Hughes and John Wayne wouldn't like it," Curtis said.
Curtis's favorite flick of 2005 is one that, judging by the box office take, a lot of Americans would place on their list as well: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."
The Left Coast Report points out that while Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon may have donned women's clothing for their film roles, at least they shaved their legs for the part.
Tommy Lee Jones, who won a Supporting Actor Oscar in 1993 for his role in "The Fugitive," recently hosted a fundraising reception and screening of his latest movie, "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," the proceeds of which went to benefit a "border group."
According to reports, Jones's new film follows the wobbly formula of his good friend Oliver Stone in that it is "loosely based" on actual news events.
In a 1997 incident, 18-year-old goat herder Ezequiel Hernandez Jr. was killed by a member of a U.S. Marines team, which was working with the Border Patrol.
The Marines indicated that Hernandez had fired his .22 rifle in the direction of the team a couple of times. He was about to fire a third shot when the commander of the team returned fire, killing Hernandez.
The case was investigated by local, state and federal officials. No charges were filed. The federal government ultimately settled with Hernandez's family for about $1.9 million.
Things unfolded a bit differently however, in the cinematic version of the story. The goat herder shot at a coyote and the Marines made a tragic error.
Proceeds from the $100 a ticket screening and $125 a plate reception went to the El Paso Community Foundation. According to its Web site, the group partners "with donors and non-profit organizations not only in Far West Texas, but also in Cuidad Juárez, and southern New Mexico."
Eric Pearson, program officer with the group, told the El Paso Times that Jones specifically requested that the money go to charities that dealt with "border issues."
The foundation will donate the money to two nonprofit agencies: Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and the Border Institute.
Sister Liliane Alam, executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, said that the organization provides free legal representation each year to approximately 50 illegal aliens who seek political asylum, 200 illegal immigrant women who are allegedly suffering from spousal abuse and 700 illegal immigrant children.
The second group, the Border Institute, was created by and is affiliated with the El Paso Community Foundation. Its director, Oscar Martinez, said that the money will be used to produce a DVD about border issues.
The Left Coast Report says it looks like Jones has projected his fantasy "Fugitive" role on to lawbreakers at the border.
The press was replete with reports that on NBC's "Will & Grace" Britney Spears would portray a Christian conservative TV host in a cooking show called "Cruci-fixin's."
The source of the story? An NBC press release that read: "In the episode, when Out TV is bought by a Christian Television Network, Spears is brought on to be Jack's new religious co-host - until Will (Emmy winner Eric McCormack) and Jack loosen her up. Spears brings her own additions to the talk show when she decides to do a cooking segment called ‘Cruci-fixin's.'"
In a subsequent statement NBC claimed that "some erroneous information was mistakenly included in a press release describing an upcoming episode of ‘Will & Grace,' which in fact has yet to be written. The reference to Cruci-fixin's won't be in the show, and the story line will not contain a Christian characterization at all. We value our viewers and sincerely regret if this information has offended them."
Christian groups reacted to the first press release much like they had to the announcement of another series, the now-cancelled show "The Book of Daniel."
The group may have been instrumental in NBC's unusual series of press releases.
AFA pointed out that naming a cooking segment "Cruci-fixin's" mocks Christ's crucifixion especially since the episode is scheduled to air the night before Good Friday.
The Left Coast Report wonders if today's NBC stands for a Need to Bash Christians.
Ashlee Simpson and Milli Vanilli best beware; The U.K. musicians union is going after singers who, when they appear to be performing, are really engaging in lip-synching.
Reuters reports that the union wants promoters, producers and artists to label lip-synched performances on television or in live concerts.
If the union gets its way, a lip-synching logo will be used to alert the public. Apparently, the plan is to flash the logo up on a television screen or place it on concert tickets.
Not too long ago, while giving an acceptance speech for a song-writing award, eccentric veteran rocker Elton John attacked Madonna over the lip-synching practice. "Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay 75 pounds to see them should be shot," John said.
Madonna has denied engaging in the feigned lip motion.
The Left Coast Report believes that when the mainstream media talking heads start echoing each other's phrases, we sure could use a logo to alert us to "lib" synching.
A warning to politicians and business folks: Bono wants to rock your world. In the process he evidently would also like to fatten his already sizable wallet.
Anyone who's thinking about booking the Irish rocker for a speaking event in the near future will have to arrange things through a fancy shmancy New York speakers' agency, a bureau which also happens to represent former presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.
Touting his position as Lead Singer of U2 and Co-Founder of DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), the agency's Web site gives a boost to Bono with a quote from U.N. head Kofi Annan: "You have taught young people that they do have the power to change this world."
When Bono recently pitched President George W. Bush on the idea of allocating an extra one percent of the U.S. federal budget for the world's poor, it had an altruistic ring to it. (Bush called the rocker a "doer" but stopped short of forking over the requested U.S. taxpayer money.)
Still, there's something peculiar about an advocate for the poor hitting the same lecture circuit as Bill Clinton for the same apparent pecuniary reasons.
Bono recently spoke to a packed house at the Washington Hilton & Towers, where over 3000 people were willing to shell out 95 bucks a piece to attend an event sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) called "The Future in Front of Us: Living a More Involved Life." (In the past the ASAE, which consists of managers of non-profit associations, has featured such luminaries as Oprah and Dr. Phil. And listed as a coming attraction is none other than CNN nabob and heartthrob Larry King.)
A good part of the enthusiasm of the audience came in response to Bono's nuts and bolts references to lobbying activities. Expressing his impatience with the ability to accomplish things in the nation's capital, Bono explained, "It's a combination of our own indifference/and a Kafkaesque labyrinth of 'No's' - as people vanish down the corridors of democracy."
"Those of you in this town know what I'm talking about," he added.
Bono also spoke of his discussions with President Bush in which he encouraged AIDS assistance.
To convince him to distribute anti-AIDS drugs, Bono recalled telling the president, "Paint them red, white and blue if you have to."
The rocker doesn't seem to notice where the money he wishes to siphon off comes from. It's involuntarily removed from the back pockets of American workers.
The Left Coast Report sends a memo to Bono: If you use your own money you can paint it whatever color you want.
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