Empire - Hollywood and the war machine

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Empire examines the symbiotic relationship between the movie industry and the military-industrial complex.

War is hell, but for Hollywood it provides the perfect dramatic setting against which courageous heroes win the hearts and minds of the public. The Pentagon recognises the power of these celluloid dreams and encourages Hollywood to create heroic myths; to rewrite history and provide willing young patriots for its wars. In return, Hollywood receives access to billions of dollars worth of military kit, from helicopters to aircraft carriers. So is it a case of art imitating life, or a sinister force using art to influence life and death and the public perception of both?

Guests:
Oliver Stone: eight times Academy Award-winning filmmaker
Michael Moore: Academy Award-winning filmmaker
Christopher Hedges: author and the former Middle East bureau chief of the New York Times

Interviewees:
Phil Strub: US Department of Defense Film Liaison Unit
Julian Barnes: Pentagon correspondent, LA Times
David Robb: author of Operation Hollywood
Prof Klaus Dodds: the author of Screening Terror;
Matthew Alford: the author of Reel Power
Prof Melani McAlister: the author of Culture, Media, and US Interests in the Middle East

For more Empire:
http://www.youtube.com/show/empire

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