Hola Dannie aqui,
Well, folks, it seems as though James Mangold the badass director and producer that brought us "LOGAN," "The Wolverine" "3:10 to Yuma" "Walk the Line" "Girl, Interrupted" and "Cop Land" is currently working on an "Untitled Patty Hearst Project." It has been announced that the film is to be based on Jeffrey Toobin's best-selling book "American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst." If you are not yet to read Toobin's book, it is an enthralling glimpse into a very troubled time in our country where we as a nation we were drastically divided and radicals were birthed from chaos and propaganda. Penning the screenplay are Mr. Mangold, joining him at the writer's table is Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander, the team who wrote: "Ed Wood" "The People vs. Larry Flynt" "Man on the Moon" and "Big Eyes" all of which are stellar Bio-Films! So I expect this to be story wise perfect as these guys know how to pace and weave a story that will do justice and respect to those individuals it is being based on.
The actress currently in talks to be challenged with the role of Patricia (she prefers that to Patty) Hearst the Heiress of the über-newspaper-tycoon William Randolph Hearst's fortune is Elle Fanning. Fanning is known for her work on J.J. Abrams 2011 film "Super 8," in 2014 she played the character Aurora in the film "Maleficent." Fanning also was in "The Neon Demon" "20th Century Women" and this year played the famous Mary Shelley in the film "Mary Shelley." I loved her in "Super 8" and "The Neon Demon" so I am hoping she will do a fabulous job portraying Hearst throughout the most chaotic period of her life.
Hearst has worked in the cinema as a writer and actress herself, mainly working with "The Peoples Pervert" cinema's shock and schlock master Mr. John Waters. Patricia's first time on the silver screen was in "Cry-Baby" playing the mother of Wanda, a controversial pairing. Wanda being played by Traci Lords who starred alongside superstar Johnny Depp, King of Punk Iggy Pop, the unforgettable actress Susan Tyrrell as the gritty character Romona Rickettes and Ricki Lake. Hearst went on to be in "Serial Mom," "Bio-Dome," "Pecker," "Cecil B. DeMented," "Second Best" and "A Low Down Dirty Shame" as well as some work on television.
Hearst life has been very complex, and the film they are making is going to revolve around her violent abduction by the radical group the Symbionese Liberation Army, or SLA on the night of February 4th, 1974 in Berkeley, California. Patricia was only 19 years old they brutally beat her Fiancé and stuffed Patty in the trunk. This began one of the strangest investigations the F.B.I. Ever has delved into.
The SLA had already been wanted for shooting two Oakland School Officials with cyanide-tipped bullets, killing one and seriously wounding the other. The group was already considered domestic terrorist's and the Hearst-napping lit a fire in the media and the F.B.I. After her kidnapping, the SLA released several audiotapes demanding millions of dollars in food donations for her release. During this time they abused and attempted to brainwash the Heiress, and it worked. According to many Patty successfully had full-blown Stockholm Syndrome a mental illness in which you not only sympathize with your captors, you fall in love with them, and there ideals. However, Hearst herself says all of her actions were due to fear, and that she was raped, drugged, beaten and abused. So begins the grotesque and psychedelic Alice in Wonderland-like tale!
On April 3rd the SLA released a tape with Hearst pledging allegiance to the SLA and renouncing the capitalistic pigs in power. Twelve days later there is video footage of Hearst robbing a bank with the SLA. The FBI then launched one of the most massive agent-intensive man-hunts in history.
It was not until September 18th, 1975 that they would capture the elusive Hearst in San Francisco, California. She was charged with several crimes including bank robbery. The following trial was a media feeding frenzy, and even though Patricia has always claimed she was brainwashed and in fear for her life, the jury still found her guilty, handing out a sentence of seven years, which Hearst only served two of due to a Presidential pardon by President Carter.
I bet you must be wondering why I am sorta obsessed with this case, well besides it being interesting, as a 12 year old I visited the Hearst Castle with my Dad and brother, and if you have not been to visit it is beyond any Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous! I remember the night before we went to visit my family introduced me to the 1941 cinematic masterpiece "Citizen Kane" so between the film and the visit to the fracking Castle I was bound to become a Hearst history geekette!
So if you guys did not know the history I tried to quickly sum it up for you all, and have attatched some videos and a documentary that played and was nominated for the 2004 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, it is over two hours of Radical Zippie Gorilla Goodness!
Stay Strong, Live Good, Love Movies!
Dannie aka Pekosa Peligrosa
