Wellington Leg: In light of our financial woes I wonder how Hollywood will react to the new reality. “Reality” is charged word, a blend of 60s Calibabble and linked inevitably to television, but I refer to the competing notion of reality the world beyond the City of Angels’ number one employer. We’ve already looked at crime fiction briefly in this regard, so what about the motion picture industry?
Hollywoodland: I don’t expect a new golden age of Film Noir anytime soon. I think as the economy drives arugula futures lower and lower film execs will want to fall back on the tried and true. Perhaps a sequel or two. Air Force Two might be fun: After President McCain ( Richard Gere) is captured by treehuggers in Oregon, Sarah Palin ( Julia Roberts) takes the reins in a hilarious comedy of errors. Sarah sleds down Pennsylvania Avenue, busts Ted Stevens( John Goodman) out of jail and seizes control of the Senate. Tension mounts as the newly minted chief executive orders cavalry units to invade Oregon where the world’s largest Sitka Spruce is in the hands of socialists. 88 minutes. Rated: R. ( Republican).
Air Force Three: The Russians are Coming. President Palin is accosted by a Vladimir Putin lookalike while shopping at Neiman-Marcus. In fact a crazed scientist ( Richard Gere) is mass producing Putin clones in a defunct textile mill in North Carolina. With Putins rearing their heads America goes to DEFCON ELEVEN ( George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon) while a Do Nothing Congress ( Donnie Osmond) tries crafting earmarks from discarded soda cans. 87 minutes. Rated: PG-47.
Some of the President’s Men: While President Obama ( Don Cheadle) tries to analyze his way out of a crisis, his cabinet ( George Clooney, Angelina Jolie) parachutes behind enemy lines. Near the corner of Wall Street and Broad the daring duo expose a ring of charlatans selling fake tickets to Broadway shows. 89 minutes. Rated: DF-11.