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The People vs O.J. Simpson

PoP

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The saga of America's crime story of the century starts on FX Original series. Sarah Paulson stars as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran and Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson. The series started last night on February 2nd on FX (USA) and City (Canada).

[YOUTUBE]UTXovOaVQqE[/YOUTUBE]

I thought the choice of actors were amazing escpecially Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. and Travolta looked really good. I also like the first Johnnie Cochran scene when he mentions Michael. The part when he thought the O.J. case is a loser case, that was kinda funny.

Have you guys seen it and what you think?
 
I'm fricking pissed off at City not playing episode 2 at all, only plays on FX Canada.

DAMN YOU ROGERS!!!
 
I finally saw the episode finally.

barbee0715 said:
I don't know what Shapiro was really like, but Travolta is definitely chewing the scenery.
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Yeah, I always liked Travolta, but in this to me he looked like he had botox job to be like Shapiro, oh boy. The LAPD there, I still can't stand them, the worst police force in the world.
 
Man that book Faye Resnick did, more like a crap book. Shapiro's near hissy fit is exactly how I sounded like when it comes to hockey.
 
I hate that cop at the beginning, doing that and in front of Johnnie's daughters, how classless, that's why they can't be trusted.
 
^^what episode are they on now?? I think I've missed a couple of weeks. Is it worth it to try to catch up?
 
barbee0715 said:
^^what episode are they on now?? I think I've missed a couple of weeks. Is it worth it to try to catch up?
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Currently on the 5th episode so far. Check it on the site I posted.
 
I'm watching Episode 10 "Verdict", I'm not sure if it's finale.
 
^^It was the finale and I ended up missing the whole entire thing, except for 45 minutes of one episode that I talked about above-I talked about John Travolta-and I was really impressed with David Shwimmer's portrayl of Robert Kardashian.

The news was full of reports and comparisons of the real trial vs. the series and various fact checks-and one tidbit that I found quite hilarious today. I thought it had been discussed in this thread, but we discussed it here http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/137760-OJ-Simpson-talks-about-Michael-Jackson

Was Michael Jackson really scared of lime green turned out to be the burning question that the reporters were asking the series' writers. The answer was no.



‘People v OJ Simpson’ Writers Explain 5 Things They Made Up


TV | By Tim Molloy on April 5, 2016 @ 1:27 pmFollow @timamolloy


<section class="gallery-1 gallery-wrapper entry photos" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-stretch: normal; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 20px; background-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">

  • MichaelJacksonLime.jpg
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<iframe id="frame_wb9d4cd5796" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="280" height="158.06451612903228" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 100%; display: block; width: 280px; height: 158.065px; background: transparent;"></iframe>
Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander tell us about the occasional dramatic liberties in &#8220;The People v OJ Simpson&#8221;

2 of 16[COLOR=#F4F4F4 !important]1. The Michael Jackson Joke[COLOR=#F4F4F4 !important]Johnnie Cochran remarks in the first episode that he can't wear lime green because it scares one of his clients, Michael Jackson

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TV | By Tim Molloy on April 5, 2016
<section class="gallery-1 gallery-wrapper entry photos" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-stretch: normal; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 20px; background-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">

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Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander tell us about the occasional dramatic liberties in &#8220;The People v OJ Simpson&#8221;

3 of 16[COLOR=#F4F4F4 !important]"I think we made it up because we thought it was funny," Karaszewski told TheWrap. "We needed a shorthand to say even before the OJ trial, Johnnie had his hands full."


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barbee0715;4144111 said:
^^It was the finale and I ended up missing the whole entire thing, except for 45 minutes of one episode that I talked about above-I talked about John Travolta-and I was really impressed with David Shwimmer's portrayl of Robert Kardashian.

The news was full of reports and comparisons of the real trial vs. the series and various fact checks-and one tidbit that I found quite hilarious today. I thought it had been discussed in this thread, but we discussed it here http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/137760-OJ-Simpson-talks-about-Michael-Jackson

Was Michael Jackson really scared of lime green turned out to be the burning question that the reporters were asking the series' writers. The answer was no.



&#8216;People v OJ Simpson&#8217; Writers Explain 5 Things They Made Up


TV | By Tim Molloy on April 5, 2016 @ 1:27 pmFollow @timamolloy


<section class="gallery-1 gallery-wrapper entry photos" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-stretch: normal; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 20px; background-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">

  • MichaelJacksonLime.jpg
Next​


<iframe id="frame_wb9d4cd5796" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="280" height="158.06451612903228" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 100%; display: block; width: 280px; height: 158.065px; background: transparent;"></iframe>
Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander tell us about the occasional dramatic liberties in &#8220;The People v OJ Simpson&#8221;

2 of 16[COLOR=#F4F4F4 !important]1. The Michael Jackson Joke[COLOR=#F4F4F4 !important]Johnnie Cochran remarks in the first episode that he can't wear lime green because it scares one of his clients, Michael Jackson

[/COLOR]
[/COLOR]
</section>


TV | By Tim Molloy on April 5, 2016
<section class="gallery-1 gallery-wrapper entry photos" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-stretch: normal; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 20px; background-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">

  • oj_fact_check-michael_jackson_lime_green.jpg
Next​

Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander tell us about the occasional dramatic liberties in &#8220;The People v OJ Simpson&#8221;

3 of 16[COLOR=#F4F4F4 !important]"I think we made it up because we thought it was funny," Karaszewski told TheWrap. "We needed a shorthand to say even before the OJ trial, Johnnie had his hands full."


[/COLOR]
</section>
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I kinda mentioned it a bit 2 months earlier.
 
PoP said:
I kinda mentioned it a bit 2 months earlier.
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Yes! I thought you did but couldn't find it here. Maybe in the other thread.
Anyway I hope it gets repeated or they run it on demand. There are parts of the trial that I'd like to have a better understanding of.
 
I have seen so many people talk about it that I finally downloaded it and I am watching it now. Right now I am halfways through it, I just watched Episode 5. Pretty good so far. I did not expect it to be so excting. A well done movie.

When this all happened I kind of caught it on CNN but me living in Eastern Europe it wasn't such a big deal here as in the US. (Frankly, most people here haven't even heard about OJ before this case.) But I was aware that it was a big deal in the US because it was on CNN every day.

Basically OJ's lawyers managed to hijack the case and make this big race issue out of it. But then, from the lawyers' perspective it was their job to get their client acquitted at any price and they did it, it doesn't matter (from their perspective) how. So I am not blaming them, it was their job, but it makes the verdict tainted.

Someone brought up in another thread what if they did a similar series of MJ's trial. I don't think it would make as good of a movie material, to be honest. The OJ trial is such a good movie material because it was heavily loaded with very deep rooted social, racial issues that are present in US society. The MJ trial doesn't have such dramatic elements, it was a fair and straightforward trial at the end of the day (even though the prosecution did not always play fair) with a verdict that was well thought out and was based on the actual case, not outside circumstances. I am so grateful for Thomas Meserau for not making it another OJ-like circus - in fact consciously avoiding such things. He made the conscious decision that he won't play the race card and it was a wise decision, because well, he did not need it - unlike OJ's lawyers. I think people who compare the MJ verdict to OJ's verdict are very ignorant about the actual content of these cases. Otherwise they would know that how the two cases were handled by the defense was actually the complete opposite. When the prosecution in the MJ case selected an all white jury Mez did not protest, he went along with that because he didn't think race would be an issue. He was right. He could have gone down that road of accusing the prosecution of racism (and maybe he would have had a point too because I do believe Sneddon was a racist) but he did not want to go there. He just wanted to be focused on the actual case. And that's the best he could do for his client. Because there is a difference between acquittal and acquittal - depending on how someone was acquitted. MJ was acquitted in the fairest manner and I'm glad about that. OJ on the other hand... that verdict was about so much more than just the actual case at hand.

It was weird to see all those lawyers that we are familiar with from MJ's cases as movie characters. LOL. Howard Weitzman was there for a short while but he jumped off the case early on (seems to be his habit of jumping off cases when the heat is on LOL). Cochran of course represented MJ in the Chandler case (not nearly as good of a job there as in the OJ case IMO) and Robert Shapiro was one of the Chandlers' lawyers. One good ol' boys club indeed as Ray Chandler noted in his book (which was a ticket for the Chandlers to the settlement as he also implied). So Shapiro was this self-important, narcisstic prick? At least that's how he came accross to me in Travolta's portrayal.

I just saw a video on YouTube. Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor, liked the series:


That scene they mention towards the end - where OJ's lawyers stage his house to appeal to the black jury. Such little tricks might have worked in their favour but I personally find them disgusting, as I find all manipulation disgusting. What point is there in taking the jury to a house that won't show reality? The Judge didn't do a very good job IMO.
 
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Speaking of, they just advertised a new doc on ESPN about the OJ case but focuses more specifically on race in America: black America vs. white America. Civil rights. OJ as a all American hero and symbol.
Much like that boxer (name?) that Berry Gordy refers to in his childhood as the emblem of hope for all black kids.
We are going thru much the same today. This doc could be good.
Starts in June.
 
OK, so I watched it to the end now. I didn't think it would be so interesting, but it was actually a good show.

I was curious about some things and how they match up to reality and it seems most important things were accurate. I didn't know Robert Kardashian (OJ's friend and lawyer) doubted his innocence, but I looked it up and I see he actually talked about it to Barbara Walters. I can't embed this but here is a video where he talks about his doubts: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/ro...e-friend-oj-simpson-doubts-innocence-33841201

He said he could not get his head around the matching blood. (That too was portrayed in the movie. That it was the blood that got him and when he started to doubt his friend's innocence.) He also claimed that Robert Shapiro too thought that OJ was guilty.


He was portrayed as being disgusted with the verdict (pretty curious coming from OJ's friend and lawyer) and Marcia Clark says it was accurate.

According to Clark, the show did a great job accurately depicting Robert Kardashian&#8217;s reaction to the trial.

&#8220;Robert Kardashian looked devastated when he heard the verdict. He knew. And he had always been very nice. He was a really good guy. I ran into him a few times at restaurants. We&#8217;d nod at each other across the room. And then the last time I saw him, he actually came over to my table and said, &#8220;Hey Marcia, how ya doing?&#8221; Very nice. I said, &#8220;Hi, Bob. How ya doing?&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;m okay.&#8221; It turned out he wasn&#8217;t okay. Two weeks later, he passed away. So he was very ill, and I guess he knew it at the time.&#8221;
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http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyand...ought-about-the-people-v-oj-simpso#.avk8W2YE4
 
It sounded to me that he was incredibly conflicted about the whole thing, it's like he he knew about the polygraph test and the DNA test proved that OJ was guilty all along.

barbee0715 said:
Speaking of, they just advertised a new doc on ESPN about the OJ case but focuses more specifically on race in America: black America vs. white America. Civil rights. OJ as a all American hero and symbol.
Much like that boxer (name?) that Berry Gordy refers to in his childhood as the emblem of hope for all black kids.
We are going thru much the same today. This doc could be good.
Starts in June.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the E:60 documentary that plays on ESPN?
 
BTW another reason why the scene about MJ being scared of lime green is not true (apart from it being obviously BS) is that Cochran says he has to go out to Neverland to meet MJ. Well, MJ wasn't at Neverland in June 1994. He was in New York, spending his honeymoon with Lisa Marie.
 
Psychoniff said:
^Joe Louis?
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Yes. Sorry, I had to get home and grab his autobiography to check. I thought of this when the OTW doc showed Kobe being inspired by Michael. It's not the sports itself that inspiring but the determination, work ethic that makes people feel they can do anything and they, too, can conquer the world.

PoP said:
Are you referring to the E:60 documentary that plays on ESPN?
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Maybe yes. I don't watch any sports, so I don't watch ESPN. But ABC owns ESPN and they showed a snippet on Good Morning America.

I googled it and it looks like ESPN has been doing a documentary series since 2009. Some of the titles and synopsis looked interesting to me.

(I wanted to see this series mainly because of the way David Schwimmer was playing Robert Kardashian. He and Goldman's father were the most interesting people to come out of that trial for me.)
 
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barbee0715 said:
Maybe yes. I don't watch any sports, so I don't watch ESPN. But ABC owns ESPN and they showed a snippet on Good Morning America.

I googled it and it looks like ESPN has been doing a documentary series since 2009. Some of the titles and synopsis looked interesting to me.
Click to expand...

I saw an E:60 or 30 for 30 episode that one time, well I've seen it twice on TSN which features the same events going on during the Bronco chase like Arnold Palmer playing his final round at the U.S. Opening, Game 5 of Houston Rockets vs NY Knickers in the NBA Finals, Ken Griffey Jr. tying Babe Ruth's record for most home runs, FIFA World Cup commencement and the NY Rangers Stanley Cup parade.
 
^^I take back what I said about watching sports. I worked at the banks corporate office and they used to give us tix to the Rockets games at the Summit Arena when they didn't have some special investor to use them on. The Summit (also where the Bad Tour played) was next door to our building.

My brother happened to live with me and was watching the playoffs when the bronco chase happened, and came running in to tell me to turn it on.
 
While watching the movie I wondered why the prosecution did not bring a new pair of gloves of the same brand and same size to make Simpson put those on - without another glove being underneath it -, since the ones found could have shrunk from moist. Little did I know that they actually did do that exactly and those new pair of gloves of the same size and brand fit perfectly! Why is this never never mentioned in the media? And it was not mentioned in the movie either.

I am watching this trial highlights docu and it's in there around 39:00.

 
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