The One Documentary We Need Now More Than Ever

Some scandals arrive with names pre-packaged for our approval.

Take Watergate, the burglary that morphed into President Richard Nixon’s career-ending nightmare. Not only was the D.C. hotel’s name a snackable way to dub the scandal, the “gate” suffix also described subsequent crises.

Remember RatherGate? 

What about the Iran-Contra Affair from the ’80s, which haunted the Reagan administration’s second term?

The same could, in theory, hold true for the biggest scandal of our times. 

For tonight’s show, we’ll examine the deeply incriminating findings of the Durham Report for the FBI and Russiagate; everything Twitter: from Turkey to Tucker; and I’ll share some thoughts on the life and death of David Miranda.

This is how you know the Durham Report is major: pic.twitter.com/FFz5Njgfrh

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 16, 2023

The Durham Report did more than eviscerate the FBI, the mainstream media and the Clinton campaign. It laid bare the lies and deception surrounding Crossfire Hurricane, the expansive, and fraudulent investigation into the Russian collusion theory.

That investigation crippled the Trump administration, shredded the public’s faith in august institutions and spread lies that linger to this day.

Hoax? When you cover up the truth it’s easy to cry, ‘Hoax!’ See the entire video at https://t.co/rRIcbawbqQ at Larry Charles Projects on YouTube. #trump #collusion #russia pic.twitter.com/D8EEnVia6n

— Larry Charles (@larrycharlesism) May 18, 2023

The name comes from the classic Rolling Stones’ tune “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” but it’ll be associated with government corruption going forward.

Or at least it should be.

Many Americans have been kept in the dark about its various, nefarious angles. Why? The same media that participated in the mega-scandal and awarded itself Pulitzer Prizes for covering the Fake News with aplomb, downplayed the report’s findings.

That’s where pop culture comes in.

Films and TV shows often expose subjects ignored or dismissed in other media. Al Gore’s 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” helped make Climate Change a top-tier issue in the minds of many.

The 2013 documentary “Blackfish” resulted in SeaWorld dramatically changing its policies.

Shows like “Will & Grace” and “Modern Family” let viewers acclimate to gay marriage in ways that a thousand op-ed pieces couldn’t.

Now, it’s time for a filmmaker or movie studio to step forward and create the definitive Crossfire Hurricane documentary.

Except Hollywood, Inc. will do no such thing.

RELATED: WHY IS HOLLYWOOD SO LIBERAL?

The progressive industry would rather commit to “Howard the Duck 2-9” than revisit a historical chapter that exposed the rot in the media, the Deep State and Team Clinton.

Once upon a time that was the beginning, and end of the story. That’s no longer true.

Alternative media empires like Blaze TV, The Daily Wire, Loor TV and Fox Nation have all the incentives possible to bring such a story to life.

Crossfire Hurricane might work best as a narrative film, which allows for dramatic license and indelible performances. That’s a taller task with the aforementioned platforms, which lack the resources and access to A-list stars that most studios enjoy.

Documentaries, in comparison, can be completed on a much smaller scale. Filmmaker Justin Folk routinely directs films that look as slick and big-budgeted as movies made within the studio system, but he does so for a fraction of the price.

Here’s the complicated part.

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The above platforms create original programming for their subscribers. The average movie goer can’t enjoy “Terror on the Prairie,” for example, without subscribing to The Daily Wire.

Any Crossfire Hurricane project would have to bend, or break those rules. Such a film would be preaching to the choir if it never left their respective ecosystem.

Ben Shapiro fans know all about Crossfire Hurricane and why it’s such a dark chapter in American history. It’s those weaned on mainstream media misinformation who need to see a Crossfire Hurricane documentary the most.

Would even that be enough?

Most film critics would either ignore or trash such a documentary given its roots and target. History has taught us just that. Viewers might see the Blaze TV or Daily Wire label and pre-judge the film and its findings.

Still, if alternate platforms aren’t creating vital content like this, these stories may never have the chance to get the cultural reach they deserve.

UPDATE: It’s worth noting that Amanda Milius’ “The Plot Against the President” covered some of the ground included in the Durham Report. A separate documentary, complete with the Durham Report’s key findings and the media’s reaction to it, is still vital to fully understanding this sorry story.