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Special Features
- An essay on Hollywood and politics
- Interviews
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Not only was Barry Levinson's comedy shot in a relatively fast period of 29 days, the satire of politics and show business feels as if it were made yesterday. There's a fresh spin quite evident here, a nervy satire of a presidential crisis and the people who whitewash the facts. The main players are a mysterious Mr. Fix-It (Robert De Niro), veteran Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman), and a White House aide (Anne Heche). Can the president's molesting of a young girl be buried in the two weeks before an election? A war in Albania just might do the trick. In the good old days, the president would just invade. With modern technology, it's even cleaner. The hungry press looks for any lead, convenient misinformation is created by the latest Hollywood fakery ("all developed by the new James Cameron film") creating images and merchandise all instantly packaged. And it must be real, because it's on TV. David Mamet's script never questions the morals or the absolute secrecy needed to pull this thing off. He and director Barry Levinson have enough truth in the story to make you wonder what is real news and what is just promotion the next time you see CNN. Many of the supporting players impact the story with mere presence: Denis Leary as a quote man, Willie Nelson as a songwriter. The three leads are magnificent. With the similarities between history and this film, Wag will forever linked to the Monica Lewinsky saga. This video version contains a new minidocumentary focusing on the parallels of the film with the Bill Clinton scandal, including comments from director Barry Levinson and hosted by newsman Tom Brokaw. --Doug Thomas
Product Description
Robert DeNiro stars as a Washington spinmaster who needs a war to distract public's attention from a sex scandal involving the President. Dustin Hoffman received an Academy Award nomination for his role in this biting political satire.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By jon
Format:VHS Tape
A lot of people knocked this film for being a rip-off of current events. Nothing could be further from the truth! What makes this satire so amazing is that its all coming true. For example:
1) This movie was made BEFORE the lewinsky/clinton scandal but the details were frighteningly similar
2) It told us the war of the future would be against dissident terrorists plotting against the US from camps in some remote country...years before we had heard of al Qaeda, 9/11, or a war in afghanistan
3) Watching Willie Nelson leading the 9/11 Tribute to Heroes telethon in singing "God Bless America" seemed like it was a rip-off of this movie.
To many, the premise of this movie may have seemed absurd when it was released. But each passing year reveals how closer it is to the truth than we think. For a scary, thought-provoking satire of Hollywood and Washington, check this movie out.
If it was a 2002 film, people would say it was a clever satire. That it was made in 1997 qualifies it as an absolute classic.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This review refers to the New Line Platinum Series DVD "Wag The Dog"....
The Preisdent of the United States has just been acussed by a "Firefly Girl" of improper advances to her, right in the Oval Office, no less. The story is about to break, and all hell will break loose. The President has 11 days until election day to gain the Public's favor in order to gain re-election. What to do?It's time to call in the big guns.Enter "Mr. Fix-it". He will put a spin on the situtation that will take care of everything.Sound familiar? Art imitating life? Or could it be the other way around, as Hollywood meets Washington for a poltical satire, that may not be so far off base.
Robert DeNiro heads an all star cast as Conrad Brean, the most sought after spin-doctor in D.C. He always"working on it", as he heads the public off the bad publicity and onto the President's campaign trail.He hires a big time Hollywood Producer(Dustin Hoffman) to "Produce" a war. Who will we go to war with? How bout Albania? Albania????,you ask. Why Albania? Well.. why
not? And this is not to be some little Independant production. This will be big time. Like the big Hollywood studios, they pull out all the stops. Complete with a theme song, logos, a hero and some great publicity. If things seem to be going wrong, i.e., the opposition and the C.I.A. are on to them, don't worry cause Connie "Is working on that".
The film is great fun and is loaded with talent.A great screenplay as expected from David Mamet and Hilary Henkin.At the helm is the wonderful Barry Levinson, and also lending their charms are Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson,William H Macy, Craig T. Nelson and Kirsten Dunst.
All this fun is presented on a terrific DVD.... Read more ›
The Preisdent of the United States has just been acussed by a "Firefly Girl" of improper advances to her, right in the Oval Office, no less. The story is about to break, and all hell will break loose. The President has 11 days until election day to gain the Public's favor in order to gain re-election. What to do?It's time to call in the big guns.Enter "Mr. Fix-it". He will put a spin on the situtation that will take care of everything.Sound familiar? Art imitating life? Or could it be the other way around, as Hollywood meets Washington for a poltical satire, that may not be so far off base.
Robert DeNiro heads an all star cast as Conrad Brean, the most sought after spin-doctor in D.C. He always"working on it", as he heads the public off the bad publicity and onto the President's campaign trail.He hires a big time Hollywood Producer(Dustin Hoffman) to "Produce" a war. Who will we go to war with? How bout Albania? Albania????,you ask. Why Albania? Well.. why
not? And this is not to be some little Independant production. This will be big time. Like the big Hollywood studios, they pull out all the stops. Complete with a theme song, logos, a hero and some great publicity. If things seem to be going wrong, i.e., the opposition and the C.I.A. are on to them, don't worry cause Connie "Is working on that".
The film is great fun and is loaded with talent.A great screenplay as expected from David Mamet and Hilary Henkin.At the helm is the wonderful Barry Levinson, and also lending their charms are Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson,William H Macy, Craig T. Nelson and Kirsten Dunst.
All this fun is presented on a terrific DVD.... Read more ›
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
When I saw this film at the cinema I thought it was a half decent parody of the Clinton administration, and the devious behaviour of politicians in general. As an ex civil servant I thought it was an extreme piece of satirical commedy with a clear message on the dangers of "spin". Had I rated it at he time, I would have given it a strong 3 star rating.
Given the events since the film, it's message and relevancy have become more important. The writers and director weren't intending to be prophetic (unlike Chaplin's the great dictator), but real world events have given this film a second lease of life! Great example of reality imitating art ......
Given the events since the film, it's message and relevancy have become more important. The writers and director weren't intending to be prophetic (unlike Chaplin's the great dictator), but real world events have given this film a second lease of life! Great example of reality imitating art ......
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's only 11 days before the presidential election. All is well until- OOPSY DAISY!! The president himself rapes a visiting firefly girl, in the whitehouse! Enter Anne Heche as the press secretary and Robert De Niro as Conrad Brean, spin-god and clean-up man extraordiaire. Together, they must find a way to divert the public's attention until after the election. They enlist the help of hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) in order to fabricate something big in a hurry. Can they get the current scandal wiped from the front pages of the papers in time? Yes, of course they can! With the help of a small army of actors, singers, advertising types, etc., Motss delivers a war with Albania! Why? Because they have "the bomb"! Not only that, but it's a suitcase bomb, and it's already in Canada, waiting to cross the border and destroy us! Watch as theme songs are concocted to fit the pre-arranged outcome! See slogans and catch-phrases on t-shirts and TV screens! Wonder at the gung-ho spirit of the manipulated masses as they participate in the greatest scam ever conceived! I love WAG THE DOG. It is a perfectly executed lampoon of all things political / commercial. This is the cynic's dream and the paranoid conspiracy theorist's nightmare! There are no good guys in this movie. Everyone is either dirty or totally oblivious. The words "republican" or "democrat" are never mentioned (the president's face is never shown), after all, party affiliation is irrelevant when we're all just an audience for the great charade. WTD is a movie that everyone should see at least twice. Once for the acidic humor, then again for the lurking truth behind it! Anne Heche's verbal assault on Hoffman's character (right after the plane crash) is priceless! Highly recommended...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wag the politicians
Love the movie. It is so up to date in all political moves. Especially in current times like the present political environment.
Published 16 hours ago by Douglas H. Green
5.0 out of 5 stars
An important movie
This was an important movie, that unsurprising got swept under the rug. Great performances all around, and lots of cameos from actors that would rise in renown over the next... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Giacomo Modica
5.0 out of 5 stars
great show
we rented the show for a paper that was required for school. the show was everything it was billed to be...
Published 10 days ago by Samuel Naquin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great film!
I love this film. Great concept and fun to watch. Awesome actors! I love a good conspiracy film and this one will make you laugh!
Published 25 days ago by lisa bragg
4.0 out of 5 stars
There isn't a B-3 bomber.
A must see movie. I wish more people would see this movie. It is hilarious, spot on and so, so true. Read more
Published 1 month ago by EM
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wag the Dog
It's a very good movie, I enjoyed it very much. It's not new but since I had never seen it I wanted to see if it lived up to what I had been told by friends. It did!
Published 1 month ago by W_____B
4.0 out of 5 stars
True Government
I had seen this movie when it first came out, I had looked for it at local video stores with no luck, I think it was a little before its time ,I think everybody should see this to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Danny Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Politicians LIED?
This movie is a great example of how we the public are lied to and just some of the insights to government working for us.
Published 1 month ago by Ronald A. Miller
4.0 out of 5 stars
very interesting storyline
interesting and funny movie,wanted to share it w.friends.very interesting story line. it is a good insight st for people becoming involved in politics
liz doria
liz doria
Published 1 month ago by liz
5.0 out of 5 stars
More reality than fiction
Wag the Dog is one of the best movies I've seen. Yes, it's funny, but it's also very realistic.
After watching this, I was stunned to realize how easily we could be... Read more
After watching this, I was stunned to realize how easily we could be... Read more
Published 2 months ago by kenneth r wagner
