In the near future a wealthy senator combines politics, religion, and virtual reality to create a dangerous authoritarian cult hell-bent on world domination—opposed only by “libertarians.” [ Wild Palms credits: Dir: Peter Hewitt, Keith Gordon, Phil Joanou, Kathryn Bigelow/ James Belushi, Dana Delany, Robert Loggia, Kim Cattrall, Angie Dickinson/ 278 min/ SciFi-Fantasy, Drama/ … [Read more...]
Herod’s Law (1999)
An innocent janitor appointed mayor of a small Mexican town gradually succumbs to the temptations of power and is transformed into a small-time despot. Also listed as La ley de Herodes. [ Herod's Law credits: Dir: Luis Estrada/ 120 min/ Comedy/ Corrupt government, Power corrupts/ Mexico] External Reviews "The title of Herod's Law refers to a governing principle of … [Read more...]
Das Experiment (2001)
WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS A psychological experiment in which test subjects are divided into "prisoners" and "guards" spins out of control when the "guards" take their authority a little too seriously. [ Das Experiment credits: Dir: Oliver Hirschbiegel / Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Justus von Dohnanyi / 120min/ Drama, Thriller, Foreign Language/ In German with … [Read more...]
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
ACADEMY AWARD WINNER: BEST PICTURE (2003) ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE: BEST PICTURE (2001, 2002) A small band of heroes embark on a journey to destroy an all-powerful ring before its evil conjurer can use it to enslave the world. [ Lord of the Rings credits: Dir: Peter Jackson/ Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen/ 178min/ Fantasy/ Power Corrupts] Tolkien's Lord of the … [Read more...]
Animal Farm (1999)
An adaptation of the George Orwell novel, in which farm animals overthrow their owner and adopt socialism — with predictable results. [ Animal Farm credits: Dir: John Stephenson/ (voices of) Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Julia Ormond/ 91 min/ Drama/ Anti-Socialism, Power Corrupts] For the most part, the story line here follows that of Orwell’s book. In particular, … [Read more...]
Roots of Evil (1997)
A three-part documentary series on the subject of human inclination to do “evil.” [ Roots of Evil credits: Dir: Rex Bloomstein/ 135 min/ Documentary-Educational/ Britain/ Democide, Government as Torturer, Power Corrupts, Working for Government] No trailer available. Evil is defined in this series to be any act of deliberate harm to another human. Since, in the modern age, … [Read more...]
Yertle the Turtle (1992)
Desire for greater power drives Yertle the Turtle, "king of the pond," to elevate himself on a tower made of his turtle subjects. Based on the Dr. Seuss story. [Dir: Ray Messecar/ Narrator: John Lithgow/ 8 min/ Power corrupts] Long before Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, wrote childrens' stories, he was a political cartoonist. His early cartoons mocking fascism … [Read more...]
Animal Farm (1954)
An animated adaptation of the George Orwell novel, in which farm animals overthrow their owner and adopt socialism — with predictable results. [ Animal Farm credits: Dir: John Halas, Joy Batchelor/ 72 min/ Animated, Drama/ Britain/ Anti-Socialism, Power Corrupts] Note: the full film can typically be found online via YouTube or Google search. George Orwell, like most … [Read more...]
All the King’s Men (1949)
ACADEMY AWARD WINNER: BEST PICTURE A political reformer, hungry for power to do “good,” becomes thoroughly corrupt on his way to the top. [ All the King's Men credits: Dir: Robert Rossen/Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge/ 109 min/ Drama/ Power Corrupts, Corrupt Government] See if the plot of this film sounds familiar: A young lawyer named Willie is … [Read more...]
Keeper of the Flame (1942)
A reporter writing the biography of a dead national hero gets a lesson in the nature of political power. [ Keeper of the Flame credits: Dir: George Cukor/ Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Richard Whorf/ 100 min/ Drama/ Power Corrupts, Power Worship] During World War II, when Keeper of the Flame was initially released, patriotic fervor encouraged an unquestioning and … [Read more...]