Lee Marvin: That Glorious Bastard

Only a tiresome poseur like Quentin Tarantino could think that the Hollywood pretty boys he cast in his soon-to-be released opus The Inglorious Basterds are convincing movie tough guys. Where is Lee Marvin when we need him?

You’ve probably experienced the Basterds publicity blitz.  Brad Pitt looks like he stepped out of a Calvin Klein underwear ad. Folks I know who have been around him say he really is a pleasant and laid-back guy, and these are hardly the characteristics of a beady-eyed killer.  Creepy Eli Roth, taking some time off from directing his degenerate torture movies, is just a leering clown – he looks like he should be squatting in the back of his Ford panel van offering Tootsie Rolls to passing tweens.  And B.J. Novak?  The guy is a hilarious writer and is really funny in The Office , but I’m not buying this cat as the scourge of the Third Reich.

In contrast, Lee Marvin’s tough guy legacy lives on despite the fact that his body rests with thousands of other heroes in Arlington National Cemetery. He earned that right when he was wounded fighting the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific as a Marine private. His Purple Heart is 100% USDA certified proof positive of his prime badassary. Who is the Hollywood tough guy of today who can dare step up to the Lee Marvin plate and take a swing?

Nobody. (more…)

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Tags: academy award, Arlington National Cemetery, B.J. Novak, brad pitt, Cat Ballou
Posted Aug 4th 2009 at 6:55 am in Classic Hollywood, Culture, Film | 197178154 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/kschlichter/2009/08/04/lee-marvin-that-glorious-bastard/Lee+Marvin%3A+That+Glorious+Bastard2009-08-04+13%3A55%3A35Kurt+Schlichter

Burnt Offerings: Teaching Our Children — Pride in Going Red, White and Blue

On March 26, I was watching the Kids’ Choice Awards with my 8-year-old twins on Viacom’s Nickelodeon, which for 30 years has been the No. 1 entertainment brand for kids. It was dedicated to the Big Green Help environmental campaign and “going green” for Earth Day awareness. Leonardo DiCaprio was honored for his green work. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson was the host, and my fellow Hollywood stars and musicians came out in full force.

An impressive commitment was shown to keeping the message of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” as a battle cry for our youths’ participation in protecting Mother Earth from global warming and pollution. My children were enthusiastic. I was confused. Something bothered me, and I could not put my finger on why – until Memorial Day weekend.

It started on Saturday morning, when I took my 8-year-old son, Nicholas, who is a Cub Scout, to the Los Angeles National Cemetery. About 2,700 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, from Cub to Eagle, convened to place flags on more than 84,000 gravesites of America’s finest. It was a moving, profound experience.

One would expect a lot of running and playing among these youngsters as they performed their task. But, no. At each site, they stood at attention, recited the name of the service member and then saluted. Within two hours, 84,000 flags proudly waved in the gentle breeze. (more…)

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Tags: America, Comstock, cub scouts, DiCaprio, green
Posted May 31st 2009 at 9:10 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics | 14829811 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/rdavi/2009/05/31/burnt-offerings-teaching-our-children-pride-in-going-red-white-and-blue/Burnt+Offerings%3A+Teaching+Our+Children+--+Pride+in+Going+Red%2C+White+and+Blue2009-05-31+16%3A10%3A11Robert+Davi

Hollywood Heroes: Boots On the Ground Report

Kicking back listening to Bonnie Tyler belt out “Holding Out For A Hero” made me think of a recent visit to Hollywood where I had the opportunity to speak with a few producers and screenwriters, truly good people all. 

Their big message: military films aren’t working. The country is weary and doesn’t want war films as entertainment. Rather, they say, the good citizens of our nation want to escape with the fictional heroes in movies such as “Transformers,” “X-Men,” and “Spider-Man.” 

Military movies may not be working because Hollywood presently refuses to capitalize on the real life heroes in combat everyday. Everyone loves a good hero and for Hollywood to embrace the notion that there might be a valorous man or woman worthy of a feature film may lend creditability to the cause for which they are fighting. And we can’t have that. 

Instead, their latest war films are partisan propaganda as opposed to realistic and balanced. Somewhere between the screenplay and the final edit group therapy takes place and movie houses release message films as opposed to realistic action movies.  (more…)

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Tags: "Redacted", Afghan Hindu Kush Mountains, anti-war films, Asadabad Base, Bagram Air Base
Posted May 13th 2009 at 5:03 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Military | 13182615 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/ajtata/2009/05/13/hollywood-heroes-boots-on-the-ground-report-by-aj-tata/Hollywood+Heroes%3A+Boots+On+the+Ground+Report+2009-05-13+12%3A03%3A33Brigadier+General+%28R%29+Anthony+J.+Tata

R2R Texas Challenge: Day 1 San Antonio to San Marcos–A Day in the Sun

The day got off to a great start as the weather was great with sunny skies and temps in the mid 80’s as a tailwind blew the R2R group all the way 55 miles to San Marcos. After a quick ride briefing, Chad was presented with a special bike that Cowboy legend Roger Staubach autographed for him–it is neat to see grown men brought to tears.

The guys and gals also got geared up; can’t say enough about all of the support this program receives from our partners.  Jerseys, socks, arm warmers, glasses, the all important Chamois butt’r, and T-shirts…soon we were off. (more…)

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Tags: Adam Baldwin, American Legion, Bronze Star, combat injuries, General David Blackledge
Posted Mar 30th 2009 at 11:36 pm in Celebrity News, Military | 93498No Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/r2r/2009/03/30/r2r-texas-challenge-day-1-san-antonio-to-san-marcos-a-day-in-the-sun/R2R+Texas+Challenge%3A+Day+1+San+Antonio+to+San+Marcos--A+Day+in+the+Sun2009-03-31+06%3A36%3A19Ride+2+Recovery

The Hollywood Awards Show Not Shown on TV

This week’s Washington Times column:

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. | After spending two weeks on something akin to a fact-finding mission in depressed New York and depleted Washington, D.C., I found no answers to our nation’s mounting ills. I discovered that there is much to be angry about and unlimited reasons for deep concern. But on the evening after my return, the stars aligned on the outskirts of Los Angeles at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and for a brief moment I felt safe again in America.

On Saturday, my wife and I were privileged to attend the second annual “Celebration of Freedom Gala.” We joined more than 1,000 others who, like us, were electrified to honor 43 of the 98 living Medal of Honor recipients. We also gave our thanks to former first lady Nancy Reagan, war hero and actor Charles Durning, and Gen. David H. Petraeus. (more…)

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Tags: "Dog Day Afternoon", "Freedom Never Cries", "The Sting", Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment, Bronze Star
Posted Mar 8th 2009 at 4:53 pm in Celebrity News, Featured Story, Media Criticism, Military | 7554256 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abreitbart/2009/03/08/the-hollywood-awards-show-not-shown-on-tv/The+Hollywood+Awards+Show+Not+Shown+on+TV2009-03-09+00%3A53%3A46Andrew+Breitbart