DayeTime: 'Googlers' beware: 'Facts' aren't always factual

Ah, the wonders of the modern age. The world and all of its accumulated knowledge, past and present, is literally at our fingertips via that one-eyed monster sitting on the desk.

For those who haven’t learned the hard way -- yet -- the information wizards of the internet aren’t always right.

We use the term “google,” which is liberally borrowed from the web search site of the same name, to describe the act of searching the internet for information by typing in a few key words.

Miraculously, hundreds, thousands and even hundreds of thousands of possible sites are listed for you to find the desired information.

I’ve noted before that I sometimes get “feelings” that there are issues that need to be updated. I admittedly use the computer to test my theory, as well as the trusty telephone.

The other day I had one of those feelings about our local connection with Hollywood, Acacia Filmed Entertainment -- owned by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in partnership with Australian moviemaker Matthew George’s Savvy Media Holdings.

Remember the last half of the previous sentence. It’s important.

I tried the trusty telephone first, calling a few phone numbers of people in a position to know if Acacia had any new projects on the horizon. I could not reach anyone, so I impatiently turned to the computer.

Lo and behold, there was an entry that George was involved in a soon-to-be-released film, "A Private War."

Acacia was not mentioned in that particular article, but my paranoid personality kicked in and I launched a more specific search linking Acacia and "A Private War."

That’s when several items in the “trades” popped up talking about Acacia’s involvement in the movie, including references to its last three projects -- "Wind River," "LBJ" and "Shock and Awe" -- and its connection with George and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe.

So, being presented with multiple sources outlining the local production company’s involvement in this film, I turned again to the telephone and left a few messages asking, basically, “What gives?”

Long story short (too late), there really is such a thing as “fake news.”

Acacia is not involved in "A Private War." Savvy and George are on this one without the tribe.

What happened, I was told by someone in a position to know these things, is that Hollywood reporters saw George’s involvement and assumed he was acting on behalf of Acacia. Some articles even identified him as “Acacia’s Matthew George.”

Swing and a miss.

So, as far as I know, have been told or can “google,” there are no new Acacia projects in the immediate future.

If Mr. George, or someone closer to home with the company, has news to the contrary, please call me. I don’t think I’m the only one in Avoyelles Parish who thinks it’s a pretty big deal to have a local entity involved in the major movie industry.

Since I have mentioned the movie, I should probably give you a brief synopsis to answer those unanswered questions.

"A Private War" is the story of New York-born British war reporter Marie Colvin, one of the most famous and respected war correspondents of this era. She was killed on assignment covering the siege of Homs, Syria, in February 2012.

Many of the articles tout it as a potential award winner. Others say the acting is a bit “campy” or exaggerated.

But remember, they also think Acacia is one of the production companies. Just saying.

The film stars Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl") as Colvin and Jamie Dornan ("Shades of Grey") as war photographer Paul Conroy.

It will start in limited release on Nov. 2 and then in expanded release on Nov. 16. That means it will not be limited to just a handful of screens in a few cities. One article even used the term “blockbuster.”

It had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 14.

The “Metacritic” website rates it a 67. For comparison, it gave "Wind River" a 73, "LBJ" a 54 and "Shock and Awe" a 45 rating.

Indications are that "A Private War" would have been a good project in which to invest. Then again, I’m sure there were those who said, “Rob Reiner, Woody Harrelson. What could go wrong?”

But it did -- twice ("LBJ" and "Shock and Awe").