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Toronto Film Fest Awards Bush Assassination Flick James Hirsen
THE LEFT COAST
REPORT Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Toronto Film Fest Gives Award to Bush Assassination Film What does the left do with a film that digitally assassinates the current president of the United States? Give it a trophy. The Toronto Film Festival has awarded British filmmaker Gabriel Range the Fipresci Prize, which is the choice of international film critics, for "Death of a President."
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The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation explained that the honor bestowed on the political snuff film was given "for the audacity with which it distorts reality, to reveal a larger truth." But even presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has disagreed with the critics, calling the film "despicable." Possibly stirring up even greater Hollywood animus toward her, while attending an event in Chappaqua Hillary said, "I think it's despicable; I think it's absolutely outrageous. That anyone would even attempt to profit on such a horrible scenario makes me sick." 2. Sean Penn Fumbles, Stumbles, and Stutters Actor and make-believe journalist Sean Penn was supposed to be out promoting his new film, "All the King's Men," when he appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live." As if participating in a "What the Heck Did That Dude Just Say?" reality game show, Penn spouted the following: "Party clowns like Don Rumsfeld could be described as, as far as I'm concerned, except for the enormous damage he's done this country and mankind. "And our president and saw that they're getting out there and they're beating this drum, to drown out, as they did in 2002, to drown out other in that case it was Enron. Now we have another situation, so it's this war on terror, boom, boom, boom drown out the reality of what's really happening. "No Democrat that doesn't have a plan to get our troops out of Iraq should be voted for." Penn also "boom-boom-boomed" the left's new theme that the war in Iraq is not part of the war on terror. That proposition has some big-time flaws, which include the following: 1. Judge Harold Baer Jr., a federal trial judge who was appointed by former President Clinton, examined legally admitted evidence of Iraq's culpability in the 9/11 terrorism. Saddam's regime was held liable and assessed over $100 million in damages. 2. In the 1990s, the Clinton administration classified Iraq as a sponsor of terrorism because Saddam gave sanctuary and support to terrorist organizations. 3. Saddam paid between $10,000 and $40,000 to the families of suicide bombers in the Palestinian territories. 4. Abdul Rahman Yasin constructed the bomb that was detonated at the World Trade Center in 1993. Yasin, an al-Qaida member, lived in a Saddam-supplied home in Iraq and was paid a salary by the Iraqi government. 5. Ramzi Yousef, chief planner of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and nephew of 9/11 kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed, landed in America on an Iraqi passport.
3. Rosie O'Donnell on a View'-less Path? Online bookies are calculating the odds. Will Rosie O'Donnell, the newest co-host of ABC's "The View," be fired, up and quit, or will she otherwise exit the "chitchat" stage before her first-year contract is up? After having to apologize for disparaging statements that she made on her blog about head hostess Barbara Walters, as an encore O'Donnell insulted a lioness' share of the program's audience with this statement: "Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam." The family members of numerous beheading victims would beg to disagree as would Christians the world over. As outrageously offensive as O'Donnell's statements are, equating evangelical Christians and traditional Catholics with Muslim extremists is fairly routine on left-wing blogs, Air America broadcasts, and "Real Time with Bill Maher" panels. But they also reflect the widely held beliefs of the current far left-leaning Democrat base. Since the late 1990s O'Donnell has given over $100,000 to political campaigns and organizations, with $74,000 going to candidates with a "D" attached to their names, $27,800 going to left-oriented special interest groups and $1,000 going to the Elizabeth Dole for the President Exploratory Committee Inc. The Left Coast Report wonders if O'Donnell was aware that, when it comes to "radical Christianity," Dole regularly stands up and testifies.
4. Next Week's All the King's Men' Flick and Others Go or No Go? Here's what Hollywood is delivering to your local movie theater next weekend: 1. "All the King's Men" Sean Penn seeks an Academy Award in this remake, where he portrays a Southern politician who resembles Louisiana Gov. Huey Long. Oscar-dreaming all-star cast includes Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, and James Gandolfini; Rated PG-13 for some fairly intense violence, sexual references, and scenes accompanied by nudity. Go (for adults and mature teens who want to learn about Southern political history and keep track of the Oscar race) 2. "Flyboys" A farm boy (James Franco) decides to join up with a group of U.S. pilots who volunteered to fly for the French before America became involved in World War I. Rated PG-13 for its battle scenes and a bit of sexual material. Go (may be beneficial in stimulating historical discussion but exercise caution with teens) 3. "Feast" Some folks stranded in a bar fight for survival against creatures that want to eat their flesh. Rated R for lots of gory violence, gratuitous profanity, and drug scenes. No Go (unless in need of a major appetite suppressant) 4. "Jackass: Number Two" Johnny Knoxville and company fill the screen with more mindless, juvenile stunts that are sometimes dangerous, sometimes gross, and always insipid. Rated R for profanity, gross-out scenes, sex and nudity. No Go 5. "Jet Li's Fearless" Chinese martial artist Jet Li beats foreign fighters to a pulp; Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence. No Go (unless adult Kung Fu aficionado) 6. "Al Franken: God Spoke" With Air America possibly going bankrupt, Al Franken participates in a limited release documentary about himself. Highly edited footage of Franken interacting with the likes of Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Karen Hughes, and Henry Kissinger. Shows his commendable USO tour in Iraq but also reveals his less-than-informed politics. Not rated. No-go (for the same reason Air America is going belly-up) 7. "The Genius Club" Imaginative concept film where, in order to comply with the demands of a nuclear terrorist, seven high-IQ individuals are assembled to solve the world's problems and must do it within one night. Actor Stephen Baldwin steals the show with his genius slacking pizza delivery man portrayal. Rated PG for unsettling premise. Go (for Baldwin's performance and Christian themes)
5. Bono Bolts Town Over Taxes Bono has just taught the world a lesson. With all the press attention given to the U2 lead singer's humanitarian lobbying efforts to fight poverty and disease in the Third World, you might think his global instruction was about altruism. Not this time. Instead, by his actions Bono has revealed what he really feels about taxes. He has also demonstrated how dramatically one's behavior can be affected when the issue becomes personal. The rocker and his U2 band have moved their business empire from Ireland to Holland to avoid paying the new high tax rates, which have been imposed by the Irish government on music royalties. If Bono, whose estimated worth is said to be in excess of $700 million, wants to save on his tax bill, that's understandable. The problem is that this is the same guy who has consistently urged the U.S. government to use its own citizen's tax dollars to finance other nation's social programs and forgive Third World countries' debts. Typically, when money from the United States has been doled out in the past to developing nations, the track record of appropriate application has been appalling, with the exception of some minute amounts of money that have actually been used to accomplish original objectives. In some cases, corrupt dictators have actually robbed the charity piggy banks and/or squandered their contents. In an interview with the U.K.'s Daily Mirror, British television talk-show host Graham Norton launched a harangue against the Irish rocker for his apparent hypocrisy. "People like Bono really annoy me," Norton said. "He goes to hell and back to avoid paying tax. He has a special accountant. He works out Irish tax loopholes. And then he's asking me to buy a well for an African village." Norton has his own hefty tax bill to pay, thanks to a new multimillion-dollar deal he just signed with the BBC. He has a couple of suggestions for projects that Bono could effectuate in his own homeland. "Tarmac the road outside your house, you tight-wad! Or pay for a school in Ireland," Norton remarked. "I've never met Bono and now I probably never will. But if I do meet him I'll ask him because I think it's a hard thing to justify."
Even Labour Party finance spokesperson Joan Burton chimed in. She told the Guardian, "Having listened to Bono on the necessity for the Irish government to give more money to Ireland Aid I am surprised that U2 are not prepared to contribute to the exchequer on a fair basis along with the bulk of Irish taxpayers." What Bono and U2 have done is what businesses always do when faced with excessive taxes seek jurisdictions with low, or better yet, no taxes. Governments always need more money, and the easy answer for generating revenue is to hike tax rates. But as sure as water flows downhill, individuals, and the businesses they own, will leave the tax-hiking jurisdiction for more friendly terrain, taking their revenue right along with them.
The Left Coast Report sees another Bono lesson for Ireland and other nation
states: If the Emerald Isle hadn't tinkered with its tax law, Bono, U2, and
other businesses like them would still be providing jobs, opportunity, and, yes,
revenue.
Get your FREE copy of James Hirsen's new book "Hollywood Nation" Go Here Now.
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