James Wolcott finds an epic PJTV celebration of Atlas Shrugged, led by heavily-bepearled host Amy Holmes. I thought about embedding, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
And here’s a lengthy podcast discussion of the film that I participated in with the people from Read It And Weep.
Update. The Read It And Weep site seems to have gone down.
Update. And it is back up.
TenguPhule
More like a pearl necklace.
Spaghetti Lee
She is reported to have dated Mickey Kaus and Lloyd Grove, which perhaps reflects crafty careerist expediency or was perhaps a desperate cry for help–I prefer not to judge.
LOL.
Omnes Omnibus
I made it to the beginning of the panel discussion. I shall go shower now.
ETA: Walcott eviscerates so elegantly
danimal
@Spaghetti Lee: “She is reported to have dated Mickey Kaus…”
Is she a goat?
Omnes Omnibus
@danimal: Beard. She was one, I mean; she doesn’t have one. Although, if she did, she might remind him of a goat, but I guess that would depend on the beard itself.
trollhattan
@danimal:
Perhaps difficult to tell behind the great protective pearl sheath. On second bleat, “Naaaah.”
(And… off we go!)
Alex S.
estimated budget: $15,000,000
first weekend box office gross: $1,686,347
Martin
@Alex S.: It’ll make up for it in DVD rentals and Dagny Taggart branded Kleenex.
Mark B
I usually like Wolcott’s writing, but in his article he talks about Holmes sticking a microphone under John Fund’s chin. Assumes chin not in evidence.
John Cole
The best part about this whole clip is if you are sick like me and watched the entire thing, Amy Holmes announces she hasn’t read the book and is excited to find out what happens in parts 2 and 3.
Omnes Omnibus
@Mark B: The chin is a rhetorical device.
Citizen_X
@John Cole: Oh my, you have more fortitude than me. I just clicked through the thing, and everywhere I stopped it was just more breathlessness about “Finally–a pro-capitalism movie!”
And that scene with the union rep that everyone here was mocking? They loved it. “Oh, that’s TOTALLY what union guys are like!”
S. cerevisiae
@John Cole: OK common taters, let’s go over there and give her some souped-up spoilers. I’ll bet we can think up some much better endings.
Comrade Mary
Don’t worry, Doug. You don’t sound fat on that mic.
PurpleGirl
I watched only enough of the video to see the pearl necklace. Very tacky and cheap looking.
ChrisNYC
I’m sure someone has said this but I just think the best best thing about this movie is that it’s supposedly really bad, like not a good movie. Like not serviceable, as a movie. Not worth the money. And the whole Rand thing is like “better than anyone.” I absolutely love that the big Objectivist project resulted in basically a crappy movie of the week.
Comrade Mary
@PurpleGirl: What pearl necklace isn’t tacky?
kth
That Wolcott item is full of sad regarding Amy Holmes, who (iirc) was a staffer for Bill Frist before working for CNN. From them to PJTV might be lived down, but dating Mickey Kaus is something one probably never gets over.
Ezra
@Comrade Mary: We didn’t even have to thin-ify him in post production.
Martin
@Citizen_X: Isn’t every movie a pro-capitalism movie? Isn’t the sole metric of movie success the box office receipts?
Bnut
I love Wolcott’s writing. But when your last cover had a topless Rob Lowe and your most popular article is on an Oscar Party (REDUX!!), can you really be throwing stones at other publications?
JPL
@kth: Is she still in mourning about the passing of Terry Schiavo? I have to admit, I did watch the PJ you-tube for thirty seconds and the pearl necklace is tacky.
trollhattan
@kth:
Until her stint here as the Pearly Queen I’d only seen her as an occasional Maher panelist, half-heartedly defending Republicn ideals and looking darn cute whilst doing so. I can’t imagine this gig will make her CV.
PurpleGirl
@Comrade Mary: There are times when simple, single strands are elegant. But not on sweaters or tailored blouses, not preppy looking clothes. But then I also like to pair pearls with crystals and things that sparkle.
Wieldling
I’m sure that this American will not “resonate with” this picture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQmq2pE19MU#t=1m4s
bad link 1m 4s
kdaug
Probably ought to give them forewarning before unleashing the BJ jackal hordes on their server, Comrade.
Citizen_X
@PurpleGirl:
Yeah, that’s pretty common.
What? Somebody had to say something!
Marked Hoosier
I have seen this movie promotion before for American Carol.
Funny what the free market said about that movie…
Amanda in the South Bay
What kind of name is Dagny Taggart? The name alone makes me want to punch a kitten.
Martin
@Citizen_X: So you would disagree with her that a simple pearl necklace doesn’t go with sweaters or tailored blouses then?
Judas Escargot
@Martin:
I picture a box of rough, oily sandpaper. With the words “Blow Me” printed on it.
stuckinred
@Comrade Mary: This one ain’t bad!
stuckinred
@trollhattan: There’s and app for that! Pearly Queen.
Martin
@Amanda in the South Bay: It’s the kind of name for a person that upon learning that would open a store selling punchable kittens.
MizB
@stuckinred #32-I was about to say 30 comments & nobody posted that?!
stuckinred
@MizB: I actually really liked Pearls Before Swine too.
Dee Loralei
@Comrade Mary: I see what you did there.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
those panelists, the stupid, it hurts.
“it was like watching reality tv”
Arclite
Those Anonymous hackers have nothing on us Balloon-Juicers.
Ezra
@Arclite: Dang hooligans.
Bruce S
I’m impressed that people are as stupid as the folks in the PJTV discussion, yet manage to put their right shoe on the right foot. Kudos.
Also, it was clear that this movie took place sometime in the future because they had choo-choo trains that could go 120 mph!
trollhattan
@stuckinred:
Ah, good times. Thanks for the linkie!
MattR
@Citizen_X: My favorite line from Half Baked.
Gus
I love Wolcott. He wields a scalpel with the best of thm.
Bill Murray
@Citizen_X: there’s really nothing left to come
Hewer of Wood, Drawer of Water
@Gus: I believe he is the illegitimate son of Sarah, Proud and Tall
Jason
Read-Weep is a great podcast. I lolled when I saw you were on it for AS, DougJ. Good stuff.
Mart
My gawd saw that Amy Holmes woman on the Ed Show the other day and saw devil snakes in her beautiful curly hair. The sincere contempt of those three for anyone beneath them is amazing. Had to stop when they blamed liberal government control programs via light bulbs. President Bush signed that perfectly reasonable law, you fucking nitwits. And you can still buy non-pig tail bulbs, they just last longer and eat less electricity.
jazzgurl
Every time I see this woman Amy Holmes with that look of feigned surprise open wide eyes and the disingenious spin on everything that comes out her crooked little fake mouth I want to slap her hard!
Paul in KY
@Amanda in the South Bay: You would think, given the years the book has been out, and the devotion of it’s fans, that someone would have named their kid ‘Dagny’.
I have never heard (in 46 or 47 years) of anyone named ‘Dagny’.
jh
I remember meeting Amy Holmes back during my days working for Paul Weyrich’s NET Network (barf).
She seemed callow and opportunistic back then too.
Shame she’s such a cutie pie.
jazzgurl
Yhe cutie pie story is the ‘sucker in’ until she displays with feigned innocence her evilness!