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The early 80s were a tumultuous period for much of the world. Tensions were high as the Second Cold War continued to play out between the U.S. and the Soviet Union; the ramifications of what would happen if the two nations fell out would be felt across the globe. America had elected Ronald Reagan to the Oval Office, and his passionate rhetoric about the Soviets did little to calm concerns about a possible third World War – which, thanks to nuclear weaponry, wouldn’t be as much a war as a worldwide holocaust. So yeah, it was a bit of a nerve-jangling time to be alive, but thankfully we still had the movies to chill us out.

While Hollywood was still dealing with the fallout from Vietnam with pictures as diverse as The Deer Hunter, Coming Home and First Blood, they were about to start making movies about the New...

The minute Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) sunk his digits into the chest of one very unfortunate Thuggee cultist and extracted his still-beating heart for his followers -- and moviegoers all over the world -- to see, the Motion Picture Association of America (now the Motion Picture Association) finally had to admit it had a ratings problem on its hands.

This horrific scene arrives halfway through Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," the kickoff film of the 1984 summer movie season, and as the sequel to 1981's box office champ "Raiders of the Lost Ark," easily the year's most anticipated release. Like its predecessor, it was sold as an all-ages adventure, which the MPA certified with a PG rating. For 12 years, PG suggested "Parental Guidance," though most parents treated the rating as a guarantee they could drop off their kids at the theater secure in the knowledge there would be no f-bombs,...

During the summer of 1984, parental outrage over the unexpected gore and graphic violence in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “Gremlins” led to a ratings change by the Motion Picture Association of America. Encouraged by Steven Spielberg, director of “Temple of Doom” and producer of “Gremlins,” on July 1, 1984, the MPAA introduced the “PG-13” rating, indicating that “parents are strongly cautioned to give special guidance to children under 13.” A few weeks later, on August 10, 1984, “Red Dawn” became the first American film released with the new rating. Although it got mixed reviews upon its debut, it has become a cult classic both for featuring a group of young actors who went on to become some of the biggest stars of the decade, and for its themes that are reminders of the real fear Americans felt over the Cold War. Read on for more about the “Red Dawn” 40th anniversary.

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The Israeli-Gaza morass this week seemed to defy coherent media coverage, reminding me of critic David Thomson’s conclusion about Hollywood war movies and how they “used to celebrate courage, not confusion.”

Thomson’s new book, The Fatal Alliance, deals with the history of the war movie from Gallipoli to Saving Private Ryan, guiding readers from “war is hell” to “war is a blur.”

The war movie once constituted a reliable genre product for Hollywood, along with the Western and the musical. To be sure, Israel-Gaza is a tragedy of enormous and dramatic proportions, as symbolized by its chaotic cross-cutting from drones to tunnels.

From Paths of Glory to Dunkirk, war movies once set forth a structure and pathos to guide audiences through the nihilism of combat.

Thomson reminds us of the pageantry of the knights on horseback in Olivier’s Henry V, the churning helicopters in Apocalypse Now or...

Cast members from Veep and The West Wing reunited for a virtual fundraiser for the Wisconsin Democratic Party on Sunday, an event that was a mix of amusing memories, their own brushes with fame and warnings about what was at stake in the upcoming midterms.

During the event, actors re-enacted an abortion-themed scenes from each of their shows. They also played a quiz in which contestants had to guess if lines came from Veep, The West Wing or the real world, with an eye toward highlight some of the statements made by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-wi). Democrats see a pickup opportunity with their candidate, Mandela Barnes.

By the end of the two-hour event, about 686,000 had been raised.

“I’m doing this because I am a concerned citizen. I am a patriot. And I believe that democracy is, without hyperbole, is on the line right now, and I know that Wisconsin is a pivotal state,...

A video spot of Rudy Giuliani hawking MyPillow products elicited ridicule and a bit of wonder of what has happened to the man once known as America’s Mayor, but it’s hardly anything new for a political figure to give in to the temptations of commercial endorsements.

The spot was part of Giuliani’s Common Sense podcast, this one centered on the latest fascination with UFOs.

“I’ve been sleeping on MyPillows for some time,” Giuliani said on his show, posted on YouTube. “I love them, simply the very best pillows ever made. But I just found out they also have a wide assortment of other incredible products. Like their mattress toppers, sheets, towels.” Then Giuliani held up footwear as he said, “And slippers! And more!”

Rudy Giuliani is doing My Pillow ads during his hour-long YouTube video on UFOs. pic.twitter.com/7eIEYFpPYx

— The Recount (@therecount) June 3, 2021

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Powers Booth, who won an Emmy for portraying crazed cult leader Jim Jones, has died at age 68. Booth had once been a leading man in feature films such as "The Emerald Forest", "Red Dawn"  and "Southern Comfort" before finding a niche as a character actor in films and on television. His TV credits include "Deadwood", "24", "Hatfields and McCoys" and "24". Booth also appeared in the hit western feature film "Tombstone" and played Alexander Haig in Oliver Stone's "Nixon". Click here for more.  ...

Powers Boothe has died. The actor, known for his roles in television series such as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Deadwood” and in films like “Tombstone” and “Sin City,” passed away Sunday morning in his home in Los Angeles. He was 68.

His publicist confirmed the sad news to TVLine, adding that the actor died in his sleep of natural causes. A private service will be held in Boothe’s home state of Texas, and a memorial celebration is also being considered, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The news of his passing was first shared on Twitter by his friend actor Beau Bridges.

It's with great sadness that I mourn the passing of my friend Powers Boothe. A dear friend, great actor, devoted father & husband.

— Beau Bridges (@MrBeauBridges) May 14, 2017

Boothe started his acting career in the theater, starring in various Shakespearean productions including “Henry IV.” He made his Broadway debut in the...

Powers Boothe, the character actor known for playing villainous roles in films like Sin City and Tombstone and television series like Deadwood and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., died Sunday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 68.

Boothe's representative confirmed the actor's death to The Hollywood Reporter, adding that Boothe died in his sleep from natural causes.

Actor Beau Bridges was the first to share news of Boothe's death on Twitter. "It's with great sadness that I mourn the passing of my friend Powers Boothe. A dear friend, great actor,...

Zap2it: How is playing the role of small-town politician "Big Jim" Rennie on "Under the Dome," based on a Stephen King novel, different from playing DEA agent Hank Schrader on AMC's "Breaking Bad"?

Dean Norris: It's been great. Coming off of "Breaking Bad," where I was doing a lot of internal, angsty, emotional stuff toward the end of the series, but this character's a manipulator. On some level, he's psychopathic. He's a liar. It's so much to get to play.

Zap2it: How was Big Jim described to you?

Dean Norris: This is what Stephen King told me, "He's Dick Cheney." And I said, "I was thinking more Alexander Haig; when Reagan got shot, he said, 'I'm in charge.' " The idea is, he's a man who takes charge. King meant that he was the power behind the scenes, the guy who was manipulating things. He was...

"Breaking Bad's" inimitable Dean Norris portrays James "Big Jim" Rennie in "Under the Dome," CBS' blockbuster summer series based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

In preparation for the show's June 24 premiere, The Huffington Post will take you inside the epic CBS drama, introducing you to each of the show's major players through our series of on-set interviews, conducted around the filming of the fourth episode. Whether you're a fan of the book or a newcomer to King's world, the series has plenty of surprises in store. For the uninitiated, "Under the Dome" centers around the fictional town of Chester's Mill, and explores what happens to its inhabitants after an impenetrable dome of unknown origin cuts them off from the rest of the world. Will they rise to the occasion or devolve into chaos as they try to find a way out?

Norris has gained acclaim...

Monroe and Thatcher might seem to have played opposite roles. But the biographical films My Week with Marilyn and The Iron Lady suggest that their similarities outweighed their differences

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, impersonation is fast becoming our culture's favourite form of acting. At least since Nicole Kidman's nose won an Oscar for playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours, famous actors have been applauded for pretending to be other famous people: Helen Mirren as the Queen, Michael Sheen as David Frost, Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, the list of actors nominated for Oscars for impersonating famous people goes on and on. Now we have two more to add to the list, in star turns already accumulating predictions of Oscar nominations: Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn, and Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

Incoming chief of staff Bill Daley joins a diverse roster of White House gatekeepers. From a prisoner to a poet, The Daily Beast looks at the most memorable men to hold D.C.'s toughest job.

On Friday, President Obama appointed a new chief of staff, Bill Daley, making him the third person to hold the position in Obama's White House. The office, created during the Truman administration, has been the launching pad for many promising careers in Washington, from a vice president (Dick Cheney) to a failed presidential candidate (Alexander Haig) and even a poet (Donald Rumsfeld) and prisoner (H.R. Halderman) too.

Related story on The Daily Beast: What If McCain and Palin Won?

In total, 24 men have held the position (yes, they've all been men). The responsibilities of the job rise and fall with each presidency, but its challenge rarely changes. When something is going wrong in the White House,...

Showtime announced today that Richard Dreyfuss (Mr. Holland’s Opus) will guest star in at least four episodes of Weeds, which returns Aug. 16. Dreyfuss will play an unexpected character from Nancy Botwin’s (Mary-Louise Parker) past. The role marks a reunion of sorts for Dreyfuss and Showtime: He last appeared as Alexander Haig in the pay network’s The Day Reagan Was Shot.

In 2001, Dreyfuss starred in the CBS drama The Education of Max Bickford. Six years later, he appeared in the Sci-Fi original miniseries Tin Man.

Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss is returning briefly to series television, guest starring in at least four episodes of Showtime's hit comedy series "Weeds," premiering August 16th at 10pm Pt/Et. Dreyfuss will play an unexpected character from Nancy Botwin's past. The role will mark Dreyfuss' return to Showtime: in 2002, he was nominated for a SAG award for his work as Alexander Haig in the network's docudrama "The Day Reagan Was Shot." This season, Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) and family are now on the lam after Shane (Alexander Gould) bopped Mexican VIP Pilar to death with a croquet mallet. To elude the Mexican FBI, police and mafia, they grab what they can, toss their cell phones and IDs and hit the road. Previously announced guest stars include Linda...

Alexander M. Haig Jr. died today at the age of 85. Harry Benson took this photograph of the former secretary of state and White House chief of staff for “Yes, Mr. President,” a portfolio from the April 2007 issue of Vanity Fair that reunited presidential aides from every administration since Harry S. Truman’s. Here is the caption that ran with it: Reporting For Duty Alexander Haig, former Nato Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, served Presidents Nixon (as a military adviser, deputy assistant for national-security affairs, and chief of staff), Ford (chief of staff), and Reagan (secretary of state), in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I’m in control here in the White House, pending the return of the vice president,” he famously insisted in the hectic aftermath of the assassination attempt against Reagan. Photograph by Harry Benson. See the whole portfolio.

Washington - Alexander Haig, former Nato commander and a top official in three Republican administrations, died Saturday, reported Us broadcaster Fox News, citing Haig's family. Haig, 85, had been hospitalized for nearly a month in Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, from complications related to an infection. Haig served in the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, and was also supreme allied commander over Nato forces in Europe during the late 1970s. He was White House chief of staff when Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal, and served as secretary of state under Reagan. He committed one of...

Washington - Alexander Haig, former Nato commander and a top official in three Republican administrations, died Saturday, reported Us broadcaster Fox News, citing Haig's family. Haig, 85, had been hospitalized for nearly a month in Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, from complications related to an infection. Haig served in the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, and was also supreme allied commander over Nato forces in Europe during the late 1970s. He was White House chief of staff when Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal, and served as secretary of state under Reagan. Haig served in the...

Sad news to start your Saturday: Alexander Haig, the Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan and former Chief of Staff under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, passed away. After serving in both the Korean and Vietnam war, he switched his military medals in for a job in politics, and is most infamous for standing by Reagan's hospital door after the President was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. in 1981 and announcing "As of now, I am in control here."...

Washington - Alexander Haig, former Nato commander and a top official in three Republican administrations, has been hospitalized for nearly a month and was in critical condition, media reports said early Saturday. Haig, 85, was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, about an hour's drive from the nation's capital, CNN reported online. Haig served in the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, and was also supreme allied commander over Nato forces in Europe during the late 1970s. He was White House chief of staff when Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal, and served as secretary of state under...

Toronto International Film Festival

Henry Kissinger: brilliant international strategist or cold-blooded war criminal?

In the eyes of author Christopher Hitchens, the answer is a strongly argued case for the latter. It is an accusation he has made against the former U.S. secretary of state and Nobel Peace Prize winner initially in Harper's Magazine and subsequently in expanded book form.

Now director Eugene Jarecki and writer Alex Gibney present the filmed companion to the Hitchens diatribes, and the result, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, makes for incendiary (and lively) viewing.

For starters, there's the charge that Kissinger engineered the 1969 secret bombing of Cambodia without the knowledge of Congress. Then there's Kissinger's purported authorization of the sale of U.S. weapons to Indonesian President Suharto for use in the devastating 1973 East Timor massacre.

And did Nixon's national security adviser authorize the 1970 assassination of a pro-Allende Chilean general?

As an interesting sidebar, news of a wrongful death suit filed by the man's family was published in the Sept. 11, 2001, edition of the Washington Post.

The film also takes note of those half-dozen countries that have summoned Kissinger to answer questions in connection with the investigation of Augusto Pinochet's regime.

The format may be talking heads-heavy, but when those heads in question belong to the likes of William Safire, retired Gen. Alexander Haig and Hitchens himself, there's never a dull moment.

There's also a paper trail of newly declassified U.S. government documents that would appear to lend fuel to the presentation's fire.

Plus, there's no lack of evidence of Kissinger's shrewd media savvy, which earned him '70s pop icon status. He was often seen in the company of famous women and was memorably mimicked by John Belushi on "Saturday Night Live".

For all those tired of fawning, adulatory nonfiction portraits that may as well have been made by the subject's publicist, "The Trials of Henry Kissinger" is an unauthorized biography to end all unauthorized biographies.

While criticisms of an uneven-handedness may be justified, the prevailing lack of balance contributes to a strong end result: "The Trials of Henry Kissinger" is both damning and damned compelling.

THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER

First Run Features

Think Tank/Jigsaw Education

Credits:

Director: Eugene Jarecki

Screenwriter: Alex Gibney

Producers: Eugene Jarecki, Alex Gibney

Executive producer: Roy Ackerman

Director of photography: Greg Andracke

Editor: Simon Barker

Music: Peter Nashel

Narrator: Brian Cox

Running time: 80 minutes

No MPAA rating...