Politics is Hollywood for Ugly People? KSGers Dispel Myth
by Mark Canavera on May 18, 2006 in Culture
An old adage - positing Washington, D.C. as a refuge for would-be actors who couldn’t quite cut it in the entertainment industry - holds that politics is merely show business for ugly people. But several members of the Kennedy School community have proven that Hollywood just might have a place for policy wonks. Students, alumni, and former staff members have connections to the global entertainment industry which suggests that the line between entertainment and politics might not be so thickly drawn after all. Read more
“United 93″ Provides Lessons to be Learned from 9/11
by Mark Canavera on May 4, 2006 in Culture
“United 93″ attempts to recreate - in more or less real time - the “fourth flight” of 9/11, the one that did not hit the White House as intended but rather crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the Al Qaeda operatives who had hijacked the plane. The movie cuts between the flight itself, the National Air Traffic Control Center, and military command posts. Read more
“Friends with Money” Asks: Can Jennifer Aniston Act?
by Mark Canavera on April 20, 2006 in Culture
Nicole Holofcener’s new movie “Friends with Money” asks the burning question, “Will Jennifer Aniston seem like a good actress if you surround her with the industry’s best?” Rounding out the quartet of friends around which this movie revolves are Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack, and Frances McDormand, each a great actress in her own way. Despite some interesting character work, however, the movie never quite manages to converge or to elevate Aniston to the status of Serious Actress. Read more
“Thank You for Smoking” a Snappy Satire
by Mark Canavera on April 6, 2006 in Culture
“Thank You for Smoking” is a snappy satire centered on Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for Big Tobacco. Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) works for the Academy of Tobacco Studies, a pseudo research institute that pumps out industry-friendly studies as fodder for public relations. He is a master of spin and a king of his craft.
Oscar Commentary: Why the Academy Got it Wrong
by Mark Canavera on March 16, 2006 in Culture
I’m not going to review a film this week. My reviews of newly released films will continue in next issue. Today, we need to discuss the way in which this years Oscars failed us all. Read more
