Film

zero dark thirty jessica chastain gangster squad sean penn

In Theaters This Weekend, a Civil Libertarian's Nightmare

"Gangster Squad" has the extrajudicial killing. "Zero Dark Thirty" brings the torture.

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| Fri Jan. 11, 2013 4:04 AM PST

Short Takes: Soul Food Junkies

Byron Hurt's new film makes you hungry and makes you think.

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| Fri Jan. 11, 2013 4:00 AM PST
Clint Eastwood

How Hollywood Made the Gunmakers' Day

VIDEO: Why does Clint pack a Smith & Wesson and Angelina fire a Glock? Branding.

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| Thu Jan. 10, 2013 4:00 AM PST

In Defense of Django

Quentin Tarantino is taking some heat for his slavery revenge fantasy "Django Unchained"—only some of it deserved.

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| Mon Jan. 7, 2013 4:00 AM PST

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How Zero Dark Thirty Sanitizes Torture

For torture victims, it's the psychological wounds, not the physical ones, that never really heal.

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| Wed Jan. 2, 2013 4:00 AM PST
matt damon promised land

What "Happy Feet Two" Star Matt Damon Taught Me About Fracking

It's bad for farm cows, and even worse for heartfelt dramatic monologues.

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| Fri Dec. 28, 2012 4:05 AM PST
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"Movie & An Argument" Podcast: Judd Apatow's "This Is 40" & Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"

In which ThinkProgress critic Alyssa Rosenberg and I chat about the new Apatow comedy and the new Tarantino revenge-fest.

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| Fri Dec. 21, 2012 8:38 PM PST
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NRA Press Conference Riddled With Weirdly Outdated Cultural References

"Mortal Kombat," "Kindergarten Killers," and Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers"? Really??

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| Fri Dec. 21, 2012 12:55 PM PST
les miserables 2012 daniel huttlestone

What Does the "Les Misérables" Movie Have to Do With the Newtown Shooting?

PR teams for film and TV are busy talking on-screen violence—except for the one big movie that actually involves gunning down a child.

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| Thu Dec. 20, 2012 2:41 PM PST

Short Takes: The Central Park Five

Ken Burn's new documentary about five Harlem teens wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case.

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| Thu Dec. 20, 2012 4:00 AM PST
bill murray hyde park on hudson fdr

Bill Murray Is Far and Away the Best Franklin D. Roosevelt in Movie History

He plays FDR as a booze-swilling, chain-smoking, urbane frat-boy ladies man. (Go figure.)

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| Mon Dec. 17, 2012 9:58 AM PST
bill murray golden globes the hobbit

"Movie & An Argument" Podcast: "The Hobbit," Bill Murray, and the Golden Globes

In which ThinkProgress critic Alyssa Rosenberg and I chat about the 2013 Golden Globe Awards nominations, "The Hobbit," and Bill Murray playing FDR.

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| Sat Dec. 15, 2012 7:35 PM PST
oscar fail

The Most Fantastic and Glorious Movies of 2012—and the Worst of the Worst

A trailer-trash opera, a Great Recession movie, bootleggers, Channing Tatum, and an HBO doc top my irrefutable list of "bests."

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| Fri Dec. 14, 2012 4:00 AM PST
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Sen. Joe Manchin's Lonely War on MTV's Trashy "Buckwild"

In which the coal-loving, gun-toting Democrat launches a crusade against the "Jersey Shore" of West Virginia.

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| Tue Dec. 11, 2012 10:00 AM PST

Will the New Osama bin Laden Film "Zero Dark Thirty" Rehabilitate Torture?

Kathryn Bigelow's new film, already drawing rave reviews, portrays torture as key to finding bin Laden.

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| Mon Dec. 10, 2012 9:27 AM PST
playing for keeps movie poster jessica biel gerard butler

A 6-Word Review of "Playing for Keeps," the New Gerard Butler Rom-Com

There's only one thing you need to know about this movie.

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| Fri Dec. 7, 2012 2:55 PM PST
minister ray comfort

Controversial Anti-Abortion, Pro-Creationism Evangelist Makes a John Lennon Movie

In his short documentary, minister Ray Comfort is more interested in yelling at strangers about Jesus and evolution than he is examining the former Beatle's life.

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| Fri Dec. 7, 2012 11:55 AM PST
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More Trolling on White House Petitions Site: Death Star Edition

A few hundred people jokingly/not-so-jokingly want Obama to "spur job creation" by beginning construction on the Death Star from "Star Wars."

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| Tue Dec. 4, 2012 8:20 AM PST
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7 Ways Women and Girls Are Stereotyped, Sexualized, and Underrepresented on Screen

New report highlights staggering gender disparities in film and TV—even children's shows.

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| Fri Nov. 30, 2012 10:10 AM PST
killing them softly poster brad pitt

"Killing Them Softly": A Hitman Movie—That's Actually About the Financial Crash

Andrew Dominik's new film, with Brad Pitt as a mob enforcer, is a violently seductive take on the economic crisis.

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| Fri Nov. 30, 2012 7:44 AM PST