Posted on 10/22/2004 6:53:08 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Friday, October 22, 2004
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"In The Face Of Evil: Reagan's War in Word and Deed," which already has played to enthusiastic crowds in Dallas, Houston and Winston-Salem, N.C., will open Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C., and New York City, then spread to a wider market in early November, according to publicist Bob Angelotti.
As WorldNetDaily first reported, the feature-length documentary is based on Peter Schweizer's acclaimed best-seller "Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism." The film recounts how Reagan arose in the middle of the bloodiest century in history -- with as many as 200 million dead victims of totalitarian regimes -- and called evil by its name, resolutely declaring in the face of scorn that the world had no other choice but to crush it.
"In the Face of Evil" also has inspired an election campaign television commercial produced by the 527 group Americans for Peace through Strength, which utilizes some of the film's footage.
The ad will begin running Sunday through election day in battleground states, on cable news outlets and the Internet. It features the 1984 Reagan-Mondale debate, in which Reagan points out Mondale's opposition to every proposed defense program. The ad shows how Sen. John Kerry's record mirrored the Minnesota senator's.
"It was never our intention to get involved in the political contest," said Stephen K. Bannon, the film's writer and director. "But we have been outraged at John Kerry's comparing himself to Ronald Reagan, whose policies Kerry consistently fought during Reagan's presidency while Kerry was a junior senator in the 1980s."
During the Sept. 30 presidential debate, Kerry said, "We need to rebuild our alliances. I believe that Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy and others did that more effectively, and I'm going to try to follow in their footsteps."
The Bush-Cheney campaign has just announced a similar commercial on Kerry's anti-defense voting record as a senator during the Reagan administration and his comment at the Democratic Convention in 1988, that Reagan's terms as president were "years of moral darkness."
Surprising Reagan
Angelotti told WND reaction to the film so far has been "astonishing."
"It's been overwhelming," he said. "I can't think of anybody I've shown it to who didn't like it."
Many viewers came away surprised by what they learned, he said.
Among the revelations for some were that Reagan was so proactive in hastening the downfall of the Soviet Union, that the Berlin Wall was raised during the Kennedy administration and that the U.S. had come so close to war on several occasions.
"Reagan was much deeper than most people suspected him to be," Angelotti said.
In Dallas, a mother of four in her early 40s stood outside the theater with her husband after seeing the film.
"Tears welled up in her eyes," recalled Angelotti, as she said, "I want my kids to feel safe like I felt safe when Ronald Reagan was president."
"This movie reminds that generation that it takes persisent, determined leadership to end evil -- and we've got that same conflict right now," he said.
"The war on terror has a lot of similarities to the war on communism, and there can be no compromise in those kinds of wars," Angelotti continued. "That's what this movie shows, that you really need a leader who is determined to see it to the end."
The promoters showed the film at an event with John Thune, the GOP challenger to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota. Another is planned in Orange County, California, for Republican Rep. Chris Cox and for Alexandria Coronado, who is in a tight race against incumbent Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez.
Talks are underway for film events with other candidates.
"Any identification with Ronald Reagan these days is a good one," Angelotti said. "If you want to be seen as the consumate leader, this is the guy to associate with."
View the new Kerry-Reagan commercial.
I'm sure they'll try.
They should show "Bedtime for Bonzo" instead. Now THAT was a good Reagan movie!
But, it's good that the film is coming out anyway. The buzz and commercials will help.
Reagan really ought to get credit for a political strategy he articulated going back to the sixties, as well as his successful implementation of it when he took office.
There is an ad out ont he internet for a film by the same people. it ahs already been alluded to elsewhere on these forums but it's worth a mention here as well. Go ahead and check out the clip, what do you guys think of it?
http://vbuttons.com/ec/5629/index.php?em_id=1409213
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