teddy bears ' picnic is a 2002 american comedy film written and directed by harry shearer .

it was released in may 2002 to limited audiences .

shearer has a small role in the film .

it is also kenneth mars ' last film before his death .

teddy bears ' picnic ( film )

annual cheo teddy bears’ picnic june 23 8 a . m . to 2 p . m .
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ted 2
is no teddy bears ' picnic . and that ' s a big part of its rude charm .
the comic genius of “this is spinal tap” fame talks about corporate corruption , the art of the american apology and his new film , “teddy bears’ picnic . ”
a beyond - lame satire , teddy bears ' picnic ranks among the most pitiful directing debuts by an esteemed writer - actor .
teddy bears picnic was filmed entirely on location in the rural woodlands of the english northampton countryside . the film is produced by hodge , natalie dorn and lauren parker .
teddy bears picnic covers an annual encampment of prominent male leaders at the zambezi glen , a thinly - veiled reference to the bohemian grove .
it ' s fitting that the sociopolitical comedy
teddy bears ' picnic
should arrive in theaters the same day as
national lampoon ' s van wilder ,
as it could carry its own possessory credit :
national public radio ' s teddy bears ' picnic .
[ screenwriter , , film director , , actor , , film producer . ]
bears picnic re - envisions the childhood song as a nightmarish fable that twists the concept of childhood innocence .
inspired by the 1907 melody of the same name , teddy bears picnic re - envisions the childhood song as a nightmarish fable that twists the concept of childhood innocence .
a fun - filled day of family activities awaits you on the grounds of rideau hall during the annual children’s hospital of eastern ontario ( cheo ) teddy bears’ picnic .
hodge has now turned his attentions to the director’s chair with teddy bears picnic , a proof - of - concept short film selected to premiere at this year’s fright fest in london . the film will then be released online shortly after for everyone to see .
bratton , john w . and saddler , frank . and state theatre ( sydney , n . s . w . ) . teddy bears ' picnic [ music ] 1900
bratton , john w . & saddler , frank . & state theatre ( sydney , n . s . w . ) . ( 1900 ) . teddy bears ' picnic .
bratton , john w . & saddler , frank . & state theatre ( sydney , n . s . w . ) . 1900 , teddy bears ' picnic [ music ]
it’s fitting that the sociopolitical comedy “teddy bears’ picnic” should arrive in theaters the same day as “national lampoon’s van wilder , ” as it could carry its own possessory credit : “national public radio’s teddy bears’ picnic . ” written and directed by the indefatigable harry shearer , pic is such a rapid - fire current - events assault — taking sardonic potshots at [ … ]
“there’s nothing approaching ‘saw iii , ’ ” mr . beckman noted , “but if you’re coming to see something freaky and bizarre , you’re not expecting ‘the teddy bears’ picnic . ’ ”
but now tom is now proud to present his first stint in the director ' s chair with ' teddy bears picnic ' , a proof - of - concept short film selected to premiere at this year ' s fright fest in london .
teddy bears ' picnic ,
which shearer wrote , directed and executive produced , opens friday in limited release . he recently spoke with salon about his film , jimmy swaggart , starbucks , linda tripp and the general state of the world .
this is not your kids ' animated teddy bear film . adults will grin and
bear
it , though .
teddy bears ' picnic
is a song consisting of a melody by american composer john walter bratton , written in 1907 , and lyrics added by irish songwriter jimmy kennedy in 1932 . it remains . . . see full synopsis »
teddy bears ' picnic
offers a bleak picture of things . these powerful white men who make a mess of everything - - they ' re not going anywhere , right ? they ' ll have their clubs and groups and continue to make a mess of companies and people ' s lives .
recognizing the potential for parody , shearer wrote and directed
teddy bears ' picnic ,
a low - budget indie set in the fictional zambesi glen . shearer , 58 , shot the film for half a million dollars on high - definition video and cast a bunch of his fellow comics ( michael mckean , fred willard , john michael higgins ) as the glen ' s well - heeled habitues .
{ { citation | title = teddy bears ' picnic [ music ] | author1 = bratton , john w . ( john walter ) , 1867 - 1947 | author2 = saddler , frank | author3 = state theatre ( sydney , n . s . w . ) | year = 1900 | language = no linguistic content } }
stamped : spencer ' s theatrescope co . ; union theatres ltd ; film house library .
dramatic music . | instrumental music - - scores and parts . | silent film music .
set at the fictional zambesi glen resort in the redwood forests of northern california , “teddy bears’ picnic” is inspired by the real bohemian grove resort , a summer camp - style retreat for the super - elite that reportedly has played host to every republican president since herbert hoover ; it’s even credited by some as being the birthplace of the manhattan project .
teddy bears ' picnic
is a limp satire of the bohemian grove , the northern california summer retreat that attracts some of the most powerful men in politics , business and entertainment . harry shearer , who wrote and directed , brings together a host of talented comic actors but never finds much to do with them . the satire is unfocused , while the story goes nowhere .
it’s a pretty common occurrence for actors to go from in front of the camera to being behind it in the director’s chair , but a movie poster artist ? that’s exactly what thomas ‘the dude designs’ hodge , the man behind the most iconic one sheets of the last decade , has decided to do with his directorial debut teddy bears picnic . with a world premiere at horror channel
teddy bears picnic is the first filmmaking venture for hodge , who is also a massive fan of horror and exploitation films from the last four decades on top of being an ace artist . there ' s not a lot of information about the film available , however , the song on which it ' s based features the line ,
if you go down in the woods today / you ' re sure of a big surprise
, which has inspired many a nightmare over the years . hodge expands on this open ended horror in his director ' s statement about the film here :
as a legalistic opening text takes hilarious pains to make clear , harry shearer ' s improvisational satire ' ' teddy bears ' picnic ' ' is in no way concerned with this group of wealthy , potentially litigious individuals . instead , it is about the purely fictional rich and powerful men who gather each year at zambesi glen , a private campground in what looks a great deal like sonoma county , calif .
' ' teddy bears ' picnic ' ' was shot on high - definition video , a medium that invites unrestrained shooting - - why not , when the stock is so cheap and lab work nonexistent ? it is easy to imagine mr . shearer faced with a mountain of wonderful material , and easy , too , to imagine the tremendous labor required to turn it into this fitfully entertaining molehill of a movie . dave kehr
kids can bring their teddy bear for the annual grande parade , starting at 10 a . m . from burlington drive ( by city hall ) and winding up to coquitlam town centre park via pinetree way . and , from 11 a . m . to 4 p . m . , check out the teddy bear picnic with its storytellers , puppet shows and entertainers . admission is free . visit urltoken ( see map below ) .
the uk ' s premiere genre film festival is , without a doubt , horror channel frightfest . a year round series of events that spread the love and passion for horror , frightfest is the place to be for film fans across the united kingdom . frightfest has always been notable for the wildly creative new talents it has introduced to the genre film world , and with the recent announcement of this year ' s shorts film program - curated by our own mistress of the macabre , shelagh rowan - legg - a familiar name among genre film fans takes his first baby steps into filmmaking .
festival coquitlam ' s annual grande parade starts at 10 a . m . on sunday , june 11 on the west side of coquitlam town centre park . grab a seat along pinetree way or town centre boulevard . the teddy bear picnic follows at 11 a . m . in the park .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
the stamped marking on the material indicates the film distribution companies or theatres that owned , used , or distributed the music to other cinemas .
the festival also comprises film workshops , a 50 - year french animation retrospective and discussions with directors . and while the only festival film with an announced theatrical run is “the secret of kells” ( opening in new york next friday ) , mr . beckman said gkids might release others .
he has recently released a documentary about new orleans ,
the big uneasy .
jason berry of aol wrote the following about that film :
mark wahlberg is back as john , the grown - up whose teddy bear grew up , too , and proved to be a real , ahem , bear . not that ted is , ahem , unbearable . macfarlane ' s ted , thanks to superb cgi animation , retains the teddy bear
cuddleability
factor even as ted is spouting foul - mouthed humor .
here at screen anarchy we ' ve been friends and fans of hodge for many years and his enthusiasm for genre films as well as a documented deep understanding of what makes them work makes this a very exciting project for us . we can ' t wait to see it . teddy bear ' s picnic premieres at frightfest on august 28th with an online release to follow .
these frat - boy frolics , as enacted by some of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world , ought to make an ideal target for mr . shearer , who has made a long and fruitful career of combining deadpan comedy and political commentary - - his weekly radio program , ' ' le show , ' ' is now in its 17th year . but while ' ' teddy bears ' picnic , ' ' which opens today at the quad ( 34 west 13th street , greenwich village ) , is occasionally quite funny , too much of it feels unfocused and underdeveloped .
most of the film feels conceived and shot on the fly - - like between lunch breaks for shearer ' s radio show and his simpson voice - overs .
“i ' m very excited to announce my first film project at long last ! ” says tom who has kept the project behind guarded doors during its production . he adds , “it’s great the film is also showing at fright fest in london on the 28th august and with a world - wide online release to follow i hope it’s possible to develop it into a feature” .
21st century genius music production music library track available for licensed use . license quality music for tv , film , advertising , video , broadcast , corporate , trailers , documentary , drama and gaming .
“i can’t tell you how huge this is , ” mr . beckman said in an interview . he praised the nominators for “embracing an independent film” over one “with 20 times the production budget . ”
children ' s tennis , basketball , archery & football competitions , pond dipping , entertainment and 70ft inflatable assault course . fun fain will be open from 3pm village green . bring your own picnic and ice cream van and refreshments will be available .
shearer directed and narrated the documentary feature the big uneasy , which revealed the reasons why new orleans flooded during hurricane katrina . the film received stellar reviews for shearer and his team of experts and whistleblowers .
a : well i can ' t vouch for the authenticity of the source , but i ' ve heard that we ' ve had feelers at our production company saying ,
maybe we should have a showing of the film up there .
i sort of thought ,
eh , maybe later .
i didn ' t want that to be one of the early venues for the film ' s showing .
henri - georges clouzot ' s the wages of fear rolls at 7 : 30 p . m . in the inlet theatre ( 100 newport dr . , port moody ) courtesy of the port moody film society . the french flick scooped the grand prix at the cannes film festival in 1953 . entry is $ 5 for society members ( annual membership of $ 5 is available at the door ) . visit urltoken .
a scene from “the secret of kells , ” a hand - drawn animated film from the irish director tomm moore . an oscar nomination for best animation , it has an unusual hero — a medieval monk trainee .
one of the most intriguing features in the new york international children’s film festival is all about oz . but this place has no dorothy , no wizard , no emerald city . and it’s even farther from kansas .
your film is about a bunch of white men and the havoc they can wreak . it seems pretty timely , given the state of thing like enron , k - mart and global crossing . did you see this all coming ?
midlands movies speaks to local legend thomas hodge aka the dude designs who for years has been respected as one of the best alternative poster designers out there but who now has taken his first steps into making his very own film .
with a world premiere at horror channel frightfest this weekend take a look at the poster below and eerie teaser series . as well as appearing in the short film showcase there will be the chance to experience another layer to the story with a 360 vr experience that combines analog vhs techniques . serving as a proof of concept keep an eye out for the project on the film festival circuit and other spaces as the tale takes root with the intention of expanding to a feature .
if you own a greyhound dog , be sure to join the great global greyhound walk at 11 a . m . in the green space opposite the washrooms by the main parking lot at colony farm regional park in coquitlam . the 4k walk will be followed by a picnic lunch . visit urltoken .
gkids , which recently distributed the acclaimed animated film “sita sings the blues , ” is dedicated to giving other creative choices because , mr . beckman said , “there is an appetite and demand for provocative cinema . ” even for 8 - year - olds .
“ticket sales are up 60 percent over last year , ” said eric beckman , who founded the festival in 1997 with his wife , emily shapiro . “i don’t know why . it’s a good film selection , but i hadn’t expected quite that big a leap . ”
in a weekend in which more than one children’s film festival opens ( see spare times , page 35 ) , mr . beckman’s offers numerous options for those over 10 . in addition to “heebie jeebies” it presents the adolescent shorts programs “flicker lounge” and “girls’ pov . ”
part of the state theatre collection of cinema scores and parts , mainly used for silent movies , but including musical materials associated with talking pictures ca . 1900 - 1950 , used by the state theatre and various film distribution companies throughout australia . some items include performance annotations .
harry shearer , famed voice of the simpsons , saturday night live cast member , radio host of le show , and star of the film this is spinal tap , will accuse the national press of perpetuating media myths in major news coverage at a national press club luncheon on march 14 .
i wanted to take that classic character driven horror concept and develop it for more contemporary tastes , with a strongly stylised visual approach , it was great being able to explore visual metaphors and themes in a new art form ( film ) that i truly love and have always aspired to work in .
“typically , a film plays our audience and then is sucked into a hole because no distributor will handle it , ” he said . the american business model , he added , favors $ 100 million children’s films “that are considered failures if they do under $ 200 million at the box office . ”
written , produced , directed and financed by tom himself , the film stars us actress abby miller ( justified , aquarius & the sinner tv series ) and laurence r harvey ( human centipede 2 + 3 , abcs of death 2 & the editor ) yet was shot entirely in the midlands at welford in northampton .
that is “the secret of kells , ” a feature from the irish director tomm moore . a hand - drawn animated film with an unusual hero — a medieval monk in training , seeking to save the ancient book of kells — it had its american premiere in july as part of the festival’s year - round programming . when the movie’s american distribution deal fell through , gkids , the festival’s film - distribution arm , acquired it and mounted an academy awards campaign , resulting in a nomination for best animated feature . although the festival has shown oscar contenders ( and winners ) before , this is the first time it has owned the rights to one .
many coastal and inland cities in america share sub - sea level status , notes shearer , who was flying out the next day for a screening of the film in ireland .
the new orleans defense system broke because the army corps of engineers , which had charge of the levee system , failed and failed again .
the film revolves around a mother and daughter playing games in the forest but unbeknownst to them there is somebody watching their every move . filmed entirely on location in the rural woodlands of the english northampton countryside , tom describes the short as
a year - long trip in terms of production but seven years of work in total” .
perhaps revealing the sentimental side that draws him to broadway show tunes , macfarlane gives seyfried a nice moment around a campfire as she strums a guitar and sings
mean ol ' moon ,
written by macfarlane and walter murphy , the film ' s composer . macfarlane choreographs a silly dance scene in a library for seyfried et al .
review : at first , it ' s hard to know what to call actor - writer - director harry shearer ' s bizarre film : it doesn ' t meet the minimum number of laughs to qualify as a comedy  two would have clinched it  and it ' s far too asinine to be taken seriously . but if… ( more )
* the milkshake live show will feature 2 milkshake ! presenters . jen , derek , kemi , amy , olivia , curtis and sita may only appear at certain venues . © channel 5 broadcasting limited 2017 . all rights reserved . ©2017 dreamworks distribution limited . all rights reserved . bob the builder™©2017 hit entertainment limited and keith chapman . fireman sam™©2017 prism art & design limited . “little princess” derived from the television series by the illuminated film company and based upon the books by tony ross ( published by andersen press ) . © 2017 the illuminated film company . all rights reserved . © chf pip ! plc 2013 - 2016 , all rights reserved . © wissper ltd . ©winduna enterprises ltd . 2017 . © 2017 viacom international inc . all rights reserved .
denis knows how to film a sex scene for maximum erotic effect , placing the camera close up , an inch or two away from the skin , where a lover ' s eyes would be . but here the love scenes all end in someone screaming . maybe there ' s a metaphor here , but figuring it out wouldn ' t make
trouble every day
any better .
i tried to be . some things are personal . i tried to tell everybody what was going on as much as possible . and to hear their feedback . i can only run things measured by the way i ' d like them run if i were a cog in the machine . i think that whatever people think of the film , most of the people who worked on the film had a nice experience . that ' s not the ultimate measure , but it ' s something you ' d like people to do . especially with comedy . i ' ve never understood people having a bad time making comedy . why would you do that ? one of the prerequisites to making people laugh , it seems to me , is kind of being in an easy , jocular mood yourself .
the artist describes the short as : “a year - long trip in terms of production but seven years of work in total . i opted to self - fund the film for possible development into a bigger feature . i’ve been hands - on throughout , donning many new creative hats to produce , direct , art - direct and edit for the first time . i spent months making props , building creepy woodlands and creating original costumes . ”
another fantastical realm is the subject of “oblivion island” ( ages 7 and older ) , shinsuke sato’s anime film about a girl’s quest to find a keepsake mirror in a land for abandoned , once cherished objects — a sort of afterlife for lost toys and trinkets . and other films seem to defy specific age recommendations , like “turtle : the incredible journey , ” the british director nick stringer’s documentary following a loggerhead for 6 , 000 miles .
at first , it ' s hard to know what to call actor - writer - director harry shearer ' s bizarre film : it doesn ' t meet the minimum number of laughs to qualify as a comedy  two would have clinched it  and it ' s far too asinine to be taken seriously . but if you ' re at all familiar with the rumors surrounding the closely guarded activities at bohemian grove , . . . read more
there ' s hope and there ' s dismay in equal measure . it ' s not a totally dark view of the world . one of the things i was trying to do - - i feel a little presumptuous at even mentioning my little film in the same context - - but i always admired billy wilder ' s ability to create stories that felt like [ they had ] happy endings until you thought about them , and then they weren ' t , really .
minions ,
pg : the minions , breakout
stars
of the animated film ,
despicable me
( 2010 ) , get top billing in the sequel . supervillain scarlet overkill ( voiced by sandra bullock ) and her husband , inventor herb ( jon hamm ) , have yet another plot to take over the world . the voice talent in the comedy includes michael keaton , allison janney , steve carell , steve coogan and geoffrey rush ( as the narrator ) .
independent projects are the heart of the festival , which follows the pattern of film industry events , from an opening - night gala to an awards ceremony and reception . the festival’s grand prizes are determined solely by audiences’ votes . its adult jury — including the filmmakers gus van sant and michel ocelot ; the actors john turturro , susan sarandon , matthew modine and frances mcdormand uma thurman ; and the producers james schamus and christine vachon — gives its own award for the best short .
small children also have plentiful fare . “shorts for tots” includes “electric car , ” an american animation with music by they might be giants , and “short films one , ” for 5 - to - 10 - year - olds , offers the iranian live - action film “the bird that could tell fortunes , ” about a boy and his amazingly clever pet . the french director dominique monfery’s animated feature “eleanor’s secret” ( it’s in english ) explores a library whose fairy - tale characters come to life .
a : no , for two reasons . christopher guest has sort of made that the trademark of his style ever since we did
this is spinal tap ,
and i ' m not desirous of being in a position of copying a friend ' s style . secondly , to be able to do that you need to be able to shoot a lot of film and have a lot of time in the editing room to do the mining for gold that ' s necessary . and our budget was really too low to allow for that .
perhaps most memorable as heavy metal bassist derek smalls in the 1984 mockumentary classic
this is spinal tap ,
the actor , comedian and satirist is also no slouch when it comes to more serious cultural criticism . there ' s his weekly radio program ,
le show ,
writings for the online magazine slate , commentary for programs like
now with bill moyers
- - public television ' s sleeper hit of the season - - and even a brief column in salon . and shearer ' s list of film and tv credits is endless .
it ' s not so much that i saw it coming , but that i see it being . it doesn ' t change really . there was a period last fall when i would watch the movie at film festivals where i thought , maybe people aren ' t ready to see this view of those in power yet . but thankfully that moment has passed . this was conceived some time ago , when it was a different group of people who were messing around like this . it seems like there are always going to be these folks . the show goes on .
in the annals of contemporary film poster art , the name thomas hodge is huge . better known as the dude designs , hodge is the poster artist behind such films as hobo with a shotgun ( 2011 ) , the innkeepers ( 2011 ) , the heat ( 2013 ) , wolfcop ( 2014 ) , the other side of the door ( 2016 ) , and they live . he’s also the author of vhs : video cover art ( 2015 ) , the first book of its kind to comprehensively bring together the artwork on uk vhs covers from the ’80s to the ’90s .
big trouble
revolves around a suitcase containing a nuclear bomb , smuggled from an arsenal of the former soviet union . the russian mafia sells it to a sleazy businessman ( stanley tucci ) , who is robbed of it by a pair of bumbling crooks . ultimately , the suitcase story ropes in the entire cast - - rene russo as an unhappy wife ; dennis farina as a long - suffering hit man , and tim allen as a journalist turned advertising man . it ' s all in fun , and to be fair , there is some fun . the talented cast and the occasional wisecrack keep the film from caving in .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
a comic junket behind - the - scenes of the world ' s most exclusive power - broker retreat . the true story : the richest , most powerful white men in america gather each summer in northern california for a super secret retreat that takes them back to their sophomore year in college . for fifty - one weeks a year they run the country . for one week they run amuck . they ' re there to unwind , but they get really unwound when that secrecy is threatened .
pic lacks the development needed for a full - length feature and , following a hilarious opening sequence , it becomes tiresomely one - note .
it is supremely unfunny and unentertaining to watch middle - age and older men drink to excess , piss on trees , b . s . one another and put on a show in drag .
very much like its title , the movie is too cuddly and frolicking to get a satirical grip on its rich and powerful characters , or their real life targets .
the real shame is that such a talented ensemble cast is so badly wasted in this lame attempt at political discourse .
his take on power and corruption is a nuanced one . to shearer , what ' s most compelling about the enrons of the world is that their corruption is largely circumstantial ; give anyone that kind of wealth and the results won ' t be pretty . from the rich down to the poor , we ' re a partially defective species .
that ' s what ' s funny ,
shearer explains .
we wouldn ' t be able to laugh at shakespearean comedy today if we weren ' t the same flawed people that we ' ve been for a long time .
it ' s all about flouting the rules . doesn ' t it seem like everybody lives by that today ?
most people who don ' t have access to power and large amounts of money . those are the two goads to cheat . i thought , when i first started seeing high - money show business , that it was a sort of iron law that the more money on the table , the worse the behavior . i haven ' t been around that much power but i think people , when faced with huge , insane amounts of money and seductive amounts of power , are weak creatures . and the rest of us who aren ' t so tempted find it easier to say ,
oh , no parking here at 9 , ok . i ' ll move my car .
we ' re just the same people put in different circumstances . that ' s the difference between conventional satire , which says ,
ooh , the powerful are bad people ,
and what i think is a more comedic view , which is , if you or i were faced with these temptations and these seductions , we might act just as badly as these folks do .
i think the difference between a better time and this one - - and it ' s strong in my mind because i ' m a part - time resident of a place where it isn ' t true - - can be found in the relative weakness of community at this point in time . the individualist ethic has so triumphed over the community ethic . they should exist in some sort of balance but nothing exists in a balance in american society . either it ' s too much of one thing or too much of another . so we right now have way too much emphasis on
i got mine ,
and way too little emphasis on things that bind communities together .
as i say , i live part - time in new orleans where there is so much more spirit of community that it puts what goes on in the rest of america kind of in dramatic relief . people aren ' t different but the circumstances that they are in as living arrangements tend to either push them toward more of that or less of that .
you see a yearning to get more of that again in these main street - style malls that are being built , which are trying to summon the semblance or a simulacrum of community without actually the essence of it . so there ' s clearly a feeling that we need more of this but we don ' t know how to get it at this point .
let ' s all read the same book
is as close as we can come .
and wear the same clothes , and drink the same coffee . yet you ' ve bemoaned the lack of a starbucks in an airport when you ' re stuck there for an hour and a half waiting for your luggage .
i sure do . because starbucks is not the problem . the problem is the fact that the only place in town where people sit for any length of time and maybe talk to each other is starbucks . that ' s the problem . the problem is that starbucks filled a hole - - starbucks didn ' t invent that hole . there might not be so many starbucks if there were more plazas , if there were places that older cities discovered were good ideas for people to hang out , where they don ' t have to spend $ 3 to get in .
it ' s this weird cycle . it ' s hard to remember back to the beginning of the ' 90s , oddly enough , when everybody was sort of shaking themselves like wet dogs after the go - go cycle of the ' 80s . the materialist , greed - is - good , michael milken - fueled ' 80s saying ,
whew , we ' re not going to do that again .
then within three years , we did it all again , so much bigger and so much grander , at the loss of so much more money to so many more people .
it just makes you kind of tremble at the thought of what lies ahead for us two years from now , when we ' ve kind of shaken this off and gone ,
whew , we ' re not going to do that again .
i think the four least believable words in american public life are ,
once and for all .
when you hear a politician say ,
once and for all ,
you know he ' s lying . it ' s going to happen again .
well , that is the american gift , you know - - to have a short memory . hence , jimmy swaggart can make a comeback . anybody can make a comeback , anybody can make three comebacks in this country . why i like california is because this is the personal reinvention capital of the world . it ' s got the shortest memory span because it ' s got the least things to remember .
start with ted kennedy , that ' s a favorite of the conservatives . jimmy swaggart , who is now a fairly successful gospel singer . jim bakker gets out of jail and goes right back to a ministry . the guys who don ' t do well in this country are the guys who don ' t figure out that you just have to fall on your knees and go ,
i am so sorry .
and then you get to do whatever you want after that .
that ' s sort of the formula . it ' s why , for example , the protestant clergy who misbehave get it , because this is a formula that sort of comes out of the protestant experience , whereas the catholic pedophile priests don ' t get it and end up being protected for years and then reviled . but they never realize , that - - well , pedophilia is not something you can apologize for anyway . whole different category of event . we ' ll drop that . . .
let ' s get back to politics . how about dick cheney having to hand over documents about his energy task force and policies ? a step in the right direction ?
if you live long enough , one of the rewards is to get the privilege of seeing each political cliché mouthed in turn by partisans from each side . so that the same people who were desperately demanding that we know chapter and verse about hillary clinton ' s top - secret healthcare task force are now saying ,
no , no , no , confidentiality , it ' s an important principle .
and vice versa .
it explains why , or it ' s a consequence of the fact that most of our politicians are trained as lawyers . because that ' s exactly what lawyers are trained to do : take this side , all right , now take this side . that ' s what they do . and anybody who thinks that they ' re doing anything else is welcome to bid for some enron stock certificates on ebay , because that is the game .
one of the things i find so unsatisfying about an awful lot of hollywood formula comedies is that they do feel the need to be hopeful . people learn stuff and people change and people get better and they learn to hear each other and talk to each other and understand one another . i don ' t know what ' s funny about that . i know what ' s funny about that as a premise , which is that it ' s ludicrous . i don ' t know what ' s funny about the resulting work .
to me what ' s funny is how flawed we are , that ' s what ' s funny . and you know , we wouldn ' t be able to laugh at shakespearean comedy today if we weren ' t the same flawed people that we ' ve been for a long time . shakespeare was drawing on a lot of the same stuff as the comedies of ancient greece . it ' s hard to resist the idea that we ' re the same flawed people that we ' ve always been . so to sell fake hope about us changing is the funniest thing of all .
what new york went through , it has this in equal measure . you ' re surprised by the ability of people to just pitch in and help in difficult times , and then you ' re surprised or dismayed by the ability of people to wrangle about ,
well , they ' re getting more money than we are ,
immediately afterwards . and both things are true . it ' s an imperfect view of the species to insist that we ' re only one or the other .
but isn ' t it distressing that not even something of the magnitude of sept . 11 would make us stick with the good and not veer to the bad ?
i think it ' s amazing that in the face of something so bad the good immediately is the first thing to come out . it takes people about a week to figure out , let ' s make t - shirts out of this .
i don ' t think it ' s
poor pitiful us .
as i say , i do think the comedic view of this is that if we were subject to their temptations and their seductions most of us would act exactly the way they do . they ' re us and we ' re them . that ' s what makes it comedy and not stick figure satire in my mind - - it ' s not
they ' re evil and we ' re good and we ' re corrupted by them .
they ' re us in different circumstances . like linda tripp said :
i ' m you !
the people that inspire me more often than not are artists who keep on plugging away despite the lack of great commercial success . i take great strength from the fact that , jesus , if they can keep going , what the hell do i have to complain about ? that functions more as a beacon for me than a guy who runs a company . that ' s so much more of a foreign environment to me . it doesn ' t relate as much to what i have to do every day , so it doesn ' t have exemplary power for me .
the one place where i feel some degree of resonance with them is directing . when all is said and done and you ' ve had all the great ideas , directing is an exercise in management . so people who have interesting ideas about managing people , i relate to that because i think a lot about the task of managing people on a movie set . you have to get a bunch of different people with different crafts and different ways of looking at the world and basically who speak different languages - - all of them stemming from english - - to kind of do what you want them to do most of the time , and also to share with you their questions and their thoughts in a reasonable way . that ' s a management task . that ' s about the most i can empathize with the corporate guys .
in movies , too , there are directors who feel that it ' s important to hold information close and there are directors who feel that it ' s important to distribute information widely . and i think that ' s sort of the template for good and bad managers in corporations . you know , people who jealously guard information and keep little fiefdoms , as opposed to people who believe that , you know . . . george w . bush keeps preaching the idea when he goes abroad , that
we love transparency .
but it ' s more in the preaching than in the doing among his circle , i fear . bob dole used to bellow ,
where ' s the outrage ?
and i used to bellow ,
where ' s the transparency ?
dimitra kessenides is a new york writer and a senior editor at jd jungle magazine .
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for fifty - one weeks a year , they run the country . for one week , they run amok .
i didn ' t catch this in the movie theater - i was discouraged by the slam in the sf paper , and it came and went in the blink of an eye - but i was surprised to find it on dvd yesterday , and took a chance . my friends and i are glad i did - it was a hoot ! . it seems the movie was heavily edited - some potential subplots fizzled out - but what is left is still a funny , fine satire of the news media , of the b . c . . . . and anything with harry shearer is certainly worth 90 minutes . it won ' t change your life - but hey , relax , it ' s a decent movie . . . . just rent it !
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each july , the members of the ultra - exclusive bohemian club - - including captains of industry , leaders of government and major media figures - - gather for an all - male weekend of secret revels in bohemian grove , a private campground in sonoma county , calif . though the proceedings are kept strictly confidential , the weekend is said to offer speeches , seminars , mock pagan pageantry and the highest level networking available on the planet .
mr . shearer ' s zambesians - - who include gifted comics like fred willard as a dimwitted senator , henry gibson as a silver - fox industrialist , michael mckean as the chancellor of a university and george wendt as an air force general in charge of procurement - - do indeed indulge in speeches , seminars and mock pagan pageantry . but they also find plenty of time to throw back brain - rattling cocktails , scamper naked through the woods , strap on their garter belts for the annual drag musical and pay furtive visits to the prostitutes who have set up shop in the motel across the lake .
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“i love horror as a genre for its pure unabashed creativity . it gives you a wider scope to create unique characters and settings . what are nightmares if not essentially creative ? i particularly loved the creativity of high concept horror in the ’70s and ’80s – from the films of charles band to the pulp horror novels of guy n . smith . so i wanted to take classic character - driven horror and develop it to suit contemporary tastes , with a strongly stylized visual approach .
i’m very grateful to have been able to work alongside a very talented group of people to help realise the world of tbp on the screen for the first time . there really are too many to mention here , unfortunately ! but i was particularly honoured to have abby miller come over from the us . i loved her in ‘justified’ playing the role of ellen may . and my friend the truly unique and iconic actor laurence harvey . plus an incredibly young 6 year old actress lorelei winterfrost . i had some apprehensive comments about working with child actors but i can honestly say she was more well behaved than the adults .
i also had the invaluable input of an amazing dp james fox and the help / support from my co - producer natalie dorn , who also sacrificed a year for production . a musical score by sophie galpin ( pins - band ) and sound design by todd freeman ( cell count & love sick ) . along with my co - writer russell norris . ‘
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