And The Killer Movie Doesn't Come Out For Another Month
Trump’s been having a tough time with pop culture lately. A dozen musicians are suing him, from ABBA, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Village People, the Rolling Stones and Rihanna to the Foo Fighters, Jack White, Aerosmith, The Smiths (Johnny Marr), Linkin’ Park and Sinéad O’Connor’s estate. And then yesterday, a federal judge ruled that Trump has to stop stealing Isaac Hayes' music and must stop playing "Hold On, I'm Coming" at his MAGA hate rallies. Judge Thomas Thrash Jr: “I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license.”
And then, finally, an actual trailer for The Apprentice (above), the film about the relationship between two of the most toxic figures of our era, Roy Cohn and The Donald, mentor and mentee. The film, which debuted at Cannes in May, was immediately attacked by Trump, who has tried to block the release, now set for October 11.
Yesterday, Mia Galuppo reported that the film was warmly received at the Telluride Film Festival and that the filmmakers are launching a Kickstarter campaign. Tom Ortenberg’s indie distribution network, Briarcliff Entertainment, will be releasing the film. Kinematics, owned by Trump crony and sleazebag billionaire Dan Snyder, sold its shares in the ownership due of “creative differences.”
“Currently,” wrote Galuppo, “the Kickstarter has a goal of $100,000 with incentives for backers that include a replica of cuff links seen in the film ($400), a producing workshop with producer Daniel Bekerman ($2,500), and an onscreen toupee prop worn by star Sebastian Stan ($3,500). ‘The obstacles we have faced releasing this movie are well documented. Our distribution was blocked. We were hit with a cease and desist from Trump’s lawyers,’ reads the Kickstarter website. ‘Major media companies were afraid to show you this movie. Releasing this movie has become a David and Goliath struggle, but with your support, you can help #ReleaseTheApprentice.”
“The Apprentice is first and foremost humanist, which makes it radically different from all the political noise,” said executive producer Amy Baer as a part of today’s Kickstarter announcement. Beckerman added: “Despite the integrity of the film and without even seeing it, Trump’s campaign sought to suppress it. The idea that artists can no longer freely criticize the powerful should concern us all. We need your help to resoundingly reject this dangerous precedent.”
“What Abassi’s film reveals most of all is the extent to which the toxicity that’s now an inescapable part of our contemporary reality was shaped by the unholy alliance between two men half a century ago,” reads the Hollywood Reporter’s review of the film.
The Apprentice is about Trump’s early days as a real estate hustler and rapist, and how Mafia lawyer Roy Cohn taught him everything he knows. Señor T didn’t like the way he was portrayed and he claimed hed sue to prevent the release, which, of course, drove interest in the film through the roof. Trump created demand for the movie with all the drama and free publicity. The film was first conceived in 2018 although it wasn’t actually written until 2023 when Gabriel Sherman was brought on— the Vanity Fair reporter who wrote The Loudest Voice In The Room: How The Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News— And Divided A Country.
Have you seen it? All movies about former despicable presidents seem to almost go out of their way to soften the evil perpetrated by each. It portrayed nixon as human; reagan as intelligent; w as NOT a total moron that rode family money into the white house as kkkarl rove's and cheney's sock puppet.
It would be difficult for anyone to make a film about trump that tells the truth without trump coming off as as evil as hitler or capone or as dumb as a bag of hammers.
IF it portrays him as a young(er) rapist, the question I always ask is why he was never prosecuted.
Not even for breach of contracts with subs. I guess everyone taske…