Free Republic

Robert De Niro and American Express are being criticized for a new 30-second TV ad airing in the U.S. and the U.K. which includes shots of the now barren site of the World Trade Center. In the ad, directed by Martin Scorsese, De Niro walks through New York, referring to "My East .. my West Side." When he arrives at Ground Zero, he remarks, "My heartbreak." (The spot's tagline is: "My life. My card.") Brand Republic, an online publication covering advertising and marketing, said that the spot is drawing flak for exploiting the 9/11 tragedy.

Scorsese's "Aviator" Reflects Randian Lessons Reviewed by Edward Hudgins Ehudgins@objectivistcenter.org In "The Aviator," a bio-pic about Howard Hughes (1905-1976) starring Leonardo DiCaprio with script by John Logan, director Martin Scorsese projects on the screen a moral message that is rarely found in philosophy books much less in movies: the path to joy in life is loving one's work. Scorsese portrays Hughes as a true, can-do American pioneer and visionary in both the motion picture and aeronautics industries who fights the forces of censorship in the one realm and government control in the other. Elements of "The Aviator" find their closest...

American Express is turning to Gangs of New York helmer Martin Scorsese to produce and narrate a documentary about the Statue of Liberty as part of a nationwide campaign to re-open the national monument, which has been closed down to tourists since the September 11th attacks. Although the monument itself is off limits, the grounds of Liberty Island have been open to the public. Scorsese made the announcemnt on Tuesday, along with New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg and American Express chairman and CEO Kenneth Chenault, in the city's Battery Park. The special is slated to air on January 15th on...