Heart of the Beholder---Need DUer help.

[Q3JR4]

Mike and Diane Howard were a typical young couple with dreams of raising a family and starting a business of their own. They opened the first videocassette rental store in St. Louis in 1981. It was a tremendous risk trying to balance a new baby and a new business, but they believed in the American Dream. With hard work, their company grew into a multi-million dollar chain of stores.

During the growth of the company, the Howards were visited many times by a group of religious people called the Citizens For Decency. The CFD insisted the Howards remove movies from their stores that they felt were "...obscene or a detriment to the community and its children." Films such as Taxi Driver, Agnes of God, Blazing Saddles, Animal House, Mr. Mom, and many more were targeted. The CFD also asked for the removal of the movie Splash, claiming the movie promoted sex with animals (bestiality) because Tom Hanks makes love to a mermaid.

When Martin Scorsese's controversial film, The Last Temptation of Christ, was released on video, the Howards' were the only video stores in St. Louis unafraid to offer the film for rent. The CFD declared war with pickets and boycotts. They harassed the Howards and their employees, vandalizing stores and cars. The situation worsened when the couple received death threats to their little daughter saying she would be "... sent back to God to be reborn to parents who worship the Lord."

When the Howards refused to buckle, the CFD blackmailed the Prosecuting Attorney with information about the prosecutor's secret sex life. The prosecutor had no choice but to ruin the Howards any way he could. He filed obscenity charges against the Howards and, misusing the RICO racketeering laws, he confiscated every movie from every store. The prosecutor fed the media vague details about investigations alleging that the Howards had ties to organized crime. The Howards' friends distanced themselves and they were shunned as social outcasts. The Howards won their court case, but the negative publicity and legal fees bankrupted their business and harmed their family.

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more


A producer in Hollywood was interested in running this film, until pressure was brought to bear from religious groups. Afterwards, no one wanted to touch it.

A small group of dedicated individuals proceded to film the show on a half million dollar budget. Now when the video is submitted to film festivals, the christian right bombards them with emails.

It would be good, I think, if DUers would email the Cannes Festivel (addresses below) asking them to give the video it's fair shake.

Below is the first updated I've recieved from the producer Darlene Lieblich (who happens to be Vice President of Broadcast Standards and Practices for Fox Network in Los Angeles). If any of you are interested, I'll keep updating this page.

More info at link.




From: Darlene Lieblich - HEART of the BEHOLDER Producer
Date: 03/30/05 14:26:40
Subject: HEART of the BEHOLDER - Help Us Fight Back

IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED

For years we have been frustrated in our efforts to get HEART of the BEHOLDER made. Not only by Hollywood development execs with no vision, but mostly by Hollywood Christians who have done anything and everything they could to derail our project.

In 1998, the development Execs at Alec Baldwin's El Dorado Productions liked our pitch and asked that a script be sent through the William Morris Talent Agency. The script was sent to WMA, but before it even reached El Dorado Productions, they were inundated with faxes and emails protesting the film. Because the level of harassment was so strong before they had even agreed to make the film, they felt it would only get worse once they went into production so they dropped the project.

This harassment has been repeated over and over wherever our film went until we were finally forced to make it on our own. Now religious forces are focusing their harassment on the film festivals we have submitted to. Below is a copy of a post found by one of our supporters. Here is the link to the post -

http://forums.gospelcom.net/view/christinculture/comments/view_post?id=23


Dear Fellow Christian,

No longer can we idly stand by as others tarnish Christianity. Please join me and other fellow Christians by asking the judges of the Cannes Film Festival to reject the anti-Christian movie called Heart of the Beholder - www.Beholder.com.

Please send a copy of the email below to these two email addresses.

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

Yours in Christ

****************************************************************************

Dear Cannes Film Festival,

I am writing to strongly urge you to reject the anti-Christian film “Heart of the Beholder” for you festival.

The filth and blasphemy portrayed in this film should NEVER be rewarded or recognized. Instead, it should be thrown in the garbage where it belongs.

My church and I are praying that you do the right thing.

In Jesus’ Name

****************************************************************************

The only way to fight this is by doing the same thing. Please consider taking the time to make your support known and send it to the same email addresses above.

Sincerely,
Darlene Lieblich
Executive Producer
www.Beholder.com

[Bellamia]

1. Took too long to "load"....

so I did not see much,not a subject I'm interested in anyway. What's your point?

[Tux]

2. Evangelcials

Are destroying families, captialism, and free speech as usual.

Why can't other Christians just get proof out of the Bible that discredits them and publish it?

[Kat45]

3. Wow!

I didn't realize the fundies could pull off something like that. Of course, they lucked out when the former prostitute who happened to have the prosecutor as a client happened to join their group. But still? I don't understand why businesses (such as those who could make this movie) listen to the fundies who harass them. The fundies are most likely a much smaller percentage of the population than they appear to be (because of their methods of protest via strong inundation). That sucks. I hope they do get this movie made; I'd see it.