Thursday, September 30, 2010

Does Hollywood Have It In Them?

It is hard to believe today's Hollywood would make an updated version of the 1985 classic RED DAWN but that's the word.

16 comments:

  1. It's true. Apparently most or all of the filming is done. But it seems mgm is broke and having trouble finding the money to finish and release it.

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  2. On should not have hope in this.

    I like how they've updated the 'Red Threat' from the USSR to the Asian Communist nations,i had joked with a friend that the American media was so fixated on PC that they were afraid of portraying anyone other then white Europeans as the bad guys in any of their mediums, literature, movies or video games. This is refreshing.

    However this is hollywood, there WILL be a back biting message, at least ONE reference to the Bush Regime and well, sigh...


    ...I just wanted to watch a good old fashioned war film.

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  3. While I am certainly not averse to rejection of Communism and Hollywood making s movie about how evil it is, I don’t think this will work. The reasons are simple. The Movie sounds promising but for three things. The first being that, I doubt they will do a particularly good job. Granted the original Red Dawn wasn’t exactly a Masterpiece of fine cinema and screenwriting, and the story was filled with Outlandish, absolutely absurd at times plot devices, but it had going for it the fact that the 1980’s was more use to escapist material and didn’t delve too deeply into realism. There were realistic films of course but, fantasy, of which Red Dawn was, didn’t cater to this much. That said, people in America in the 1980’s actually had a sense of Dread involving the Great Soviet Empire that looms in the distance, awaiting its chance to pounce! During the Cold War, even at the sagging end when political analysis revealed that an actual war was unlikely, the general Public still held as a part of the common Culture this sense of fear that the Soviets would go on the March and attempt a takeover.

    It had become a part of our collective thinking, a part of the accepted narrative that existed in a dreamlike haze, and had since the 1950’s. It was a common, recurring theme of the Times.

    But in Contemporary America, no one fears the Communists. Its not really a Theme that generates a lot of thought. China is seen as a trade Partner or as having a Beautiful and Ancient Culture. ( No corrections on this I know all of Mao but most Americans know of Robes and Swords and Martial Arts and Dragons.)

    A Chinese Invasion is not really something people in America feel is a credible possibility and it just doesn’t seem to be part of how we operate in a modern world. Besides, why should China invade us when we already owe them so much money that they pulled out our economy would topple? While not a interesting in terms of an action film, if China wanted to destroy the US and breed Communism, all they’d have to do at this point is abandon the US Dollar and stop lending us money, and demand we pay up our outstanding Loans. America would-be forced into Default, the Dollar would plummet Value, and we’d see Hyperinflation.

    People would then be laid off as corporations abandon the US, and people would be angry, confused, and embittered. China could then set itself up as the Saviour of America by sending over school books and medical supplies and presenting us with Humanitarian Aid, with the goal of converting us to Communism. They’d make special deals with Politicians, and gradually convert the US to a Maoist Philosophy by means of cultural indoctrination, readily accepted because Americans are already fed a steady diet of socialist thinking in the media and schools. Why invade with an Army?

    Besides, this is Hollywood, what are the odds they will get it right? Then again, sometimes, on rare occasions, a Remake is better than the Original. “Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels” was better with Steve Martin and Michael Cain than the original Flick, for instance. it’s not like Red Dawn the Original was truly Great Cinema as I said, so they have much that can be Improved, so I’ll give it a shot perhaps.

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  4. If China demands we pay and we cannot/will not then there could be trouble. I also tend to think you would not go to the expense of maintaining the largest standing army and the largest air force in the history of the world if you didn't plan on using it. There are also numerous countries that the US has (stupidly some would say) pledged to go to war for that China is not 'buddies' with so it could happen without the economy playing much of a role at all anyway.

    But most importantly, "Red Dawn wasn’t exactly a Masterpiece"
    -Bite your tongue! Red Dawn was the most awesome conservative American movie ever. High school kids with deer rifles living in the mountains and waging a guerilla war against the most elite troops of the communist bloc -what's unrealistic about that? It was classic 80's awesomeness -one of the jewels of the greatest decade ever.
    ;-)

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  5. Servant of the Chief, I really hope not. The original was nothing like that but -in this day and age it is hard not to be cynical. On the article linked to one of the comments said that they were sure at some point toward the end of the movie viewers would find out that some evil business corporation or Wal-Mart was behind the whole thing!

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  6. I like the cheesy propaganda art. :P

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  7. can you do a youtube video with anime in monarchist fashon with cool music

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  8. I've had some ideas along those lines but I'm afraid it is probably beyond my technical ability.

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  9. I suppose I ought to say "Go Wolverines" then! Still, I saw this in the 1990's on Television, and the threat of Soviets invading was significantly lower, not that I understood them dropping Paratroopers on a small Colorado town anyway.

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  10. I've heard that before and, keeping in mind I havn't seen the movie in quite a while, I thought that was well explained as being part of the communist forces securing the passes through the Rockies. I do know, contrary to what some seem to think, this little town in Colorado was not the main battle front or anything like that, they were well behind the main lines. In all fairness I should probably also point out that I have alot of nostalgia for the 80's -probably my favorite decade (of my lifetime anyway).

    As an additional note, I am more inclined to think the best of this story now after posting this link as I've already had to block several nasty (and a couple long, incoherent) pro-Red Chinese, pro-lefty messages heaping scorn on the planned movie so it definitely seems to have touched a nerve with the pinko crowd.

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  11. I never said it was the main battle line but, seriouly, Paratroopers? If the Soviets had wanted ot invade the US, sending a paratrooper squad would be outright insanity.

    a better bet woudl be to sneak several troops in secretly ntil enough was there to sieze control, which wa show thye manged a lot of takeovers in areas outside of the imediate Soviet Bloc, or to foment internal Revolution, which means getign Radicals in America like Ayers and supporting them.(The CHinese coudl use and fund he Revolutionary COmmunist Party which is elad by Bob Avakian.)


    I don't mean to soudn Pinko myself but, why woudl China invade? As major holders of US Debt and as the wolrds largest holde r of US extranational Currency they coudl cripple rhe US by simply abandoning the DOllar and demaning rrepayment of the massive Debt. This woudl elad tot he Devaluation of the US Dollar and collapse ofthe Economy. Hyperinflation woudl set in, unemploymnt woudl skyrocket, and the US Government woudl fall apart. They coudl then come in wearing Buisness Suits and offr pleasnt sounding solutions, and perform s Political COup by promising the proverbial Chicken in every pot. People would join in because they woudl be sdesperate. Once CHina regulated the US Economy and was seen as the only way to help the strugglign American peple, they coudl then begin to export School Books and fully dominate the educational system, and send enough money out ot buy the media.

    Power wodl shift from America being the centre controler of global culture to China, and American Culture woudl be subsumed by CHinese Culture.

    Just liek how most of the world is beifn subsumed by American Culture now vis Movies, and the educational system.


    Why send an invasionary force?

    Besies, CHina's economy is largley based aroudn exports, and the US is its major Buyer. Why kill our biggest paygn customer?

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  12. A) It's a movie, B) in the original they had sent in infiltrators from Cuba and Central America through Mexico, the paratroopers were a preperatory force dropped from civilian jet liners to seize key strategic areas until the main forces arrived, C) It's a movie, D) in the article linked to the collapse of the economy *was* the reason for the Chinese invasion, E) It's a movie, F) for most of these detailed answers you'll just have to wait for the film to come out (if it ever does) and find out at the theatre and G) It's a movie -and one intended to be a bit on the surreal side at that.

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  13. I wonder if next they could, you know, do a movie based around Obama, or an Obama-like Preident. Instead of the Red Chinese takign over, tey just programme an agent to userp the Governemnt, or maybe several. I know this soudn smor elike the Manchurian Candidate than Red Dawn, but it'd be interestign in this day and age, and a real seller withhte Tea Party and especially the Birther elements.

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  14. @Zarove. I understand why you don't think it likely that China would invade because the U.S. owe's them a great of money. I just want to point out that if the U.S. is unable to pay, thats when they would likley attack. An example would be when Mexico under Juarez quit paying their debts to several European countries, those countries then invaded Mexico. Once again, you asked why China would invade, thats how I would see it happening.

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  15. Juarez lived in the middle of the 19th Century when invasions were the normal course of National Intervention and Imperialism was all the rage. We live in a time when we talk about Democracy and peace ( which means oppression of people form within).

    We also live in a time when our money is really an instrument of debt itself, rather than backed by Hard Currency, and our global economic model is entirely based on Credit.


    A Chinese Invasion would cost them far too much money, when they could easily just dump the US Dollar. Keep in mind, the European Powers Juarez had to contend against wanted a real return on actual assets, and said not heavily invest in Mexican peso’s. China is now the worlds largest single holder of US Debts and Bonds, and maintains the US Dollars value by holding its own currency in check with the US Markets, whilst holding US Dollars in reserve. If China dumped the US Dollar, after the US Defaulted on its Loans, this would cause the US Economy to completely collapse. The Dollar would experience Hyperinflation, and you’d see Bread go from 2 Dollars a loaf to 20 dollars a loaf. Everyone in America would be poor overnight, and the Stock Market would crumble to dust. Unemployment would be high, and we’re talking possibly higher than even the Great Depression. Americas entire Commercial Infrastructure would collapse under its own Weight.

    All this without China even bothering to fire a shot, or even ask an officer to get into Uniform. They can do this to America from Beijing.

    At this point America would be nothing.

    If they really, really wanted America then, as a Landmass and to subjugate its people, they could send in Business Suit wearing Political Agents to offer the American People solutions, base don the Maoist Philosophy modified for their own Free Market principles, that would be gobbled up by the Desperate American people who want to put food on the table and make sure they have Homes to live in.


    China would be able to simply step in and take over and the Majority of Americans, including the Government, would thank them for it.

    So why Invade? Why not just take over America in a Hostile Takeover manuver gleaned from Business Models?

    Also, China wouldn’t likely want America, as Americans are seen as Fat, Lazy and Stupid. While the Stereotype is certainly not True of all Americans, the general Lawless vagabond image is what most people get. Once Americas Consumer Power dries up, China would want to find a new Buyer of its cheaply made goods to sustain its own Economy, and would simply abandon the US to its Fate.

    The only Military Actions would be to Conquer the Democratic Republic of China, AKA Taiwan, and possibly Mongolia and if they can Vladivostok and the surrounding Siberian Regions from the Russian Federation. But they’d be too interested in creating a new Global Reserve Currency and finding new Buyers to bother with a Military Invasion of America.

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  16. I'd like to see a movie, where fed up with Democratic socialism, people rebel against the socialist regime here and work to place an American king on an American throne.

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