Ever since it was first published in 1954-1955, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings has been embroiled in politics, much to the dismay of its author. Proponents of the political left and the right have taken turns deriding or laying claim to the fantasy epic. Peter Jackson's film adapation didn't escape political scrutiny either. Time magazine's Richard Corliss did a rather famous review of The Two Towers claiming that the film now evoked the War On Terror, and that Saruman looked "eerily" like Osama bin Laden, and USA Today's Michael Medved insisted Viggo Mortensen had tainted the role of Aragorn because he openly declared his anti-war sentiments.

The latest political controversy that the series finds itself embroiled in is the Iranian electoral protests. Time has a piece from an anonymous Iranian resident reporting that the government is using film to try and quell public unrest. "In normal times, Iranian television usually treats its viewers to one or two Hollywood or European movie nights a week. But these are not normal times, so it's been two or three such movies a day. It's part of the push to keep people at home and off the streets, to keep us busy, to get us out of the regime's hair. The message is 'Don't worry, be happy.'"

All television channels in Iran are owned by the state, so the government is choosing its films very carefully. One of their offerings has been a Lord of the Rings marathon, ostensibly picked because its length and epic content will keep people glued to their television. "We're glued to the trilogy. We are riveted. A child in the room loudly predicts that Lord of the Rings will put an end to the nightly shouts, that people will not take to the rooftops and windows because this film will keep them occupied."

Can a horror movie have a political agenda? Well, that was the question I asked myself after reading '15 Horror Movies Socialists Could Love''. So as I started to think back to all the hacking and slashing I'd seen over the years, I looked for some some pattern or connection between what I choose at the box-office and what I do at the polling station -- and what did I come up with? Well, I'll get to that, but first I wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the films that have gained a reputation with critics and fans alike as movies with a so-called conservative or liberal state of mind:

'Red State Horror':

Friday the 13th (1980)
Conservatives supposedly love this movie because it's all about no-good kids getting what they deserve. Sexy teens don't stand a chance in this franchise from the moment they take a drink, get high, or get naked. Plus, it's one of the few horror films with a moral about the importance of a good work ethic.

Frankenstein
It's science vs. religion in the story of a man who presumes to know more than God...and I think we all remember how that turns out.

Lost Boys
Family values are all over this one, and when a divorced mom pays more attention to a her love life than her two sons, look what happens. So even with a pot-smoking grandpa, plenty of critics agree that this film is all about Regan's America and the triumph of family over no-good, rock n' roll loving, motorcycle-driving youth gangs.

Tremors
2nd Amendment fans praise this tale of a band of locals fending off giant worms and the gun-toting survivalists that help save the day -- Take that Brady Bill!

Check out the rest at HorrorSquad!

Kirby Dick's new documentary Outrage, which premiered at Tribeca last month and opened theatrically last week, is an exposé of U.S. politicians, like Larry Craig, who spew anti-gay rhetoric and vote against gay rights while secretly living gay lives themselves. As you'd imagine, the film has sparked some controversy -- but who would have guessed it would cause problems at liberal NPR?

As first reported by IndieWIRE on Monday, NPR ran a positive review of the film by Nathan Lee, who, in the course of discussing the film, named some of the specific politicians whose hypocritical double lives the film investigates, including former New York City mayor Ed Koch and current Florida governor Charlie Crist. When the review was published, though, Lee was surprised to find that the NPR editors had removed those names from it. Incensed, Lee had his byline removed from the review, too.

Several years ago, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was going strong, there was a little episode called Superstar. In it, Danny Strong's Jonathan cooked up a pretty powerful mojo that allowed him to be a superstar at everything. In this alternate universe, he did everything from act in The Matrix to fighting vampires better than the slayer. Everyone loved him -- there were billboards, saucy calendar shoots, well, you get the idea. Now it looks like Strong is getting a taste of that, at least as far as political projects are concerned (not so much playing Robin in Losing Lois Lane).

Having tackled Recount for HBO, Empire reports that Strong is now penning a new film called The Butler, based on the Washington Post story: A Butler Well Served by This Election. The story outlined the life of Eugene Allen, an African-American butler who worked at the White House for over three decades, serving eight presidents, and then got to see times change as President Obama was sworn into office. The story has it all -- changing times and attitudes, insight into the world behind the public political face, and even tear-jerking love -- his wife Helene died the day before the election.

Empire mentioned the O-word, and they could just be on to something. Can you imagine: Jonathan, Academy Award-winning writer? It's certainly better than "Gurkin" in Sydney White.

Hypocrites beware: Kirby Dick will have none of your shenanigans. His Oscar-nominated Twist of Faith dealt with sex-abuse cover-ups within the Catholic Church, and This Film Is Not Yet Rated let the irrational and inconsistent MPAA ratings board have it with both barrels. Now, in the engrossing, revelatory new Outrage, the message is clear. If you're a politician who publicly oppresses the gay community while secretly belonging to it, Kirby Dick will kick your closet door down and tell the world what a hypocrite you are.

The incendiary but thoughtful filmmaker presumably has no beef with politicians who put up a straight facade while secretly gayin' it up when their voting record doesn't suggest anti-gay sentiments. It's only when they spend their days voting against gay marriage and domestic-partnership benefits and filling their speeches with anti-gay rhetoric that Dick believes their private deeds ought to be made public. Outrage is based on the premise -- which Dick assumes we agree with before he begins -- that such votes are tantamount to homophobia, and that voters therefore deserve to know what their elected homophobes are up to after hours.

And that is Outrage: a series of U.S. politicians with anti-gay voting records are dragged out of the closet. Dick avoids sensationalism, even though the material is inherently steamy, and even though his last name is Dick, for crying out loud. If my last name were Dick and I were making this movie, there's no way I'd be able to keep it classy.

The short-but-sweet McG wants to return to his music man days, and get in on Hugh Jackman's Musical Renaissance ... and he's going to take the edgier route to get there. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McG is bringing Broadway's Spring Awakening to the big screen with help from its original creators Steven Sater and Duncan Shiek.

Based on Frank Wedekind's controversial 1891 play, the rock musical follows a group of 19th century German teenagers as they discover their sexuality, and deal with the hot button topics of masturbation, abortion, rape, sexual abuse, and suicide. The play was banned Wedekind's native land, and played once in New York in 1917, though it narrowly escaped being shut down for being poronographic.

Despite the risky content, the 2006 musical adaptation fared a lot better. It was a critical and box office success, and took home a ton of Tony awards, including best musical, best book, best original score and best actor.

The project isn't set up at a studio yet, but it might find a home at Warner Bros where McG has a first-look deal. But a musical with masturbating characters might prove too edgy for any studio, forcing the director to take the indie route. It's an interesting project for him to take on given his fondness for splashy blockbusters ... is he going to grow up and go all serious on us?

Documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick is no stranger to controversy, and it sounds like his latest project, set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival later this month, might be the most eyebrow-raising yet. After addressing pedophile priests in Twist of Faith (which earned an Oscar nomination) and the corrupt MPAA ratings system in This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Dick is now going after a different breed of hypocrite: politicians who promote anti-gay legislation while secretly living gay lives themselves.

The film is called Outrage, and our colleagues at IndieWIRE have seen an early cut of it. (Dick says they'll be editing right up to the last minute, to ensure timeliness.) The film has interviews with openly gay politicians like Barney Frank, but the real meat seems to be reporting on the closeted politicians -- mostly Republican men -- who rail against homosexuality publicly while engaging in it privately. IndieWIRE, while refraining from spoiling any surprises, says there are stories here that have not been publicized before. So it's not just Larry Craig and Mark Foley, but others, too.

If that's the case, then the weather forecast calls for major s***storms once the film debuts at Tribeca on April 24. Magnolia is releasing it theatrically shortly thereafter, on May 8, to capitalize on whatever brouhaha erupts; I hope that this doesn't cause the film to come across as vindictive or sensationalistic. I've admired all of Dick's previous documentaries, not least because they've stayed on the side of truth and justice and didn't engage too much in pettiness. Dick tells IndieWIRE that the purpose of the film is not just to out closeted politicians -- and that's good. If a politician (or anyone else) wants to stay closeted, that's fine. It's only when they're simultaneously endorsing public policies that hurt the gay community that it becomes an issue.

While watching Harold and Kumar make their way to White Castle, or more aptly, break out of Guantanamo Bay, did you ever think: "Gee, that Kumar should become a White House aide?" Entertainment Weekly (read below before hitting the link) just talked with the star about a twist in his role on House, and in doing so, learned that President Barack Obama wants a little Kal Penn in his crew.

Penn had helped with Obama's campaign, and expressed an interest to work in the White House. This desire got him hired as an Associate Director in the Office of Public Liaison. As Penn says: "They do outreach with the American public and with different organizations. They're basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House. It's similar to what I was doing on the campaign."

Now this isn't some side gig to appease his political interests while he brings in the cash as an actor -- for now he's out of the acting biz to take this on full-time, and is taking a drastic pay cut as a result -- similar aides earned between $41,000 and $91,000 last year.

Do you think this will lead to Mayor, Governor, Senator, and even President Penn? Or are you too busy mourning his departure from showbiz?

*Do not go to that link if you're a House fan, but haven't seen the most recent episode. However, at least EW put up a spoiler warning. Sites across the net and throwing the twist everywhere, even in headlines, so if you're itching to read more, you've been warned!

We're used to seeing women in peril on the big screen every day; Mary Sues, damsels in distress, call it what you want -- but the sad truth is that for most women, being victimized isn't just limited to the box office. The recent events surrounding Rhianna and Chris Brown have brought the issue of domestic abuse into the spotlight once again, and the disturbing fact remains that most young girls still have some very strange ideas about what constitutes abuse. So while most celebrities don't like to be role models (because they need role models themselves), it's nice to see someone in 'Young Hollywoood' take a stand. Keira Knightley is now starring in a PSA that will be shown on TV and in theaters in the UK about domestic violence for the charity Women's Aid.

The ad has Knightley leaving the set to come home to a jealous and abusive boyfriend, as the abuse continues you see the camera pull away with the tag line, "Isn't it time someone called cut?" as you hear Knightley screaming in the background. The shocking (but highly effective) spot was directed by Joe Wright, who directed Atonement and Pride and Prejudice with Knightley and everyone involved devoted their time for free for the PSA. The ad will begin airing in the UK on April 6th, with an extended version shown in theaters in front of over 15 films.

Do Wright and Knightley take things too far here in depicting domestic violence, or do you feel it's necessary to take things to a very nasty place in order to get the message across?

Let's just get the important part out first -- Variety reports that Jon Hamm, the man who looks like a cartoon pilot, has joined the cast of Howl. Commence girly shrieking, gaze at the photo to your left, sink into your chair with a grin on your face. It's cool. I did it too.

All right, now that's over with. Howl is already generating a lot of buzz, all of which should keep it from disappearing into indie obscurity. Not only does it center on a notorious moment of literary history, but its collected a heck of an ensemble cast -- James Franco (who is playing Allen Ginsberg), Paul Rudd, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Bob Balaban, Treat Williams and Alessandro Nivola are all on board. (Check out Peter Martin's piece to see who plays whom.)

Hamm has landed a very meaty part in the Ginsberg story -- he'll play the famous defense attorney Jake Ehrlich. Ehrlich was actually the attorney for Lawrence Ferlinghetti who had published Howl stateside as the owner of City Lights Bookstore. He faced a $500 fine and a 6 month sentence for daring to publishing Ginsberg's poem, and gained the services of Ehrlich thanks to the ACLU. Ehrlich took the case pro-bono, and later wrote an account of the trial titled Howl of the Censor, and was the inspiration for the television series "Perry Mason."

All joking and gushing aside, it's wonderful to see Hamm get to use his acting chops outside of Mad Men and Keanu Reeves. Now if some studio executive would watch that Lex Luthor video and make the obvious DC choice ...