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White House Party Crashers; FAA Releases NWA Communication; Florida Troopers Meet with Woods
Aired November 28, 2009 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: So just how close did those White House party crashers get to President Obama? Well, take a look right here.
And the police pay a call on Tiger Woods. The latest on the middle of the night mystery that has everybody talking.
And celebrating at the cinema, from ninja assassins to a cartoon fox. What's on the big screen this holiday season? You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday, November 28th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Hello again, everyone.
Our top story. Russia says it is dealing with an act of terrorism. A second bomb detonated at the site of Friday's deadly train derailment. Russian authorities say the initial wreck was caused by a homemade bomb that exploded as the train traveled from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Dozens were killed and about 100 injured. Russian TV says no one was hurt in the second blast. The train is a luxury express that's popular with government officials, tourists, and business executives.
And we're learning more about the couple who crashed the White House state dinner. And about exactly what happened that night. Among other things, they actually got to meet President Obama, face to face.
CNN's Kate Bolduan is at the White House. So Kate, what is the White House saying about this face-to-face meeting?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: About this bizarre, I think you said it earlier, Fredricka, which I think is very appropriate, this bizarre situation. Well, the Secret Service insists that President Obama was never in any danger, that this Virginia couple, Tareq and Micheale Salahi that they had to go through security, several levels of security like all of the guests that attended Tuesday's estate dinner.
But in a statement released Friday, the director of the Secret Service Mark Sullivan says the agency is deeply concerned and embarrassed. In the statement he goes on to say that they, the Salahis "should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing, he says, is ours."
Clearly the investigation, the review of just what happened in this situation continues and is nowhere near its end. Fran Townsend, former Homeland Security adviser to President Bush says she expects to see fallout. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRAN TOWNSEND, FMR. BUSH HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: At best the uniform division Secret Service agents who let them onto the property will be disciplined and at worst they could potentially be fired. I will tell you it is a very serious security breach because after all, bad people will watch this and watch how they did it and learn, and they may test the Secret Service in other circumstances, if not at the White House, as a result of this. So it is a very, very serious case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Well, while the White House has asked the Secret Service for a full review of the circumstances surrounding this incident, White House spokesperson Nick Shapiro made the point to say that the Secret Service still has the full confidence of President Obama, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. What about from the couple? Are we hearing anything more from them?
BOLDUAN: Right now, today we have not heard anything additional from the couple. We do know that from the attorney, a statement from the attorney, that he says they did not crash this event and that they are looking forward to setting the record straight very soon.
We should point out that the Secret Service is not ruling out a possibility of criminal charges in this case, but just today an administration official said to me and made it very clear, Fredricka, there was no request for any clearance for this couple. They were not invited. They were not on any lists.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And I saw one quote that kind of caught my eye from the lawyer of this couple saying that they were cleared, "cleared" by the White House to be there. So it's going to be interesting to see what they mean by the word cleared. Just simply let in the door or really cleared like everybody else. All right. Kate Bolduan, thanks so much from the White House.
Ahead this hour, we'll hear from our legal experts Richard Herman and Avery Friedman about exactly what this couple might be facing next.
All right. Meantime, police in Florida are still sorting out exactly what happened when Tiger Woods was involved in a single-vehicle accident. They showed up, the police did, at Tiger Woods' home just a short time ago.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is in Windermere, Florida, and so what do we expect is actually going to take place at this meeting?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they've been in there for a little more than an hour now. We saw two Florida highway patrol police vehicles go inside this exclusive gated community where Tiger Woods and his family live, his wife and two young children. With plans to interview Tiger Woods about what exactly happened overnight Thanksgiving into Friday morning at about 2:30 in the morning. Now, before any police agency can button down even a minor accident investigation, they still have to talk to the driver of the car. In this case police never had that opportunity because by the time the investigating agency arrived on the scene Friday morning. Tiger Woods had already been rushed to the hospital after police say he left his driveway at about 2:30 in the morning, hit a fire hydrant, and then banged into a neighbor's tree. All outside his front door.
So at this point that's why investigators say they want to get a statement from Tiger Woods. When they went to his house after he was released from the hospital on Friday night, Woods' wife told them that he was sleeping and that they would have to come back. So that's what's happened.
So again a lot of questions swirling around, what was Tiger Woods doing at 2:30 in the morning outside his house and why did his wife use a golf club to bash out the rear window of the vehicle? Police say when they came upon the scene, she was standing over her husband described as frantic. He was described as having cuts on his lips, upper and lower lips, blood in his mouth, and was semi unconscious as police initially tried to talk with him.
We don't yet know at this time whether Tiger Woods will be well enough to attend a golf tournament that starts on Monday in California that's benefiting one of his charities. Back to you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti, thank you so much for that update.
Meantime, let's talk about what's taking place overseas. Britain today announcing plans for an international summit on Afghanistan. It will be held in London two months from today and focus on establishing an exit strategy there, a time table for Afghan troops to take over the fight against Taliban rebels.
The Obama administration says it supports the conference. President Obama is expected to announce plans next week, in fact, for a troop increase in Afghanistan, but a spokesman says the U.S. commitment there is not open-ended.
President Obama's Afghanistan speech is scheduled for Tuesday night. Among other things he is expected to say exactly how many more troops he plans to send. CNN's special coverage "Decision Afghanistan" starts at 7:00 Eastern time.
All right. Three Americans died today in a fiery plane crash in China. They were crew members on board a Zimbabwe registered cargo plane. Officials say the aircraft's tail hit the ground during takeoff at Shanghai's main airport. The plane then veered off the runway and burst into flames. Four other crew members were hurt, including one American.
We're also learning more details about that Northwest Airlines flight that overshot Minneapolis but still no explanation. The FAA released recordings of air traffic controllers talking to the pilots of flight 188. The plane wandered about 100 miles into Wisconsin and actually lost radio contact for more than an hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minneapolis, Northwest 1-88
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minneapolis Center, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, we got distracted and we have overflown Minneapolis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Northwest flight 188, do you have time to give a brief explanation on what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just cockpit distractions. That's all I can say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Still no explanation of what that means exactly. Air traffic controllers ultimately had the pilots perform several turns to verify that they were in fact in control of that airplane.
OK. Perhaps you want to get married on the cheap. We'll tell you about some folks who got hitched for $40, also ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your comments are valuable but I'm going to ignore your advice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cuss you are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you cussing with me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you're cussing with me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't cuss and point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE:
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Does that sound like George Clooney? So just how fantastic is Mr. Fox? We'll take a look at what exactly is at the movies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Some people get really creative in times of need. Take this one. 40 weddings in 40 hours at just $40 each. People in need get married on the cheap and the money raised is actually going to a very good cause.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLOTTE ADDISON, BRIDE: My dream as a little girl, I mean, was always getting married. This is when I first got out of the hospital.
WHITFIELD (voice-over): like many women who look forward to their dream wedding, Charlotte Addison had it all planned out. That is until a week prior to the ceremony when her dream became a nightmare.
ADDISON: We were supposed to get married, and I got sick with a really bad bacterial infection. We had to cancel the wedding.
WHITFIELD: Charlotte's fiance also had some setbacks of his own. The death of his mother and the loss of his job. Now, faced with additional health costs and kidney dialysis several times a week, Charlotte began looking for something less stressful than a traditional wedding.
ADDISON: I was on the internet googling it out and I put in weddings and it said wed-a-thon.
WHITFIELD: She found an event that was raising money for disadvantaged children. It was a perfect solution with an affordable price tag for her. 40 couples will get married in 40 hours for only $40 each.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what is that?
WHITFIELD: Sylvia Wayfer-Clark, an Atlanta wedding coordinator, put the fund-raiser together. She provides the venue, reception, officiate, and the cake, hoping to raise $5,000 for the Atlanta Children's Shelter.
SYLVIA WAYFER-CLARK, 40-40-40 FOUNDER: My passion is helping children. There's a need out there and that's what this event is all about and it's also making available the opportunity for couples who don't think they have the opportunity to have a wedding of their dream.
WHITFIELD: 40 couples signed up, each agreeing to be cycled through the ceremony and the reception in one hour. A win-win for the children's shelter and couples on a budget.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so nervous.
WHITFIELD: After 12 years together and multiple hardship's Charlotte's day is finally here.
ADDISON: Now, you know, I feel like my dream is coming true.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gregory and this is Charlotte Cobb.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Yey! Congrats to them. All right. Well, the event raised almost $6,000 and so a check actually will be presented to the Atlanta Children's shelter on December 3rd. Planning is already under way for the next event, and you can get more information at 40-40- 40.com. All right. The Thanksgiving holiday packs a lot of travel into a very little bit of time. Jacqui Jeras has the forecast for the rest of your holiday weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras and find out just how getting around might go this holiday weekend with a nice mixed bag of weather.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. You know, you look at the radar and you're thinking, lovely day.
WHITFIELD: Piece of cake.
JERAS: Not bad but what you don't see, my friend, is the wind, and that's been a big story across the northeastern corridor all day today. We had some incredible wind gusts causing power outages and causing damage. 40,000 people without power in New Hampshire. Albany, New York, the Parachuting Santa had to cancel today because of the wind.
WHITFIELD: Oh.
JERAS: I know. So certainly impacting people and their plans whether you're traveling or you're just trying to go to see some type of event. Check out some of the gusts that we've had today. 61 miles per hour in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 53 miles per hour in Nantucket. Islip, 51. 47 in Teterboro and 35 miles per hour over there in New York City in Central Park.
Now, we're also looking at some wet and snowy weather across parts of the southwest. Check out these pictures that we have to show you off i-80 in California. Traffic trouble here due to a fresh round of snow. A big rig was jackknifed near Cisco Grove. More than six inches of snow fell into the higher elevations of the Sierra. There you can see the car that was flipped over there.
Yes, there were some injuries, but from what I understand, they were minor, so that is some good news there, but you're going to see just how it snarled traffic. This was yesterday, but you can see there's still some snow coming down in parts of Southern California. Winter weather advisories out in the county for the Los Angeles area and just some light rain showers. And this is heading across parts of the southwest, too. We could even see some showers or isolated thunderstorms over into the Phoenix area today.
Now, if you're trying to travel by the airway, this is what's amazing to me. Yesterday and today both, hello, where are the delays? Because we've had certainly some weather makers to cause the delays. So I'm just thinking people aren't traveling today. In fact, AAA, by the way, says there are about 1 million more people driving this year than last. So, you know, higher fees, a lot of people not doing it.
WHITFIELD: No. They're mad about, you know, having to pay fees for checking your bag. JERAS: It does. I don't want to do it. Just charge me more and don't tell me about it.
WHITFIELD: It makes me growl.
JERAS: Anyway, so we do have some delays there at JFK, they're only 30 minutes and it's only one city, so unless you're going there, hey just read a book or watch CNN a little longer. All right. Tomorrow we'll likely have some delays just because of volume. Of course, that's the other big travel day around the holiday. There you can see our weather maker across the nation's midsection and we think the worst of the weather is going to be down here into parts of Texas.
So if you're traveling to Dallas, say Oklahoma City, into Little Rock, Memphis, area, even pushing into St. Louis, we could have some delays there. Some light rain showers across the Great Lakes. We don't really think it will be a snow event. So that's some good news. All right. It was, you know, a big week of travel. People still traveling. I was asking for your I-reports of how you were spending your holiday. Or how travel was going for you.
We got an i-report here that we want to show you. And this one is from Jennifer Oles I believe, out of Middleton, New York. We got that i-report because I love this one because it's kind of that warm, fuzzy kind of thing.
WHITFIELD: What do you mean warm, fuzzy?
JERAS: They turned their high school into a soup kitchen.
WHITFIELD: Oh, nice.
JERAS: And she took pictures of the students and the faculty that turned out to feed the homeless. They had a brunch event. There are about 100 people that came out and volunteered. Some of the students learning to cook for the first time.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's nice.
JERAS: So thank you to Jennifer. By the way, she's a broadcast journalism student at Boston University.
WHITFIELD: All right.
JERAS: So good luck, Jennifer.
WHITFIELD: Love it.
JERAS: Good business. Go for it.
WHITFIELD: I love it. Using the still images to help tell the story. I appreciate it.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks, Jacqui. Let's take a look at these top stories right now.
A fiery plane crash in China has left three people dead, all of them Americans. They were crew members on board a Zimbabwe registered cargo plane. Officials say the aircraft's tail hit the ground during takeoff at Shanghai's main airport. The plane then veered off the runway and then burst into flames. Four other crew members were hurt including one American.
And violent clashes between police and protestors (INAUDIBLE) in Geneva, Switzerland today. It was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration World Trade Organization conference. The protesters began attacking banks, hotels, and shops. And cars were set on fire and windows smashed. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowd. There were at least 20 arrests.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers met with Tiger Woods today for about an hour at the pro-golfer's home. They went there to discuss Woods' car accident on Friday. Police say Woods smashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree near his Orlando area home. Our affiliate WFTV is posting these up close photographs from the crash scene.
Police say Woods' wife used a golf club to smash out a window to actually help him get out of the SUV. That's what she told authorities, and they have conveyed that to everyone. Woods suffered minor injuries. 911 tapes are expected to be released tomorrow.
A Minnesota couple is celebrating the arrival of their Thanksgiving butter ball, but we're not talking turkey. That one right there. Butterball is the nickname of Wendy and Mike Dolton's baby boy who weighed 15 pounds, 6 ounces when he was born three weeks early, by the way. That's a butterball all right. Mrs. Dolton says the conversation she had with her doctor immediately after the C-section delivery went something like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDI DOLTON, MOTHER: He said 15, 6. And I thought - I didn't know if it was (INAUDIBLE) I don't know if it was 15, 6 the time. He goes wait. And I said wait for what? What are we waiting for? He said weight, you know no, I'm curtained down. And I'm like, are you kidding me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That was a big bundle of joy. The hospital staff was also ecstatic telling the family they had never seen a newborn that big before. For the record, Butterball's real name is Axel Laverne.
All right. This year retailers are pulling out all the stops and that includes ebay hitting the road to get a piece of your shopping dollar.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Some encouraging early reports on Black Friday sales. Many retailers say they like the size of yesterday's crowds. They say shoppers appear to be digging deeper into their wallets than last year. A web marketing group says the average online order was about $170 yesterday. That's up 35 percent from last year.
Stores are taking all sorts of steps to compete for holiday shoppers, and so are online sites. Our Josh Levs went outside the CNN Center to check out something new. It's coming to a city near you. Ebay has a mobile boutique traveling across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): So as we look at how retailers are competing in this season, eBay is doing something brand new. They have this mobile boutique and Karen Bard, ebay's (INAUDIBLE) is here to tell us about it. Thanks, Karen.
KAREN BARD, EBAY MOBILE BOUTIQUE: Good morning. How are you?
LEVS: Good morning to you. What are we looking at here? What is this?
BARD: We are looking at the eBay mobile boutique. It is a virtual eBay marketplace. Step inside and get over 200 million gift ideas for the holidays. So it's rolling into your town, get inspired for the holidays and shop online.
LEVS: All right. So this is traveling to major cities across the country.
BARD: Major cities across the country, popping up and we're really highlighting the eBay marketplace and the entrepreneurs and the people that make the marketplace run.
LEVS: All right. Any idea here behind what you're doing is you have to compete, right? You have all these different stories out there, better sales.
BARD: Absolutely.
LEVS: You want people to remember if you buy something from eBay, you can bargain for a price and then eBay gets a chunk of that.
BARD: Well, absolutely, but the greatest thing is that we're really highlighting the great merchandise available on eBay, the selection and of course, the value. Everybody needs a deal this holiday season and eBay has them for you. And plus, the hottest products.
LEVS: All right. Let's take a look at some of those deals.
BARD: Absolutely.
LEVS: This is one of the most popular things, right?
BARD: Well, one of the most popular things is the Zhu Zhu pets. For the parent who does not the want to get your kid a pet hamster, this is the perfect thing. These are little electronic robotic hamster that come with environments. They scoot around on the floor. These are the hottest thing.
LEVS: Does it do something?
BARD: It does. When, you know, when you put it on the floor, it can go and does all kinds of things, but these are sold out in stores. The only place you are going to be able to find these available is on eBay. We have over 20,000 of them listed on eBay right now.
LEVS: Right.
BARD: Sold out in the stores, limited in the stores but not on eBay.
LEVS: All right. We know, one reason a lot of people turn to ebay is for electronics.
BARD: Absolutely.
LEVS: They hope to get better deals. Also they hope to get things that they can't get in stores anymore.
BARD: Absolutely. But the greatest thing about eBay, iPhones, iPods, whether you want last season's or this season's, we have them available on the site. E-readers are huge this year as well, and, of course, iPods. Little shuffles, cameras, (INAUDIBLE) and I love this great little TV. It's perfect for a kid's room or a kitchen. It's a great little size and a great value.
LEVS: All right. Let's climb on board the eBay mobile boutique. We're going to check it out. Let's go.
BARD: Five computer kiosks inside, screens showing the hottest gifts and of course, the hottest gifts are all laid out in front of you.
LEVS: We're going to emphasize. There aren't for sale here. The way it works on eBay is you buy from someone else via the internet.
BARD: Exactly.
LEVS: But these are here to suggest items you might want to look for on eBay.
BARD: Right. Right. These are to inspire people.
LEVS: Inspire.
BARD: And we have shopping experts on hand at the mobile boutique to help you shop, get the correct search terms so you can buy it right now and get it shipped to your house.
LEVS: So we're seeing a lot here, a lot of computer screens. There's a lot to this unit. How much did eBay pay to make this happen?
BARD: You know, we don't detail our marketing commitment. However, this is just a great program. We really want to get consumers in here. We want people to experience eBay and we want to highlight the sellers that make our marketplace run. And these are all the things that our sellers have to offer.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Josh.
WHITFIELD: And that eBay boutique is traveling to 11 cities.
All right. A pantry for the homeless destroyed in a fire, but the spirit behind the charitable service lives on.
And movie buffs, get ready. A lot of new films are about to be released. Find out which ones are actually worth it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A New York food pantry gutted after suspected arson fire ripped through the building last weekend. So while shocked, the woman who runs the kitchen is refusing to give up her mission for the homeless. Here is CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti,
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REV. DIANE DUNN, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE MINISTRIES: No, no, no.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pastor Diane Dunn is a woman on the move.
DUNN: Hi, honey.
CANDIOTTI: Her mission: help the homeless and hungry.
DUNN: Where's my box of bags? I got to keep -- I got to stay fluid, honey. Common sense.
This is my home. This is my life. These are my people.
CANDIOTTI: But helping her people has become an even bigger struggle. We first met Dunn a week before Thanksgiving.
DUNN: I got a call Sunday morning, "You better come down." I said, "Why?" "Well, this is the arson squad and somebody just burned your building," and I thought it was a joke.
CANDIOTTI: It was no joke. The 3:00 a.m. fire tore through the warehouse. Police are calling it criminal, but no arrests have been made yet.
DUNN: Look at that. One of the Christmas toys, the price tag on it still.
CANDIOTTI: She was stocked up for the holidays -- paper goods, food, coats, and blankets all brand new, destined for people living on the streets -- and now, gone.
DUNN: Everything is destroyed. Everything. It's so -- I have to take a lot of deep breaths these days. CANDIOTTI: Who would do such a thing? And just before the holidays.
DUNN: Whoever did it knew my schedule. They knew the building. They knew where the paper goods were. Now, some people just don't like to see something good.
CANDIOTTI: Dunn says in the 22 years she's been doing this, she's never had an incident like this. She reminds anyone who will listen that the real victims are the poor.
DUNN: When I was a little girl I used to pray to God, "Lord, I want to help the people nobody else wants," and that's what I'm doing.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): The fire hasn't slowed down Dunn a bit. She's been coming to the same New York City park twice a week for the past 20 years, serving the homeless and helping the down and out.
This is an endless line. Look here, it snakes here, right?
DUNN: Yes.
CANDIOTTI: It goes all the way down here. All those people.
DUNN: This is normal.
CANDIOTTI: This is normal?
DUNN: Yes, this is my normal.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): With her kitchen destroyed, Dunn can only provide groceries.
DUNN: There's no hot food today. There is no hot food. My kitchen is burnt down right now.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): How do you feel people treat...
DUNN: The homeless?
CANDIOTTI: People that you were trying to help.
DUNN: Horribly. Horribly. They treat them as sub-human.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): As tough as things are right now, Dunn says she fears what will happen after the holidays when donations slow down.
DUNN: I'll be -- I'll be here before Christmas. Don't worry. I'll be around.
CANDIOTTI: Giving these people something to be thankful for.
Susan Candiotti...
DUNN: We will be back!
CANDIOTTI: ... CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: A lot of people thankful for her.
All right. Well, it is one of the biggest weekends of the year for movies. And one of the many new films out there pairs an unlikely, dare I say, odd couple?
(MOVIE CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. So is "Old Dogs" worth the investment? I'm going to ask a film critic about that and some other films opening this weekend. So do check them out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Perhaps you're looking for something to do besides shop this holiday weekend. Well, lots of big movies have come out and more will come out over the next few weeks. Joining me now is Ben Mankiewicz, you may recognize him from "At the Movies." He is a film critic and host of "Turner Classic Movies."
Good to see you, Ben.
BEN MANKIEWICZ, FILM CRITIC: Good to see you, too, Fredricka. Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, there's so much to choose from. Let's begin with one movie which you might be a little gritty and a little violent. We are talking about "The Road." But it seems appealing because you've got Viggo Mortensen and you got Charlize Theron.
What do you think about that movie?
MANKIEWICZ: Well, it is appealing because of Mortensen's performance and the fact that it's a Cormac McCarthy novel. His last novel up to the big screen, "No Country for Old Men" won an Oscar. I don't think this is a memorable as that film, but still, I think, undoubtedly, for -- certainly for film fans, it's worth seeing. Although it is bleak and it is a little bit dark and it is a little bit violent.
WHITFIELD: Not a "pick me up" kind of flick. All right. Let's...
(CROSSTALK)
MANKIEWICZ: No, it's definitely not. It's another movie set -- it's another post-apocalyptic movie which seems to be -- one in every three movies is about the end of the world now.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, let's take a sneak peek of it right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ROAD"/DIMENSION FILMS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to survive this. We are not going to quit. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to just survive. (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: But, you know, those two, they're really good in bleak. We see them often in bleak and they really carry it, don't they?
MANKIEWICZ: Yes. Charlize Theron knows how to do bleak.
You know, what's -- there's no question -- she's not in it nearly as much as Viggo Mortenson is and with his son. This is really the story of a man and his son in a post-apocalyptic world, again, set -- who knows -- seven, eight, nine, 10 years after disasters strike. They're just trying to sort of find some civilization, and Mortensen is just trying to keep his son alive and find some acceptable world for him to live in.
If there is a criticism for the movie...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MANKIEWICZ: And what keeps it from being, say, a four-star movie and instead I would say is a three-star movie is that I don't quite care about these characters the same way I cared about the characters, say, in a natural comparison, "No Country for Old Men" -- to Josh Brolin's character and Javier Bardem's character, and even Michelle Williams. Those characters are sort of seared in my movie consciousness.
This one, I think, will slip away, though it is a beautifully shot film and certainly is worth seeing. But I don't think it's a great movie.
WHITFIELD: OK. So, maybe that's not the family flick, but maybe...
MANKIEWICZ: Certainly not a family flick...
WHITFIELD: ... the "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is.
MANKIEWICZ: ... unless you're in the Manson family.
WHITFIELD: All right. OK, then they won't do that, we won't entertain folks with that.
All right. Let's take a peek at this movie with the voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "FANTASTIC MR. FOX"/FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES)
MOVIE CHARACTER: Honey, I'm 7-non-fox-years-old now. My father died at 7 1/2. I don't want to live in a hole anymore and I'm going to do something about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. Our Jacqui Jeras, a meteorologist, she saw it. She said she loved it. Did you like this "Fantastic Mr. Fox"? MANKIEWICZ: I did. I suspect I liked it as much or more than Jacqui. It's delightful. It's what you -- it's also -- look, I don't know George Clooney, but it's what -- the character of Mr. Fox voiced by George Clooney is what I like to imagine George Clooney is like. So, it is sort of what George Clooney would be like if he were a sophisticated, cunning, clever fox.
It's a story of a fox and he's married to Meryl Streep and he's got a kid. But he can't sort of go straight and he still ends up stealing from the conniving, cruel neighbors, the farmer neighbors that he has -- stealing their food and then they set out to get the fox back and kill him and jeopardize the whole animal kingdom as a result.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MANKIEWICZ: It is very funny. It is the kind of movie I think that adults could sit down with their 13 and 14-year-old kids and actually share the movie experience. And I think the movie...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Yes, because it's P.G. Yes, this is P.G. It's not -- so there's adult humor going on here. This is not G.
MANKIEWICZ: No, no, no. This is definitely adult humor, but, again, it's using stop motion animation that Wes Anderson uses, that sort of technique of animation made famous by the great Ray Harryhausen. I think that adults will like it and I think kids will, too. And that's a rare combination, because mostly, if a 13-year-old likes a movie, chances are, I -- you know, many of us can't sit in the same theater.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, what about "Old Dogs"?
MANKIEWICZ: Nothing against 13-year-olds, I love them.
WHITFIELD: No, of course not -- of course not. But, you know, they got a little different taste going on there.
MANKIEWICZ: Yes.
WHITFIELD: "Old Dogs" -- this is going to be, you know, something -- first time we've seen Robin Williams in a bit as well as John Travolta, and I saw the trailer. And I must say -- it looks hilarious.
MANKIEWICZ: Really? You thought the trailer looked hilarious?
WHITFIELD: I did.
MANKIEWICZ: I'm not -- I'm not entirely sure we're going to have much in common.
WHITFIELD: Kind of stupid funny.
MANKIEWICZ: I think our movie date is now off, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Oh, really? You don't like stupid funny?
MANKIEWICZ: No, stupid is the right word.
WHITFIELD: Oh, no.
MANKIEWICZ: No, I thought this was one of the few films that was actually, I thought, worse than the trailer. I don't know how guys like Robin Williams or John Travolta agree to make a movie like this. It really surprises me.
I don't think film critics are supposed to go around quoting other film critics. That's probably not done. But there's a quote here -- from I think it's, yes, from Kyle Smith of "The New York Post," and he said, "Old Dogs" does to the screen what old dogs do to the carpet. And I spent a lot of time trying to think of a better line but I can't.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my God.
MANKIEWICZ: So, I want to give Kyle Smith credit. It is not funny. It is directionless. It is rambling. It's embarrassing. I don't think one funny thing happens in nearly the entire film.
WHITFIELD: Oh, no. OK. "Ninja Assassin."
MANKIEWICZ: I'm sorry.
WHITFIELD: Oh, no. That's OK. You don't have to apologize. You call it as you see it. "Ninja Assassin" -- this appeals to a certain audience, too, especially if you like violent.
MANKIEWICZ: Yes, this is, by all accounts, one of the most violent films of the year. I mean, this is the sort of -- this is a ninja warrior film. It is gory and gruesome by all accounts.
And I want to be honest here, I haven't seen this and I'm sort of pleased that I haven't seen it because that's not necessarily my kind of film. But for people who like that, I'm sure the audience is there. It cost $40 million to make and my hunch is it will make some money. But it's unquestionably one of the bloodiest films of the year and you should know that going in.
WHITFIELD: Yes. No, it will have an audience. People really like that.
You know, we're going to talk to you in a little bit. We're going to take a short break because there are DVDs coming out, and sometimes, folks, you know, find more joy in watching these movies in the comfort of their homes and you're going to give us an idea what to look out for come Tuesday when a lot of those DVDs hit the store shelves.
Ben Mankiewicz, thanks so much. See you in a bit.
Time to look at the top stories right now.
A warning from the U.S. to Iran. Senior administration officials tell CNN the U.S. has told Iran it's prepared to push for significantly stronger economic sanctions. That after the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency passed a resolution demanding Iran stop enriching uranium and stop construction at its previously secret nuclear facility.
And it's one of the closing acts of the annual Hajj. Muslim pilgrims in a Saudi holy city of Mecca throw stones at three pillars representing Satan. The ritual began Friday and continues through tomorrow. The Hajj pilgrimage is one of Islam's five obligations. Every Muslim who is able must attend at least once during his or her lifetime.
And the couple who crashed the White House state dinner Tuesday night managed to not only get past Secret Service agents, Michaele and Tareq Salahi also met face to face President Obama in a receiving line, and there's the picture to prove it. The Secret Service says the couple slipped in when its agents did not follow protocol at the check point. A statement from the agency says it is deeply concerned and embarrassed.
And perhaps you don't want to spend the bucks on a new film at the theater. Well, how about something new out on DVD?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You two make an adorable couple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no, we're not -- no, no, no. We're not a -- I mean, we're not a...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not -- I mean -- we're not, blah, blah, blah. All right then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Might that be one you want to pick up? Film critic Ben Mankiewicz is back with us to look at the new DVD releases.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Say, you don't want to go to the theater, well, lots of DVDs are coming out for the holidays and three big ones out this week, "Terminator: Salvation," "Night at the Museum" number two, and "Paper Heart."
So, joining me again, Ben Mankiewicz, film critic and host of "Turner Classic Movies."
All right. Let's begin with this "Terminator: Salvation." But first, let's listen in on this movie.
(MOVIE CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, just about what you thought you'd get from "Terminator"-type movie. What do you think? Do you like it? Is it a must-buy? You got to have this on the shelves?
MANKIEWICZ: Well...
WHITFIELD: I would be excited to know.
(CROSSTALK)
MANKIEWICZ: The first two "Terminator" movies, Fredricka, were -- first of all, I'm still reeling from the fact you thought the "Old Dogs" trailer was funny.
WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE).
MANKIEWICZ: I seriously think our movie night was in jeopardy now. But, no, I don't think you need to have "Terminator: Salvation." The first "Terminators," of course, were really some of the best science fiction to come out of Hollywood in the last 35 years.
Here's the thing about this movie. If you really want to get the "Terminator: Salvation" experience, and this stars Christian Beale and Sam Worthington, directed by McG, you should rent the movie or buy it, play it on your DVD player, and then I think you need to turn your TV up to about -- I don't know, let's 136 and attach your TV...
WHITFIELD: And blast your eardrum (ph).
MANKIEWICZ: Hold on. I'm not done. Then attach your TV to your DVD player to another TV, put that behind you, and crank that one as well, and then when your neighbors come and pound on the door telling you to shut up, you will have achieved the "Terminator: Salvation" experience. It was the loudest movie I have ever heard in my life. It's also directionless and pointless, and sort of an -- sort of an embarrassment.
WHITFIELD: But I know someone who's going to love that movie. If it's loud, he will be all over it.
All right. Let's talk about another good family movie maybe perhaps. This is "The Museum Two."
MANKIEWICZ: Yes, you know, we talked about the "Fantastic Mr. Fox" in the segment before.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MANKIEWICZ: I'm sorry; I thought we had the sound full there for a brief moment. I'm sorry.
We talked "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" in the segment before...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MANKIEWICZ: ... and this, I think, the "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a much better film. But this is also the kind of movie that I think, if you're looking to rent a movie and watch with your 13, 14-year-old kids and you'll find amusing as well. I think you can do it. (CROSSTALK)
MANKIEWICZ: Ben Stiller back playing Larry Daley. You saw Amy Adams playing Amelia Earhart. Hank Azaria plays an evil Egyptian pharaoh who comes to life in the Smithsonian because Ben Stiller once again gets ahold of this tablet and Azaria is really terrific as the bad guy in this movie.
WHITFIELD: He's good at that, isn't he?
MANKIEWICZ: And it moves along briskly and it's fun and breezy. And like I said, I think it's certainly worth seeing if you're looking for something for the whole family to watch.
WHITFIELD: OK. And how did I miss this one? "Paper Heart," Michael Cera. How did I miss that movie?
MANKIEWICZ: Yes. Well, this is an interesting movie because it's sort of -- it's from Charlene Yi and it sort of you see her there. She's the woman in this scene you're seeing right there on the right of the screen.
She -- it's sort of half documentary, half drama. She's a real person, a comedienne. She's very delightful and funny and has a very pleasant onscreen persona. She doesn't believe in true love where it led to believe, and so she sets out to make a documentary to see if it really exists.
Then they add this love interest with Michael Cera playing Michael Cera and they fall in love, but that part is scripted. And the sort of that imbalance didn't really work for me and it took away from the authenticity of the first part which I liked. I like Charlene Yi and I love the effort here. The execution didn't quite work for me, but I want to see more from her.
And Michael Cera, as you point out, Fredricka, is always interesting and he's good. I just didn't think the two separate sort of movies melded together.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: OK. I'm hearing -- I'm hearing maybe one out of the three here you recommend as a little stocking stuffer.
MANKIEWICZ: One and a half of the three. You're OK with "Paper Heart."
WHITFIELD: OK, very good.
MANKIEWICZ: But definitely, stay away from "Terminator."
WHITFIELD: All right. Ben Mankiewicz, always good to see you. We'll work on that movie date. I'm sure I'll find a movie that you like.
MANKIEWICZ: I'll call you, OK?
WHITFIELD: OK. I'll have my people call your people. All right. Have a good one.
OK. So, what happens if you crash a White House party? Well, the couple at the center in this controversy is about to find out the hard way. Our legal guys discuss the options.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Now, we know you want to know more about that couple who crashed the White House party and met the president. The Secret Service says it is deeply concerned and embarrassed over its handling of the incident. The reality TV wannabe couple not only made it passed Secret Service agents, but they actually got to shake hands with the president and have their picture taken with him.
So, earlier, we talked about the possible legal trouble for the White House party crashers with our legal experts Avery Freedman and Richard Herman. This is what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Let's talk about what kind of charges -- if there were to be charges imposed, what would they be?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, look, if...
WHITFIELD: Because they've misrepresented themselves allegedly and there were no invitations officially extended to them, right?
HERMAN: Yes, if you want to divert the attention from the ineptitude and gross negligence of the Secret Service, then you try to have charges pressed against this couple for trespassing. This is not like trespassing on your neighbor's property. This is the president...
WHITFIELD: It's the White House.
HERMAN: This is the White House, the president of the United States. And if they misrepresented any statements to federal authorities, that's like Martha Stewart. She wasn't convicted for any securities fraud. She was convicted for misrepresenting to federal authorities.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Exactly right.
HERMAN: If that's what happened here, these people are going to be in the limelight in the federal judicial system. However, Fred...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HERMAN: ... I think it's so embarrassing...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HERMAN: ... I think this is such a horrific embarrassment that this thing is going to be tucked away neatly and Secret Service is going to try to run for the hills on this one.
FRIEDMAN: No way. HERMAN: This is horrible.
WHITFIELD: Oh! Well, you know, the Secret Service is already saying this is really embarrassing.
Avery, at least I hear that you're agreeing on just about everything here. But, you know, just to back up a moment, because, you know, their lawyer says that they were, quote, unquote, "cleared" by the White House to be there. So, maybe there was an invitation.
But if they got the green light to actually walk through the door, get in there, get these pictures taken, weren't they in a sense kind of cleared by the White House?
FRIEDMAN: No, of course not. The only way that could have happened, Fredricka, is that if you conspired to mislead or lie to a federal official, because the test is whether or not they were on the guest list. They clearly were not.
Look, first class attire, low class behavior. That's what the case is about. I actually think despite the embarrassment for the Secret Service, no one can stand by and let this happen. There has to be a consequence.
I actually -- I agree with the underlying thinking that Richard said, that it's like Martha Stewart. I mean, here's what the problem is, I think they're looking for legal problems. I think it's going to happen.
HERMAN: There's going to be a consequence. Some Secret Service people are going to get fired. That's the consequence.
FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes, but that's -- you know what, that's different. That's very different.
WHITFIELD: But the Secret Service and the White House has to take it further to say, "We definitely want to impose charges." I mean -- but if they don't, then there's no other way in which to punish this couple, right?
HERMAN: Somebody at the front door got mesmerized by Barbie there, they let them in. I mean, it's...
WHITFIELD: So, they did look good. It looked like they were playing the part.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: They looked so good.
FRIEDMAN: There's a process. They ignored it. They tricked somebody. They got in. They have to pay the price.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Our Avery and Richard. You can catch them every Saturday in the noon Eastern Hour.
So, just to confuse things a little bit more, take a look at this picture from Michaele Salahi's Facebook page right there. It shows the couple with the singing group the Black Eyed Peas, and, yes, that's President Obama. So, they actually have met before apparently.
CNN talked with the woman who fixed Michaele Salahi's hair before the event.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEGGY IOAKIM, HAIRSTYLIST: She did mention that she met the Obamas many times and that she's been at the White House, and she also mentioned to me that when they received the invitation in the mail, and they were so excited, that she called the White House and they specifically asked to see what kind of dress she could wear. She didn't want to offend anyone, you know, if she wore the wrong outfit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And so, more on that outfit. The midriff baring sari that Michaele Salahi wore. Well, the man who actually did her makeup for the occasion says that she was a little concerned about actually wearing it in the first place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERWIN GOMEZ, MAKEUP ARTIST: When I was doing her makeup in my station, she was more concerned if the sari was appropriate to actually wear for the occasion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: But I guess I didn't think about the invitation. It might have been appropriate to have one of those.
All right. Well, Don Lemon is coming up next. He's going to be talking to a retired Secret Service agent about this White House security gaffe.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
All right. The NEWSROOM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
