[updated:LAST EDITED ON 27-07-02 AT 02:16Â PM (GMT)]The past few months (since IX-XI) we’ve seen an increasing number of American patriotic movies. Today I’ve seen ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ for the first time, and it has to be said: the movie is just superb. I hope it was meant as a comedie, because as a realistic war-movie it’s really shite. I’m not thinking of any conspiracy theories, but is it Hollywood who came up with the idea of this kind of crap movies, or is it the Pentagon/CIA? One thing I know, where are the good old warmovies like Platoon, Full Metal jacket … Even though a night out to the movie has to be relaxing, why can’t they put a bit more realism into it? Like a UH-1 firing unguided rockets could easily destroy a Serbian T-72 tank, right …
I hope the “Sum of all fears” is better.
By: Arabella-Cox - 31st July 2002 at 01:03
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
I think Hollywood give the US audience what they want… all they are interested in is making money.
The US public wants to see American heros saving the day. (Not especially unique… British audiences like James Bond…).
The only influence the military have on Hollywood could only come in two ways in my opinion. One is directly simply by financing or subsidising the movie in some way. (ie Top Gun required the support of the USN and the result was basically a love story (Hollywood) and recruitment video (Navy).)
The other way is more subtle via Military advisers… they could probably influence wardrobe, and military tactics, but if a story demanded one character be evil (ie CIA) and dies at the end I doubt the military advisor could influence a change to make them look nicer.
I did notice in Minority Report that instead of the government guy being responsible the bad guy turned out to be the big business guy… not every movie from the US has an evil government conspirasy…
Sauron
🙂 I wasn’t speaking for myself I was speaking for those poor heathens who don’t even have Satellite TV.
(I get CNN, BBC, Sky News Europe, Sky News Australia, and New Zealand Network News… It is amazing the similarities sometimes… of course the numbers are quite different… if we had the US’s unemployment figures we’d all be out of work… if the US had our unemployment figures the current administration would be crowing… etc etc.)
By: Snowman - 30th July 2002 at 15:43
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
A recent article in the Sunday Times explained about the increasing level of collaboration between Hollywood and the CIA if I remember rightly. I’ll try and find it because it made some interesting points.
It’s fairly inevitable that some films will reflect the general
preoccupations of the public they are aimed at. But some film-makers will always choose to treat the subject in a sort of fantasy-world way. I trsut part of the audience will see it for nothing more nor less than escapism.
War themes are not a new thing anyway; wasn’it it during WW2 that Laurence Olivier shot Henry V and its patriotic and rousing message?
By: Sauron - 30th July 2002 at 13:18
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
Garry if you don’t get CNN down in the nether regions, how do you know so much about it. 🙂
Regards
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th July 2002 at 06:56
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
“I think Anericans learn about the world the same way everyone else does. “
We don’t all get CNN… }>
By: Sauron - 29th July 2002 at 16:18
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
Garry
I think Anericans learn about the world the same way everyone else does.
Regards
By: seahawk - 29th July 2002 at 11:35
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-07-02 AT 11:35Â AM (GMT)]I loved Blade 2 }>
By: Arabella-Cox - 29th July 2002 at 05:51
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
“I have to agree. If folks don’t like Hollywood war moves they don’t have watch them. Hollywood war moves have always been terrible so it is nothing new but most of the independant efforts stink as well IMHO.”
I think if US citizens learn about the world by looking at movies or TV then it is not really a surprise they think like Bush.
regarding the original question in this thread… I think contemporary movies reflect contemporary feelings. During WWII there were quite a few war movies made… and quite a few that had nothing to do with the subject of the war to take your mind off if that was what you wanted. If you think the Yanks are incapable of portraying anybody else fairly in a war movie then I suggest you just watch Blade 2 or Mr Deeds or something not involving foreign policy. (If you want realism don’t watch a movie or TV… talk to people.)
By: Sauron - 29th July 2002 at 00:58
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
James
I have to agree. If folks don’t like Hollywood war moves they don’t have watch them. Hollywood war moves have always been terrible so it is nothing new but most of the independant efforts stink as well IMHO.
The suggestion that the CIA has any influence over what Hollywood puts out is pretty funny.
Regards
By: JimP - 28th July 2002 at 23:43
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
But nobody holds a gun to your head and forces you to watch these movies.
Cheers,
James
By: ink - 28th July 2002 at 23:28
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
So what you’re saying is that its all okay cos it’s only the Americans being force-fed all this bullsh!t… No wonder their foreign policy is what it is.
By: JimP - 28th July 2002 at 18:21
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
But then:
What country is Hollywood in?
What country is the by far the main target for Hollywood movies?
The rest of the world is incidental really, most countries have their own film industry, if you don’t like american movies (and I admit they do make some dogs, eg. the corn in “The Patriot” was down right embarrassing) then watch the indigenous ones.
Cheers,
James
By: tomel - 28th July 2002 at 02:02
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
US DOD must have some sort black PR dept to do certain propaganda stuffs-remember the short lived US deception and disinformation dept???
By: kev35 - 27th July 2002 at 20:42
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
I thought the pentagon was in Hollywood?
Regards,
kev35
By: mixtec - 27th July 2002 at 19:29
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
The worst patriotic movie Ive seen as late was “Pearl”. Watching those 2 guys being chased by zeros for five minutes without takeing evasive manuevers is just loony tunes. The whole movie was just force fed patriotic bluster.
By: Geforce - 27th July 2002 at 15:00
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
Yeah, but if you want to see a movie today the first question is : “it’s not one of those patriotic BS-movie, is it, than you can see it on your own”. It just ain’t fun anymore, it looks like Hollywood has been brainwashed.
By: tomel - 27th July 2002 at 14:34
RE: Is Hollywood working together with the Pentagon?
Geforce,
Hollywood got all the rights in the world to produced nice touchie feelie US armed forces/good against axis of evil film.Well they just a features film -that’s all.If they can changed the real things (like the BHD movies)to suit their taste-there’s no telling what they can came up with in a feature film.
At least some of their film(recently)were very good like Windtalkers.
Watch -Wag the Dog-it shall answer your questions.
Sign In
July 27, 2002 at 2:03 pm