Last fall, politically-themed movies seemed to be on the verge of a major comeback. Remember the controversy that engulfed ABC's presentation of The Path to 9/11? Adding to the buzz was a British production entitled Death of a President, an imaginary tale that used documentary techniques to depict the assassination of George W. Bush. Combining actors, digital manipulation, and real news footage gave the fictitious crime the dramatic impact of a true event.
Hollywood, listen up: If political film making is ready to break into a new dimension where fact blends with fiction, characters become composites, time is compressed and events conflated, I've got your road map to success. The storylines already exist.
No need for any boardroom debates or disclaimers about historical or intellectual honesty. Using grade-B science fiction movies of the past 50 years as script templates will cue the audience to the fact that everything they see may have questionable connections to reality. Enticing beltway insiders to portray themselves in the leading roles will provide a bonanza of promotional possibilities. Here are three classic scenarios crying out to be reprised into ratings blockbusters.
1) A female secretary of state awakens one day to find her physical stature has been hugely enlarged, probably from exposure to toxic contamination in a foreign country. Will the fact that all other members of the administration are suddenly diminutive in comparison to her enormous presence bring new respect for her policy decisions, or spark ego-panic among White House staff and a military response from the Secretary of Defense? Condoleeza Rice puts a towering new dramatic spin on "ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN."
2) During the congressional summer recess, a meteor streaks over Washington D.C. and vaporizes, causing a massive disruption of power grids and communication systems. The President, relaxing at Camp David, is horrified by reports that strange energy from the meteor fallout is causing deceased lawmakers to rise from their graves. Even worse is news that the bizarre effect only re-animates ardent supporters of Franklin Roosevelt who are marching toward the capitol building in order to convene a special legislative session and derail the Republican agenda. Cut off from the outside world, the Vice President and his most reliable ally barricade themselves inside the senate chamber for one last stand. Dick and Lynne Cheney are determined to protect tax cuts and the NSA wiretap program against mobs of zombie New Dealers in "NIGHT OF THE LIBERAL DEAD."
3) Two media pundits from opposite sides of the political spectrum are brought together unexpectedly when their cars collide violently on a narrow mountain road during a severe rainstorm. A passing motorist discovers the carnage and rushes the victims to a nearby rural clinic, where a courageous country doctor decides that a drastic experimental procedure offers the only hope of keeping both voices alive for future broadcasts. The resulting anatomical antagonism causes Neilsen numbers to soar off the charts. Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann give in-your-face commentary a nightmarish 24/7 workout in this politically charged update of "THE INCREDIBLE TWO-HEADED TRANSPLANT." Special guest appearance by Roger Ailes as the idealistic, media-savvy surgical assistant.