Wag the Dog / New Line Cinema presents a Tribeca/Baltimore Pictures/Punch production ; produced by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Barry Levinson ; screenplay by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet ; directed by Barry Levinson.
Material type:
FilmPublisher number: N4658 | New Line Home VideoLanguage: English, French Original language: English Subtitle language: English, French, Spanish Series: New Line platinum seriesPublication details: [Calif.] : New Line Home Video, [1998]Description: 1 videodisc (96 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 inContent type: - two-dimensional moving image
- video
- videodisc
- 0780622561
- 9780780622562
- Director of photography, Robert Richardson; editor, Stu Linder; music, Mark Knopfler.
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult DVD
|
Dr. James Carlson Library | DVD | COMEDY WAG THE | Available | 33111009952959 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
In a 29-day shoot, Barry Levinson filmed this $15 million political and media satire, adapted by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet from Larry Beinhart's novel, American Hero. Two weeks prior to re-election, the President (Michael Belson) is accused of cornering an underage girl in the Oval Office. To keep the media from learning of this, Presidential adviser Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) brings in political consultant and spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), a specialist in such salvage operations. Brean suggests fabricating denials of non-existent emergencies -- such as denials about the B-3 bomber. The denial, of course, is true, since no B-3 bomber exists. Brean visits the mansion of Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) and gives him the assignment to create a patriotic campaign centered around a war in Albania. Motss assembles a creative team -- Liz Butsky (Andrea Martin), the trend-setter Fad King (Denis Leary), and songwriter Johnny Green (Willie Nelson). Treated like an ad campaign, the songs and symbols are transmitted directly from a Hollywood soundstage to CNN. The star of their campaign is a "rescued" pilot -- in reality, a psychotic military prisoner (Woody Harrelson), who's a ticking time bomb. The flag-waving song, "The American Dream" was written for the film by Tom Bahler (who co-wrote "We Are the World"). Beinhart's original novel involved a real President (Bush), a real war (the Gulf War), and the premise that George Bush and Saddam Hussein staged it. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Based on the book: American hero / by Larry Beinhart.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1997.
Contains fullscreen version formatted to fit TV and widescreen version with original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
Special features: audio commentary by Barry Levinson and Dustin Hoffman; featurette 'From Washington to Hollywood and back'; theatrical trailer; cast and crew biographies; filmographies.
Side A. Widescreen version -- Side B. Fullscreen version.
For private home use only.
Director of photography, Robert Richardson; editor, Stu Linder; music, Mark Knopfler.
Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, Andrea Martin, Kirsten Dunst.
When the President is caught in a sex scandal less than 2 weeks before the election, "Mr. Fix-it" decides they need a war to distract the public's attention and he calls on Hollywood's top producer to create it.
Rated R.
DVD; Dolby digital stereo 5.1; region 1.
In English with optional soundtrack in French; optional subtitles in English, French or Spanish; closed-captioned in English for the hearing impaired.