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To: techguerrilla who wrote (56068)	1/24/2006 7:48:44 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 362527

Message movies sweep through Sundance __________________________________________________ January 24, 2006 15:06:25 By Bob Tourtellotte PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - A wave of movies with messages swept through the Sundance Film Festival by its mid-point on Tuesday reminding some old Hollywood stars like Robert Redford of the 1970s when films not only entertained audiences but informed them as well. Former vice president Al Gore made the rounds at this top U.S. gathering for independent film, to promote the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," about his crusade against global warming. Rosie O'Donnell came to this mountain town east of Salt Lake City with her documentary, "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise," an inside look at the lives of gay families while on vacation. While not at Sundance, Brad Pitt made his presence felt with a film he executive produced, "God Grew Tired of Us," about young Sudanese refugees in the United States. It quickly became one of the most talked about movies at the festival. But the wave of message movies did not stop with documentaries, which often promote social causes. It extended to narratives like "Forgiven," about a small town politician whose ethics are questioned in a campaign for public office. The work is part of what some industry watchers say is a trend among filmmakers and stars to look beyond the same old action and adventure to include a message in their work. Some say fans now demand more thoughtful films, which are vastly exceeding expectations at the box office. For example, the traditional Hollywood thriller "Stealth" bombed while independent movie "Crash," about race relations, was a breakout hit. The trend also extends to the current Oscar season where movies with provocative themes like gay romance, "Brokeback Mountain" and free speech film "Good Night, and Good Luck" are winning awards and fans. "Audiences are getting a lot more smart about what they want to see," Ricky Strauss, president of "Good Night" backer Participant Productions, told Reuters. ACTORS ARE SMART, TOO? Participant was formed in 1994 by eBay co-founder Jeff Skoll with the goal of creating movies and other content that entertain audiences with a good story and also might inspire them to act. If people want to get involved in a particular cause, they can to go Participant's Web site and learn how. But for stars, working in message movies has long been a Hollywood taboo because of the notion that doing so can create a bad public image and kill a career. Since Participant formed, Strauss said persuading actors like Oscar winner Charlize Theron, who played the lead role in sexual harassment film "North Country," has not been hard. "We work with smart, talented people, and smart, talented people have smart things to say," Strauss said. Separately, in a packed panel discussion here, Skoll called these types of message movies "the wave of the future." But it was Redford, a champion of Native American causes in the United States and star of 1970's political films like "The Candidate" and "All the President's Men," who cautioned that it was hard to measure the impact of these movies on an actor's career. "I'm not sure what impact it has, but it shouldn't deter anybody from doing it," he said. For certain, Hollywood will continue creating blockbusters like the "Harry Potter" series. As a result, much of this wave of activism in film will show up in the independent movies at Sundance and in art-house theaters. Highlighting that same idea was Dan Glickman, chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America which represents Hollywood's major studios in policy issues. Glickman, a former U.S. secretary of agriculture, called independent movies "the intellectual fertilizer of the movie industry of the future. ... It's where ideas come from, it's where thinking comes from."

To: techguerrilla who wrote (56068)	1/25/2006 2:22:42 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 362527

More comments on Al Gore from the Huff Post Blog... huffingtonpost.com Al Gore would win with ALMOST any running mate. The question is: by how much. It's been shown the Christian Right can be mobilized to nearly over-ride the votes of everyone else. I love John Edwards and voted for him for president in the primary. I'm very happy with Feingold, too, but we need someone the WHOLE Democrat-voting public adores. Obama is CLEARLY a statesman, wobbling only a little in his effort to comport himself with humility, being the second-newest senator we have. That man DOES NOT NEED A MINUTE'S MORE EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, but what he DOES need is to be yanked away from the influence of the mush-mouthed gamers for personal advancement vying for his endorsement now. And we need someone of African descent who is above all the criminality, and partisan bickering, going to uphold EVERYONE'S rights, NOW. I'm positive the people of Illinois would gladly pardon him for moving into the vice-presidency, for moving into history next to the rightful leader of the free world. Posted by: donna on January 24, 2006 at 08:57pm _________________________________________________________ Al's gonna run! We have been waiting for him, he's our man. Since Huffpo's inception I have been worried that the front runners of the democratic party have no business running for prez. I have been waiting for someone to rise above the masses. I have been reading everything that has been written and oppose this administration with all my heart. Al's emergence has completely surprised me, but I understand the man....he loves his country and he will run because of that love. He is also capable of leading us and has the intelligence to save us. Bush has damaged America and Al cannot stand on the sidelines any longer. He will answer the call and he will be our next President. This is America's last chance! Posted by: anewday on January 25, 2006 at 01:24am