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 Wag The Dog (DVD)
 Wag The Dog (DVD) ... released 21 May, 1999 at Entertainment in Video / Features of the DVD: PAL, Widescreen / Wag the Dog (1997) is a rarity: an intelligent, sophisticated and very funny film about American politics. Just before an election the President--in an uncanny anticipation of real life--gets sexually involved with a young woman, leaving spin-doctor Robert De Niro to think of something quick. He enlists Hollywood producer Dustin Hoffman to help him concoct a war against Albania to take the public's mind off the President's peccadilloes. Both stars are in top form, with Hoffman particularly funny as the larger than life producer. Scripted by David Mamet (House of Games, Glengarry Glen Ross) and directed by Barry Levinson, (whose previous comedies include Good Morning, Vietnam with Robin Williams and Tin Men with Danny De Vito) Wag the Dog manages to make you laugh even while you're thinking about how true the insights are, and how politics is getting more like the media every day. On the DVD: The so-called platinum DVD is packed with features. There is a series of production shots, assembled in no particular order, some showing the director watching filming on his monitor. There are interview clips with Hoffman, De Niro, Anne Heche, William H Macy and Barry Levinson talking about the film, plus scrolled filmographies. There's an audio commentary on the whole film by Levinson and Hoffman, occasionally rambling but with some interesting insights. In another feature, Macy talks at some length about David Mamet. There are extensive scroll-down production notes giving useful information (such as the film's budget), and finally a 50-minute documentary in which producer Jane Rosenthal talks about the relationship between the film and real-life politics. Her comments are supplemented by such luminaries as writer Budd Schulberg, director John Frankenheimer, newscaster Tom Brokaw and Dee Dee Myers, former White House press secretary. The Dolby Digital soundtrack is good quality, as is the image in 16:9 ratio. --Ed BuscombeNewest Review: ... and thus divert its collective attention from the scandal. Motss starts by filming a piece purporting to show an Albanian ... more ... orphan (Kirsten Dunst) fleeing an Albanian village under attack, and recruits musician Johnny Green (played by Willie Nelson) to provide the war's soundtrack by writing sentimental, patriotic anthems to accompany the war coverage.
As they scheme to keep selling this lie to the American public until the President is safely re-elected, their success depends on the absolute secrecy of everyone who is involved in its creation.
Based on Barry Leinhart's novel "American Hero", and adapted for the screen by...more |
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Price Comparison for Wag The Dog (DVD)
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Wag The Dog [DVD] [1998]
Wag the Dog (1997) is a rarity: an intelligent, sophisticated and ... Last Update 25.12.2009 05:45
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£ 4.98 |
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Wag The Dog (DVD): Topical political satire (556 words)
by - written on 19/05/09 (Very useful, 48 readings)
Rating:
* Why does a dog wag its tail? Because the dog is smarter than the tail. * When the President of the United States is accused of "sexual misconduct" by a schoolgirl just days before reelection, presidential aide Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) and spin doctor Conrad Bean (Robert DeNiro) - also known as "Mr Fix-It" - go into turbo damage control mode. To keep the media from covering these allegations they must come up with a big enough distraction, and eventually decide to fabricate a war with Albania, chosen for being a low-key nation that "no one knows much about". For this purpose they seek out powerful ... Read the complete review
Fake politics (234 words)
by - written on 09/11/08 (Useful, 25 readings)
Rating:
Wag the Dog is a film my wife watched years ago and loved so for " movie night " we stuck the DVD in and sat down with some popcorn to watch it. Robert De Niro plays Conrad Bean, a Washington spin doctor hired by the current presidential administration to distract the american people from a Presidential Sex Scandal, he enlists Hollywood Movie producer Stanley Motss ( Dustin Hoffman ) to help him create a fake war to distract the people long enough to help the president win re-election in 11 days time. My main problem is that even though this movie is over 10 years old and I completely understand it being a comedy, its completely ... Read the complete review
Wag The Dog (DVD): where my dogs at ? (468 words)
by - written on 04/05/01 (Very useful, 69 readings)
Rating:
Although this film is a few years old now I've only just seen it and I'm wondering whay it took me so long. Wag The Dog is a smart political satire that has ome great humour and a very natural flow to the performances. It's plot also bears an uncanny rescembalance to some actual political events in the white house. The president has been caught in a sex scandal just 10 days before the election and top spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) is called in to calm the situation and prevent it from getting out to the media. He enlists the help of a Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to produce a 'fake' war in albania. ... Read the complete review
by - written on 01/05/01
Rating:
At the end of the nineties we were treated to three excellent politico movies in Primary Colors, Bullworth and this one. Wag the Dog (A Barry Levison film) has a more heavyweight esteemed cast and as crisper script as the other two. With the mere fact that Deniro and Hoffman rock up for this one should be enough to rent it on DVD. Its based on a book by Larry Beinhart called American Hero and the film eviscerates the best bits. The read is better than the book although the film is pretty darn good to. At the back of the book there are 40 facts relating to the gulf war that make very interesting reading. The president of the United States is nearing ... Read the complete review
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