What Happened to Freedom of Speech?

After an Amazing Box-Office Success in Theatres Across the Nation, EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is Coming to DVD on October 21, 2008

LOS ANGELES, October 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- After an amazing box office success, landing the title as the Top Grossing Documentary of 2008, EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed will be making its debut in the DVD market on October 21, 2008. Distributed by Vivendi Entertainment, EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed will continue to open up the debate of freedom of speech and freedom of education in the United States.

The film's success speaks for itself. It opened in the Top 10, achieving the number 5 position on a per-screen average. It has already made its place in history as the Number 12 Top Grossing Documentary of all time, and the Number 1 Conservative Documentary. The initial buzz about the film was so intense that it became the #1 most popular blog on the Internet (3/24/08), the #6 Top search on Yahoo (4/8/08), and received over 2 million web hits, more than any other movie's website during this time. All this, while surrounded by not only controversial subject matter, but a lawsuit from Yoko Ono claiming unfair copyright use as the film uses and critiques the John Lennon song "Imagine." A federal judge noted the filmmakers would probably win on the doctrine of "Fair Use" and denied the motion for a preliminary injunction which would have removed the film from theaters.

Produced by Premise Media, the release of EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed on DVD will be accompanied by grass roots outreach by Motive Entertainment, the company that spearheaded the grass roots marketing for Hollywood blockbusters like The Passion of the Christ, Polar Express and The Chronicles of Narnia.

The film's numbers proved that freedom-loving Americans were outraged to discover that teachers and professors across the nation are teaching a theory as indisputable fact and that scientists who dissent from that theory are being silenced and ousted.

Ben Stein, the highly recognizable television personality, actor and former White House presidential speech writer, is on a journey to answer one of the biggest questions ever asked: 'Were we created, or are we the result of random chance - a mud puddle struck by lightning?' Stein, who is also a lawyer, an economist, an author and social commentator, is stunned by what he finds on his journey. He discovers an elitist scientific establishment that has traded in its skepticism for dogma. But even worse, Stein uncovers a long line of biologists, astronomers, chemists and philosophers who have had their reputations destroyed and their careers ruined by a scientific establishment that allows absolutely no dissent from Charles Darwin's theory of random mutation and natural selection.

"Big Science in this area has lost its way," says Stein. "Scientists are supposed to be allowed to follow the evidence wherever it may lead, no matter what the implications are. Freedom of inquiry has been greatly compromised, and this is not only anti-science, it's anti-American."

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed uncovers that educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired in some cases for the fact that they believe there is evidence of "design" in nature, challenging the idea that life is a result of random chance. For example, Stein meets Richard Sternberg, a double PhD biologist who allowed a peer-reviewed research paper describing the evidence for intelligence in the universe to be published in the scientific journal Proceedings. Not long after publication, officials from the National Center for Science Education and the Smithsonian Institution where Sternberg was a Research Associate began a coordinated smear and intimidation campaign to get the promising young scientist expelled from his position. This attack on scientific freedom was so egregious that it prompted a congressional investigation.

On his journey, Stein meets other scientists such as astrobiologist Guillermo Gonzalez, who was denied tenure at Iowa State University in spite of his extraordinary record of achievement. Gonzalez made the mistake of documenting the design he has observed in the universe. There are others, such as Caroline Crocker, a brilliant biology teacher at George Mason University who was forced out of the university for briefly discussing problems with Darwinian Theory and for telling the students that some scientists believe there is evidence of design in the universe. The list goes on and on.

Unlike some other documentary films, EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed doesn't just talk to people representing one side of the story. The film confronts scientists such as Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, influential biologist and atheist blogger PZ Myers and Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education. The creators of EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed crossed the globe over a two-year period, interviewing scores of scientists, doctors, philosophers and public leaders. The result is a startling revelation that freedom of thought and freedom of inquiry have been expelled from publicly funded high schools, universities and research institutions.

"The incredible thing about EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is that we don't resort to manipulating our interviews for the purpose of achieving the 'shock effect,' something that has become common in documentary film these days," said Walt Ruloff, co-founder of Premise Media and co-producer. "People will be stunned to actually find out what elitist scientists proclaim, which is that a large majority of Americans are simpletons who believe in a fairy tale. Premise Media took on this difficult mission because we believe the greatest asset of humanity is our freedom to explore and discover truth."

The extensive grass roots theatrical campaign for EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed, spearheaded by Motive Entertainment president Paul Lauer, included nationwide screenings and endorsements with key leaders, extensive promotional materials, a promotional resource DVD, publicity, radio promotions and Internet. In addition, a pre-launch campaign included unprecedented partnerships and a widespread campaign together with educators, youth, scientists, families and the media nationwide. These materials, resources and relationships will extend beyond the theatrical successes and be further developed through the current EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed DVD campaign.

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is scheduled for release on DVD on October 21, 2008. For more information on Ben Stein’s journey visit www.expelledthemovie.com.

About Premise Media: Premise Media Corporation develops, finances and produces independent films, books and DVD's for the domestic and international marketplace, "Producing world class media that stirs the heart and inspires the mind to truth, purpose and hope." Company principals and producers Logan Craft, Walt Ruloff and John Sullivan can be contacted via its website ( www.premisemedia.com).

About Motive Entertainment: Los Angeles-based Motive Entertainment, which directed the grassroots marketing campaigns for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, the Tom Hanks/Robert Zemeckis film Polar Express and the record-breaking Walden Media/Disney epic series, The Chronicles of Narnia, is a leading company in film and entertainment marketing ( www.motivemarketing.biz).

About Vivendi: Vivendi Entertainment is one of the Universal Music Group (UMG) family of companies. UMG's parent Vivendi, is a $50B France based international organization, whose other media holdings include Canal+ and Vivendi Games. For more information please visit www.vivendient.com.



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