THE CONTENDER is a new film which was released on Friday, the 13th of October. In the new issue of PREMIERE magazine, Gary Oldman and his manager accuse Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenber of mangling the film in order to turn it into a diatribe against the republican character (played by Oldman). Oldman is quoted as saying that Dreamworks put pressure on the scriptwriter to slant the film against the republican character and then produced a final edit that was a further assault on the character. Douglas Ubankski, Oldman's manager, has accused Dreamworks of producing a propaganda film in time for the Presidential elections. Check out the official site for the film: http://www.thecontender-thefilm.com/ Whether these accusations are true or not is subject to investigation. What can't be denied is the symbiotic relationship between Hollywood and the Presidency. Our conference in Los Angeles, 10-12 November is taking shape with a preliminary program now on our web site. The panels are locked in as of Sunday, 15 October, but there is plenty of room for participants who want to immerse themselves in the methodology of analyzing politics in film. Many of us got our start in this field by attending such meetings; join us now that we are old and gray. See full details about the PRESIDENCY IN FILM AND TV conference on the Film & History Web site. Cordially, Peter Rollins Film and History League The American Presidency in Film: Hollywood 918 243 7742 Views the White House. [log in to unmask] National Conference, November 10-12, 2000 Simi Valley, California Westlake Hyatt Hotel, Westlake, Village. Phone 805 557 1234 fax 805 379 9392 Room rate for the Conference $109. per night. (Single/double occupancy) Email directly to Reservations at: <[log in to unmask]> Visit the Film & History Website for more information and electronic registration. Payment by credit card, over the Internet, is now possible and convenient via PAYPAL. http://h-net.msu.edu/~filmhis/ _________________________________________________________________ A THREE-HOUR CREDIT OPTION IS AVAILABLE VIA CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY AT NORTHRIDGE......Contact College of Extended Learning at (818)677.3911 Ask about History 498c The Presidency on Film and TV ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite