The prolific journalist and author David Halberstam died yesterday in a car crash outside of San Francisco. Halberstam, a New Yorker, was traveling in a car that was broadsided while trying to make a left turn. Two other cars were involved in the crash, none of the drivers were seriously injured. The NY Times obituary notes that Halberstam "was killed doing what he had done his entire adult life: reporting," as he was on his way to interview a football player for an upcoming book. more ›

We remember the hubbub about The Dukes of Hazzard not showing Bo and Luke buckling up as they got into the General Lee; the DOH has its first season on DVD. And after watching The Fog of War, it seems like Robert McNamara, during his time at Ford, helped make sure seat belts went into cars. But who knew that the first patent for the seat belt was issued in 1885?
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I would say that almost all the interviews-- 95% plus --focus on McNamara, and not on the film as a film.
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The Fog of War site has an interesting lesson plan (PDF) for teachers that acts as a great way for anyone to brush up on their history. more ›

If it's fall, it must be time for the New York Film Festival. This year, the opening night film is Mystic River, the ensemble drama directed by Clint Eastwood. The cast is ridiculously loaded with great actors: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laurence Fishburne. The story is dark, eliciting comparisons to Eastwood's tour de force western, Unforgiven, but its present day setting makes it more wrenching. Sean Penn also stands a good chance of being nominated come Oscar time, based on the buzz of his performance as a father whose daughter is murdered. more ›