-- A new video entitled "Busted" explains how to protect your rights in the event of police questioning or arrest. It demonstrates "1)common police tactics used to induce citizens to waive their constitutional rights, 2)possible negative consequences of waiving your rights (e.g. searches, arrest, and jail), and 3)ways to appropriately assert one's rights to reduce the risk of being searched and possibly arrested." You can learn more about this video and/or order it here.

-- Part three of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," will be released in theaters on 12/17/03. "New Line Cinema will be sending the first two movies in the trilogy back to about 100-150 theaters in the two weeks leading up to this movie's release. 'The Fellowship of the Ring' will come first, starting on December 5th, 2003, followed by 'The Two Towers,' starting on December 12th. Both films will be presented as special editions with over 30 minutes of additional material (essentially the DVD special editions). This will all lead up to a massive event in those theaters on December 16th, in which the trilogy will be presented in its entirety, starting with 'The Fellowship of the Ring' presented at 3PM, 'The Two Towers' at 7PM and the premiere of this movie at 11PM (which will run over into the 17th, which is the day of its release). Altogether, audiences who attend this event will see over ten hours of Tolkien (with intermissions in between each film). The list of participating theaters is now online over at http://www.LordoftheRings.net. Tickets are on sale now."

-- The new film "High Times Potluck," described as a pro- marijuana legalization film, is now airing in NY, NY, Kutztown, PA, and a number of other cities listed here.

-- A new documentary about the relationship between gun control and genocide, "Innocents Betrayed," is now for sale here.

-- Attention film and fiction students: The Institute for Humane Studies is offering scholarships up to $10,000 to support students who "1) are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in filmmaking, fiction writing, or playwriting; 2) have a demonstrated interest in classical liberal ideas and their application in contemporary society; and 3) demonstrate the desire, motivation, and creative ability to succeed in their chosen profession." The application deadline is January 15, 2004. You can learn more about this generous offer here.

-- I recently reviewed the film "Ararat," which concerns the Armenian holocaust of 1915. You can read the review below or see the html version, complete with useful related links, here.

-- A new documentary, entitled "Third Party: Political Alternatives in the Age of Duopoly," highlights the uphill battle that third parties face in the U.S. It's mostly told from the perspective of Green Party activists, but also includes interviews with members of other parties including the Libertarian Party. You can learn more about this documentary and see an online trailer here.

-- I have updated the list of reader suggested libertarian films and TV programs to add the film "Interstate 60," "Herod's Law," and the TV series "Everwood." You can see reader comments on those here.

-- ABC TV journalist John Stossel has completed his new book "Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists--and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media." You can pre-order this book here.

-- The Libertarian Party News reports that the Heinlein book "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" has been optioned by Phoenix Pictures. Published in 1966, the book is about "an unassuming computer repairman and moon resident who gets caught up in a rebellion against the authority that controls it from Earth." Separately, Warner Brothers has optioned Heinlein's "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel." You can see a complete listing of the film versions of Heinlein's work here.

-- News from the Vienna Film Festival: 1) "'The Agronomist,' a documentary about Haitian national hero Jean Dominique, the journalist and pro-democracy rebel who owned and operated Haiti's only independent radio station is expected to be officially released in 2004. The Jonathan Demme-directed film is making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival." 2) "Iranian director Babak Payami presented his new film 'Silence Between Two Thoughts,' about a Taliban soldier who is ordered to rape a female prisoner. His countryman Abolfazl Jalili never even made it to the festival because he was blocked from leaving Iran after officials saw a copy of his film 'Abjad ('The First Letter') about a Muslim teenager in love with a Jewish girl." 3) Antonio Banderas stars in "Imagining Argentina," a film about a psychic in 1970's Argentina who uses his powers to help locate people kidnapped by the Argentine government.

-- Attorneys General from 24 states this week sent a letter to Motion Picture Association of America president Jack Valenti asking the film industry to reduce the amount of smoking in films to prevent teens from taking up the habit. Reason Magazine has a good editorial on such government meddling in Hollywood.

-- Blackstone Audio Books, the premier vendor of unabridged recorded books, is carrying an increasing number of libertarian titles. The #1 and #2 bestsellers at Blackstone currently are "Objectivism (Peikoff)," and "Atlas Shrugged (Rand)." Current sale items include "The Fountainhead (Rand)," "Intellectuals (Paul Johnson), "Socialism (Ludwig von Mises)." Upcoming titles include "Facets of Ayn Rand." Audio books are a great way to finally experience those books you haven't had the time to read, and I personally have had a great experience with Blackstone (no, they're not paying me to say this). You can learn more about Blackstone Audio Books here.

-- The August edition of "Aristos," the Objectivist newsletter on the Arts, has been released. You can read it here.

-- ABC journalist John Stossel reports in his weekly letter that his book is "finally finished and off to the publisher."

-- The Center for Consumer Freedom, an organization that promotes personal responsibility and protects consumer choice, has released a couple of great TV ads that will be of interest to libertarians. Just follow this link and click "see our latest ads."

-- Two films nominated for "Best Libertarian Film of 2002" are just getting released on video. "Ararat," about the Armenian holocaust, is now on VHS and DVD. The DVD of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is expected to be released on 8/26. You can find useful links on both of these films here.

-- "Sand Storm," a film from India that is now getting a wider release in the U.S, tells the true story of Bhanwari Devi, an Indian woman who has become India's leading anti-rape activist. After being gang-raped herself, Devi filed a complaint, only to find that her local justice system was entirely resistant to enforcing laws against rape. Her refusal to accept this injustice brought much-needed media attention to the problem, including the making of this film. Says the director, Jag Mundhra, "India honors mythological women as goddesses, yet treats living women with abuse. Instead of saying women are goddesses, we should treat them as human beings... My hope is that people will care about the life of this woman who has shown so much courage against such odds. This is a universal film. The triumph of her spirit has made her a beacon of light for others. Her story exposes injustices of feudalistic society, political opportunism and fundamentalism. This woman is a hero." You can find reviews of this film (also listed as Bawandar) here.

-- "In This World," a British film expected to be released in the U.S. in September, has a storyline sympathetic to immigration. The film "follows two teenage Afghan refugees as they try to make their way to London, where they hope to find political refuge, by being smuggled through a human pipeline to freedom. Their journey takes them down a wearying path that goes through Iran, Turkey, Italy and France. As the film starts, the setting is the Peshawar refugee camps in northwest Pakistan where over 50,000 Afghanis live, awaiting somewhere to go." You can find reviews of this film here.

-- The pro-gun rights organization "Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership" has raised $159K toward the production of its exciting new documentary "Innocents Betrayed," about the causal relationship between gun control and genocide. Only $11K more is needed to complete production of the film! If you would like to see an advance clip from the film or donate money, click here.

-- Another film in the works is "Heart of the Beholder," about an attempt by religious right activists to censor the video collection of a small video rental store of such films as "Taxi Driver," "Blazing Saddles," and "The Last Temptation of Christ." Through obscenity charges and use of the RICO "racketeering" statute the activists allegedly ultimately drove the small business video store owners into bankruptcy. The makers of this film have raised $200K so far and are hoping to raise another $300K at least partly through advance sales of the video/DVD. For more on this film see here.

-- Most of the libertarian films recommended in this newsletter and in the associated book, "Miss Liberty's Guide to Film and Video," were originally brought to my attention by you--the subscribers. However, I have not yet had time to do justice to all the suggestions given. So this week, in lieu of the regular letter, I decided to post the remaining as yet unevaluated ideas to the web. I can't add anything to the commentary given, but many of these sound like excellent films. Where possible, I have added IMDB links for more information. Here's the list.

-- There's a great article by Thomas S. Engeman at Claremont.org entitled "In Defense of Cowboy Culture." It concerns heroism in American mainstream culture and will be of particular interest to Rand fans. Here's the first paragraph: " For a quarter century, observers from Robert Bellah to Robert Bork have warned of America's imperiled mores. Popular culture, usually described as increasingly hedonistic and nihilistic, is often blamed for the decline of our national character. While there is a lot to dislike about popular culture, it also produces a torrent of heroic fare whose significance hasn't been sufficiently appreciated. In Iraq, for example, embedded reporters traveling with the rapidly advancing American columns marveled at our forces' bravery and decency; somehow these young men and women, certified members of the slacker generation, were battling down Freedom's Road, not slouching toward Gomorrah. Where do we get such heroes? One answer is: American popular culture." You can read the full article here.

-- Terra Lycos, the largest global Internet network, announced its third annual list of the most popular radio talk show hosts with Web users. Notably, nationally-syndicated Libertarian radio host Neal Boortz is a rising star. "Over the past couple of years, Boortz has gone from number fourteen to number nine and now stands at number five." Libertarian-leaning Howard Stern ranks #1. More on this here.

-- "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are joining forces with Paramount Pictures to produce a new film that will "use marionettes to lampoon the war on terrorism [and] mindless action movies and celebrities." Their previous film, "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut," had considerable libertarian content as does the "South Park" television series. The series, which celebrated its 100th episode in April, has been renewed by Comedy Central through at least 2005. More on this here.

-- According to "Ballot Access News," "R.J. Cutler, producer of the proposed TV show 'American Candidate,' still has not found a network to carry the show, which would have showcased non-major presidential candidates. The original sponsor, FX, had ducked out 5/2/03."

-- There are two DVD by mail services I wanted to mention that are revolutionizing the way people see films and may be of interest. For $20/month, NetFlix.com offers unlimited access to its library of 15,000 DVDs. Just log in, select the films you would like to see, and NetFlix will mail you your first three selections. As you return them, via their post-paid mailer, NetFlix will automatically send you the next films on your list. I have personally used this service for the last couple of weeks and found it wonderfully convenient, far better than driving back and forth to the video store. A competitor to NetFlix.com is Numberslate.com, which offers a similar service for $14/month with a slightly smaller selection of 13,000 DVDs. Click here for more on NetFlix.com and Numberslate.com.

-- Independent filmmakers note: The aforementioned DVD service, Numberslate.com, invites you to add your film to their available titles! Yes, you can bypass the entire Hollywood system now. Just send a DVD copy of your film to Numberslate.com and you will receive a percent of the gross income generated from your movie. Per the Numberslate.com web site: "When you submit your DVD to us, we will add it to our catalog of titles. Not only will it be listed right alongside the establishment movies, but it may be featured prominently, on the Independent Films section of our front page (coming soon). Independent Films also get a special place on their movie info page where you can put a URL for members interested in finding out more about you, or purchasing a copy of your movie. We also encourage you to take advantage of the DVD medium to advertise our website, and movies, and any other merchandise you sell."

-- Sunni Maravillosa, editor of Free-Market.Net's "Freedom News," has reviewed "The Matrix Reloaded" here.

-- The release date for "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" has been announced: 12/17/03. The previous two "Lord of the Rings" films have been praised by libertarians for their power corrupts theme.

-- A couple of readers have recommended the currently playing film "Bend It Like Beckham," for its personal independence story--about a young woman who overcomes parental opposition to pursue her dream of a career as a soccer star. More on this film here.

-- There are two interesting stories regarding the "Atlas Shrugged" movie project at Boxofficemojo.com. Among other things revealed in these stories, Howard Baldwin, president and CEO of Crusader Entertainment (the company that will produce Atlas) reportedly said "Atlas Shrugged is not going to be a low budget movie...I think the box office potential is huge, because of the enormous interest. It is one of the best-selling books of all time." This is significant, as previous efforts, particularly that of TNT, planned to film the story with the most slender "made for TV" -type funding. It may be lucky that it has taken this long for the book to fall into the right hands. Second, an interview with screenwriter James Hart revealed considerable enthusiasm for the book. You can find the links to these stories here.

-- ABC's John Stossel, the most libertarian journalist on television, and producer Kristina Kendall, won top honors for their special about media hype (entitled "Hype"), in a contest sponsored by the media watchdog group Center for Media and Public Affairs. Per the Associated Press, Matthew Felling, spokesman for the Center, said that Stossel's special "debunked the conventional wisdom before a very large audience in a timely fashion." Stossel donated his portion of the $10,000 award to the Central Park Conservancy.

-- Teachers! The "Stossel in the Classroom" project, which promotes John Stossel's libertarian documentaries in schools, is looking for "'a few good educators' who are interested in helping us answer some questions about content, marketing, research, etc. At this point, we're simply 'signing up' interested teachers. If you are indeed interested in providing your input and insights from time to time, please send an email to us info@intheclassroom.org and type 'Put me on the list!' in the subject line."

-- The International Society for Individual Liberty has published a favorable review of the Chinese film "The Little Chinese Seamstress." Per the review, the story is highly-reminiscent of Ayn Rand's "Anthem." More on this here.

-- Reuters reports that Oliver Stone's loving portrayal of socialist dictator Fidel Castro, a documentary entitled "Comandante," will be edited to include interviews with some of Castro's opponents. HBO pulled the documentary from its May schedule after Castro jailed 75 democratic activists and executed, by firing squad, three men who attempted to escape the country by hijacking a ferry. Oliver Stone reportedly considers Castro "one of the Earth's wisest people."

-- The "Atlas Shrugged" movie is back on track! According to a release from the Objectivist Center, "Crusader Entertainment, LLC, a Beverly Hills-based production company, announced on May 12 that it had acquired the film rights to Ayn Rand's great novel. The company also announced that it has signed veteran screenwriter James V. Hart, whose film credits include the ambitious adaptation of Carl Sagan's science fiction novel 'Contact,' to write the screenplay." You can read the full press release here.

-- More good news: John Stossel has been promoted to co-anchor of ABC's 20/20. He still expects to be doing his "Give Me a Break" segments but will also get to run the show with Barbara Walters. Stossel is the highest-ranking libertarian journalist on television, all the more so now.

-- The terrific Australian film "Rabbit-Proof Fence" is now available on video and DVD. "Rabbit Proof Fence" tells the true story of a fourteen year-old Aborigine girl who escaped with her sister and cousin from a 1930s Australian government camp intended to forcibly assimilate them into White society. You can read my full review here.

-- Attention teachers! The Stossel in the Classroom program, which promotes ABC journalist John Stossel's libertarian-themed documentaries to teachers, is currently offering a very generous discount on selected classroom video kits--50% off! For just about $20 you can get a video and teaching guide for the following documentaries: "Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?," "Greed," "Is America #1?," "Freeloaders," and "John Stossel Goes to Washington." The latter documentary was voted "Best Libertarian Documentary of 2001." You can learn more about this offer here.

-- "The Handmaid's Tale," a dystopian tale about a future America in which an authoritarian theocratic state rises to power, is already a book and a movie--and now it's also an opera. The Minnesota Opera will give the work's American premiere at the Ordway Center in an English-language production Saturday (5/10). More on this here.

-- The Libertarian Party's "Liberty Pledge" newsletter reports that Dean Cameron, veteran character actor and currently playing Derek Larner on the NBC political drama "Mister Sterling," is a libertarian. Describing himself as a "hard-core libertarian" in an LA Times interview, Cameron said "I'm always surprised that more artists aren't LibertariansÉWe are, ultimately, an idealistic group--and the often misguided support of the Democrats or, worse, the Greens is what some might call idiotic."

-- "X2: X-Men United" is packing the theaters, with what appears to be the one of the biggest opening days of all time, second only to Spider-Man if current estimates hold. In this sequel to the original X-Men, the U.S. government passes the "Mutant Registration Act," and attempts to round up known mutants in an attack on the mutant school operated by Professor Xavier. You can learn more about this film at its excellent web site (be sure to see the trailers!). You can read my review of the original X-Men film here.

-- If you missed John Stossel's terrific special "Help Me! I Can't Help Myself!" about addiction, you can read the transcript here.

-- The contest has closed and a winner has been chosen for best freedom-oriented ad. Entitled "Consuming Hypocrisy," this short video mocks the material nature of the anti-capitalist Left. You can watch it online here.

-- Czech TV reportedly marked May Day by mocking the communist era. From the Daily Telegraph: "Czech television has marked the May Day holiday, international workers' day, by broadcasting 24 hours of communist television in a mocking and nostalgic retrospective on the country's years of Marxist-Leninist rule... Uncut film of the 1989 demonstrations which toppled the communist government was followed by the censored version shown to television viewers in the tense days when the communists struggled to hold on to power. The unedited film showed thousands of demonstrators being attacked by uniformed security forces and secret policemen dressed in civilian clothes. The version that was broadcast showed small numbers of people being herded along by police. The camera zoomed in on punks with bizarre hairstyles and the back of a jacket emblazoned with the word 'America', seemingly to signal precisely who was responsible for the restiveness. Newscasts showed newsreaders breathlessly reporting strings of statistics about the over fulfillment of industrial production quotas. The news often seemed like a embarrassing competition to devise as many combinations as possible of phrases including 'Socialist', 'Marxist' and 'glorious Soviet Union'."

-- Advocates for Self-Government reports that Sam Longoria--"producer, writer, director, editor and cinematographer whose work has appeared in no less than eight Academy Award-nominated films"--revealed in a recent interview that he is a libertarian. Talking about politics, Longoria told Washington State columnist Julia Muhlstein: "I'm not a conservative, and I'm not a liberal, [but] a very rare type in Hollywood--a libertarian." Advocates for Self-Government maintains a running list of libertarian celebrities here.

-- Steven Greenhut has collected a list of dystopian films. Says Greenhut, "Despite Hollywood's liberal bent, such movies are inherently libertarian. No matter the specifics, they focus on individuals who refuse to give up their humanity in the face of all-controlling computers, government authorities or some other totalitarian, dehumanizing force." You can see his list here.

-- For the moment at least, HBO has cancelled plans to air "Comandante," a reportedly loving look at unrepentant killer and vicious dictator Fidel Castro. Fidel apparently spoiled the atmosphere by recently jailing 75 Castro opponents for upwards of 28 years each and executing three men who hijacked a ferry in an attempt to flee Cuba for America. The documentary was being made by Oliver Stone.

-- The Libertarian Party News reports that acclaimed author Richard Dooling, who recently publicly declared himself a libertarian, "is currently collaborating with Stephen King on 'Kingdom Hospital,' a television series scheduled to air on ABC in 2003."

-- A few more details on the forthcoming book by John Stossel: it will expand on the themes of his specials and "Give Me a Break" segments, and will be published by Harper Collins. The publication date is uncertain but will probably be in early 2004.

-- John Stossel reports in his weekly newsletter that he is "up to chapter 12 out of 15 or 16" in his upcoming book, which he expects to publish in the Fall. Hopefully more details forthcoming...

-- The Academy Award-winning film "Traffic," which was critical of the War on Drugs, was based on an earlier British mini-series entitled "Traffik." Later this year, USA Network will be premiering a six-hour remake of that original British mini-series, starring Elias Koteas, Balthazar Getty and Mary McCormack. Meanwhile, "Traffik" has recently been released on DVD here.

-- Universal Pictures' screen adaptation of the comic "The Watchman" is now expected to be released no sooner than 2004. The premise: "It's the 1980's and it's a different world. Superheroes have been outlawed. The only ones still in operation are under direct control of the United States government. Suddenly, those heroes both still in action and retired find themselves targets by an unseen enemy, who wants to kill them one by one."

-- The ongoing "Freedom Ads" contest is attracting some good entries, and it's not too late for yours--the contest ends on 3/15/03 (enter at http://www.freedomads.org). My personal favorites, a few short hilarious quicktime movies: on sexual liberty, privacy, and the drug war.

-- An anti-tax song by a German impersonator depicting Chancellor Schroeder as a harsh and unforgiving tax collector was recently #1 in the charts. If you happen to know German, you may appreciate the music video for the song here.

-- Erika Holzer, long-time associate of Ayn Rand, has published a suggested cast for "Atlas Shrugged," should it yet be made into a movie. She also discusses some of Rand's ideas for such a cast. More on that here.

-- As previously mentioned, the organization "Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership" is producing a video entitled "Innocents Betrayed," about the connection between gun control and genocide. You can now see an online video clip from the film and/or donate funds to assist in its production here.

-- The FX channel is looking for the next president of the U.S. and it may be--you! Yes, FX is now taking applications for its upcoming reality show "American Candidate." If you're lucky enough to be selected to participate, you'll get a chance to make your pitch to the American people, and if you win the contest, you'll get a tremendous publicity boost. Libertarians with something to say should definitely apply. FX is taking applications here.

-- Aristos, "a monthly online review of the arts and philosophy of art" has launched an online version of its journal. The January edition has a review of the new TNT film "Monte Walsh." Aristos's editorial viewpoint is explicitly pro-Randian. More on Aristos here.

-- The Online Film Critics Society awarded "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" with the Best Picture Award for 2002. "The Two Towers" is a continuation of the LOR saga, the first episode of which, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," won last year's "Best Libertarian Film" award for its "power corrupts" theme. More on this here.

-- The Libertarian Party News reports that a libertarian-oriented news service has been launched to counter "anti-libertarian bias" in the national media. "Watchdog Network News (WNN) will produce professional-looking news clips for libertarian public access television shows across the country." For more information, email WNN contact Alice Lillie at aliceprez@aol.com.

-- Attention student filmmakers! Want to spend the summer working on a documentary at a production company or an investigative journalism television program? The Institute for Humane Studies is offering you the opportunity to do so, with a $2,000 stipend. Gain hands-on experience, tackle an important issue, make valuable connections within the industry, and contribute to the production of a film or television program that can make a difference. Internships are available in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, DC, and Toronto. The deadline for applications is 3/14/03. Separately, IHS is also offering a summer seminar entitled "Liberty, Art, & Culture." If you are an aspiring filmmaker, creative writer, or artist, or you have a general interest in the connections between art, culture, and liberty, this seminar is ideal. The deadline for application for this seminar is 3/31/03. More on both these opportunities here.

-- Attention teachers! "Stossel in the Classroom" is currently offering 50% off on its acclaimed teaching kits. These kits include 1) an ABC NEWS Special hosted by John Stossel, 2) a Teacher's Guide and 3) a Study Guide. The following teaching kits are now available: 'John Stossel Goes to Washington,' 'Is America #One?,' 'Greed,' 'Are We Scaring Ourselves To Death?,' and 'Freeloaders.' These kits are a terrific way to introduce freedom-oriented ideas to young people. More on these here.

-- Congratulations to the Libertarian Party for creating a political advertisement just named "Most Dramatic Political Ad of 2002" by the influential National Journal magazine. Per the LP News, the 30-second spot, entitled "Why Bob," was broadcast by Libertarian Carole Ann Rand against Republican Bob Barr in the race for U.S House (District 7) in Georgia. The ad--written, directed, and filmed by LP Political Director Ron Crickenberger--was selected from among 1,868 political ads by the National Journal for this top honor. It featured medical marijuana patient Cheryl Miller, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. In the ad, a wan Miller addresses the camera from a hospital bed and says "Bob Barr thinks I should be in jail for using my medicine. Why would you do that to me, Bob?'" The Libertarian Party broadcast the ad about 4,000 times on CNN, TNT, Comedy Central, MSNBC, and other cable networks in the Georgia district. Bob Barr was soundly defeated. The LP took aim at Barr as part of its "Incumbent Killer" strategy, which targeted the worst drug warriors in Congress for defeat.

-- Famed comedic libertarians Penn & Teller have a new show on the Showtime Channel entitled, "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!" in which they debunk anything that needs debunking. "As our increasingly anti-intellectual, anti-science culture moves on each day to new crackpot subject matters, Penn & Teller are there to aggressively shoot down whack-jobs and fuzzy thinkers, no matter where they originate." More on this here.

-- Have you ever received those little movies, pictures, and jokes that people like to forward? Did you ever think you could come up with something other people would find interesting enough to pass along? This is your chance to put your creativity to the test! FreedomAds.org will award $3,000 in prizes to the creators of the best ads for freedom --short films, animations, print ads, voice recordings , or anything you can attach to an email. The deadline for entries is 3/15/03. More on this here.