Fortunately, "A Handmaid's Tale", the hideous cinematic attack on
Christians released in the spring of 1990, is dead.  The movie portrayed a
futuristic America in which Christian fundamentalists have overthrown the
U.S. Government.

  They have established a repressive, military regime in which
nonbelievers, ethnic minorities, and infertile women have been herded
off to work camps.  The ruling elite, Christian leaders in the pre-overthrow
socieity, have forced all fertile women to be their child-bearing handmaids,
to swear allegiance to the Bible, and to sing the doxology at public hangings
of abortionists.  At the Hollywood premiere the director, Volker Schlondorff,
made it clear that his film was an attack on fundamentalist Christians.  
   
   The film died at the box office.  With it showing in only a few theaters
nationwide, it had grossed only about three million dollars, meaning that the
movie will probably cost its producers seven to ten million dollars.  Forgive
me, but it couldn't happen to more deserving people.