The Smell Of Political Intimidation In The Morning

“Actually, I welcome this kind of stupidity. Its the kind that pisses people off and those who may have been kinda cool to donating to McCain due to his somewhat liberal positions in times past may very well be angered enough by this brown shirting tactic to give.”

I agree, and it never ceases to amaze me how the left wants one set of rules for them and everyone else can shut up..

Good for Voight, I hope he keeps it up…

I’ve been following Voight for some time. He’s been one of my favorites, and I’ve worked on a couple of films where he was part of the cast. Thanks for posting on Hollywood, blatantly reverting to the blacklist era.

As far as Accountable America… doesn’t surprise me in the least. It’s in keeping with Obama’s theme of Chicago style politics, softened by a slick, smooth presentation.

As usual, the site pest wades ass deep into turbulent waters without knowing how to swim.

“Blacklists” aren’t retroactive. A plethora of film credits prior to media controversy has nothing to do with any future film credits. Hollywood pros are only as good as their last credit… as long as it’s not *too* long ago.

Wells wields influence via not only his Hollywood Elsewhere site, but his articles in the LA Times and the Hollywood Reporter. His imput and critiques on the entertainment world are still solicited by major media. Voight is also being assailed by Peter Bart, editor in chief of the Hollywood “bible”, Variety. However Bart, himself, is not without his own past and troubles. His publication, however, is the most powerful in the industry.

Executive producers, writers and directors cast not only for appropriate character, but for box office draw. If Hollywood believes one is too controversial and would affect ticket sales, you’re bypassed.

Note Tom Cruise’s Scientology/antidepressants controversies that erupted not long before the release of Mission Impossible III. The media at large went wild with “the fall of Tom Cruise” stories. In the wake of the negative press, the movie ended up being a referendum on Cruise as a “cultist”, and was a major box office fizzle.

Bad press, combined with being shunned by the Hollywood insiders, is a reality. Since conservatism is demonized, and Hollywood believes we are a nation of like minded, they will think twice about offering a talented actor future parts. However only time will tell if his skill supercedes LaLa land’s political bias.

Arthurstone, casting and film production and what’s in progress wouldn’t be affected by controversy generated just over a week ago. Pre production (casting, location scouting, storyboards, etal) is well in advance of any on the set activity.

The Uninvited has a release date of 2008. Since it’s missed summer, and depending on if they are trying to release it in time for consideration in next year’s awards, it’s either on the mix stage right now, or in the last weeks of post production.

However the mixdown and print mastering is stil a few weeks in advance of making the prints for distribution, and getting them out to the theatres.

Needless to say, the only one “in production” has been in the can and wrapped for the actors and production crew (different than post production crew) for at least a month or two.

Thanks for the “mea culpa” link from Wells. The cyber media generating a stink, as well as the few MSM that touched on the subject, apparently have brought him to his senses. It would be a loss to the celluloid world and movie goers to lose a long standing talent like Voight to such PC nonsense.

BTW, I am unaware of any press for Bruce Willis writing editorials, or going on talk shows to speak of the political candidates. There are a few conservatives in LaLa Land. But most aren’t hitting the talking head circuits, or writing op-eds. Thus they are relatively immune to criticism.

MataHarley-

Well done.

Of course Jon Voight will be struck by lightning before he’s ‘blacklisted’ but it’s never too soon to start the rumor.

You mention:

‘It would be a loss to the celluloid world and movie goes to lose a long standing talent like Voight to such PC nonsense.’

Bingo. I feel the same about Dalton Trumbo and Ring Lardner Jr.

The line of argument on this thread is hyperbolic (brownshirting) and premature. Until Jon Voight’s career actually begins to suffer for his political stance, something that should not happen, your concerns are speculative. The blacklisting of artists during the McCarthy era, on the other hand, as Arthur points, out is a historical reality of substantial scope and duration.

Re: Tom Mattzie’s efforts. Whatever I might think of him or what he is doing, it is the type of hardball politics at which the Right is highly proficient and seemingly proud.