News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Monday December 29th 2025
Snowden
*** out of 5 stars
Oliver Stone is the ideal director for “Snowden”, the man I”'ve admired who back in the 1980s and the early 1990s would willingly step into controversial subject matter such as his films “Platoon” (1986), “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) and “JFK” (1991). “Snowden” is one of those controversial men who for most Americans are shaped in a binary cup: either hero or traitor.
Oliver Stone”'s entire cast give solid performances though I must say compared to Laura Poitras”' 2014 documentary “Citizenfour”, Stone”'s biography of Edward Snowden , roughly over a ten year period”“c2004-2013”“seizes on some of the same talking points with less gusto.
The story starts (in some flashbacks) with Snowden in the Army Reserves and being rewarded by hired with the CIA as a brainy nerd sur-passing his colleagues in scores. While working for the CIA, Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Lindsay Mills (Shailene Woodley) immediately become lovers. In one scene as Snowden and Mills walk through a protest against the war in Iraq, Snowden shows his conservative sentiments and Mills responds from a more liberal perspective.
One of the critical scenes in Stone”'s version takes place in Hong Kong where Snowden meets with two international journalists Glenn Greenville (Zachary Quinto) and Ewen MacAskill (Tom Wilkinson) and an independent filmmaker Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) to blow the cover off of US government domestic surveillance programs.… Read the rest “Snowden”
Please call again!
The Alley Newspaper seeks a caller
A woman left a message on The Alley Newspaper voice mail last month raving about The Alley Newspaper and how much she enjoyed having it to read.
So much so that she said she doesn”'t want to risk always getting it safely so inquired about the possibility of a subscription for having it mailed.
We are disappointed that her message and contact information disappeared before we wrote it down. If you called and are reading this plea, PLEASE CALL AGAIN. We don”'t want to ignore you. And, yes, a mailed subscription is possible.
Related Images:
This is my Story
By Patrick Cabello Hansel
The 3rd issue of “The Phoenix of Phillips”, our neighborhood”'s own literary magazine, will be an insert in the November issue of The Alley. But you can get a preview copy and hear some of the writers at the annual “Taste of Phillips” Art Festival on October 29, at St. Paul”'s Lutheran Church, 2742 15th Ave S. Writers young and old will read their work; there will be live music, an exhibition of local artists, activities for children and adults, a silent auction, and tasty Mexican food for sale.
The Phoenix of Phillips is a part of the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts at St. Paul”'s. Over the past ten years, Semilla (seed in Spanish) has taught over 2200 people mosaics, murals, photography, drama, creative writing and other art forms. Professional artists, working with community residents, have installed 23 murals and over 50 other public art place holders. Partners have included Andersen United School (Go Phoenixes!), Roosevelt High School, The Center for Changing Lives and the Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center.… Read the rest “This is my Story”
Keep citizen journalism alive!
