On this KPFA fundraising special, filmmaker and media-studies professor Roger Stahl describes the surprising breadth and depth of Pentagon and CIA control over Hollywood movies and television shows. His 2022 documentary, “Theaters of War,” examined how the military demands script changes as the price of its cooperation with producers, with the aim of favorably portraying US military forces, both in recent and historical conflicts. Stahl also explains “showstoppers,” plot or character elements that induce the military to withhold its cooperation, which sometimes prevents a show from being produced at all.
In this Project Censored special, we hear excerpts from a recent interview Mickey Huff conducted with Roger Stahl, as well as sound clips from “Theaters of War.” The film is also a premium for today’s program, and is offered for a pledge of $120.