marc levin Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Showtime Will Make 'American Gangster' TV Show with Forest Whitaker
Filed under: Drama », Deals », Newsstand », Home Entertainment »
Did you see American Gangster this weekend? Was it good? Did you like Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character? I hope so, because Showtime has just picked up a new show that, according to Variety, will "chronicle the true story of flashy Harlem heroin dealer Leroy "Nicky" Barnes." Yup, Barnes is portrayed by Gooding Jr. in the Ridley Scott film American Gangster, however this new show will have no relation to the film; instead it's based on Marc Levin's recent documentary Mr. Untouchable (which will also serve as the name of the series). Both Forest Whitaker and Levin will serve as executive producers, with David Burke as a writer and exec producer.
Though some other outlets claim Whitaker will also star as Barnes, the Variety story makes no mention of it; only that he will produce. Then again, they don't say he won't star, so chances are we could see the Oscar winner take on the role. Here's how Variety describes the series: "[It] will tell the story of how Barnes built a drug empire in the 1970s that rivaled that of the Italian Mafia. It will show how he rose to great heights, but with his success coming at the expense of his Harlem community. Skein will also detail the government's war on drugs and how it failed for years to bring Barnes down." Personally, I'm really enjoying the new Showtime shows, and I'd love to see Whitaker take on a role like this. I mean, to be able to watch this guy do his thang every week would be a real treat. No word on when the series will air, but I would imagine next year at some point.
MoveOn, The Documentary
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », Sundance », Cannes », Newsstand », Politics », Cinematical Indie »
Founded in 1998, MoveOn didn't rise to national prominence
until the 2004 election, when it aggressively campaigned for John Kerry, raising millions of dollars and running
anti-Bush ads in venues ranging from newspapers and billboards to television and the web. The group's story and history
struck documentarian Marc Levin - who, seeing as how his Slam
won major prizes at Cannes and Sundance in 1998, might just know what he's talking about - as interesting enough to
drive a film. With the help of funds raised by MoveOn, Levin is currently shooting the creatively named MoveOn: The Movie, which he hopes to have ready for festival screenings in the fall of 2007. Though Levin has idealistic goals for his movie ("The key for me is that you've got to make this an evergreen, not a propaganda piece."), it seems almost impossible that a project funded and produced by MoveOn organizers could have a hope of being anything but propaganda. Is this unsettling to anyone else, or is it typical for the organizations/individuals being portrayed to contribute funding to documentaries? I mean, we all mock the pro-Wal-Mart documentary because the company paid for it - how will Levin be able to convince the public that his film is different?
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Alec Baldwin Becomes Latest to Threaten Retirement
The First 'Iron Man 2' Poster Appears!
The Return of Jessica Alba?
Now 'New Moon' Prevents Skin Cancer!_thumbnail.jpg)
Discuss: Who Would be the Most Profitable Director if ...
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