Tell me if this movie doesn't have "bomb" written all over it. First of all it is being written by Aaron Sorkin. Secondly it is being produced by George Clooney. Finally, the movie theme has BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) at its center. Is this not the perfect formula for yet another leftwing movie that is destined to die at the box office? How long before Hollywood finally figures out that such movies are always doomed to fail bigtime?
The most recent such box office failure of a leftwing film is "Che" which so far has grossed a grand total of only a million bucks. Perhaps the producers knew in advance that this flick would be a bomb which is why it is already available on Pay-Per-View. Remember Oliver Stone's "W?" If you have forgotten it even existed, that is because it died a quick death at the box office immediately upon release last October.
Both of these movies suffered exactly the same fate as all the other leftwing movies produced in the past few years by Hollywood. "Redacted?" DEAD! "Rendition?" DEAD! "Syriana?" DEAD! "Stop Loss?" DEAD! And on and on and on it goes. So do you think Hollywood has finally learned its lesson? According to Variety, the answer is no:
Warner Bros. has set Aaron Sorkin to write "The Challenge," a courtroom drama for George Clooney's Smoke House shingle.
Clooney is producing with Smoke House partner Grant Heslov. Clooney may direct and hopes to play Navy lawyer Charles Swift in the drama about the effort by Swift and Georgetown U. law professor Neal Katyal to ensure a fair trial for Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, who'd been held at Guantanamo Bay for five years.
WB and Smoke House got started on the project over the summer by optioning Jonathan Mahler book "The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power"
The courtroom drama wouldn't debate Hamdan's guilt or innocence but chart the dogged efforts of the two lawyers who sue the president because they feel the U.S. government has broken the law and violated the Constitution.
Captured in 2001 in Afghanistan while transporting two missiles in a car, Hamdan was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 5½ years by a military commission for providing material support to Al-Qaeda. He was cleared of the terrorism conspiracy charges that would have drawn a much longer sentence.
It sounds like the perfect formula for box office failure. And yet Hollywood will probably not learn the lesson even after "The Challenge" flops bigtime as it inevitably will. There is sure to be a scene in some Hollywood producer's office. An earnest promoter will be pitching a project called, say, "Gitmo," about the the supposed abuse and torture of the prisoners in Guantanamo by air conditioning and overfeeding. As a kicker the promoter will proclaim, "Hey, the script was written by Aaron Sorkin with George Clooney producing. Plus the camp commandant will be played by Matt Damon. It can't fail!"
But it will.
—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.



















Editor at Large
Comments Policy
They don't care about Box
February 3, 2009 - 10:03 ET by motherbeltThey don't care about Box Office.
They don't give a hoot what the public wants.
They make the kind of movies they want to make; the kind that will impress their left-wing society.
It's all about them, and patting each other on the back with awards.
EXACTLY!!!
February 3, 2009 - 10:06 ET by BKeyserThese types only care about their types- winning awards they've presented themselves. Besides, we're all too stupid to understand their creative genius anyway.
Also...
February 3, 2009 - 10:37 ET by ChadLet us not forget this is excellent propaganda for the sheep.
~Chad
Cincinnati, OH
Propaganda is right - It's one thing to do art films
February 3, 2009 - 11:27 ET by Dee BunkThose films often bomb at the box office too but at least have a worthwhile purpose. Good art usually captures elements of spirituality and the human condition that can be enjoyed by people of different faiths and political persuasions. It's usually unifying. I love Indie and art films.
Politics and art do not mix though. Creativity is squelched when you are trying to preach to people. The only purpose of these political diatribes is self congratulatory stuff for the most pompous elite narcissists in Hollywood.
George Clooney is so shallow that he couldn't begin to capture spirituality or the Human condition. It takes humility and he ain't got it. Plus he sees things in Black and white.
Exactly. Propaganda doesn't need a financial return.
February 3, 2009 - 11:07 ET by jazboThose who believe in nothing will believe anything.
Show business kids making
February 3, 2009 - 14:38 ET by jmtShow business kids making movies 'bout them selves,
You know they don't give a f*#! about anybody else.
-- Steely Dan
jmt
http://www.jmichaelt.org
Speaking only for my self
February 3, 2009 - 22:08 ET by Spinningplates2I can't wait to not see this movie.
"They're So Far Left, They've Left America."
February 3, 2009 - 15:36 ET by L.N. SmitheeThey make the kind of movies they want to make; the kind that will impress their left-wing society.
It's all about them, and patting each other on the back with awards.
Amen to that. They care more about Cannes than Kansas. They care more about the Golden Globes than Green Bay. They care more about their street cred in Paris, France than in Paris, Texas.
In the words of Ronald Reagan, "They're so far left, they've left America."
QUESTION O-THORITY.
"Well, I've got nothing against the press...they wouldn't print it if it wasn't true..." -- Joe Jackson, "Sunday Papers"
The Good Shepherd was a
February 3, 2009 - 10:06 ET by balboaThe Good Shepherd was a good movie.
Well...
February 3, 2009 - 10:12 ET by mizflame98I guess you're one of a handfull of people who think so.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
That's fine. As long as
February 3, 2009 - 10:14 ET by balboaThat's fine.
As long as liberal actors are in a position to get funding for their projects, these movies will exist.
Yeah, just what we need.
February 3, 2009 - 10:42 ET by mizflame98Government funded propoganda. Leni Riefenstahl would have been so proud.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
bal
February 4, 2009 - 09:12 ET by sherylsimsAnd once they have lost all their money on these failed projects they can always go and get a government bailout.
It was marginal at
February 3, 2009 - 10:21 ET by BDIt was marginal at best.
I did not care about he characters, nor were they believable.
Don't forget Stop Loss!
February 3, 2009 - 10:08 ET by shirtsbyericDon't forget Stop Loss!
Stop Loss
February 3, 2009 - 10:12 ET by P.J. GladnickThanx for the reminder. I updated the blog to reflect the "Stop Loss" bomb.
Lions for lambs
February 3, 2009 - 10:40 ET by mizflame98How did that movie do? Nevermind. It also tanked.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
All the star power in Hollywood couldn't help "Lions For Lambs"
February 3, 2009 - 15:47 ET by L.N. SmitheeAll the star power in Hollywood couldn't help Lions For Lambs.
Tom Cruise. Meryl Streep. Robert Redford.
PHHHHHHHFFFFFFT.
"Well, I've got nothing against the press...they wouldn't print it if it wasn't true..." -- Joe Jackson, "Sunday Papers"
"Stop-Loss" Was Released Just As The Surge Started Working
February 3, 2009 - 15:44 ET by L.N. SmitheeThe funniest thing about Stop-Loss -- a movie aimed at fostering resistance of veterans to return to Iraq -- is that it was released just as the surge was proving to do everything the Dems (especially Hillary, Obama, and Biden) said it couldn't.
BTW -- last week, free national elections were held in Iraq on the same day that Iran was celebrating the 30th anniversary of the return of Ayatollah Khomeini from exile, ushering in the age of state-sponsored Islamic terrorism. Nice contrast of the GWB and Jimmy Carter legacies, don't you think?
"Well, I've got nothing against the press...they wouldn't print it if it wasn't true..." -- Joe Jackson, "Sunday Papers"
Pathetic.
February 3, 2009 - 10:10 ET by mizflame98They put out propoganda tripe to entertain their socialist/marxist friends while ignoring the general population. To make matters worse, they get a government bailout from the same President they're trashing. Oh the irony.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
Do they have so much money
February 3, 2009 - 10:13 ET by snaggletoothieDo they have so much money in Hollywood that they can just flush it down the toilet?
Do they have the money?
February 3, 2009 - 11:07 ET by KC MulvilleNo. But they have the most creative accountants in this corner of the universe. These corporations all have numerous subsidaries. They shave income off other businesses, invest them in movies, and writing the whole thing off in taxes. And even when the movie bombs at the box-office, it doesn't matter. The movie will show up as DVDs, as well as endless runs on cable or on-demand, and are big sellers overseas where audiences loves anti-American movies.
Remember, the movie business is based on make-believe. They do their accounting that way as well.
These kinds of movies make
February 3, 2009 - 13:13 ET by balboaThese kinds of movies make up a tiny part of the overall output. It's a blip on the radar.
balbao
February 3, 2009 - 13:19 ET by well99Must be a small blip.They arent making jack.Still they are the ones up for awards.
Actually, none of those
February 3, 2009 - 13:24 ET by balboaActually, none of those films were nominated, nor the actors in those roles.
Wrong balboa -lots of awards and nominations for Syriana
February 3, 2009 - 13:48 ET by Dee BunkSyriana awards and nominations
and Che got the prestigious Cannes Golden Palm Nomination and Del Toro won Best actor at Cannes
Che
That's true, forgot about
February 3, 2009 - 14:11 ET by balboaThat's true, forgot about those. Never saw either. :-)
I'm surprised balboa
February 3, 2009 - 14:23 ET by Dee BunkI think you'd like Syriana. It definitely didn't deserve awards, but it was okay.
Have you seen "Taken" yet?
I saw "Taken." Where do I
February 3, 2009 - 14:42 ET by Indiana JoeI saw "Taken."
Where do I go for a refund?
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
I liked Taken a lot
February 3, 2009 - 14:52 ET by Dee Bunknot an award winner - just a fun action movie.
Really can't wait to see
February 3, 2009 - 15:01 ET by balboaReally can't wait to see Taken. Looks really good. Best movie I've seen recently is Gran Torino. Awesome.
I loved gran Torino too
February 3, 2009 - 15:30 ET by Dee BunkThat and The Wrestler were my favorite American movies this year. I think both should have beat out every Oscar nominee. I did like Slumdog Millionaire a lot but those two were better.
I LOVED Gran Torino!
February 4, 2009 - 09:16 ET by sherylsimsI was so surprised that I even liked it, but I left the theater thinking that I can't remember getting as emotional and as invested in a movie in years. It was GREAT!
The key to this issue is
February 3, 2009 - 13:49 ET by BDThe key to this issue is that on the subject of the GWOT, Hollywood is lockstep negative.
balbao
February 3, 2009 - 14:23 ET by well99Frost/Nixon havent been nominated for awards?
So, go ahead, tell me how
February 3, 2009 - 22:46 ET by balboaSo, go ahead, tell me how Frost / Nixon was biased.
I believe there was an article here
February 3, 2009 - 22:55 ET by choselife3xOn NB a short while back about Ron Howard's interview where he said Bush and Cheney were criminals. Look it up.
But does that mean the right should emulate the left?
-balboa http://newsbusters.o...
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
Oh well that explains
February 3, 2009 - 22:56 ET by balboaOh well that explains everything.
Good. I'm glad you're not so obtuse
February 3, 2009 - 23:09 ET by choselife3xThat I actually have to explain why a raving lefty making a movie about a Republican President would end up with a biased product.
But does that mean the right should emulate the left?
-balboa http://newsbusters.o...
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
balboa
February 3, 2009 - 23:36 ET by well99"So, go ahead, tell me how Frost / Nixon was biased."
Would it do any good?
Making someone look like a
February 3, 2009 - 23:41 ET by BDMaking someone look like a sociopath is not biased?
It's known as cinema
February 3, 2009 - 23:45 ET by JerIt's known as cinema verite, BD.
Jer
Ooooh, so I get to make a
February 4, 2009 - 08:59 ET by BDOoooh, so I get to make a movie that shows Clinton as a guy who ignorned his office and was on a 8 year quest to score chicks and FDR was a bumbling ineffectual Chauncey Gardiner?
And I get to call it "Cinema" COOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!
BD
February 4, 2009 - 04:32 ET by well99I seen Howard on Morning Joe.He was asked if they stuck to the truth.He hem hawd about them adding this and that and and some parts they were speculating.Just like the media.If they think it is true it must be.Never let those pesky facts get in the way.
Well99 - I'm so glad you brought up Frost Nixon
February 5, 2009 - 00:10 ET by Dee BunkIt was my lucky charm. Netfilx has the actual interviews available but they've been on "very long wait" for a long time. I've had them at the top of my queue for a few months. After I posted on this yesterday - I got an e-mail saying they are on there way! So cool.
It's been awhile since I've seen the movie now, but I am curious to see the real interviews.
Hi Dee!
February 5, 2009 - 00:30 ET by MightyMouthI'm a Netflix customer also. You can just email or call customer service and complain your next pick is taking too long and magically it will arrive pretty soon. Netflix, like most companies, cherish loyal customers! :-)
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Hi Mighty
February 5, 2009 - 08:08 ET by Dee BunkI never thought to do that, but will now. I love Netflix. They are very customer friendly.
Dee
February 5, 2009 - 19:35 ET by well99Let us know how it compares.Howard is another Michel Moore in my book.No integrity.
well99 - will do
February 5, 2009 - 20:38 ET by Dee Bunkbut I bet the original interview was pretty bias as well. It will be interesting either way.
Dee
February 5, 2009 - 20:49 ET by well99Frost was a big time liberal.Still should be interest comparing the two.Glad to see Howard make a movie for 25mil and only make 18 including worldwide distribution.Keep up the good work Opie.
I saw Frost Nixon and have been trying to get my
February 4, 2009 - 00:05 ET by Dee Bunkhands on the original interviews for comparison. One thing I would say about it for sure is that as a film, it's very mediocre and really didn't deserve the nominations it got.
I found it very interesting how Howard, and probably any liberal watching it, would have found nothing wrong with how the reporters behaved. In fact, they seemed to be celebrating the fact that they had no intention of trying to give Nixon a fair shake. It was portrayed as heroic.
It reminded me so much of how Palin was treated. All the reporters studied up and scowered high and low for trash on her trying to trip her up whereas with Obama - no such investigation was necessary. When unfavorable things were dumped in their lap they helped cover for him.
Sure Nixon was guilty but so was Lyndon Johnson and the media never attacked him with such vigor. After seeing the completely outrageous treatment of Palin, and of course Bush, first hand, it was eerie how similar this felt. It makes me hesitant to trust history that I didn't witness myself.
As far as the bias in the actual film, I didn't live through the Nixon ordeal but now I'm quite sure he probably wasn't treated fairly. Just look at how Nice everyone (except for Letterman tonight I guess) treated Blago. There is such a huge double standard.
More Hypocrisy from the Left
February 3, 2009 - 10:17 ET by PekhotinetsThis steams me. Produce a garbage product that nobody wants, then ask for a bail out. Meanwhile, where is the outrage over the millions that Hollywood elites are pulling in? Not a word from the Left about that. What hypocrisy!
Oh the actors are suffering too.
February 3, 2009 - 10:26 ET by mizflame98Come on. Everyone cry with me as we read how Harrison Ford had to take a pay cut for his upcomming movie.
Where's my tissue?
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
Personally, I think the
February 3, 2009 - 10:48 ET by BKeyserPersonally, I think the actors are the unfortunate one's in all of this. They clearly are not being paid enough for what they do. I think they should follow through on their threats to strike. And not some gratuitous symbolic strike either- a really serious, long-term (I'm talking years here) strike. You know, let everyone come to know their strife. Maybe they could take it on the road- a traveling, "feel sorry for the actors" roadshow! That oughta boost box office sales, huh?
BK
February 3, 2009 - 14:27 ET by well99Works for me...lol
Things are hard all over Hollywood
February 3, 2009 - 14:32 ET by mizflame98Even Bruce Springstien had to cut back. He couldn't afford to come up with all original songs so he had to plagiarize from KISS. Times are truly tough.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
mizflame
February 3, 2009 - 14:45 ET by well99You not kidding.I'll stick to Kiss.
hhmmm... a movie where
February 3, 2009 - 10:18 ET by MidAmericahhmmm... a movie where the 'heroes' are trying to see to it that the driver of Bin Laden gets the full protection of the Constitution as if he's a US citizen. Yeah, the public will be sympathetic to that premise. Ya got to wonder, is it the drugs and alcohol in Hollywood that has made them such mental midgets?
Yeah, y ou gotta wonder why
February 3, 2009 - 10:18 ET by BDYeah, y ou gotta wonder why the courtroom drama does not concern FDR's lack of trials of a similar person who in 1944 was caught driving a Kubalwagen with a pair of Panzerfaust in the back and was shipped to the POW camp in Phoenix Az for the duration of the war.
On 8 December 1941, Sakamaki Kazuo was captured wandering on Bellows beach when his midget submarine ran afoul of mechanical problems off the east side of Oahu. Did FDR demand his justice department arrest, try, and convict Kazuo or was he detained for the remainder of the war?
After all, FDR did not order trials for such people, shouldn't Clooney casitigate him in film as well?
Naw, FDR is a saint, and Bush is evil.....right.....
Naw, FDR is a saint, and
February 3, 2009 - 11:38 ET by Dan The Man 2Naw, FDR is a saint, and Bush is evil.....right.....
BD, part of teh problem is that in WWII teh USA was affected directly and peopel could actually see the problem. In the modern day wars the USA is not affected directly and forthright and the MSM and leftists in this country make sure the people don't understand the truth and implications to their well being.
But, we di have a President who understood the threat and dealt with it. Unfortunately he did not understnad teh need for desimination of information. He should have opened the information office in spite of teh MSM objections. If he had done so then perhaps things would have been different.
In fact the GOP needs to understand teh MSM is not their freind and in fact no better than Tokyo Rose.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
"WWII teh USA was affected
February 3, 2009 - 14:08 ET by Indiana Joe"WWII teh USA was affected directly and peopel could actually see the problem."
Well, Dan, I think there are more parallels there than it seems. In WWII, the U.S. was attacked once, at Pearl Harbor. In the WOT, we've actually been attacked many times, but if we just take 9/11 we were attacked once, at the WTC. I believe there were roughly the same number of casualties in each attack. So in each case, the war was brought home to us. I think we were "affected directly," and "could actually see the problem." But how did we respond in each case?
In WWII, people were told to be vigilant, to expect spies and espionage, that "loose lips sink ships." In the WOT, we've been told about how "peaceful" the enemy is, how "evil" we are, how we must not "profile," and how we must "understand" that we've "brought this on ourselves." And how we must grant these "soldiers" all the benefits of the Geneva Convention, and the benefits of our own laws, the laws of the society they are fighting to destroy.
Well, according to the Geneva Convention, combatants caught out of uniform can be summarily executed as spies. There would be no "Gitmo" problem if we'd really followed the GC. Ah, the irony!
After the Pearl Harbor attack, the media joined with the government in whipping up sentiment against those who attacked us and their allies, and warning us of the danger they presented. After 9/11, the media often whipped up sentiment against us and our government, did a lot to tie our hands in dealing with the WOT, and warned us of the "danger" our own President represented.
That may be the biggest difference in the two attacks.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
Maybe we could consider these crapolla movies
February 3, 2009 - 10:35 ET by katiejaneHollywood's version of economic stimulus? After all the big actors get paid big bucks and we all know that the Dems believe in "taxing the rich." The movie production would employ some craft people so that generates income taxes and helps the working guy. If the investers want to throw thei money into another sink kole - why should we stop them? Few other than the already mindless actually pay to see the end product.
Hollyweird Libutards Just Doing What Their Supreme Leader Asks
February 3, 2009 - 10:55 ET by yobobbybJust the other day the Messiah pronounced "there will be time for them to make profits and there will be time for them to get bonuses. Now is not that time."
No profits? No problem! Here's hoping all of the Hollyweird will succumb to the siren song of our Great Red Leader.
“Literature must become party literature. Down with
unpartisan litterateurs! Down with the superman of literature!
Literature must become a part of the general cause of the proletariat.” - Lenin
Almost every Movie
February 3, 2009 - 15:29 ET by ahusser,generally speaking, employs hundreds of people so even if the movie bombs it becomes a sort of "make work" project for the industry. People have jobs, get paid, money flows and the Studios take losses, or other creative accounting techniques. The problem is that now the studios are out of the closet and are actively proseletyzing left wing ideas (but I have seen movies in the 1930's do that too so it isn't a recent phenomenon). I believe that most movies made in the last 30 to 40 years have this liberal streak in them but is usually subdued or implied. Since being at NewsBusters my bias attenae are more attuned to the lib BS and I detect it with more frequency than even I would like in almost every movie.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. F
Speaking of pompous elitist
February 3, 2009 - 10:50 ET by ChadSpeaking of pompous elitist hollywood jerks, did you catch Bale's abusive unloading on one of his lighting guys for distracting him during a scene? That lighting guy is much nicer than I am. I'd have punched him in the mouth after about 30 seconds of his tantrum.
If only I had so little to be upset about...
This site has a link to the MP3, which please be warned contains a lot of cussing:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/02/02/bale-went-ballistic
~Chad
Cincinnati, OH
Check out these pearls of wisdom
February 3, 2009 - 11:17 ET by mizflame98Matt Damon thinks James Bond is repulsive. The Bourne Identity actor, who plays CIA agent Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise, has lashed out at Ian Fleming’s famous British spy, currently portrayed by Daniel Craig.
He said: “He’s repulsive. Bond is an imperialist, misogynist, sociopath who goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people.
Uh, what does Jason Bourne do? Oh yeah. KILL PEOPLE!!!
The rest of the aticle is here.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
Matt Damon
February 3, 2009 - 11:20 ET by Sergeant ROCKI thought the portrayal of him in Team America: World Police was pretty accurate.
Bolton/KEYES 2012
Hahahaha- Perfect!
February 3, 2009 - 11:22 ET by BKeyserHahahaha- Perfect!
LMAO!
February 3, 2009 - 13:55 ET by mizflame98I almost forgot about that! LOL!!!
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
The Bourne movies
February 3, 2009 - 15:39 ET by ahusserare anti-US, anti-CIA movies.(See my post above). Many, many of these movies, with very few exceptions, are very subtly anti-American or Anti-Government. MI III, The Art of War, The Matrix, Clear and Present Danger, The Rock Live Free or Die Hard etc. to name a few that exhibit this left wing anti-American or anti Republican/Conservative bias to varying degrees. The fact that some are good escapist action movies just mask the messages.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. F
Self-aggrandizement,
February 3, 2009 - 11:05 ET by JPR1plain and simple, rooted in misguided morality with zero interest in profit.
These people behave like reckless adolescents abusing the credit accounts of a careless parent.
Wow, Clooney producing, directing and acting? I think I can wait 'till forever.
Compare the Two.
February 3, 2009 - 11:15 ET by UtherpendSaturday I drove through the snow to see the new movie Taken with Liam Neeson. A Movie about a man who gave up his career to spend more time with his daughter, whom he didn't see when he was a counter terrorist agent in the US government, and the steps he goes thru to get her back when she is kidnapped. The theater where I went was full and at the end there was applause, neither of which was at any of the anti america movies in the above lists. It amazes me that Hollywood can't see this and this movie was directed by a French Director.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you."
Saw "Taken" on Saturday, too
February 3, 2009 - 14:50 ET by Indiana JoeActually, I was disappointed. While the "back-story" was good, as you note, I thought the violence was just too gratuitous in places, and there were too many "convenient" helps for the hero.
But, the place was packed, and there was applause at the end. Also, it was only playing in one theater in a 12-plex, which probably explains the crowd.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
I haven't heard applause at
February 3, 2009 - 15:02 ET by balboaI haven't heard applause at the end of a movie since...yeesh, The Empire Strikes Back? Temple of Doom?
There was probably a smattering in something else, but I don't remember it.
Plenty of applause in
February 3, 2009 - 15:43 ET by ahusser"Black Hawk Down". Especially when the "poor" Somalis were getting creamed in the end.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. F
Another
February 3, 2009 - 19:37 ET by Dan DiegoIndependence Day when the Capitol or White House (I forget) got zapped.
Utherpend - the theater that I was in applauded also
February 3, 2009 - 15:02 ET by Dee BunkI wonder if it would be possible for a liberal to enjoy it because of the torture scene?
More proof that liberals are
February 3, 2009 - 11:28 ET by mattmMore proof that liberals are idiots.
They Don't Care
February 3, 2009 - 12:02 ET by slickwillie2001Agree with #1. They don't care. They do this kind of movie to make a statement, not to make money. Much like the Sulzberger crime family, in their warped liberal minds they see their product as a public service. I only hope that they aren't duping investors with grand visions of blockbuster receipts.
Nothing will ever change
February 3, 2009 - 12:18 ET by Tom in NCUnless we as Americans change it. You want to teach Hollywood a lesson, stop going to the movies, stop buying the DVD's, don't pay-per-view movies, don't buy mechandise from the movies, in other words boycott hollywood.
Are movies such a necessity, no they aren't, my family rarely goes to the movies we can always find a better way to entertain ourselves.
If you want to hurt hollywood, then start with the bottom line, their bank accounts.
Awesomely Awesome!
February 3, 2009 - 12:42 ET by jdubyaWow! Do you think George Clue-knee's character's uniorm will have the nipples designed in, like in his batsuit? That was so haughty!
Who will play Hammy's character? Rob Schneider? It's got to be funny and all! I see a TV series opportunity and perhaps lunch boxes off this one!
And Matt! DAMUNN! D! Lish! But, pray tell, will Matty wait till after his onstage duel with Kristol takes place before he does his fifth film on his character...Bourne Loser?
Gosh, I am so going to have such a hard time sleeping now.
It's really very simple
February 3, 2009 - 14:15 ET by Indiana JoeHollywood makes enough on their (few) "good" movies to be able to finance whatever propaganda films they care to make. Do you really think it hurts George Clooney one bit when a movie like "Syriana" bombs? Is Oliver Stone driving a Hyundai because of "W?" Puh-leeze!
Face it, when we go to see the "good" movies (any and all of them, btw), we're financing the propaganda "bombs."
It's just that simple.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
Can You Say, "Circle Jerk"?
February 3, 2009 - 15:19 ET by L.N. SmitheeOh, goody. Another anti-American, anti-Bush, pre-9/11 mentality movie that will flop at the box office.
Q: In an economy that rewards family-friendly feel-good movies with positive stories, and after the evaporation of legendary studio United Artists and once red-hot nameplate New Line Cinema, why does Hollywood waste its precious resources on movies that Americans won't bother thinking about seeing?
A: (With Christopher Guest's Mister Rogers voice:) Can you say, "circle jerk?" I knew you could.
But you probably shouldn't in mixed company.
"Well, I've got nothing against the press...they wouldn't print it if it wasn't true..." -- Joe Jackson, "Sunday Papers"
Just shoot'em in the knee caps!!!!!
February 3, 2009 - 15:21 ET by Roscoe MendagoI tell ya what, all a group of conservatives have to do to make a gazillion dollars is make a Mitch Rapp movie, what's the hold-up? There's a large portion of the population that have not a clue who Vince Flynn is and what his character Mitch Rapp does to protect a fictional America, that sadly, is so much like our real America.
The character Mr. Flynn has created is even better than James Bond or Jack Bauer, in fact much better, he's not bound by any political correct hindrances and doesn't apologize for it, he just enhances interrogation techniques to facilitate information extraction, and it works.
If this group of "right-minded" producers and investors got together and made a movie, (movies), that people want to see, they would provide a counter to unrestrained liberal indoctrination. Lets get with it!!!!
You may get your
February 3, 2009 - 15:26 ET by balboaYou may get your wish:
http://www.drblogste...
I'm crazy, not stupid!!!!
February 3, 2009 - 15:47 ET by Roscoe MendagoBalboa, you linked a site I assume is suppose to be checked out. With that in mind, and with your adversarial, left wing leanings I am reluctant to do so. That site is probably "Computer Infections-R-Us" and early one morning my computer would be locked and loaded waiting to drop the hammer on me. So to insure my survival, I've quarantined my computer.
Roscoe
February 3, 2009 - 22:42 ET by balboaWell, that's not emotional at all... :-\
Hollywood Wanted to Make Flynn's Arab Terrorists *Filipinos!*
February 3, 2009 - 16:28 ET by L.N. SmitheeI tell ya what, all a group of conservatives have to do to make a gazillion dollars is make a Mitch Rapp movie, what's the hold-up?
I'm glad you asked!
On July 21, 2005 Vince Flynn was on Laura Ingraham's radio show, and this is what he said the holdup is, as exclusively reported on MY BLOG:
Mind you, Paramount, whose "higher-up" rejected Flynn's "more Bush than Bush" book, was the studio that released Fahrenheit 9/11 and Stop-Loss, among others. And again, this is my original reporting from the podcast of the July 21, 2005 edition of the Laura Ingraham Show.
QUESTION O-THORITY.
"Well, I've got nothing against the press...they wouldn't print it if it wasn't true..." -- Joe Jackson, "Sunday Papers"
Just do it!!!!
February 3, 2009 - 17:10 ET by Roscoe MendagoSmithee, I believe I was listening to that interview by Laura Ingraham and at the time felt Flynn's misgivings could be overcome with independent financing and producing that's not beholding to mainstream Hollywood. Mr. Flynn is a friend of Rush's, must have the ear of ole Rupert, there's probably more, a Mitch Rapp movie would make boat loads of money...
Again what's the hold-up!!!!
The Politically Correct and Mitch Rapp
February 3, 2009 - 17:32 ET by AvitarWe could make the movie but several things would be required:First, you would have to make it in a right-to-work state because the organized labor racketeers; oops, I mean labor unions, would never stand for something that deviated so far from their world view and would sabotage the production. Second, the producers, director and actors could never go back to California or New York. There are simply movies whose message is too opposite to Hollywood to be tolerated. Mad Max no problem, Lethal Weapon no problem, but "Passion of the Christ" makes $600 million dollars, huge problem! Third, there will be an effort to buy out the franchise, if nothing else to buy the movie rights so that the movie never gets made. Legally you would be very surprised who can sell the movie rights to a property at least to the point where a Studio has standing in court to stop a production.
I would give 5 million dollars...
February 3, 2009 - 16:25 ET by Lord Erond...for one chance to throw something large and heavy at the heads of both Matt Damon and George Clooney. F---ing imbeciles these two are.
"What you can not enforce, do not command" -Sophocles-
They long for redder days...
February 3, 2009 - 16:42 ET by danebramageHollywood thinks it's being smart and sophisticated in making these movies. In reality, that's a measure of how feebleminded and blind its movers and shakers are, but in their own minds they truly think they're making deep stuff that history will cherish.
These people still live in the past, in what they see as their glory days, when Hollywood was at the center of political attention due to the HUAC hearings and the blacklists. They were treated then as serious people engaged in serious, politically dangerous business, rather than as more or less frivolous puppeteers churning out popular entertainment for money. Today, they ache to be taken as seriously as they were then and so, not actually being true artists with anything original, insightful, or interesting to say, they impotently mimic over and over what worked for them seventy years ago.
Meanwhile, actual art like The Passion of the Christ, which will be remembered and admired 200 years from now, kicks their a**es all over the playground and makes a gazillion bucks doing it.
Money For Movies
February 3, 2009 - 17:07 ET by AvitarI know you cannot sue if a movie looks like a hit but fails. If the studio makes a rotting corps that looked like a dead duck from day one isn't that just squandering money? I mean how certain does failure have to be before spending corporate money on it becomes embezzlement?
Is making a movie that you know is doomed from the start just a hobby? The IRS should step in and collect taxes on the money because without a reasonable chance of success the expense of making the movie is not a legitimate business expense
We need more movies showing
February 3, 2009 - 19:40 ET by RR GOPWe need more movies showing ugly, evil krauts getting their asses kicked I guess...always bipartisan money-makers. Actually, we're about due for another Holocaust movie aren't we?
Wasn't all that long ago that the entertainment industry produced the likes of Man Without A Country and Pueblo...guess they still had conservatives making and writing films back then, or at least they weren't all Communists.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
It will probably get nominated for an Oscar
February 3, 2009 - 19:40 ET by jeffinsacTo keep their BDS alive in Hollywood, I bet it gets nomiated for an Oscar so they have something to talk about. Heck what are they going to do at this years Oscars without President Bush in office?
jeffinsac... Heck what
February 3, 2009 - 19:48 ET by bigtimerjeffinsac...
Heck what are they going to do at this years Oscars without President Bush in office?
Worship O.
History investment
February 3, 2009 - 19:55 ET by Dan DiegoI think they make these flicks so in 20 - 30 years AMC / TMC will be air them and imply that this was the true Bush Legacy (supported br the esteemed newspapers of the day WaPo, NYT, LAT, etc.). I view this as an effort to support the rewriting of history, they will waste their treasure to ensure BDS endures.
BTW: Love the Rahn bit... "Redacted?" DEAD! "Rendition?" DEAD! "Syriana?" DEAD! "Stop Loss?" DEAD!
THIS . . .
February 4, 2009 - 01:40 ET by DoktorFranken. . . . Is why I watch movies on TCM. The old ones when Hollywood were Americans and America were the good guys.
I'm a TCM fan too, Doktor...
February 5, 2009 - 01:22 ET by JerI'm a TCM fan too, Doktor....and my eyes always gravitate to the year of release first. If it's say, 1935-1955, I'm immediately interested. Any later, and I'm leery--unless I've seen or am familiar with the movie and know it to be a good one.
Jer