NEW YORK -- Psychologically, Tim Robbins sits poised somewhere between Hollywood celebrity and American citizenry. It is neither a comfortable nor a safe place.
On one hand, Robbins is an Oscar-winning movie star known for the complexity of his performances, whether as hero, as victim or just as often as the villain. In Steven Spielberg's current sci-fi movie War of the Worlds, Robbins is all three rolled into one for his strong cameo. During the alien invasion, Robbins' half-crazed character obliges hero Tom Cruise to make an astonishing moral choice to ensure survival for both he and his daughter.
On the other hand, Robbins is a concerned citizen, a left-wing activist who was -- by default -- one of the most vocal Americans to oppose the invasion of Iraq and who now believes George W. Bush is "a lame-duck president" who should be repudiated by his own Republican backers. Along with his long-time romantic partner Susan Sarandon, also an Oscar-winner and political activist, Robbins has been ridiculed for his willingness to take a stand. Most absurdly, he was one of the celebrity puppets lampooned as dupes and fools in the South Park creators' comedy, Team America.
Today, Robbins' two hands are clapping together on one project. It is a new self-financed DVD called Embedded -- and it is not available by conventional means. Instead, Robbins is flogging it over the Internet in a bold, if risky move that could show a new way to proceed for filmmakers to avoid getting lost in a glut of DVDs at the big-name video stores.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0725-04.htm
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
