A few months ago, I watched the movie “Rated R: Republicans in Hollywood,” a film made by a Democrat featuring conservative celebrities complaining they had a hard time getting work in liberal Hollywood due to their political orientation.

While it was an interesting movie, I found the claim about finding work a little dubious, especially since a few of the conservatives featured, including Drew Carey and Patricia Heaton, have been working fairly regularly. Truth is, while Hollywood is often portrayed as this haven for liberals, there are a lot of Republicans in Tinseltown.

In tomorrow’s Ticket, we’ll offer a little quiz on celebrities and their political affiliations.

                                                                                          Josh Brolin from the movie “W.”

To get you in the mood, here are a few examples of celebs and their political leanings:         

Republicans:

* Kirk Cameron. The trouble-making Mike from “Growing Pains” is now a Christian evangelist.

* Sylvester Stallone. No wonder he endorsed John McCain. Sly’s bad ass John Rambo character is an ex-POW from Arizona — just like McCain.

* Clint Eastwood. The former mayor of Carmel is an advocate of small government. But he’s also an environmentalist not afraid to go against conservatives on preserving the land.

* Bo Derek. The Santa Barbara County resident stumped for local supervisor candidate Jerry Lenthal earlier this year. The “10″ star has also been a big Bush supporter.

* Robert Duvall. The guy who played Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (but is better known for his roles in “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now”) supported Rudy Guliani’s presidential bid. He was also the narrator for videos shown at this year’s Republican National Convention.

* Jon Voigt. The star of “Midnight Cowboy” and “Deliverance” vigorously protested the Vietnam War during the Nixon presidency. But since then he has disavowed his actions, saying they were the result of “Marxist propoganda.” He’s frequently seen at Republican events, formerly stumping for Guliani and now McCain.

Democrats:

* Hulk Hogan. On an appearance with Jimmy Kimmel, the Hulkster said Obama was the “real deal.” Maybe he’s angling to be appointed a presidential body guard post.

* Willie Nelson. While country music celebrs are generally Republican, Willie is an old school lefty, who has used biodiesel in his buses for years.

* Robert DeNiro. The “Raging Bull” is a staunch Democrat, who recently stumped for Obama.

* James Cromwell. The guy who frequently portrays the president (He’s George H.W. Bush in the new movie “W”) has supported animals, Black Panthers and other liberal causes through the years.

* James Brolin. The guy who once played Ronald Reagan is one of the most well-known liberals in Hollywood (along with wife, Barbara Streisand). His son, Josh, who portrays George Bush in “W,” is also a Democrat.

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As a wise person once said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.”

The same sentiment might apply to movies.

Although nothing can compare with the experience of sitting in a darkened theater absorbing flickering images and stuttering sound, I’d argue that movie lovers can still pull plenty from the pages of books.

I recommend two new books by my former college film professor, Jon Lewis.

During my years at Oregon State University, I took three or four classes from Dr. Lewis and enjoyed every one of them. I loved his insight, his smart, funny comments about cinematic history, and his enthusiasm for classic 1970s auteurs like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.

He had nothing but scorn for the studio system and a deep-seated interest in film censorship — which might explain why he mentioned “Deep Throat” with such surprising regularity.

He also had a broadly New Yawk accent, yet to be softened by years of living in Oregon.

(In fact, I recall my Japanese roommate, Yuki, coming home in tears freshman year because she simply could not understand her new prof. That was Jon, naturally.)

Lewis’ latest book, “American Film: A History”, takes a hard look at Hollywood history, ignoring lists of celebrities and “must-see” films. Instead, the film professor turns his focus on the business and culture of moviemaking, highlighting the struggle between artists, society and studios.

He teams up with co-editor Eric Smoodin for “Looking Past the Screen: Case Studies in American Film History and Method.” It’s a collection of essays about the role of audiences, academics and the media.

Knowing Jon, both of these books are sure to offer valuable insight mixed with his own dry wit. Enjoy.

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The former editor of Cinema Journal magazine, Jon Lewis has appeared in two documentaries about film censorship: “Inside Deep Throat” and the excellent “This Film Is Not Yet Rated.”

He’s also written five other book I recommend checking out:

• “The Road to Romance and Ruin: Teen Films and Youth Culture”
• “Whom God Wishes to Destroy…Francis Coppola and the New Hollywood”
• “The New American Cinema”
• “Hollywood v. Hard Core: How the Struggle over Censorship Saved the Modern Film Industry”
• “The End of Cinema as We Know It: American Film in the Nineties”

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Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.

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