-- The Showtime biopic about Ayn Rand entitled "The Passion of Ayn Rand" may garner yet more accolades. Helen Mirren, who played Ayn Rand, earlier won the " Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie " Emmy for her performance. Now she has been nominated as well for the "Best Actress In A Mini-Series Or Made For TV Movie" Golden Globe Award. Peter Fonda, who played Frank O'Connor, has been nominated for the "Best Supporting Actor In A TV Series, Mini-Series Or Made-For-TV-Movie" Golden Globe. The awards will be handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on January 23rd.

-- Meanwhile, Laissez-Faire Books reports that "The Passion of Ayn Rand" is a finalist in the "1999 New York Film Festivals Television Programming and Promotion Competition."

-- Stung by charges of censorship, Mexico's state-run film production agency has sold its majority stake in "Herod's Law," a controversial movie that depicts corruption within Mexico's ruling party. The film is "reportedly the first Mexican movie to give an open portrayal of corruption within the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which has governed Mexico uninterruptedly for 70 years." The government's handling of the film became an embarrassment after "director Luis Estrada charged the state-run Mexican Film Institute, known as Imcine, had sought to sabotage the movie by preventing its wide release in Mexican cinemas."

-- I have added a new video store to "Miss Liberty's Film & TV World," in coordination with Laissez-Faire Books. The "store" is made up of all the videos currently carried by LFBooks, with descriptions and links. The John Stossel collection in particular is unparalleled. You can visit the store here.

-- According to a press release from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp, the new film "The Insider" is a sham. "The Insider" purports to tell the "true story" of how a former Brown & Williamson employee, turned whistleblower, was threatened with violence if he wouldn't shut up. According to the B&W press release, the FBI now says that this whistleblower and a CBS 60 minutes employee may have faked the threats.

-- The Village Voice reports that a web site for a low budget Blair-Witch style film, about a plan by government agents to start a riot, has been shut down by the FBI, and without a warrant. The ACLU is considering a suit. For more on this see here.

-- The new documentary "Waco: A New Revelation" now has an official web site. This film alleges a variety of government wrongdoing related to the Waco Massacre, and is a sort of follow-up to "Waco: The Rules of Engagement." The site for this film is just a starter site, but it does have information on how to order a video copy of the film.

-- A few months ago, I reviewed "Emperor of Hemp," a film about marijuana activist Jack Herer. This terrific documentary is a wonderful bio of a real friend to liberty. I just discovered that it's now being carried by some of the major online video stores at a price far below suggested retail. The lowest prices I have seen on this film are $14.99 and $10.49, for slow play and extended play respectively on VHS video, at Buy.com. You can learn more about this documentary here.

-- According to the 11/5/99 edition of USA Today, producer Alan Ruddy is looking for casting suggestions from the public for his upcoming film version of "Atlas Shrugged." Ruddy recently announced that he is producing a four-hour TNT miniseries based on the novel. He says that two female stars have already been in touch about parts, and funds have also been offered to assist in the production. "I've had calls from people of wealth and power all over the world who wanted to get involved in the financing." A script is due in two months from Susan Black, who wrote the made-for-TV movies "Married to a Stranger" and "State of Emergency."

-- Another Hollywood producer in the headlines is Aaron Russo. He recently joined the Libertarian Party. Russo has produced eight major films, including "Trading Places," and "Teachers." For the full story, see here.

-- Two films of interest to libertarians will be released on video this month, and should soon be available in the major video rental chains. "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" (####/***) will be available on 11/23/99. It's an irreverent comedy with a great anti-censorship, personal responsibility message. I enjoyed it, but it's not for those easily offended. "The Castle" (#####/***) will be released on 11/16/99.

-- Laissez-Faire Books now has in stock John Stossel's latest documentary "Is America Number One?" (#####/****) This is an outstanding film that reveals liberty to be the greatest engine of economic prosperity. The price of this video is $29.95.

-- Last week, CSPAN aired a speech by David Thibodeau about his book, "A Place called Waco: A Survivor's Story." He was one of only twelve survivors of the fire after the FBI attack on Mt. Carmel in 1994, and had a powerful story to tell. One of the more interesting things he said was that Phil Penningroth, who wrote the script for the pro-government Waco film entitled "In the Line of Duty: Ambush at Waco," has since apologized! Penningroth now compares himself to (an unwitting) Leni Riefenstahl, the German filmmaker who created "Triumph of the Will" for Adolf Hitler. He now says that his film "In The Line Of Duty: Ambush at Waco" was a propaganda film for the government, though he did not know that at the time. Thanks again to those of you who joined me in complaining to Court TV when it recently re-aired this film.

-- The Associated Press reports that the documentary "Waco: A New Revelation" was previewed last Wednesday for reporters in advance of a limited theatrical release. The film alleges a variety of government wrongdoing related to the Waco Massacre, and is a sort of follow-up to "Waco: The Rules of Engagement." "Waco: A New Revelation" is expected to be released by the end of the year.

-- Big, Big News: TNT is developing Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" as a four-hour miniseries! Albert S. Ruddy, who has produced over twenty films, will be executive producer for the $15-20 million drama. Ruddy has apparently been after the film rights to "Atlas Shrugged" for a long time. According to Variety, he tried to buy the rights 25 years ago, but when Rand insisted on final script approval, he backed away from the deal. His strong interest is probably a good sign. However, Ruddy's record as a producer is spotty. On the one hand, he produced the blockbuster Academy Award winning movie "The Godfather" in 1972, which won "Best Picture." On the other hand, he's also produced a lot of middling films, including at least one that Leonard Maltin rated a "bomb."

Susan Black, who wrote two made-for-TV movies (Married To A Stranger (1997), and State of Emergency (1994)), will write the screenplay for Atlas. The director and cast are to be announced "shortly." It's expected that TNT will likely begin production in summer 2000. No airdate has yet been scheduled.

This production is long overdue. In at least one poll, taken by "The Book of The Month Club," Americans rated "Atlas Shrugged" as the second most influential book in their lives after the Bible. Likewise, sales of Atlas are still strong, now almost half a century since its release.

However, I question the adequacy of a $15-20 million dollar budget, a modest one by the standards of today's films, and would also have preferred a more seasoned screenwriter. We will just have to hope for the best. In the past, various stars have been rumored as being interested in some of the key roles (Harrison Ford for Reardan and Sharon Stone for Dagny), so the film may be helped if some big names step forward.

-- The Libertarian Party News has reprinted a column from "The Orange County Register," entitled "Freedom's Flicks: The 20 best libertarian movies of all time." You can find it here.

-- Want to help increase the effectiveness of this newsletter? Why not send a friend the link to "Miss Liberty's Film & TV World, at http://www.missliberty.com. Thanks!

-- ABC has added a new John Stossel section to its web site. It includes "an extensive collection of works produced by Stossel: from video clips and transcripts of his news specials to an archive of some of his favorite Web sites." Viewers are invited to suggest ideas for future Stossel "Give Me a Break" TV segments. These are short exposes of government outrages. (For instance, in a recent "Give Me a Break" segment, Stossel reported that the New London, Conn police department has a policy against hiring cops with high IQs!)

-- Bob Chitester, of the Palmer R. Chitester Fund, is preparing to adapt some of John Stossel's excellent (and often libertarian) documentaries for classroom application. He is developing accompanying text material as well. However, he needs help. If you have knowledge of the textbook market or an interest in helping to get some of these ideas into schools, please contact him at 1-800-876-8930. You can find more information about this effort here.

-- TNT will air a "dramatic new telling" of George Orwell's "Animal Farm." This production seems to have a lot going for it. It's filmed on location in majestic Ireland; it features state-of-the-art animatronic technology developed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop; and it's directed by John Stephenson, who earlier directed "Babe." Orwell wrote his visionary novel to describe and forewarn of the corrupting effect on government of socialism. I am hoping that this theme will also be at least somewhat communicated here. However, the one advance review I read about the film criticized it for significantly departing from the novel, especially with regard to giving it a happier ending. We shall see. Among the celebrity voices featured are Kelsey Grammer as Snowball; Ian Holm as Squealer; Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Mollie; Julia Ormond as Jessie; Pete Postlethwaite as Benjamin; Paul Scofield as Boxer; Patrick Stewart as Napoleon; and Sir Peter Ustinov as Old Major. You can find out more about this film from TNT's excellent web site.

-- The "Harry Browne Exploratory Committee" is planning to make a thirty-minute TV-segment/ video entitled "The Great Libertarian Offer." This film will show the problems that government has created and the benefits that freedom can provide. Per a fund-raising letter I received on the subject, "The program will be shot by award-winning cinematographer Stephen Timberlake, whose credits include dozens of feature films, documentaries, and television shows, and over a hundred political ads and commercials. Previously, Stephen worked on the media campaigns for presidential candidates Gary Hart and Arizona governor Bruce Babbitt. Perry Willis has written a powerful script, and Jim Gross has agreed to direct the show. Jim has over 20 years of experience, both as director and as an executive in network television." In addition to being shown on TV, the Browne people plan to distribute tens of thousands of videos of this film. To make a donation toward production of this film, contact the "Harry Browne 2000" campaign at 202-478-0794 .

-- A couple of months ago, I reviewed the anti-IRS film "The F Zone." (You can still read the review here.) The makers of "The F Zone" are now taking orders for video copies, which will be available on 10/12/99. For more on this film or to order copies, see here.

-- John Stossel has done it again! His special entitled "Is America Number One?" which aired last week on ABC was a terrific piece of TV journalism and made points dear to the hearts of libertarians. If you missed it, you can still get a copy on video by calling 1-800-CALLABC, or by visiting the ABC News Store. The price of the video is $29.95 + S&H.

It's important that we support John Stossel. Happily, that's easy to do. In just 150 seconds, you can send a message to thank ABC for airing his work (at least it took me 150 seconds, you may be faster). Just go here, select "John Stossel Reporting" from the menu, and send your message.

Also, there are a couple of links at ABC related to the special that may be of interest. First, there's a bulletin board where you can participate in an online discussion of the program. Second, there's a transcript of an online chat between Stossel and viewers, which followed the program. And third, there's a transcript of the program itself.

-- On Friday, Hugh Downs officially stepped down as co-anchor of ABC's 20/20. He was interviewed by Barbara Walters, and was given an opportunity to candidly express some of his more "controversial" views, which as it turned out were mostly libertarian political positions, including the decriminalization of marijuana. He didn't push those ideas forward while working at ABC because, as he put it, "the roof fell on me so hard that I decided to back off."

-- There's an interesting article regarding "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" here. It summarizes some of the responses given by executive producer Dan Gifford at a recent showing of the film at the California First Amendment Assembly.

-- In case you missed the Emmys, Helen Mirren won "Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie" for her role as Ayn Rand in the movie "The Passion of Ayn Rand," based on Barbara Branden's book of the same name. A well-deserved award, I thought. Strangely enough, Mirren was "accidentally slashed by someone else's trophy when all of the winners gathered on stage for the show's finale. 'I must be the first person ever to shed blood for an Emmy,' quipped Mirren. The injury wasn't serious but did require the application of a small bandage."

-- On Monday (9/13), Showtime will premier "The Pursuit of Happiness: Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century," directed by Oscar-Winning Robert Zemeckis. This documentary is reported to be highly critical of the War on Drugs.

As Zemeckis said in a NY Times interview, "One thing that quickly becomes apparent is that there is no solution to the problem. You can't control what is basically a personal journey. You can't legislate sobriety." Zemeckis makes this point and more using a wide variety of sources: "half-forgotten audiovisual artifacts, on-camera interviews with numerous historians, former addicts, addiction counselors and other experts, including a spokesman for Alcoholics Anonymous, an advocate of medical marijuana use, a libertarian proponent of drug decriminalization, the author of 'Denial Is Not a River in Egypt' and the radio personality Dr. Demento, a connoisseur of drug-soaked pop music from Cab Calloway to Kurt Cobain."

-- The NRA is now making available on video a fifteen minute informercial/documentary about the destruction of gun rights in England and Australia. Entitled "Banned!" this short film includes numerous first-hand interviews with (former) gun owners, sportsmen, gun collectors, gun makers and gunshop owners from these two countries. The people interviewed tell how shocked they were when their guns were suddenly taken away, something they thought would never really happen; they tell of their resulting personal loss and sense that their freedom has been compromised; they tell of the end of their sports, livelihoods, and sense of safety. And above all they send this message of warning to gun owners in America: don't let what happened to us happen to you. It's a short but effective film and would be a good one to share with gun enthusiasts. At $4.50, it's also cheap. It can be purchased here.

-- An Argentine documentary about the Argentine government's "Dirty War," in which the government is estimated to have quietly murdered between 15,000 and 30,000 of its opponents, was released this week. It's called "Garage Olimpo" and will shortly appear in film festivals in North America.

--The online home base for this newsletter, "Miss Liberty's Film & TV World," was chosen by Free-Market.Net as the "Freedom Home Page of the Week." Many thanks to Free-Market.Net for this honor and for the consequent spike in my subscriber base!

--The LP of Indiana is selling videos intended to educate and entertain party members. The videos include: County Party Organizing (85min); Grabbing the Ear of the Media (80min); The Libertarian-Christian Connection (55min); Project One by One: How to Get Noticed in Your Community (55min); and Dinner with Doug Friedline, Campaign Manager for Jesse Ventura (80min). Each video is $15, payable to the LP of Indiana. To order, write: 3601 N. Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205.

--Last week, A&E aired "IRS Horror Stories," a documentary on the subject of abuses of power by the IRS. It could have been more hard-hitting, but the litany of unrepented abuse alone was very damning. It can be purchased here.

--Along the same lines, a new independent film is in release attacking the constitutionality of the income tax. It's called "The F Zone." Paraphrasing the "F Zone's" plot summary on its web site, "Dennis Smith, a filmmaker, is financially ruined by a group of IRS agents intent on changing the tax standards for the entertainment industry. Led by IRS agent Lothar Gunter, they levy Dennis' accounts forcing him out of business. Dennis gets help from tax attorney Loren Adams, who has alternative motives that are driven by circumstances that have led to her own loathing of the IRS. Loren seeks to convince Dennis to help her create a film that will question the validity of the federal authority for taxation -- the Sixteenth Amendment. Dennis' initial reluctance changes as the pain of Loren's past is revealed. Loren reasons that by imparting the truth about the Sixteenth Amendment, they can change the will of the people. Dennis' consent leads to an interesting and tumultuous climax." The official web site for the film is here.

--David Nolan brought to my attention an interesting article by David Horowitz, on the subject of bipartisan support for TV censorship. It's a disturbing read. You can find it here.

--The Showtime movie production of Barbara Branden's authoritative Ayn Rand biography "The Passion of Ayn Rand" has garnered two Emmy nominations! Helen Mirren was nominated for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, and Peter Fonda was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. The winning Emmys will be announced on September 12th.

--The Academy Award nominated documentary "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" is now available on PAL video (the format commonly used outside the U.S.). One vendor carrying it is Australia's Siren Entertainment. Also, the web site for the film has added two new articles from the Washington Post and the Dallas Observer on the subject of recent court decisions related to the Waco Massacre.

--And speaking of Waco, last Wednesday's South Park episode was a terrific attack on the ATF's actions there.

In this episode, the ATF surrounds a house where a party is underway, on the grounds that it thinks a religious cult inside is going to commit mass suicide. The ATF kills the partygoers as they leave; lies to the press about it, saying that the partygoers were armed; claims that children are being held inside; and plays bad music really loud to drive the partygoers out.

This dialogue between a reporter covering the incident and the ATF commander is typical:

>ATF Commander: "We have not had any cooperation with the cult inside the house. They are refusing to come out and apparently they still plan to commit suicide…

>Reporter: "So what are your plans commander?"

>ATF Commander: "Right now our plan is to burn the house down. If we set it on fire, they'll have no choice but to come out."

>Reporter: "Setting them on fire sounds a little dangerous, commander."

>ATF Reporter: "It is, but we can't let them kill themselves."

And then a little later:

>Reporter: "Excuse me, but what proof do you have that the people inside are religious fanatics?"

>ATF Commander: "We know what we're doing. We did this all before in Waco."

>Reporter: "Yes, but you totally screwed up Waco. You killed a bunch of innocent people and then tried to say they killed themselves."

>ATF Commander: "Look, you see this [shaking a doll]? Go get it!"

>Reporter runs off stupidly after the doll, as though easily misled by the ATF.

--Hugh Downs, who co-anchored ABC's 20/20 for years, and who has often spoken favorably of the Libertarian Party and libertarian ideas, is reportedly about to join iNEXTV Corp., a newly formed Internet video network, to develop online television shows. "Edward Bramson, chief executive of iNEXTV, said Downs will be involved in iNEXTV's Executive Branch TV, which will provide coverage of U.S. executive agency meetings and activities, including White House events, via the Internet -- akin to the C-SPAN channel's coverage of U.S. congressional and other political events on cable TV."

--In the 1930's, Ayn Rand wrote a script for a film to be called "Red Pawn." As Barbara Branden describes it in her "Passion of Ayn Rand" biography of Rand: "Red Pawn is a flamboyantly dramatic story, more typical of the later Ayn Rand than anything she had so far written, about a beautiful woman who becomes the adored mistress of the commandant of a Soviet prison for men convicted of political crimes; she becomes his mistress in order to free her husband who, unknown to the commandant, is one of his prisoners. It contains, in sharp, abbreviated focus, the dramatic twists, the plot inventiveness combined with keen philosophical insight, that were to reach their climax in 'Atlas Shrugged.'"

"Red Pawn" was never produced. However, it may yet be. Quite by accident I discovered a reference on the net to the film being "in the works" at Samuel Goldwyn Films, under the title "Ayn Rand's Red Pawn." I phoned the studio repeatedly but no one is willing to comment on what exactly "in the works" means. Nonetheless, everyone there seemed to be familiar with the title. My guess is that it's in some very early tentative stage. Perhaps the Academy Award nomination for "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" and the successful release of "The Passion of Ayn Rand" have paved the way for more Rand films. Stay tuned.

--Last Wednesday's episode of South Park was an amazingly frank attack on sexual harassment laws and on frivolous lawsuits generally. As the episode begins, the South Park kids are getting a lecture in sexual harassment at school. They soon figure out that sexual harassment is a legal bonanza and start suing each other over minor insults. As the lawsuits mount, however, it becomes clear that everyone is getting poorer except the town lawyer. In the end, the lesson is learned that frivolous lawsuits are bad, as explained in the closing speech:

"Lawsuits damage our society. I know it's tempting to make money. But just remember that that money has to come from somewhere, and usually it ends up hurting a lot of innocent people."

Even more blunt on the subject is this exchange between Kyle and his father, the lawyer:

>Lawyer: "You see Kyle, we live in a liberal democratic society, and Democrats make sexual harassment laws. These laws tell us what we can and can't say in the workplace, and what we can and can't do in the workplace."

>Kyle: "Isn't that fascism?"

>Lawyer: "No, because we don't call it fascism."

--A new film of possible interest is "Zone 39." Per the E-online summary: "The film portrays an Orwellian world devastated by 40 years of war and dominated by a repressive, all-controlling government. Thanks to the drug Novan, a lonely soldier, distraught over the death of his pregnant wife, survives a solitary assignment in the deserted Zone 39. At the same time, he discovers a deadly cover-up threatening humanity. Although derivative and often flat in its storytelling, this haunting story explores the dangers of absolute power." Reviews for this film are mixed, and may be found here.

--Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have struck a deal to produce a film about the life of Playboy creator Hugh Hefner. This could be promising. A previous documentary about Hefner, entitled "Hugh Hefner, Once Upon A Time," revealed him to be an entrepreneur of the first order and a defender of civil liberties. Stay tuned.

--Awhile ago, two readers of this newsletter indicated to me that Tracy Torme, co-creator of the SciFi channel program "Sliders," which sometimes has libertarian themes, is himself a libertarian and voted for Harry Browne (I have not been able to confirm this). E-Online now reports that Torme just teamed up with one-time Libertarian Party candidate and radio shock-jock Howard Stern to produce a cartoon series. Called "Doomsday," it's about "a clan forced take to the roads in a souped-up RV in search of a new home and traditional family values after the world is fried by a burst of radiation." More on this here.

--Separately, E-Online also reported that following Rosie O'Donnell's public criticism of Tom Selleck for supporting private gun ownership, Howard Stern stormed O'Donnell's studio during his live broadcast and demanded a public debate with her on the issue. Stern said that "he was willing to debate O'Donnell 'anytime, anywhere' on the issue of gun control, something he opposes and she adamantly supports."

--Barbara Branden recently wrote to inform me, regarding the film "Passion of Ayn Rand," that "apart from showing at Sundance, the movie was also shown at the Seattle film festival, and in West Hampton. The Los Angeles premiere--at the Motion Picture Academy on May 20--was a great success, drawing a much larger audience than is usual at previews, and a very enthusiastic audience. The amount of publicity the film is receiving, even prior to its release on May 30, is quite extraordinary--a full page in Insight (its cover is an enlarged photo of the Ayn Rand stamp), write-ups in TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly, reviews in all the major newspapers, and much more."

--Hollywood continues to condemn private gun ownership and its defenders. The latest attack comes from Spike Lee, who reportedly said that NRA president Charlton Heston should be shot, and that he'd like to see the NRA dismantled. For more on this, see here. The well-armed Heston reportedly replied "If he wants to come and take a shot at me, go let him try it." Neither Heston nor Lee have a listed e-mail address on the web, but you can send snail-mail comments to: Spike Lee, 124 Dekalb Avenue, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11217 or Charlton Heston, 2859 Coldwater Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

--A project is underway to use some of John Stossel's specials and selected 20/20 pieces as the core of curriculum units for use in high school and community college courses. Several of these documentary works question the ever-expanding role of government. The project's broad purpose is to instill "enthusiasm among students for liberty and personal responsibility." Teachers interested in taking advantage of this program and those interested in donating funds toward it can find more information about the program here.

--Run, don't walk, to see "The Castle." This is one of the most libertarian films to be released in a long time. It's also an entertaining comedy. However, it's not expected to be in the theaters for long as it's getting very little advertising support from its owner, Miramax.

Apparently Miramax bought it on the strength of its popularity at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won audience favorite. However, Miramax's attention got diverted to other films and this one was allowed to sit on the shelf for one and a half years, despite some very favorable reviews. Now it's finally being shown, but without much marketing. It's an Australian film, and it reinforces my generally favorable impression of the film industry in that country. If you enjoyed "Strictly Ballroom" or "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert," this is much in the same spirit.

--The Columbine high school shootings have prompted predictable reactions from Hollywood. On daytime TV, Rosie O'Donnell reportedly challenged Tom Selleck to defend his well-known advocacy of private gun ownership. Selleck replied that gun ownership was constitutionally protected, adding "What you're really talking about is, 'Are we responsible enough of a society to be this free?'" Apparently O'Donnell doesn't think so. For more on this story, see here.

--Along the same line, in response to the Columbine incident, Sharon Stone just turned her guns over to the police with much fanfare. Said Stone "Our world has changed and our children are in danger. I choose to surrender my right to bear arms in exchange for the peace of mind of doing the right thing." Presumably Stone's bodyguards have not followed her example. You can get the full story on this here. Stone's email address is not listed on the web, but feedback may be mailed to: Sharon Stone, P.O. Box 7304, North Hollywood, CA 91603-7304.

--According to a new study entitled "Images of Government in TV Entertainment," published by the Center of Media and Public Affairs, public servants are commonly portrayed in today's prime-time TV as examples of "corruption, buffoonery, ineptitude and red tape." Researchers found that portrayals of government workers have become "increasingly negative" since 1955. However, viewers don't seem to mind. "A public opinion survey, released in conjunction with the report, shows 55 percent of Americans believe TV actually does an accurate job of portraying the government." For more on this, see here.

--There are two films in current release or about to be released which should be of interest. "The Winslow Boy" opened in New York and Los Angeles on April 30 and will be released nationally starting May 14. A popular film among Objectivists, it's the story of a heroic barrister who fights his case all the way into Parliament in order to secure a hearing for his wrongfully accused client. Reviews for this film are so far very favorable.

Another film of likely interest is "The Castle." It's all about a quirky homeowner and his family who live in a ramshackle house next to an airport. The airport wants to expand and uses eminent domain to try to acquire the house. The family fights back, all the way up to the Supreme Court. Reviews for both "The Winslow Boy" and "The Castle" can be found here.

--The NRA is sponsoring a new television show called "Crimestrike." It chronicles the stories of armed citizens defending themselves against violent crime. "Each episode recreates actual incidents in which firearms were used to thwart criminals and saves lives. Already this new show has been featured in TV Guide as among the best new shows of the season." Currently "Crimestrike" is seen on only 74 stations. The NRA hopes to increase that number to 200 by the end of the year. Because it isn't yet broadcast nationally, it won't be included in this newsletter. However, you can check local listings to see if it's available in your area here.

--The Academy Award nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" has been selected to screen at the First Annual Sun Valley Documentary Film Festival (Idaho).

--A CD soundtrack of "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" will soon be available here. It will include: dialogue excerpts from the original motion picture, Jeff Britting's original music for the film, Ayn Rand's testimony before the house Committee on Un-American Activities, excerpts from the narration by Sharon Gless, dialogue from Ayn Rand's play "Ideal" (performed by Janne Peters), and two of Miss Rand's favorite "tiddlywink" songs from her private record collection-- "Canadian Capers" and "Will o' the Wisp."

--It's tax time again. If you need a film to put you in the mood, probably the most popular libertarian film on taxation is "Harry's War." Amazon.com is currently offering it for $16.99. Other recommended films with anti-tax themes, and which are typically available for rent at Blockbuster, include "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) and "The Mark of Zorro" (1940).

--Two films of interest are newly out on video this month:

1)"Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" (1995)/#####/** A highly regarded military nurse is discharged for being a lesbian. [criticism of government discrimination and pitch for social tolerance] Video release date: 3/9.

2)"Pleasantville" (1998)/####/** Two teenagers are magically transported into a fifties television show rerun, and their modern unrestrained ways trigger unprecedented change. [attack on social conservatism] Video release date: 3/23.

--An announcement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that it will give the "Lifetime Achievement Award" to 89-year-old film director Elia Kazan is triggering protests from Hollywood leftists. In 1952, Kazan was a sympathetic witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee and took out newspaper ads proclaiming the need to stand up against the Communist menace. The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) has formed the "Committee for Naming Facts" to support Kazan. The Committee plans to hold a demonstration of support during the March 21 ceremony.

--If you saw John Stossel's fantastic special last week entitled "Greed," a documentary defense of self-interest, you may be interested to know that it reportedly did surprisingly well in the ratings: "4 points better than the lead-in, and it went up during the course of the hour." That's especially good news since there was some confusion at ABC itself as to whether "Greed" was going to air, and that confusion was communicated to the various vendors of TV schedules, some of which showed it and some of which didn't. No doubt it would have done even better if all the schedules had been correct.

--A recently released film of possible interest is "October Sky." It's based on the memoirs of scientist Homer Hickam and relates the early high-school years of his Horatio Alger -type story, rising from an apparently hopeless beginning in a small West Virginia coal-mining town through hard work and an enthusiasm for science. As the Washington Post put it "[it has a vision] of an America we'd like to believe in, an America where hard work and determination can make something happen..."

--In January, the Academy Award nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" won a Golden Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film. "The award was given by the International Press Academy at the 3rd Annual Golden Satellite Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The IPA is made up of over 200 members of the foreign and domestic press who cast their votes for the extraordinary efforts, projects and performances of the past year."

--Variety reports that "20th Century Fox is close to a deal to pick up 'The Stanford Prison Experiment,' a long-gestating project that would continue Leonardo DiCaprio's relationship with the studio for which he's already made three films. The screenplay is based on an actual experiment conducted at Stanford University in the summer of 1971, when a professor named Phil Zimburdo turned the basement of a psychology building into a mock prison. The randomly chosen subjects were 19- and 20-year-old students who were divided into camps of either prison guards or prisoners. What was to be a two-week experiment was cut short after six days because of the level of cruelty and sadism that erupted among the guards." This experiment has been used as an example of the corrupting effect of unchecked power.

--Most critics hated the recent film "Armageddon," but audiences loved it. That's usually a good sign. I also saw "Deep Impact," the other recent film about an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The two films make for an interesting comparison.

In "Deep Impact," the heroine is a television news-woman. In the end, she gives up her life to save a baby and drives to the shore to face the impending tidal wave (resulting from the approaching asteroid), in a sort of suicidal pact with her heretofore estranged father. Others likewise passively hold onto each other as they wait for the inevitable doom. The president has done what he can, but he can't stop the coming asteroid. Hopelessness and malaise. The whole thing reminded me of the Carter years.

In "Armageddon," on the other hand, the hero is an offshore oil well driller (!) whose unusual skills and crack team of fellow drillers save the planet--on the condition that they be free of taxation for the rest of their lives. Viva la difference! I am happy to report that "Armageddon" is the biggest grossing film release of 1998.

--A couple of interesting new links were brought to my attention this week. First, the "Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp," an organization which at least advocates decriminalization of hemp, has a large selection of video clips which may be accessed online with RealVideo here. And second, Liberty Magazine is offering videotaped speeches from its Editor's Conference here.