Posted on 08/16/2004 7:23:52 PM PDT by RogueIsland
WASHINGTON (AP) - Although his new movie pokes fun at President George W. Bush, director John Sayles hopes viewers will think about politics beyond the White House.
The Sept. 17 release of Silver City was planned to affect voting - whether it's by sending people to the polls, changing their vote or merely making them think about politics, Sayles said Wednesday at a National Press Club news conference.
"We felt like it was important to make this movie and get people thinking about it," Sayles said, adding it ought to influence "elections I know nothing about."
Sayles and his producers are working with progressive groups to spread the word about the film and they're hoping the activist group MoveOn.org will adopt the film.
They even plan to delay the movie's release in Ohio until October, when they can get young voters interested via a three-day "Swing State" bus tour of the state's universities.
Sayles is known for his thought-provoking, independent films, such as The Return of the Secaucus Seven and Eight Men Out, about the 1919 baseball scandal with the Chicago Black Sox. He didn't shy away from any satire when it came to Silver City, his 15th film.
It's easy to draw parallels between the movie's main character - a right-wing, first-time candidate for Colorado governor - with Bush and his run for Texas governor in 1994. Like Bush, Dickie Pilager comes from a political family - his father is a senator - he's a born-again Christian and is "grammatically challenged," as Sayles puts it.
Pilager's website (dickiepilager2004.com) could easily be confused with any of the hundreds of candidates running this November, with its requests for donations, bright colours and links to real voter registration sites.
The plot is simple: the filming of an environmental TV spot goes awry when Pilager, played by Sayles staple Chris Cooper, fishes a corpse out of a lake. His Karl Rove-like adviser, played by Richard Dreyfuss, whisks him away and sets out to find the truth behind the prank.
The movie will amuse, Sayles said but ultimately provoke viewers to think about their own voting choices.
"'How does the guy I'm voting for - or not - stack up? Do I even know?"
"How informed am I as a voter?"' he said.
All these people wasting all this time on books, concert tours, and movies, trying to save us from George W. Bush.
And, come November 2nd, they're going to all be crying in their wine.
Yep. In Hollywood, it is all about money.
"We felt like it was important to make this movie and get people thinking about it," Sayles said, adding it ought to influence "elections I know nothing about."
Then why should anybody pay any attention to you? Idiot!
I doubt it.
I have a quick personal story about Sayles.
He used to live in Hoboken. When he moved out, my brother moved into his apartment. One day, a very fancy-looking invitation arrived, addressed to Sayles. In violation of federal law, my brother opened it.
It was an invitation from Martin Scorcese to the world premiere of the refurbished print of the movie "El Cid" that Scorcese had paid to restore.
The special guests of honor at the premiere were the movie's stars, Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren (this was before Heston became persona non grata among liberal Hollywood).
The story of the machinations we went through after that to insure our entry to the premiere and party is a bit long, but suffice it to say, that night, my brother and I were drinking free booze with Marty, Charlton, Sophia, John Turturro, Marisa Tomei and other illuminati.
And we watched the entire three hour movie with Heston and Loren sitting one row behind us watching their 30-years-younger selves on the screen.
It rocked! Thank you Sayles, you commie scum! That was the nicest thing you ever did for me.
I think the Dems might have opened a Pandora's box on themselves in an effort to counter the new media with this barrage of republican bashing movies.
Like conservative radio, movies that bash democrats may prove to be much more popular and, unlike Michael Moron's feeble attempt, much more effective.
LOL, great story!
Great story!
Never, never let me find out that what you just stated is false. You rock, dude. I don't know that anyone on FR will ever be able to unseat you as the coolest FR on Earth.
As for Sayles, he is just a sad pathetic person who is constantly trying to measure up to his more famous brother Soupy.
I swear it's a hundred percent true story. Somewhere around here, I have pictures from the event, but it would take me quite some time to find them right now. There in one of many boxes in my garage. I'll dig them out and post them one day.
***Sayles is known for his thought-provoking, independent films, ***
You mean like THE HOWLING, and BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET?
Oh yes, one more thing.
On a tv talk show promoting his film THE HOWLING, he bragged about making movies at lower costs by using NON-UNION labour.
Considering that your average John Sayles movie plays in an art house to an audience of about 35 inhaler-sucking liberal film majors, exactly how is this going to sway the election results?
Sayles is the Woody Guthrie of films:
Eight Men Out: Rich Charlie Comisky treats players badly FORCING THEM TO THROW THE SERIES!
Matewan: Rich mine owners treat miners badly FORCING THEM TO FIGHT.
Lonestar: Powerful sheriff treats Hispanics badly FORCING MATTHEW McCONNAWHATEVER to kill KRIS KRISTOFFERSON.
Brother from another planet: who cares? It was so boring.
Sunshine State: Powerful real estate developers treat locals (minorities) badly FORCING THE LOCALS TO FIGHT!
City of Hope: Powerful real estate developers treat locals (minorities) badly FORCING THE LOCALS TO FIGHT! Gee, didn't I just say that?
The Return of the Seacaucus Seven: Powerful people in general treat students badly ... Actually, his best flick and it spawned "The Big Chill" which had almost the same plot.
Get the point? Powerful business people (always Republicans) treat workers/locals/students (always Democrats) so badly that they lash out! C'mon John. This the same plot over and over again.
How about a comedy? Union workers, sick of their powerful business people bosses, buy the company and run it themselves! Watch with hilarity as they try to raise money for a union operation ("You don't expect to make a profit?" and then proceed to drive the corporation into Chapter 11 with their neverending greed ("Double my pay and cut my hours in half! We ARE the company!" Naw, the truth hurts and we get stuck with the ... powerful bosses and poor, mistreated workers movies FOREVER!
Michael Moore-on already tried this. Move-on with millions of dollars sent by an "UN-AMERICAN", a foreigner trying to buy the U.S. persidency for Hanoi John, have failed.
Some dedicated veterans armed with courage, truth, and honor have reduced their efforts into a large pile of excrement.
Truth trumps lies every time. But the 'rats will keep lying anyway.
Blessings, Bobo
It's a great low budget dark comedy/Sci-fi.
Director - filmography
Carlisle School (2005) (announced)
Silver City (2004)
Alamo, The (2004) (co-director)
Casa de los babys (2003)
Sunshine State (2002)
Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology 1978-2000 (2001) (V)
Limbo (1999)
Men with Guns (1997/II)
... aka Hombres armados (1998) (USA: Spanish title)
Lone Star (1996)
Secret of Roan Inish, The (1994)
Passion Fish (1992)
City of Hope (1991)
"Shannon's Deal" (1990) TV Series
Bruce Springsteen: Video Anthology 1978-1988 (1989) (V) (video "Born in the USA") (video "Glory Days") (video "I'm on Fire")
Eight Men Out (1988)
Matewan (1987)
Brother from Another Planet, The (1984)
Baby, It's You (1983)
Lianna (1983)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)
Haw haw. This guy had a minor buzz for "Return of the Secaucus 7" in 1980. In the intervening 24 years he couldn't sell tickets to a lifeboat on the Titanic. Bush must be quaking in his boots.
If you thimk its ugly now, wait until after the RNC.
The best approach is to attack and make them play defense. The Dems are just in a naked bid for party power. They do not have any answers so they just fall on their face and look foolish.
"What media bias, the corporations HAVE to be conservative because they have money." < /sarcasm >
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