BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers

Subject: BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 12:05 PM

Anyone catch this program last night? It was excellent, and I recommend those with an interest in how the arts and politics are intertwined give it a look here.

The artists are some of my personal favorites: filmmaker John Sayles and actor/playwright Sarah Jones. Both of them were amazingly articulate, as was Jehane Noujaim, the documentary filmmaker who made the film CONTROL ROOM.

It has been an interesting time for arts activism. The release and hoopla surrounding "F...9/11". Bruce Springsteen's op-ed piece in the NY Times, regarding the announcement of the moveon.org Vote for Change tour (in which he failed to mention Bonnie Raitt--ahem! an artist activist herself for decades, and not near as squeamish about it as Springsteen is). The right wing backlash up to the highest levels of our government against artists who present their creative work with a political or social commentary message. For instance, my Republican governor, a big Springsteen fan, made sure he got on the news last night to say how disappointed he was in Springsteen for "being political". Do you suppose he would have been disappointed with Springsteen if the tour were in support of Republicans? I haven't seen any of the Republicans complaining about Toby Keith...

The FCC and it's efforts to censor and manipulate the airwaves that belong to us. Sarah Jones, one of the artist interviewed by NOW, recently won a two year battle with the FCC for censoring a song of hers, you can read about here at the Freemuse website on artist censorship. The site is mostly about music censorship, but not exclusively.

Subject: RE: BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 12:03 PM

Thanks for an interesting link.

Subject: RE: BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers
From: Nerd
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 04:52 PM

Thanks, GUEST. I Love that show but missed this episode. I'll check it out when I'm next at a fast internet connection.

Subject: RE: BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 11:13 PM

Nerd, they show it as a rerun for us here on Saturday and Monday nights.

Guest Aug 8, I'm not sure if you are referring to the link to NOW, or the link to FreeMuse?

As to the program, for those of you who are John Sayles fans, there are some good looking clips from his new film scheduled to be released in September, I think. Its a political film about corruption in electoral politics. Sound familiar? It's called "Silver City" and has some great actors in it, including Chris Cooper, Tim Roth, Daryl Hannah, Richard Dreyfus, Mary Kay Place, and Kris Kristofferson. How is that for an odd line up?

Subject: RE: BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 11:36 PM

Not at all odd---great bunch of artists.   CHris Cooper is a regular John Sazles entry. How many remember Mary Kay Place from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman?   Kris Kristofferson--what can you say but great.

I have never seen as John Sayles film that did not blow me away with its wonderful artistry and the point it was making---though I admit to not liking the ending of Sunshine State---just the last shot---and also having Alan Kink in the film. That part did not work for me even though I know the point he was making.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: BS: Art & Politics: NOW with Bill Moyers
From: Mudlark
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 02:48 AM

I, too, am an ardent John Sayles fan (he is a great writer, as well) and have seen all his movies, except the one he made about a baby factory in Mexico...saw a special on the making of it, but have yet to be able to find it on video and it never appeared in any movie theaters in my area, not even the one "art film" house. Has anyone seen this movie?