History is happenin' baby girl
Times Square Nov 4, 2008
My wife Judy and I had several business meetings in Manhattan on Tuesday, the day of the election. We were walking through Times Square that night after seeing Horton Foote's play, Dividing The Estate. There was an enormous, rainbow crowd packing the square. It was like New Year's Eve with people spilling out of bars onto the sidewalks and streets, celebrating, laughing and talking to strangers. Lovers and friends were holding hands and leaning against each other. Entire families had shown up for this historic night. Huge neon jumbo-trons were streaming CNN, Fox News, ABC, and The Jon Stewart Show. Everyone was excitedly reacting to each update that popped up on these enormous outdoor screens. It was an amazing spectacle.
We passed an elderly black woman who appeared to be in her 70s. She had her young granddaughter with her who appeared to be no more than seven or so. The little girl was holding her grandmother's hand and tugging on her sleeve, standing on her tiptoes to see what all the commotion was about.
"What's happenin', grandmama?" the little girl asked the gray-haired matron.
The elderly lady looked at the child. "History, baby girl. History is happenin'."
Just then another state was called for Obama. One of the huge screens – it was several stories tall and as wide as the side of the building – flashed a still photo of Obama.
The elderly lady reached down and, with effort, lifted the little girl into her arms. She pointed at Obama's smiling face.
"Child," she said, "I do believe that man is gonna be the next president of these United States."
The little girl looked at Obama, her big brown eyes wide with the wonder of it all. "Really?"
"As God is my witness..." She held the child close and hugged her. Tears of joy welled up in the old woman's eyes.
"The greatness of America," Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, "lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." (The rumor that Alexis is a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon is incorrect.)
As a people, no matter how badly we lose our way or abuse the many blessings we have been given, we still have the ability to change course. Our great ship of state has turned into the wind and is now moving in a fresh direction with a steady hand and a firm gaze on the horizon.
Michael Moore's Letter
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
Friends,
Who among us is not at a loss for words? Tears pour out. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. A stunning, whopping landslide of hope in a time of deep despair.
In a nation that was founded on genocide and then built on the backs of slaves, it was an unexpected moment, shocking in its simplicity: Barack Obama, a good man, a black man, said he would bring change to Washington, and the majority of the country liked that idea. The racists were present throughout the campaign and in the voting booth. But they are no longer the majority, and we will see their flame of hate fizzle out in our lifetime.
There was another important "first" last night. Never before in our history has an avowed anti-war candidate been elected president during a time of war. I hope President-elect Obama remembers that as he considers expanding the war in Afghanistan. The faith we now have will be lost if he forgets the main issue on which he beat his fellow Dems in the primaries and then a great war hero in the general election: The people of America are tired of war. Sick and tired. And their voice was loud and clear yesterday.
It's been an inexcusable 44 years since a Democrat running for president has received even just 51% of the vote. That's because most Americans haven't really liked the Democrats. They see them as rarely having the guts to get the job done or stand up for the working people they say they support. Well, here's their chance. It has been handed to them, via the voting public, in the form of a man who is not a party hack, not a set-for-life Beltway bureaucrat. Will he now become one of them, or will he force them to be more like him? We pray for the latter.
But today we celebrate this triumph of decency over personal attack, of peace over war, of intelligence over a belief that Adam and Eve rode around on dinosaurs just 6,000 years ago. What will it be like to have a smart president? Science, banished for eight years, will return. Imagine supporting our country's greatest minds as they seek to cure illness, discover new forms of energy, and work to save the planet. I know, pinch me.
We may, just possibly, also see a time of refreshing openness, enlightenment and creativity. The arts and the artists will not be seen as the enemy. Perhaps art will be explored in order to discover the greater truths. When FDR was ushered in with his landslide in 1932, what followed was Frank Capra and Preston Sturgis, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck, Dorothea Lange and Orson Welles. All week long I have been inundated with media asking me, "gee, Mike, what will you do now that Bush is gone?" Are they kidding? What will it be like to work and create in an environment that nurtures and supports film and the arts, science and invention, and the freedom to be whatever you want to be? Watch a thousand flowers bloom! We've entered a new era, and if I could sum up our collective first thought of this new era, it is this: Anything Is Possible.
An African American has been elected President of the United States! Anything is possible! We can wrestle our economy out of the hands of the reckless rich and return it to the people. Anything is possible! Every citizen can be guaranteed health care. Anything is possible! We can stop melting the polar ice caps. Anything is possible! Those who have committed war crimes will be brought to justice. Anything is possible.
We really don't have much time. There is big work to do. But this is the week for all of us to revel in this great moment. Be humble about it. Do not treat the Republicans in your life the way they have treated you the past eight years. Show them the grace and goodness that Barack Obama exuded throughout the campaign. Though called every name in the book, he refused to lower himself to the gutter and sling the mud back. Can we follow his example? I know, it will be hard.
I want to thank everyone who gave of their time and resources to make this victory happen. It's been a long road, and huge damage has been done to this great country, not to mention to many of you who have lost your jobs, gone bankrupt from medical bills, or suffered through a loved one being shipped off to Iraq. We will now work to repair this damage, and it won't be easy.
But what a way to start! Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Wow. Seriously, wow.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
MMFlint@aol.com
Friends,
Who among us is not at a loss for words? Tears pour out. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. A stunning, whopping landslide of hope in a time of deep despair.
In a nation that was founded on genocide and then built on the backs of slaves, it was an unexpected moment, shocking in its simplicity: Barack Obama, a good man, a black man, said he would bring change to Washington, and the majority of the country liked that idea. The racists were present throughout the campaign and in the voting booth. But they are no longer the majority, and we will see their flame of hate fizzle out in our lifetime.
There was another important "first" last night. Never before in our history has an avowed anti-war candidate been elected president during a time of war. I hope President-elect Obama remembers that as he considers expanding the war in Afghanistan. The faith we now have will be lost if he forgets the main issue on which he beat his fellow Dems in the primaries and then a great war hero in the general election: The people of America are tired of war. Sick and tired. And their voice was loud and clear yesterday.
It's been an inexcusable 44 years since a Democrat running for president has received even just 51% of the vote. That's because most Americans haven't really liked the Democrats. They see them as rarely having the guts to get the job done or stand up for the working people they say they support. Well, here's their chance. It has been handed to them, via the voting public, in the form of a man who is not a party hack, not a set-for-life Beltway bureaucrat. Will he now become one of them, or will he force them to be more like him? We pray for the latter.
But today we celebrate this triumph of decency over personal attack, of peace over war, of intelligence over a belief that Adam and Eve rode around on dinosaurs just 6,000 years ago. What will it be like to have a smart president? Science, banished for eight years, will return. Imagine supporting our country's greatest minds as they seek to cure illness, discover new forms of energy, and work to save the planet. I know, pinch me.
We may, just possibly, also see a time of refreshing openness, enlightenment and creativity. The arts and the artists will not be seen as the enemy. Perhaps art will be explored in order to discover the greater truths. When FDR was ushered in with his landslide in 1932, what followed was Frank Capra and Preston Sturgis, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck, Dorothea Lange and Orson Welles. All week long I have been inundated with media asking me, "gee, Mike, what will you do now that Bush is gone?" Are they kidding? What will it be like to work and create in an environment that nurtures and supports film and the arts, science and invention, and the freedom to be whatever you want to be? Watch a thousand flowers bloom! We've entered a new era, and if I could sum up our collective first thought of this new era, it is this: Anything Is Possible.
An African American has been elected President of the United States! Anything is possible! We can wrestle our economy out of the hands of the reckless rich and return it to the people. Anything is possible! Every citizen can be guaranteed health care. Anything is possible! We can stop melting the polar ice caps. Anything is possible! Those who have committed war crimes will be brought to justice. Anything is possible.
We really don't have much time. There is big work to do. But this is the week for all of us to revel in this great moment. Be humble about it. Do not treat the Republicans in your life the way they have treated you the past eight years. Show them the grace and goodness that Barack Obama exuded throughout the campaign. Though called every name in the book, he refused to lower himself to the gutter and sling the mud back. Can we follow his example? I know, it will be hard.
I want to thank everyone who gave of their time and resources to make this victory happen. It's been a long road, and huge damage has been done to this great country, not to mention to many of you who have lost your jobs, gone bankrupt from medical bills, or suffered through a loved one being shipped off to Iraq. We will now work to repair this damage, and it won't be easy.
But what a way to start! Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Wow. Seriously, wow.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
MMFlint@aol.com
Book news from Rosemary Serluca-Foster
FROM AEI ASSOCIATE MANAGER ROSEMARY SERLUCA:
Did you know that November 10th - 18th is World Kindness Week? The World Kindness Movement (WKM) and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation are organizations whose mission is to inspire individuals to share greater kindness toward each other, and to connect nations to create a kinder world.
Try practicing one random act of kindness every day, and watch your life, the lives you touch, and the world around you transform in a wonderful way!
Kindness is infectious--spread it around.
Please join me at the following terrific events, and continue to celebrate the gift of a child`s intuitive heart.
Saturday, November 8th at 11:30AM, I will give a reading and offer signed copies for purchase of my award-winning children`s picture book, Genevieve`s Gift: A Child`s Joyful Tale of Connecting with her Intuitive Heart at Whole Foods Market, 235 Prospect Ave # 21- West Orange, NJ. For more information, and to reserve your spot, please call (973)-669-3196 or email Rachel.Bogan@wholefoods.com.
Friday, November 21st, 7-9, I will be participating in the fun and fabulous Upper Nyack School`s Book Fair Party 336 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack, NY. Many wonderful children`s books available for purchase, as well as, author book signings. Join us for a great time!
Sunday, November 30th, from 10AM-5PM, I will be signing and selling books at the Body, Mind, Spirit Fall Festival held at the Wyndham Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn) 50 Kenney Place, Saddle Brook, NJ. Come, enjoy a fun-filled day, and stop by to say hello.
If you would like to schedule a reading or workshop at your school, library, local bookstore, homeschooling group, health expo, house of worship, please email info@rosedoveproductions.com. For more information visit www.genevievesgift.com.
All the Best,
Rosemary and "Genevieve"
Did you know that November 10th - 18th is World Kindness Week? The World Kindness Movement (WKM) and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation are organizations whose mission is to inspire individuals to share greater kindness toward each other, and to connect nations to create a kinder world.
Try practicing one random act of kindness every day, and watch your life, the lives you touch, and the world around you transform in a wonderful way!
Kindness is infectious--spread it around.
Please join me at the following terrific events, and continue to celebrate the gift of a child`s intuitive heart.
Saturday, November 8th at 11:30AM, I will give a reading and offer signed copies for purchase of my award-winning children`s picture book, Genevieve`s Gift: A Child`s Joyful Tale of Connecting with her Intuitive Heart at Whole Foods Market, 235 Prospect Ave # 21- West Orange, NJ. For more information, and to reserve your spot, please call (973)-669-3196 or email Rachel.Bogan@wholefoods.com.
Friday, November 21st, 7-9, I will be participating in the fun and fabulous Upper Nyack School`s Book Fair Party 336 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack, NY. Many wonderful children`s books available for purchase, as well as, author book signings. Join us for a great time!
Sunday, November 30th, from 10AM-5PM, I will be signing and selling books at the Body, Mind, Spirit Fall Festival held at the Wyndham Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn) 50 Kenney Place, Saddle Brook, NJ. Come, enjoy a fun-filled day, and stop by to say hello.
If you would like to schedule a reading or workshop at your school, library, local bookstore, homeschooling group, health expo, house of worship, please email info@rosedoveproductions.com. For more information visit www.genevievesgift.com.
All the Best,
Rosemary and "Genevieve"
Movie Myths: The Faust Myth
“I’m tired of the same old clichés,” Sam Goldwyn once said. “Bring me some new clichés.” Since Homer’s Odyssey, which describes its protagonist as a teller of twice-told tales, storytellers achieve greatness by finding new ways to tell those universal stories that have been around since the beginning of storytelling. “It could happen anytime—anywhere—to anybody. Yes, it could even happen to you,” to quote from the opening titles of William Dieterle’s “The Devil and Daniel Webster” (1941). These perennial tales are what we call myths, and our new takes on them work best when we clearly recognize the exact myth from which we’re spinning a new yarn. Films go astray when the myth is lost sight of. “Writing free verse,” Robert Frost remarked, “is like playing tennis with the nets down.”
For us development producers, the “nets” are the “obligatory beats” in the myth that’s generating the screenplay we’re working with. You simply have more creative control if you know where you’re starting from. Take one of Hollywood’s favorites—“the deal with the Devil” (human POV) or the “Devil tempting humans” (Devil POV, the latter going at least as far back as the Book of Job). This temptation-to-supernatural power-and-redemption myth decisively predates the namesake it’s often identified with (Doctor Johannes Faust actually existed in the 16th century, a famous magician renowened for his devotion to necromancy), going back at least as far as Prometheus (who enables man to go beyond his nature), touching down again memorably with Satan offering Jesus from the mountain “all the kingdoms of the world, if you will fall down and adore me” and reappears memorably again with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s wildest dream become real enough to destroy him.
The myth generates stories that fall into two categories: in one set of stories, often called “Faust” stories, like “Damn Yankees” (1958), “Alias Nick Beal” (1949), and “The Devil’s Advocate,” a living protagonist makes a deal with the evil spirit; in the second set, like “Heaven Can Wait,” “The Devil and Max Devlin,” “Angel on My Shoulder” (1946), and Todd McFarlane’s “Spawn,” the protagonist Al Simmons is murdered by his evil boss Jason Wynn, then makes a hell of a deal that brings him back to life (the story is muddled by putting in too many elements that undermine the power of the myth to involve us personally).
The Faust stories may be slightly more popular to filmmakers because they remain rooted in earthbound reality without having to deal with visualizing the afterlife except in the random nightmare flash. In the typical Faust story, the protagonist wants something (eternal life, power, knowledge, the perfect woman—or lots of her) so badly he attracts an evil spirit (the Devil, Satan, “Wall Street’s” Gordon Gekko) who promises to help him get it, for a price (usually his immortal soul, almost always his morality). Note that the devil’s deal is usually deceitful in some way—why wouldn’t it be?—though the protagonist is blinded to the deceit by his greed. The protagonist longs for a power beyond the ordinary, the devil comes to offer it to him in exchange for his soul. He accepts the bargain, and enjoys what he longed for until he realizes the enjoyment is hollow. The devil then comes to claim the bargainer’s soul. In the final act, Faust ether is redeemed and given a second chance or is taken, howling, down to hell. Note that in either version the important catalyst the athe antagonist’s 9the devil’s )The details of the bargain laid out, the deal sealed, our hero gets the girl, or the money, or the power—but finds something wrong either with what he wanted or what he has to pay, or with both. Then he tries to get out of it, and—in act 3—either succeeds or fails (comedy or “tragedy”). Cases in point: consitgency. Faust may change his mind, and wish the deal undone; but the devil sticks to his guns.
• In Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” (1586), the price is his soul, the exchange 24 years of service from Mephistopheles, bringing him knowledge, power, wealth, and beauty; the outcome, tragic: Repentance is too little too late, and Faust is dragged howling into hell by demons. Yet he’s still seen somehow as a hero, of man’s transcendence of his own nature.
• Goethe’s “Faust” (1808) brings an Enlightenment twist to the familiar story: the protagonist scientist, master of his own destiny, is the one who lays down the conditions of the demonic deal. Tragedy is transformed to comedy by a literal dues ex machina – when Mephistopheles comes to collect his soul, angels beat him to it and carry Faust off to heaven. The angels in Goethe’s tale are man’s higher nature, saving him because of his desire for knowledge on behalf of all humanity.
• In “The Devil & Daniel Webster,” the payoff for xxx is seven years of prosperity, but Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston) is defeated by the oratory and Yankee ingenuity of Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold): “No American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince.”
• In “Mephisto” (Mephistopheles is the name of the devil in Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s Faust), the devil is the Nazi regime, the payoff to the actor-protagonist is being allowed to continue in the theater.
Typically the storytellers’ desire is t somehow save Faust, for saving him would allow audiences to believe that transcendence is possible, that one can go beyond the limits of human nature with impunity. The trick is how to save him believably, and that is a tough trick to pull off.
The producers’ challenge is to work with the screenwriter to think up a twist that excites audiences to take this “same old ride” one more time. In “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), the twist is that the diabolical deal is made by the protagonist’s husband and she’s left holding the bag—er, the baby. In “The Devil’s Advocate,” the twist is that the protagonist played by Keanu Reeves finds out he’s the Devil’s son. In both cases, the stories have clear and satisfying resolutions because the storytellers have kept sight of the invisible net—the mythic understructure of the story--which allows them to play tennis as though they and the audience could see it. When the story gets the myth right, even with all its twists and turn to “make it new,” the audience sighs with relief—redemption, even after great evil, is still possible.
But if the twists and turn twist the essentials of the myth too much, the story falls flat. “Bedazzled” (2000) has a cool twist, with the devil as a saucy woman (Elizabeth Hurley), but by adding the “seven wishes” motif to the basic Faust myth, muddles up the the myth by, among other things, trying to mix it with the “three (in this case seven) wishes” myth and the writing isn’t strong enough to pull off the graft effectively.
In Indecent Proposal, the innocent young couple encounters the handsomely tuxedoed John Gage (his dapperness reminiscent of Ray Walston’s Mr. Applegate in “Damn Yankees”). But Ray Walston was no romantic competition for Tab Hunter. “Indecent Proposal” goes awry for the audience because once the audience has seen the devilish gleam in Robert Redford’s eyes, they, like Demy Moore’s Diana Murphy, lose their rooting interest in husband David (played by hapless Woody Harrelson). The producers chose the star system over adhering to mythic storytelling—the devil’s not supposed to be the good guy, but by the end we’re rooting for Diana to stay with him and his lovable dogs, not go back to her ineffectual husband and his white rhinoceros. For the devil to play antagonist, you need a heavy, like Al Pacino in “The Devil’s Advocate” or Robert de Niro in “Angel Heart.” But of course Redford wanted the role, and who wouldn’t want Redford? The film did over $300 worldwide on an all-in of $63 million. It just felt fuzzy at the end because we lost sight of the nets. Moral of the story: when in doubt about your script, attach a star!
See the Faust table here.
First published in Produced By, the official magazine of the Producers Guild of America.
For us development producers, the “nets” are the “obligatory beats” in the myth that’s generating the screenplay we’re working with. You simply have more creative control if you know where you’re starting from. Take one of Hollywood’s favorites—“the deal with the Devil” (human POV) or the “Devil tempting humans” (Devil POV, the latter going at least as far back as the Book of Job). This temptation-to-supernatural power-and-redemption myth decisively predates the namesake it’s often identified with (Doctor Johannes Faust actually existed in the 16th century, a famous magician renowened for his devotion to necromancy), going back at least as far as Prometheus (who enables man to go beyond his nature), touching down again memorably with Satan offering Jesus from the mountain “all the kingdoms of the world, if you will fall down and adore me” and reappears memorably again with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s wildest dream become real enough to destroy him.
The myth generates stories that fall into two categories: in one set of stories, often called “Faust” stories, like “Damn Yankees” (1958), “Alias Nick Beal” (1949), and “The Devil’s Advocate,” a living protagonist makes a deal with the evil spirit; in the second set, like “Heaven Can Wait,” “The Devil and Max Devlin,” “Angel on My Shoulder” (1946), and Todd McFarlane’s “Spawn,” the protagonist Al Simmons is murdered by his evil boss Jason Wynn, then makes a hell of a deal that brings him back to life (the story is muddled by putting in too many elements that undermine the power of the myth to involve us personally).
The Faust stories may be slightly more popular to filmmakers because they remain rooted in earthbound reality without having to deal with visualizing the afterlife except in the random nightmare flash. In the typical Faust story, the protagonist wants something (eternal life, power, knowledge, the perfect woman—or lots of her) so badly he attracts an evil spirit (the Devil, Satan, “Wall Street’s” Gordon Gekko) who promises to help him get it, for a price (usually his immortal soul, almost always his morality). Note that the devil’s deal is usually deceitful in some way—why wouldn’t it be?—though the protagonist is blinded to the deceit by his greed. The protagonist longs for a power beyond the ordinary, the devil comes to offer it to him in exchange for his soul. He accepts the bargain, and enjoys what he longed for until he realizes the enjoyment is hollow. The devil then comes to claim the bargainer’s soul. In the final act, Faust ether is redeemed and given a second chance or is taken, howling, down to hell. Note that in either version the important catalyst the athe antagonist’s 9the devil’s )The details of the bargain laid out, the deal sealed, our hero gets the girl, or the money, or the power—but finds something wrong either with what he wanted or what he has to pay, or with both. Then he tries to get out of it, and—in act 3—either succeeds or fails (comedy or “tragedy”). Cases in point: consitgency. Faust may change his mind, and wish the deal undone; but the devil sticks to his guns.
• In Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” (1586), the price is his soul, the exchange 24 years of service from Mephistopheles, bringing him knowledge, power, wealth, and beauty; the outcome, tragic: Repentance is too little too late, and Faust is dragged howling into hell by demons. Yet he’s still seen somehow as a hero, of man’s transcendence of his own nature.
• Goethe’s “Faust” (1808) brings an Enlightenment twist to the familiar story: the protagonist scientist, master of his own destiny, is the one who lays down the conditions of the demonic deal. Tragedy is transformed to comedy by a literal dues ex machina – when Mephistopheles comes to collect his soul, angels beat him to it and carry Faust off to heaven. The angels in Goethe’s tale are man’s higher nature, saving him because of his desire for knowledge on behalf of all humanity.
• In “The Devil & Daniel Webster,” the payoff for xxx is seven years of prosperity, but Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston) is defeated by the oratory and Yankee ingenuity of Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold): “No American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince.”
• In “Mephisto” (Mephistopheles is the name of the devil in Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s Faust), the devil is the Nazi regime, the payoff to the actor-protagonist is being allowed to continue in the theater.
Typically the storytellers’ desire is t somehow save Faust, for saving him would allow audiences to believe that transcendence is possible, that one can go beyond the limits of human nature with impunity. The trick is how to save him believably, and that is a tough trick to pull off.
The producers’ challenge is to work with the screenwriter to think up a twist that excites audiences to take this “same old ride” one more time. In “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), the twist is that the diabolical deal is made by the protagonist’s husband and she’s left holding the bag—er, the baby. In “The Devil’s Advocate,” the twist is that the protagonist played by Keanu Reeves finds out he’s the Devil’s son. In both cases, the stories have clear and satisfying resolutions because the storytellers have kept sight of the invisible net—the mythic understructure of the story--which allows them to play tennis as though they and the audience could see it. When the story gets the myth right, even with all its twists and turn to “make it new,” the audience sighs with relief—redemption, even after great evil, is still possible.
But if the twists and turn twist the essentials of the myth too much, the story falls flat. “Bedazzled” (2000) has a cool twist, with the devil as a saucy woman (Elizabeth Hurley), but by adding the “seven wishes” motif to the basic Faust myth, muddles up the the myth by, among other things, trying to mix it with the “three (in this case seven) wishes” myth and the writing isn’t strong enough to pull off the graft effectively.
In Indecent Proposal, the innocent young couple encounters the handsomely tuxedoed John Gage (his dapperness reminiscent of Ray Walston’s Mr. Applegate in “Damn Yankees”). But Ray Walston was no romantic competition for Tab Hunter. “Indecent Proposal” goes awry for the audience because once the audience has seen the devilish gleam in Robert Redford’s eyes, they, like Demy Moore’s Diana Murphy, lose their rooting interest in husband David (played by hapless Woody Harrelson). The producers chose the star system over adhering to mythic storytelling—the devil’s not supposed to be the good guy, but by the end we’re rooting for Diana to stay with him and his lovable dogs, not go back to her ineffectual husband and his white rhinoceros. For the devil to play antagonist, you need a heavy, like Al Pacino in “The Devil’s Advocate” or Robert de Niro in “Angel Heart.” But of course Redford wanted the role, and who wouldn’t want Redford? The film did over $300 worldwide on an all-in of $63 million. It just felt fuzzy at the end because we lost sight of the nets. Moral of the story: when in doubt about your script, attach a star!
See the Faust table here.
First published in Produced By, the official magazine of the Producers Guild of America.
More UN-DEAD foreign deals
Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt’s supernatural thriller and Stoker-family-authorized sequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, known as Dracula: The Un-Dead, was a major center of activity at Frankfurt, with six figure sales made to Michel Lafon (France), Lizengeber (Germany), Edizione Piemme (Italy), Roca Editorial (Spain), and five figures to Znak Publishing (Poland), AST Publishing (Russia), De Boekerij (Holland). By Baror International for Atchity Entertainment International. AEI and Blue Tulip are developing the motion picture. Ken Atchity kja (at) aeionline (dot) com
Sometimes Even Fox News Gets It Right
November 1, 2008
New York Times
Shepard the Anchor
We do not often cheer on Fox News's coverage of politics. But we did the other day when the anchor Shepard Smith reported on an especially absurd turn in the "Joe the Plumber" saga.
John McCain's reference at the last presidential debate to Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, the Ohio plumber who worriedly asked Barack Obama about taxes, was a predictable campaign stunt. It ought to have lasted for half a news cycle, especially after it became clear that Mr. Wurzelbacher's taxes would go down under Mr. Obama's plan. But the Republican nominee simply will not let the plumber go.
On Thursday, he shouted: "I’m going to Washington, and I'm going to bring Joe the Plumber with me!" Earlier, in Virginia, Mr. McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, announced that one of her favorite rally signs — sometimes made by voters, but more often supplied by the campaigns — was "I am Jo Momma."
Mr. Wurzelbacher has held press conferences. He was interviewed on the "CBS Evening News," where he compared Mr. Obama to Sammy Davis Jr. According to Politico.com, he has an agent and is exploring "a possible record deal with a major label, personal appearances and corporate sponsorships."
At a campaign rally this week, Mr. Wurzelbacher was filmed agreeing with another McCain supporter that electing Mr. Obama would be "death to Israel."
For five painful live-on-Fox minutes the next day, Mr. Smith repeatedly asked Mr. Wurzelbacher what evidence he had to back up that charge. Mr. Wurzelbacher refused to answer. He said it was up to Mr. Smith's viewers to figure out why he, Joe the Plumber, thought Mr. Obama was a menace to Israel.
Looking incredulous, Mr. Smith gave up. He read a statement from the McCain campaign praising the plumber's "penetrating and clear analysis."
Then Mr. Smith said: "I just want to make this 100 percent perfectly clear. Barack Obama has said repeatedly and demonstrated repeatedly that Israel will always be a friend of the United States no matter what happens once he becomes president of the United States. His words."
"The rest of it," he said, "man, it just gets frightening sometimes."
Yes it does.
From Michael A. Simpson
New York Times
Shepard the Anchor
We do not often cheer on Fox News's coverage of politics. But we did the other day when the anchor Shepard Smith reported on an especially absurd turn in the "Joe the Plumber" saga.
John McCain's reference at the last presidential debate to Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, the Ohio plumber who worriedly asked Barack Obama about taxes, was a predictable campaign stunt. It ought to have lasted for half a news cycle, especially after it became clear that Mr. Wurzelbacher's taxes would go down under Mr. Obama's plan. But the Republican nominee simply will not let the plumber go.
On Thursday, he shouted: "I’m going to Washington, and I'm going to bring Joe the Plumber with me!" Earlier, in Virginia, Mr. McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, announced that one of her favorite rally signs — sometimes made by voters, but more often supplied by the campaigns — was "I am Jo Momma."
Mr. Wurzelbacher has held press conferences. He was interviewed on the "CBS Evening News," where he compared Mr. Obama to Sammy Davis Jr. According to Politico.com, he has an agent and is exploring "a possible record deal with a major label, personal appearances and corporate sponsorships."
At a campaign rally this week, Mr. Wurzelbacher was filmed agreeing with another McCain supporter that electing Mr. Obama would be "death to Israel."
For five painful live-on-Fox minutes the next day, Mr. Smith repeatedly asked Mr. Wurzelbacher what evidence he had to back up that charge. Mr. Wurzelbacher refused to answer. He said it was up to Mr. Smith's viewers to figure out why he, Joe the Plumber, thought Mr. Obama was a menace to Israel.
Looking incredulous, Mr. Smith gave up. He read a statement from the McCain campaign praising the plumber's "penetrating and clear analysis."
Then Mr. Smith said: "I just want to make this 100 percent perfectly clear. Barack Obama has said repeatedly and demonstrated repeatedly that Israel will always be a friend of the United States no matter what happens once he becomes president of the United States. His words."
"The rest of it," he said, "man, it just gets frightening sometimes."
Yes it does.
From Michael A. Simpson
Help us Fight My Son's Disease
We need your help. I am sending this email out to raise awareness of a tragic, chronic, and lifelong disease we are facing with our 3 year old son, Joshua. A little over one year ago, Josh was diagnosed with Eosinophilic GastroIntestinal Disease (EGID), a very rare immune system disease. The short explanation is that we all have eosinophils in our body whose job is to attack parasites.
In Josh's body, they attack all food as if it's a parasite. As you might imagine, there are a number of complications that come from having your esophagus, stomach and intestines in a perpetual war zone, of sorts. Josh was placed on a naso-gastric feeding tube July 28th. We have removed all food from his diet since then and he has been sustained by a formula that essentially breaks food down to the amino acid level so the body doesn't recognize it as food.
Due to the complexities of this disease, we have transferred his care to a specialist in Denver who is one of only a handful of experts on EGID nationwide. We are returning there November 6th for the next surgery and to evaluate whether our 18 month old son, Timothy, who is exhibiting all the same symptoms, also has the disease. (Many of you have asked how we are doing and we do have a blog here.)
Why am I telling everyone I can about this?
Because we are fighting back at this misunderstood and mis-diagnosed disease, and we need your help. There has been less than $2,000,000 raised in the past 5 years by the two main foundations focusing on this disease. Because that is not nearly enough, we have decided to establish the Gardner Family Foundation (www.gardnerfoundation.org), a 501c3 whose focus is to raise $15,000,000 in the next two years to combat EGID. With these funds we will profoundly change the understanding and course of treatment of EGID.
The Foundation is focusing on four critical areas.
1. Raising awareness of this disease in the public realm. (We are planning local fundraisers, significant publicity and PR and a large Celebrity Fundraiser the 1st Quarter of 2009.)
2. We will educate the Pediatricians, Pathologists and Pediatric GI specialists around the country. (This will occur at conventions, medical schools, and association events.)
These first two areas are important because the typical diagnosis time is 3-4 years. The first Pediatric GI Specialist we met with when Josh was throwing up 10-12 times per day told us "He'll learn to swallow his vomit." That Dr. is not a bad person, just wildly uninformed about this disease (and obviously did not treat our child further after that comment.) We need the Doctors and the parents both to be more educated on what the symptoms are and how to diagnose it , or we will not significantly decrease that 3-4 year diagnosis time. And that is way too long for these kids to needlessly suffer with this disease.
3. Research is critical to better understanding this disease as well as changing the course of treatment including drug studies and diagnosis options. (Treatment currently requires a surgical procedure every 3 months which is very invasive and painful for the patient).
4. We will help provide financial relief for the families going through this lifelong, chronic disease. The typical family is faced with annual bills that could total anywhere from $10,000-40,000 per year. A vast majority of families simply can't afford that. And as emotionally taxing as this disease is on a family, when you add financial pressure it can be enough to break families apart, which is the last thing anyone needs to go through when being faced with these types of challenges.
What am I asking you to do? There are really five things we need your help with:
1. Ideas on how to creatively raise funds for this non-profit.
2. Connections to anyone you know that could be interested in getting involved in any way, shape or form.
3. Donations to our foundation. (Please visit www.gardnerfoundation.org) Many speakers have offered to donate a percentage of their fee on dates that FIVE STAR books, give us a speech or the like. If everyone who receives this email simply gave $5, we would be able to fund several grants and would make a big difference.
4. Forward this email to as many people as you can in your database.
5. Prayers for us as we go through this are of utmost importance. We can not overestimate the importance of having people around the world praying for Josh. It really does make a difference.
For any other ideas or connections, please contact Steve Gardner.
My family has been so richly blessed through this entire ordeal by our community of speakers. Much has been accomplished already, but there is a far greater challenge ahead of us. I am hopeful that you will join with us in this fight as we seek to make a profound difference in the lives of thousands of kids and adults suffering with this disease.
Steve Gardner, Father, Husband
P.S. Please check out www.gardnerfoundation.org for continued progress on our mission of fighting Eosinophilic Diseases.
In Josh's body, they attack all food as if it's a parasite. As you might imagine, there are a number of complications that come from having your esophagus, stomach and intestines in a perpetual war zone, of sorts. Josh was placed on a naso-gastric feeding tube July 28th. We have removed all food from his diet since then and he has been sustained by a formula that essentially breaks food down to the amino acid level so the body doesn't recognize it as food.
Due to the complexities of this disease, we have transferred his care to a specialist in Denver who is one of only a handful of experts on EGID nationwide. We are returning there November 6th for the next surgery and to evaluate whether our 18 month old son, Timothy, who is exhibiting all the same symptoms, also has the disease. (Many of you have asked how we are doing and we do have a blog here.)
Why am I telling everyone I can about this?
Because we are fighting back at this misunderstood and mis-diagnosed disease, and we need your help. There has been less than $2,000,000 raised in the past 5 years by the two main foundations focusing on this disease. Because that is not nearly enough, we have decided to establish the Gardner Family Foundation (www.gardnerfoundation.org), a 501c3 whose focus is to raise $15,000,000 in the next two years to combat EGID. With these funds we will profoundly change the understanding and course of treatment of EGID.
The Foundation is focusing on four critical areas.
1. Raising awareness of this disease in the public realm. (We are planning local fundraisers, significant publicity and PR and a large Celebrity Fundraiser the 1st Quarter of 2009.)
2. We will educate the Pediatricians, Pathologists and Pediatric GI specialists around the country. (This will occur at conventions, medical schools, and association events.)
These first two areas are important because the typical diagnosis time is 3-4 years. The first Pediatric GI Specialist we met with when Josh was throwing up 10-12 times per day told us "He'll learn to swallow his vomit." That Dr. is not a bad person, just wildly uninformed about this disease (and obviously did not treat our child further after that comment.) We need the Doctors and the parents both to be more educated on what the symptoms are and how to diagnose it , or we will not significantly decrease that 3-4 year diagnosis time. And that is way too long for these kids to needlessly suffer with this disease.
3. Research is critical to better understanding this disease as well as changing the course of treatment including drug studies and diagnosis options. (Treatment currently requires a surgical procedure every 3 months which is very invasive and painful for the patient).
4. We will help provide financial relief for the families going through this lifelong, chronic disease. The typical family is faced with annual bills that could total anywhere from $10,000-40,000 per year. A vast majority of families simply can't afford that. And as emotionally taxing as this disease is on a family, when you add financial pressure it can be enough to break families apart, which is the last thing anyone needs to go through when being faced with these types of challenges.
What am I asking you to do? There are really five things we need your help with:
1. Ideas on how to creatively raise funds for this non-profit.
2. Connections to anyone you know that could be interested in getting involved in any way, shape or form.
3. Donations to our foundation. (Please visit www.gardnerfoundation.org) Many speakers have offered to donate a percentage of their fee on dates that FIVE STAR books, give us a speech or the like. If everyone who receives this email simply gave $5, we would be able to fund several grants and would make a big difference.
4. Forward this email to as many people as you can in your database.
5. Prayers for us as we go through this are of utmost importance. We can not overestimate the importance of having people around the world praying for Josh. It really does make a difference.
For any other ideas or connections, please contact Steve Gardner.
My family has been so richly blessed through this entire ordeal by our community of speakers. Much has been accomplished already, but there is a far greater challenge ahead of us. I am hopeful that you will join with us in this fight as we seek to make a profound difference in the lives of thousands of kids and adults suffering with this disease.
Steve Gardner, Father, Husband
P.S. Please check out www.gardnerfoundation.org for continued progress on our mission of fighting Eosinophilic Diseases.
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