There’s nothing better than being able to do the right thing and the politically savvy thing while simultaneously paying back a long-time abuser in spades.

And that’s just what the Republicans in Congress did to Hollywood when it abandoned the rush to pass SOPA and regulate the Internet for the benefit of Tinseltown. Astonishingly, considering its usual inability to perform competently at even the most basic level, the GOP not only managed to embrace good policy but drove a wedge into the Democratic coalition that may well have dramatic consequences down the road. And, best of all, it provided a bit of long overdue payback to the smug oligarchs of LA’s West Side who have spent the last couple decades treating Republicans like something you’d hasten to flush.

Hey, suckers, how do ya like us now?

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is only the latest attempt by Hollywood to breathe some life back into its dying business model. Enraged that online “pirates” are passing around bootleg copies of movies, shows, books, music, and all other manner of intellectual property, the industry did what it has done for years: ran to Congress for ever more burdensome and onerous laws designed to hold back the inevitable consequences of progress. 

But this time, it went too far. Perhaps it was Hollywood’s arrogance. Perhaps it was the provisions allowing Hollywood to use the United States government to shut down any website it pleased on the mere accusation of “piracy” without any due process, a power lefty–fascist bureaucrats would be only too eager to accept.

Not surprisingly, the people who make their living on the web were less than thrilled about giving Uncle Sam and the media conglomerates an off-switch.

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Morgan Freeman may want to hold his tongue the next time he thinks about calling the Tea Party ‘racist.’

Freeman, currently co-starring in ‘Dolphin Tale,’ made that accusation last month in the run up to his film’s release. And while the movie is performing well at the box office, it’s clear it could be doing even better, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The entertainment outlet just posted the results of a new study tracking how actors’ political comments affect the public’s willingness to buy their products.

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So this debt ceiling thing is confusing the hell out of me.

For one, every President seems to really like it.

Case in point – Bush wanted it raised too.

But do you know who was against it then? Obama.

Because, he wasn’t President yet.

Now he is.

Suddenly raising the debt ceiling is paramount.

So to me, the President is like your wife, and the debt ceiling is a credit card. You can’t blame her for loving it.

But it’s time to cut that card in half. We need to say, “Honey, I love you – but hand it over. We’ll live.”

The point is, raising the debt ceiling is easy, because it’s easy!

In the past five years I put on the weight of your average sized child, because I kept raising my “weight ceiling.”

I didn’t die or anything, although over time, my wife found me repulsive.

Still does, actually.

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Being a filmmaker who happens to be Republican, I had long considered making a documentary about why there are so few Republicans where I live and what that means in a city with an African American-majority population and Democratic Party-controlled government.  But not being a documentarian, I never knew how or where to start. 

Then, in late October 2004, I read in a local newspaper that Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters of Los Angeles was coming to my hometown of Trenton, NJ.  She was coming to stump for Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry and our local Democratic Congressman, Rush Holt.  In this election, New Jersey was considered “up for grabs” and both parties were duking it out. 

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Being a constituent of Congressman Holt and having made friends with some local Democrats, I got permission to film the event as a filmmaker.  However, while I set up my camera, a pair of African American women approached me and flatly asked if I was “a spy.”  (Supposedly, the Republicans were going around filming and disrupting Democrat events.)  I told them that I had permission to be there and to shoot.  One of the women stayed with me, while the other one checked out my story.  After a few tense minutes, they got the word that I was “okay.”  But, I did get a few suspicious looks as I waited for the fiery Congresswoman to speak to the mostly African American crowd.  And when she finally arrived, she spoke words that would change my life.  Because being on the inside of a mostly African American Democratic Party election rally and seeing and hearing what was inferred about the Republican Party and several prominent Black Republicans… reinforced my suspicion that that there was more to this “Black Republican” thing than just a punch line. 

My wife and I would then spend the next six years researching, filming and editing FEAR OF A BLACK REPUBLICAN. (Being a Public Enemy fan from my college days, there was no other title for me).  While making my documentary, I would travel to a Presidential Inauguration to kick off the project; follow a Congressional Campaign in Georgia; criss-cross a Hurricane-devastated New Orleans; visit the birthplace of the Republican Party; make multiple trips to the National Archives and the Conservative Political Action Conference; and close out principal photography by filming my Party’s future Presidential nominee campaigning in the first suburb across the border.  And along the way, we’d also have to figure out what kind of film we’d make and what kind of filmmakers we are.  Because being a filmmaker who happens to be Republican is one thing.  Being a filmmaker who happens to be Republican and is making a film about Black Republicans is something else.

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Director Joe Wright in an interview with the left-wing site MovieLine:

“I think that the action genre is a very interesting one in terms of its place in a social context. I think that Paul Greengrass showed us with the Jason Bourne films that it was possible to make an action movie with a social conscience, a political-social context. You know, it’s not an accident that the journalist in the third film is writing for The Guardian newspaper. And so, I was interested in making such a film, because most action films that I see are misogynistic and misanthropic, and kind of gun-loving, Republican bullsh*t. And that concerns me because those are the films young people are going to see.”

Misogynistic? Misanthropic?

For the record, this is the same director who crafted an entire love story — the truly awful “Atonement” — around the word “cunt.” And because I’m a generous guy, I’d rather be called a liar than ask anyone to suffer through that turgid, overwrought pail of pretension. So no, don’t waste your time even with a Netflix.

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Well, at least now that the Republicans hold one chamber of  Congress, “the moderate” Jon Stewart can claim with a little credibility that he’s speaking truth to power. Other than that, look at how little of his nearly nine-minutes of schtick targets Obama and the embarrassing “conflictinator” that was MSNBC on election night.

Even the audience sounds tired.

Below is Stewart’s interview with Chris Wallace, who takes the comedian’s smirk-shots well: (more…)

According to Variety, the amount of political money from the entertainment industry is split about 73-27, with the majority going to the Democrats. That is a startling statistic. 27% of showbiz dollars go to REPUBLICANS? Are there really that many of us? Either something screwy is going on, or there are a LOT of Industry Republicans hiding out.

By raw statistics, that would indicate over a quarter of the entertainment business is Republican. Now it could just be that Republicans are more generous.  Democrats are notoriously cheaper than a Barney Frank ferry ride. Al Gore spent more money on harassable masseuses than he gives to charity. Bill Clinton’s idea of charity is giving away used underwear (though in fairness, some of the clothing he soiled is now considered museum quality). Joe Biden spends more on polishing his tooth marks out of his shoes than he routinely gives away.

Democrats are as hypocritical as Leonardo DiCaprio’s private jet. They talk all the time about the uncaring rich not helping the poor, but come tax time, the charitable giving recorded on their Schedule As is dwarfed by their mortgage interest on their luxurious abodes. Democrats think their public service and undying support of a powerful state is tantamount to charity. (more…)

Watching The Joy Behar Show on Head line News is akin to watching dead tuna dry in the sun- and the only thing that squashes this tuna melt more is when her guest is the man who inspired the term “jumping the shark.” I’m not sure what tank Henry Winkler’s been swimming in since he starred in that hit movie Heroes in 1977, but I wish he’d stayed there, because with this clip of his brilliant political analysis of the Right, he’s floated stringy poo into my childhood forever.

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One of the reasons Henry Winkler was on Behar’s show was to talk about the children’s books he’s written that deal with his disorder, not his case of Sarah Palin Derangement Syndrome, but his dyslexia. I won’t make fun of dyslexia because for some, like me; it’s no laughing rettam.

Behar’s interview with “The Fonz” is a prime example of Hollywood liberals placing their political ideology first and a chance to reach out to those who don’t live in New York, L.A. or Darfur last. How many American families who loved Sarah Palin’s book would be moved to buy Winkler’s books after comments like that? Not many in this political climate. (more…)

“Generation Zero” screened at CPAC to a standing room only crowd and when it was over they were still standing … and applauding. Steve Bannon’s in-depth look at what caused the most recent financial crisis kept the audience engaged throughout thanks to fascinating visuals made up mostly of film clips (everything from nuclear mushroom clouds to June Cleaver) and a large and impressive list of smart, engaging commenters (full list below) who, through clever editing, break down a very complicated financial story into bite-sized pieces even a clod like me could understand.

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“Generation Zero” is not a partisan political screed. Not even close. Republicans deservedly take it on the chin just as frequently as Democrats; Big Business is exposed as just as corrupt and dangerous as any academic socialist or union boss. What “Zero” is is a pro-capitalist, pro-middle class documentary that uses incontrovertible data and historical precedent to make a concrete and frequently frightening case for a coming financial collapse caused by decades of creeping socialism. And the bottom line message of the fast-moving 90 minutes is a compassionate one concerned only with the everyday, hard working Americans who are stuck with the bill. 

Thanks to the cowards in DC, the corrupt in the business world, and the stupid, spoiled Baby Boomers whose selfish grasp of entitlements have left tens of trillions of dollars of deficits and unfunded mandates on their children and grandchildren, it is the Middle Class getting royally screwed here. And the film’s condemnation of the Baby Boomers — of The Entitled Generation — is spot on. Recently, I heard Jonah Goldberg sum the problem up perfectly: “America’s gone from self-discipline to self expression.” (more…)

I make horror movies for a living. I’ve produced, written or directed zombie movies, werewolf movies, alien invasion movies, vampire movies, serial killer movies, freaky Frankenstein movies and yes, a film about giant, mutant whooping cranes (links may be NSFW). I’ve studied, analyzed and researched how to scare people.

Clearly, if I want to scare leftists, all I have to do is hold up a picture of Sarah Palin.

Of course, the leftists will assure you that they aren’t scared of Sarah Palin. Why would they be? She’s dumb. She’s goofy. She hasn’t brushed up on the real issues. She’s a quitter. She’s not a real contender.

Whatever. After that Tea Party speech half of the DNC had to check to see if they’d wet their pants. Her book tour was more disturbing to them than the “spider walk” scene in “The Exorcist”.

But why? What makes her so scary? (more…)

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A new Gallup poll shows that married people are more likely to be Republicans than Democrats. The propensity for marriage among Republicans was the same regardless of race or age groups. So this is my formal call to all single Democrats who want to get married; it’s time to change your party affiliation or you’ll go through life alone, or worse, with some flaky narcissist with commitment issues.

We all pretty much know that most Democrats can’t be trusted and that’s reflected in this marriage poll. It’s not that Democrat women are ugly, because we’ve seen too many cute ones out there. The men aren’t hideous either, unless you think a soft, effeminate man hen-pecked his whole life by his domineering mother is hideous. The main reason people don’t get married is out of a fear of divorce– a fear of a breaking of vows. And Democrats talk with their feet when it comes to making commitments with those who philosophically have no grounding to keep any commitment. Did Obama shut down Gitmo? Will he get health reform finished before August recess? Is he going to cut taxes for most Americans? (more…)

Andrew Breitbart hit the nail on the head when he said that, “Conservatives have allowed Liberals to portray us in the media for far too long,” (Or something to that effect. I can’t remember because I was on a pop-tart bender).  Sadly, it’s very true.  For a long time now, the people over at CNN and MSNBC have molded “Conservatives” into a way that suits their personal agenda.  The problem is that this “molding” occurs in plain sight and is forced on an unsuspecting public.  Damn your dashing good looks, Anderson Cooper!

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In this episode, “NewsBusted” covers: Obama’s Egypt speech, Massachussetts welfare, conservatives, Republicans, GOP, Michelle Obama, Sesame Street, Barbara Walters, Anderson Cooper, Rosie O’Donnell, Kelly McGillis, and Simon Cowell.

A popular topic of conversation these days is what ails the Republican Party. Everyone from barbershop pundits and opinion writers to former Bush administration officials have waded in with opinions and cures.

More than a few have proffered that the problem with the Republican Party is that it has moved too far from the political center and given too much sway to the fringe right. They hold that in order to survive and become vibrant again the Grand Old Party must jettison (or at least silence) the far right and must begin appealing to the moderate wing of the party. In other words the party must become even more like Democrats. I suspect this brilliant advice was dreamed up by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid while doing shots of Tequila in some smart bar in Georgetown. They never dreamed Republicans would be so daft as to actually consider it.

Giving voice to a version of this madness, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, spoke to a group of corporate security executives and warned that the ills of the party could be traced to the repeating of the far right mantra. Powell went on to say, “Americans do want to pay taxes for services,” he continued, “Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.” (more…)

I grow fearful, brothers and sisters (and assorted ‘others’ whose rights I hold in highest regard).  I grow fearful of the barbarian, ever at our door, who seeks to taint our holy anointing with his heresy and heathenism.  I worry that if we are not diligent, our beloved Goddess, the Almighty Pop-Culture Herself, will abandon us to the wolves who even now grow bold at our doorsteps.  I am currently reading a troubling report.  This very week, our beloved priestess. Janeane Garofalo, patron saint of people who used to be funny, was viciously attacked by the enemy for simply exercising her fundamental right to religious expression and instructing another blessed saint in the sacred truth.  And this at the holy Countdown Cathedral!  Have they no shame?

Well, I for one will not cower.  The Lord is my shepherd, and I will fear no evil.  In fact, if given the chance, I will gladly shake hands with evil, apologize to it for the arrogance of my countrymen, and send them a billions dollars, as long as they are not the true anti-Christs – Christians.  But even them I do not fear, for so long as Pop-Culture is for me, who can stand against me?  So be of good cheer, Janeane, I will carry your cross.  I will continue to proclaim your holy teaching.  Once and for all, I hereby declare: 

“It is evident that the frontal lobe of the Negro brain is smaller than the frontal lobe of the Caucasian brain!” (more…)