I think the above picture says it all. Sgt. Brent Sammann took this from his overseas Army base, location not divulged, where he wrote in to congratulate Cusack and Co. about the movie. NOTICE THE KBR FLAG, just under the American flag. You gotta be kidding me. On an ARMY BASE? And a very humble thank you for your service, Brent. It took a lot of courage to do this, but hey, you're a soldier. A very excited John Cusack emailed C&L from London yesterday to thank us bloggers and readers, for supporting War, Inc. in NY and LA. The ticket giveaway really helped. Apparently the movie is, so far, a phenomenal success that is shocking both the film's distributor and the industry. The film had no real advertising, just bloggers and it ran all viral baby–and yet the per screen numbers of War, Inc. have consistently been close behind the two big budget blockbuster movies of the summer. The producers emailed me this info:

For instance, the per screen average of the new Indiana Jones movie, which also opened last weekend, was approximately $24K, War, Inc. was $18K and the next closest per screen average trailed behind at $7K. This weekend was the same with Sex and the City opening huge at around $18K, Indiana Jones at $11K and War Inc at $10K.

This is a film C&L has gotten solidly behind, as did with MoveOn, because it aims right at the core of the corruption in Cheney/Bush enterprises. Plus---it's very funny, even though nothing can totally lift the spirits about the whole Iraq debacle. I've supported the movie because I thought it was important to talk about the Blackwater-type militias winning multi-million dollar contracts. As I said, the film industry is taking notice.

While the big-budget, large studio movies about the Iraq war all have tanked, John Cusack's intensely personal film, "War, Inc.," has survived bad reviews to find an audience in its very limited theatrical release.

Since "War, Inc." opened May 23 in Los Angeles and New York on only two screens in each city, the film about the privatization of war has been briskly attended, prompting First Look Studios, a small independent company, to expand the movie's release. It's adding 10 theaters in both cities Friday, as well as opening the film June 13 in Chicago; Boston; Seattle; Austin, Texas; Berkeley and San Francisco. And it will open June 20 in Washington, D.C.

I've received a few calls at the C&L bat cave from the film industry too---impressed by what we've all accomplished here and to ask me how we did it. Big props to John Cusack and his team for taking a major risk and telling it like it is.

JAN SCHAKOWSKY, Rep (D-IL). House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence says this:

Extend the current practice of outsourcing the 'business' of war as far as you can reach, and what do you get? WAR, INC. the first 100% privatized war. John Cusack's film may be seen as just a wild fantasy, but I saw it as a decision to laugh rather than cry about the harsh reality of Bush-era, oil-driven, profit-reaping corporate warfare. And laugh I did. See it!"

The film industry and movie reviewers panned the movie, but the simple truths about the military complex have struck a chord. If you can--check out the film on War, Inc. on Myspace.