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Universal developing Gary Webb film
Journalist was target of CIA smear campaign

By MICHAEL FLEMING



Universal is developing a feature called "Kill the Messenger" based on the true story of journalist Gary Webb.

The San Jose Mercury News reporter committed suicide after being the target of a smear campaign when he linked the CIA to a scheme to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua and import cocaine into California.

Peter Landesman will write the screenplay, based on the two books the studio optioned: "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion," by Webb, and Nick Schou's "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA's Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb."

Scott Stuber will produce with Nick Wechsler; Naomi Despres and Landesman will be exec producers.

Webb was vilified by major newspapers after his series was published. His 1996 three-part series "Dark Alliance" implied that the CIA was a catalyst for the crack cocaine scourge in California. The film will posit that Webb was mostly right, and that the CIA sought to smear him to cover up a scandal.

"It's the story of a reporter killed for telling the truth, and it's poignant and relevant as the CIA and U.S. government continue to make nefarious deals with the devil for what they believe is the greater good," Landesman said.

Schou, longtime reporter for the O.C. Weekly, befriended Webb while they chased similar stories about the explosion of crack in Orange County. Schou watched "Dark Alliance" quickly go from a career-making expose to a career-ending debacle for Webb, who was jobless and in a spiral of depression before ending his life in 2004.

Schou claims that the journo outlets that attacked Webb's reporting practically ignored a 1998 CIA admission that Schou said validated Webb's reportage.

Landesman, a former correspondent for the New York Times Magazine, has written articles on sex trafficking in the U.S. (which formed the basis for the film "Trade"), and an expose on Russian arms dealer Victor Bout. He just scripted a film about Watergate "Deep Throat" informant Mark Felt for U and Playtone.


http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983375.html

This movie about the true story Gary Webb is being produced and marketed in order to keyword-hijack the true story of Gary Webb...oh wait. I kid. On the surface, this movie looks like something to get genuinely excited about, the kind of movie I can actually force my friends to watch.

Yeah, I'm cautiously excited about this. Landesman looks like a reasonably decent choice for screenwriter.

Webb was vilified by major newspapers

I hope the movie names real names and that those people at the papers involved get their faces rubbed deep in the dirt, and I hope his boss comes off looking like the weakling pussy that he is.

FourthBase wrote:This movie about the true story Gary Webb is being produced and marketed in order to keyword-hijack the true story of Gary Webb...oh wait. I kid. On the surface, this movie looks like something to get genuinely excited about, the kind of movie I can actually force my friends to watch.

The keyword hijacking is the title of the film
Kill The Messenger



When I heard the title, I thought "Holy shit - Sibel is toast"

I am sure that Gary Webb's story will be very emotional right up to the suicide, where with his Magic Bullets, he is able to shoot himself in the head -TWICE

I hope you're kidding.

Peter Landesman will write the screenplay, based on the two books the studio optioned: "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion," by Webb, and Nick Schou's "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA's Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb."

YES! This is the first time weve seen a serious major coverup presented by Hollywood in a questioning form since what, JFK in 1991?

While we saw the ISI-Atta-911-al Qaeda angle played in A Mighty Heart last year, and in fictional films from Shooter to Bourne Identity we see CIA black ops at work...this is quite the news story

Imagine, a feature Hollywood film FINALLY exposing who REALLY is behind the drugs

Its just a shame they'll go with the "he committed suicide...with two shots" angle.

Beat me to it. The SIBEL EDMONDS documentary is called 'Kill the Messenger.'

Searcher08 wrote:The keyword hijacking is the title of the film
Kill The Messenger



When I heard the title, I thought "Holy shit - Sibel is toast"

I am sure that Gary Webb's story will be very emotional right up to the suicide, where with his Magic Bullets, he is able to shoot himself in the head -TWICE

When Nick Schou's book came out and then there was a cheap horror movie called 'Messengers' released the exact same day that there was the FIRST US SHOWING of the Sibel Edmonds movie at a Washington DC private club with Congressional aides and journos like Robert Parry attending...I pointed out that the OLD Gary Webb story is being used to mask the NEW Sibel Edmonds story by hijacking the title.

I smell a Mockingbird.

Landesman, a former correspondent for the New York Times Magazine, has written articles on sex trafficking in the U.S. (which formed the basis for the film "Trade"), and an expose on Russian arms dealer Victor Bout. He just scripted a film about Watergate "Deep Throat" informant Mark Felt for U and Playtone.

And Landesman is going to peddle Watergate disinfo about Mark Felt who probably wasn't Deep Throat.

"It's the story of a reporter killed for telling the truth, and it's poignant and relevant as the CIA and U.S. government continue to make nefarious deals with the devil for what they believe is the greater good," Landesman said.

I'd say the rot begins precisely here.

Whose "greater good"?

Truthotainment - a genre bound to flourish in an increasingly demanding and sophisticated market sector.

More and more the couch potatos/cinema-goers, tired of a high fiction component in their cinematic flights of fancy, are demanding storylines which cater to this growing taste for the "real thing." But just as important are the STFD and STFU themes which pervade the plots of this new kind of movie, reassuring the punter that the smartest and safest place to be is on their couch/in their seat, rather than out in the world doing acts which in some way address the crimes and injustice they see depicted on screen.

8bitagent wrote:YES! This is the first time weve seen a serious major coverup presented by Hollywood in a questioning form since what, JFK in 1991?

Probably to cover up things that are worse.

Imagine, a feature Hollywood film FINALLY exposing who REALLY is behind the drugs

Consider what a Hollywood movie does to search engine results. It takes them over.
There's a win for TPTB in there somewhere.

When something like this goes mainstream there's a cost-benefit scam in play.
Maybe Operation Mockingbird will do a Gary Webb mea culpa to fool people so they can continue to cover up 9/11.

erosoplier wrote:Truthotainment - a genre bound to flourish in an increasingly demanding and sophisticated market sector.

More and more the couch potatos/cinema-goers, tired of a high fiction component in their cinematic flights of fancy, are demanding storylines which cater to this growing taste for the "real thing." But just as important are the STFD and STFU themes which pervade the plots of this new kind of movie, reassuring the punter that the smartest and safest place to be is on their couch/in their seat, rather than out in the world doing acts which in some way address the crimes and injustice they see depicted on screen.

Well put. I agree completely.

HMW wrote:When something like this goes mainstream there's a cost-benefit scam in play.

If this movie ever makes "the CIA, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion" a storm in a tea cup at some point in the future, one thing is certain: it will already be yesterday's news.

Meanwhile there are year-in year-out record poppy crops being harvested in Afghanistan.

Hugh Manatee Wins wrote:Beat me to it. The SIBEL EDMONDS documentary is called 'Kill the Messenger.'

Do you know how many times a day on how many separate items of Western culture that the phrase "kill the messenger" has been featured since way, way, way before Edmonds was even born? Do you have Lexus/Nexus? Do you have a brain not infected with an OCD or whatever serious mental disorder it is you have?

I pointed out that the OLD Gary Webb story is being used to mask the NEW Sibel Edmonds story by hijacking the title.

Do you know how utterly insane that reasoning is? Not insane in a neutral or good way, but insane in a get-thee-to-a-fucking-asylum way. Take your fucking pills, dude. So many people have explained to you so many times why that particular kind of supposed KH logic totally fails. I'm not doing it again, myself. I'm sick of it.

I smell a Mockingbird.

Landesman, a former correspondent for the New York Times Magazine, has written articles on sex trafficking in the U.S. (which formed the basis for the film "Trade"), and an expose on Russian arms dealer Victor Bout. He just scripted a film about Watergate "Deep Throat" informant Mark Felt for U and Playtone.

And Landesman is going to peddle Watergate disinfo about Mark Felt who probably wasn't Deep Throat.

Did you finally follow Attack's or pan's or Ian's or orz's advice and call a movie studio, and get hooked up with an insider source? No? Then how the fuck do you know already? Your posts have become less and less connected to reality, and less and less worthwhile. Everything in the fucking universe is part of Operation Mockingbird except for you, Father Morales, Jim Garrison, Carol Gilligan, and a handful of other people. You are sick in the head. You are ruining whatever reasonable suspicions people might normally have about whatever type of keyword/meme-hijacking actually exists, by tainting it with your mentally-ill stink. Get help. Get your fucking head together. Then come back to the world and try to figure shit out earnestly for a change (maybe actually try to figure out legit examples of KH) instead of pushing your sick narcissistic bullshit on everyone.

The film will posit that Webb was mostly right.

mostly

mostly

mostly

ever notice what a strange looking word that is?