Anarcho-pacifist Jason Ditz did some funny mini-movies about Rothbard and his parting from Cato, with various other libertarian characters thrown in. Recurring characters include Rothbard, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Tom Palmer, Lew Rockwell, me, Karen De Coster, and others. Many of the movies contain in-jokes regarding various discussions by a group of libertarians on a freewheeling, funny private libertarian discussion list to which Ditz and I belonged. They are strange but oddly compelling and kind of funny. I embed the key movies below; links theretok are found scattered around in various places, viz.: the Anarcho-Pacifist Films blog; What Is The Kochtopus?; and Ditz’s site. Lew Rockwell thought they were great. There is “bonus content” (trailers and director’s commentary) as well. (N.B.: I had nothing to do with the creation of these films other than send Ditz a short voice recording, upon request, for “Wrath of Koch.”)
(Update: some of the links below and google videos are now bad; alternative ones can be found at Ditz’s site and I have added the Youtube embeds and links below.)
The following descriptions are taken from Ditz’s site:
Movie 1: I Can’t Drive 55: The Stephan Kinsella Story (Youtube version) – 2:24 January, 2007 (based on the September 2003 LRC Blog entry by Kinsella)
Movie 2: The Adventures of Karen DeCoster (Youtube) – 3:01 February, 2007. Based on an email list argument involving Karen talk about what a punk Ben Affleck is.
Movie 3: Hostage Situation (youtube) – 2:43 February, 2007. The first appearance of Tom Palmer. This movie was later leaked to Roderick Long’s blog and became the first publicly available video. (Long observed: “I have no idea who produced this, but check out this computer simulation of Hans Hoppe, Tom Palmer, Stephan Kinsella, and Walter Block acting out Block’s “negative homesteading” theory of innocent shields by trying to kill each other in a bar fight. … Since I’m on friendly terms with all the participants represented, I of course can’t admit to finding it funny …”)
Movie 4: Pop Pop, Fiz Fiz (Youtube) – 5:41 July, 2007. A not-altogether-successful commentary on one-size-fits-all security solutions for anarchism.
Movie 5: A Libertarian Christmas Carol (youtube) – 8:50 December, 2007. Stephan Kinsella learns the true meaning of Christmas. Included as a bonus feature on the 2008 DVD. Also the first appearance of Anthony Gregory. Also includes a preview of the never-made “Open Issue” movie.
Movie 6: The Uncanny Adventures of Pacifist Batman (Youtube) – 3:46 January, 2008. The real reason pacifists survive in Ancapistan?
Movie 8: Universalizability (Youtube) – 6:00 January, 2008.
Movie 13 (unfinished): No Good Reason – 3:49 April, 2008. The ultimately unfinished test some new models I got. Kinsella and Tom DiLorenzo track down Matt Welch. Was designed to end with Welch drawing a pencil mustache on a photo of Ron Paul after they left (which would’ve been my first non-computer generated animation), but I never could get the animation to look right.
Koch Cycle Movies and Bonus Content
(Rearranged in chronological order.)
Movie 10: Koch Cycle Episode One: Rothbard Rising – 7:46, March 2008
Movie 11: Koch Cycle Episode Two: Rockwell Unleashed – 11:08, March 2008
Koch Cycle Episode 3: 1983 (unfinished; about 60% completed): This episode featured Rothbard’s escapades at the 1983 Libertarian Party convention. Filmed scenes featured a cameo of the late Burt Blumert helping Rothbard plan the defeat of Earl Ravenal, and the introduction of David Bergland to the Radical Caucus. Unfilmed scenes included a ritualized knife fight between Rothbard and Ed Crane. Also partially completed was a scene where Crane transforms into a werewolf.
Movie 7 – Koch Hit (Youtube) – 9:27 January, 2008. Later Episode Four of the Koch Cycle. The most ambitious project up to that point
- Koch Hit Director’s Commentary (Youtube) February 14, 2008
Movie 9 – Koch Hit 2 – The Wrath of Koch (Youtube) – 15:12 February, 2008. Later Episode Five of the Koch Cycle. Kinsella provides voice work.
- Wrath of Koch Director’s Commentary (Youtube) February 18, 2008
- Deleted Scenes From Koch Hit 1 and 2 (Youtube) – 2:41 March, 2008. Deleted Scenes included on the DVD
- Koch Cycle Trailer – 2:32 March, 2008. Featuring clips from Koch Cycle Episodes 1 and 2, the clip was originally designed for WhatIsTheKochtopus.com
Koch Cycle Episode 6 (unfinished; about 20% completed): Opening scene featured Bob Murphy and Gene Callahan arguing with Hans Hoppe about Argumentation Ethics before Tom Palmer throws a molotov cocktail through their window, and Stephen Kinsella succumbing to an IED planted by Palmer. Intended to be a two-part wrap up, the first movie would end with a cliffhanger and the apparent destruction of the Mises Institute.
Movie 12: Koch Cycle Gaiden: Do Your Best Dick Clark! – 8:53, March 2008. Introduces Dick Clark and Timothy Lee as rivals
Koch Cycle Gaiden 2: Wichita (unfinished): A spaghetti western starring Kinsella and Karen DeCoster. The two go to Wichita to stop the forgery of some controversial newsletters, and end up in more trouble than they bargained for. Only a script, never filmed.
Rock Cycle (unfinished): Intended as an April Fool’s release, the never finished movie was to involve the Catoites making a movie retelling the first Koch Hit movie from their perspective. Only one scene was (partially) shot, involving them dressing Lew in a Confederate uniform and arguing if he should be a sergeant or a general.
Isn’t google video going down soon?
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