Republicans shun films of 'Leftie' stars

When it comes to cinema, it seems Republicans vote with their feet. While right-wing figures in the United States have long railed against what they say is a liberal bias in Tinseltown, a new poll by The Hollywood Reporter shows that they would go out of their way to avoid a film starring an actor they consider a leftie.

Fifty-two per cent of Republicans polled said they had snubbed a film because of the political views of its star, compared to only 32 per cent of Democrats. Sean Penn in particular appears to rankle the right, with 40 per cent of Republicans expressing a dislike for the rugged star.

The poll of 1,000 moviegoers also found that while Republicans go to the cinema less than Democrats, they are more inclined to pick a family film and dislike sex and violence on the screen.

Favourite "blue" films were The Departed, Bonnie and Clyde and Slumdog Millionaire, while the "reds" went for a more traditional fare, with The Sound of Music, Chariots of Fire and The Chronicles of Narnia listed as firm favourites.