“Two-thirds of American movies are extensions of commercials — they tell you how to feel and they tell you how to think — rather than letting you figure it out on your own," said Arkin, who has been acting since the 1960s and won the supporting actor Oscar for "Little Miss Sunshine." "Ben treats the audience like adults. He doesn't shove you into endless close-ups, and the music doesn't tell you what's going to happen next, which is something I hate in American movies.” CiaSeeArgoLesterSiegelAffleckArkinMatt Damon Book:An Improvised Life: A Memoir: Library Edition Source: An Improvised Life: A Memoir: Library Edition
“'Argo,' 'Lincoln,' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' three films honored with Best Picture Oscar nominations, lionize their Washington-anchored protagonists as crafty, competent, and virtually incorruptible.” FilmThreeDarkThirtyZeroOscarsHonoredCompetentNominationsProtagonistsCraftyBest PictureArgoZero Dark Thirty Author:Ron Fournier
“British diplomats who worked in Iran during the 1980 hostage crisis are deeply upset by Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning film 'Argo,' which suggests they refused shelter to the group who managed to get out of the U.S. embassy.” FilmWinningGroupsCrisisBritishUpsetIranShelterOscarsHostageDiplomatsEmbassyArgoHostage Crisis Author:Simon Hoggart
“We usually break the story first. For instance, on The Monuments Men, and this one is more complicated because there's a lot of history, so before we started, we sat down with Robert Edsel, the author of the book, for about a week, and basically, he just gave us a lecture and went through everything. And then, I had a researcher, somebody who we had actually used on Argo.” MenFirstsBookStoriesUsedBreakWeekComplicatedInstanceSatLecturesMonumentResearchersArgo Author:Grant Heslov
“I've consciously taken on material that's a bit too much for me but not an overreach. The first movie, just about performances. 'The Town,' I learned how to work broader material, develop tension, direct bigger scenes, action sequences. 'Argo,' I experimented with film stock, widened the scope of my geography.” FirstsActionFilmBitsTakenToo MuchMaterialsSceneDirectPerformancesBiggerTownsTensionScopeSequenceGeographyArgo Author:Ben Affleck
“The nation of Iran is threatening to sue the makers of the movie Argo. They say the movie was an unrealistic portrayal of their country. You can't do that! That would be like Scotland suing over the movie Shrek.” CountryWould BeNationsIranMakersScotlandThreateningPortrayalSuingArgo Author:Craig Ferguson
“Argo might well be studied as a bait-and-switch masterwork: In showing the capture of the American Embassy in Tehran, Ben Affleck first made a fetish of authenticity, then served up a shamelessly Hollywood, and wholly fictional climax, then capped the whole thing off with a coda that was essentially a tribute to his movie's authenticity, complete with side-by-side photos of the actors and their near-identical real-life counterparts. Well done, sir!” FirstsWellsMadeRealDoneWholeMightActorsSidesHollywoodReal LifeAuthenticityCaptureIdenticalTributeWell DoneBaitCounterpartsClimaxFetishTehranEmbassyArgo Author:David Edelstein
“What I love is how pissed off Jane Eyre is. She's in a rage for the whole novel and the payoff is she gets to marry this blind guy who's toasted his wife in the attic." -Angela Argo "Blue Angel” WholeGuyLove IsNovelWifeAngelBlueBlindRageJanePissed OffAtticsPayoffAngelaArgo Author:Francine Prose
“Bob says hello," He told the stars. The Argo II sailed into the night.” NightStarsBobHelloArgo Author:Rick Riordan