Andrew Leigh is a screenwriter and recovering journalist. He is currently producing and writing a documentary feature tentatively titled "Porkers," which is either about government spending or competitive hot dog eating. His writing has appeared in numerous publications including the Washington Post, Investor's Business Daily, Weekly Standard, National Review, and Sculpture magazine. Andrew also serves on the board of directors for American Film Renaissance, a nonprofit organization promoting greater diversity in film.
Andrew Leigh
by Andrew Leigh
Oh boy. Now we’re going to get a political speech about downtrodden subprime mortgage holders. Oh, that’s not what Slumdog Millionaire is about?
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by Andrew Leigh
Kate Winslet ranges all the way from partial to full frontal nudity.
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by Andrew Leigh
The Wynn guy looks like he went to Mickey Rourke’s plastic surgeon.
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by Andrew Leigh
I’m rooting for Jerry Lewis to win an Oscar tonight.
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by Andrew Leigh
Just checking in. Isn’t that the guy from Project Runway? That’ll bring in the red-state viewers!
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The Lives of Other Inconvenient Truths
by Andrew LeighIt comes as no surprise that the liberal blogosphere did a collective spit-take over the National Review’s recent list of the top 25 conservative films of the past 25 years (full disclosure: the Buckleyites invited me to comment on one selection).
One lefty blogger wrote, “In the end, right-wingers cannot excape [sic] from the fundamental fact that great art challenges assumptions and received wisdom and calls on us to look at the world with new eyes — and therefore is inherently progressive.”
If true, then the left’s claim on the arts is about to weaken. Because the “assumptions” and “received wisdom” of the Establishment these days are predominantly progressive. After all, who is the Establishment now? No matter your ideology, surely you must agree that there’s nothing more tired and cliche than a “rebellious” artist infusing his work with the same old leftist bromides. (more…)
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Bill Gates: Release the Mosquitos!
by Andrew LeighTrue story: Bill Gates — yes, that Bill Gates — released a swarm of mosquitos at a technology conference. He did it (or so he claims) to demonstrate how malaria spreads. Reportedly, he waited a minute or two before he informed his well-heeled audience that these particular blood-suckers weren’t carrying the dread disease. (Only three died of heart attacks!)
This calls to mind The Simpsons‘ Mr. Burns, who shouts “Release the hounds!” whenever he tires of visitors. Gates’ version is somewhat more subtle, but perhaps as effective — especially to mosquito-phobic people like myself. (I wonder if anybody sued? Talk about deep pockets!) (more…)
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Bird of a Different Feather
by Andrew LeighYesterday the Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, ran a column accusing Pixar of the unforgivable crime of hypocrisy.
When it comes to Toy Story and WALL-E, the Guardian has a point. After all, any movie that preaches the evils of consumerism and, at the same time, expects its audience to snap up Buzz Lightyear and EVE dolls, has a serious case of split personality.
The problem is, the article lumped all Pixar films together. But there are notable exceptions: the movies of Brad Bird. He wrote and directed such classics of free expression as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. These movies celebrate individualism and, dare I say it, free markets. (more…)
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Ben Stein’s Commencement Day Off
by Andrew LeighLet me start by laying my cards on the table: I have no personal beef with evolution. I believe evolutionary theory can be perfectly compatible with religion. And I sincerely (if perhaps naively) hope this doesn’t devolve (get it?) into a debate over evolution.
Having said all that: Does anybody else find it supremely ironic that Ben Stein made a documentary about academia’s intolerance toward those who question evolutionary theory — and then a university effectively rescinded an invitation to speak? Seems to me that nothing in Ben Stein’s Expelled is more compelling evidence of the truth of his thesis than that. (more…)
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Re: What’s Not to Like: Gillibrand
by Andrew Leigh
I had the privilege of interviewing Rep. Gillibrand for a documentary currently in the works. Barely knew who she was at the time, but by the end of the interview, I knew she was going places. Smart, sharp, personable — and even better-looking in person. One of the more impressive congressional members I’ve ever met. The fact that she is a fiscal conservative who voted against the bailout should hearten us all.
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And the Oscar goes to – who cares?
by Andrew LeighWith its stubborn refusal to nominate Dark Knight, the second-highest grossing movie of all time, for Best Picture, the Academy seems determined to fade into irrelevancy.
This year’s Oscars will be the lowest-rated ever. How do I know? For one thing, the average box office gross of the Best Picture nominees is the lowest since 1984. Considering that today’s ticket prices are more than double what they were then, that’s stunning.
Also, Hugh Jackman is hosting. Who? Exactly. But hey, he was great hosting the Tonys. And we know how popular those are.
Of course, the Academy shouldn’t nominate films based solely on box office. But there was a time when critical success and mass appeal weren’t mutually exclusive.
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“Arrows cost money. Use up the Irish.”
by Andrew LeighThe great actor Patrick McGoohan has passed away. He starred as the title character in the cult TV series “The Prisoner,” but is probably best known to contemporary audiences as King Edward I, aka Longshanks, in one of my favorite movies, “Braveheart.”
If there was a running theme between his two most famous roles, it was liberty versus tyranny. “The Prisoner” is perhaps an acquired taste with its surreal ’60s vibe, but highly original and cerebral. The Kafkaesque story of a defiant government agent known only as “Number 6″ trapped on a strange island, it is an allegory of life under a totalitarian state. McGoohan not only starred in the series but he was one of its creators, writing and directing several episodes. “Lost” certainly owes it a debt of gratitude.
McGoohan was the only actor to appear as four different characters in four different “Columbo” movies with long-time friend Peter Falk, directing three of them. According to his IMDb page, McGoohan was the first choice to play Gandalf in the recent Lord of the Rings trilogy and Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies, but turned down both roles. He also was considered for the role of James Bond, but reportedly declined it for moral reasons.
McGoohan was married to the same woman for 57 years, and included in the contract for his first TV series, “Danger Man,” three special clauses: 1) no kissing, 2) each fight had to be different, and 3) his character must always try to use his brains before resorting to a gun. Last June, he became a great-grandfather.
Today, the Prisoner finally got off the island. So forgive me as I quote “Braveheart” once more: “Freedom!”
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Irony is Dead; Long Live Irony!
by Andrew Leigh
After 9/11, a flood of articles proclaimed the death of irony and cynicism. That lasted about two weeks.
Jon Stewart and company were back on the irony beat faster than you could tell a dumb Bush joke. (Are we really going to miss those, by the way? Shouldn’t they go in the ash heap of history along with all the horny-Clinton jokes?)
But maybe they were just a little premature — about eight years too early. For the Age of Obama is upon us, and we’re not supposed to be cynical anymore.
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Bill Holden & BCS Madness
by Andrew Leigh
If you’re like me (and who isn’t?), you’ve been distracted today, and not very productive. (Well, that’s me every day, but I digress.)
Instead, you’ve been counting down the minutes to 5:15 PM (PST) tonight, when the BCS college football championship game will begin — on Fox, check your local listings. (There’s a Hollywood reference for you, thereby justifying a college football post on a Hollywood blog.)
As of this writing I don’t know who’s going to win (*cough* Florida *cough*). While I’m going to watch the game, I’m not as excited about it as I should be.
Partly that’s because I don’t really care for either Florida or Oklahoma. (I’m rooting for them both to lose.) But also because there are a bunch of other teams that equally deserve to play in the championship.
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