The campaign, which hopes to raise $50,000 for troop-related charities, will coincide with the film’s DVD release Nov. 8 – just three days before Veteran’s Day.

“Lt. Dan Band” follows Academy Award-nominee Gary Sinise as he travels the globe to bring classic rock – and good tidings – to U.S. soldiers.

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A portion of the proceeds raised by sales of “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good” at the film’s official site between Nov. 8 and Dec. 15 will be donated to charities like Operation Support our Troops America, Snowball Express and The Gary Sinise Foundation.

The film, which Tom Hanks called a “moving tribute to our men and women in uniform and their families, has scooped up a number of awards so far including the Humanitarian Award at the Sedona International Film Festival and the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland International Film Festival.

“Even though some of our troops are going to be coming home, many will remain in harm’s way, and some unfortunately will never return.” says “Lt. Dan Band” director/producer Jonathan Flora. “That is why we need to continue our support for our brave men and women in uniform and their families—especially this holiday season.”

While I definitely respect all these points of view, I have to question why many of us are questioning Hollywood instead of questioning ourselves. And what we should be asking ourselves is why many of us complain so much about Hollywood’s output but at the same time fail to support the burgeoning artists, musicians, writers and filmmakers in our own community?

For full disclosure:  yes, I am a conservative, and yes, I am a filmmaker trying to get my art out to the greater world. For the life of me, I have never understood why we monetarily and spiritually support artists, studios and media companies while simultaneously berating them for what they offer us. If someone delivers crummy pizza that smells weird, tastes worse and gets me sick, would I still call the same pizza place every time? No. So, why do we do the same when making entertainment or artistic purchase choices?

In film, you don’t get to shoot on 35 mm with big-name actors, commissioned scripts, or the best D.P.s using someone else’s money unless you have a track record and have proven you can make money. To become a great artist, you need time to develop and hone your craft.  You need to be able to make a living in your particular medium to justify working in the arts and to gain that 24/7 time needed to create and edit better and better material.  Having a paying audience is the only way to make that happen.  Not all “conservative” films or shows will be great and not all will be good, but all should be supported by the people most predisposed to enjoy the material, fellow conservatives.  Still, it seems to me that the right’s expectations are too high when art comes from one of their own.

It’s like being the guy or gal who struggles to make it as a local artist.  The hometown crowd is much tougher on you, and their expectations of success are so high that the bar they set just to earn a “You know, it’s alright” is almost impossible to surmount. Are “conservative” audiences really saying that until you start winning Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Grammys, you haven’t achieved that much? It seems that way for both new artists as well as some of the more established ones.

I paid money to see An American Carol in a theater.  Atlas Shrugged, too.  They weren’t films that met the unbelievably high expectations of their audiences.  So what? They were not bad films.  Hello? They were trying to do a helluva lot with limited budgets and the expectations that came with being the first “conservative” films in their genres.  Almost no film could have met the expectations those two had to deal with. No new artistic movement occurs overnight, and these films were steps in the right direction that deserved our money.

How do you expect to see more artists, musicians, filmmakers, etc., who think like you do if you aren’t willing to support the ones you already have among you?  Can you really expect those who are successful and established to risk everything by deciding to “come out of the closet” politically?  God bless Gary Sinise, Patricia Heaton, Jon Voight, Angie Harmon and the other stars who have come out, gotten involved and led from the front.  They are an inspiration, but fortunately for them, they had established resumés to help them weather the natural blacklisting faced by entertainment-industry conservatives.

If you don’t support conservative artists’ material, especially when they are putting their livelihoods, careers and more on the line, then don’t pine for “better” content, and don’t condemn them for not outnumbering the artists you can’t stand.  At the end of the day, you, the audience, are a vital part of Hollywood too. Your time and money determines what future projects are financed, so keep in mind that we can only make what we want if you signify to our investors that those projects will be profitable.

–DECLARATION ENTERTAINMENT STARTS PRODUCTION ON FIRST FEATURE “THE ARROYO”

Some talk-talk-talk about changing the culture, others set out to do something. Declaration Entertainment is a “grass-roots film-financing movement that turns you, the audience, into Citizen Producers to reclaim American values and put them back on the screen.”

Started by Bill Whittle and Jeremy Boreing, the idea is to give those of you interested in changing the culture a real opportunity to get involved in a film project determined to do just that.

Please congratulate and help to support DE. Production of their first feature, “The Arroyo” has begun. Much more here.

–BRUCE CAMPBELL IS ON TWITTER, CONFIRMS ‘EVIL DEAD 4′

No kidding, it was hard to choose which piece of news to place in that headline first. It’s a Sophie’s Choice of breaking news that makes me glad to be alive. You can follow Bruce Campbell on Twitter at — wait, hold on; I have to do that — @GroovyBruce.

More “Evil Dead” with Groovy Bruce? In Heaven they dream of such things….

And don’t forget to get your Bruce Campbell fix every Thursday night with “Burn Notice.” (Full disclosure: my brother is an editor on the show and my wife is addicted to it).

–MEGA-PRODUCER JERRY BRUCKHEIMER RAVES ABOUT ‘”LT. DAN BAND: FOR THE COMMON GOOD” 

“A wonderful and inspiring chronicle of Gary and his fellow musicians as they journey across America and the world. But the real point of the film, as it should be, is to shine a much-needed light on those in uniform, whose tremendous sacrifices can never—and must never—be taken for granted.”

There’s still time to catch a screening of the film. Great band. Great cause.

–BOND 23 IS IN PRODUCTION AND PEOPLE CARE THAT THE NEW MONEYPENNY ISN’T CAUCASIAN

Race. Race. Race. Race. Race. Nobody cares except people who think they matter. How about Bond 23 not sucking like “Quantum of Solace?” If Moneypenny’s purple and the director uses a tri-pod and the women are hot and the violence is violent and that license to kill gets a workout, no one cares about the rest. Shut up, race mongers. We’re past this. Why aren’t you?  Again … shut up.

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SOME QUICK HITS 

–CHRISTIAN TOTO TALKS WITH DENNIS MILLER TODAY ABOUT SUMMER FLICKS

–TED DANSON REPLACES LAURENCE FISHBURNE ON “CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION”

–HALLE BERRY GRANTED RESTRAINING ORDER

–SOME NUMBERS: LATEST HARRY POTTER AN ASSURED BOX OFFICE JUGGERNAUT…

…QUINT’S DISAPPOINTED

–THE GREAT JULIETTE LEWIS JOINS TV ADAPTION OF “THE FIRM”

–A MATT LEWIS RAVE FOR HERMAN CAIN’S GOSPEL ALBUM … NO REALLY

–THE ONLY CASTING I’M INTERESTED IN IS A TRI-POD

–UNLIKE LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR HOLLYWOOD DELIVERS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE

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CLASSIC PICK FOR THURSDAY JULY 14TH, 2011

TCM:

11:45 PM EST –  Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955): Two bumblers get mixed up with Egyptian grave robbers and a murderous mummy. Dir: Charles Lamont Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marie Windsor. BW-79 mins, TV-G, CC,

The Boys would go on to make on last film together, “Dance With Me, Henry,” but I consider “Meet the Mummy” to be the last true Abbott and Costello film — and it’s a splendid one at that. After 15 years and over 30 feature films, this classic duo had very few stumbles and closed out their career on a memorably hilarious high note.

It just doesn’t get any better than Abbott and Costello.  Their worst effort beats 90% of the crap thrown at us today. Introduce your kids to their classic canon now, before it’s too late. Before MTV and hipsterism robs them of their souls.

Director Jonathan Flora frames the film around Gary Sinise, an actor and director with a long, intimate history with soldiers and veterans, though he himself has never served. From his brother-in-law, who was killed in Vietnam, to current bandmate Kimo Williams,  a ‘Nam veteran who started jamming with Sinise after they met on a production of A Streetcar Named Desire in the mid-90s, his career has always seemed to providentially intertwine with the military. Following the jihadist attacks of 9/11, Sinise felt compelled to help those directly affected by the Twin Towers’ destruction, volunteering in campaigns to benefit the FDNY. This spirit of volunteerism, in concert with his ever more frequent band practices with Williams,  materialized into a USO tour in 2003. Despite his diverse résumé, Sinise was universally associated with his Oscar-nominated performance as “Lieutenant Dan” from Forrest Gump, so as the group expanded, Sinise named it the “Lieutenant Dan Band,” and the rest is history.

It’s tempting to think this is a vanity project for Sinise, now better known for his long-running role on CSI: New York–that like other celebrities, he’s got a pet cause designed to make him look like a good guy. It’s certainly clear the producers ask virtually every interviewee their opinion of the man, but any doubts the viewer entertains about his sincerity quickly evaporate as the film reveals a level of determination and effort that would be noteworthy from anyone, celebrity or no. We see him orchestrate an increasingly elaborate stage show, drawing on his experience running Chicago’s Steppenwolf theatre. We see his family silently bear the burden of his prolonged absences; they miss him but recognize his time away as tours of duty. We realize Sinise and co. aren’t ego strokers reading a PSA script for a check, whipping up crocodile tears over the ozone layer so they can lecture flyover country and feel morally superior. They’re hard-working entertainers willing to put their lives on hold and travel to war zones all to display their gratitude to our servicemen and women.

Aside from the warm fuzzies it’ll put in your heart, For the Common Good is an entertaining and exhaustive documentary. We’re treated to a brief history of the USO, Gary’s young introduction to both music and acting, musical numbers by the Lt. Dan Band switching seamlessly from one concert’s footage to the next, and plenty of interviews with soldiers and veterans. We get to meet members of the band as well, and it becomes rather apparent why Kimo and Gary gravitated toward each other; both are natural storytellers and performers. One of the film’s highlights is Kimo revealing how he almost got shot playing a concert (while still a soldier) at a fire base in Vietnam. Other notable sequences include a view and discussion of the inside of one of Saddam Hussein’s mansions, a “Snowball Express” concert for the children and other family members of deployed soldiers, and a few cameos from other celebrities such as John Ratzenburger, Robert Duvall, Gary Cole, and Jon Voight.

The film’s title comes from an Abraham Lincoln quote that perfectly sums up its themes: “Honor to the Soldier and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause. Honor to him, who braves for the common good.” In any other context, I know the phrase “for the common good” would cause many here to blow a gasket over its collectivist implications, but in this documentary we see the concept in its noblest form. Our soldiers sacrifice themselves not to prop up dependents but to protect independence, and we see how one man’s thankfulness for that protection plays its own part in carrying our troops forward in their mission.

Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good is available through On Demand nationwide, or  you can view the film directly through its website.

The “Forrest Gump” star works relentlessly on behalf of the troops via his rock outfit the Lt. Dan Band, but he’s much less willing to toot his own horn.

Director Jonathan Flora convinced the humble star that a documentary could help spread the word to people and places Sinise would otherwise never get the chance to visit.

“Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good” hits streaming devices everywhere July 4th. People who want to screen the film can pay a $3.99 fee, with $1 going to The Gary Sinise Foundation which continues his work on the troops‘ behalf.

Flora had met Sinise several years ago, but he recalls the first time he saw the actor’s band on stage: “I was on pins and needles,” he recalls, echoing a common fear about actors who pick up a guitar. “You hope they don’t stink.”

Flora quickly learned what soldiers, sailors, and their loved ones have over the past eight years: The Lt. Dan Band rocks.

“They play songs everybody knows. [Audiences] can reflect back and remember where they were when those songs were a hit and forget where they are for a while,” Flora says.

But he didn’t want to make a straightforward rock music documentary.

“We used Gary and the band as a vehicle to introduce viewers to other people who support the military, like the first responders,” says Flora, a veteran himself.

It’s not enough that Sinise gives so much of his free time to the troops. He also travels to places other entertainers wouldn’t, hot spots where real danger lurks.

“Our military, they’re pretty perceptive. They know who’s there for a photo op and who’s got their back,” he says.

Flora recalls accompanying Sinise on a trip to entertain some troops. Sinise met the soldiers, shook hands with them, and posed for snap shots. Two days after Sinise returned home from the trip one of the soldiers who had had his picture taken with the actor was killed by sniper fire in the area where they formerly stood.

“Gary treats the last guy [he meets] just like he treats the first guy. He knows that tomorrow’s not promised for some of these guys,” he says.

Flora says he could have released “Lt. Dan Band” in theaters, but he eventually decided to go the streaming route.

“As a filmmaker you always want to be on the big screen with that perfect Surround Sound,” he says, adding the film will be released on DVD later this month for people whose movie rooms sport top-notch speaker systems.

And, he adds, the movie doesn’t have to live or die by its first weekend grosses.

Flora hopes the film’s investors will be rewarded by the streaming method, and that other filmmakers benefit from its potential success. Streaming doesn’t limit the number of cities the film can be shown in. Even big name documentaries often find themselves restricted to art house venues.

Other films have debuted online before, but Flora can’t think of another documentary like “Lt. Dan Band” which hopes to both entertain and inspire others to action. Should viewers be moved by “For the Common Good,” they can simply surf over to the Sinise Foundation website and make a contribution

“This movie is all about giving back,” he says. “When people watch this movie, something we found in all of our screenings, they’re right away motivated and want to do something.”

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As with the majority of the conservative artists in the Tea Party movement, Jeremy has been traveling around the country performing on his own dime and as many fellow musicians know, studio time costs a pretty penny.  Jeremy has set up a project page where fans can participate in the production of his new songs by helping defray some of his costs, getting a few “thank you” goodies in return, and even a shout-out in his video.

Here’s what Jeremy has to say about how he got started in music and how he ended up using his talents to wake his fellow Americans up:

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You can sign up in advance to see the film July 4th, here.

From the official website:

When you stream “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good” – one out of every four dollars will be donated to The Gary Sinise Foundation which honors our nations defenders by supporting the USO, Operation International Children, Snowball Express, and other such charities and efforts that support the military, first responders and their families. Thank you for helping us give back to those willing to give all!

Good man. Good band. Great cause.

We’ll have much more to come on the film, but for now we encourage those of you interested in seeing the feature-length documentary to sign up in advance and then help to spread the word.

Troopathon brings together famous celebrities from radio, television, the movie, musicians, journalists, and more to create a one-of-a-kind event with one purpose – to support our troops on the front lines in the war on terror and honor their service and sacrifice for our nation.  Guests include: Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Mark Levin, Kelsey Grammer, Former President George H.W. Bush, Gary Sinise, Dennis Miller, Former Ambassador John Bolton, Greg Gutfeld and many more!

Click here to send your care package or call 866-866-6372.

In five short years G. I. Film Festival co-founder Brandon Millett, with his wife and fellow founder Major Laura Law-Millett have made Hollywood stand up and start to take notice of positive portrayals of America’s military men and women. “Gary Sinise was our first major Hollywood figure to support the festival. He was fresh off a plane from Iraq when he attended the first festival and I’ll never forget how gracious he was with all of our guests.”
Millett tells me appreciatively. “He was a big part of our success. Since then we’ve not only attracted top actors from Hollywood but directors, producers and studio executives. Two years ago we were contacted by both MGM and HBO to partner on several film screenings.”

Besides Gary Sinise’s annual appearance, he will host the Festival’s Congressional Reception, actors William Devane, Lou Diamond Phillips and Gigi Ernetta will also be in attendance.  Jonathan English, the English director of Ironclad, this year’s featured $25 million military epic, will take part in a Q & A during Friday’s day long Film Maker Boot Camp hosted by Festival Chairman Steve Bannon. The film also stars outstanding characters actors Paul Giamatti, Brian Cox and Derek Jacobi along with James Purefoy and Kate Mara. Ironclad is a historical action piece that takes place in the bloody aftermath of the signing of England’s ground breaking Magna Carta, that first granted rights to common Englishman. Think an English version of the Alamo.

Brandon Millett can’t say enough about former Naval officer Steve Bannon’s considerable help with the G. I. Film Festival over the last four years. “Because of Steve Bannon’s military background as well as being an award winning filmmaker and an expert in film finance and distribution, he really understands the quality and character of our men and women in uniform.”

Millet can tell that the festival is having positive influence. “Two years ago we had a top Hollywood producer attend the festival. After meeting wounded guys from Walter Reed at one of our events he called me the next day to tell us that he and his wife were up all night thinking about how they could help wounded warriors.”

Various Hollywood professionals who support the military like actors Robert Duvall Jeremy Renner, Kelsey Grammer, Rick Schroeder, Glenn Close and JAG’s Karri Turner, as well as directors and producers like Ron Maxwell and Lou Reda, are often in attendance. CSI: New York and Forrest Gump’s Lieutenant Dan,  Academy Award-nominated Gary Sinise, will host a reception for Congressional members who have served, or who are currently serving in the U.S. Military. With veterans on both he and his wife’s side of their families, Sinise has been an active supporter of the festival since its inception, as he has of so many other pro-military causes. This year actor William Devane will premiere the drama Flag of My Father at the festival’s Hollywood Patriots Night and a salute to International Warriors will host military films from several other countries.

Last year at I wrote a piece for Big Hollywood highly critical of box-office and morale-killing Hollywood military films like The Green Zone that have dominated movie screens. Well, the G.I. Film Festival has been out front in the battle for positive depictions of the military since it started back in 2007. Festival creators, husband and wife Brandon Millett and Major Laura Law-Millett, first created the festival to combat the continuing inaccurate and negative stereotypes that Hollywood has so often fostered about the United States Armed Forces. In an interview with the Washington Post during the launch of the first G.I. Film Festival, Major Law offered up that, “In movie after movie all you see then was soldiers raping and killing. We want to show something more positive.”

Her husband Brandon emphasized that, “We wanted to do something to focus public attention on the courage and selflessness of the American soldiers.”

The chairman of the festival, former naval officer Steve Bannon, is also an award-winning filmmaker, successful entertainment company president, and proud father of a West Point graduate who is currently serving her country as a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne. “It was a spark of genius when Brandon and Major Law-Millett started this festival five years ago. They saw the need and said, ‘We just have to do this.’ Every year they personally go out of their way to find the best films.” Bannon told me a few days ago.

Bannon points out knowingly, “In the 242 years of our history, this is only the second time besides World War II that this country has been involved in two wars at the same time. The G. I. Film Festival works against the Hollywood fads because telling great stories about the American fighting man, their families, their triumphs and their tragedies is never out of fashion.”

On Friday May 13th Bannon will share his considerable film industry knowledge in a day long filmmaker’s “boot camp” that will also feature other experienced film industry professionals. “We’ve got young G.I. filmmakers and older vets, as well as pro-military filmmakers who have never served. They’re all trying to find their voice. We want to provide access for them so they can learn their craft and get their films out there.” Says Bannon. “With the technology available today, it doesn’t matter how old or young you are. We can find you technical people for support to help them out.”

The festival has grown from 22 juried and selected films its first first year to 31 top quality films this year selected from over 200 submissions. Over the last five years a handful of the best military-themed projects have received such high praise and notice that they were rewarded with theatrical distribution deals. Excellent military themed films like Operation Homecoming, The Last 600 Meters and Brothers at War made it onto theater or television screens, in no small part because of their positive reception at the G.I. Film Festival. Recently the festival signed a deal with Discovery’s Military Channel to feature the top festival films on that popular cable military channel.

“We want to get these films and filmmakers the broadest possible exposure and our arrangement with Discovery’s Military Channel does just that.” Says Festival chairman Bannon.

Stand by at Big Hollywood over this week for reports on some the G. I. Film Festival’s best films and featured events.