Political opinion makers love movies. They may not be professional film critics but they have opinions like everyone else. Movies draw their attention and resonate in their writing and their voices. Here’s a sample in the first edition of Political Pundits Do The Movies!
HUGH HEWITT
Mr. Hewitt, a conservative talk radio host & blogger, on Get Low (2010), starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray: . . . a gripping movie that held the audience in their chairs long through the credit roll.”
MAUREEN DOWD
Ms. Dowd, a New York Times columnist, on “Why romantic comedies now reek”, a tête-à-tête with author Sam Wasson.
Photo: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
JONAH GOLDBERG
Mr. Goldberg of National Review Online is “fascinated with the fundamental stupidity of films like” Valentine’s Day (2010) which stars Jessica Biel. He also finds The Verdict (1982) “still really compelling”, and considers The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947) essential to any discussion about lawyer movies. Finally, Mr. Goldberg thinks How To Train Your Dragon (2010) “is pretty great” (so did his daughter).
JOE KLEIN
Mr. Klein, Time columnist, TV pundit and author, reviewed Avatar earlier this year and found the dialogue was awful; the characterizations were crude.
RICHARD COHEN
Mr. Cohen, a Washington Post Columnist, suggests the novel, Spies Of Warsaw by Alan Furst, “mostly about the Polish capital on the eve of World War II” be turned into a movie.
MICHAEL MEDVED
Mr. Medved, conservative talk radio host & blogger, co-hosted Sneak Previews for 12 years, still reviews films regularly. Listen to his review of The Other Guys with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg here.
JAMES CARVILLE . . . MOVIE ACTOR
Political pundits appear in movies too. Who can forget James Carville’s thrilling cameo (next to John McCain) in Wedding Crashers (2005).
Click for Carville’s Wedding Crashers clip!
Carville seems to have cornered the market on political pundits appearing in films, playing himself in Swing Vote (2008) and Wedding Crashers , and in character roles in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), Man Of The Year (2006) and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). His co-stars include no less than Brad Pitt, Robin Williams and Edward Norton.
I wonder if Hewitt, Dowd, Klein or Medved have anything to say about his screen work.
One last note. Did you ever wonder what happens in your local multiplex when they’re not playing movies? Well, hold your donkeys and elephants . . . I mean, your horses . . . they might be hosting a simulcast with Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck, your favorite (or not so favorite) political pundits.
Send film reviews by political pundits/politicians to comments@jabcatmovies.com and we’ll try to include them in a future edition, or leave comments below.
See Also:
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 Blue Pill Or Red Pilll Your Choice |
 Art House Spotlight: Drexel Theatre Columbus, OH |
