Tina Fey is co-producing the film “67 shots,” which will depict the events leading up to the 1970 shooting at Kent State University.
The film will be directed by Jay Roach, who previously worked with Fey on “Sisters,” which Roach produced.
Roach’s other work as a director includes “Game Change,” the HBO drama depicting Sarah Palin’s rise to a vice presidential nomination (and, no, Fey did not play Palin), and “Trumbo,” among others. His more recent political work comes after directing franchises like “Austin Powers” and “Meet the Parents.”
The film will be a historical drama detailing the events that led to the shooting of Kent State students during a Vietnam War protest in May 1970. Sixty-seven shots were fired by the Ohio National Guard, four students were killed and nine were injured.
“There was a prevailing movement in the country – they measured it with polls – where the vast majority of Americans blamed the students for what happened,” Roach told Deadline. “We have footage of the people on the streets saying, ‘I wish they’d shot them all.’”
Roach also compared the 1970 events to today’s political protests, specifically the controversy surrounding athletes' choice not to stand for the national anthem.
“The tamer version of this now is the NFL protest, the hatred that comes out for any show of what some people consider lack of patriotism,” he said.
"Four dead in O-h-i-o."
A troll asked me recently how I could have been so politically aware at such a young age.
Well the answer to that were events like this which shocked and inspired my generation to become more aware and ultimately more involved in the political process.
For me this was a seminal event in my life, and it definitely impacted how I saw government and the military for decades to come.
And I think a movie about it at this time in America will send a very powerful message about how terrible things can become in this country if we do not stand up as speak truth to power.
I was a junior in high school in 1970. Our English teacher took us to Akron University for the first Earth Day that April. My best friend's brother was a freshman at Kent State and I can tell you, we were terrified until he called home.
ReplyDeleteToday, there is a huge controversy in my lily white chemical company HQs MI town about some high school students who plan to take a knee at tomorrow night's crosstown football rivalry game. The administration is asking them not to protest, but has allowed that they have the constitutional right to do so. You should read the hate toward these kids from the community! You'd think they were threatening to kill someone. These same people are fine with a KKK guy wandering the streets in his robe with a gun. But let some high school kids react to the killing of unarmed teens, and they want them expelled! I will be with them tomorrow night. We're taking or grandkids to the game, and I will be supporting those brave students, unless the admin talks them out of it, as they are trying to do.
It's a turning point.I know what side I'm on. There's no question.
DeleteWould someone giftwrap the young lady and send her to me, pretty pronto?
ReplyDeleteI was a junior in high school, as well. We can't and shouldn't forget the 2 Black students killed at Jackson State in protests over the war.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-candidate-for-georgia-governor-is-holding-a-bump-stock-giveaway
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfOx2AQOW1A
ReplyDeleteFour dead in Ohio
How many more?
DeleteI was in 7th grade. The TV black and white. Its like we can connect the dots to today. The Extreme RW of our society. The hateful the radical, the less educated, the anger, abusive behavior, the false information put out on airwaves. The senseless war. It is a society and war majority of Americans did not want then nor now. Americans must rise and vote the bums out who enable this behavior in any way.
ReplyDelete"at least six people were killed and 35 others were wounded in weekend violence in Chicago as the number of homicides continues to outpace last year."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-weekend-shootings-chicago-violence20170724-story.html
Baltimore: "8 murders this week, 282 murders this year."
http://www.citypaper.com/news/murderink/
I remember it clearly...
ReplyDeleteI was a high-school age kid
when we heard it on the news
"Gotta get down to it
"Soldiers are cutting us down"
my parents said
"It's about time"
My view of my parents changed that day.
And my view of blind respect for authority.
"What if you knew her
"And found her dead on the ground
"How can you run when you know?"