TVSquad

This original movie from HBO Films is based on Dee Brown's famous book of the same name, stars Anna Paquin, Aidan Quinn, and Adam Beach, and was executive produced by TV veteran Dick Wolf.

Beach is sort of Hollywood's go-to-guy who portrays a Native American character in everything from John Woo's WIndtalkers to Clint Eastwood's Flags of our Fathers. Now don't get me wrong, I think he's a good actor, but aren't there any other Native American actors out there who can step into roles like this?

The movie, like the book, is about the massacre at Wounded Knee, and the extremely heavy-handed attempt of the U.S. government to assimilate Native Americans and homogenize them, much like the Borg does on Star Trek:TNG.

They did this by moving them onto reservations and giving them "Christian" names, and allowing them to "hunt" for food ... by chasing penned calves around with a rifle. It's a heart-breaking and tragic story, and according to the creative team has ties to the current U.S. situation in Iraq.

Quote of the panel:

• Anna Paquin: "Sadly, stories like this are not unique in the United States." She can act, and she's political. Watch out folks.
• Fred Thompson, former U.S. senator and actor who has is always typecast as a hard-assed senator, admiral, and politician in general plays President Ulysses S. Grant. When aproached by executive producer Dick Wolf and asked if he wanted to play him, Thompson replied: "Not if I have to grow the damn beard."

(S03E04) The episode started in the middle of a con, while the gang was having lunch with the mark. Stacie appeared in a traditional Indian dress, quite the vision. There was talk about a movie investment. The mark was an Indian fellow named Samar. He was extremely unkind and, as he left, Mickey remarked that he never wanted to take anyone's money so badly. Samar rode away in a limo, chaffeured by Danny. Suddenly, he said that everything was too perfect... "You're all con artists!" Danny turned around to try and make some excuse, but ended up driving into a stationary car. Crap.

You know, I used to watch American Chopper now and again because I kind of liked the Teutuls' act. You know what I mean: Paulie Sr. is the gruff but lovable father that is always barking out orders and issuing empty threats; Paulie Jr. is supposed to be the heir apparent to the Orange County Choppers empire, but doesn't seem to want it or care; Mikey's the comic relief. Then, of course, I found out that, like most reality shows, the yelling and tension is mostly made-up. By then it didn't really matter, though; I had stopped watching because the formula started to get tiresome to me.

But then I read in my local newspaper (yes, they still print those) that this episode, which first aired on Monday, would be a celebrity build for my favorite singer, Billy Joel, and that Billy would be a complete pain in the ass. Oh, boy. The prickly "my way or the highway" Teutuls mixed with the "delicate genius" of the Piano Man? This was one I had to watch.

The policeman from the popular 70s/80s disco group The Village People was arrested on Sunday for drug possession and giving false ID to...a policeman! Victor Willis will return to court on April 10.

My favorite part of this story: "The officer did not immediately recognize Willis..." Um, why would he? Why would anybody? He's not that famous. The only way you might recognize him is if he was wearing the cop uniform, and even then he'd have to be dancing.

Another odd part of this story: he was actually arrested last year but vanished before sentencing. Authorities had actually been looking for Willis for months. Hopefully he'll show up this time.

A family from the Mescalero Apache tribe is suing the producers of the Steven Spielberg television series, Into the West. The family claims that their daughter's hair was cut without permission and without regard for tribal customs. The girl, 8-year old Christina Ponce, had her hair cut up to her chin to make her look like a Native American boy. The Mescalero tribe forbids cutting a girl's hair before she reaches puberty, when it should be waist-length for a Coming of Age ceremony. Ponce's parents are suing for $250,000 for emotional distress and $75,000 in damages. The girl was cast in the role after her parents responded to a casting call in New Mexico last March. Into the West aired on TBS TNT last summer.