BIGELOW PENS OP-ED PIECE TO DEFEND ZD30

Director Kathryn Bigelow has again attempted to deflect criticism of the torture scenes depicted in her film, Zero Dark Thirty, emphasizing her previous declaration that “depiction is not endorsement.” Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Bigelow commented, “Confusing depiction with endorsement is the first step toward chilling any American artist’s ability and right to shine […]

SENATE TO PROBE FILMMAKERS’ ACCESS TO CIA SECRETS

While some conservative lawmakers and commentators have praised the Zero Dark Thirty filmmakers for making a convincing case that the use of torture was justified in tracking down Osama bin Laden, several have also expressed concern that the film may have revealed too much about the inner workings of the CIA. Several liberals have also […]

STRONG LIMITED DEBUT FOR ZERO DARK THIRTY

Opening in limited release, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty was the clear weekend winner on a per-theater basis. The movie, the object of attack by some critics for its suggestion that torture — or “enhanced interrogation” as its supporters euphemistically refer to it — played a valid role in the manhunt for Osama bin Laden, […]

CONTROVERSY MAY HAVE FUELED ZERO DARK THIRTY TICKET SALES

The controversy over the waterboarding scenes in Zero Dark Thirty has not hurt the film at the box office. TheWrap.com reported today (Thursday) that playing in five theaters on its opening day in New York and Los Angeles, the Kathryn Bigelow feature took in an estimated $124,848 — or an average $24,969 per theater, making […]

MCCAIN SAYS HE WAS SICKENED BY ZERO DARK 30 TORTURE CLAIM

Senator John McCain said on Tuesday that he was sickened by the suggestion in Zero Dark Thirty that waterboarding al-Qaeda’s No. 3 leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, helped provide information that led to the hiding place of Osama bin Laden. McCain, who himself endured 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese in the […]