A documentary billed as “The film Hollywood doesn’t want you to see,” which was originally released in 2015, is gaining new traction as the “open secrets” of predatory men in the entertainment industry are making breaking news daily.
An Open Secret all but disappeared following its release, as it didn’t get any kind of distribution deal in theaters, on TV or on any streaming sites. Its Oscar-nominated director, Amy Berg, and its shocking content wasn’t enough of a draw to get it released.
But the movie went viral after the film’s financier, Gabe Hoffman, released the film for free through Vimeo following reports about Harvey Weinstein.
Since Oct. 12, 2017 the film has had over three million views across various social media platforms, and while it was intended to be taken down Tuesday, they have extended the free viewing until Sunday.
The fact that the documentary sank to the bottom so shortly after release shows how far Hollywood has gone to keep these “open secrets” of assault and abuse hidden from the public.
Director Amy Berg -- who received an Oscar nomination for her 2006 documentary Deliver Us from Evil about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church -- and her team found evidence of a pedophile ring in Hollywood that preyed on young boys trying to break into the industry.
An Open Secret features interview with Evan Henzi, who was only 11 when his manager, Martin Weiss, began assaulting him. Weiss later plead no contest to two counts of child molestation and was given a one year prison sentence and five years probation, but was released for time served.
While the documentary, which is focused on those who targeted young boys, doesn’t feature Weinstein, Henzi says, “I do believe that the allegations against Harvey Weinstein have opened up the door to having a grand conversation about different experiences of sexual assault by people in the entertainment industry, and that will be really beneficial for a lot of people. It is about time.”
Many who created the film hope this discussion will help An Open Secret get a distribution deal so it can reach a wider audience. Former child actor Corey Feldman, who says he was a victim of a Hollywood pedophile ring, has also crowdfunded more than $170,000 to create his own biopic to expose the abusers. ~Hayley Michaud
I have no doubts about pedophiles in this and the music industry and it is time it was exposed, fully ... and these men sent to prison. I do hope though that it does not become a witch hunt where men are unjustly exposed for something they did not do....THAT is always an unpleasant part of 'expose' situations. Has to be done right and the right people exposed.
I just watched it and a lot of these kids wind up dead because they can't handle what was done to them. They blame themselves because they were going after a career and their parents didn't realize that even though they're boys, they need an adult there to speak up for them. The Coreys were drugged and passed around this pedophile ring, but they're not the only ones. Ben Savage is in this movie showing up at the pedophiles' house, telling the camera they throw good parties. And there are so many other kids in this who never had a career, just a promise of one or the beginning of one before they couldn't take it anymore.
I guess Corey Feldman missed this one too. Everyone knows Hollywood is such a messed up place and it's amazing people would do anything to go there to work in the industries.... it's freaking sick sick place. It needs a complete overhaul.
Let's not forget the number of children who have been served on a silver platter by their own self-centred, selfish, greedy parents. Do we think that most children who have ever auditioned for modeling or acting roles got there all on their own?They are brought by their parents and then brought to parties they get invited to. I think about this when I watch the Godfather film or read the book written by Mario Puzo. Puzo has said many times that his story lines were based on real people and events. Listeners to this point would point out to Lucky Luciano or Frank Sinatra as examples. What about the beautiful little girl who was brought to the producer and handed over like a piece of chattel? The audience or reader would lose sympathy for the perverted producer when he wakes up and finds the decapitated head of his prize winning horse in his bed. I felt so bad for the horse because it was really the horse that was punished. But, as I got older and realized how Puzo found his material, I always wanted to know who the hell was he referring to with that storyline. Considering that pedophilia was in the driver's seat for the internet going so nuclear so fast, this is all just the tip of the iceberg...and people have always known this and just kept their mouth closed. Remember these two facts: 1. What happens in the world on a large scale is what happens in the family on a small scale and 2. The pedophile is the most protected person in the family. (because historically the message has always been to shut up, don't talk about it and talkers are told they are trouble makers--and silence is exactly what a pedophile needs to operate)
Okay. Enough is enough. Everybody please bring out your grievances at once and get it done and over with. I honestly feel sorry for everyone who has had something bad happen to them but I am getting tired of hearing about it day in, day out. You know who did something wrong, charge them as soon as it happens. Don't disgrace someone 20, 30 years afterwards and expect people to feel sorry for you. You wouldn't listen to me, an average person, if I said something happened to me 50 years ago, so why should I believe you now? Speak out within a year of it happening and be done with it. Get some guts and either speak up or shut up. Go see your psychiatrist, priest or someone else you can talk to. But quit trying to shame and/or get money out of someone who is now famous. Your five minutes of fame left long ago. Now you are just starting to look pathetic.
It sometimes takes 30 years for victims to come forward once they realize that they suffer with Complex Post traumatic stress disorder l, depression, panic disorder and more. Don’t blame ppl for taking so long to find the courage; unless it’s hapoened to you, you have no idea.
Yeah Penguin, if you cared to watch it, you'd see that these boys did something about it right away and do you know what these pervs got? Not much time in jail. Bryan Singer is still running around making movies. One perv got time served. As in, less than 6 months. The other one was allowed to travel out of the country and stayed there. The other two? Nothing. And btw, Corey Feldman is seen in this documentary in clips from talk shows - they had to get his permission for this so he knows about it. But it just didn't produce anything. These boys are still paying mentally and emotionally for what was done to them, as do all victims of sexual and physical abuse. There can be no time limit on it. Evil people should be behind bars and should be punished, no matter how long it takes to get them there.
Penguin, I think your neat and tidy world would be nice. Get sexually assaulted by a powerful man, go to the police, they’ll of course go right to the DA who will be more than happy to prosecute him based on a ‘her word against his powerful influential word’ situation. He’ll face charges, she (or he) won’t get publicly destroyed/kicked out of school (like say the AIF) Good will triumph over evil. But we don’t live in that kind of world, Penguin. Predators walk, victims are re-humiliated, raked over the coals, and get no justice. It’s complicated, shocking that being in a potential boss’s office or house implies consent to a sexual relationship, sometimes to need to feel in control our own lives we don’t admit to ourselves that the abuse is continuing, we drive our rapists home, or continue to be pleasant to them. its human, it’s common, though the courts are so behind the psychology, other people f*** us up and we get judged for being f***ed up. There is no system in place for victims of sexual assault so you cannot demand these victims follow a procedure. But it’d be great if it could work the way you outline, for sure.