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Easy Rider (1969)

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Mamet's Spector of reasonable doubt

"I believe he's not guilty."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but I have a reasonable doubt."

The last words spoken in David Mamet's HBO feature film "Phil Spector" are "reasonable doubt." The first words appear in white letters on a black screen:

This is a work of fiction. It's not "based on a true story." ... It is a drama inspired by actual persons on a trial, but it is neither an attempt to depict the actual persons, nor to comment upon the trial or its outcome.

I'm not quite sure what that means (beyond "Don't sue us") -- but it sounds a little like one of Mamet's nonsensical latter-day post-right-wing conversion rants. (Read Mamet's 2008 Village Voice essay, "Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'" and see if you can figure out how he went from an unthinking, ignorant knee-jerk lefty to an unthinking, ignorant knee-jerk conservative. It has something to do with NPR, but what was he listening to? "Car Talk"? He doesn't say -- only that he believes in choosing one's political positions and convictions the way you would choose a sports team to root for, based on your affection for a place and whatever colors you feel are the most flattering this season.)

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The Return of the Movie Answer Man

Roger Ebert has published first Answer Man column in a year. Topics include: Ousmane Sembene, Scrooge McDuck, "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," Phil Spector, Blood-Sucking Monkeys, Cormac McCarthy, "Marie Antoinette," and President Bush's stolen watch. Go ahead. He's got your answers right here.

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Is Willy Wonka Wacko Jacko?

Is Michael Jackson one of the not-so-secret ingredients in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"? Critics overwhelmingly see it that way, even if Johnny Depp and many moviegoers don’t.

Movie Answer Man

Movie Answer Man (02/23/2003)

Q. The Hollywood Reporter said on 1/29 that "The Hours" was disqualified in the Best Makeup category because of a technicality--some digital work had been done on Kidman's prosthetic nose. What the heck does that actually mean? What did they DO to the schnozz? And why would they NEED to do it? You hear about an actor's hairlines being filled in digitally, but what could it mean for a nose? Why didn't they simply make the prosthetic the way they wanted it to look in the first place? (Mary Jo Kaplan, New York NY)