Big shocker

[Tigermike 3,042]

It appears that the excellent Made for TV movie "Path To 9/11" is being held up by forces within the Clinton campaign.

25 million people have seen this movie already. It's been nominated for awards. But still it must be withheld from the public for the Clintonista's benefit.

DVD

Is Clinton's candidacy blocking 'Path to 9/11'?

Peter Stranks / ABC

Harvey Keitel, center, starred in the ABC miniseries "The Path to 9/11."

Screenwriter of docudrama says ABC exec said delay has been prompted by unflattering portrayal of previous administration.

By Martin Miller, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 5, 2007

Among the nearly two dozen television DVDs slated for nationwide release on Sept. 11 is the second season of "Bones," the third season of "Grey's Anatomy" and the miniseries "The Starter Wife" that aired earlier this year. Not on the list on that day or any other in the near future is last year's highly controversial "The Path to 9/11."

The $40-million, five-hour ABC miniseries, which recently received seven Emmy nominations and drew a combined two-night audience of more than 25 million viewers, is for now on the path to nowhere. Its Amazon page reads: "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."

With no date for the release, questions are being raised about whether political pressure is behind its current status as a stalled or discarded DVD project. The reasons are murky, but the miniseries' writer, Cyrus Nowrasteh, believes it's crystal clear: Powerful forces are out to protect Bill Clinton's presidential legacy and shield Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) from any potential collateral damage in her bid for the White House.

Nowrasteh, also one of the miniseries' many producers, said he was told by a top executive at ABC Studios that "if Hillary weren't running for president, this wouldn't be a problem."

"Whatever anyone may think about me or this movie, this is a bad precedent, a dangerous precedent, to allow a movie to be buried," added Nowrasteh, who received death threats even before the miniseries was broadcast last September. "Because the next time they'll go after another movie. The Bush administration may go after a movie. The next administration may go after a movie. No matter who it is, they may go after a movie. I think this town needs to stand up."

Even before "The Path to 9/11" aired on ABC late last summer, the docudrama ignited a political firestorm, almost entirely from high-profile Democratic leaders who viewed its account of events leading up to the terrorist attacks as a right-wing hatchet job on the Clinton administration and its efforts to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. Attempts to pressure ABC to cancel the miniseries at the time were unsuccessful, but last-minute network edits were imposed to quell the critical outcry.

An ABC spokeswoman reached Tuesday would say only that the company "has no release date at this time," and she declined to comment further.

Meanwhile, Sen. Clinton's campaign staff did not return an e-mail or a phone call seeking comment.

Last year, a Clinton spokesman referred to the ABC enterprise as "despicable," and then Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and four other Democratic senators signed a letter to Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger stating that if the miniseries were shown it would "deeply damage" Disney's reputation. As a result of the tumult, ABC was unable to attract advertisers for the miniseries.

Thus far, few have noted the DVD's absence in the marketplace. Among those who have are conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, who questioned last month why the disc isn't available on the nation's retail shelves. (Limbaugh and Nowrasteh have met on several occasions but do not regularly socialize, Nowrasteh said.)

With a possible writers strike and fall television premieres around the corner, the DVD's release hasn't galvanized Hollywood as a cause célèbre. But voices traditionally associated with the political left are disturbed by the DVD's uncertain fate. This isn't about politics, said film director Oliver Stone, but about the right of artists to have their work distributed.

"This is a shame; it's censorship in the most blatant way," said Stone, who has hired Nowrasteh for several writing projects. "I'm not vouching for its accuracy -- it's a dramatization -- but it's an important work and needs to be seen."

Average: four monthsThe time between a program's television broadcast and subsequent DVD release varies, but these days it's generally around four months. However, for TV movies and miniseries -- mostly because so few are made these days -- the rules are less clear.

For instance, HBO's movie "Buried My Heart at Wounded Knee," an adaptation of Dee Brown's famous book, and the USA Network's miniseries "The Starter Wife," about a Hollywood power wife scorned, premiered in late May and will be out on DVD Tuesday.

Still, there are plenty of miniseries, most of them produced years ago, that never make it to DVD. The chief reason is usually a perceived lack of interest and profit.

"It's really up to the studios when they want to release the DVD," said Gord Lacey, founder of tvshowsondvd.com, a website that tracks DVD releases from television. "But this is odd. It may be this is a very sensitive subject and they [ABC Studios] don't want to go through the PR nightmare again."

In 2003, after vehement protests from Republicans, CBS yanked its scheduled miniseries "The Reagans." Republicans complained that the docudrama created a distorted and unflattering picture of the former president. Eventually, the program was shown on CBS' much-less-watched sister network, the pay cable outlet Showtime, and was later released on DVD.

Initially, Nowrasteh was told by executives at ABC Studios that the miniseries would have a DVD release in January. Then, April. Then, this summer. Currently, Nowrasteh has not been notified of a specific release date for the DVD.

Despite a virtually nonexistent Emmy marketing campaign, "The Path to 9/11" claimed seven nominations, though none in the more prestigious categories for writing and directing. As the miniseries' writer and a producer, Nowrasteh is entitled to revenue from DVD sales, but it would be fractions of a penny for a disc sold. DVD sales, too, could potentially help ABC offset its considerable financial losses on the project.

"I go to Blockbuster and I see a lot of crap on the shelves," added Nowrasteh. " 'Path to 9/11' deserves to be available to people who want to see it or buy it or rent it or whatever. Every controversial movie I can think of, whether it's 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' the Reagan miniseries . . . they were all released; they were broadcast. You can get them on DVD."

martin.miller@latimes.com

LA Times

[autiger4life 3]

Maybe it didn't get released because it was so poorly done. A lot of the viewers watched it because it was such a right-wing movie just trying to take stabs at the left, not an actually documentary. Watching this film and saying, wow I didn't know thats how it went is just as bad as someone watching a Michael Moore movie and believing that BS. Maybe ABC didn't want to ruin their name with this movie because it was as bad as a MM film. But, I have a hard time believing it was coming from someone who isn't the President when something like Farie. 9/11 can come out taking shots at the president(please dont start the, well Bush wouldn't try and stop a movie). No ABC is big enough to take care of themselves, they just knew their name would be ruined for such a biased film, just like no right winger watchs CNN or left wingers watch Fox.

[AURaptor 1,125]

Maybe it didn't get released because it was so poorly done. A lot of the viewers watched it because it was such a right-wing movie just trying to take stabs at the left, not an actually documentary.

If it was so poorly done, why then was it nominated for 7 Emmy's ?

" Despite a virtually nonexistent Emmy marketing campaign, "The Path to 9/11" claimed seven nominations, though none in the more prestigious categories for writing and directing. As the miniseries' writer and a producer, Nowrasteh is entitled to revenue from DVD sales, but it would be fractions of a penny for a disc sold. DVD sales, too, could potentially help ABC offset its considerable financial losses on the project."

And exactly HOW do you know 'a lot of viewers' watched it because it was a right wing movie taking stabs at the Left ? Where was this written ?

[LegalEagle 22]

If it was so poorly done, why then was it nominated for 7 Emmy's ?

"

Could it be because of the total right-wing control of the Emmy nomination and television in general?

I skimmed the initial article above, but found no mention of any verifiable fact which linked the Clintons to the withholding of a DVD release.

However, if there is a market for the DVD it should be released regardless of its bias or lack thereof. Unless Hillary was running the government while Mr. Bill was being "serviced," I don't see how criticism of the Clinton administration would directly reflect upon her.

[TexasTiger 12,966]

I'm glad you guys now agree that the Grammys the Dixie Chicks received are proof of how good they are.

The movie was written by a known right-wing zealot with a clear poltical agenda. It has numerous factual inaccuracies. But, unless their legal counsel is advising them against it for reasons of defamation, then release it, sell it, and the let the folks who want to buy it.

[AURaptor 1,125]

Musically I never had a problem w/the Commie Chicks. It's their idiotic political views I didn't care for. And make no mistake, it was primarily for those views that they were awarded so many times, much like Michael Moore. His films are a travisty, train wrecks to the truth on the big screen, and yet the Guild still decided to award him. The fact that this movie had 7 nominations for lesser known catagories, and not the one big popularity award is more proof that it wasn't done poorly.

[TexasTiger 12,966]

Musically I never had a problem w/the Commie Chicks. It's their idiotic political views I didn't care for. And make no mistake, it was primarily for those views that they were awarded so many times, much like Michael Moore. His films are a travisty, train wrecks to the truth on the big screen, and yet the Guild still decided to award him. The fact that this movie had 7 nominations for lesser known catagories, and not the one big popularity award is more proof that it wasn't done poorly.

A forty million dollar TV movie has high production values. Doesn't say anything about its factual accuracy.

[AURaptor 1,125]

Musically I never had a problem w/the Commie Chicks. It's their idiotic political views I didn't care for. And make no mistake, it was primarily for those views that they were awarded so many times, much like Michael Moore. His films are a travisty, train wrecks to the truth on the big screen, and yet the Guild still decided to award him. The fact that this movie had 7 nominations for lesser known catagories, and not the one big popularity award is more proof that it wasn't done poorly.

A forty million dollar TV movie has high production values. Doesn't say anything about its factual accuracy.

I was responding to autiger4life's comment that the movie may have been ' poorly done'. Due to the fact that 7 Emmy nominations it has, I'm guessin that doesn' apply.

And what if the movie isn't a 'right wing movie' at all ? But simply an accurate portrayal of how events transpired ? Gee, can't have that, can we now ?

But what the hell. I doubt I'll take the time to see this movie should it ever come out on DVD. I have a pretty good idea of what happened anyway. Folks reinacting actual events in my life time won't change much at all.

[autiger4life 3]

I was responding to autiger4life's comment that the movie may have been ' poorly done'. Due to the fact that 7 Emmy nominations it has, I'm guessin that doesn' apply.

And what if the movie isn't a 'right wing movie' at all ? But simply an accurate portrayal of how events transpired ? Gee, can't have that, can we now ?

But what the hell. I doubt I'll take the time to see this movie should it ever come out on DVD. I have a pretty good idea of what happened anyway. Folks reinacting actual events in my life time won't change much at all.

Sorry, I shouldn't have said poorly done, I am sure it was professionally done. I was referring to the facts that have been shown to not be facts at all. I was not talking about the filming quality, I should have been clearer. That is why I think it is being hung up, because they would lose so much crediblity. ABC doesn't want to be seen as a Michael Moore company.

As far as all the awards, let's not forget that An Inconvenience Truth also got a lot of attention, yet it was full of BS, so don't just look at awards for the quality.