Distribber Fights Pirates by Shooting Audience

I think this is just amazing and weird. This comes from a Hollywood Reporter story about German film critics upset with a policy that their reviews of "War of the Worlds" must be embargoed (or held) until the film's release date:

"The German association also criticized the security measures undertaken at the first press screening of "War of the Worlds" on June 14 in Berlin. For the first time at such a screening, the distributor filmed the audience as an anti-piracy measure."

Wild. Just wild.

We go into a theater to watch stored images. As we do so, someone else is now storing images of us .... to make sure we don't store those images we came to see.

The ways in which our cultures are turning back and in on themselves just boggles my mind.

Implosion.

Watch for These Movies

Watch for These Movies

Summer movie-going season is in full swing. We’ve already had monsters like “Revenge of the Sith” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” But more are on the way. Here are a few to keep your eye on:

“Batman Begins” (June 17), starring Christian Bale and Michael Cane. It’s directed by Christopher Nolan (“Memento”), and I believe it will put the film franchise back on firm footage. I have high expectations for this darker version.

“War of the Worlds” (June 29), starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on the H.G. Wells novel. Spielberg and Cruise last teamed for “Minority Report,” which I thought was outstanding. And now Spielberg is back with more aliens—this time, unfriendly ones. Again, high expectations.

“Fantastic Four” (July 8), starring Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis. Previews for this one look good, but the studio might be blowing its wad. I wish this one would be good, but I’m reserved in my expectations.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (July 15), starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton. Depp and Burton are together again, so adjust your sense of normalcy. Depp is sure to deliver another singular performance.

Deep Throat Revelation Should Spark Valuable Debate

The recent revelation of Mark Felt as Deep Throat--the famous anonymous source for Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate investigation--should spark some valuable debate among everybody, not just media professionals.

People are weighing in with opinions of Felt, with some saying he's a hero and others, like Chuck Colson and Pat Buchanan, saying he sold out and pulled a major boo-boo (that's a paraphrase).

The whole revelation brings up both matters of "loyalty" to one's government and the use of anonymous sources.

The latter issue has gotten a fair amount of attention lately, at least in the media trades. What some perceived as an increased use in anonymous sources led to calls for more circumspection when taking quotes but not names.

I think it was Tim Russert who, on "The Today Show" this morning, defended the reasonable use of anonymous sources, saying that if we ever only relied on official spokespeople in broad daylight, we'd only ever get the party line. And as we know, that's not exactly always the truth and whole truth.

And of course, that leads into the former issue above--"loyalty" to one's government. I'm trying to see Colson and Buchanan's point--that Felt had certain obligations. But I think the ulitmate problem with their position is that they cast Felt as a man who must be obligated to institution, administration or government--not the people.

Who does Felt--or anyone, for that matter--serve? An institution? Or truth? The cynic (or realist, depending on your point of view) in me says institutions and truth aren't always on the same side, despite what mission statements, sounds bites and our trusting selves tell us.

Buchanan called Felt "a traitor." To what? To whom? To a system asking him to literally keep silent about wrongdoing?

I think there are many fascinating sides to Deep Throat, Watergate, the investigation and recent revelation. I invite the Colsons and Buchanans to speak their mind as all of us, I hope, contemplate the larger issue of our role in seeking the truth.