Sparks fly at CNN debate, Gingrich blasts moderator’s “open marriage” opening. Obama-Clinton 2012? FilmWeek: Underworld Awakening, Red Tails, Haywire and more. Sundance Film Festival preview. Getting the green light in Hollywood.
Sparks fly at CNN debate, Gingrich blasts moderator’s “open marriage” opening
The news from the campaign trail yesterday had as many twists and turns as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, culminating with one of the feistiest GOP debates yet. On Thursday, Perry dropped out, endorsing Newt, and Santorum claimed victory in the Iowa caucuses after the state party released its final tally showing him 34 votes ahead of Romney.
But the biggest buzz had to do with Newt’s ex-wife, Marianne Gingrich, alleging that her former husband had asked her for an “open marriage,” rather than a divorce so he could continue seeing his mistress. Newt, who strongly denies the allegation, is now married to the former mistress Callista, his third wife. And all that happened before last night’s rollicking CNN debate in Charleston, South Carolina.
The moderator, John King, came right out of the gate asking about the “open marriage” allegation, sparking a swift and furious response from the former Speaker of the House: “I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,” Newt blasted, inspiring a standing ovation from the audience.
It remains to be seen what impact the whole “open marriage” thing will have on Newt’s performance in South Carolina, where voters go to the polls on Saturday.
WEIGH IN:
But here’s what we want to know: what do you think of CNN’s moderator John King focusing on the “open marriage” allegation? Was the question fair game or a cheap shot on the part of CNN and King? And, does the media unfairly target Republicans over Democrats as Newt later alleges?
Obama-Clinton 2012?
The very moment Hillary Clinton lost her nomination battle against Barack Obama, the big question burst to the fore. Should Hillary be the running mate? In the next breath, would Hillary be the running mate?
The complications in 2008 were too messy perhaps. Some bad blood was freshly spilled between Clinton and Obama, mostly thanks to Bill Clinton's criticisms of his wife's challenger. As well, it was not clear Clinton would deign to serve what is lamented as the dullest job in the West Wing. Still, four years later with President Obama struggling, Democrats are again asking themselves who helps Obama more and who hurts him more: Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.
The most recent champion of Clinton for Veep is The New York Times’ Bill Keller. He heaps on the praise: "Hillary Clinton is 64 years old, with a Calvinist work ethic, the stamina of an Olympian, an E.Q. to match her I.Q., and the political instincts of a Clinton." But would all those strengths reinforce the weaknesses, real or perceived, of Obama? Does that even matter to the voters Clinton would bring on board?
In 2008, she did particularly well with white blue-collar voters, not to mention women. The Democrats lost some of them in the 2010 mid-terms. Would they come back?
Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor to Bill Clinton, argues Obama needs Hillary to "stir the passions and enthusiasm of a Democratic base that's been disillusioned with his cave-ins to regressive Republicans." When the woman herself was asked late last year about replacing Biden on the ticket, Clinton told NBC News, "I do not think it's even in the realm of possibility and in large measure because I think Vice President Biden has done an amazingly good job." As good a job as Clinton has done as Secretary of State? What's your prediction for the 2012 Democratic ticket?
Guest:
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; former senior Obama advisor in 2008, who now runs the Los Angeles office for the Dewey Square Group
Bill Keller, Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times and former Executive Editor of The New York Times
FilmWeek: Underworld Awakening, Red Tails, Haywire, Miss Bala, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life and more
KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell, Claudia Puig and Charles Solomon join Larry to review the week’s new film releases, including Underworld Awakening, Red Tails, Haywire, Miss Bala, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and senior film critic for Box Office Magazine
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today
Charles Solomon, animation critic for KPCC and historian for amazon.com
Sundance Film Festival preview
We have KPCC’s own Shirley Jahad calling in from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Shirley will give us a rundown of the movies which are getting a lot of hype as the event kicks off, as well as what she’s already seen during her two days there. What movies or categories are you most excited about this year?
Guest:
Shirley Jahad, KPCC reporter
Getting the green light in Hollywood
Swing a cat in L.A., and you’ll hit someone who’s written a screenplay. You might have one in your desk drawer right now, waiting for that final polish before you drop it in the mailbox, fingers crossed.
Unfortunately, your masterpiece may never reach the eyes of the producer, director or big star you’ve already cast in your head. First it has to get past the gatekeeper – the all-powerful “reader.” These are the script analysts whose job is to evaluate a screenplay and its potential as a project for their studio, and decide if it goes on to the next level – or into the circular file.
If you’ve ever gotten one of their rejection letters, you might have wondered where you went wrong. Character, story, pacing -- typeface? Story analyst Mindi White, who has spent years evaluating scripts for top studios, has written a book that unlocks the secrets of the reader and lays out the dos and don’ts for aspiring screenwriters.
WEIGH IN:
What do Hollywood readers look for in a screenplay? What mistakes do inexperienced writers commonly make? How do you get your script past the gatekeepers and onto the big screen?
Guest:
Mindi White, author of “Getting Past Me: A Writers’ Guide to Production Company Readers” (Limelight).