To begin with, the Vietnam War was from 1959 to 1975, but one modern movie is exemplary of multimedia influence, Full Metal Jacket. The movie conveys strictly the war, and takes no side for or against the Vietnam War: So the director claims, but take a closer look, and you will notice that it is antiwar; a plethora of negative events occur to persuade the viewer that we should not go to war. Toward the begging of the movie Gomer Pyle doesn't even make it through boot camp. He ended up killing himself over being treated unethically. In society one perspective is that war is wrong, and that people just can't take bear the burden presented. Due to the way soldiers and Drill Sgt. Hartman are portrayed, viewers gain also the perspective that leaders of war are draconian, or severe: If the leaders are having to teach discipline or so harshly that a man commits suicide, should we as citizens go to war? These are questions provoked by movies such as Full Metal Jacket. The viewer also sees the trickery of war later in the movie when a man is killed by a booby trap. The rap was a teddy bear attached to a land mine, as to shield its ominous and true identity. The obdurate, yet concomitant, soldier was murdered because of a “cheap trick.” These evidences generate a negative opinion about the war, while at the same time society takes note to how things like that must come to an end nonetheless. In the 2005 movie called Lord of War, viewers will receive an inside look at what “real” deadly counties are like, and why we should fight to end this suffering. One scene in the movie shows how the Warlord murders people for no reason at all when he tests his newly acquired .357 magnum on a fellow soldier. Later, the movie shows the prostitution that occurs in Africa in order for women to make money all because the leaders of the country are power hungry and greedy for money. These scenes show the viewer that we should go to war in order to thwart the atrocities constantly taking place in a plethora of areas around Africa.

            Furthermore, songs also take a great leap into the concaves of our mind to spin a web of perspective for us all. One antiwar song really hits home for people in America during the Vietnam War's end: “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. The song was released in 1970 on the album Paranoid. The song says “Generals gathered...like witches...” This is a reference to how the war is pointless killing. The reason is that this is a reference to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The trials had many people killed over a spook from two young girls, Betty Parris, and Abigail Williams. The reference is how the generals are fighting for nothing, and are just absentminded, controlled, and misguided little girls. In contrast, “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue” by Toby Keith supports the ideals of war. A quote from the song says “My daddy...lost his right eye...flew a flag...until the day that he died...” This really tells people that even though there are losses in war, and it is not all fun and games that, however, you should be thankful for the rights you have because of the fighting going on behind enemy lines.

            In addition, another way that perspective is affected by “the man” is through the political articles so conveniently available at most citizens’ fingertips. A political writer named Paul Joseph Watson states his antiwar beliefs in an article called “Rogue U.S. Troops Knowingly Bombed British In Iraq.” A quote from the article is as follows: “Ethnic cleansing, maimed children and thousands of dead American soldiers are a small price to pay because for the Globalists the end always justifies the means and untold bloodshed and misery and bloodshed won't stand in their way.” Watson is remarking on the fact that many of the power holders in America do not care if an abundance of innocent people die, or that there is “bloodshed” in war. The quote shows how the controllers want everyone to conform to their standards, and if people must die in order for the “correct” end, then it is a “small price to pay.” Contrarily, Michael Yon takes a war supporting photograph captioning it: “A US Soldier comforts a child fatally wounded in a car bomb blast in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad.” This caption tells you enough that you don't even need to see the photo; a child is being saved and comforted in the arms of a US Soldier, showing how the peoples of other nations need our help, and therefore we should wage war across seas."

Almost a hundred actors have played fictional Presidents, and around thirty have played fictional television Presidents.

Ten women have played Presidents either on television or in the movies - all of them fictional of course.

Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford have all played themselves; Clinton three times.

Perhaps the first man to play a President was Joseph Henabery, who appeared in The Birth of a Nation, way back in 1915. The man who played a President the longest would be Martin Sheen, who appeared as the fictional Josiah Bartlett in The West Wing for seven seasons (he was "officially" President for eight years in fact). During the same (fictional) period in history, however, there were at least a dozen other Presidents occupying the White House. A busy place.

A number of actors have played a President twice, though not necessarily the same Dave.  President. Jason Robards has appeared as both Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S Grant, and Kevin Kline has also appeared as Grant, as well as the fictional President William Harrison Mitchell in

Brian Keith played both William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, while Robin Williams also played Roosevelt and the fictional President Tom Dobbs in Man of the Year. Martin Sheen played not only The West Wing President, but also John F Kennedy.

Edward Hermann has been Franklin D Roosevelt twice, once in Annie and earlier in Eleanor and Franklin. Timothy Bottoms has played George W Bush twice.

Ronny Cox played two different fictional Presidents seven years apart, as did Gene Hackman. Sam Waterston and Beau Bridges played their fictional Presidents only three years apart.

Randy Quaid, on the other hand, has managed to be three Presidents: Lyndon B Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and President A Thornton Osgood, in Mail to the Chief, while Roy Scheider has played three different fictional Presidents.

Strangely enough, several English actors have played real life American Presidents: Anthony Hopkins (as both John Quincy Adams and Richard Nixon); Nigel Hawthorne as Martin Van Buren, and Michael Gambon as Lyndon B Johnson.

Alan Alda missed out on being President in The West Wing, but made it there when he played the fictional and unnamed President in Canadian Bacon.

Because there have been no real life Women Presidents there's been less scope for women to play Presidents, but amongst the more well-known names are Polly Bergen back in 1964, Joan Rivers, Loretta Swit (of MASH fame), Glenn Close, Patty Duke and Geena Davis.

Some of the actors who've appeared as the President over the years might actually make good presidents; they have the kind of charisma you'd expect from a real-life President. Actors such as Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Alexander Knox, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford (as long as he wasn't being Indiana Jones), George Clooney, Fredric March, and Tim Robbins (although he was President, rather surprisingly, in The Spy Who Shagged Me). 

But seriously, on the basis of the sort of parts they normally play, would you want any of these guys as President?

Billy Bob Thornton - too scary

John Travolta - after Hairspray?

Gary Sinise - too scary again

Paul Giamatti - probably would need therapy

Chevy Chase - the West Wing would be a riot

Will Ferrell - an elf in the White House?

Michael Douglas - scarier than Billy Bob

Chris Rock - would he stop talking long enough to get anything done?

Luke Wilson - too laid-back

For all the actors who've appeared in the movies or on television as the President, only one actor, Ronald Reagan, has managed to play the President for real. So don't bank on seeing any of these other actors in the job over the next few decades.

My thanks to the unknown compilers of the Wikipedia article on this topic for much of this information.

The Movie of the Month is "Vantage Point". Vantage Point is a respectable action film that keeps you focused on the incredible plot.

Story

A thought to be out-of-action secret service agent witnesses the assassination of the president. His rampage is stopped many times, including once by a tourist with a video camera, a native cop, and the other secret service agents. Each suspect having a different view of the shooting.

Rating

PG-13, Language, Death

Overall

Overall "Vantage Point" gets a 7/10. Although the movie was a great experience, it seemed to drag on. However, don't let that stop you, Go See It!

All through time, there had been a lot of misconceptions regarding the motives behind his death. It is in the History Channel's release that for concerned politicians and common citizens alike - the real story could be made out. Our love for Abe Lincoln is sufficed. - And it is not only because of this that “The Lincoln Assassination” remains a worthy educational/entertainment source. - “The Lincoln Assassination” also gives pleasure to the regular student film-seer as much as it is food for history experts.

First, the production of “The Lincoln Assassination” is superior in quality. This is best seen by the film's cinematography, which takes the viewers back through time during the moments when Abraham Lincoln lived, and died. The first video of the two began by introducing the characters that took part, including of which is none other than Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth.

The dramatization elements gave us a glimpse of the thoughts and emotions of the people revolving around Lincoln and involved in the assassination. The film makers' perspective given upon the assassin colored the documentary as not all are aware that Booth was a stage actor after all and that he was not at all insane - one important hypothesis that the film ruled out as sufficient reason to kill the President. The plotting of the documentary is simply awe dropping.

The first film demonstrated Booth's agenda in relation to the release of Confederate prisoners, and culminated the moment he pulled the trigger pointing at the President. The second part of the 2-volume production was not given to sheer credits and such "extras." In fact, this is where the action is; this is where the program reached climaxed giving more than what the viewers expected.

It gave out the information that everyone is thirsting for - the central message of “The Lincoln Assassination” - the sharing of the drama behind the President's death - the knowing interpretation of the event's real (most probable) cause and what happened next to the culprits. The documentary's director simply lets us realize and feel that the Lincoln assassination is a real and serious event in history, and that it needs further scrutiny. The Lincoln assassination could not remain as a mere legend in history, happening over a century since.

Presidential assassinations are one of great concern to the country and it is by this reason that the documentary catches viewers' attention by sharing the needed information about the death of "Our Abe," and possibly - to expose other (and prospective) assassinations.

To add, the documentary is not only informative - it is dramatic. The dramatic mood of the film is supported by actual materials used in the documentary, which could not at all be called mere props. There were real letters sent to threaten the President, knife used by conspirator, and photographs of the persons involved. Even among the characters are the real descendants of the president's assassin and conspirator. These true-to-life relics had the power to move anyone. The documentary is so rich in detail that not one could pass not seeing it.

Compared to fictional movies basing on real historical events, “The Lincoln Assassination's credibility lies on the fact that it is supported by the brains of forensic experts and practiced historians; unlike history-based movies, the documentary does not have inaccuracies in information. And compared to books, “The Lincoln Assassination” delved into the sentiments of the characters as well - the raging character of Booth, the President's felt tumult about his own death, the nation's mourning.

On the low side, the 2-part program could be dragging. The sounds, or lack of sound, could drowse at some points, specifically on the interviews/commentary parts, but overall, the information that the film served readily is enough to keep our eyes open and our minds rampaging as the documentary gives light and justice to President Lincoln's death.