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1. Paramount Buys Another Anti-Iraq War Script
We recently got this e-mail tip about a studio bidding war over a screenplay
involving a U.S. soldier who refuses to serve.
Titled "Stop Loss," the script's logline is as follows: "A soldier returns
home to Texas from Iraq but is then recalled with the 'stop-loss' procedure, the controversial statute now used by the U.S.
Defense Dept. to extend soldiers' combat time. The soldier refuses to return to battle."
Written by Kimberly Peirce and Mark Richard, the deal was brokered by agents
at CAA and UTA, and the buyer was Paramount. Scott Rudin will reportedly produce and Kimberly Peirce will direct. The film
is budgeted at $25 million.
Coincidentally enough, Paramount is also the studio that hired Oliver Stone
to direct the first major studio movie about 9/11.
Is Hollywood biased? Not at all ...
2. Spielberg Says He'll Do No Media for 'Munich'
The LA Weekly reports that Steven Spielberg will be doing no media interviews
for his controversial new terrorism thriller "Munich." (Spielberg's publicist states that the movie will "speak for itself.")
And, taking a page out of Mel Gibson's Oscar-season playbook for "The Passion,"
he won't be doing any Oscar campaigning either. Not that he'll have to, of course, because his many boosters in Hollywood's
entertainment press are already doing that for him - although none of them have even seen the film!
Of course, before you credit Spielberg for his good taste, bear in mind
that - according to the LA Weekly piece - he may already have landed a front-page feature for himself and the film on Time
Magazine. So Spielberg's "principled' stand here seems conveniently timed.
3. Hollywood Conservatives Getting Together
Hollywood's conservatives - what you might term the new Hollywood
"counter-culture" - are organizing and getting together like never before. In addition to the yearly Liberty Film Festival,
there are now numerous opportunities to meet Hollywood conservatives.
The first - and still the most notable of these - is David Horowitz's
Wednesday Morning Club. Organized by his Center for the Study of Popular Culture, these monthly meetings feature famous political,
media, and entertainment speakers, and attract a diverse crowd of executives, actors, directors, writers and other creative
types.
At the most recent Wednesday Morning Club luncheon at the Four
Seasons in Beverly Hills, we were delighted to see Tammy Bruce, who we last saw giving a memorable speech on opening night
of the Liberty Film Festival.
Tammy spoke about her new book "The New American Revolution," and we highly recommend that you take a look at it. Other recent speakers
at the Wednesday Morning Club include Ann Coulter, and Newt Gingrich - who was introduced by none other than Joel Surnow,
the Executive Producer of Fox's "24."
Another terrific organization is the Hollywood Congress
of Republicans. Past speakers at their monthly dinner meetings include our NewsMax colleague Jim Hirsen, actress Morgan Brittany,
producer Doug Urbanski, filmmaker Steve Bannon, and numerous well-known political figures. Their
upcoming meeting this December 7 features one of our favorite actors and speakers - the inimitable Robert Davi.
Finally, comedian Evan Sayet's "Right to Laugh" conservative
comedy evenings at the Friars Club in Beverly Hills have become another popular place for Hollywood conservatives to get together.
The last two "Right to Laugh" evenings have been sell-out successes (Larry Elder, David Horowitz, and numerous entertainment
and media types were in the audience), and the next comedy night, scheduled for this Saturday December 3, should be an equally
fun event.
The bottom line is, in order for conservatives to make films
and regain a voice in Hollywood, they need to get together. There are more opportunities than ever before for them to
do just that - and we look forward to seeing the changes that will occur in Hollywood as a result.
Jason Apuzzo and Govindini Murty are NewsMax columnists,
filmmakers and Co-Directors of the Liberty Film Festival.
Editor's Notes:
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