Some of country music’s biggest names are putting their songs behind the upcoming action film “Act of Valor.”

Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Trace Adkins, Wynonna Judd and Montgomery Gentry contributed original tunes inspired by the new film for its upcoming soundtrack release.

“Act of Valor” hits theaters Feb. 24 and features active-duty Navy SEALs in an action-packed movie unlike any military movie seen before. The film’s soundtrack is available now for pre-order on iTunes and will hit store shelves Feb. 21.

The track listing includes music by Keith Urban (“For You” which is heard over the film’s end credits), Sugarland (“Guide You Home”), Lady Antebellum (“I Was Here”), Trace Adkins (“If the Sun Comes Up”), Lori McKenna (“Two Soldiers Coming Home”), Jake Owen (“The Best I Can”), Montgomery Gentry (“What It Takes”), Josh Kelley (“The Best of Me”), Hunter Hayes (“Where We Left Off”) and Wynonna Judd (“Whatever Brings You Back”)

“I wash my hands of this.”

The mainstream media will spend ten days losing their ever-loving minds blaming a Sarah Palin campaign map a killer never saw for that killer’s actions, but this news about a confessed terrorist admitting that a clip from Brian De Palma’s “Redacted” “prompted” him to murder two American airmen gets buried at the bottom of a Salt Lake City newspaper article:

Uka gave a teary confession as his Frankfurt state court trial opened in August, saying that the night before the attack he had seen a video on Facebook that purported to show American soldiers raping a teenage Muslim girl. It turned out to be a scene from the 2007 Brian De Palma anti-war film “Redacted,” taken out of context.

Uka told the court the video prompted him to do anything possible to prevent American soldiers from going to Afghanistan. Under German law, the court is still required to hear all evidence in the case, even though Uka has confessed.

The defendant had already killed two U.S. airmen when he turned his pistol on Brewer, a 23-year-old from Gray, Tennessee, who was on the bus waiting with others to be taken to nearby Ramstein Air Base to fly to Afghanistan.

Remember how, during the lead up to the release of the “Passion of the Christ,” the leftist media was on high alert waiting for synagogues and crosses to be burned? And yet, not a word in the national media about how this particular Hollywood film “prompted” the murder of two American servicemen.

Buried. Memory-holed. Never happened. Carry on.   (more…)

Reuters:

A government watchdog group is suing the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, claiming the agencies are refusing to release details of their alleged meetings and communications with director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal.

It has been alleged that Bigelow and Boal — in preparation for the script to their Annapurna Pictures movie about the killing of Osama Bin Laden — received classified information regarding his death.

Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act complaint — which was obtained by TheWrap — in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The group says the DoD and CIA have not complied with its FOIA requests within the legally required 20 working days.

Judicial Watch sent FOIA requests to the DoD and the CIA on August 9, seeking records of alleged meetings and communications between government officials, the makers of the Bin Laden movie and employees of Annapurna Pictures, according to the group’s complaint.

The DoD and CIA acknowledged they received the requests but said they couldn’t release the alleged information, according to Judicial Watch. The DoD cited “unusual circumstances which impact our ability to quickly process your request,” the suit says. The CIA said the agency was inundated with FOIA requests and couldn’t respond within the legally required 20 working days, Judicial Watch claims.

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Late-night host Conan O’Brien takes aim at President Obama’s plans to “streamline” the military through reduced defense spending while the rest of the Congressional budget inflates.

From Team Coco:

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Congressman Peter King told Fox News it’s clear there is “probable cause” for investigating whether the Obama administration leaked classified military information to the makers of an upcoming Sony film about the raid that took out Osama bin Laden.

King’s interview with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly earlier today revealed new details about the investigation and why the congressman thought the leak may have happened in the first place.

The New York Republican told Kelly the proof for his initial suspicions about the leak revolved around how much information about the raid hit the press shortly after it occurred.

“That compromised our assets on the ground,” he says.

His concern grew after reading a Maureen Dowd column in the New York Times “almost bragging that the administration would give Sony and [Director] Kathryn Bigelow unprecedented access to the most classified operation in history.”

That was enough to ignite a preliminary investigation by the Defense Department into the matter, King reveals. And, apparently, investigators found something worth pursuing.

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Sony Pictures and Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow have already had to deal with the nightmare that resulted from the cynical release date of their upcoming film surrounding the hunt for and the killing of Osama bin Laden. The original idea was for Sony to release the dramatization this October, just a few weeks prior to the presidential election. Lame, dishonest  protestations aside, obviously the goal was to use the film to give President Obama a reelection boost, not only with the film itself but also with the complicit news media using the film as an excuse to resurrect one of the President’s only successes (thanks to the Bush Administrations willingness to waterboard). Last month, Sony wisely blinked and pushed the release date to after the election, but that doesn’t change what might have happened prior to that move.

Many have speculated (including me) that Sony, Bigelow, screenwriter Mark  Boal, and the White House all got into bed together to create a propaganda film that would hit theatres with the kind of exquisite timing that is never an accident. It’s no secret Sony, like the rest of Hollywood, is deep in the tank for President FailureTeleprompter, and this $40 to $70 million propaganda film would most certainly serve as an in-kind propaganda contribution  that delivered the kind of deus ex machina that can only be dreamed up in Hollywood. Yesterday, and for very good reason, the story turned once again when the Pentagon and CIA got involved.

Apparently, it’s not just us extreme right-wing Republicans who are concerned over the possibility that the White House might have given the studio and filmmakers classified information they weren’t cleared to receive:

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Conservatives cried foul last year when the folks behind the upcoming film about the death of Osama bin Laden mulled a release date just before the 2012 elections. The film captures the raid that took down the world’s most infamous terrorist, arguably the biggest achievement during President Barack Obama’s tenure at the White House.

The bigger story may be how much information Obama officials gave to the filmmakers to make the movie a reality.

The Pentagon is investigating whether members of the Obama administration leaked classified information to director Kathryn Bigelow of “The Hurt Locker” fame to help shape the film.

Rep. Peter King, who heads the House Homeland Security Committee, has questioned how much information was shared about the U.S. special operations mission in Pakistan that killed the al-Qaida leader in May. King on Thursday released a December letter from the Pentagon saying that the inspector general’s office covering intelligence matters “will address actions taken by Department of Defense personnel related to the release of information to the filmmakers.”

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Sony, director Kathryn Bigelow, and screenwriter Mark Boal will now have a full year to try and fix the damage done to this project after the attempt to politicize it created the kind of PR nightmare that can only bring death to the box office.

Over the past five years, a dozen-plus anti-war films have flopped at a 100% rate (Boal and Bigelow’s Oscar-winning “Hurt Locker” only grossed $17 million domestically — and in my opinion it did not look favorably on our military), and if that doesn’t prove the power New Media has to compete with and even defeat The Hollywood PR Machine, nothing does. Why Sony ever believed they could get away with  releasing into the 2012 election narrative a multi-million dollar feature focusing on one of President Obama’s very few successes is beyond me.

Sony’s plan was an obvious one. Not only would the release of the film in the crucial weeks leading up to the election bring this event back to the forefront of voter’s minds, it would also give Obama’s Media Palace Guards the excuse and cover they desire to resurrect this story just when the President might need it most. This was cynical, sinister, and the worst kind of exploitation of our Military.

I don’t give credit when people do what they should’ve done in the first place, but I am glad Sony came to their senses. However, their excuse for bumping the release date is a laugh-out-loud howler. Apparently they were askeert of Kevin James, you know, because his ”wacky shenanigans” might compete for the same ticket-buyers:

Sony Pictures has set Kathryn Bigelow‘s untitled hunt for Bin Laden drama (unofficially titled Kill Bin Laden) for December 19, 2012.  The studio had originally set the film for October 12, 2012, but moved it to make way for Kevin James‘ wacky shenanigans in Here Comes the Boom.

And if this is indeed the case, it’s almost as entertaining…

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Yep, things are changing in Hollywood. Though Hollywood’s far from perfect or fair, this kind of open patriotism and honoring of our military seemed all but extinct 5 years ago.

In fact, 5 years ago Hollywood was shamelessly lying to us about how patriotism didn’t sell.

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People:

This summer, Justin Timberlake accepted a servicewoman’s invitation to attend the Instructor Battalion Marine Corps Ball, and Saturday he made good on that promise.

“What I didn’t know was how moved I would be by the whole experience,” Timberlake, 30, posted afterwards on his website.

Politico:

“To all of you that serve every day for us… Ensuring our freedom, I say: My deepest gratitude to you. I’ve met so many of my heroes… From Michael Jordan to Michael Jackson. And, nothing makes me feel more honor and pride than when I get to meet one of you. Last night changed my life and I will never forget it,”

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Thank you, Veterans, for … everything.

And now a look back at a time when Hollywood fought for America and liberty, not against it. There are notable exceptions today, but sadly the word “exception” does apply.

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Much more below the fold…

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The producers behind the Award-winning documentary “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good” are announcing a new fundraising effort to support the troops.

The campaign, which hopes to raise $50,000 for troop-related charities, will coincide with the film’s DVD release Nov. 8 – just three days before Veteran’s Day.

“Lt. Dan Band” follows Academy Award-nominee Gary Sinise as he travels the globe to bring classic rock – and good tidings – to U.S. soldiers.

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A portion of the proceeds raised by sales of “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good” at the film’s official site between Nov. 8 and Dec. 15 will be donated to charities like Operation Support our Troops America, Snowball Express and The Gary Sinise Foundation.

The film, which Tom Hanks called a “moving tribute to our men and women in uniform and their families, has scooped up a number of awards so far including the Humanitarian Award at the Sedona International Film Festival and the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland International Film Festival.

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We take the simple act of going to the movies for granted, but for a U.S. soldier stationed overseas spending two hours watching a movie is a rare treat.

So let’s applaud Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for donating 5,000 DVDs to Wounded Warriors and active military families this weekend. The home video company will bring its “Million Moments: Great Moments, Great Causes” mobile van tour to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center tomorrow.

It’s the sixteenth of 18 planned stops to deliver one million disks from the company’s catalog. But the charitable effort doesn’t end there.

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Actress Glenn Close isn’t spending her days pretending to be a commoner at any Occupy Wall Street protest. She’s busy prepping an Oscar-bait film – “Albert Nobbs” – for awards season and helping out an Army veteran in need.

Close recently nominated Army Staff Sgt. Allen Hill as a subject for an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” episode, helping to dramatically improve his life in the process.

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Hill, 43, is a National Guard and U.S. Army veteran who served nearly 20 years, including two tours in Iraq. He earned a Purple Heart for injuries sustained when an Improvised Explosive Device demolished a Humvee he was riding in. He has been in treatment for post-traumatic stress since the Nov. 1, 2007, incident and away from his wife and two children for much of that time. It was a dismal existence.

But earlier this year, on a hot August night, Hill and his family stood on a street in rural Franklin County, Kan., awaiting a life-changing event. Friends, neighbors, well-wishers, military members and American Legion Riders also waited. The Hill family was about to see their new home built by volunteers on the ABC television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition …

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Naomi Watts and Valerie Plame Wilson are teaming up – again – but this time it’s about more than whitewashing history via the big screen.

Watts portrayed the former CIA operative in ‘Fair Game,’ the 2010 feature on Wilson’s famous outing by a member of the Bush administration.

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Now, the two women are joining forces to compel the Obama administration to “cut nuclear weapons instead of education and other priorities.”

Their new Public Service Announcement asks citizens to sign a Global Zero pledge found at CutNukes.org. Global Zero is an international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Here’s some text from the just-released PSA:

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Sony Pictures, director Kathryn Bigelow, and screenwriter Mark Boal have already done a ton of damage to their own film with these intelligence-insulting claims that the current release date, set just a few weeks before the 2012 presidential election, is in no way motivated by partisan politics. Then what is it motivated by? Oscar season rolls well into December, long after the election, so it can’t be that. Sony has also claimed that that particular weekend is “the best available spot for an action-thriller on a crowded schedule.” Well, unless they’re using the Mayan calendar, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either.

If the studio and filmmakers want to begin to repair the damage they’ve created by pretending their multi-million dollar film’s release date wasn’t intended to be a multi-million dollar in-kind contribution to the Obama 2012 campaign, they need to bump the picture well into 2013. Or…

They can be honest about what they’re up to, like the “Atlas Shrugged” producers have been, and admit their desire to impact the election.

“Who, us?” just isn’t going to cut it. The good news is that someone over at Sony might be coming to their senses.

Hollywood Wiretap:

Sony’s planned October 12, 2012 release of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden may be shifting. The New York Times on Wednesday reported that the picture may be moving from its slot – which would have fallen shortly before next year’s presidential election – to a post-election date, and possibly not until 2013.

In its report, The NYT cited two people who were briefed on the studio’s plans.

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Brilliant idea and concept.

Has Hollywood finally snapped out of their wicked anti-American streak thanks to profits, Obama being in office, or a little bit of both? It isn’t a moral awakening, that you can be sure of.

DHD:

Christopher McQuarrie will write, produce and direct Rubicon, a new property that is intended to be turned into a movie, graphic novel and videogame. McQuarrie is directing Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher in One Shot, but the project was announced at NY Comic-Con by coproducers Mark Long and Dan Capel. They describe the project as The Seven Samurai, set in Afghanistan with Navy SEALs as the heroes, and the Taliban the villains. Since Navy SEAL Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden, the SEALs have become the centerpiece of numerous feature films.

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Screen Rant:

Onetime stuntmen-turned-filmmakers Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh hope to recreate the real-life experience of Navy SEALs with extreme accuracy onscreen in Act of Valor, an upcoming war thriller that boasts a cast composed primarily of (appropriately) actual Navy SEALs.

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An official trailer has been released for Act of Valor – and while it doesn’t offer much insight into the film’s plot or characters, the footage on display certainly suggests this production will feature some of the more convincing battle sequences and practical tactical maneuvers (say that three times fast…) ever put to film.

Act of Valor originated as a military recruitment video before it was developed into a fully-realized fictional motion picture – one directed by McCoy and Waugh, based on a screenplay from Kurt Johnstad (300). Relativity Media acquired the screen rights to the project earlier this year.

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Comedians don’t have to pass any political litmus test to join Ron White in his annual ‘Comedy Salute to the Troops.’

Lewis Black, hardly anyone’s idea of a military hawk, is one of seven comics taking part in the fourth annual ‘Salute,’ scheduled for DVD release Oct. 11.

White tells Big Hollywood he’s not necessarily a fan of how the military has been used in recent years, but that doesn’t impact his regard for the troops or the invaluable service they provide.

“I don’t live under the illusion we don’t need a military to protect this country,” he says. “They do what they’re told to do… they’re our sons and daughters, and our obligation.”

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The Red Menace is a throwback to both the hugely popular men’s adventure series of the ’70s and even older pulp fiction heroes like the Shadow and Doc Savage.  Part spy, part masked vigilante, the Menace spent the 1950s battling the rising Communist threat around the world, retiring in 1960.  The series is primarily set in the 1970s and in the first book, Red and Buried, Patrick “Podge” Becket is forced to dust off his old Red Menace alter ego and come out of his self-imposed thirteen year retirement in order to deal with an old nemesis who has resurfaced in 1972.  But in this excerpt from The Red Menace #1:  Red and Buried, we get a flashback to the younger Red Menace at the height of his commie-battling days in the Eisenhower era.

CHAPTER 4: September, 1956

The explosion launched a brilliant orange fireball into the Las Vegas night sky and rattled windows in casinos on the Arrowhead Highway two miles away.  The blast took off the roof of the guard building, launching bodies onto the driveway and lawn and firing knife-blade fragments of glass and Spanish tile through the air.

The quartet of Mafia guards charging from the main building caught the worst of the blast.  Slivers of tile ripped through soft flesh.  Guns flew from dead hands and the bodies skidded to a bloody stop on the sprawling front lawn.

The Red Menace slipped from the safety of the pool house, hopped the small wall next to the driveway and darted up the drive.

Zhadanov must have been alerted to the assault.  Not only were the grounds crawling with armed Russians but all the estate lights had been turned on.  The black cloak and mask worked best in shadow, and the Menace was clearly visible as he ran.

He heard the zing of a bullet as it whizzed by his head, heard the soft thwack as it struck the grass.  From the angle of that one shot, the Red Menace knew instinctively where the sniper would be, and he found the man crouching behind a fat chimney on the uppermost roof, a rifle with silencer peeking out around the brick. (more…)