Thursday, August 9, 2012

Mark Cuban's Magnet to Bring Breitbart's 'Occupy Unmasked' to Theatres

6 Aug 2012, 11:30 AM PDT 20 post a comment

"This film is controversial, and that's exactly the reason we want to ensure it can find its audience prior to the November elections.” -- Mark Cuban co-studio head of Magnolia Pictures

Mark Cuban is a man who, in February of this year, attended a $30,000 a plate Obama fundraiser. Reportedly, as President Obama entered the event, he and Cuban "embraced warmly."
Magnolia Pictures is a specialty releasing company (its "edgier" label is Magnet), that is known mainly for its backing of left-wing films, which include, "Casino Jack and the United States of Money,"  "Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room," "Food, Inc.," "God Bless America," "Jesus Camp," "No End in Sight," and "Redacted."
Cuban's quote, however, isn't about what you might think. He's not only talking about his eagerness to release on multiple platforms, and just before the upcoming election, a film that takes no prisoners in exposing the left, it's a film "presented by" none other than Andrew Breitbart (read the official statement below).
Four years ago, just before the launch of his flagship site Big Hollywood, Andrew said he had one simple goal: a seat at the table. The idea was never to silence the left or to do to Hollywood what it had done to conservatives and conservative ideas -- exterminate them. All Andrew wanted was for our side and our ideas and beliefs to get a fair hearing in the world of popular culture.
Had you asked him then if he thought it was possible that a mere four years later one of the most openly liberal Hollywood players would not only distribute a film that was his brainchild but do so right before a crucial presidential election, I'm not sure what Andrew would've said. But I would've told you you were insane.
Mark Cuban didn’t have to do this. He certainly doesn’t need the money and has to know that Big Hollywood has been critical of some of his films. Moreover, just a few months ago, Cuban invested $30,000 into ensuring Obama's reelection. But now he's going to invest who knows how much money into ensuring a film highly critical of Obama, one that takes an unflinching look at an appalling movement that the president not only encouraged but also endorsed, is seen by as many potential voters as possible.
But such is the power of Andrew Breitbart -- his drive, fight, charisma, and brilliance. We are now in the fifth month after his untimely passing and the ripple effect of his influence and impact is not only not receding, it's growing into something closer to a tidal wave.
With the announcement of the kind of distribution deal for "Andrew Breitbart Presents: Occupy Unmasked" any independent filmmaker would kill for, Andrew has not only earned himself a seat at the table, but he did so in the most impossible way imaginable: He did so without compromise; he did so without taking even a baby step back from beliefs his ideas, his agenda and who he is.  
In Hollywood, that's a miracle and practically unheard of even if you're Stephen Spielberg. Andrew Breitbart accomplishing this leaves me speechless.
There was no quit in Andrew, though, nor was there ever a lack of faith that over the Hollywood Wall  he would find the like-minded who just needed to know they weren't alone and liberals (in the true sense of that word)  who might not have agreed with his politics but would find common ground around the idea of "more voices, not less."
In Mark Cuban, Andrew found his man. 

Breitbart.com

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