(hat tip: Dirty Harry)

“The whole question of terrorism, and it’s not just me saying this, is that terrorism is evil to us, not to them,” she said. “There was a time when American revolutionaries were called terrorists, and look what we got out of it.”

MacLaine said she did not believe in death, but the “recycling of souls.”

“That’s why we have to question war,” she said. “Who is being killed here? You just incur the energy of karma. And that’s why we have to get into these different cultures and understand what they’re talking about.

“The ancient cultures went into these questions,” she said. “Our culture is so new we don’t go into, especially new Christianity … It’s a subject that a lot of Western Christians don’t like to discuss, because that robs them of this passionate idea of evil.”

Moral equivalence? Check. Misunderstanding of American history? Check. Blaming Christianity while letting Islam off scott free? Check.

Jude Law has spoken. Peace will prevail in Afghanistan.

The “Alfie” actor is visiting the war-torn country (hat tip: Rich’s Movie News) to drum up interest in Peace Day, a UN-led effort (uh oh) created to spark an entire day each year in which no weapons are discharged.

Well meaning? Sure. Absurd. Youbetcha. It reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a good friend who brought up this very same initiative.

She said the movement to establish Peace Day was a lesson she tried to teach her students. If you have a goal - seize it. Anything is possible. It’s what today’s young minds need to hear. I couldn’t agree more, but Peace Day isn’t the best example. It’s hard to imagine Taliban soldiers holstering their weapons because the UN, or anyone else, says so.

As far Law, I’d rather see him speaking out against the utter incompetence of the UN in Toto, or discussing how European countries need to rise up against terrorism and countries like Iran and Russia.

Instead, we get more platitudes. That won’t bring about peace in Afghanistan. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Subtract Jon Voight and a few other token conservatives and the industry will uniformly vote for Sen. Barack Obama in the fall.

Nothing wrong with that. Free country, right? But I come to defend some of the actors whose political views become public.

I bet it’s rarely their fault.

Part of the problem can be pinned on the media. Journalists know they can spark headlines by asking actors about their political views, and often actors simply answer politely. A chosen few put their feet squarely in their mouth. I bet most would rather talk about their fellow “amazing” actors or just plug their new movie.

There’s always a Sean Penn or Tim Robbins, who likely talk politics even if the reporter never mentions the subject. That said, if an actor is goaded into getting political, whatever happens next is squarely on their shoulders.

Annette Bening spoke her mind recently, and wasn’t nearly as belligerent as I feared. Hope others follow her example between now and Nov. 4.

What do you get for a killer doll who has everything - fame, fortune and the love of Jennifer Tilly?

“Child’s Play: Chucky’s 20th Birthday Edition” resurrects the 1988 hit along with some archaic features shot around the time it first hit theaters. The new DVD, out Sept. 9, reminds us why Chucky caught our attention in the first place. It’s also another example that ’80s horror films age worse than ’70s thrillers.

“Child’s Play” follows an adorable child (Alex Vincent) who gets the doll of his dreams from his widowed mom (Catherine Hicks). But the doll is inhabited by the spirit of a killer (Brad Dourif) who transfered his soul into the toy on his death bed.

It doesn’t take long for Chucky to start misbehaving.

He offs the family babysitter than seeks revenge against the cop (Chris Sarandon) who killed him in human form.

“Child’s Play” plays out sillier than I remembered, but director Tom Holland (”Fright Night”) maximizes the inherent creepiness of a simple child’s toy. The story’s supernatural underpinnings are clunky at best, and the special effects which bring Chucky to life could surely use a CGI facelift. And it’s hard to figure out who’s more wooden, Chucky the plastic toy or Sarandon’s deadly dull cop. The actor showed far more life as the undead neighbor in “Fright Night.”

“Child’s Play” could have been a far different film if the screenwriter’s vision was upheld. The DVD extras tell how the initial “Child’s Play” script had Chucky coming to life not due to some mumbo jumbo but as a manifestation of the boy’s rampaging id. Now that would be a fascinating movie. The extras also include some Chucky commentary bits, the kind of wisecracking which came to define the “Child’s Play” sequels.

(Photo: Chucky the doll makes a bloody mess in the 1988 film “Child’s Play.”)

How wrong you are …

I just signed up to provide movie reviews for “The Walker Daniels Morning Show” in Topeka, Kansas. if you’re in that neck of the woods, check me out on Friday mornings — or listen online. The station is 94.5 Country, and my new partners in crime are Rusty Walker and Jim Daniels. Good folks — and they’ve promised me a jingle to call my own.

(Photo: Jim Daniels, left and Rusty Walker, right, are the latest radio show hosts to welcome my movie views onto their airwaves)

Pacino. De Niro. Together again in next week’s “Righteous Kill.”

So why aren’t I rubbing my hands together in anticipation?

Two big reasons. First, the film is directed by Jon Avnet, who already gave us 2008’s worst movie, “88 Minutes,” also starring Pacino.

And now I’ve learned that the film won’t be screened for Denver critics until the night before it opens, and only one day earlier than that in D.C. That means the studio isn’t eager for film critics to meet their Friday paper deadlines - another way of saying, “please don’t review our movie!”

What a shame. There’s always the chance it’s better than advertised, and I’ll be posting my review next Friday (Sept. 12) with a fair and open mind. It’s impossible for a film critic not to read the tea leaves regarding certain projects, but it’s also vital not to let the leaves dictate your review. Ir “Righteous Kill” rocks, I’ll be the first one telling people how good it is.

(Photo: Screen legends Al Pacino and Robert De Niro team up for the new cop thriller “Righteous Kill.”)

Think being married today is complicated? Try getting hitched in the late 1940s, an era when divorce was simply not what respectable people considered unless under dire circumstances.

The new period drama “Married Life,” now out on DVD, takes that conceit and runs with it rather brilliantly.

Chris Cooper plays Harry, a married man who falls hard for a pretty widow (Rachel McAdams). But how can he marry her without crushing his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) to whom regular sex is the last remaining vestige of their bond?

Harry decides to kill her - to spare her the pain and humiliation of divorce. What a guy.

Complicating matters is Harry’s best pal, Richard (Pierce Brosnan, terrific once more), who out of passion or plot contrivance falls for Harry’s new squeeze.

What follows isn’t always as smooth as director Ira Sachs envisions, but it’s crisply acted and original to the bone.

The period garb, music and social mores add texture without overwhelming the story, and the resolution even packs a bit of unexpected romance. Not a bad trick given “Married Life’s” dour setup.

(Photo: Chris Cooper and Rachel McAdams canoodle in the dark drama “Married Life.”)

Filmmaker Liza Figueroa Kravinsky is uniquely qualified to discuss the reaction to Gov. Sarah Palin being selected as the Republican party’s vice presidential nominee.

She’s the creator of “Beauty: In the Eyes of the Beheld,” a new documentary which explores the connection between a woman’s appearance and her place in society.

Kravinsky checked in with WWTW today to share her thoughts on her film - and the political topic du jour.

WWTW: Why did you decide to shoot a documentary on this subject?

LFK: Growing up, I heard legendary stories of how beautiful my grandmother was. They were incredible stories. For example, one of the most famous and historical artists in the Philippines made a sculpture of her because she was beautiful. It will be on display at a museum there soon. So one day I asked her, “What was it like to be so beautiful?”

She replied, “When you’re the one, you don’t think you’re so pretty.”

Years later, I decided to make a film about this question, whose answer wasn’t as obvious as I thought it would be.

WWTW: What were some of the most surprising comments you heard while shooting your film?

LFK: I heard that there are disadvantages as well as advantages to being beautiful - like being stereotyped as dumb and superficial; and having trouble with careers as a result. Yes, they may get in the door because of their looks, but promotions and might be a problem at a certain level. Relationships can be a problem. I was also surprised at how insecure some of the women are about their appearance - even the beauty pageant queens.

WWTW: How did making the film change your thoughts on women and their appearance?

LFK: I learned that being beautiful is not all that it’s cracked up to be. That is an important message to all girls and women, especially the ones who do dangerous things to be “beautiful.” I also discovered that the definition of beauty in real life is different from the definition portrayed by the beauty and fashion industries. I have a blog about that in my website called “The Definition of Beauty.”

WWTW: Where can people see your film — is there a DVD release date set for it?

LFK: I will definitely be selling downloads and DVDs starting Sept. 8 on Amazon.com. You can see the latest news about that at www.beautydocumentary.com/news.

WWTW: Are you surprised at all the media attention regarding Gov. Palin and her attractiveness?

LFK: No I am not surprised. Beautiful women can’t avoid those kinds of comments no matter how much they try. I interviewed a physician who gets comments about her looks all the time, even though it is the least of her concerns when trying to diagnose and solve serious medical problems.

WWTW: Have your fellow filmmakers, either women or men, discussed the subject with you?

LFK: Yes, and they are intrigued by the subject matter. Nobody has really asked the key question about a universal obsession: “What is it REALLY like to be a beautiful woman.

WWTW: It’s rare for a woman as attractive as Gov. Palin to seek an office as high as the vice presidency. Do you think her looks will ultimately help or hurt her more as the election draws near?

LFK: I think they are already hurting her. These comments and jokes about her looks are objectifying her and are subliminally undermining perceptions of her competence. I don’t know if anyone is doing it on purpose, but the effect is real. The fact that people don’t make this analysis renders these unintended attacks more potent. It’s like racial or sexual prejudice - if you’re not aware of it, you are more easily swayed by it.

(Photo: A new documentary, “Beauty: In the Eye of the Beheld,” explores the impact of a woman’s physical beauty)

But he’s less keen on having the real deal in the White House. (hat tip: Newsbusters)

Here’s his take on Gov. Sarah Palin:

“People who understand politics know anything is possible,” he said. “Picking a woman is an absolute strategic idea from McCain’s point of view. He’s not talking about governing right now. The idea of this woman actually facing down [Vladimir] Putin and negotiating with [Dmitry] Medvedev is idiotic.”

And why is that, Rod? Cuz she’s too pretty? Or too … Republican (cue the threatening organ music)?

Jake Lloyd, the boy who would grow up to be Darth Vader?

Brandon Routh, the “Super” casting choice for the comic book franchise reboot?

And Jennifer Hudson? Doesn’t she have an Oscar on her shelf? And don’t point to her role in “Sex and the City.” Anyone could have subbed for her in that inconsequential part.

Penelope Ann Miller, so ubiquitous for so long in the ’90s.

Sherilyn Fenn, who made our hearts beat faster in “Twin Peaks.”

(hat tip to Ken for the last two)

(Photo: George Lucas plucked Jake Lloyd from obscurity to play young Anakin Skywalker, but he’s barely been heard from since.)