The HomeVideodrome podcast returns with a meaty show this week, as Jim Dirkes and I discuss the movies we saw over our Christmas break, and of course, we catch up on the new releases.

Speaking of Jim, he was kind of enough to provide the review of “Moneyball” below. You can find more of Jim’s reviews, as well as his weekly podcast, over at The Film Thugs, as well as older episodes of HomeVideodrome. -Hunter

There are sports movies that aren’t really about sports. Some are pretty heavy-handed about it, like “Remember the Titans” (racism is bad), others are more subtle, like “Million Dollar Baby” (redemption), and others cast the sport in a very small supporting role, like “Brian’s Song” (the power of a friendship, and no, I’m not crying, the room is just dusty and I have allergies!).

“Moneyball” falls in the middle category. On the surface it is about the struggling Oakland A’s trying to compete against teams with much higher budgets. If taken just as that, it’s a solid underdog sports film. However, if that’s all you get from it, you are missing a fantastic and innovative movie.

Beyond the simple underdog angle, this is the story of a man who challenged the very foundations of one of the pillars of America itself. Baseball doesn’t cotton to change. The idea of doing something new or different in baseball is… well, it’s easier to change the U.S. Constitution. To give you an idea, the designated hitter (being able to substitute a person to hit in place of the pitcher without removing the pitcher from the game) was introduced in 1973, and there are still people who view it as cheating. Basically, you don’t mess with baseball. (more…)

Seeing that George Soros and Sting are working together to “end the drug war” puts me in mind of a story an Army buddy who works in the DEA told me about busting in the door of a drug house only to find three occupants – the oldest four years old, having been left in charge while his “parents” went out to score meth.  Yeah, drug use is a victimless crime – if you ignore the victims.

Apparently not content to subsidize the whining of the nonentities at Media Matters, Soros is taking a break from his adventures in currency manipulation and general scuzziness to enlist entertainment celebrities like Sting in his newest quest.  The Drug Policy Alliance is the result, a group whose members, as its founder puts it, “come from across the drug use spectrum.”  Yes, the junkies, stoners, hopheads, dope fiends, pill-poppers, and Lindsay Lohan are unanimous:  Drug laws are bad, and it’s probably BusHitler’s fault.

The threshold problem with comments by Sting such as, “The war on drugs represents an extraordinary violation of human rights,” is that Sting presumably not only believes this piffle, but further believes that he can put down his bass and offer meaningful input into the discussion.  This assumption of competence is a common delusion among celebrities, and here it has more potential for damage than most mindless celebribabble.

Now, Sting is not alone – no one in that clip says anything worthwhile.  One woman, who is bald for no apparent reason, states that “The War on Drugs is a war on people of color,” as if Americans decided they would outlaw crack because they fear that black people might enjoy themselves.  Montel Williams shows up to explain that drug laws prevent him from making choices about his own body, but the awful tie and ridiculous earring he chose to wear make a powerful argument against allowing him to make any kind of choices at all. (more…)

In 1999, a few weeks before The Devil’s Arithmetic went into production, I met with stars Kirsten Dunst, Brittany Murphy, and Mimi Rogers in Dustin Hoffman’s Brentwood office. Dustin and Mimi had rescued my script from development hell—a seven year limbo—and were serving as Executive Producers. Mimi was doing double duty as actress and producer.

The Devil’s Arithmetic is a Holocaust time travel drama based on the best selling book by Jane Yolen.

Brittany Murphy, left, and Kirsten Dunst in The Devil’s Arithmetic, 1999.

The script called for authentic Jewish characters and settings.

To aid the two young actresses I brought Offspring #3 to the meeting, a knowledgeable and adorable eleven year old yeshiva student.

Offspring #3’s job was to coach the actresses in, well, being Jewish. Offspring #3 taught the actresses a few Jewish songs, and helped their Hebrew pronunciations.

I watched as Kirsten and Brittany soaked up Offspring #3’s essence. (more…)

Tragic news yesterday:

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her roles in films such as “Clueless” and “8 Mile,” died after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home, police and hospital officials said. She was 32.

Murphy’s mother discovered the star slumped unconscious in a shower at her home in Los Angeles before her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, called emergency services, entertainment website TMZ.com reported. 

The actress was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills where she was confirmed dead at 10:04 am (1804 GMT), spokeswoman Sally Stewart said. No other information was released by the hospital.

Los Angeles Police Department officers were at Murphy’s home asking preliminary questions, police confirmed. Investigators later said foul play was not suspected in the death. … (more…)