An Open Letter to The Producers and Makers of The Atlas Shrugged Movies.
Today, the third installment of your film adaptation will be shown in theaters across the country.
You, I, and many other people on this board are savvy enough to the Marxists' game of fear, uncertainty, doubt, and agitprop to know what comes next: the savaging.
E.g.: as I write this, the http://IMDB.com page for “Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?” displays a section labeled “People who liked this also liked...” which features the documentary “I Am Eleven” - “The lives and thoughts of children from all around the world. It weaves together deeply personal and at times hilarious portraits of what it means to stand on the cusp between childhood and adolescence.”
I was at the Las Vegas premiere.
I saw the movie twice.
While I was there, a thought occurred to me.
The same thought has likely occurred to you as well, but I wanted to make it plain.
It is finished.
Let me repeat this, because it is important, and it is powerful.
It is finished.
With this third installment, the story of Atlas Shrugged has been told– a story which Hollywood and our Ruling Class Marxists did not want to be told, especially on film.
Despite their best efforts to stand in your way, you have built your John Galt Line... to the benefit of us all.
And likewise, their reaction to this last film will be the reaction of Atlas Shrugged's looters to Rearden Metal: its value is irrelevant because it poses a social danger to them.
So, when the savaging begins, and it will begin, please accept it as a badge of honor: anything that our Marxist Ruling Class feels that they must destroy must have some value.
I am confident that, as with the novel itself, as time passes, this value will be recognized.
Your trilogy will remain a part of the Atlas Shrugged legacy for years to come.
It has been my distinct pleasure, honor, and privilege to be a member of these boards since they first went on line, before the making of Atlas Shrugged Part One.
In that time I have learned that there are Midas Mulligans who are willing to finance The Gulch, and that there are Producers of every stripe who see enough value in it to offer their best effort in fair trade.
Thank you for the investment you have made.
I feel humbled that in some small way, it was an investment in me.
Rick Poach
“Eudaimonia”
You, I, and many other people on this board are savvy enough to the Marxists' game of fear, uncertainty, doubt, and agitprop to know what comes next: the savaging.
E.g.: as I write this, the http://IMDB.com page for “Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?” displays a section labeled “People who liked this also liked...” which features the documentary “I Am Eleven” - “The lives and thoughts of children from all around the world. It weaves together deeply personal and at times hilarious portraits of what it means to stand on the cusp between childhood and adolescence.”
I was at the Las Vegas premiere.
I saw the movie twice.
While I was there, a thought occurred to me.
The same thought has likely occurred to you as well, but I wanted to make it plain.
It is finished.
Let me repeat this, because it is important, and it is powerful.
It is finished.
With this third installment, the story of Atlas Shrugged has been told– a story which Hollywood and our Ruling Class Marxists did not want to be told, especially on film.
Despite their best efforts to stand in your way, you have built your John Galt Line... to the benefit of us all.
And likewise, their reaction to this last film will be the reaction of Atlas Shrugged's looters to Rearden Metal: its value is irrelevant because it poses a social danger to them.
So, when the savaging begins, and it will begin, please accept it as a badge of honor: anything that our Marxist Ruling Class feels that they must destroy must have some value.
I am confident that, as with the novel itself, as time passes, this value will be recognized.
Your trilogy will remain a part of the Atlas Shrugged legacy for years to come.
It has been my distinct pleasure, honor, and privilege to be a member of these boards since they first went on line, before the making of Atlas Shrugged Part One.
In that time I have learned that there are Midas Mulligans who are willing to finance The Gulch, and that there are Producers of every stripe who see enough value in it to offer their best effort in fair trade.
Thank you for the investment you have made.
I feel humbled that in some small way, it was an investment in me.
Rick Poach
“Eudaimonia”
Bravo for your commentary about "Atlas Shrugged" and its meaning to the fans of Ayn rand's philosophy. I have always recommended her book as a philosophy presented in a wonderful love story.
You have expressed the feelings and opinions of most of us who admired the book.
this is not to say that it was a perfect movie. The cast changes were frankly unfortunate and the excuses offered for them reflected more on the insecurity of the producers to be able to finish the saga than on their ability to be sure that financing would be available. This might have been understandable, but should have been planned for in the beginning. to me the original cast was the best, but I found the effort to be magnificent in its result nevertheless.
Fred Speckmann
commonsenseforamericans@yahoo.com
We went to the 5pm (or so) show on Friday the 12th and we assumed that because folks were still leaving work, attendance might be light. Seven of us. Yep, more promotion might have helped. As I wrote elsewhere at the Gulch a few days ago, the Southpoint AMC theater management (or mouth-breathing employee) didn't know the film was even scheduled to play as of last Sunday or so. Had their management already left for Atlantis? I doubt it. More likely they were still at the theater....
I think I even saw my own video in the "I Am John Galt" too-brief video montage of Galt's Speech, somewhere top row, just left of center... I think. I think the montage deserved more than one or two seconds of screen time, just so viewers could have it register in their minds and understand what they (we) were seeing.
Several other scenes were on the screen too briefly to 'register' for the average, or even above-average viewer, and I've now seen all three 'episodes' and have read AS at least three or four times. If you were trying for subliminal teaching or ever drove a 'tachystoscopic projector,' you'll understand the importance of the actual response time of the human brain.
Yep, most of Cheryl's suicide had to be inferred from a paucity of 'evidence.' Another item that could have been handled with maybe another 30-60 seconds of screen time to flesh out.
The JG electric-torture scene was pretty hokey, but our friend, who can't stand any kind of blood, gore or torture on the screen had not trouble with the scene at all because it was so ... so... impossible to even use 'suspended disbelief'. And too-short shrift was given to Galt's (check for a blown fuse) assistance. Five or ten seconds of more deliberate presentation would have been a delight.
Oh, yeah, I am an OCD nit-picking critic of all those kinds of things, as many have read in my posts over the past year or so, but I must admit that seeing my name on the screen during the end-titles did give me a very warm, proud feeling. (Alan Falk is plusaf's non-avatar handle.)
Also, I disagree that the actors were 'wooden.' We've seen some of them on TV screens for many years already, and personally, I think the casting was excellent, their acting was, for the most part, spot on and authentic portrayals of the characters they were cast to play. And our friend loved Eye-Candy JG from the moment he appeared on the screen.
And the three of us agreed over dinner afterward that some day, a ten- or fifteen-part miniseries for TV, along with a serious budget, will be even more appreciated by the general public.
Especially after Hillary's second term in the WH, if there are still any broadcast or cable stations still in business then.
Kudos on a Very Good Movie, thanks for all the work everyone did to make it happen, and it was/is an honor for me to have participated, even in my small financial way.
Our friend said she'd been waiting eagerly for several years to see the movies. I replied, "I read AS around 1970. I've waited nearly 45 years to see the movie on the Big Screen."
I'm satisfied, for now. Next time, bigger, better and longer!
Thanks, again.
plusaf
Alan Falk, in Raleigh, NC.
This week has been amazing! I started a new job with a young man who served two tours in Iraq. He had never heard of AS, but we had a great discussion, and I lent him copies of the first two parts. At about 9:30 last night, he texted me with "Who is John Galt?" I immediately responded with Dagny in mind: "We are John Galt!"
If I leave just one legacy, it will be my youngest son, who has the potential to be a true Renaissance Man. You can catch a glimpse of him, with my grandson & I at about 23:08 of the "I am John Galt" video upload on AS1.
I'm looking forward to a 20+ episode miniseries, that will allow you to expand on the characters and message of Atlas Shrugged. My most sincere thanks to you for what you've done for us.
I want to. But I can't.
There is no more ardent supporter of the Objectivist philosophy than me. The very first prototype of the product I made had a signed, hand gold - leafed copy of The Oath concealed in the handle as a reminder and a mission statement. I saw the other two films on their respective opening days and was impressed how much was done with how little...and I saw the 5:20 pm showing of this one. This pains me to say:
It is *not* a good movie.
It was very much the opposite. The theater started with around 20 viewers...men and women who clearly love this book and we're there to see the first showing they could after a full day being productive. By the end there were less than 10. The Leftists, the Statists, the looters....they will not attack this film on philosophical grounds. They will not need to. They will attack it because it is a really bad film. Wooden acting, TV movie of the week production values, bad dialogue....and it gets worse from there. This does not feel like a day of victory to me...it feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity to get this story, this worldview, out there has been crushed...and the book we all love so much has been turned into a caricature. This story deserved better. John Galt deserved better...and I, for one, am disappointed. And I think that the 50% of the audience that pulled the rip cord early would agree.
In the meantime, your efforts are to be commended and you have done justice to Ayn's story, and that in the end what it was all about.
You are winners in my book and that of many true patriots out there, and that is what truely matters. So well done, very well done.
V/r, John G. Gault
Did that make my life any easier...of course not.
I first read "Atlas Shrugged" when I was 11.
That was when I figured out that to be true to my nature, I had to accept that (to the extent life allows) I am John Galt.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 30 minute segment on Youtube.
BTW I am off to Sabah this week - ref my post under For Sale - despite recent advisories not to travel there due to kidnappings. (on the coast, we're up on Mt Kinabalu) Back here mid-October.
felt very strongly by many, many of us out here who
never could have done this, and who appreciate it
beyond anything which we can say.
Thank You All, for the 3 movies, for this site, and
for your continued sustenance of good in this
incredibly insane and inane world. -- john mason
A hero worthy of the novels.
I am sure that you are truly represented in ASIII. And a part of all of us is there.
I hope that the movie invites criticism- it proves that it has caused reaction, made someone uncomfortable, found its way into the subconscious...
I welcome a howl of disdain- then I know
the movie has achieved its mark. We will pass this trilogy down through the years to come. I, personally, am grateful to all who made AS I, II and III possible. Thank You.
JC
This film is very well done. The condensed John Gault speech did not disappoint. I am so glad that this trilogy was completed and await the DVD of Part III. Thank you again.
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