Marks of 'The Beast'

Los Angeles filmmaker, playwright and web presence Brian Flemming, who created the Slumdance film festival in 1997 to promote his Hang Your Dog in the Wind, (and who has scored one of the longer bios on imdb.com) has cranked up the PR machine on behalf of his latest. The Beast, which he writes is in "pre-production," will be the story of Danielle, a Christian high school student who investigates the disappearance of her father, a biblical scholar, and after she discovers that Jesus never existed does battle with fundamentalists who want to keep the truth hidden. Flemming has posted trailers and background info to thebeastmovie.com, including a mysterious statement that the cast and crew have been sworn to secrecy and a promise that the film will be be released on 6-6-06 (get it?). A bulletin board on the site for talking about about the film, theology, fundamentalism and Jesus has close to 3,000 posts. Today on his blog, Flemming predicts a flood of hate mail now that right-wing websites are on to his project. Flemming, who previously wrote blog items for LA.COMfidential, is the provocateur whose Fair Use Press dared Gov. Schwarzenegger to sue over his likeness appearing on bobblehead dolls, and whose playful suggestion that President Bush had gotten a nose job made it into a Letterman monologue. All that's left to do is, I guess, make the movie.