The Latest on the Supposed Atlas Shrugged Film: Plucky Entrepreneurs Make End Run Around Entrenched Elites

Rights owner John Aglialoro says he's going to start shooting next month, whether the stars align or not, reports film industry reporting gadfly Nikki Finke's Deadline site:

Aglialoro, who had a hand in writing the script by Brian O'Tool, is taking on this ambitious plan with an unproven director, and is weeks away from production without stars to play Dagny Taggart, Hank Rearden, John Galt and the other roles. He's moving forward despite the conventional wisdom that without stars, it could ultimately be the audience that shrugged…..

Atlas Shrugged will be directed by Stephen Polk, an actor/producer whose father, Louis Polk, was once MGM chairman. He considers Atlas Shrugged to be his feature directing debut, though Polk acknowledges he stepped in and helmed the 2008 indie Baggage. Aglialoro was unavailable to speak directly, but sent a missive indicating that he's courting actresses like Theron and Maggie Gyllenhaal to play Taggart. Sources in the camps of both actresses were aware of the project, but neither is planning to go to work on Atlas Shrugged next month….

Polk said that the idea of cutting through the bureaucracy and just getting started is consistent with the book's themes of capitalism and taking entrepreneurial risk….

Reason has been on the Randiana beat forever; go here for links to a pile of Rand stories taller than a Roark skyscraper.

Comments

[Tulpa]

I don't see the point of making a movie about something that's happening all around us in real life. I'll hold onto my $10, thank you.

[Groovus Maximus]

Not in this tax-and-spend economy, buddy. That's The One's money.

[ed]

Tulpa, do you like movies about gladiators?

[Pro Libertate]

With Barack Obama as Wesley Mouch, Nancy Pelosi as Lillian Rearden, and so on.

Maybe we could offer them these roles to get them the hell out of government.

[Groovus Maximus]

Would this qualify as "jobs created" or "jobs saved"?

[Pro Libertate]

Countries saved.

[Cabeza de Vaca]

God, the book was bad enough. I can't imagine how horrible the film would be.

[Greer]

Agreed. The thing that stops me from fully drinking the kool-aid of Libertarianism, is the adoration of Atlas Shrugged. It makes some good points, but not everything about it is admirable. And about the worst written book I've ever read.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Objectivism ? Libertarianism

I've never even read "Atlas Shrugged", personally.

[Ernie the Bear]

Read Battlefield: Earth

It will raise your standards of truly horrible fiction. Do not be concerned if your eyes and/or brain bleed. It's perfectly normal.

[The Libertarian Guy]

Rent/buy Manos: The Hands of Fate (original or Mystery Science Theater 3000 version, either way you're good). And behold cinematic badness that even Ed Wood couldn't match.

[Jeff P]

Never gonna happen.
Hollywood is releasing a Marmaduke movie.
Fucking Marmaduke.
That means that at no point during the development, pitching, financing, writing, re-writing, location scouting, dog-casting, set designing, voice recording, extra-hiring, filming, editing, scoring, and promotion campaign-drafting, did anyone at the top questioned whether this was a good idea.
Any Shrugged movie we see will take place in a derivative dystopian future, have some forgotten SNL alums as bit players, and the commercials will feature a shitty emo cover of Blackfoot's Train Train.

[Episiarch]

This is 100% correct. As soon as it said there was an inexperienced director at the helm, that was all the info necessary to know this will be a disaster. Not that I have any interest in seeing it anyway, but it would be cool if it were good.

Also, the fact that no stars have signed on means that Ari is telling Vince "don't fucking touch this with my 10 foot pole" or something else Ari-like.

[Pro Libertate]

Marmaduke Shrugged?

[SugarFree]

Opening day. First showing.

[Pro Libertate]

It couldn't go wrong, that's for sure.

[MatTrue]

Disney's Atlas Shrugged?

[Jeff P]

The film program for the Atlanta World SF convention back in the late 80s had an entry for Jim Henson's Atlas Shrugged. Had a lengthy description of what muppet played who, etc.
Also, I cannot recommend the comic Elvis Shrugged enough.

[Pro Libertate]

Elvis the huge Python fan? Who dragged friends to private screenings of Holy Grail? Who used to quote Python all the time? That Elvis?

That's so amazing as to be something that should be preserved about the 20th century. Man walked on the Moon, the Internet was invented, and the King loved Python.

[John]

Wow. I have never heard that. The King was awesome. He was a good guy. He just fell victim to living in a world where money was no object and no one ever told you no no matter how bizarre the request.

[Groovus Maximus]

Much like Howard Hughes, Steve Jobs and George Soros.

[Pro Libertate]

It's absolutely true. I first heard about it on a Python biographical DVD, then went and did some research. It's been independently confirmed by several different Elvis insiders.

Reality can so rule at times.

[Episiarch]

The King was the king, man.

According to Albert Goldman's bio of John Lennon (take it with a grain of salt the size of the moon), the Beatles were colossal Elvis fans, and after they broke big they got the opportunity to meet him. According to Goldman, the meeting was terrible; they were all uncomfortable and didn't know what to talk about.

Jesus, that's a shitty story. How worthy of Goldman.

[John]

The Beatles talk about the meeting in The Beatles Anthology. It happened in the mid 1960s at Elvis's house in Beverly Hills. Lennon said they played together. But the other three don't remember that at all. They said they hung out and talked to him and watched TV. They really didn't have much to say about it other than "it was so cool to meet Elvis".

[Zoidburg]

There is a pool table at Graceland that is claimed to be the one they played at that famous meeting.

[Episiarch]

Goldman's story didn't even take place in Graceland, if I recall. Which is why I said to take anything Goldman says with extreme skepticism. His "John used to bend Epstein over the table and assfuck him" stuff sort of gives away Goldman's fantasy world anyway.

[Pro Libertate]

If only Python had gone to meet Elvis at Graceland.

[Race Baiter]

Tyler Perry's Atlas Shruggin'

[x,y]

Starring Tyler Perry, with musical performances by Tyler Perry, produced and directed by Tyler Perry, featuring Tyler Perry, and key grip Tyler Perry...

[Slut Bunwalla]

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes Galt

[David Lynch]

I will be remaking Eraserhead with Rand Paul in the lead.

[Lady in the Radiator]

Hurry. I need the work.

[Dave]

Atlas Shrugged having difficulty getting made? Huh. I guess the market really does know best.

[John]

Hollywood really does care more about ideology than profits. Atlas Shurgged has sold how many copies? It has a built in audience. As long as you keep the costs within reason it is almost guaranteed to make money. But they won't touch it.

That is just like they won't touch bible epics anymore. Think about it. The Passion made over a half of a billion dollars. And it was an art torture film done in dead languages with subtitles. You can't tell me that another well made bible epic wouldn't do just as well. There are millions of Christians in this country and the world. All you have to do is make a movie and get the right people to attack it so that Christians feel like it is their duty to go see the film and boom. You make a fortune. And it is not like Hollywood didn't make big money of bible epics up through the early 60s. Yet, the Passion remains the one enormous box office hit that to my knowledge has never been copied by another studio. This in a world where anytime there is a successful formula for a movie, it is immediately copied the next year.

[Joe_D]

Holy shit John, that's really a great a idea. I know some struggling-to-make-it folks in Hollywood... I think I'll steal your concept. If we demonstrate a link between non-belief and depravity, we're sure to make a killing.

But what went wrong with "Expelled"?... $8 million isn't a lot, even though the budget was only $3.5 million.

Hey, wasn't there a SouthPark Episode about this?

[John]

Yes. Cartman became a Christian rock act. It is hysterical. Evangelical Christians are a huge under served market. Christian rock bands are terrible. But they make money because they have a built in audience and no competition. There are tons of artists out there that are more talented than any of the Christian rock losers who have to wait tables to support their music habit. If I were a musician and got tired of starving and decided just to sell out, I would sell out in Christian rock. It is easy money. I am telling you.

[Groovus Maximus]

How many Myrrh records do you have already, John?

[John]

I have none. Who are they?

[Groovus Maximus]

That was reference to that South Park episode, John!!!! They didn't have platinum records John. They had had Myrrh records instead, and Cartman lost the bet with Kyle.

You disgust me John, I mean thoroughly sicken me more than Pro'L Dib missing a Remo Williams reference.

I am no longer your #1 fan.

[John]

Oh damn. I missed that one badly. I am not worthy.

[The Gobbler]

Well I like John plenty.

[Pro Libertate]

I missed what reference? The Korean thing? I got that. Or are you talking about something else?

[Groovus Maximus]

This one Kwittheshitz Hadenough.

[Pro Libertate]

I think our comments crossed, because I was really responding to the comment before that. I'm all about the Chiun.

[Groovus Maximus]

I am both relieved and insulted Pro'L Dib. Stone Burner time.

[Pro Libertate]

I'm finally down to Chapterhouse Dune on my Dune commuting series (yes, it ends there--the new stuff is an Abomination). It occurs to me, now that things are fresh, that the Honored Matres might've used a stone burner to destroy Arrakis.

[Paul]

I like vanilla.

[Groovus Maximus]

I think the possibility is quite likely and would make sense. I have conjectured this as well.

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, we have a consensus! So there's one planet down due to a stone burner.

[Pro Libertate]

A, uh, vanilla-flavored stone burner.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Ha ha, this whole conversation definitely took a turn for the esoteric. I'm going to read the Dune books some day, I promise.

[Pro Libertate]

While sipping a vanilla-flavored drink, I hope.

[Jeff P]

As Hank Hill said: "You're not making religion better, you're making rock & roll worse."

[Episiarch]

I like the way you think, John. Let's form a band called "Creed" and we can pose like douchebags for our album covers.

[John]

And they can play our music at every prom in America. Yeah, I will look like a douchebag on the album cover. But I won't look like one in the private jet and yacht that ablum's sales buys me.

And think of all the chicks you can corrupt?

[Episiarch]

I really like the way you think, John. I was so busy that that depraved thought hadn't occurred to me yet.

[Groovus Maximus]

Nickleback certainly picked up the slack for a while.

[dbcooper]

And yet nobody watched the pretty good Kings, despite Ian McShane and Brian Cox. Perhaps it wasn't explicitly religious enough, or was poorly marketed?

[The Art-P.O.G.]

The concept to that show actually seems pretty cool, so I guess I'm not surprised it got cancelled.

[Kolohe]

The problem with "Kings" is everytime it was about to achieve some depth, it reverted back to "Dystopia: 90210"

And I can't believe you liked Kings but hated the Tennant era Dr Who.

[zoltan]

That was a great show; I loved the biblical tie-ins.

[Joe_D]

How about a full-length feature based on the concept of Life House's song "Everything"? I mean, those churchy folks go nuts for it in those YouTube church skits and amature videos I've seen.

Maybe I'll inject in some Lost-style mystery-mongering... like an invisible Jesus that only certain people can see...

[tgs]

please no maggie gallenhall, someone that mentally bereft of intellect has no fucking business playing Dagny Tagart

[John]

But what she lacks in brains, she makes up for in tits.

[The Gobbler]

Whoa!

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs.....98612o.jpg

[SugarFree]

Especially since her face looks like a smashed toy that a retard put back together.

[John]

I don't think she is gorgeous or anything, especially not for an actress. But she is cute and has a great body. You guys are harsh.

[Groovus Maximus]

No John, Saccharin Man is 100% correct. If there was such a thing as making Cushing's Disease sexy, she might be able to pull it off. However, EPIC FAIL on her part. Her body will ultimately succumb to gravity and she'll still have a fucked up face.

[John]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KHtL.....n_2007.jpg

She is cute.

[John]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KHtL.....n_2007.jpg

She is cute.

[John]

http://scandinaviangrace.files.....enhaal.jpg

she is cute

[Groovus Maximus]

Meh.

[sage]

LOLZ

[H.L. Mencken]

http://img2.timeinc.net/people.....00x400.jpg

Educate yourself.

[Episiarch]

Smashed toy? I thought she looked like a stroke victim being animated by the detached soul of Julie Newmar (in her current state, not Catwoman state).

[zoltan]

It's like people here don't understand the concept of airbrushing. She was a terrible castrating bitch in Batman.

[Timon19]

Speaking of The Family Gyllenhaal, how in the hell does Hollywood keep getting away with all foreign accents being British, i.e. Jake G.'s Prince of Persia being a very, very well-spoken modern Brit? Now I haven't the foggiest idea how the actual computer game character sounded, but I have my doubts that he was in any way, shape or form of West End London lineage. Would it kill the actors to at least work on a semi-accurate accent?

Pet peeve and all.

[H.L. Mencken]

Why give them any accents? They're still depicted as speaking English, they might as well be speaking in their normal voices.

[Timon19]

Yeah, even that would be preferable to the "everyone's British!" way of doing things now.

[Pro Libertate]

I liked that episode where Picard went to Earth and his entire French family had English accents, including him. I like to think that the UK invades and completely subjugates the native population in 2081.

[Episiarch]

You mean the one with his obnoxious brother? God damn, the "character building" episodes of TNG were so fucking tedious.

[Pro Libertate]

Yeah. Ever notice how every single family is dysfunctional? What kind of utopian society is that supposed to be? I can't even think of a healthy family relationship in latter day Star Trek (TOS didn't touch on family members as much, though Sarek was a fucking awesome dad. Wish I could be like that).

[Tulpa]

The O'Briens were pretty normal, especially considering Miles' occasionally being possessed by malevolent alien entities and Keiko's turning into a 10-year-old girl. Most families would be torn apart by that kind of thing.

[Pro Libertate]

Yeah, but they're constantly bitching at one another.

[skr]

lol

[BakedPenguin]

Hear, hear. Just get the fucking Borg back on the screen and figure out a way to blow up their cube in the nick of time, or get Q to fuck with them some more. Quit trying to make me interested in these boring characters.

[Pro Libertate]

They aren't boring when they're doing stuff. Remember Kirk? One episode, they mention he has a brother. No background, no wistful looks, just the fact and a note about where he lives. It was a plot point (to test a Kirk android) and not character-related much at all.

Another episode, they kill his brother, and Kirk has to fight to save his nephew, who, being in a coma, has no interaction to speak of with Uncle Jim. Action drama at its best.

[Ska]

If I can remember correctly, in the game you don't even sound British. You sound like an upbeat Disney character.

[R C Dean]

As soon as I saw that Jake Gyllenhall had been cast in the Prince of Persia, I gave up all hope.

[zoltan]

God forbid they get a hot Iranian guy; it's really not that difficult, them being like, the hottest race on the planet, male and female.

[dbcooper]

Nothing is worse than having Nazis speak in cockney accents!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

And only a small minority of Brits have cockney accents anyway.

[retarded american audience]

uh.. you mean all foreigners don't sound english?

[ChrisO]

The producers clearly needed to take a trip to Persepolis and hear Classical Persian in person.

[Tulpa]

I thought she was playing Mangu-Ward in the Reason movie.

[P Brooks]

Those South Park guys have a lot of experience moving cardboard cutouts around; maybe they'd be interested.

[B]

I'd like to see a musical version, written and directed by Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

[B]

Jinx!

[P Brooks]

Marmaduke Shrugged?

Astro would be better in that part.

[Groovus Maximus]

Dyna-mutt.

[Pro Libertate]

Astro is holding out for The Fountainhead.

[?]

Death Row Records CEO Lara Lavi said her new Death Row Films division is set to shoot Atlas Suged in Toronto this October, with Chubb Rock, Dat Nigga Daz, the surviving members of Tha Dogg Pound, and Henry Rollins on board.

[Paul]

The Union will shut them down.

[qwerty]

My guess is they'll end up with Miley Cyrus as Dagny, Justin Bieber as Rearden, and Andy Dick as Galt.

[kevin]

"These trains are, like, totally busted!"

[Episiarch]

AWESOME.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, they could just make it a Disney kids show. Not a movie, but a whole series. With lots of singing and dancing and Three's Company-level humor.

[Episiarch]

They already have that. It's called Glee.

[Pro Libertate]

With Atlas Shrugged interwoven in it? Why don't I believe that?

[Episiarch]

I have it on good authority (I don't watch the show since I am neither gay nor female) that it is filled with Randian undercurrents. In fact, Neil Patrick Harris was carrying a copy of The Fountainhead all during his guest appearance.

[Pro Libertate]

I stand corrected, then!

[Pro Libertate]

By the way, except for the Randian stuff, aren't all Disney shows as I described?

[Episiarch]

No; Three's Company's humor was an order of magnitude funnier than Disney's, and an order of magnitude more sophisticated. Think about that for a minute.

[Pro Libertate]

My kids watch that crap, so I have absorbed your truth through osmosis. It's amazing that TV is simultaneously better and far, far worse than it was in the 70s. Cool campiness aside, which no decade will ever equal.

[Pro Libertate]

My wife and I debate whether we should forbid the children from watching those shows. I think Nick has some similarly offensive programming. I mean, I can't think of many shows that offend me because of their sheer stupidity as much as these awful kid shows.

[Jonas]

I'm pretty sure Neil Patrick Harris's character was a budget-cutting dickhead who wanted to ruin everyone's dreams and tell them to get real jobs.

So, yeah, I'd say the fact that he's an Ayn Rand reader is not an endorsement of libertarianism or objectivism.

(I feel compelled to say I know this because my girlfriend watches the show, not because I do.)

[Groovus Maximus]

Like Glee?

[Episiarch]

Oh you are so beaten, you loser. HA HA HA HA

[Groovus Maximus]

By a mere minute. Big Deal. About as long as your erections last Mr. TA-DA!lafil.

[Pro Libertate]

Does anyone ever call you and say, "Hey, it's been four hours."

[Pro Libertate]

?

[Groovus Maximus]

LOL. No, but it is a risk. Quite a few of my friends have inquired about samples for recreational use though. I have explained to them how relieve priapism though, as the question has come up. HA!

[Pro Libertate]

That's one thing in common between doctors and lawyers--overly inquisitive and free-advice-seeking friends.

[Groovus Maximus]

Indeed. That's why I am not fond of parties. Every time without fail, someone shows me something and says "What's this?" or "What do you think of this?", and it is asking for free advice, not the pleasant trying-to-get-into-my-pants ulterior motive approach. Though that has happened a time or two.

[Tulpa]

Wouldn't it be an ethical violation to bonk someone after you give medical advice, even in such an informal setting?

[Groovus Maximus]

That is a legitimate question Tulpa, and probably requires some elaboration.

The most recent (about two years ago) involved a woman who was a portly gal and was inquiring about the benefits of bariatric surgery and had some insurance questions as well. She then kinda shoved me towards her recently single friend and asked me to continue explaining the diagrams I had drawn describing the anatomy of the procedure, all the while she was mentioning her friend was single. The friend, with whom I did have dating relations later on, also asked me if I thought she needed any procedures done, and I replied "Asthetically speaking, no. You are quite remarkable." The portly friend's set up me and her friend was complete.

The other time was when I was at a kinda wild party, during my time in residency, and a girl with remarkable assets lifted her shirt and asked me to examine her. I complied and she asked me to examine her more thoroughly in private.

It is kind of a gray area, but yes, it is ethically frowned upon to boink patients and can result in a loss of professional license.

[zoltan]

Teeeeeeechnically those chicks weren't your patients so you're in the free and clear.

[Subsidize Me!]

I always pictured Galt as Truman Capote. Andy Dick isn't butch enough.

I think Dagny should be played by Rosie O'Donnell in blackface, and should be the top half of all sexual contact in the movie. This covers not only diversity of race, but also gender and sexuality roles.

Additionally, you can get Hilary Swank to shave her head and play some capitalist boxer babe who won't go down (in ANY conceivable sense). Feminists love that shit.

Hank Rearden could be a Prius manufacturer, and Dagny the CEO of a carbon credit trading firm. I want Master P as D'Anconia (or whatever the story's token Hispanic was called).

Hollywood would be all over this... Call it Atlas Spooged and it makes 90 million no prob.

[Bum]

What is Atlas Shrugged?

[Jay]

Marmaduke? That's nothing. I'm working on the "Arthur" remake. You'd think that's bad enough but "The Smurfs" is down the hall. Yeah, live action plus cartoon characters. Delightful.

[John]

Oh God, how long before Aurthur gets remade with Hugh Grant and Mariss Tomai in the leads?

[Pro Libertate]

The part of Hobson will be played by Will Smith.

[John]

Brilliant. Every movie can benefit from having a magic negro.

[Tulpa]

Been hanging with libertymike, John?

[The Gobbler]

Off topiuc but I that smith was great in the role where he cons rich kids that he's Sidney Poitier's son and is a friend of their college kid at school in order to rip them off. I forget the name of the film.

[Pro Libertate]

That was The Empire Strikes Back, I believe.

[Greer]

six degrees of separation

[Pro Libertate]

Directed by Werner "Whitey" Herzog.

[Groovus Maximus]

I'm holding out for Babar in live action CGI, I myself.

[Sudden]

Not CGI. Babar should be played by Bob Barr, since we know he's really an elephant anyways and the uncanny match on the names.

[Attorney]

Aglialoro, who had a hand in writing the script by Brian O'Tool

Umm, what?

[omg]

I hear Michael Bay is going to get involved in the production. He has some problems with the source material and wants to make some modifications, though.

[Jeff P]

I swear by my life, and my love of it, that I will blow some shit seriously UP while Green Day plays in the background...

[Pro Libertate]

I have a cunning plan. Hugh Laurie, who is reportedly tiring of the House character, can star in a new series about another kind of grumpy guy: Galt. Shoot, you could take the whole House cast and repurpose them for Galt.

[Groovus Maximus]

I am interested in subscribing to your newsletter. Have you a prospectus for this plan handy?

[Pro Libertate]

I think you just read it.

[Groovus Maximus]

You addressed feasibility Pro'L Dib. I want hard numbers here. Get a mentat, quick!

[Pro Libertate]

Well, you start out with millions to pay an establish cast, decent crew, and great writers, then you make more millions with the series, probably through commercials and good merchandising (you know, shirts with Galt's head and some pithy saying from the show).

Trick the audience into loving the show, all the while subtly pushing them towards more libertarian thinking. And rape fantasies, but that's an unintended consequence of the source material.

[Fox Promotions Dept.]

Tonight on an all new Galt, John's in the mood-
(Boing sound FX)
- but Dagney pulls the break!
(Descending Slide Whistle FX)
Can the Gultch handle the heat?
Tonight, right after an all new Watch Celebrities Defecate...

[Ernie the Bear]

"OW MY BALLS"

[Attorney]

HAHAHAHAHA!

[I]

like this

[Pro Libertate]

I hope you're Hugh Laurie, because I do, too.

[Chickenlover]

Yes, at first I was happy to be learning how to read. It seemed exciting and magical, but then I read this: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I read every last word of this garbage, and because of this piece of s**t, I am never reading again.

[Pro Libertate]

You, sir, have a future in literary criticism.

[ChrisO]

If there is anything today's young people are interested in, it's movies about sexy young railroad magnates.

[Tulpa]

Don't underestimate young people's curiosity for old-fashioned things. A student told me the other day she likes to use typewriters more than computers because she likes the sound they make.

I told her that was because she never spent hours in a room full of them.

[zoltan]

Tulpa's ooooold!

[Pro Libertate]

Maybe we should update it. Rockets.

[Kolohe]

This is the 'Harvest of Stars' series by Poul Anderson.

Seriously.

Anson Guthrie is a cybernetic Galt, and some gal names Kira (IIRC) is Dagney.

[ed]

Some things are best left in print.

[bunkerbill]

Where is going to premiere? On the Syfy channel, at three in the morning, between showings of Mansquito and Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus? If they don't have the budget to do it right, please, don't do it at all.

[cynical]

I think there will be a cinematic version of Bioshock before there will be one of Atlas Shrugged.

[zoltan]

Good lord, yes please.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

How about Python Shrugged?

I thought alleged, quasi-libertarian total hot chick Angelina Jolie was set for Dagny T.?

Not our resident commenter, by the way.

... Hobbit

[alan]

Well, you start out with millions to pay an establish cast, decent crew, and great writers, then you make more millions with the series,

I like that idea except for one minor change, you dig out about four million to hire William Goldman to write the script. Once he comes over to discuss what he wants to do with it, you get him in a sound proofed back room covered in plastic and shoot him in the face while screaming 'this is for turning General's Daughter, a damn good detective story into some bullshit left ideology ramblefest, motherfucker!'.

Take a little time to read the student literary journals from your three biggest local colleges. Find two kids who are pretty good at writing slasher fiction, and pay them the bare minimum SAG will allow.

[zoltan]

That's not the same William Goldman who wrote Lord of the Flies, is it? Wouldn't peg him for a leftist. I second you on the General's Daughter, excellent story (the book).

[alan]

Fortunately it isn't the same guy. Though he has Butch Cassidy, Marathon Man and Princes Bride under his belt. Even the later he managed to gay up with a cutesy condescending psuedo-identity. I'll show you what I mean, from the Wikipedia:

At one point in The Princess Bride, Goldman's commentary indicates that he had wanted to add a passage elaborating a scene skipped over by Morgenstern (just a pseudonym for Goldman). He explains that his editors would not allow him to take such liberties with the "original" text, and encourages readers to write to his publisher to request a copy of this scene. Both the original publisher and its successor have responded to such requests with letters describing their supposed legal problems with the Morgenstern estate.

In the 15th and 25th Anniversary Edition of The Princess Bride, Goldman claimed that he wanted to adapt the sequel written by Morgenstern, Buttercup's Baby, but he was unable to do so because Morgenstern's estate wanted Stephen King to do the abridgment instead. He also continued the fictional details of his own life, claiming that his psychiatrist wife had divorced him, and his son had grown to have a son of his own.