Larry Flynt: The Right to be Left Alone

Over the years, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt has often been perceived as something of a train wreck. But after just five minutes of this documentary, you might find yourself admiring the man as a true patriot. Not only has Flynt been one of the staunchest, most visible defenders of free speech, he has used his wheelchair pulpit to indict the mainstream media and skewer the Bush administration. This film is comprised largely of vintage video of Flynt during his various trials, along with more recent interviews. Many years removed from his heyday in the legal spotlight, Flynt, paralyzed from the waist down after a 1978 assassination attempt, is extremely candid. By the time he gets around to declaring that “the greatest right a government can afford its people is the right to be left alone,” you can’t help feeling that this unorthodox and polarizing crusader might actually be onto something.

Shelf Talk: Many people were introduced to Flynt through 2003’s The People vs. Larry Flynt, whose box art featured Woody Harrelson’s Flynt being muzzled by the American flag. The DVD box art of this film features Flynt’s face next to skewed stars and stripes. The two films make a natural pairing for anyone interested in the legalities surrounding adult entertainment and free speech.