|
Larry Beinhart
Larry Beinhart is an American author. He is best known as the author of the political and detective novel '' American Hero'', which was adapted into the political-parody film ''Wag the Dog''. Biography An early inspiration was the works of George Bernard Shaw, who besides his writing skills and wit, "created dramas out of ideas". By this dictum, Beinhart seeks to "create situations in which ideas - about God, why we go to war, who gets the money, how politics work, what the media actually does, about science and morality - are challenged by circumstances". Recipient of a Raymond Chandler Fulbright Fellowship in Detective and Crime Fiction Writing, Beinhart spent two years at Wadham College in Oxford, England. His ''No One Rides for Free'' (1986) received a 1987 Edgar Award. Beinhart has been a columnist for Al Jazeera since October 2016, at Alternet 2005-2012 and had a blog at ''The Huffington Post'' in 2011. His principal concerns are the US economy and politics, taxes and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Hero (novel)
''American Hero'' is a 1993 satirical conspiracy novel, reissued as ''Wag the Dog: A Novel'' in 2004, written by Larry Beinhart. It speculates that Operation Desert Storm had been scripted and choreographed as a ploy to get George H. W. Bush reelected to a second term (taking cues from Margaret Thatcher's similar war in the Falkland Islands), while at the same time analyzing exactly why that conflict had been so popular. The book formed the inspiration and basis for the 1997 film, ''Wag the Dog''. Plot On his death bed, Lee Atwater devises a plan to secure president George H. W. Bush's reelection by having a war professionally produced by Hollywood agent David Hartman. The plan is set in motion after Atwater's death, and Hartman hires movie director John Lincoln Beagle to produce the fake war. Beagle cancels other film projects to be able to prioritize the production of the war, among them one with movie star Magdalena Lazlo who hires private investigator Joe Broz to find out ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film ''New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her role as child vampiress Claudia in the horror film ''Interview with the Vampire'' (1994), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also had roles in her youth in '' Little Women'' (1994) and the fantasy films ''Jumanji'' (1995) and ''Small Soldiers'' (1998). In the late 1990s, Dunst transitioned to leading roles in a number of teen films, including the satires ''Dick'' and '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'' and the Sofia Coppola-directed drama ''The Virgin Suicides'' (all in 1999). In 2000, she starred in the lead role in the cheerleading film ''Bring It On'', which has become a cult classic. She gained further wide attention for her role as Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). Her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Celine Rattray
Celine Rattray (born 1975) is an English film producer who co-founded the production company Maven Pictures. In 2010, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for '' The Kids Are All Right''. In 2020, she and Trudie Styler launched Maven Screen Media, a multi-platform UK production company. Career Rattray earned a degree in mathematics and philosophy from St Hilda's College, Oxford prior to entering the entertainment industry. In 2003, Rattray co-founded New York-based production company Plum Pictures with Galt Niederhoffer and Daniela Taplin Lundberg. The company produced several films before its 2009 disestablishment, including ''Grace Is Gone'' (2007), which won an Audience Award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. She was president of Mandalay Vision, the independent film division of Mandalay Entertainment, until 2011. In that role she produced several films, including '' The Kids Are All Right'' (2010), for which she won the Golden Globe Award f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cathy Schulman
Cathy Schulman (born 1965) is an American film producer. A graduate of Yale University, Schulman's screen credits include ''Isn't She Great'', '' Sidewalks of New York'', '' Employee of the Month'', ''Crash'', '' The Illusionist'', '' Darfur Now'' and '' Dark Places''. She was the executive producer of the Lifetime TV series ''Angela's Eyes'', which went on to be distributed worldwide. The film ''Crash'' earned Schulman a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Film. She won the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Film The Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards. It is usually given to the director (or directors) and producer (or producers). The "first feature" designation is applied to the director not the ... for the movie. She is the CEO and President of Welle Entertainment, a development and production company committed to producing film, television, and media that app ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Gaffigan
James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using little profanity in his routines. He has released several successful comedy specials, including '' Mr. Universe'', ''Obsessed'', ''Cinco'', and ''Quality Time'', all of which have received Grammy nominations. Gaffigan's memoir ''Dad Is Fat'' (2013) and his most recent book ''Food: A Love Story'' (2014) were both published by Crown Publishers. He co-created and starred in the TV Land series ''The Jim Gaffigan Show'', based on his life. He collaborates extensively with his wife, actress Jeannie Gaffigan, with whom he has five children. They are Catholic, a topic that frequently comes up in his comedy shows. Early life James Christopher Gaffigan was born in Elgin, Illinois, on July 7, 1966, the youngest of six children born to charity worke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ed Harris
Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in ''Apollo 13'' (1995), ''The Truman Show'' (1998), ''Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations. Harris has appeared in several leading and supporting roles, including in '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), ''The Abyss'' (1989), '' State of Grace'' (1990), '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1992), '' The Firm'' (1993), ''Nixon'' (1995), '' The Rock'' (1996), '' Stepmom'' (1998), '' A Beautiful Mind'' (2001), ''Enemy at the Gates'' (2001), ''A History of Violence'' (2005), ''Gone Baby Gone'' (2007), ''Snowpiercer'' (2013), ''Mother!'' (2017), ''The Lost Daughter'' (2021), and '' Top Gun: Maverick'' (2022). In addition to directing ''Pollock'', Harris also directed the Western film ''Appaloosa'' (2008). In television, Harris is notable for his roles as Miles Roby in the miniseries '' Empire Falls'' (2005) and as United States Senator John ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isabelle Fuhrman
Isabelle Fuhrman (born February 25, 1997) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Esther in the horror film ''Orphan'' (2009) and its prequel '' Orphan: First Kill'' (2022). She also portrayed Clove in the dystopian adventure film ''The Hunger Games'' (2012), and Alex in the independent film '' The Novice'' (2021). Early life Isabelle Fuhrman was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Elina Fuhrman ( Kozmits), a journalist, author, wellness activist, and founder of the vegan soup company ''Soupelina'', and Nick Fuhrman, a one-time Wisconsin political primary candidate (U.S. House of Representatives) and business consultant. Her father, who is of Irish descent, was adopted by a Jewish family. Her mother is a Russian Jewish immigrant, from Soviet Moldova. She has an older sister who was born in 1993. She and her family moved to Atlanta in 1999 when her mother joined CNN. For high school, she attended the Buckley School, a private school in Sherman Oaks. Fuhrman a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She came to prominence as a cast member on ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off ''A Different World'' in 1987. After having minor roles in a few films, she came to international attention in 1992 with the comedy ''My Cousin Vinny'', for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received two additional Academy Award nominations for ''In the Bedroom'' (2001) and ''The Wrestler'' (2008). Tomei has appeared in a number of successful films, including ''What Women Want'' (2000), ''Anger Management'' (2003), ''Wild Hogs'' (2007), ''The Ides of March'' (2011), and '' Parental Guidance'' (2012). She also portrayed May Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having appeared in '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), '' Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), '' Spider-Man: Far From Home'' (2019), and '' Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021). Tomei was formerly involved with the Naked Angel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film ''Once Upon a Time in America''. After having worked as a model for several years, she began to concentrate on acting, starring in a variety of films including the horror film ''Phenomena'' (1985), the musical fantasy film ''Labyrinth'' (1986), the romantic comedy '' Career Opportunities'' (1991), and the period superhero film ''The Rocketeer'' (1991). She received praise for her performance in the science fiction film '' Dark City'' (1998) and playing a drug addict in Darren Aronofsky's drama film ''Requiem for a Dream'' (2000). In 2002, Connelly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Alicia Nash in Ron Howard's biopic '' A Beautiful Mind'' (2001). Her subsequent films include the superhero film ''Hulk'' (2003), the horror film ''Dark Water'' (2005), the psychological drama '' Little ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Kinnear
Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, including ''Sabrina'' (1995), ''You've Got Mail'' (1998), ''Nurse Betty'' (2000), '' Someone like You'' (2001), ''We Were Soldiers'', ''Auto Focus'' (both 2002), '' Stuck on You'' (2003), ''Robots'' (2005), ''Little Miss Sunshine,'' ''Invincible'' (both 2006), ''Green Zone'', '' The Last Song'' (both 2010), '' Heaven Is for Real'' (2014), '' Misbehaviour'' (2020) and television roles, such as ''Friends'', ''Talk Soup'', ''Modern Family'', ''House of Cards'', '' Rake'', and the miniseries ''The Stand'' (2020). Kinnear portrayed John F. Kennedy in '' The Kennedys'' (2011), and Joe Biden in ''Confirmation'' (2016). Early life Kinnear was born on June 17, 1963, in Logansport, Indiana, to Suzanne (''née'' Buck), a homemaker, and Edward Kinnear, a career diplomat who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow Never Dies'', ''The World Is Not Enough'' and ''Die Another Day'') and in multiple video games. After leaving school at age 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration and went on to attend the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career, he rose to popularity in the television series ''Remington Steele'' (1982–1987). After the conclusion of the series, Brosnan appeared in films such as the Cold War spy film '' The Fourth Protocol'' (1987) and the comedy ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993). After achieving worldwide fame for his role as James Bond, Brosnan took the lead in other major films including the epic disaster adventure film ''Dante's Peak'' (1997) and the remake of the heist film '' The Thomas Crown ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salvation Boulevard
''Salvation Boulevard'' is a 2011 comedy thriller film with religious satire undertones directed by George Ratliff and starring Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei, and Jim Gaffigan. It is based on the novel of the same name by Larry Beinhart. Plot Carl Vandermeer is a former Deadhead turned evangelical. He, his wife Gwen and his stepdaughter Angie attend a megachurch, the Church of the Third Millennium, run by the charismatic Pastor Dan Day, who is planning to expand his church into a large Christian community, "City on a Hill". At the start of the film, the Vandermeers attend a debate between Pastor Dan and Professor Paul Blaylock, an outspoken atheist. At the end of the debate, Pastor Dan is invited to Blaylock's college for a nightcap. He brings along Carl. At Blaylock's office, he reveals that he invited Pastor Dan over to propose that the two of them, both bestselling authors, collaborate on a book about their opposing worldviews and views ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
