Robert F. Kennedy Jr. considers himself a “skeptic” willing to question authority and interrogate official narratives. Others might identify the political scion as an enthusiastic peddler of conspiracy theories about everything from Covid-19 to his uncle’s assassination.
Those keeping score at home can now add 9/11 to the list of official narratives the Democratic candidate for president has raised questions about. In a new interview on the podcast In the Room With Peter Bergen, produced by Fresh Produce Media for Audible, Kennedy told Bergen he didn’t know whether or...
Those keeping score at home can now add 9/11 to the list of official narratives the Democratic candidate for president has raised questions about. In a new interview on the podcast In the Room With Peter Bergen, produced by Fresh Produce Media for Audible, Kennedy told Bergen he didn’t know whether or...
- 9/26/2023
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, and Fresh Produce Media, the audio-first entertainment company, are launching In the Room with Peter Bergen, a weekly podcast exploring the news from a nonpartisan and uniquely security-focused lens, today, May 16th, 2023 on Audible and across all audio services.
For his first ever podcast, Bergen — the renowned national security journalist and best-selling author who initially rose to prominence when he produced the first-ever television interview with Osama bin Laden several years before 9/11 — taps into his exceptional contact network to bring listeners “In the Room'' with experts across the fields of policy, international affairs, government, science, and more, to help unpack the most important and captivating stories of our moment. Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning journalist and editorial leader Alison Craiglow, formerly of Freakonomics Radio, is Executive Producer of the show for Fresh Produce Media.
Peter Bergen said “When the world is constantly screaming ‘Breaking News!
For his first ever podcast, Bergen — the renowned national security journalist and best-selling author who initially rose to prominence when he produced the first-ever television interview with Osama bin Laden several years before 9/11 — taps into his exceptional contact network to bring listeners “In the Room'' with experts across the fields of policy, international affairs, government, science, and more, to help unpack the most important and captivating stories of our moment. Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning journalist and editorial leader Alison Craiglow, formerly of Freakonomics Radio, is Executive Producer of the show for Fresh Produce Media.
Peter Bergen said “When the world is constantly screaming ‘Breaking News!
- 5/17/2023
- Podnews.net
National Geographic has set a new special called “Bin Laden’s Hard Drive” for September promising an in-depth analysis of Al-Qaeda co-founder Osama bin Laden’s declassified personal files.
Premiering Thursday, Sept. 10 at 9/8c, the one-hour special features CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen leading a team of experts as they do a deep dive into hard drive files recovered from the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan where the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks was killed by U.S. Special Forces in 2011.
The experts include CIA profilers, criminal psychologists, religious scholars, military experts, and men who personally knew Bin Laden. With Bergen at the helm, they will analyze 470,000 digital files; 250 gigabytes of data; more than 100 Usb drives, DVDs and CDs; five computers and multiple cell phones containing personal letters and home videos for a deeper understanding of Bin Laden’s relationship to family and his views of faith and religion, and his “legacy of violence and destruction,...
Premiering Thursday, Sept. 10 at 9/8c, the one-hour special features CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen leading a team of experts as they do a deep dive into hard drive files recovered from the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan where the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks was killed by U.S. Special Forces in 2011.
The experts include CIA profilers, criminal psychologists, religious scholars, military experts, and men who personally knew Bin Laden. With Bergen at the helm, they will analyze 470,000 digital files; 250 gigabytes of data; more than 100 Usb drives, DVDs and CDs; five computers and multiple cell phones containing personal letters and home videos for a deeper understanding of Bin Laden’s relationship to family and his views of faith and religion, and his “legacy of violence and destruction,...
- 8/3/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
National Geographic has greenlighted a pair of specials to air in the coming months. Bin Laden’s Hard Drive, which spotlights newly declassified information on the notorious terrorist, premieres September 10, and Virus Hunters, about the experts working to prevent the next pandemic, bow November 1.
In Bin Laden’s Hard Drive from Karga 7 Pictures, author and CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen examines 470,000 digital files seized from al-Qa’ida founder Osama bin Laden’s compound and decodes their secrets with analysis from CIA profilers, criminal psychologists, religious scholars and military experts. Home videos, photos, audio files, GIFs, personal documents and downloads reveal the contradictory personality and personal life of the mastermind behind 9/11 and other terrorist attacks nearly a decade after his death.
“Osama bin Laden’s files left behind an imprint of a complex man, responsible for the murder of thousands of people,” said Bergen, who produced the first televised interview...
In Bin Laden’s Hard Drive from Karga 7 Pictures, author and CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen examines 470,000 digital files seized from al-Qa’ida founder Osama bin Laden’s compound and decodes their secrets with analysis from CIA profilers, criminal psychologists, religious scholars and military experts. Home videos, photos, audio files, GIFs, personal documents and downloads reveal the contradictory personality and personal life of the mastermind behind 9/11 and other terrorist attacks nearly a decade after his death.
“Osama bin Laden’s files left behind an imprint of a complex man, responsible for the murder of thousands of people,” said Bergen, who produced the first televised interview...
- 8/3/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
America is on the brink of war with Iran, largely as a result of President Trump’s reckless decision to assassinate Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani. An excellent way to understand how and why this happened is to read Peter Bergen’s new book, Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos (Penguin Press). The book chronicles the first three years of the Trump administration’s national security and foreign policy follies, as well as the sordid, outlandish story of Trump’s romance with the hard-ass experienced generals who initially...
- 1/7/2020
- by Jeff Goodell
- Rollingstone.com
Passion Pictures and CNN Films produced the war documentary and Park City premiere.
Gravitas Ventures picked up all Us rights excluding TV to Greg Barker’s documentary, which premiered on Saturday and screens again on Monday and at the weekend.
Legion Of Brothers tells the story of the elite Special Forces soldiers deployed to Afghanistan immediately after the 911 attacks.
Barker, whose documentary Manhunt premiered in Sundance 2013, gained unprecedented access to Green Berets involved in the mission to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Content Media holds international rights and CNN Films retains rights to broadcast the film on CNN/U.S. and on CNN-branded TV platforms.
John Battsek and Barker of Passion Pictures produced Legion Of Brothers with Peter Bergen and Tresha Mabile. Amy Entelis of CNN Films and Vinnie Malhotra served as executive producers.
Gravitas Ventures negotiated the deal with CNN Films and Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers.
Gravitas Ventures picked up all Us rights excluding TV to Greg Barker’s documentary, which premiered on Saturday and screens again on Monday and at the weekend.
Legion Of Brothers tells the story of the elite Special Forces soldiers deployed to Afghanistan immediately after the 911 attacks.
Barker, whose documentary Manhunt premiered in Sundance 2013, gained unprecedented access to Green Berets involved in the mission to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Content Media holds international rights and CNN Films retains rights to broadcast the film on CNN/U.S. and on CNN-branded TV platforms.
John Battsek and Barker of Passion Pictures produced Legion Of Brothers with Peter Bergen and Tresha Mabile. Amy Entelis of CNN Films and Vinnie Malhotra served as executive producers.
Gravitas Ventures negotiated the deal with CNN Films and Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 1/23/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Gravitas Ventures has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the documentary “Legion of Brothers,” which premiered Saturday in the Sundance Film Festival’s Documentary Premiers section. The film was directed by Greg Barker (“Manhunt”) and produced by CNN Films and Passion Pictures. CNN retains U.S. broadcast rights.
“Legion of Brothers” centers on the fewer than one hundred Special Forces troops deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 for a secret war initiated by the U.S. government. The troops fought against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, driving both out of power before the end of 2001, with few casualties despite not having conventional, large-scale military operations. Barker tells the little-known story by drawing on access to several Green Berets who participated in the covert missions.
“Gravitas is honored to collaborate with CNN and Greg Barker to share this powerful, true story of these U.S. Army Special Forces that is just as timely...
“Legion of Brothers” centers on the fewer than one hundred Special Forces troops deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 for a secret war initiated by the U.S. government. The troops fought against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, driving both out of power before the end of 2001, with few casualties despite not having conventional, large-scale military operations. Barker tells the little-known story by drawing on access to several Green Berets who participated in the covert missions.
“Gravitas is honored to collaborate with CNN and Greg Barker to share this powerful, true story of these U.S. Army Special Forces that is just as timely...
- 1/23/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Content Media Corporation has acquired the international distribution rights to the documentary “Legion of Brothers,” which premieres Saturday, January 21 in the Sundance Film Festival’s Documentary Premiers section. Directed by Greg Barker (“Manhunt”) and produced by CNN Films and Passion Pictures, the doc’s domestic theatrical and streaming rights are still available. CNN retains U.S. broadcast rights.
PBS Expands Theatrical Distribution Team In Time For Sundance 2017 — Exclusive
The film was produced by John Battsek, Barker, Peter Bergen, Tresha Mabile and executive produced by Amy Entelis and Vinnie Malhotra,
“Legion of Brothers” centers on the fewer than one hundred Special Forces troops deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 for a secret war initiated by the U.S. government. The troops fought against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, driving both out of power before the end of 2001, with few casualties despite not having conventional, large-scale military operations. Barker tells the little-known story by drawing...
PBS Expands Theatrical Distribution Team In Time For Sundance 2017 — Exclusive
The film was produced by John Battsek, Barker, Peter Bergen, Tresha Mabile and executive produced by Amy Entelis and Vinnie Malhotra,
“Legion of Brothers” centers on the fewer than one hundred Special Forces troops deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 for a secret war initiated by the U.S. government. The troops fought against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, driving both out of power before the end of 2001, with few casualties despite not having conventional, large-scale military operations. Barker tells the little-known story by drawing...
- 1/19/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The company has struck a deal with CNN Films to handle international sales ahead of the world premiere of Greg Barker’s documentary on Saturday.
CNN Films and Passion Pictures produced Legion Of Brothers, about the small deployment of Special Forces troops sent to Afghanistan immediately after the September 11 attacks to thwart the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
CNN retains Us broadcast, theatrical and streaming rights.
Content will take the film to the Efm in Berlin next month where president of film Jamie Carmichael and executive vice-president of sales and distribution Jonathan Ford will introduce to international buyers.
Passion’s John Battsek produced Legion Of Brothers with Barker, Peter Bergen and Tresha Mabile, while Amy Entelis and Vinnie Malhotra served as executive producers.
Barker directed Sundance 2013 selection Manhunt.
“We were immediately struck by the emotional power of Greg’s film,” said Carmichael. “We know that there’s a tremendous level of interest in all things ‘special forces’ and this...
CNN Films and Passion Pictures produced Legion Of Brothers, about the small deployment of Special Forces troops sent to Afghanistan immediately after the September 11 attacks to thwart the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
CNN retains Us broadcast, theatrical and streaming rights.
Content will take the film to the Efm in Berlin next month where president of film Jamie Carmichael and executive vice-president of sales and distribution Jonathan Ford will introduce to international buyers.
Passion’s John Battsek produced Legion Of Brothers with Barker, Peter Bergen and Tresha Mabile, while Amy Entelis and Vinnie Malhotra served as executive producers.
Barker directed Sundance 2013 selection Manhunt.
“We were immediately struck by the emotional power of Greg’s film,” said Carmichael. “We know that there’s a tremendous level of interest in all things ‘special forces’ and this...
- 1/19/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Obama administration has given CNN’s Peter Bergen unprecedented access to the White House for a special commemorating the fifth anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Bergen wasn’t a random choice; he’s one of the only Western journalists to have met the al Qaeda leader when he was alive. “We did not seek this out. sought us out. They wanted to give the interview to me,” Bergen told TheWrap. Bergen is CNN’s national security analyst who interviewed bin Laden back in 1997, one of only two interviews the terrorist mastermind ever granted to Western TV news organizations.
- 5/2/2016
- by Brian Flood
- The Wrap
Osama bin Laden remained an elusive, frightening figure until his death in 2011. But newly released photographs offer a rare peek at the terrorist mastermind at his famed Tora Bora compound - before the 2001 terrorist attacks he orchestrated changed the course of history. The images emerged last month at the trial of Khaled al-Fawwaz, an al-Qaeda operative who worked closely with bin Laden in the mid-1990s, CNN reports. The photographs were taken in 1996 by Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan, the founder and then-editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Arabi, an independent Arabic weekly published in London, according to CNN. Bin Laden reportedly admired the journalist,...
- 3/13/2015
- by Kathy Ehrich Dowd, @kathyehrichdowd
- PEOPLE.com
Obama bin Laden remained an elusive, frightening figure until his death in 2011. But newly released photographs offer a rare peek at the terrorist mastermind at his famed Tora Bora compound - before the 2001 terrorist attacks he orchestrated changed the course of history. The images emerged last month at the trial of Khaled al-Fawwaz, an al-Qaida operative who worked closely with bin Laden in the mid-1990s, CNN reports. The photographs were taken in 1996 by Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan, the founder and then-editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Arabi, an independent Arabic weekly published in London, according to CNN. Bin Laden reportedly admired the journalist,...
- 3/13/2015
- by Kathy Ehrich Dowd, @kathyehrichdowd
- PEOPLE.com
Jeremy Scahill's new documentary, "Dirty Wars," is a cinematic chronicle of one journalist's investigation into America's secret global campaign of targeted killings. It raises a stark question: Is Team Obama's aggressive expansion of drone strikes and night raids doing more harm than good?
The film, co-written by Scahill and David Riker and directed by Rick Rowley, is structured like a noir detective story. It follows Scahill from the lawless hinterlands of Afghanistan, where he interviews the surviving members of the family of a U.S.-trained police chief decimated in a secret night raid; to Yemen, where he inspects the wreckage of a drone strike and meets the father of Anwar al-Awlaki, one of four American citizens to be assassinated abroad by the U.S. (al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son was another); to Somalia, where he tags along with Somali war lords on the U.S. payroll, who brag of committing...
The film, co-written by Scahill and David Riker and directed by Rick Rowley, is structured like a noir detective story. It follows Scahill from the lawless hinterlands of Afghanistan, where he interviews the surviving members of the family of a U.S.-trained police chief decimated in a secret night raid; to Yemen, where he inspects the wreckage of a drone strike and meets the father of Anwar al-Awlaki, one of four American citizens to be assassinated abroad by the U.S. (al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son was another); to Somalia, where he tags along with Somali war lords on the U.S. payroll, who brag of committing...
- 6/6/2013
- by Mike Hogan
- Huffington Post
Title: Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Osama bin Laden Director: Greg Barker The story at the core of this curiously directed and somewhat misleadingly titled documentary — an adaptation of Peter Bergen’s excellent, bestselling book — is an innately fascinating one. Unfortunately, as either a primer on America’s terrorist takedown infrastructure or a megaphone for the insights of the (many female) analysts who helped untangle the ambiguity of information in aid of that cause, director Greg Barker’s messy “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Osama bin Laden,” premiering May 1 on HBO, doesn’t forcefully connect, and as such remains a frustrating viewing experience. The story of the Alec Station [ Read More ]
The post Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Osama bin Laden Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Osama bin Laden Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/29/2013
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen told host Jake Tapper on Monday that the explosions in Boston could be the work of Al Qaeda terrorists as much as they could be part of a planned assault by “right-wing extremists.” Bergen said he was reminded of the Oklahoma City bombing, and that terrorism on the right could not be ruled out.
- 4/15/2013
- by Noah Rothman
- Mediaite - TV
From Zero Dark Thirty and Django Unchained to Lincoln and Life Of Pi, the Oscar-nominated Hollywood films champion hope, faith and vengeance – or the moral values of the wild west
After indulging Europe by garlanding The Artist last year and The King's Speech in 2011, the Oscars seem set to come home. Hollywood dominates the nominations, and in spite of the global focus it is supposed to have adopted, its nominees largely pay tribute to the American way. They certainly remind us of the optimism, innocence and joy with which America has gladdened the world since the big screen's inception.
The darkening cinematic mood that has engulfed even 007 won't be allowed to bedim the Dolby Theatre. Thus, Skyfall's gloomy proceedings and The Master's disturbing vision have been given short shrift. That a film about mental illness should bear the title Silver Linings Playbook aptly reflects the positivity to be lauded this Sunday night.
After indulging Europe by garlanding The Artist last year and The King's Speech in 2011, the Oscars seem set to come home. Hollywood dominates the nominations, and in spite of the global focus it is supposed to have adopted, its nominees largely pay tribute to the American way. They certainly remind us of the optimism, innocence and joy with which America has gladdened the world since the big screen's inception.
The darkening cinematic mood that has engulfed even 007 won't be allowed to bedim the Dolby Theatre. Thus, Skyfall's gloomy proceedings and The Master's disturbing vision have been given short shrift. That a film about mental illness should bear the title Silver Linings Playbook aptly reflects the positivity to be lauded this Sunday night.
- 2/22/2013
- by David Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty has caused controversy in the States, but how has it gone down in Pakistan? Our correspondent reports on the film's howlers
It would be nice to watch Zero Dark Thirty in the cinema in Pakistan. The extraordinary final sequence when Seal Team Six swoops into Abbottabad and raids the compound where Osama bin Laden had remained undetected for six years would definitely benefit from surround sound and a big screen.
And it would be fun to listen to the chortles of derision from a Pakistani audience in a real time, rather than following the tweets and Facebook updates of those who watched versions downloaded from the internet weeks before its release in the UK.
But I'm not holding my breath that Kathryn Bigelow's account of the hunt for America's greatest enemy will go on general release here any time soon. The film's distributors...
It would be nice to watch Zero Dark Thirty in the cinema in Pakistan. The extraordinary final sequence when Seal Team Six swoops into Abbottabad and raids the compound where Osama bin Laden had remained undetected for six years would definitely benefit from surround sound and a big screen.
And it would be fun to listen to the chortles of derision from a Pakistani audience in a real time, rather than following the tweets and Facebook updates of those who watched versions downloaded from the internet weeks before its release in the UK.
But I'm not holding my breath that Kathryn Bigelow's account of the hunt for America's greatest enemy will go on general release here any time soon. The film's distributors...
- 1/28/2013
- by Jon Boone
- The Guardian - Film News
Zero Dark Thirty may have focused the forty minute raid which successfully captured and killed Osama bin Laden, but Greg Barker’s Manhunt takes you a few decades back when a small group of female C.I.A. analysts (nicknamed “The Sisterhood”) came together and uncovered the, now known, worldwide terrorist group, al-Qaeda. Where Zero Dark Thirty is a fictionalized look at these events, Manhunt features the real life C.I.A. analysts, operatives, and targeters who first discovered the group, and diligently worked to end their reign of terror. Others at the C.I.A. thought those in The Sisterhood were simply obsessed with bin Laden, and had no real reason to be tracking him because back then, bin Laden lived out in the open, claiming he had no ties to terrorism. But The Sisterhood kept discovering he was the thread that tied these various terrorist groups together. The question then became: was bin Laden simply...
- 1/23/2013
- by Allison Loring
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
It seems so long ago that I watched a very early screening of Zero Dark Thirty and chose, after much soul-searching, to dub it the year’s best film — while also querying the accuracy (and morality) of its narrative, in which torture generates intelligence that leads, down the road, to Osama bin Laden’s courier and then Bin Laden himself.Since then, numerous journalists, politicians, and intelligence experts have weighed in either to denounce or defend the movie, many without having seen it. Among the most credible critics are Manhunt author Peter Bergen, who was a consultant on the film (he gave advice on an early cut); director Alex Gibney, who made the Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side; and Senator Diane Feinstein, who claims to have seen the relevant transcripts of CIA interrogations and found nothing to support the movie’s version of events. On the other side,...
- 1/11/2013
- by David Edelstein
- Vulture
GQ John Smedley's Ian McLean has really good taste. Check out his shoutouts to Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett
Stale Popcorn Jean Valjean and Fantine strike a pose
In Contention on the various screenplays that are ineligible for the WGA and can't therefore get the Oscar bump. As usual there are a lot of them rendering the WGA fairly ineffective as both a predictive precursor and as a competitive prize since it's dealing with so few of the year's movies!
Cinema Blend Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair, Anna Karenina) is a starlet in demand now. Once you've seen both of those movies, you'll demand her too!
Jean-Pierre Jeunet shares his storyboards from Life of Pi back when Fox was considering him to direct it years and years ago. Interesting inside glimpse of filmmakers grappling with movies they didn't make.
NPR on the hunt for Bin Laden and the accuracy of Zero Dark Thirty.
Stale Popcorn Jean Valjean and Fantine strike a pose
In Contention on the various screenplays that are ineligible for the WGA and can't therefore get the Oscar bump. As usual there are a lot of them rendering the WGA fairly ineffective as both a predictive precursor and as a competitive prize since it's dealing with so few of the year's movies!
Cinema Blend Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair, Anna Karenina) is a starlet in demand now. Once you've seen both of those movies, you'll demand her too!
Jean-Pierre Jeunet shares his storyboards from Life of Pi back when Fox was considering him to direct it years and years ago. Interesting inside glimpse of filmmakers grappling with movies they didn't make.
NPR on the hunt for Bin Laden and the accuracy of Zero Dark Thirty.
- 12/17/2012
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
As will always be the case with humanity, the search for black and white answers will come before examining something as a whole and realizing there are several vantage points from which something can be observed. It's the reason Siskel and Ebert offered thumbs up or thumbs down and the reason RottenTomatoes.com is more popular than MetaCritic.com. Why give me a number that doesn't say "good" or "bad" when I can look at an arbitrary picture of a ripe tomato or splattered green one? Society wants easy answers to tough questions and when they don't get them, they look for them and do their very best to fit a square peg into a round hole. Such is the case with Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty... and the film hasn't even hit theaters yet. The ridiculousness hit a tipping point on this site over the weekend when one...
- 12/17/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Former CIA agent exposed in 2003 praises emergence of heroine 'whose most important weapon is her intellect'
The heroine of Kathryn Bigelow's controversial new movie Zero Dark Thirty stands out for her weapon of choice when helping to run down Osama bin Laden – a quick and ruthless mind.
Unlike other female spies portrayed in Us popular culture, "Maya" – who is closely based on a real-life and unidentified CIA operative – does not use sex to seduce her enemies or, like Angelina Jolie characters, attempt to prove she can kick ass harder than men. Instead, it is Maya's drive, ferocious determination and keen intellect that bags the most wanted man on the planet.
It is a portrayal that has struck a chord with someone who should know: the high-profile former CIA agent Valerie Plame. "In popular culture, female agents are usually either highly sexualised or hugely physical – it is either using a sequinned dress or a gun.
The heroine of Kathryn Bigelow's controversial new movie Zero Dark Thirty stands out for her weapon of choice when helping to run down Osama bin Laden – a quick and ruthless mind.
Unlike other female spies portrayed in Us popular culture, "Maya" – who is closely based on a real-life and unidentified CIA operative – does not use sex to seduce her enemies or, like Angelina Jolie characters, attempt to prove she can kick ass harder than men. Instead, it is Maya's drive, ferocious determination and keen intellect that bags the most wanted man on the planet.
It is a portrayal that has struck a chord with someone who should know: the high-profile former CIA agent Valerie Plame. "In popular culture, female agents are usually either highly sexualised or hugely physical – it is either using a sequinned dress or a gun.
- 12/17/2012
- by Paul Harris
- The Guardian - Film News
As it turns out, the film as a political statement is worse than even its harshest early critics warned
(updated below)
I've now seen "Zero Dark Thirty". Before getting to that: the controversy triggered this week by my commentary on the debate over that film was one of the most ridiculous in which I've ever been involved. It was astounding to watch critics of what I wrote just pretend that I had simply invented or "guessed at" the only point of the film I discussed - that it falsely depicted torture as valuable in finding bin Laden - all while concealing from their readers the ample factual bases I cited: namely, the fact that countless writers, almost unanimously, categorically stated that the film showed exactly this (see here for a partial list of reviewers and commentators who made this factual statement definitively about the film - that it depicts torture...
(updated below)
I've now seen "Zero Dark Thirty". Before getting to that: the controversy triggered this week by my commentary on the debate over that film was one of the most ridiculous in which I've ever been involved. It was astounding to watch critics of what I wrote just pretend that I had simply invented or "guessed at" the only point of the film I discussed - that it falsely depicted torture as valuable in finding bin Laden - all while concealing from their readers the ample factual bases I cited: namely, the fact that countless writers, almost unanimously, categorically stated that the film showed exactly this (see here for a partial list of reviewers and commentators who made this factual statement definitively about the film - that it depicts torture...
- 12/14/2012
- by Glenn Greenwald
- The Guardian - Film News
With all the awards season momentum it's been gathering, "Zero Dark Thirty" seems poised to gather enough trophies to fill a compound in Abbottabad, but an even darker controversy is brewing which might leave the film dead in the water.
Entertainment Weekly has posted some quotes from the film's screenwriter Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow defending torture scenes showing an al Qaeda detainee named Ammar (Reda Kateb) being given "the works" by CIA honchos played by Jason Clark and Jessica Chastain. That includes strippings, sleep deprivation, being put on a dog leash and waterboardings, but many critics insist that these techniques are Not what led the CIA to Osama bin Laden, and in fact have proved to often be counterproductive.
"It's a movie, not a documentary," said Boal. "We're trying to make the point that waterboarding and other harsh tactics were part of the C.I.A. program."
"You...
Entertainment Weekly has posted some quotes from the film's screenwriter Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow defending torture scenes showing an al Qaeda detainee named Ammar (Reda Kateb) being given "the works" by CIA honchos played by Jason Clark and Jessica Chastain. That includes strippings, sleep deprivation, being put on a dog leash and waterboardings, but many critics insist that these techniques are Not what led the CIA to Osama bin Laden, and in fact have proved to often be counterproductive.
"It's a movie, not a documentary," said Boal. "We're trying to make the point that waterboarding and other harsh tactics were part of the C.I.A. program."
"You...
- 12/11/2012
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
This year was the most difficult I’ve ever had to pick ten favorite films, let alone to rank them one to ten. 2012 was, on balance, an excellent year, but I wouldn’t call any of its movies “masterpieces.” I confess that it was down to the wire for me in choosing a “best film,” and I’d prefer to have gone with both Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln.I hesitated to choose Zero Dark because Kathryn Bigelow’s mesmerizing procedural thriller both makes a case for the effectiveness of torture (as opposed to glamorizing it, which it assuredly does not) and minimizes the role of President Obama. We know from Peter Bergen’s book Manhunt that Obama was vital in moving the hunt for Osama off the back burner and that he ordered the go-ahead for the mission against the advice of much of his inner circle. Had it failed,...
- 12/3/2012
- by David Edelstein
- Vulture
Breaking: Tina Bennett, a longtime agent at Janklow & Nesbit, has just joined the New York-based literary division of Wme. Bennett had been with Janklow & Nesbit since 1994 and was most recently a director there. Her clients include Malcolm Gladwell, Laura Hillenbrand, Eric Schlosser, Atul Gawande, Jill Lepore, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Peter Bergen, Lev Grossman, Tim Snyder, Terry Castle, Amy Chua, Matthew B. Crawford, Sheri Fink, Alex Ross, James Carroll, Eliza Griswold, James Risen, Tom Reiss, Patrick Keefe, Tim Wu, Fareed Zakaria, and many others. She specializes in narrative nonfiction, cultural history, idea books, literary fiction, politics and current affairs, and academic crossover titles. Bennett is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities, and serves on the board of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation.
- 7/23/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Today, as I write this, is September 11, 2011.
Ten years.
The World Trade Center. The Pentagon. Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
I’m watching the memorial services.
Tom Brokaw, David Gregory on NBC and MSNBC. Anderson Cooper and Candy Crowley on CNN. President Obama with Michelle and President George W. Bush with Laura. Mayor Bloomberg. Rudy Giuliani. Vice President Biden.
Breaking news: a truck bomb has killed at least 50 American soldiers in Afghanistan.
The ticker on CNN now reads: Global Terror Evolves. Al Qaeda under attack but keeps changing as Peter Bergen says: “Ten years out, terrorism remains, but is very different.”
Yesterday I read the “debut” issue of Action Comics #1. The one with Superman in a t-shirt, jeans, and Timberland boots.
It’s a different look for him.
He’s different.
The story opens as Superman breaks into a corporate (corporate = evil) meeting and manhandles the CEO (CEO = malevolence). The police (hired mercenaries?...
Ten years.
The World Trade Center. The Pentagon. Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
I’m watching the memorial services.
Tom Brokaw, David Gregory on NBC and MSNBC. Anderson Cooper and Candy Crowley on CNN. President Obama with Michelle and President George W. Bush with Laura. Mayor Bloomberg. Rudy Giuliani. Vice President Biden.
Breaking news: a truck bomb has killed at least 50 American soldiers in Afghanistan.
The ticker on CNN now reads: Global Terror Evolves. Al Qaeda under attack but keeps changing as Peter Bergen says: “Ten years out, terrorism remains, but is very different.”
Yesterday I read the “debut” issue of Action Comics #1. The one with Superman in a t-shirt, jeans, and Timberland boots.
It’s a different look for him.
He’s different.
The story opens as Superman breaks into a corporate (corporate = evil) meeting and manhandles the CEO (CEO = malevolence). The police (hired mercenaries?...
- 9/12/2011
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
After a bit of back of and forth, Pakistan has finally agreed to grant American officials access to Osama bin Laden's three widows, Interior Minister Rehman Malik told CNN on Tuesday. U.S. authorities will reportedly be given "direct access," sources say, meaning that they'll be available for interviews rather than just submitted questions. Malik didn't give a timeline for the talks.
But what will the women reveal? The Daily Beast's David A. Graham breaks down what we know about the various women who vowed to spend their lives with the world's most wanted man.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Don't Abandon Afghanistan!
When Osama bin Laden was shot and killed, his matrimonial life came into quick focus as rumors circulated that he had used a wife as a human shield. That story was soon debunked, but the same young wife aroused even more interest when it emerged that...
But what will the women reveal? The Daily Beast's David A. Graham breaks down what we know about the various women who vowed to spend their lives with the world's most wanted man.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Don't Abandon Afghanistan!
When Osama bin Laden was shot and killed, his matrimonial life came into quick focus as rumors circulated that he had used a wife as a human shield. That story was soon debunked, but the same young wife aroused even more interest when it emerged that...
- 5/10/2011
- by David A. Graham
- The Daily Beast
This Friday night sees "Real Time with Bill Maher" - May 6 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live Et/tape-delayed Pt), on HBO. The roundtable guests this week are educator Michael Eric Dyson, journalist David Frum and correspondent and author Jeremy Scahill. Journalist and author Peter Bergen is an interview guest. Dyson, in an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," said Trump's accusations about Mr. Obama's history were meant to imply that "Obama is not up to snuff. "This is racism by inference," he told CBS' Bob Schieffer. "Skepticism about black intelligence and suspicion about black humanity have gone hand in hand throughout the history of this country in feeding the perception that black people don't quite measure up." "The reality is that Barack...
- 5/4/2011
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
From the time he slipped from our grasp in Tora Bora to the obituary of "The Most Wanted Face of Terrorism," The Daily Beast picks the best longform journalism about Osama bin Laden.
An Army of One
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Best Reads
Chris Heath, GQ
A 50-year-old ex-con named Gary Faulkner is on an endlessly recurring quest to Pakistan-armed with a sword, night-vision goggles and a mission: to capture Osama bin Laden and hand him over to Pakistani authorities.
My Father, the Terrorist
Omar bin Laden, Vanity Fair
One of Osama bin Laden's many sons writes on life growing up in the house of bin Laden-a father who never missed prayers, spent days secluded in a bedroom with his wife, and could recite the Koran, word-for-word.
The Search for Osama
Jane Mayer, The New Yorker
Published just two years after the 9/11 attacks, The New Yorker...
An Army of One
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Best Reads
Chris Heath, GQ
A 50-year-old ex-con named Gary Faulkner is on an endlessly recurring quest to Pakistan-armed with a sword, night-vision goggles and a mission: to capture Osama bin Laden and hand him over to Pakistani authorities.
My Father, the Terrorist
Omar bin Laden, Vanity Fair
One of Osama bin Laden's many sons writes on life growing up in the house of bin Laden-a father who never missed prayers, spent days secluded in a bedroom with his wife, and could recite the Koran, word-for-word.
The Search for Osama
Jane Mayer, The New Yorker
Published just two years after the 9/11 attacks, The New Yorker...
- 5/2/2011
- by Brian Ries
- The Daily Beast
I'd like to thank all of you who said nice things on Thursday when I told the story of my broken pinkie and thank even more those of you who offered me pain killers. Really, it doesn't hurt that badly most of the time. If I don't think about it. Or move that side of my left hand. Anyway, what's important is that after all the excitement of the Golden Globes I am back to tell you about what boring, ordinary TV you can watch alone with no one to live chat with. I have such an awesome job. Here's your Monday night TV:
8:00 Pm: "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS
"The Bachelor" on ABC
"The Bad Girls Club" on Oxygen
"Chuck" on NBC
"Enough Already with Peter Walsh" on Own
"House" on Fox
"How I Met Your Mother" on CBS. Hopefully this episode won't emotionally destroy you.
"Pretty Little Liars...
8:00 Pm: "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS
"The Bachelor" on ABC
"The Bad Girls Club" on Oxygen
"Chuck" on NBC
"Enough Already with Peter Walsh" on Own
"House" on Fox
"How I Met Your Mother" on CBS. Hopefully this episode won't emotionally destroy you.
"Pretty Little Liars...
- 1/18/2011
- by Intern Rusty
Here's "Extra's" roundup of talk show guests for the week of Jan. 17 - 21, including Seth Rogen on "Ellen" and Betty White stopping by "The View." Natalie Portman stays up late for "Conan," and Cameron Diaz checks-in at the "Lopez Tonight."
Daytime
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
Mon 1/17: Seth Rogen, Deena Nicole Cortese, Bruno Mars
Tues 1/18: Jennifer Lopez, Matt Bomer
Wed 1/19: Natalie Portman, Eric Ross
Thurs 1/20: Amy Poehler
Fri 1/21: Dr. Drew Pinsky...
Daytime
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
Mon 1/17: Seth Rogen, Deena Nicole Cortese, Bruno Mars
Tues 1/18: Jennifer Lopez, Matt Bomer
Wed 1/19: Natalie Portman, Eric Ross
Thurs 1/20: Amy Poehler
Fri 1/21: Dr. Drew Pinsky...
- 1/16/2011
- Extra
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