But I’m a “deep cut” kind of movie lover, someone who likes to see absolutely everything in the hopes of digging up a gem everyone else appears to have missed. The only thing I love more than my secret stash of  cinematic gems, is the sharing of them. And the beauty of Lumet is that he had a number of sleepers, chief among them one of my wife’s all-time favorites, A Stranger Among Us with Melanie Griffith. The film was written by our own Robert Avrech and not only ranks as a terrific murder mystery/urban thriller, but also a delicately crafted love letter to both human dignity and the Jewish faith. Beneath all the drama and mystery, you’ll find a life-affirming subtext and thematic drive that tenderly examines the big issues of  fidelity, faith, and loyalty in ways movies then, and especially now, simply don’t anymore. For this reason it stands out in Lumet’s work, which is both a credit to the director and my friend Robert.  

Here are some others worth seeking out if you haven’t already…

Garbo Talks (1984): One of Lumet’s few escapist films with a perfectly cast Ron Silver as a Manhattan worker bee who drops everything to fulfill his dying mother’s (a never better Anne Bancroft) wish to meet the elusive Greta Garbo.

Running On Empty (1988): A sleeper and near-masterpiece I ranked as #18 in my countdown of the Top 25 Greatest Left-Wing Films of All Time. 

Q & A 1990: A relentlessly brutal noir piece with an unforgettable central performance from Nick Nolte as a depraved police detective slowly spiraling out of violent control as a young district attorney (Timothy Hutton) attempts to bring him down. Armand Assante and Luis Guzman were never better in a couple of supporting roles that made me a lifelong fan of both.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007): The best compliment I can pay this unbelievably engrossing thriller (on of the best of that year) that stirs your guts with a stick, is that it plays like the kind of movie a first-time director would create to make his mark and take his place in the world of cinema. This is Lumet’s “Reservoir Dogs,” a young man’s film made by a then 83 year-old living legend with nothing to prove.

Sure, Lumet was a left-wing filmmaker, but he was so damned brilliant you didn’t notice and after you did, you simply didn’t care. My thanks to Mr. Lumet for the many, many, hours of pleasure he has brought — and thanks to DVD, will continue to bring into my life.

May he rest in peace.

I now turn you over to… The New York Times.

Robert Avrech’s lovely paean to the patriotism of Old Hollywood reminds me, by way of contrast, of a blink-and-you-missed-it scandal from seventeen months ago. Even in a cultural arena rife with liberal outrages against military families, it marked a new low. And although it was but one small battle in the culture war, it is worth recalling in the wake of Memorial Day as a reminder of just how far our popular media has fallen from the sterling ideals of our forefathers.

What does NBC stand for again? National Broadcasters against Conservatives? No Blessings for the Corps? On December 7, 2007, as the country solemnly remembered Pearl Harbor and the timeless sacrifices of soldiers long dead, one of our major television networks decided that running ads praising today’s modern armed forces constituted a bridge too far. The two thirty-second spots had been produced by Freedom’s Watch, a now-defunct conservative action group which aspired to be the MoveOn.org of the right, using “grassroots lobbying, education and information campaigns, and issue advocacy” to fight the good fight against the legion of hippy-dippy protesters, nihilists, and ideological bullies that perpetually rage (and increasingly reign) throughout blue-state America.

For years, organizations like Code Pink, A.N.S.W.E.R., and MEChA have inflicted lunatic be-ins on a horrified public, the collective psychedelic derangement of which makes The Rocky Horror Picture Show look like A Room With a View. But then Freedom’s Watch arrived on the scene — let’s call them Code Red, White and Blue — and they came determined to honor our troops, damn the cost. In August of ‘07, they first attempted to buy ad-time on major networks to run commercials supporting the war in Iraq. While Fox and CNN broadcast them without issue, NBC and its sister networks deemed them too controversial, which is liberal Pig Latin for too partisan, too outside the mainstream — in a word, too conservative. At the time, Freedom’s Watch president Bradley A. Blakeman wrote a polite letter to NBC, pointing out that the network has a long record of accepting ads from nakedly progressive groups without the slightest qualm.

(The Bob Hope display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.)

He might also have added, “That plaintive whining sound you hear is Bob Hope spinning in his grave.” As Hollywood’s most beloved wartime icon, the British-born comedian spent a half-century enriching NBC’s coffers while praising our military at every turn. His 1970 and ‘71 Christmas Specials, filmed on the ground in Vietnam, still rank among the most-watched television shows of all-time. But save for an impressive schiltron of American flags displayed on holidays, Hope’s legacy long ago faded from 30 Rockefeller Plaza. In the end, the network’s wingtipped, Armani-clad Brahmins never deigned to answer Blakeman’s letter, quietly consigning his request for ad-time to the good ol’ circular filing cabinet, one with a metaphorical temperature edging dangerously close to Ray Bradbury’s dystopian 451 degrees.

Then in December of ‘07, Freedom’s Watch tried again with a pair of innocuous commercials that, to this viewer, soothed and fortified like exquisite mouthfuls of Mom’s home cooking. These new spots depicted people from all walks of life offering simple, heartfelt benedictions to our troops, and while their aura of optimism recalled Reagan’s “It’s Morning in America” ads, the underlying message was, by any reasonable standard, universal. Judge for yourself:

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Astoundingly, these too were rejected by a sober-faced NBC. The problem this time? Including FW’s web address on the tail-end of each ad, an act which apparently violated the network’s Standards and Practices.

Standards and Practices…boy, that’s rich. In recent years, NBC’s practices have famously included living the high life at the expense of the companies they cover, as well as manufacturing stories on everything from anti-Muslim hate crimes to exploding cars. In the process, they’ve degenerated from a once-proud news bastion into the peacock battalion of America’s fifth column, force-feeding viewers doom-and-gloom propaganda slickly masqueraded as unbiased news. Running a sincere message of hope in a time of war would indeed appear to go against everything they stand for these days, although — who knows? — it might help them reverse their agonizing slide into their lowest news ratings in over twenty years.

Freedom’s Watch president Blakeman promptly fired off a new letter of protest, but few believed he’d have better luck than last time — that is, until storm clouds started to form on the public-relations horizon. Cruising the conservative blogosphere in the days following the rejection, I could sense astonishment quickly hardening into genuine outrage. In forum after forum, the network began getting an earful from Americans with friends and family in the armed services. Soon the cacophony had grown to the point where NBC announced that it was reversing course and amending its (allow me to gird myself to say the words with a straight face) Standards and Practices.

And so, just like that, Freedom’s Watch won. Not an election or a court case, but merely the simple right to buy, at great expense, the time with which to say “thank you” to our heroic fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends and spouses fighting and dying in faraway lands. This confrontation proved instructive. As Robert Avrech’s Memorial Day post here at Big Hollywood showed, conservatives often pine for the olden days when America was largely united on patriotic matters. It seems possible to at least partially resurrect that (semi-mythical) time, but only if we insist on more from our shared broadcast media than the desiccated “standards and practices” of a corrupt liberal thugocracy.

During that holiday season of 2007, the NBC show with the most cultural buzz was Heroes, a sleeper hit about ordinary people mysteriously imbued with comic-book superpowers. It’s nice to know that — courtesy of Freedom’s Watch — America’s real-life heroes were honored on NBC during that Christmas as well. Granted, we only got it in precious little windows of thirty seconds each, but it was a start on the long road toward cultural recovery and renewal.

Freedom’s Watch was a victim of the collapsing economy of 2008, and there will be no new Christmas commercials from them thanking our troops. But one imagines that in December of 2007, somewhere in the heavens, Bob Hope cracked a smile at all of the people who twisted NBC’s corporate arm and said, “Thanks for the Memory.”

Those conservatives pining for a bit of that ol’ time patriotism can buy Bob Hope: The Vietnam Years (1964-1972).

7:30am PST - Battle Of Algiers, The (1965) – Algiers revolts against the French Foreign Legion. Cast: Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Brahim Haggiag, Tommaso Neri Dir: Gillo Pontecorvo BW-121 mins, TV-14

I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never seen this. I have seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion and C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate, but somehow this one got past me.

Good thing, then, we have our own Robert Avrech, who wrote a masterful two-part deconstruction of the film just last month titled, “Learning From the Real Battle of Algiers.” Here’s the opener:

The Battle of Algiers, (1965) directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, a perennial favorite on college campuses, is hailed as a modern classic. Certainly the skillful use of black & white cinema verite is highly effective, making the viewer feel as if he’s been plunged into the heart of the Algerian maelstrom. The scenes of torture and terror are stomach churning and bring chills to any civilized viewer.

But let’s be clear, the film is a work of leftist propaganda, beautifully crafted, to be sure, but a film that seeks to justify Islamic terror by proposing that the French were so brutal that the Algerians had no choice but to resort to unrestrained terror.

Sound familiar?

You better believe it.

You can read both parts of his essay here and here, and then check out the movie tomorrow. Anyplace else would charge you tuition for all these services.

Greg Gutfeld is posting his wondrous inanities and many pointed yet not vitriolic salvos have been launched against the intransigent Hollywood left and vital ones aimed at the right — for forfeiting culture to the opposition. Movie and television reviews and historical treatises abound, and we’re even breaking news.

John Ziegler launched a massive story where Sarah Palin unleashed on the media for treating her so unfairly. It is easily the mainstream news media story of the week. Big Hollywood is the site to go to for the inside scoop on Ziegler’s forthcoming documentary, “Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected“.

Actor-singer-songwriter Joe Lima in a timely fashion came to bury Guevara, but also put usually reliable director Steven Soderbergh in his place for wasting so much studio money and movie watchers’ time with the execrable, “Che.”

I have been media whoring it to get the word out. On Friday I did The O’Reilly Factor, the Rusty Humphries Show and earlier in the day I spoke with fellow crusader Laura Ingraham, as well as Fox Business Channel’s Stuart Varney. Earlier in the week: Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld, the Dennis Miller Show as well as my weekly appearance with talk radio’s long distance runner, Lars Larson. My mind is numb right now I can’t think of the rest.

I am deeply grateful to all the new contributors of Big Hollywood and all the ridiculously articulate and insightful commenters — some who are now contributors (Bill Willingham, Stage Right and James Hudnall). I know of few sites with as literate and knowledgeable a readership. (So far!) I must even praise the dissenters in our midst. For the most part the lefties have been thoughtful and not simply drive-by rabblerousers.

Tell me Gary Graham didn’t say what was needed on day one. He broke the ice and history will prove that. (FTS!) He’s still doing radio interviews over his day one: “One Angry Dude.” Move over, Paddy Chayefsky. Gary had the guts to put his name behind what many think, but are afraid to write.

We are blessed to have box office guru Steve Mason posting predictions and raw numbers of what movies are doing throughout the week. Because Steve is ahead of the competition and a newsie madman extraordinaire even Hollywood’s leftiest executives, actors and directors will be bookmarking Big Hollywood to stay ahead of the curve.

My father-in-law Orson Bean hearkened to a time when the film industry inspired people even in the bleakest of times. Bill Whittle showed off his effortless brilliant writing skills. (I’ll challenge anyone at the Huffington Post to a writer’s duel: Bill versus the best you got. The winner gets $1000 in carbon credits.)

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) wrote a most creative call to arms for Hollywood’s closeted conservatives. And former congressman and Fox News host John Kasich sent word he and his wife are stoked that “24″ is about to start up again. California Assemblyman and huge history buff Chuck Devore gave two thumbs up for “Valkyrie.” More elected officials and aspiring candidates to come. Love it or hate Hollywood, even politicians are consumers.

Comedian and author Evan Sayet had the courage to write a piece that will surely piss off his music idol, Bruce Springsteen. Fellow comedian Rodney Lee Conover also went after sacred ground, Opie Cunningham. Stand up comedian Tom Shillue stood up twice in week one for what is right. Groundlings vet and reality TV producer Melanie Graham did a drive-by on day one, too. Apparently, she finds Hollywood taxing. (Ned Rice, come out to plaaay!)

Libertarians like Reason’s Nick Gillespie and film producer Maura Flynn picked a debate with the social conservatives with their more libertine and permissive attitudes toward adult material on television. (What do you think, Dallas Jenkins?)

Sorry, prigs, prudes and hyper-moralists, this site is open to the entirety of views from the center-right-libertarian spectrum. Shhh, I lean in the libertarian direction on content. (My favorite comedy of recent years is “Grandma’s Boy” and I can’t wait until my sons are old enough to watch it with me.) Except I wouldn’t have cited Dan Savage as a valued critical voice like Maura did. Yeesh.

We even had esteemed screenwriter and self-confessed “flaming liberal” John Ridley debunk the notion that “Three Kings” was crafted as a neo-con critique of the first Gulf War. John is a mensch for coming into “enemy territory.” Accomplished conservative screenwriters Robert J. Avrech, Michael McGruther and Andrew Klavan (thanks for kicking things off, Drew) set high writing standards for Big Hollywood on week one. And for that I am eternally grateful.

What do nationally syndicated columnists Ben Shapiro and Debbie Schlussel do when they aren’t fiercely taking on radical Islamists? Apparently watching film and television with a very critical eye. Entertainment reporter Rebecca Cusey is also looking out for our collective welfare. Now I really don’t need the New York Times anymore.

I owe National Review’s Jonah Goldberg and Kathryn Jean Lopez steaks and drinks for bringing their thoughts and mass following to the site on week one. (Jonah deserves the assist for bringing in contributors Willingham and Hudnall. They were commenting on his Watchmen thread when other commenters recognized their familiar names in the Industry.)

S.T. Karnick popped in to remind us of a less politically correct time — 35 years ago — when Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish” debuted on the big screen.

Thanks to Roger L. Simon for offering an exclusive peak at his new book, “Blacklisting Myself: A Hollywood Apostate in an Age of Terror.” Simon’s is a cautionary tale that in leftist Hollywood it’s bad to be a conservative or a Republican. But it’s worse to be an ideological turncoat.

Burt Prelutsky has been at this game longer than most of us and has alienated himself from the majority who he considered friends while writing for “M*A*S*H”. We’re proud to have you here, Burt.

Established bloggers, journalists and my travel companions like Jamie Kirchick (Azerbaijan), Michael van der Galien (Azerbaijan), Scott Johnson (Israel), Andrew Leigh (the Starbucks at the corner of San Vicente and Barrington) and Ace of Spades (numerous bars) also brought their guts, know-how and audiences to the Big Hollywood fold. Paging Pat Dollard!

American Thinker editor Thomas Lifson and classical musician Endre Balogh both took big stabs at figuring out how to fix the broken entertainment industry. I think we’re building an army that is willing to follow your prescriptions. Thanks for the blueprints, guys.

Filmmaker Michael Wilson (“Michael Moore Hates America”) clearly learned his lessons well as he tells conservatives the solution is in our hands. Not in only complaining.

My #1 pick to hit is Alphonzo Rachel. He is the conservative movement’s one-stop spoken word-musician-actor-commentator billion dollar baby.

If I can ask a favor of those commenting: Please post in your true name. I won’t hold you to it, but it really makes for a better experience for everyone. It also helps diminish the drive-by morons who use anonymity as their weapon — like the angry commuters who give you the finger and call you an a@#$#$ when they pass you in traffic. (So what if I like playing Tetris on my Blackberry while stuck in gridlock.) If you are going to use anonymity to save your career (like the politically incorrect Veritas Obviam), then try and come up with a handle that sticks and represents where you’re coming from — like “Stage Right,” for instance.

Speaking of… Thanks J.R. Head for serving our country and serving this mission. Too bad things are so bad in Hollywood you don’t feel safe using your real name. Guess fighting a war is tougher than Hollywood these days.

And to get into the spirit of the awards season, I’d also like to thank Darren Rush and Alex Marlow for working their butts off to make this site rock. And to Larry Solov, my business partner and Oscar Zeta Acosta, for allowing us to be so merciless to the liberalism he holds dear. (Just read Gutfeld’s stuff and your head won’t spin so much.)

Weirdly, for a guy who is obsessed with the intersection of pop culture and politics, I am not immersed enough in film and TV to confidently weigh in. I burned out watching repeats of Alice in the ’80s. (I still have recurring dreams: What happened to Tommy Hyatt’s basketball career?) So I’ve brought in John Nolte, a sincere and principled consumer of the product. I consider his opinion on a movie now more important than the LA TIMES, NY TIMES and all the alt weeklies combined. I like to play John off MTV’s Kurt Loder and the Washington Times Christian Toto, as well as checking in with Rotten Tomatoes before I invest a few hours in something.

I made a New Year’s resolution to see more movies and watch more TV in 2009. I want to start paying attention a little bit closer. A couple of nights ago I even went to see the premiere of My Bloody Valentine 3D. I can’t tell you how guilty I was for having enjoyed it. And I got to see Tom Atkins on screen again. I love all the older actors. Character actors (the “regular Joes” of Hollywood) especially. I’ve gotten to meet a ton of them recently, too. Many are regular people. Some are even conservatives and Republicans, they’ll quietly tell you. It shouldn’t be an issue. But it is. And that’s why Big Hollywood’s here now.

I feel it is my obligation at Big Hollywood to help introduce as many new quality voices as possible to show America that this country is not going to give up without a fight. The left has done an amazing job to convince people like us that we are a goofy, evil and stupid minority. That we are jingoistic. That we represent outdated ideas. It’s simply not true. They’ve insulted our intelligence. Called us names. And done so while overseeing the crapification of what should be America’s proudest export: our entertainment product.

We’ve only dipped a little into the (R)olodex. There are tons more names and surprises coming. Rush Limbaugh and Mark Steyn approve of what we’re up to. They’re even talking about us overseas. The water is warm. It’s time to come in and frolic.

This week we stopped a little bit of the totalitarianism. Next week let’s stop a little bit more.