Movie Filter : Newspapers

January 1, 2009 12:38 AM

I'm looking for movies that prominently feature newspapers in their plot, Like that Jim Belushi movie whatever it was called. or even just in certain scenes like the beginning of Blade Runner and the USA Today from back to the future.
posted by Paleoindian to media & arts (25 comments total)

Citizen Kane.
posted by comwiz at 12:40 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]

There's always The Paper.
posted by ORthey at 12:46 AM on January 1

Do movies about reporters getting a story count?

If so, see the Fletch movies.
posted by Nonce at 12:55 AM on January 1

I think the Fugitive and Minority Report both have scenes where a passenger recognizes Our (Respective) Heroes from their photos in the newspaper. Although the latter is a "space-age" digital newspaper. I dunno if those examples are too brief, and I'm sure there are tons of similar instances.

All the Presidents' Men? And I haven't seen it, but there's the '74 Wilder-Lemmon-Mathau film, The Front Page.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:11 AM on January 1

Does All the President's Men count? Zodiac? If you're ok with TV, then Season 5 of The Wire.
posted by Gyan at 1:13 AM on January 1

Here's a good start:

Newspaper Movies

Great Newspaper Movies

Journalists In The Movies
posted by Gerard Sorme at 1:13 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]

Thanks everyone. This is great info!
posted by Paleoindian at 1:23 AM on January 1

One other thing.....NOIR CITY 7 is coming up in San Francisco Jan. 23 - Feb 1. The theme this year is Newspaper Noir. This classic film noir festival is always incredible. They have a good list of newspaper-themed film noir flicks at the NOIR CITY site.
posted by Gerard Sorme at 1:24 AM on January 1

Absence of Malice
posted by imjustsaying at 4:41 AM on January 1

Since somebody else already mentioned a TV show, Early Edition.
posted by mohrr at 5:09 AM on January 1

Roman Holiday
posted by coizero at 5:48 AM on January 1

Deserving of special mention for actually containing songs about Pulitzer and Hearst: Newsies
posted by hydropsyche at 5:52 AM on January 1

"He Said, She Said" and "Sleepless in Seattle." (Meg Ryan's character is a reporter at The Baltimore Sun.)
posted by Airhen at 6:19 AM on January 1

How about "The Hudsucker Proxy" ?
posted by G33k t0 th4 D at 6:21 AM on January 1

Woman of the Year

Zodiac

All the President's Men

Spider-Man
posted by hot soup girl at 6:34 AM on January 1

His Girl Friday and the various permutations of it.
posted by Gungho at 7:11 AM on January 1

Superman
posted by Scoo at 7:48 AM on January 1

Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole is a fantastic take on the whole media circus thing from the early 50s.
posted by mandal at 7:54 AM on January 1

YES! Newsies! Christian Bale before anyone knew who he was, and speaking in a NY accent to boot. One of the best musicals ever. Also:

The Pelican Brief

I Love Trouble
posted by junipero at 8:55 AM on January 1

Did you say it had to be a good movie? What about "Perfect", starring John Travolta as a Rolling Stones reporter facing profound ethical dilemmas? Sheer unintentional hilarity
posted by acrasis at 8:55 AM on January 1

Call Northside 777 (1948) with Jimmy Stewart.

From imdb's plot summary: "Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal re-opens a ten year old murder case."

Saw this years ago. I remember the climax involves a picture from front-page of the paper and using something like a fax machine (in 1948!) to get it to a courtroom in time.
posted by marsha56 at 9:58 AM on January 1

"Hendricks! Line up all the papers in the State! Don't print a word of what Smith says--not a word of any news story coming out of Washington! Understand? Defend the machine. *Hit* this guy! A criminal--convicted by Senate--blocking relief bill--starving the people. Start protests coming. Wires. Buy up every minute you can on every two-watt radio station in the State. Keep 'em spouting against Smith! McGann's flying out--be there in five hours. Stop your presses--yank out the stories you got in 'em now--and get going--*get that whole State moving*--!"
posted by halcyon_daze at 10:14 AM on January 1

"While the City Sleeps" - Nasty Fritz Lang serial killer movie

"Blessed Event" - -Early talkie with Lee Tracy as a gossip columnist

"Sweet Smell of Success" - Clifford Odetts used a purple typewriter ribbon to write the screenplay of a thinly disguised Walter Winchell type columnist (at his peak, Winchell was as powerful as Oprah and as mean as Perez Hilton). Burt Lancaster plays J.J. Hunsucker (sp), the columnist who says, "I love this cesspool of a city" (1950s NYC, filmed on location). Tony Curtis plays Sidney ("avidly, avidly") Falco the publicist. The Citizen Kane of columnist movies.

"Park Row" - Samuel Fuller pulp film about the NYC version of Fleet Street
posted by doncoyote at 1:06 PM on January 1

The Harry Potter series has quite a few plotlines relying heavily on newspapers (mainly The Daily Prophet and the tabloid The Quibbler). I don't remember how heavily those are drawn upon in the movies as opposed to the books, but I'm sure they're there.
posted by NoraReed at 10:25 PM on January 1

The Day The Earth Caught Fire has a reporter character and was part-filmed in an actual newspaper office (The Express).

There's a famous scene towards the end with two different headlines set up for the next day's edition - 'Earth Saved!' / 'Earth Doomed!' - waiting for the result of the last attempt to rescue the planet
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:12 AM on January 2