Bank of America Presents 19th HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

20 Jun 2011 16:33 Africa/Lagos

The HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival Presented by Bank of America Celebrates Its 19th Year

FREE OUTDOOR CLASSIC FILM SERIES JUNE 20 - AUGUST 22
Director, Milos Foreman, will attend on opening night to introduce "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest"

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Once again, Bryant Park will be a destination for film buffs on summer nights in New York City, with an all-star legendary film line up for the 19th year of the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presented by Bank of America and in association with The Bryant Park Corporation.

Continuing the popular tradition of presenting "stars under the stars," the free outdoor festival returns Monday evenings at sunset, beginning June 20 and running through August 22. The season kicks off on the first day of summer with ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, starring Jack Nicholson as a patient who leads a revolt at a mental facility in this 1975 favorite.


A scene from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

The film's Oscar winning director Milos Foreman, will attend the opening night festivities in Bryant Park on June 20th to introduce the film.

The festival's closing night film, DIRTY HARRY, stars Clint Eastwood who made movie history when he took the role of Harry Callahan. Other highlights of this year's festival include Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, Paul Newman in COOL HAND LUKE, and Oscar winning film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.



"Support for the film festival reflects our belief that the arts, in all its forms, should be shared with the widest possible audience," said Jeff Barker, Bank of America New York City president. "Only in New York can you spend a summer evening outdoors with legends of the screen and people from all walks of life amid the city's skyscrapers."

"It is with great pride that HBO enters its 19th year of showing classic films on the big screen in Bryant Park. The festival has turned into a favorite summertime tradition for many New Yorkers. As neighbors of Bryant Park, it is a great way for HBO and Bank of America to give back to the city," said Bill Nelson, Chairman and CEO, HBO.

The films will be projected in 35mm onto a screen 20 feet high by 40 feet wide. Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas. Snacks, meals and refreshments are available at Bryant Park food kiosks and restaurants. Each presentation will show on Monday evenings starting at sunset. The lawn opens at 5pm. Classic animation provided courtesy of Warner Bros.

For more information, call the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival hotline at (212) 512-5700. For film series information, visit the festival's website at hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival (will be live by June 1st).

THE HBO BRYANT PARK SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL 2011

PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA

JUNE 20 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Saul Zaentz Co.)-Rebellious Jack Nicholson leads a patient revolt at a mental facility. He urges the inmates to rebel against the nasty Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Based on the Ken Kesey novel, it has been directed with force, humanity and a sly smile by Milos Forman. It is the second film (after "It Happened One Night") to score an Oscar Grand Slam, winning the five top prizes. Kirk Douglas owned the screen rights for years, but was too senior to play the lead when son Michael finally co-produced. The American Film Institute ranked "Cuckoo" as #33 Greatest Movie of All Time. (1975) 133 Min.

JUNE 27 THE 39 STEPS (MGM)-An innocent man goes on the run to prove he is not a murderer and that a spy ring exists in Scotland. The exuberant thriller is one of Alfred Hitchcock's early British masterpieces. Robert Donat is the "everyman" in trouble and Madeleine Carroll is the classy blonde who lends a helping hand. It has been remade several times for big screen, small screen, even radio, but never as successfully. It even turned up recently as a cleverly conceived show on Broadway and in London's West End. Watch out for a villain with a missing finger and a music hall performer named Mr. Memory. You won't forget him. Special thanks to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts New York (BAFTA New York) (1935) 86 Min.

JULY 4 EASY RIDER (Sony/Col) Stoners Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (he also directed) hit the road on their customized motorcycles to find the "real" America. 1960's peace and love soon turn to fear and hate. The script was Oscar-nominated, though reportedly much was improvised between L.A. and New Orleans, as the low budget movie was being shot by Laszlo Kovacs. Rumor also has it that plenty of marijuana was smoked on this road trip, giving new meaning to the term "high"way. Steppenwolf, The Byrds, The Band, Jimi Hendrix and Little Eva are heard on the soundtrack. And yes, that is legendary record producer Phil Spector making a cameo appearance as a drug dealer. (1969) 94 Min.

JULY 11 GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (TCF)-They may be just "two little girls from Little Rock," but Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell are on the trail of bigger stones. As we all know, "diamonds are a girl's best friend." Two gold digging showgirls head for Paris in this brightly colored musical comedy based on the Anita Loos story and a Broadway hit starring Carol Channing. Fox intended it as a movie showcase for their biggest star Betty Grable, but Marilyn came cheaper. The musical number "Anyone Here For Love?" featuring the statuesque Russell and a gaggle of disinterested chorus boys (as the U.S. Olympic team!) is a genuine camp classic. (1953) 91 Min.

JULY 18 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (MGM)-This taut murder mystery was the surprise Oscar winner for Best Picture over "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate." Ironically, that very award ceremony was postponed due to the assassination of Martin Luther King. Rod Steiger plays a bigoted Mississippi sheriff who is reluctant to accept help from a black, big city detective Sidney ("Call me Mister Tibbs") Poitier. Due to racial unrest in the South, filming necessarily took place in Illinois. The moody Quincy Jones score was Grammy nominated and Ray Charles made the title song an instant standard. (1967) 109 Min.

JULY 25 THE LADY EVE (Universal)-This sparkling romantic comedy is the work of a master, Preston Sturges. Barbara Stanwyck (at her most tempting) is a con artist/card shark out to dupe the clueless heir to a brewery fortune (Henry Fonda). He is an ophiologist by trade and knows more about snakes than girls. Just back from a year up the Amazon on a serpent hunt, he is an apple ripe for the plucking. The script is brimming with sophisticated banter (earning an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Original Story), but Sturges is not above some well-placed slapstick and physical pratfalls. In 2002, the AFI placed it #26 on a list of Top 100 Greatest Love Stories in American cinema. (1941) 94 Min.

AUG. 1 COOL HAND LUKE (Warner Bros.)-"What we've got here is…failure to communicate." So says a sadistic guard (Strother Martin) to Luke (Paul Newman) who is serving time on a Dixie chain gang. Luke has trouble with authority figures and will find countless ways to rebel against the system during his incarceration. You may never be able to face an egg again after the justifiably famous (and excruciating) eating scene in which Luke puts away over four dozen of the hard-boiled variety. Newman received his fourth Oscar nomination, but it was supporting actor George Kennedy, as a fellow inmate, who took home an acting prize. (1967) 126 Min. (Panavision)

AUG 8 AIRPLANE! (Paramount)-"You ever been in a cockpit before?" No? Well, now's your chance. The gags just keep coming and coming in this raucous spoof of Hollywood's all-star disaster epics. A Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker collaboration, it was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Comedy and won a WGA award for Best Comedy Script. These are the same wild and crazy guys responsible for the popular "Naked Gun" series. Star turns by Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and the late, great Leslie ("Don't call me Shirley") Nielsen. Cameos are by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Maureen McGovern and an autopilot inflatable doll! (1980) 86 min.

AUG. 15 HIGH SIERRA (Warner Bros.)-The landmark crime drama by Raoul Walsh took Humphrey Bogart off the "B" list and propelled him into superstardom. His big hit "The Maltese Falcon" came out later the same year. Here he is Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a hardened ex-con on the lam from the cops, who, way deep down, has a heart of gold. The part was intended for Paul Muni (contract dispute) or George Raft. Bogie himself convinced Raft to turn down the role. Good move. "Sierra" was co-scripted by his old friend and drinking buddy, John Huston. Top-billed Ida Lupino co-stars as the devoted moll and Bogart's own pooch, Zero, appears as the cute mongrel Pard. (1941) 100 Min.

AUG. 22 DIRTY HARRY (Warner Bros.)-Clint Eastwood made movie history when he took the role of Harry Callahan. He went on to play the iconic cop four more times. Originally considered for the part were Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, but the "Gods of Hollywood Casting' were smiling down on Clint. No more Italian westerns. Don Siegel's direction packs quite a punch, as Harry goes about ridding the San Francisco streets of a serial sniper. His unique take on law enforcement involves carrying a very large .44 Magnum. Are ya feeling lucky, punk? Come on, make Harry's day. (1971) 102 min. (Panavision)

HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two pay television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 85 million subscribers worldwide . The services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

HBO's philanthropic efforts are defined by a mission to cultivate and develop new talent through support of innovative educational organizations. We are committed to ensuring the stories we present reflect the diverse world in which we live and the voices from all communities are provided the access and resources to share their experiences with audiences around the world.

BANK OF AMERICA AND THE ARTS

As one of the world's largest financial institutions and a major supporter of arts and culture, Bank of America has a vested interest and plays a meaningful role in the international dialogue on cultural understanding. As a global company, Bank of America demonstrates its commitment to the arts by supporting such efforts as after-school arts programs, grants to help expand libraries, programs to conserve artistic heritage as well as a campaign to encourage museum attendance. Bank of America offers customers free access to more than 150 of the nation's finest cultural institutions through its acclaimed Museums on Us® program, while Art in our Communities® shares exhibits from the company's corporate collection with communities across the globe through local museum partners. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation also provides philanthropic support to museums, theaters and other arts-related nonprofits to expand their services and offerings to schools and communities. Bank of America partners with more than six thousand arts institutions worldwide.

BRYANT PARK CORPORATION

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance, and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from events, concessions, and corporate sponsors, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security and sanitation services, and tending the park's lush lawn and seasonal garden displays, BPC provides public amenities and activities, including movable chairs and tables, café umbrellas, restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown park, conveniently located at 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, is visited by over 5 million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. BPC's website, www.bryantpark.org, provides more detailed information and a schedule of upcoming events.

SOURCE HBO

CONTACT: Suzanne Pinto, HBO, +1-212-512-1904; T.J. Crawford, Bank of America, +1-646-855-3301

Web Site: http://www.hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival

NEWSWEEK COVER: What Would Dick Do?

In the January 19, 2009 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, January 12), "What Would Dick Do?" explores whether President-elect Obama will adopt the antiterror apparatus Vice President Cheney helped create, or if he'll go in a different direction. Plus: why the attack on Gaza has boosted support for Israel's Labor Party; why China will likely be the only economy to grow this year and the reality of organ trafficking. Lastly: a look at HBO's documentary on Rev. Ted Haggard. (PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES 01/11/2009

11 Jan 2009 18:39 Africa/Lagos


NEWSWEEK COVER: What Would Dick Do?

Once in Office, President Barack Obama May See Things Cheney's Way

Obama Not Likely to Reverse Bush and Cheney's Efforts, But Will Try to Find a Middle Road on National Security Policy

NEW YORK, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- President-elect Barack Obama was elected partly to reverse Vice President Dick Cheney's efforts to seize power for the White House in the war on terror, but it may not be so simple, and Obama may soon find some virtue in Cheney's way of thinking. In the January 19 Newsweek cover, "What Would Dick Do?" (on newsstands Monday, January 12), Contributing Editor Stuart Taylor Jr. and Editor-At-Large Evan Thomas argue that reversing Cheney's efforts in the war on terror and national security may leave the country in a weakened position.


(Cover Story: http://www.newsweek.com/id/178855 )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090111/NYSU001 )

In the view of many intelligence professionals, the get-tough measures encouraged or permitted by George W. Bush's administration -- including "waterboarding" self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- kept America safe. Cheney himself has been underscoring the point in a round of farewell interviews. "If I had advice to give it would be, before you start to implement your campaign rhetoric, you need to sit down and find out precisely what it is we did and how we did it, because it is going to be vital to keeping the nation safe and secure in the years ahead," he told CBS Radio.


Obama, who has been receiving intelligence briefings for weeks, is unlikely to wildly overcorrect for the Bush administration's abuses. A very senior incoming official, who refused to be quoted discussing internal policy debates, indicated that the new administration will try to find a middle road that will protect civil liberties without leaving the nation defenseless. But Obama's team has some strong critics of the old order, including his choice for director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, who has spoken out strongly against coercive interrogation methods. Obama's administration would do well to listen to Jack Goldsmith, formerly a Bush Justice Department official. Goldsmith worries about the pendulum swinging too far, as it often does in American democracy. "The presidency has already been diminished in ways that would be hard to reverse" and may be losing its capability to fight terrorism, he says. Goldsmith argues that Americans should now be "less worried about an out-of- control presidency than an enfeebled one."


Soon after taking office Obama will face some difficult choices, such as what to do about the detention of suspected terrorists such as Ali al-Marri, a Qatari graduate student who had legally entered the United States and settled in Peoria, Ill., with his wife and five children. He was seized in 2001 as a suspected terrorist-the long-feared Qaeda sleeper agent, sent to the United States to conduct a suicide attack when given the signal by his terrorist controllers. Al-Marri was charged with credit-card fraud and lying to the Feds, but the charges were dropped when he was put in military detention. His case has become a cause celebre among civil libertarians, who argue that the government can't just lock you up indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism.


Obama must decide: Will he enrage many of his supporters by adopting Bush's claim of sweeping power to grab legal residents -- and perhaps even citizens -- and jail them forever? Or will he let a possibly very dangerous man go, and thereby concede that any Qaeda terrorist who can get into the United States legally is free to roam the country unless (and until) he commits a crime? Both options would be political nightmares.


Dealing with the issue of torture will also be complicated. Waterboarding is a brutal interrogation method, but by some (disputed) accounts, it was CIA waterboarding that got Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to talk. It is a liberal shibboleth that torture doesn't work -- that suspects will say anything, including lies, to stop the pain. But the reality is perhaps less clear. Last summer, the U.S. Senate (with Obama absent) voted to require the CIA to use no interrogation methods other than those permitted in the Army Field Manual. These are extremely restrictive: strictly speaking, the interrogator cannot ever threaten bodily harm or even put a prisoner on cold rations until he talks. Bush vetoed this measure, not unwisely. As president, Obama may want to preserve some flexibility. Obama may want to urge Congress to outlaw "humiliating and degrading" treatment of prisoners. But he might also want to carve out an exception for extreme cases, outlining coercive methods, like sleep deprivation, that could be used on specified detainees. To provide political accountability, the president should be required to sign any such orders, share them with the congressional intelligence committees and publicly disclose their number.


National security is an unavoidably murky world. But it doesn't have to be quite so dark as Cheney et al. made it. So much of the anger against the Bush administration could have been avoided if Bush had gone to Congress in the first place. By trying to strengthen the presidency, Cheney weakened it. By keeping Congress, the press and the people in the dark, the vice president virtually guaranteed a backlash. Obviously, some secrets must be kept, but history has shown again and again that excessive government secrecy backfires by breeding conspiracy theories and overreaction by thwarted lawmakers. Obama would do well just to level with the American people about what he is doing to protect their liberties -- while keeping them safe.


(Read cover story at www.Newsweek.com)


Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090111/NYSU001
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN8
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Newsweek

CONTACT: Brenda Velez, +1-212-445-4078


Web site: http://www.newsweek.com/
http://www.newsweek.com/id/178855