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President Trump Has A Big Win; Roger Stone Trial; Trump's Attacks On Baltimore; Lawmakers Question Juul Over In Teen Nicotine Addiction; Jay-Z, John Fogerty Pull Out Of Troubled Woodstock 50; The Groundbreaking Films Of The '70s; Richard Quest Takes A Ride With Stunt Jet Team. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired July 27, 2019 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: You're live in the CNN Newsroom. Thank you for staying with me. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

President Trump this weekend trumpeting what he calls a big win. Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling in the White House's favor, the high court, Friday evening, giving the green light for the Trump administration to take money earmarked for the military and spend it on building parts of the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. A federal appeals court said no to that plan earlier this month. The president celebrated, tweeting, "Wow, big victory on the wall. The United States Supreme Court overturns lower court injunction, allows southern border wall to proceed, big win for border security and the rule of law."

Let's go to our White House Correspondent Boris Sanchez. Boris, this goes all the way back to February when the President declared a national emergency, trying to get billions of dollars for a border wall. This ruling doesn't necessarily give him all the money he wants.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPODENT: Right.

CABRERA: But it's enough to make him happy today.

SANCHEZ: Yes, that's right, Ana. And if you go back to February, the White House was, essentially, scrambling to come up with the money for border wall, after President Trump shut down the federal government at the end of last year and couldn't get the $6 billion or so that he wanted from Democrats to build that long-promised wall.

A judge, about a month ago, deciding to freeze these $2.5 billion from the Pentagon, deciding that it would be inappropriate for the White House to use these funds, as the courts decide whether it's legal for the president to circumvent Congress and use military funds on this kind of project.

The Supreme Court, yesterday, essentially, decided to overturn that decision, making it so the White House could spend this money. But the Supreme Court, ultimately, didn't decide on the legality, the appropriateness of the president using these funds, only that they wouldn't be frozen.

So, this is kind of a temporary victory for the White House, because, ultimately, this case likely will end up in the Supreme Court. And it's uncertain which side they're going to go. Ultimately, the president, though, is going to call this a win. Keep in mind, immigration is an issue that's central to his presidency, and it is one that he will likely drill down on, again and again, as we get closer to November 2020 -- Ana.

CABRERA: That's right, it's sure to be a big part of the upcoming election. Boris Sanchez, thank you.

Let's talk more about the 2020 race and the countdown to the much- anticipated CNN Democratic debates. Former Vice President Joe Biden hoping to cement his frontrunner status with a more aggressive approach this time around. That one Biden campaign source telling CNN that the former vice president genuinely believes he was too polite in the last debate, which included a confrontation, you'll recall, with Senator Kamala Harris. When Harris was asked about that, she said she was raised to be polite.

Joining us now, CNN Senior Political Analyst Ryan Lizza and Washington correspondent for "New York Magazine," Olivia Nizzi. So, Ryan, let's look at this debate stage for Wednesday night. Joe Biden sandwiched between not only Harris, but also Senator Cory Booker, who has also been attacking him regularly now. What do you think that dynamic's going to look like?

RYAN LIZZA, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, everyone -- all of us now are expecting, and almost demanding, right, that Biden fix two things that he was universally criticized for. One, not really being as prepared as someone at his level, and a frontrunner for the nomination, should have been prepared. And, two, you know, being able to understand his opponents' records in a way that he can counterpunch.

So, the fact that he was surprised by the criticism he received is odd. He should not have been. Front runners get attacked, especially in a huge field like this, when you have few -- only have a few opportunities to get known. That and the fact that he just didn't seem well-prepared. You know, I think a lot of people said, a lot of Democrats said, is this the best person to take on Trump? Which has been his main argument, right, that he polls better in these head-to- head matchups.

So, you know, I think it would be a failure, on his part, if, at the end of that debate, he did not address those pretty basic criticisms.

CABRERA: Olivia, in the past, Biden wasn't willing to go there. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not going to speak ill of any Democrat during this campaign, unlike some other Democrats now. That's not useful. The last thing the Democratic Party has to do is get in a big fight. That only benefits Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: What happened to that?

OLIVIA NUZZI, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, "NEW YORK MAGAZINE": Well, I guess we'll see, this week during the debate, whether or not he really changes course. But he has been saying this pretty consistently, since he announced his candidacy formerly in Philadelphia earlier this year.

[20:05:00] He's not the only one. Pete Buttigieg has also said something to this effect, that voters will be able discern the differences between him and the other Democratic candidates, without him going on the attack against them. But, of course, if you are being attacked, you can't let other people define you. And I think he learned that the hard way through a pretty bruising news cycle following the last debate.

And maybe he's going to try and change course this time. And you'll recall that Biden's campaign internally, I reported for "New York" magazine, was freaking out during the last debate. They were really unhappy. They knew that it was going poorly. And I think, since then, they've been pretty -- they've been thinking pretty single mindedly about how to improve that and how to make sure that he doesn't fall victim to something like that again.

CABRERA: Ryan, the frontrunners aside, these debates are also make or break for many of the candidates on the stage who haven't yet qualified for the other round of debates, the next ones in September. Who will you be watching?

LIZZA: Yes. Well, first of all, on your point about the debates. These debates are more important. The primary debates are more important than in recent cycles. And I think that's partly because there's -- it's so hard to break through right now. It's so hard because a lot of political coverage isn't just the Democrats. It's also Trump, right.

So, we're not -- you know, frankly, the media is not paying quite as much attention to this race as in previous cycles because there are a lot of other big political stories. And so, if you are a struggling candidate or someone who's just not, you know, famous like Joe Biden, this -- these debates are your -- you know, it's your big moment to shine.

And so, look, you know, I'll be -- the other -- you know, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, who have been keeping it up with Biden, obviously pay attention to them. Pete Buttigieg, who has raised an absolutely, you know, --

CABRERA: Yes.

LIZZA: -- astronomical amount of money, but -- and has a lot of media buzz, but has not really had the polling to match all that.

CABRERA: Right.

LIZZA: You know, obviously, someone to watch. And then, just, you know, a couple of candidates who we're just not talking about, because they're not polling and they haven't raised a lot of money. But, suddenly, have one of those moments in the debate where everyone starts to pay attention to them, there will be someone like that. You know, it was Julian Castro, to a certain degree at the last debate. But it was hard for him to sustain that. But that's what I'll be -- I'll be watching for.

CABRERA: OK. Well, you mentioned Pete Buttigieg. He was an earlier surprise. Fund raising numbers have followed, but he seems to have plateaued in the polls. He's on stage on night one, Tuesday, and he needs to win over black voters. But I want you to watch something he said this afternoon in Iowa in the aftermath of that police shooting in his city, where a white office shot and killed a black man who was said to be armed and breaking into cars. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to one of the white politicians in America who gets the most questions about race. I just am. Let's use that as an opportunity to have a conversation that a lot of white audiences have not been ready for. Because while it is -- it is not true that the rising tide lifts all boats. But it is true that, until some of the boats are unchained from the ocean floor, everybody is worse off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Olivia, do you think that kind of talk will get him more support?

NUZZI: I can't see it hurting. I think that he's striking an important tone. He's saying something important. And he's, sort of, saying that he will be listening and trying to help facilitate an important conversation with the platform that he has. I don't know that you can -- that, you know, we could expect him to say anything beyond that, right now going into this debate. He doesn't know what he's going to be asked. He doesn't know, precisely, how this will be brought up. But he's sure, like he was last time, that this is something that, either other candidates or the moderators, will want to ask him about.

So, I wanted to go back to one point, though, about the candidates who needed to break through.

CABRERA: Yes, go for it.

NUZZI: We were talking about Julian Castro. And, you know, he had a moment in that last debate and has it translated into him becoming the frontrunner? No. But I think it did something important which that was during a conflict with Beto O'Rourke. Beto O'Rourke has really suffered since that first debate. And I think that, sometimes, maybe instead of really puncturing through having a big media moment, the least that a candidate could hope to do, by having some sort of breakout in the debate is to weaken another person in the competition and make more room for themselves.

CABRERA: That's interesting, especially when we have a field of 20- plus --

NUZZI: Right.

CABRERA: -- candidates right now. Twenty at the debates themselves.

NUZZI: How many is it?

CABRERA: I know, it's hard to keep track. It's, like, one in, one out. All right, Ryan Lizza, Olivia Nuzzi, always good to have both of you with us. Thank you.

LIZZI: Thanks, Ana. Good to see you.

NUZZI: Thank you.

CABRERA: The line-ups are set for the CNN Democratic presidential debates. Let's show them again. Two big nights. Ten candidates each night. Tuesday and Wednesday night at 8:00, live from Detroit only on CNN.

Coming soon to a courtroom near you, "The Godfather: Part II." Why prosecutors want to show a clip of that famous film at Roger Stone's upcoming trial.

[20:10:03] Plus, the moment when a CNN journalist gets caught in the middle of the chaos, during protests in Hong Kong.

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CABRERA: Protesters turned out, again, in force today for the continuing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The action is centered in small town near the border with China. And, last weekend, a mob attacked demonstrators with iron bars and sticks, leaving dozens of people injured. Today, police in riot gear fired tear gas. And things got extremely violent at a subway station. That's where our correspondent, Anna Coren, and her crew got caught in the chaos right before they were about to go on air. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, my god. Linda, come to us (ph). Careful, careful, careful careful. Careful. Careful. (INAUDIBLE.) Jesus. (INAUDIBLE.)

[20:15:10] Linda, let me talk to you. Linda, let me tell you what is happening. We have just been charged by riot police (INAUDIBLE) the escalators, into the train station. This is absolute mayhem. They have just (INAUDIBLE) the protesters, (INAUDIBLE) batons, spraying pepper spray. It is pandemonium inside here. I have no idea how they are planning to disperse these crowds.

It is absolute chaos. We were just chased outside. (INAUDIBLE.) But they were an absolutely chaotic scene. I have never witnessed anything quite like this, where there was a peaceful, peaceful demonstration inside. These protesters, they are not trashing anything. All they were doing was standing here. They've been pushed on. And then, all of a sudden, these riot police charged.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Now, to Rome, where two American teenagers are in jail tonight accused of killing an Italian police officer after, what authorities say, was a drug deal gone wrong. Officer Mario Cerciello Rega is the victim. He had just returned to duty, days earlier following his honeymoon. Police have not yet released pictures of the suspects. They are identified as Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Christian Natale Hjorth. Italian police say both are from San Francisco. The teens were arrested at a hotel in Rome, where they were staying.

Now, police say surveillance video led them to this pair who, according to authorities, have confessed. According to police, the teens stole a drug dealer's backpack after allegedly buying cocaine that turned out to be aspirin. The dealer reported the theft to police. Officer Rega responded and was stabbed eight times. Police say they found the knife hidden behind a wall in the teens' hotel room.

Federal prosecutors want to play a movie clip at Roger Stone's upcoming trial. Want to guess which one?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Pentangeli. Mr. Pentangeli, were you a member of the Corleone family? Did you serve under the capo (ph) regime, Peter Clemenza, under Vito Corleone, also known as the Godfather?

FRANK PENTANGELI, ACTOR: I never know no Godfather. I know my family, Senator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: It was in that memorable scene, from "The Godfather Part II," mobster Frank Pentangeli recants his testimony and lies to Congress about Michael Corleone and his criminal empire.

Prosecutors in Roger Stone's case say it's relevant to show that in court because Stone, himself, referenced a character in the film, when trying to convince a witness in Robert Mueller's probe to stonewall a House investigation. Telling him, quote, "Start practicing your Pentangeli."

Following his indictment, Stone, a long-time Trump associate, told CNN the messages that he sent to that witness were lighthearted and they're not serious.

Joining us now, CNN Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor, Laura Coates. Laura, what do you think of this request by the prosecutors? A smart play in trying to prove Stone was guilty of witness tampering? LAURA COATES, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I mean, you, literally, can no longer script what's happening right now in our criminal justice system, the idea of a movie reference being used in this way. And although you want to use it in a tongue-and-cheek way, remember, this actually has a lot of weight in the court. And here is why. It provides the context. In order to have the state of mind of Roger Stone, and understand whether these text messages were an attempt to intimidate or witness or were they just some discussion about what he wanted to watch on Netflix this evening.

They're trying to give the context to say, no, this was not a benign, innocent conversation, where he was just talking about movies. He was trying to make it very, very clear, from this extraordinarily well- known scene, that he wanted him to recant, to suddenly have amnesia when his name was brought up, to try and impede an investigation led by Congress. They want to establish this this was not just simply a passing remark, but a pointed attempt to intimidate a witness.

CABRERA: Do you think the judge will go for it?

COATES: In this case, Ana, I think the judge will provide the opportunity to have the context be made clear. They don't want you to want to have a circus. They don't want to have a courtroom turned into simply a Colonel Jessup, Tom Cruise movie scene.

[20:20:00] But if it's important to actually provide context and allow for the factfinders, the jury in this case, to be able to understand the context, it has some meaning, as opposed to just circus and puppetry --

CABRERA: Yes.

COATES: -- and theatrics, I think it would be a good idea.

CABRERA: Prosecutors say they also want to use a series of videos of Stone at trial, in which he brags, during the 2016 campaign, that he is in contact with WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. Here's what Stone has said on that issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER STONE: There is still no evidence, whatsoever, that I had advanced knowledge of the topic, the subject or the source of the WikiLeaks' disclosures. I never received any of the WikiLeaks' disclosures. I never communicated with Assange or WikiLeaks, other than the limited communication on Twitter, a direct message, which I gave to the House Intelligence Committee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Laura, do you see the defense team arguing anything he said about WikiLeaks in the past. It was just him showing off. It wasn't based in fact.

COATES: They absolutely will argue that. They have continued to do so. They're, essentially, saying this was just bravado. He just wanted people to believe he was important. He didn't actually have the strings to Julian Assange or anyone involved in WikiLeaks. He was just trying to have puffery be used to elevate his status among these very powerful circle of people, which included Trump.

But the idea that it was merely coincidental that, number one, he had information and advanced information about whether -- when this would drop. He was able to talk about and be a go-between. And he's also -- he has, also, information of the indictment, that members and senior officials were looking to Roger Stone, to provide information about when the next drop would be. When the next hacked e-mails would be released. Indicating, to many people, that he wasn't just somebody whose puffery was not at all justified, or that he was the broken clock that happens to beat twice -- happened to be right twice a day, Ana.

So, the idea that he's now saying it's coincidence, when he was an effective go-between and, really, was able to read the tea leaves so well that it meant that he probably knew something. It's not going to be a very successful defense.

CABRERA: But, again, he's not charged with conspiracy. I just wanted to remind our viewers of that.

I want turn to the case of accused sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Sources telling CNN he was found injured in a New York jail cell. Authorities are still trying to determine whether that injury was self-inflicted. Would this bolster his team's case, though, to have him either transferred or released on bail?

COATES: Well, he was, apparently, very shocked not to have been released on bail. He had asked to do so. They had a very lengthy pleading, explaining why they believed he was the right person to be allowed to return, essentially on his own personal recognizance. And say, hey, I'll give you a bail. I'll give you what you want. I'll turn over the passports. I'm not, really, a flight risk for you. The judge has already said that that was not the case, and they held him. So, the idea, now, that a personal, if it was a personally inflicted injury, or if he has been assaulted. And there would be the steps they could take to protect him, one, perhaps if it was a suicide watch, or to isolate him, in a way, to secure him, to secure his personal safety, the judge could take those steps.

But the idea that he would say, you know what? You may now be released and we can now go back and forget the claims of you being a flight risk would really be odd, in this particular court. Given the fact that he had access to enormous wealth, apparently. He has a private plane. He was more than one U.S. passport. And he doesn't have fixed tie -- or that -- the townhouse to New York. He has other residences to other places, including his own island. It would be very hard-pressed for a court to be convinced that, suddenly, this would be enough to release him.

CABRERA: Laura Coates, I'm so glad you could join us. Thank you for being here.

COATES: Thank you, Ana. CABRERA: Coming up, how is America's biggest e-cigarette company able to reach children and teens in schools and summer camps? Troubling details, next.

[20:23:50]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: President Trump, today, singled out a major American city as a target of insults, ridicule, and things that simply are not true. Hurtful things. Usually reserved to describe a place that is absolutely hated. And the president said them about Baltimore. This from the president on Twitter, in the middle of an angry rant about Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings, calling Cummings' district, quote, "disgusting rat and rodent-infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore," he writes, "maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous and filthy place." The president went on to say, "no human being would want to live there."

Congressman Cummings in response, writing directly to the president. Quote, "I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up and I go and fight for my neighbors. It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch, but it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents."

And we have this just in. Reaction now from Maryland's Republican Governor Larry Hogan. This in the "Baltimore Sun" this afternoon. A spokesman for Governor Larry Hogan said, "Baltimore City is truly the very heart of our state, and more attacks between politicians aren't going to get us anywhere."

Trump's words today, puzzling to people who can't wrap their heads around why President Trump would say such hateful things about an American city. And personally hurtful to people who love Baltimore and have family there or friends there or who call it home. People, like my colleague here at CNN, Victor Blackwell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This morning, the president attacked another member of Congress on Twitter. This time, it's House Oversight Committee chairman, Elijah Cummings. He wrote this. "Cummings' district is a disgusting rat and rodent-infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous and filthy place. No human being would want to live there."

Infested. That's usually reserved for references to rodents and inspects. But we've seen the president invoke infestation to criticize lawmakers before. Do you see a pattern here? Just two weeks ago, President Trump attacked four minority Congresswomen. "Why don't they go back to the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came." A reminder, three of them were born here. All of them are American. Infested, he says.

[20:30:00] A week before his inauguration, January 2017. "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district which is in horrible shape and falling apart, not to mention crime infested."

Donald Trump has tweeted more than 43,000 times. He's insulted thousands of people. Many different types of people. But when he tweets about infestation, it's about black and brown people. September 2014, at the height of an urgent health emergencies, "Why are we sending thousands of ill-trained soldiers into Ebola-infested areas of Africa? Bring the plague to the U.S. Obama is so stupid."

Infested, he says. "There's a revolution going on in California. So many sanctuary areas want out of this ridiculous crime-infested and breeding concept." Infested, he says.

The president says about Congressman Cummings' district, that no human would want to live there, you know who did, Mr. President? I did. From the day I was brought home from the hospital, to the day I left for college. And a lot of people I care about still do. There are challenges, no doubt. But people are proud of their community. I don't want to send self-righteous. But people get up and go to work there. They care for their families there. They love their children who pledge allegiance to the flag just like people who live in districts of congressmen who support you, sir. They are Americans too. We'll be right back.

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[20:35:18] ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: This week, we learned e-cigarette maker, Juul, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund summer camps and youth programs. Lawmakers say the company did that to market vaping products to teens and younger children, some as young as 8 years old.

CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has more on this week's stunning congressional hearing. Sanjay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEREDITH BERKMAN, CO-FOUNDER, PARENTS AGAINST VAPING E-CIGARETTES: We face an entire generation of kids addicted to nicotine who are human guinea pigs for the Juul experiment overall.

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): Many of Juul's tactics seem to be right out of the big tobacco playbook.

JAMES MONSEES, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER, JUUL LABS: We never wanted any non-nicotine user and certainly nobody underage to ever use Juul products.

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTH (D-IL): Juul hasn't provided --

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We've seen passionate exchanges between tobacco opponents, JUUL executives and members of Congress at a two-day congressional hearing on JUUL's role in the youth vaping epidemic. But perhaps the most surprising exchange came from high schoolers, who revealed that JUUL had sent a representative to their classroom last year, and that teachers were asked to leave the room.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Did the presenter call JUUL, quote-unquote, "totally safe" more than once?

CALEB MINTZ, TEEN ADVOCATE: Yes.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: What impact did those "totally safe" comments have on your classmates, some of whom may have already started vaping?

MINTZ: For my classmates who were already vaping, it was a sigh of relief because now, they were able to vape without any concern.

GUPTA: We asked JUUL about this, and they said presentations to students were made as part of a short-lived educational and youth prevention program, which was ended in September 2018. The company says its purpose, which was to educate youth on the dangers of nicotine addiction, was clearly misconstrued.

The company also said it has taken actions to prevent youth vaping, like scaling back its social media accounts, platforms that critics say had particular appeal among teenagers. But according to one expert who testified, that was too little, too late.

DR. ROBERT JACKLER, STANFORD RESEARCH INTO THE IMPACT OF TOBACCO ADVERTISING: You would have thought that hashtag posting would decline. But in fact, it surged.

GUPTA: Surged in part, because the hashtag itself gained a kind of social currency, even after the brand had largely exited social media. Jackler and others say this video should scare anyone, normalizing the use of these devices, even in a young toddler.

JACKLER: We've seen lots of outrageous postings on #JUUL. It's remarkable, the lack of boundaries many posters have.

GUPTA: For its part, JUUL says it agrees. These posts by other users are a serious problem, and it's gotten more than 30,000 of them taken down. But with more than half a million posts still tagged on Instagram alone, Jackler's new research shows that still hasn't stopped JUUL's online popularity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: Ana, it is worth pointing out that e-cigarettes, this type of technology, can act as an effective smoking cessation device, meaning, that it can help adults stop smoking. But if the tradeoff is that it's also going to enable a new generation of smokers, that's not something anybody is willing to tolerate. Ana?

CABRERA: No doubt about it, especially as a parent. Thank you, Sanjay.

Coming up, 50 years after Woodstock. Plans to revive the legendary concert are falling flat. Artists are pulling out. The venue had to change. Well, my guest says this is the Fyre Festival all over again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:40:40] CABRERA: To be or not to be. That is the question for Woodstock 50. Initially, the idea of rebooting the iconic hippie fest 50 years later sounded impossibly groovy. But the execution has been plagued with troubles, including a cold shoulder from upstate New York. Scene of the original mega concert and landmark cultural event.

And now, organizers say the show will go on in Maryland. But some performers are not down with the proposed change of venue including Jay-Z and original Woodstock performer, John Fogerty, they're out.

CNN senior entertainment reporter, Lisa France has the distressing details. I mean, no dis on Maryland, Lisa, but Woodstock belongs in New York, doesn't it?

LISA FRANCE, CNN SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Absolutely, and I'm from Baltimore. I'll go ahead and dis Maryland when it comes to trying to recreate Woodstock there, because Woodstock in Maryland is not, at all, the same. And I love Maryland, it's my home state. But it's not, at all, the same.

And now, we're hearing reports and we've reached out to try to confirm this that tickets may actually be free, that's how desperately they're trying to put this whole thing together, put this whole festival together and make it happen.

And like you said before the break, I personally, I'm starting to feel a lot of vibes a la the Fyre Festival. It's just -- it seems like it's turning into one great big mess.

CABRERA: Why do organizers seem so determined that this show must go on?

FRANCE: I mean, Woodstock 50 is a huge moment. I mean, Woodstock in and on itself was a cultural watershed moment for this country and for pop culture. It celebrated the counter culture movement. It really helped to define 1969 in a lot of ways. And so it's viewed lovingly and people want to be able to celebrate the 50th anniversary. 50 is a big year.

Now, remember, they celebrated it in 1994 when they had the 25th anniversary and that turned out to be a bit of a mess too. But still held in Upstate New York, but it rained, many more showed up than they expected. It turned into a big mud fest. And so there were a lot of issues with that too.

But 50 holds a special place. I mean, it's a -- it's a really pivotal anniversary. So you want to be able to celebrate it by trying to recreate that moment. You can never recreate Woodstock exactly as it was, but you, at least, want to be able to celebrate it by having some amazing artist come together and say, you know, this was an important moment in our time and we want to pay homage to it.

CABRERA: Have other acts backed out? [20:45:01] FRANCE: Yes, Dead & Company reportedly have pulled out. And if you go -- I, just of couple minutes ago, went to Woodstock 50 site and I tried to click on their lineup of who was going to perform and it just kept rebooting. So I didn't see the names, you didn't see like the Miley Cyrus who originally had been reported. That's not to say that Miley has pulled out. It's just that everybody's waiting to see, are they actually going to be able to able to pull this off. And if they can't pull it off, and if it looks like it's going to be just a steaming pile of mess, you can look for a lot of artists to probably want to distance themselves from that. Nobody wants to be involved.

CABRERA: It's estimated that some 400,000 people plus showed up for the original Woodstock.

FRANCE: Yes.

CABRERA: We know the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland holds fewer than 20,000 people. But I wonder, even though organizers are now reportedly saying they're going to make it a free concert, could they even fill that number of seats?

FRANCE: I'd be surprised if they actually did. I mean, because again, people -- festivals are such a big deal, and people are still making jokes and making memes about the Fyre Festival. A lot of people don't want to be associated or come out from something that they don't think it's going to be a really good time.

And if you've had this much problem just getting it all organized, then how well are you actually going to be able to pull it off, is the question.

So my fingers are crossed for them because, you know, I want to celebrate Woodstock too. But I think I might just have to listen to the songs on Spotify.

CABRERA: All right. We'll see. I'll keep my fingers crossed too, like you said. We're not real for the hold then. Lisa France, thanks. Good to see you.

FRANCE: Thanks. Good to see you, Ana.

CABRERA: Coming up, the CNN Original Series "The Movies" returns with groundbreaking films of the 70s, including the one that made us afraid to go back in the water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to need a bigger boat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[20:50:34] CABRERA: From "The Godfather" to "Apocalypse Now" to "Annie Hall," it's easy to see why the 70s are considered as second golden age for Hollywood. CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look back at that decade in film as we gear up for brand new episode of the CNN original series, "The Movies."

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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A powerful mob, a struggle for survival, and succession, "The Godfather" hit Hollywood with indescribable force.

STEVEN SPIELBERG, DIRECTOR: I saw that film four times in five days. And up until that point, I had always thought that "Lawrence of Arabia" was the greatest film ever made.

NEAL GABLER, FILM HISTORIAN: This is the product of Francis Ford Coppola. And this is the great revolution of the 1970s.

FOREMAN: It is a revolution of young directors, Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, Lucas, and more, pairing up with an equally talented class of rising actors, producing some of the most memorable characters --

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: You talking to me?

FOREMAN: -- and moments ever seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love the smell of Napalm in the morning.

RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: It signaled to me that movies were getting made in different ways and told in different styles. It was really anti- Hollywood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he confirm me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to tell Bret (ph).

FOREMAN: Taking pages from the news and documentaries, films sought a gritty realism glossed over in many earlier movies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it's me, Serpico.

FOREMAN: And audiences ate it up.

TOM HANKS, AMERICAN ACTOR: The first time you do get a sense of how big the shark is, you're immediately worried about those guys on the boat. They're going to die.

WOODY ALLEN, ACTOR: You're driving a tad rapidly.

FOREMAN: It wasn't just dramas, comedy, too, was taking a turn. From the introspective hilarity of "Annie Hall" to the crude send-ups of "Animal House" to the brilliance of "Blazing Saddles."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love "Blazing Saddles" because it is such a revolutionary film. It deals with race, with a sense of humor and candor. FOREMAN: So many landmark films emerged in those 10 years.

BARBRA STREISAND, ACTRESS: What's wrong?

RYAN O'NEAL, ACTOR: The future.

FOREMAN: It is hard to assess just how deeply they tapped into our hopes, our fears, and our dreams.

TODD BOYD, PROFESSOR OF CINEMA AND MEDIA STUDIES, USC: You can just sit down for the rest of your life and watch movies from the 70s, and they're amazing.

FOREMAN: And they have informed our sense of what movies and we can be, ever since.

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CABRERA: The 70s edition of the CNN original series, "The Movies" airs tomorrow at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.

Coming up, daring spins, punishing G force, speeds more than 500 miles per hour, see what happens when Richard Quest has his own "Top Gun" moment.

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[20:55:57] CABRERA: He's a maverick in his own right, but wait until you see what happened when CNN's Richard Quest had his own "Top Gun" moment with a famous stunt jet team.

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RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): This is not your typical flight where you ensure your seatbelt is fastened and the tray table is up.

QUEST (on-camera): Extremely extraordinary to be flying so close to other aircraft.

QUEST (voice-over): Seven thousand feet above ground, and the Breitling Jet Team is a barrel of laughs.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's brilliant.

QUEST: It all began in such an ordinary fashion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.

QUEST: Some are good, some are not.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Singing time here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I hope he's a better pilot than a singer. Because --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Otherwise you're in trouble.

QUEST: That makes two of us. Excitement overflowing in the room.

GEORGES KERN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BREITLING: So Richard will be in position number three, and he will have a fantastic view on the whole jet team, the seven jets. It's frightening, but I'm sure he will enjoy it.

QUEST: For this sort of flight, preparation is everything.

KERN: This one. You have to wear this one. This is your size.

QUEST: You can't fly if you're not dressed properly.

KERN: Comply this just push them through.

QUEST: Perfectly comfortable. Like any other flight, here, there's a safety briefing, but this one involves ejector seats.

KERN: Let's go.

QUEST: And so into the air where everything changed.

Absolutely on top of each other almost. Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

QUEST: I was fine for the first.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you'll go to the charter now. I like it.

QUEST: The battle row had me in stitches.

He really can sing.

(LAUGHTER)

QUEST: Then the second loop.

No, no, no, no.

Dignity requires to reveal over the race.

Back on the ground, that I can reflect the pilot skills, the planes performance, the excellence of the experience. I feel elated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told you, he's a terrible singer.

QUEST: Let's be honest though, I won't be doing this again. I mean it when I say, I'm never doing it again. Never.

Richard Quest, CNN, looping the loop with the Breitling Jet Team.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: But it makes life that much better, doesn't it? That is extra experience.

That does it for me tonight. I'm Ana Cabrera. Up next, it's back-to- back episodes of "The Movies." Thanks for being here. Have a great night.

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