i hate valentine 's day is a 2009 romantic comedy film written and directed by nia vardalos .

the film stars vardalos and john corbett , previously seen together in vardalos ' hit 2002 film my big fat greek wedding .

the film was released on july 3 , 2009 , by ifc films .

i hate valentine ' s day

why i hate valentine ' s day and what to do about it . - australian traveller
and now - - too soon - - comes
i hate valentine ' s day .
you know the obvious stuff . you know the main reasons to hate valentine’s day .
nia vardalos , left , directs and stars in
i hate valentine ' s day
with john corbett .
we have valentine’s day . we don’t hate our partner . we love our partner . and we hate that this distinction is sometimes lost .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i hate valentine ' s day near you .
maybe instead , it ' s time to take a second to examine why you hate valentine ' s day so much .
for
i hate valentine ' s day ,
though , vardalos has chosen to direct . and that ' s a mistake that only compounds the ones in her screenplay .
but i hate valentines day . it’s more than just the rampant commercialisation – it’s the crap that carries on around it . here are the three worst things that happen on the day .
john corbett and nia vardallos are also a couple in my big fat greek wedding 2 . ian gomez , nia ' s real life husband also appears in i hate valentine ' s day and both fat greek wedding films .
i recently did one for my mum and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary and it was cheap and relatively painless . i used
i absolutely love valentine ' s day . it ' s my favorite holiday of the year . tons of people hate it , but those people are jaded and possibly allergic to candy conversation hearts . instead of hating on the fete d ' amour , they should just focus their loathing on the worst part of v - day : the valentine ' s day prix fixe menu .
in conclusion : remain calm . you are loved . valentine ' s day is not your enemy .
it seemed unlikely that vardalos could star in a movie flatter or more desultory than my life in ruins . but she ' s outdone herself with i hate valentine ' s day , which she not only wrote but directed , in addition to starring .
because hate , like love , takes work . if you don’t nurture your hate , keep it fresh , keep it spontaneous , soon you will feel nothing at all .
another reason people hate on v - day is the more obvious one — if you ' re single ( # represent ) , you may hate seeing all the couples in relationships
rub it in your face
by existing on valentine ' s day . you feel lonely . you feel upset with yourself . and that notion makes me sad for you , because if that ' s why you hate the day , then you ' ve got it all wrong . valentine ' s day isn ' t just about romantic love — it ' s about all kinds of love . the love you have for your family , for your friends , for your dog , for the cheese lady at the deli who sometimes sneaks in a free sample for you , for yourself . you have so many people in your life to be thankful for , who shaped you into the person you are today . this day is about all of them . maybe try celebrating the day by being mindful of that , and you ' ll find that you don ' t actually hate valentine ' s day . you hate your mistaken idea of what valentine ' s day represents .
ok , so i am a guy but people tell me i am not too bad on the romance stakes . the wife says it’s a bit inconsistent – it’s not daily .
do you say “happy valentine’s day” to people at work ? if so , is that sexual harassment ? and how about with family members–do you say happy valentine’s day to your aunt , your cousin ? only the finest of lines separates etiquette and incest .
it all happens in one day . everyone wants delivery on the day and everyone wants it early .
“i had been dating this guy for a couple of months and things were clearly going nowhere . i was planning on breaking up with him before valentine’s day but he made such a big deal about celebrating it with me that i figured i’d give it a couple of days . after all , he wasn’t that bad . on valentine’s day we went out for dinner and had a blast . at the end of the night he finally said , “i want to give you your gift already ! ” i felt bad because i didn’t get him anything , so with a lot of hesitation i agreed to see what it was . he had tattooed my initials on his arm ! i took one look at it and freaked out . i told him right then and there that we could no longer date , as our feelings were clearly not mutual . he didn’t take it very well and to this day has my initials tattooed on his arm as a reminder of how awful a person i was to him . ” —melissa , 39
i hate valentine’s day” is a romantic comedy with one peculiarity : the heroine is stark , staring mad . i will tell you how i arrived at this diagnosis . genevieve has an unbreakable policy regarding men : five dates , and she’s out the door . she even specifies exactly what each of the dates must be like , leading up to no . 5 , during which she doesn’t say so , but going all the way is a possibility .
that ' s a shame , because i wanted
i hate valentine ' s day
to be better . we could use a decent romantic comedy , and , speaking of
decent ,
give vardalos some credit there : even when other date flicks stooped to raunchy gags , she ' s always worked clean . forget that pg - 13 rating ; this is a film you can take your young daughter to .
prices - on valentine ' s day a florist ' s rose prices double , of course we cannot double our prices so we work on a much slimmer margin .
they’re everywhere . “ways to find love on valentine’s day ! ” “100 ways to bag a man on valentine’s day ! ” you can’t go to the grocery store without seeing these top 10 lists everywhere . and you know the worst offenders ? the top 10 lists that pretend to be cynical of valentine’s day , yet still here they are , gobbling up more space , wasting your time . oh , wait .
i hate valentine ' s day
movie review - - the ancient greeks used to tell the story of sisyphus , who was fated to roll an enormous boulder to the top of a mountain - - only to have it slip away just as he neared the top . it ' s a story nia vardalos can probably understand .
“i had recently gained a couple of pounds and was feeling super insecure about it . my husband of six years decided he wanted to help and so for valentine’s day he got me a gym membership and a juicer . let’s just say i didn’t talk to him for a couple of days ! ” —denise , 46
“one year , the guy i was dating made it seem like he forgot about valentine’s day . he didn’t make any romantic gestures when i saw him in the morning , and then decided to go to chipotle with his guy friends for lunch . it wasn’t until late in the afternoon when he dropped off some flowers—and they were basic flowers . i don’t even think we had a dinner or anything ( even though we lived in the same building ) and we were dating for about ten months at that point . i also love valentine’s day and cheesy , romantic gestures ( which he knew ) , so i was pretty bummed . ” —sarah , 23
“he got mad at me because i didn’t want to go out with him and five of his idiot friends to smoke weed and go to the chinese buffet . he forgot it was valentine’s day . ” —cat , 30
“my husband and i had only been married for about three years when he was forced to work a last - minute job away from home . back then there were no cell phones , so i was left home alone on valentine’s day without an explanation . i was hurt , angry , and worried all at the same time . the next night he came home with a gift that he saw at a store on his way… a dozen artificial bright orange roses . my reception of this bouquet was not what he expected . i took one look and realized it was an arrangement for a cemetery marker ! let’s make sure we never confuse valentine’s day and memorial day . ” —stephanie , 59
and if i haven ' t sold you , and you really and genuinely hate valentine ' s day , at least be cool about it . maybe avoid going on facebook that day . don ' t put yourself in a situation where you know you ' re going to be miserable or make other people around you miserable . you do you , the same way the non - valentine ' s day haters are doing them . stay in your lane , or better yet , don ' t bother getting on the road at all that day . it ' s one damn day of the year , you can put your big kid pants on and wait to complain about your # singlewoes until tomorrow .
but that’s just it : february 14 is weighed down by unrealistically high expectations , and some guys don’t always hit the nail on the head . so we , and the folks over at wp diamonds , asked women about the worst things guys have done to royally screw up valentine’s day . it’s to be expected : finding her a valentine’s day gift she’ll actually love , especially after the holidays , can be tricky . plus , it totally depends on the type of women you’re spending it with . some women actually hate valentine’s day —but if you know she’s expecting a romantic night out , consider this your go - to list of things not to do this year .
i heard horrible reviews for this , but honestly it ' s not that bad . when you go into a movie called mothers day , released mother ' s day week , you really shouldn ' t be too shocked about what you get . i hate cloying in a movie , and luckily this one only falls into that a few times . the racism from the older parents towards their daughters indian husband had me cringing more really . it ' s not a movie i will be watching over and over . it is pretty disposable as movies go with the expected amount of predictability . but for a movie to take my mother to on mother ' s day , which she very much enjoyed , i give it three stars .
genevieve is a woman beloved by all who encounter her , when in real life , i would be terrified of her . she is considered a source of great wisdom about romance , although dr . phil might advise protective custody . in “i hate valentine’s day , ” she runs the cutest little florist shop in brooklyn and dispenses invaluable advice to men uncertain about a valentine’s day gift ( flowers ) . she has two gay assistants who think she is about the best thing since maria callas . and this cute guy opens a tapas bar next door , named get on tapas , haha .
i recommend mother ' s day to no one , unless you happen to despise your mother and are looking for a passive - aggressive way to communicate your loathing to her .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
there are also , however , some additional reasons to hate this “holiday , ” some new ways to fuel your spite .
v for vendetta
what better way to forget about valentine ' s day than a movie about a fascist government and a vigilante ? there is no better way .
the shining
you ' ll be happy you ' re not married to a psycho lunatic who ' s trying to kill you and your family after watching this . happy valentine ' s day to you .
in
i hate valentine ' s day
nia vardalos stars as genevieve , a romantic , carefree florist . she loves romance but keeps her relationships short with a
five date
rule . her theory is tested when her whirlwind romance with greg ( corbett ) , the charming new restaurateur in town , reaches the end of their fifth date , and she realizes she wants more .
reds , pinks , flashing hearts , neon flowers , winking cupids . christ . can we just all take it down a notch ? valentine’s day makes pawn shops look classy .
i ' m single , too . and i get it . it feels bad when nobody ' s paying attention to you . i could demonstrate my understanding of this by taking you all the way back to the 15 - plus years of my formerly shy self ' s
pay attention to me
complex that ultimately led to a doomed theater career in high school and less doomed grown up career broadcasting my personal life on the internet , but i ' m saving it for my sh * tty memoir anyway . what i ' m really here to talk about is valentine ' s day , specifically to clear up a few things for the haters on what exactly this holiday is about .
valentine’s day is fast approaching , so you might already be scheming up the perfect gift or date night for whoever is lucky enough to spend the day with you . flowers ? of course . chocolate ? even better . jewelry ? freaking nailed it .
he got game
this spike lee movie will have you forget that it ' s even valentine ' s day at all . denzel washington plays a basketball star ' s father who ends up in prison after accidentally killing his wife during a domestic violence dispute .
are the guys i reckon who do a grand jpob of the theatre / arts package .
feb . 14 , otherwise known as single ' s awareness day ( sad ) or more popularly known as
valentine ' s day ,
is upon us . but , whatever . either way , here are some things to watch if you loathe all the love and hearts and crap . enjoy .
we just checked the “the runaway valentine” out from our ilrbary and i think its hysterical ! have you seen “sweet hearts” by jan carr ? it’s the nicest little rhyming book about a young panda hiding valentine’s cards for his parents to find — “one heart on the bathroom mirror , one heart in a shoe , one heart by my mommy’s mug , to tell her ‘i love you’ –it is too cute and my daughter ( 3 ) just adores it ! we plan on doing this on feb . 14 to surprise our “daddy panda , ” heehee ! will we be seeing any silly eagle book crafts to go along with valentine’s day ? !
mother ' s day
is the latest star studded ensemble comedy from director garry marshall (
pretty woman ,
valentine ' s day
) . bringing together jennifer aniston , kate hudson and julia roberts along with jason sudeikis , it ' s a celebration of mothers everywhere . this big - hearted comedy invites us all to enjoy the laughter , tears and love as three generations come together in the week leading up to mother ' s day .
mother ' s day
is a total mess , but what ' s truly offensive is that they didn ' t even try to make this cynical , post - sunday brunch cash grab even remotely watchable . your mom deserves so much better this mother ' s day .
mother ' s day might be trying to show how diverse and progressive it is in representing every kind of family , but it ' s a laugh track away from three ' s company levels of subterfuge .
i would love for my colleagues to share their dislikes too . please share your comments below .
“last year , i met someone on tinder who i thought was pretty cool and it just so happened that our first date was to be on valentine’s day . i was super excited because we were going to this new restaurant in my neighborhood that i had been dying to try . we were to meet there at 8 p . m . i got dressed up for the first time in ages and drove to the restaurant . he had made reservations under his name and so the hostess walked me over to our table . when i got there , a woman was already sitting at the table . i looked at the hostess with confusion and asked her if she was sure that this was our table . she smiled , nodded , and walked away . turns out my tinder date had a wife . she found out about the date he had set up and came in his place instead . needless to say , i will never use tinder ever again ! ” —erica , 27
vinegar valentine ' s card , c1875 . shows a miserable woman holding several books : ' pray do you ever mend your clothes , or comb your hair ? well , i suppose you ' ve got no time , for people , say , you ' re reading novels all the day . '
valentine’s day is known as a time for people to send love notes , including anonymous ones signed “your secret admirer . ” but during the victorian era and the early 20th century , february 14 was also a day on which unlucky victims could receive “vinegar valentines” from their secret haters .
like valentine’s day . thanks to february 14 th –and the movies needed to feed that beast–hollywood execs sit around meetings , munching on tuna sandwiches , saying things like , “i’m visualizing… kate hudson . she’s a lawyer , cute and spunky , like ally mcbeal . and even though she’s one of the 100 sexiest actresses on the planet , she can never find a date–because she’s , ah , clumsy . oh ! and she wears glasses ! one day she meets mr . right… . only he’s… the opposing counsel ! now all we need’s a title . jimmy , whattya got ? trial of the heart ? make it happen ! ”
it’s a victory of style over substance the public song and dance for valentines day is often more about each member of the relationship proudly showing off at the water cooler the next day . its meaningless in reality .
shirley walks out of the office with lou , her new boss . dawn brings her things into joan ' s office , and sits down in joan ' s chair as the new director of personnel . jim and roger take the elevator downstairs together , and jim tells him ,
i ' d hate to think of you as an adversary
.
because that ' s just it , and say it with me now : this day is not about us single folk . plot twist — this day isn ' t even about people in relationships ! this day is about love . and quite honestly , all your whining is wrecking it for everyone .
and who could blame them ? just as card makers today sell valentines targeted for siblings , in - laws , grandparents , or pets , manufacturers during valentine’s day’s heyday saw these insulting messages as a way to make money , and it’s clear that consumers liked what they were selling . according to the writer ruth webb lee , by the mid - 19th century , vinegar valentines represented about half of all valentine sales in the u . s .
this was not as bad as i thought it would be . comfortable predictable yet still enjoyable to watch .
i get that it ' s cool to be cynical now . it ' s a fun thing we all do — to get a laugh , to protect our egos , to take our rightful place as the april ludgate of the office . you ' re the antis , you ' re ~ cool ~ , you ' re subversive , blah blah blah . only it ' s not subversive . take a look around , haters . the anti - valentine ' s day movement is hella louder than the actual holiday , and i am drawing my line in the metaphorical sand .
the big short
yaaassss , wealthy wall street white men take advantage of the nation ' s collapsing housing industry and make even more millions . yay capitalism . this movie will probably direct your hatred of valentine ' s day elsewhere and for a better cause .
people sent vinegar valentines as far back as at least 1840 . back then , they were called “mocking , ” “insulting , ” or “comic” valentines—“vinegar” seems to be a modern description . they were especially popular during the mid - 19th century , when both the u . s . and britain caught valentine’s day fever , a time talked about as “a valentine’s craze or valentine’s mania , ” pollen says . “the press was always talking about this phenomena … these were new , kind of mind - boggling quantities , these millions and millions of cards , ” both sweet and sour .
you think you’ve got issues . my valentine date got run down by a kangaroo ! urltoken
don drops sally off at school , and as she leaves the car , she wishes him a
happy valentine ' s day
and tells him that she loves him . don watches as she walks up the steps of her dormitory .
joan has moved dawn from outside lou ' s office to reception so meredith is now lou ' s secretary . bert walks into joan’s office , displeased with the new arrangement . “i’m all for the national advancement of colored people , but i don’t believe people should advance all the way to the front , ” he says . he orders joan to switch the secretaries around again but dawn or shirley cannot be at reception .
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men were not immune to the vinegar valentine attacks , like this one mocking a bald guy in 1907 .
this vinegar valentine from the late 19th century calls out a terrible singer . from the strong museum of play .
a rare vinegar valentine from the 1860s points out the grim reality of a physician visiting the civil war battlefield .
several cards from this 1940s vinegar valentine series suggests that the recipient kill his or herself for some small offense .
we still have nightmares . we’re still scarred . in school we had to scrawl out stupid notes and put them in a girl’s locker , where , usually , we would be humiliated by rejection or actually get stuffed in the locker ourselves . ( that happened to everyone else too , right ? right ? ) and now we have valentine’s day e - cards . awesome . i’d rather have more spam about low home mortgages , penis enlargement , or erectile dysfunction . at least those are meant to solve problems .
first of all , who are any of us to police the harmless things other people enjoy ? yeah , i get it . it ' s a commercialized holiday , it ' s a waste of money , all that tired old jazz . but some people like it . some people enjoy the dumb cards and the fancy restaurants and the sappy declarations of love . you being aggressive about how much you hate them for it isn ' t going to make it go away , but more to the point — they don ' t deserve that . they didn ' t do anything to you , and their enjoyment of the holiday isn ' t doing anything to you . your anger at them comes from some reflection of yourself and your own circumstances that has nothing to do with people who are happy on valentine ' s day .
although scholars don’t know how many of them were sent as a joke—the someecards of their day—or how many were meant to harm , it is clear that some people took their message seriously . in 1885 , london’s pall mall gazette reported that a husband shot his estranged wife in the neck after receiving a vinegar valentine that he could tell was from her . pollen also says there was a report of someone committing suicide after receiving an insulting valentine—not completely surprising , considering that’s exactly what some of them suggested .
in the sc & p elevator , peggy tries to convince stan and michael to work late when they remind her it ' s valentine ' s day . they then tease her about her lack of a date . michael jokes that peggy ' s calendar for the day reads ,
masturbate gloomily
. they approach peggy ' s office and she notices a vase of dozen red roses . she assumes they are from ted and takes them into her office . meanwhile , peggy is first flattered by the roses then becomes upset . she calls moira , ted ' s secretary , leaves a stilted message for ted about the loss of a made - up account that is supposed to convey that ted ' s flowers won ' t fix things with peggy .
there’s nothing more you can do ,
peggy declares .
the account is lost .
moira asks which client she’s talking about and peggy says ted will know .
must settle down sometime , but won ' t throw himself away too early . vinegar valentine ' s card , 19th century . shows a haggard whiskered man leaning against a bar , smoking .
vinegar valentine ' s card , c1875 . shows a young woman throwing a bucket of water at a man . bears message : ' here ' s a pretty cool reception , at least you ' ll say there ' s no deception , it says as plain as it can say , old fellow you ' d best stop away . '
well i reckon a photo book is pretty darn special these days – organising digital photos is such a pain , that the photo book is a decent solution .
vinegar valentine ' s card , c1875 . shows a man bearing a picture of a heart struck by arrows and the title ' pity a poor wounded heart ' . bears message : ' tis said you share your love with many . but i believe you have not any at least enough to give away . you keep it for yourself they say . '
sinister
you might not want to watch this alone - - or maybe you do . we don ' t know your life . a true - crime author finds home movies that show the murder he ' s researching is the work of a serial killer from a long time ago . this one is actually pretty scary and has a few twists . definitely anti - valentine ' s day .
mississippi damned
nothing is as anti - valentine ' s as a depressing movie about three poor black kids from rural mississippi who witness violence , drug abuse and addiction on a constant basis .
it’s almost like a scoreboard for women – the size of the bouquet is a measure of the women’s ability to garner the devotion of some guy .
“we ended up breaking up the next month . he bought me nothing and i bought him indians home opener tickets . ( it’s not about the gifts , but still , cough up some chocolate or something , homeboy . ) ” —brielle , 22
where ignorance is bliss , ' tis folly to be wise . vinegar valentine ' s card , 19th century . shows a shy woman in black . bears message : ' why maiden why , are you so very shy ? pray don ' t imagine for a moment i , am on the point of making love to you , for you are much mistaken if you do . '
all good things
this movie starts out great and lovey enough with a couple in love , but things take a turn for the worst when they can ' t seem to make their marriage work . so even if you were in a relationship and happy this valentine ' s day , chances are it probably wouldn ' t work anyways so yeah .
write you down an ass ? tis done sir . vinegar valentine ' s card , 19th century . shows a man in black holding a picture of another man . bears message : ' oh what a pretty valentine , and so like you , friend of mine for every one says you ' re an ass , and other donkeys quite surpass . '
we track hollywood ' s upcoming movie releases through all stages of production . more
when it comes to wedding ceremonies and officiants , it’s a brave new world .
there ' s an establishing shot of the manhattan skyline showing the empire state building lit up in blue and green . any new yorker knows that around valentines day , the empire state building would be lit up all red .
you like love . you’re a lover . and you don’t mind showing expressions of your love . for example , you relax on the couch by yourself , giving your partner the gift of space , the gift of silence , the gift of solitude . but you mind the goddamn love tax . on valentine’s day , you’re forced to buy roses and junk , otherwise you’ll get an audit ( “why didn’t you buy me flowers ? ” ) tax day comes twice a year , and both times it sucks .
getting her to watch , though - - that ' s a different matter .
i don ' t know ,
my bored 15 - year - old daughter muttered half an hour in .
i don ' t think this is going to go anywhere .
critics ' children . they ' re so jaded . so right , too . stephen whitty may be reached at swhitty @ urltoken or ( 212 ) 790 - 4435 .
what ' s the difference between england , britain and the u . k . ?
it’s unimaginative beyond the commercialisation , it’s a manifestation of the most unimaginative lazy effort in a relationship imaginable . anyone who goes all out on valenitines day is , to me , not worth being in a relationship with . they do not have the personal fortitude to act in any imaginative way . they are nothing but sheep .
if you like your films light and bright , without pause for any of the authentically raw emotions that would naturally be associated with any one of these story lines , then go on , take your mum and go see mother ' s day .
why do we fall for it every year ? it feels like speed dating at a wedding reception . restaurants raise their prices , limit their choices , and treat the night like a catering job . and they get away with it because they know that we ' re easy marks on valentine ' s day . we ' re looking to impress our significant others and we think going to the big name restaurant is going to be soooo impressive . it ' s not . it ' s usually quite disappointing . in fact , you ' d be much better off finding some small , out - of - the - way place that doesn ' t even acknowledge that february 14th happens to be a holiday . or , better yet , you should just stay home and cook dinner together this year . you ' ll save money , you won ' t have to deal with the arcane restrictions of the dreaded valentine ' s day prix fixe menu , and you ' ll only be steps away from the bedroom . it ' s a victory for all parties involved .
valentine ' s day . all of which is fitting as the owner of roses for romance , a quaint flower shop in the heart of a friendly brooklyn , ny neighborhood . her one problem is that she hates relationships . having been hurt numerous times in the past when it comes to matters of the heart , genevieve keeps herself happy by not letting any one man in . dating is ( more… )
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the story : vardalos plays genevieve , a florist in brooklyn who has a rule about men - - no more relationships . it ' s a daddy thing , related to her father deserting her mother - - which would make sense if it had happened when she was 12 . as it turns out , dad fled when genevieve was 25 ( which raises a whole other set of issues , but i ' m making way more out of this ill - considered plot point than i should ) .
once upon a time , couples planned their big romantic celebration around needlessly expensive jewelry and going to their favorite restaurant . there ' d be a little wine , some good food ( the ever - sexy chicken a la king , perhaps ) , and maybe even a roving violinist if they were lucky . now , valentine ' s day at restaurants has turned into a factory experience . it goes something like this :
manhattan , a day before valentine ' s day . genevieve owns a flower shop and has a personal dating rule : a limit of five dates with a man to avoid a relationship - - she loves the romance part but not the drama of what comes later . she ' s upbeat and perky about the trumped up holiday , though that ' s the nature of her personality . greg buys a restaurant nearby her shop , they decide to date . ( this after he buys roses for his girlfriend on valentine ' s day , and tries to be romantic at genevieve ' s suggestion : sneak into her apartment and leave them for her . . . but there he found her in bed with someone else , we ' re told . ) the couple end up doing the first three dates just fine , and on the fourth , she sleeps over , and he stops calling . not pleased with that , she confronts him , and he ' s counting the sleepover and subsequent day spent in bed and dates four and five , and she won ' t admit to him or herself that ( a ) she likes him beyond the five date rule , and ( b ) the multi - day togetherness wasn ' t a fifth date in her book . she lets the relationship fizzle out , though is miserable with that decision . nearly a year later , he decides to go for the grand gesture , bringing out things that are not comfortable for her ( like a red dress ) and he sings karaoke - style to her ( outside his comfort zone ) , with backup by a bunch of people they know , with the finale being everyone arranging themselves in the shape of a heart from her vantage point of her upstairs apartment window ; she calls him upstairs .
back at sc & p , lou calls joan and dawn into his office . he is angry that he had to deal with sally , and blames dawn , whose time is split between don and him .
i want my own girl ,
he says to joan , adding that dawn should have been there to deal with sally . dawn stands up for herself , reminding lou that she skipped lunch to buy a gift for his wife .
if you had been thoughtful enough to get her a gift when i told you about it ten days ago , i would’ve been here , ” she points out . a sputtering lou counters , “don’t you understand ? it’s not my problem . ” joan agrees to switch the secretaries for him .
don has lunch with dave wooster from wells rich greene . dave mentions the rumors he has heard about what happened with don . “i don’t know what the truth is , and i don’t really care ,
he tells don . he offers him a position at wells rich and green , but don assures him that he still has a job and also a non - compete clause . he insists he is not looking for another position .
it follows
this movie is about a weird supernatural being that follows you and tries to kill you and the only way to get rid of it is if you have sex with someone . so i guess that ' s a good way to be happy about probably not getting any on this special love holiday .
vinegar valentine ' s card , c1875 . shows a drunken man holding on to a lamp post . bears message : ' the kiss of the bottle is your heart ' s delight , and fuddled you reel home to bed every night , what care you for damsels , no matter how fair ! apart from your liquor , you ' ve no love to spare . '
even if stars jennifer aniston , julia roberts and kate hudson are mom ' s all - time favorites , don ' t subject her to this cloying , plotless dose of saccharine unless she ' s done you wrong .
“my ex sent his mom out with $ 20 and told her to get me stuff . i got all this junk candy and a cheap plushy rose that he told me was better than a real one because it would never die . he handed it all to me in a plastic bag , tags and all . meanwhile , i had bought him a new , fancy wristwatch because he was always running late , and wrapped it up real nice . at least he enjoyed the exchange . ” —rebekah , 24
back in california , pete surprises bonnie at the house she is showing and attempts to convince her to leave work early to they can spend valentine ' s day togehter . when bonnie refuses , pete vents about the lost chevrolet account . she reminds pete that they are both in sales , and are both at the mercy of higher - ups . bonnie tells him a story about a house she sold to
some okies
that burned down while in escrow , and describes it as an act of god . “our fortunes are in other people’s hands and we have to take them , ” she tells him . pete agrees to let bonnie finish her work .
don and sally stop for petrol and a meal . she is still pouting , so he explains why he lost his job . “i said the wrong things to the wrong people at the wrong time . i told the truth about myself , but it wasn’t the right time , ” he explains and assures her that she knows the truth about him . sally asks if he still loves megan , he says yes . then sally asks why he doesn’t just tell megan that he doesn’t want to move to california . don doesn ' t have an answer for her .
apart from the pretty faces and the challenges of raising kids , there ' s nothing really that would connect with any of us .
trippy indie madeline ' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .
vinegar valentine ' s card , c1875 . shows a middle aged woman looking at a drawing of a cat in female dress . bears message : ' why do they call you a nasty old cat , and say many things a deal ruder than that , ' tis from envy perhaps of your manifold graces , how would it not please you to claw in their faces ' .
meet genevieve ( nia vardalos ) . she loves romance . she loves flowers . she loves valentine ' s day . all of which is fitting as the owner of roses for romance , a quaint flower shop in the heart of a friendly brooklyn neighborhood . her one problem : she hates relationships . having been hurt numerous times , genevieve keeps herself happy by not letting any man in . dating is a game to her , a game she is very good at . genevieve doesn ' t get dumped and never gets hurt , because she doesn ' t stick around long enough for things to get ugly . then she meets greg ( john corbett ) .
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
tutored in several european languages for hours on end and strapped to a steel rod for posture , consuelo vanderbilt ' s childhood was anything but easy .
the waiter comes around to take your order . you get three courses and two options per course . choose wisely , but don ' t worry , they ' re not going to be nearly as good as anything you can get on a regular night in the same restaurant . when the food is served - - all at the same time , banquet - style - - you notice that your fish is cold . that ' s because it was prepared on a huge baking sheet with all of the other fish and then sat under a malfunctioning heatlamp until the beef was ready . you try to find your waiter to send back your fish . he ' s nowhere to be found - - until it ' s time for the check . when you do see the check , you ' re shocked to realize that every course is $ 10 more than you would have paid on any other night here . no time to protest , though , because all the checks are dropped at the same time and you better pay up , pal , because the 8 o ' clock crowd is almost here and you ' re in their seats . happy valentine ' s day , sucker !
one tired reason i hear a lot is because it ' s so
commercialized
. my answer to that is : ok , and so is literally every other holiday we have , and hating everything is going to get very exhausting at some point . the
commercial world
is entirely optional to you . the people who are spending their money aren ' t somehow undermining the true meaning of love by
succumbing
to commercialism . they ' re just doing what makes them happy , the same way not spending money on a holiday you dislike makes you happy . everybody ' s happy ! you see how this isn ' t really a thing at all ?
men ' s health participates in various affiliate marketing programs , which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites .
roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the
11th hour
series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .
before these mass - produced cards hit the market , people had hand made their own valentines , both sentimental and vinegar ( so far , the historical examples of nicer valentines predate the meaner ones ) . pollen argues that although manufacturers didn’t invent vinegar valentines , they expanded upon them . in barry shank’s book on greeting cards and american business culture , he writes that vinegar valentines “were a part of the valentine craze from the earliest years of its commercialization . ”
in 1910s , an anonymous postcard might berate a couple , if the woman were perceived as dominating the man . the same sort of arguments were made against women’s suffrage .
meanwhile , sally is smoking a cigarette with her friends in a dorm room at her private school . they are making plans for their classmate sarah ' s mother ' s funeral in new york tomorrow . they plan to skip the burial and go shopping in greenwich village . sally’s friend carol states that sarah won ' t be back at school until easter and that she wishes her own mother would die . sally adds she would stay at school until 1975 if she could
get betty in the ground .
what happened ? someone fell asleep at the switch . look at our school systems . boys and girls are encouraged to give these chalky , heart - shaped candies to all the other boys and girls , sending pre - inscribed messages like “i love u” and “b mine . ” does no one else find this appalling ? is this the future of the united states–a nation of whores ?
printers mass - produced valentine cards that ranged from the expensive , ornate , and sentimental kind to the vinegar variety , which were cheap . “they were designed to expand this holiday into something that could include a whole range of different people and a whole range of different emotions , ” she says .
it ' s a tad unfortunate to see aniston hamming it up to the high heavens , doing what she has been doing in rom - coms since , well , forever .
let’s assume conservatively that genevieve started dating when she was 20 , and that she has met on average three men a year willing to accept her strictures . and that after completing all the requirements , half of them have triumphantly arrived at home plate . given her age , which a gentlemen does not mention , that works out to 39 sex partners . according to surveys reported by abc news and the new york times , which i don’t necessarily believe , the average american woman has between four and seven sex partners in a lifetime . that means genevieve is not only an obsessive - compulsive , but a nympho .
peggy lies on the sofa in her office , drinking . shirley informs her that moira is on the phone for her . “tell her to tell ted i have no intention of talking to him today , ” peggy orders . she marches out to shirley’s desk and places the roses on her desk , complaining they smell
like an italian funeral .
then , peggy decides she wants to throw the flowers away because they’re “cursed” . shirley finally blurts out that they are from her fiancé . “you have a ring on , ” snaps peggy , holding back tears . “we all know you’re engaged . you did not have to embarrass me . ”
based in los angeles , jason kessler has written for television shows such as nbc ' s the office , true jackson , vp on nickelodeon , and the mtv movie awards . photo by matt armendariz .
you walk into the restaurant at your designated time . i hope you like eating at 6pm , because the 8pm seating was full a month ago . since every reservation in the entire place is for the exact same time , you have to fight to get the host ' s attention to even get to your table . finally , you are seated at a table for two in a long row of identical tables for two . unfortunately , the restaurant has shoved the tables so close together that you feel like you ' re eating on benches in a school cafeteria . get to know your neighbors now because you ' re going to be hearing their conversation for the rest of your allotted two hours .
it ' s fine that the makeshift trilogy ( please , let it only be a trilogy ) is a simple - minded ode to love meant to send everyone home happy . so why doesn ' t it actually send anyone home happy ?
back at sc & p , shirley and dawn meet up in the coffee room . shirley is upset because the roses were actually meant for her , from her fiance charlie . she asks dawn for advice on how to get her roses back . dawn tells shirley to keep her mouth shut about it if she wants to keep her job . for an example , dawn mentions that don hasn’t told his wife he’s on leave . “keep pretending . that’s your job , ” she shrugs .
the story casts the actress as a never - married florist who keeps relationships at bay with a strict five - date limit . that way , she reasons , there ' s never a chance of getting really involved - - or really hurt .
sold in the united states and britain , these cards featured an illustration and a short line or poem that , rather than offering messages of love and affection , insulted the recipient . they were used as an anonymous medium for saying mean things that its senders wouldn’t dare say to someone’s face—a concept that may sound familiar to today’s readers . scholar annebella pollen , who has written an academic paper on vinegar valentines , says that people often ask her whether these cards were an early form of “trolling . ”
that ' s the story , and vardalos has tried to jazz it up a bit by casting john corbett - - her hunky suitor from
my big fat greek wedding
- - as the restaurateur and friend rachel dratch as one of her pals .


live from baghdad is a television movie produced in 2002 by hbo .

it was directed by mick jackson and written by robert wiener based on wiener 's book of the same title .

the movie was released during the prelude stage of the iraq war .

michael keaton stars as cnn on-location producer robert wiener in baghdad , iraq during the persian gulf war in 1991 .

the movie focuses on the news media 's ( primarily cnn 's ) coverage of the war .

fundamentally an action – drama , the characters grapple with the ethics and implications of 24-hour journalism in the days leading up to and during the united states-led bombing of baghdad .

live from baghdad ( film )

as a movie , live from baghdad constitutes another first - class production from hbo .
no story is worth dying for , yet mick jackson’s live from baghdad deviated from such maxim .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing live from baghdad near you .
) to baghdad in august 1990 to cover the brutal iraqi invasion of kuwait . the hbo film live from baghdad is the story of how wiener and cnn overcame adversity to become the only network to continue broadcasting from baghdad during the u . s . air strikes .
brilliant , highly entertaining drama with wonderful performances from its cast , live from baghdad is set during the gulf war is a film that focuses on a group of cnn reporters that report from the front lines in iraq . well shot and with a great story to tell , this is a film that relies on a great story to deliver an exciting , thrilling film . live from baghdad is a film that is gripping from the moment it starts , and offers up several solid performances from the cast . the film is well paced and it is a riveting film as we see the reporters cover the gulf war . well acted and directed , this film certainly delivers something great . this is a well…
the 1992 film was set in the fictional arabian sultanate of agrabah , moved from the original location of baghdad , iraq .
mick jackson ' s live from baghdad works as an entertaining drama , but it provides disappointingly inadequate context in its depiction of the events surrounding the 1991 gulf war .
seemingly from out of nowhere , this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie . . .
john justin . i remember him from the thief of baghdad . he was an incredibly beautiful actor .
live from baghdad takes an in - depth look at the dangerous world of war correspondence through a group of young , cnn reporters who find themselves on the mission of a lifetime .
winston , brian , claiming the real : the documentary film revisited , ( london : british film institute , 1995 ) .
after watching live from baghdad , i had a new appreciation for journalists . the movie really put in perspective what it means to be a journalist and what must be done to get the story .
“if the film was released two years ago , or two years from now , the message would be received differently , ” he said .
for some reason , i use to be really in love with this film .
at the time of the film’s release , critical reception was largely negative with several groups concerned with the ‘unsuitability’ of the film’s central plotline . in spite of this , the film was financially successful for the studio ( 20th century fox ) .
“live from baghdad” illustrates a story of two entirely separate entities : one in the world of global affairs , and one in the world of journalism . however , what the movie really brought about , was the collision of both of these subjects .
early on in hbo & # 146 ; s live from baghdad , producer ingrid formaneck ( helena bonham - carter ) cautions her executive producer robert wiener ( michael keaton ) & # 147 ; the moment we become the story , it & # 146 ; s over . & # 148 ; given that live is a film about cnn & # 146 ; s coverage of the gulf war , the statement is a provocation .
the 1992 animated film was loosely based on a syrian tale , but helmed — and voiced — by white people . debates over the authenticity of the live - action remake are understandable , but a radical change in representation would require an overhaul of the film’s source material .
: fuck berlin . the wall ' s down . baghdad is me , eason .
it looks as though the live - action feature film adaptation of disney’s aladdin will be clear of accusations of whitewashing , with its casting call recognising that leads aladdin and jasmine are middle eastern .
cf . jehane noujaim’s audio commentary about the film on the dvd released by magnolia pictures .
“live from baghdad” reinstated what i have recently learned to be the most important factor in being a stand - out journalist ; passion . the team that went to baghdad were willing to place everything aside just to capture the story . they went as far as risking their lives to deliver stories and news ; to discover the truth and unravel the mysteries within the problems abroad . every single one of their actions were driven by passion . the work of the cnn team depicted in “live from baghdad” is extremely admirable ; without teams such as theirs , our country would not be nearly as informed as we are day by day . t motivated me to continue pursuing journalism , and to push myself to take risks like those depicted in the film .
cnn producer robert wiener , his colleague and their crew venture to the iraqi capital to cover the gulf war . i knew that live from baghdad was going to win me over just from that epic opening in the movie theater , the characters that we get introduced to such as robert wiener played by the amazing and talented michael keaton who does an extraordinary job or ingrid formanek played by the also amazing helena bonham carter and the rest of the cast that goes on and on every single character and actor in this film is fantastic . the direction that the film takes is terrific and there ' s intense threw out every scene from interviews to even just simple conversations between our characters . the soundtrack also brings a much more dramatic vibe to this already black and white film that you ' re introduced to . beautiful dialogue , a terrific based on real life events and a extraordinary and talented cast make live from baghdad a must see for every fan out there . it ' s also a very inspiring film about a few brave souls that chose to even ' sacrifice ' their lives for the truth .
live from baghdad was definitely an interesting flick . robert weiner ‘s desire for finding his story , although probably glamorized slightly by hollywood , paid off in the end , which is what every journalist wants . he was also an example of sheer determination , unrelenting investigation and passion for journalism .
“live from baghdad” is one of those movies that made history ; the media world was changed and will never be the same . this movie is about a group of ambitious and courageous journalists and a producer who were the first ones to bring audiences , people sitting in their living rooms all over the country , live tv correspondence from behind enemy lines . these journalists , along with the producer , reported on the conflicts in the persian gulf and essentially made cnn what it is today .
live from baghdad is an hbo movie starring michael keaton and helena bonham carter . it follows the true story of robert weiner and ingrid foremanek ( keaton and carter , respectively ) , both cnn reporters who traveled to unstable iraq in hopes of landing an interview with saddam hussein . after navigating baghdad’s strict rules , they get their interview with saddam , but it’s not as groundbreaking as they had hoped . however , when the bombs start falling , cnn was the only news station to break the story live .
from the new york times . you may opt - out at any time .
i have always wondered what drives journalists to cover wars . ‘why put yourself in such a dangerous position , and for what ? ’ live from baghdad helped me understand what drives journalists to cover wars and the kind of mindset they have . robert wiener wants the big story . forget living , he would choose death if he could be the only news network on the air during the iraqi invasion . and when he is given this opportunity during the bombing of baghdad , his crew airs the news and manage to cheat death . from the first moment you see wiener it becomes apparent quickly that he and other journalists who cover wars are bold , courageous , and willing to risk their lives in order to get the perfect story . live from baghdad also exhibits an interesting situation . the morning after the bombing , robert wiener and his crew congratulate each other while peering over their hotel balcony at bombed out buildings and chaos . i think it is fair to say that they were the happiest people in baghdad after that night of destruction . live from baghdad gave me a perspective of a type of journalism i have never done , and probably will never do .
a hilariously outrageous story based on real events , this film recounts the making of the . . .
based on a genuinely moving true story , this film undercuts the realism by pushing its . . .
a victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of jack the ripper , this film struggles to . . .
' ' live from baghdad ' ' was filmed in casablanca , and its ending may remind you of the fade - out of , well , ' ' casablanca . ' ' here again , the woman has flown away , leaving the hero and the government functionary to consider that although they dealt honorably with each other , they could not stop the world from spinning out of control .
all the above obstacles in the pursuance of truth are evident in control room : information - flows to journalists are carefully managed in military briefings . an extensive sequence shows the bombing raid on the aljazeera headquarters in baghdad . the live reporting as coalition force take baghdad is shown to record a thoroughly stage - managed event .
mohammed , who lived through the events in baghdad the film depicts , admits that scenes where women and children were killed were hard for him to watch . but all in all he liked the movie .
live from baghdad was an incredibly interesting film that definitely gives hopeful journalists something to think about . overall the movie itself was enjoyable ; michael keaton played his character with wit and admirable charm well throughout the movie , ending it as a well - respected hero . personally i felt the relationship aspects of the film ( between keaton and carter’s character as well as the sound woman and camera man ) was a bit forced but at the same time it shows the camraderie and love that keeps a journalistic crew together .
“lights ! camera ! action ! ” certainly isn’t as glamorous as it seems . in mick jackson’s live from baghdad , “lights ! ” are bombs shattering like fireworks in the sky . “camera ! ” is a teetering , tiny eye witness to destruction . “action ! ” is the scream of a city under attack .
though it takes place throughout 2003 , that aspect of the film is particularly fresh today , roessner said .
the film belongs to the audience and the larger culture . it’s no longer his own , he said .
the film is flawed , however . for one thing , it spends too much time praising cnn - - it ' s just tv , after all . ( full disclosure : hbo and cnn are both divisions of time warner . ) the romance between keaton and carter is believable but a distraction - - the film really should have been about the war , not the reporters . much of the film is about wiener ' s personal growth as he supposedly learns not to be quite such an egomaniac , which is something journalists often have a hard time with . . . ahem . unfortunately , since live from baghdad was adapted by wiener from a self - penned autobiography , i ' m not convinced that his egomania is completely under control .
in his discussion of construction principles of films which are assembled from ready - mades , william wees distinguishes between the formats of compilation , appropriation and collage . his categories reflect a scale of uses that ranges from the deployment of footage as unproblematic evidence to the investigation of the semiotics of representation itself . drawing on jay leyda’s writing on compilation film , wees offers a definition of the compilation film . this
excellent teleplay , exemplary performances . riveting and thought - provoking . a top - notch production all around . beyond what else has been said , live from baghdad hails those who , as late as 1991 , stood up for the freedom of the press , the battles waged , the compromises made , their failures as well as their successes . bush the elder had ordered the press out of baghdad , but failed , as this teleplay depicts . when bush the younger reentered iraq , he offered the press corps a leash instead , which most agencies snapped up . live from baghdad , a brilliant bit of reporting done by an extraordinary cnn team , but also a subtle homage to those who help preserve one of the most vital proponents of liberty - - a free press .
this film may be based on rj palacio ' s fictional bestseller , but it approaches its story . . .
rehearsals for the film , which is likely to be a big box office hit in the way the beauty and the beast live - action remake is set to be , begin in april , with principal photography taking place between july 2017 and january 2018 .
controversial at the time of release , the film deals with the topic of miscegenation . check out the trailer below :
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the 2002 hbo original film , “live from baghdad” , was about cnn reporting during the gulf war . the gulf war started on august 2 nd 1990 , when iraq invaded the neighbor country of kuwait . in january of 1991 , the united nations coalition , which included over thirty countries and was led by the united states , invaded iraq . from the time of the initial invasion of kuwait and the un - coalition taking action , there was great tension between the iraqi government and the reporters from the west . multiple times in the movie cnn reporter , robert wiener ( played by michael keaton ) and his staff we ordered to stop the filming of their show .
in noujaim’s film different accounts of the conflict are shown to be shaped by a “weave of limitations” . [ 9 ] notions of truth , objectivity and evidence become a ground of contestation which is mapped out by the statements of the film’s characters .
plantinga , carl , rhetoric and representation in non - fiction film , ( cambridge : cambridge university press , 1997 ) .
live from baghdad also showed the impact of objective reporting . there was no intentional slant on the bombings in baghdad . the reporters were reporting events as they saw them , without trying to appease a political party , a network , or even a country . they were talking to the people . the response to this kind of reporting was widely accepted by the nation as well as the world because it wasn’t the edited version . it was the truth . i concluded from this that reporting , in its rawest form , has a huge effect on the validity and popularity of the source .
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 .
is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie starring michael keaton . this script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and / or viewings of live from baghdad . i know , i know , i still need to get the cast names in there and i ' ll be eternally tweaking it , so if you have any corrections , feel free to
being a journalist is a stressful and challenging job . “live from baghdad , ” showed me that journalists sometimes have to make crucial decisions that can change their lives for ever . what do you do when your life is at risk and your country is depending on you to provide them with news ? do you stay or do you go ? the reporters from cnn who were reporting live from baghdad were on a mission to report the truth and provide their audience with real stories . when baghdad was at war only cnn reporters decided to stay and report what was going on . they risked their lives and became journalism heroes . sometimes i stop and think to myself that people don’t appreciate everything that journalists do . they don’t know how much hard work and dedication it takes to give a story . our job is to think and care about the audience even though the audience doesn’t care about us . we do what we do because of our passion and desire of providing people with the truth .
but not all iraqis were cheering on
chief
kyle ' s kills . wael , a government ministry employee in his 30s , says the film was too violent . he ' s happy it ' s no longer being shown in some baghdad theaters .
the live - action aladdin is one of many adaptations that disney has dedicated the 2010s to churning out , especially since beauty and the beast , released in march , has grossed nearly $ 1 . 3 billion worldwide . in 2019 alone , a new live - action mulan movie , a live - action the lion king , and aladdin are all slated to be released . but unlike beauty and the beast — disney’s highest - grossing live - action adaptation of a cartoon to date — these stories are set in regions that would seem to prohibit casting exclusively white actors , or even a plurality of white actors , as western film studios frequently do . aladdin is set in the fictional kingdom of agrabah , an aesthetic mash - up of agra and baghdad . mulan , a historical drama , is set in china during the han dynasty . both animated films lack white characters entirely .
an institution without walls , we draw spirit from our cities and their famous cultural institutions and professional opportunities .
i picked up a few subliminal journalistic tips from the film : 1 ) patience is a virtue . sometimes waiting hours and hours ( and hours ) for an interview with someone important can earn you a great story , and a great friend
tonight , i watched the film , live from baghdad . this was a great film , i really enjoyed watching it and it made me think about journalism and our role as journalists . i really got to see in this movie all the work that goes on behind the scenes in order for us , as united states citizens , to see what is going on in another country especially one as controlled as baghdad . it was also interesting to see how one event such as the filming of the bombing in iraq can change a second rate news - organization at the time , cnn , into one of the biggest , most trusted and biggest news organizations today . i was very excited to see this film and this helped me a lot to see what being a reporter really means and how much a seemingly routine news story to use as the public really means to a reporter and how much it can change the persona of a network .
this was an interesting look behind the scenes of cnn ' s efforts to bring the 1991 bombing of baghdad into the homes of tv viewers . it brings to light the heroic sacrifices made by journalists , camera crews and producers to keep us informed while working in hostile dangerous areas . a good effort from keaton , & carter , help make this a really decent film . .
the ashkenazim are the jews who emigrated to palestine from europe , the sephardim from arab or north african countries . although immigration from arab countries was continuous from the late 19th century , the largest waves of immigration by far between 1881 and 1949 were from european countries . these eastern - european jews founded the state of israel : indeed during the first 20 years of israel’s existence , cabinet meetings were held mostly in yiddish . then , in the 1950s and 1960s , a huge wave of jewish immigration from iraq , morocco and yemen changed the face of israeli society . both were traumatised , each finding it near - impossible to build bridges to the other’s mentality .
given the thematic concern of noujaim’s film with the construction and constructedness of audiovisual records of the iraq war , how does she , in turn , make fragments of these records contribute to the rhetorical project of her film ? this is the central question which will be investigated .
live from baghdad , was a gripping and exciting movie to watch . it really made me think about the dangers of the job , but also how rewarding the journalism career can be . i personally am a thrill seeker , so a job like that of the reporters in live from baghdad would be right up my ally . also , the fact that they got to see the beginning of the war in iraq is remarkable . any movies that portray historical events are always moving and inspiring . my favorite part had to be at the end when the war erupted and the army started shooting into the sky . i never imagined what it would look like to watch open fire . if i had been in their shoes i would have been torn between the fascination of the beauty of the destruction and the fear of war .
it is not only in politics and the street that israel’s ethnic tensions surface . our film reviewer yair raveh explores representations of ashkanazi and sephardic jews in israeli cinema , from the past of sallah to the present of orange people and the dove flyer .
noujaim’s juxtaposition of two truths downplays authorial intervention both in the eschewal of a voice - over commentary and the masked interactions between the film team of two and the film’s characters . with the exception of one almost inaudible brief question , the presence of noujaim’s film crew is effaced . factual inter - titles structure an extended exposition which sets out the film’s narrative baseline and introduce us to the main characters . but this overt authorial commentary soon dwindles to captions with the name and function of characters , and rare instances of temporal or narrative anchorage . it is from a weave of materials and a more dispersed narrative agency that noujaim’s rhetorical project emerges : using a familiar documentary formula she intercuts her characters’ present tense statements with filmed passages from centcom and the doha aljazeera headquarters and news footage .
“i didn’t see representation in film for these people . not for soldiers who are incredibly tough and twice as smart , ” he said .
jehane noujaim’s previous film on the rise and fall of a dotcom business , startup . com , was co - directed with chris hegedus .
walking into wednesday nights movie , live from baghdad , i didn’t know quite what to expect . to be perfectly honest i thought it was just going to be a waste of two hours of my night . however , as soon as the first few scenes played , i was immediately proven wrong . this movie opened my eyes to what true journalism could really be about . my father always told me that most journalists would die for their stories . i never could quite understand why journalists would be willing to die just for a story , or what would even make a story worth dying for . however , live from baghdad , showed me that there are stories out there that are worth risking everything for . getting the story out of what was really going on in iraq was worth everything to robert weiner and his news crew .
ursula böser lectures in the department of languages and intercultural studies at heriot - watt university , edinburgh . her research interests are found footage film and alternative film modes . she has written a book on the work of the avant - garde filmmakers jean - marie straub and danièle huillet .
wees , william , recycled images . the art and politics of found footage films , ( new york : anthology film archives , 1993 ) .
when iraqis see a film [ about war ] they ' ll be engaged in it because they feel part of them is there .
roessner said fellow veterans he has met from his scholarship class and others range from lawyers and doctors to poets and social workers . they were more complex than gruff troops with little intelligence who commonly appear in war films , he said .
the movie tonight was ‘live from baghdad’ . the name itself gave me the idea that the movie was going to be edited shots or streaming footage that was ‘live from baghdad’ . in my naiveté , i did not even consider that the movie would be so moving and relatable . as the movie progressed i grew more and more attached to the main character . his ability to mold his character to fit every journalistic situation reminded me of my own persona . his stubbornness in the scene where he waits an entire day to speak with the minister of information to attempt to make an appointment for an interview with saddam hussein reminded me of my stubbornness . i am also stubborn in the way that i would wait as long as it takes to get what i need . overall , the main character reminded me of myself and he made me feel more confident in being a journalist .
i was surprised at the extent weiner and his team were willing to go to be the first ones at a story . not only that though , they also worked tirelessly to make a name for cnn that had nothing to do with “the little engine that could” . the work and final story were to be praised , and rightfully made into a movie . “live from baghdad” helped fortify my desire of being a dedicated and passionate journalist .
tonight’s movie was “ live from baghdad” and i loved it ! coming from a military family my dad fought in that war , but i have only ever heard it from the soldier’s point of view . hearing about the life of a journalist abroad was extremely interesting to me . it took so much work to do a single broadcast and they had to put themselves in so much danger ! seeing it from a producer’s point of view was extremely eye opening . i also did not know the history of cnn , now i know where they got the tagline “fair and balanced . ” i also did not know that ccnn was so looked down upon by the other news stations . i also did not know that they were the only news station that stayed in baghdad , which is quite impressive . the interview they got with saddam hussein was so difficult to get and difficult to listen to but they really stuck it out to get the real news .
loved this film when i was a teenager… . the music , the colour , the scenery , the actors . eventually went to live in the west indies and it was exactly like that . funnily enough i’ve just found the book by alec waugh and m reading it with delight . takes me back soooo many years ago !
chris roessner is an iraq veteran and screenwriter of the film
sand castle
debuting on netflix on april 21 , 2017 . courtesy of chris roessner
disney’s casting announcement from the past weekend has given fans some small reason to hope for a quasi - radical take on aladdin , a relatively safe box - office bet that nonetheless demonstrates all the studio has learned about diversity , representation , and whitewashing between the original movie and now . for disney , diversity is , as ever , a process . for once , though , imagine the company attempting it from the start , from the ground up , from the choice of director all the way down to the casting . imagine the company building a whole , new world from a new , fantastic point of view .
the iraqi film business is small compared with its middle eastern neighbors , but it ' s growing . daradji and his brother run the iraqi independent film center , a production house aimed at training the next generation in iraqi filmmaking and bringing filmmakers who fled under saddam hussein ' s rule back to iraq .
hbo & # 146 ; s telecast of live from baghdad could not be more timely . the film premieres four hours before sunday , december 7 , when the 30 - day deadline of u . n . resolution 1441 will have expired . it is unlikely that saddam hussein will comply with the u . n . & # 146 ; s request for a list of his covert weapons programs and with this lapsed obligation , the pentagon is expected to call up the reserves , 10 , 000 strong . history seems doomed to repeat itself , as they are to be deployed to iraq to shed blood anew .
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many people also objected to the film ' s portrayal of kyle — a man who described iraqis as
savages
in his memoir — as a hero .
live from baghdad was very inspirational and really got the point across of what it takes to be a great journalist . its obvious that the situations the crew was put into were very hostile even before bombs were dropping . putting your life in danger to cover a story is very possible and a decision that would be hard to make if the journalist has a family at home . it seems to me though that the passion for what one does makes all the risk worth it .
i love harry belafonte on film . he was so good looking… . sigh . remember the world , the flesh and the devil ? i think that was title of the movie . i’m going to write about it at some point – my problem is that i can find very little about it online . i’ll have to keep digging . that was a film in which the film - makers cop out on the racial angle in the end . but still , a movie worth looking for .
journalists are warriors . this is the message that was woven into every second of the film live from baghdad and the message that rang through my mind as i left the first amendment forum last night after the movie had ended . after watching the incredible story of a cnn team that endured horrific ordeals and succeeded in telling the story of a lifetime to the public , i have a new respect for journalists and reporters everywhere . i never realized how the truth was something that often must be fought for , and i now know that if being a journalist means joining the ongoing battle between integrity and corruption , i want to be a part of it .
although based on a true story , the film is not a documentary . many events have been condensed or eliminated and even some characters have been condensed or eliminated .
watching the movie live from baghdad gave me a picture of what true commitment looks like in journalism . the team of journalists in the movie risked life and limb in order to deliver the news to their viewers . even as the reckless protesting mobs in baghdad screamed and held signs reading “down usa , ” the team pushed their way through with cameras to continue reporting . with limited technology available in the foreign country , members of the team had no choice but to sprint back and forth through the hallways in order to make the news report perfect for viewers . after a story failed because of lack of cooperation from an interviewee , hope seemed to be lost . despite the setback , the team kept pushing through and ended up getting an important interview from saddam hussein himself . at the end of the film , bombs began to explode as a war erupted , yet the team continued reporting and did whatever possible to keep the news stream going . this movie showed dedication to the extreme , and i admired the great lengths each team member was willing to go in order to make a difference .
what moviegoers in baghdad think of ' american sniper ' when gaith mohammed , a young man in his twenties with a degree in accounting , went to see
american sniper
during its opening week at baghdad ' s mansour mall , he says the theater was full and rowdy .
some check out this story on urltoken urltoken
“live from baghdad , ” an action movie depicting the true life story of cnn’s struggle to prove themselves as a worthy telecast station , played tonight in the first amendment forum . amongst the many television networks , such as cbs and abc , cnn’s team struggled to cover the main stories that were happening in baghdad and kuwait . after many discouraging events , such as the sadaam hussein interview being offered exclusively to cbs , and the fear of being harmed that stopped interviewees from disclosing the truth , the group from cnn didn’t back down . once all foreigners were offered one last escape from iraq before the war erupted , many of the other journalists fled back to the united states . the group at cnn stayed , providing the only live link on the war from iraq to the united states , meaning many of the other networks cited them for information . they proved themselves to be worthy journalists , and boosted cnn’s credibility indefinitely . before starting school here , i was honestly questioning whether i wanted to persue a career in journalism . i wondered if it would present enough of a challenge , or if i would grow tired of it , but this movie made me realize all of the important things i can do in this field . and it honestly gave me the drive to try harder , because one day , i could be solely reporting on a matter just as controversial and just as important as the war in iraq .
roessner stressed the film , helmed by director fernando coimbra and shot on location in jordan , is not entirely autobiographical , but it does mirror his own experience in iraq .
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i had never seen live from baghdad before this time . i have to say it was an experience ; i truly enjoyed it . it was such a fascinating movie . the way the crew from cnn never gave up . they took risks and it paid off . they put everything they had on the table and they were extremely successful . it was incredible the way they put their lives on the line to report to the world what was going on . throughout the movie we were able to see how the crew in baghdad were able to spot the smallest things that told then something was off . as a journalist it is important to be able to spot those small things that tell you something seem strange . this is a prime example of going all in and leaving nothing behind . cnn had everyone at the palms of their hands ; everyone was reporting the news that the crew from cnn had found . i would definitely watch this movie again .
the film , directed by mick jackson from a script credited to mr . wiener and three others , does simplify history in the cause of drama . the canny viewer will remember that hbo and cnn are both children of aol time warner , which no doubt hopes to supply your updates on the next gulf war .
i saw an interesting made for hbo film called live from baghdad staring michael keaton and helen bohnam - carter . i remember when it was happening in college , so it ' s an interesting look at an insider ' s view of the action . it also displays the journalists ' view of the action that i sometimes come across in other journalistic accounts in books and magazines . it was made before the current war on iraq , which gives the current conflict some perspective , but not much , it doesn ' t analyze about the war so much as give the story of how cnn broke out to become a giant in the journalism industry with it ' s exclusive coverage of the war .
it’s surprising how confident i am in what i would or wouldn’t do for a story . when dean gilger described an incident where a interviewee ( who was also running for public office ) asked for a story to be held because of his previous alcohol problems , i immediately thought it was not alright to hold the story . it’s our job to expose these kind of things . like in “live from baghdad” , it is our duty as journalists to make certain practices known to the public . in the movie , wiener is criticized for his crew’s interview techniques ; yet , i believe , it is always the interviewee prerogative to say , “no . ” in “live from baghdad” , i initially thought they were overly critical on the judgment calls of wiener and his crew . upon a second examination , i understand the judgments on the cnn crew . this movie highlights the ethical line we all must walk as journalists . do we expose the over - protective government or do we keep promises to our network ? it seems we may have to do both .
in baghdad , where much of the film is set , the movie drew full crowds at one of the city ' s new upscale cinemas . dressed in a fur - collared coat and loafers , mohammed says many of the showings were sold out , and he knows of people who had to book their tickets a day in advance during opening week .
i found the movie live from baghdad extremely interesting because it portrayed a side of journalism that isn’t always publicized . there was a part of the movie where the main character , robert wiener , is experiencing internal conflict over an interview he gets from an american hostage in iraq . he is very aggressive in getting the interview , which he believes is important for americans at home to see in order to understand what is going on in iraq , but at the same time he feels guilt at possibly putting that man in danger by exploting his situation . this is a repercussion of journalism that isn’t as widely known , or at least one that i had never thought about before .
“live from baghdad” showed me both the exciting and scary parts of journalism . i’ve listened to and watched war reports , but somehow in movie form it made it that much more real . i don’t know if i could be the one to go into a country and tell the story for the audience back home , especially if i were from the enemy country . it was interesting to see how much persistence is needed to be a really good journalist . you have to wait and be patient , even if you have to drink lots of mint tea . waiting is not always fun or entertaining . but it can get you the best results . it also sets you apart from the rest . your editors and producers will have more faith in you and will give you those assignments that you’ve been waiting for . i also paid attention to how much robert wiener noticed the details . those details are what truly tell the story . it’s also what kept cnn in baghdad , even when the other networks were kicked out . overall , i very much enjoyed the film . it gives me a better apprectiation for what i’m learning in class and for what the job of a journalist is .
• “margins to center” is concept i was recently introduced to in my history class . it describes how people who live on the margins of society tend to , have to , pay more attention to those in the center of it ( those in power ) . in the film , people in iraq seemed to have a much better idea of what was going on in america than vice versa .
roessner said the water pump mission in the film has often been compared to the myth of sisyphus , the greek tale of a man rolling a rock up a hill for eternity .
bradley cooper plays chris kyle , a navy seal sniper , in ' american sniper . ' the film is based on kyle ' s autobiography detailing his time serving on the battlefield .
it ' s impossible to distinguish whether live from baghdad is a completely true story , but the cast and the location shooting ( done in california and morocco ) is excellent . the most interesting part is when cnn reporter robert weiner ( michael keaton ) goes to interview the head of iraq ' s ministry of communications , who later became the iraqi minister of propaganda ( something like that ) and gained the nickname
baghdad bob
because of his televised tirades against the u . s . during the recent 2003 gulf war . he kept insisting to the iraqi people that u . s . troops were not in control of iraq , even after they made their way into baghdad . he was later arrested by u . s . forces , but the charges were eventually dismissed , and now he ' s another civilian caught up in his homeland ' s ongoing chaos . rating : * * *
and so it continued : every time a film portrayed the hardships of the north african immigrants , the public wanted to see it , while the critics warned of stereotypical images . slowly , though , it became clear that whenever a film critic ( usually an elderly ashkenazi male ) screamed ‘racism ! ’ he was really hiding his own racism . from sallah to avi nesher’s turn left at the end of the world 40 years later , the maladjustment of the moroccan jew drew huge crowds while the intellectual elite frowned .
great hbo film that tells the story how cnn was the only news network to be able record live from iraq during the usa iraqi war . michael keaton does a stellar job portraying cnn producer robert wiener who ran the show with helena bonham carter as co producer ingrid formanek , along with many familiar faces including bruce mcgill who almost steals the movie with portrayal of correspondent peter arnett . the screenplay written by wiener himself gives insight on the give and take involved when dealing with a foreign government who wants to be portrayed in the best light possible .
as a grad student , it was somewhat eerie to me to watching “live from baghdad” , especially since i remember the events of the persian gulf war like it was yesterday . as a seven - or eight - year - old boy , i remember watching the tv with my parents in a small , single - wide mobile home in northern idaho , and wondering why my parents were glued to the tv , when all i was seeing was a map of iraq and pictures of a few men who were describing radio - style what they’re seeing .
dramatized version of the story of cnn ' s gulf war coverage featuring
the boys from baghdad
: the battle over access , the fight to keep the technology up and running . . and the decision whether to risk their lives behind enemy lines once the bombing starts , in order to get the story of a lifetime .
but “sand castle , ” according to roessner , could be the first film about the war in iraq penned by a veteran who served there and released by a well - known studio .
“live from baghdad” was an eye - opening movie about the beginning gulf war from a journalistic point of view . it was so intriguing for me to watch because there are countless more factors that go into producing international news than i ever imagined , especially in the years before technology was every improving , as it is today . now i can say that i have definitely taken the reports from across the world for granted . even as little as ten years ago , people had to anxiously wait for the few minutes of airtime showing the correspondence of the foreign reporters . i was amazed by the courage and bravery of the crew in the movie . their selfless determination to capture all the breaking news they could sometimes meant putting their life on the line . that is the true example of being a great storyteller , as aaron brown talked about on monday . the cnn crewmembers in “live from baghdad” were willing to do whatever necessary to report the truth , even when iraqis where threatening them . whether that was stepping into a crowd of protesting people to get that perfect shot or standing in front of a window while guns were firing into the sky , they forgot about themselves and thought only of their viewers back home . this demonstrated to me that journalism is about transporting your audience to a place where they might not be able to go and enabling them feel as if they are right in the heart of the action .
in 1990 , the producer robert wiener ( michael keaton ) convinces the direction of cnn to go to iraq with his crew due to the increasing tension of this country with usa . when baghdad was bombed and iraq invaded in 1991 , cnn was the unique television broadcasting the events , being worldwide projected as a great news channel . i liked very much ' live from baghdad ' , mainly because the story is very decent and engaging and stays politically neutral , trying not to manipulate the viewer with any political crap , and limiting to show the hard work and difficulties of the cnn team to work in country under the pressure of an eminent war and with a totally different culture . the direction and the performance of the cast are excellent , but michael keaton , helena bonham carter and david suchet ( whose name i have not found in the imdb credits ) are superb . the original title of my review was ' a decent movie ' , and for my surprise there is another review with this title . once there is a very interesting line about the karma of a country with oil fields , which would be a cemetery of forest and dinosaurs , i decided to highlight this uncommon reference . my vote is nine . title ( brazil ) : ' ao vivo de bagdá ' ( ' live from baghdad ' )