ALL horror has a political agenda.
There is a big difference between horror with a message, and horror that absolutely subscribes to one political ideology or slant.
For example, many people have suggested that the original Dawn of the Dead was a commentary on rampant consumerism. This is a commentary that is neither Republican or Democratic, liberal or conservative. It is about greed and the notion that "stuff" can positively impact a person's life and character.
This film, however, is a direct message to a particular policy of the Bush administration (that being drilling in Alaska, and near National Parks).
This isn't a good horror film that can be *construed* to comment on certain aspects of the human condition. No. It is rather, a film that was made in *response* to a policy with little or no commentary on the human condition.
When a filmmaker starts out with the agenda to create a movie that speaks to an agenda, rather than creating a movie that speaks about the human condition, he or she is basically saying they have no desire to move the human heart, but rather are completely interested in debating public policy onscreen.
This film starts off with the a "global warming" montage, complete with the ubiquitous chunk of ice shelf falling into the water (something that happens each and every year when the spring thaw occurs). The filmmaker is saying, "Hey, I could care less about human beings and how they live or feel, I'm going to make a movie about my one-sided, bogus views on the environment and shove it down your throat. I have no desire to create art or impact human feelings with this film. I have an agenda, a message, and you are going to sit there and listen to that message without any attempt by me to entertain you or impact your emotions". THAT is a travesty, no matter what the subject of the film.
I don't care if a film has political leanings, but when it abandons all pretense of attempting to entertain or move its audience, then it becomes smarmy propaganda and should be labeled as such.
And global warming isn't a left/right wing issue. It's now a universal issue.
No, global warming (as shrill alarmism) is a hoax, perpetrated on the public by greedy and self-serving "scientists" that care about one and only one thing... the next public grant they can obtain by harping about global warming. Global warming is the greatest hoax very foisted on a people guilt-ridden for their years of wanton pollution of the environment. It wasn't enough that we had polluted the rivers, and needed to clean them up. No. We also had to be found guilty for utterly destroying the entire planet... being single-handedly responsible for the downfall of earth. Which is *pure* hokum! Global warming is a tool of the old Communist crowd who lost (and lost big) in their bid to distribute wealth, so now they come up with global warming which is nothing else but a bid to make the haves live like the have-nots. They want to strip away all the "trappings of wealth", the big car, the big house, you name it, in the name of having a "zero carbon footprint". It has *nothing* to do with the environment and *everything* to do with an abject hatred of capitalism. If they can't force the upper and middle classes to give away their wealth with Communism, they'll do it with global warming. It is a crock of sh!t. Man does not create global warming, CO2 *follows* the warming of the earth, it doesn't cause it.
When the agenda of a filmmaker ceases to be entertainment of the audience and becomes a vehicle for force-feeding a political ideology, then what is created is called "propaganda" and *not* cinema.
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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draugwenL
16 years ago
I didn't read the entirety of your post, but I think you tried to link global warming to Communism and said global warming was bullcrap.
Because, you know, there's no scientific evidence proving it.
Hon, ttry doing some research next time, you might look like less of an idiot.
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Laudadio76
16 years ago
I'm with blade runner. There are TWO sides to the Global Warming debate, but only one is represented throught the media.
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Bladerunner
16 years ago
Talk about the kettle calling the pot black. Try reading my post better, you might just realize that I didn't link Communism and Global Warming.
What was that about being an idiot, idiot?
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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draugwenL
16 years ago
Did you miss the part in my post when I said I never read your entire post?
And it would most likely be you.
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Bladerunner
16 years ago
Did you miss the part where you have no integrity not reading my post but condemning it for elements it doesn't contain? Did you miss that you tossed up straw men by arguing points I didn't make? Did you miss the part where I have no respect for a person who doesn't read someone's post then argues wrongly with it?
And that is *certainly* you.
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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Bladerunner
16 years ago
Hon, ttry doing some research next time, you might look like less of an idiot.
That you said that, clearly illustrates that you: one, did not read my post, two, you are a global warming lackey who accuses anyone who disagrees with the party line of "not doing research". I've DONE my research, "Hon", and man-made global warming is total bullsh!t.
Try reading my post and educating yourself with my position rather than spouting the same old platitudes of the eco-bullys, then maybe *you* will appear as something other than an idiot.
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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ps-37
16 years ago
Read the entire post next time and you might look like less of an idiot.
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blacklightconsciousness
16 years ago
Bladerunner, are you aware that when you say that global warming is a vast Communist conspiracy to take away your SUV you sound like you are either joking or are just as crazy as the whackos who think the world will flood in five years?
Where are these "Communists?" Are they under your bed? Are you a time-traveller from the Red Scare of the 1950s? You sound silly. No, wait, you actually sound like a scared little kid who is making up excuses in order to ignore the very frightening reality.
I am no enviromentalist. Hell, I support global warming! I think it needs to happen faster; our species needs to be extinct. But to say that mankind has not contributed, at least in some small way, to the current warming trend of the planet is to say that you are ignorant of all of the facts and data collected over the past 100 years.
However, this is a movie review website, not a politcal discussion board, so I will stay on-topic and recommend a movie for you.
Check out "The Mist."
I think you would really like the Norton character.
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Tin Man-5
16 years ago
Just out of friendly curiosity, bladerunner, would you be opposed to an overly-preachy horror film that blatantly supported your position on global warming? Would it inspire a similar rant, or is it specifically the position that this film takes on the issue that offends you?
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Bladerunner
16 years ago
How might a film "support [my] position on global warming"? Showing the world in 75 years doing just fine (which it will be)? When I was in grade school they told us there was going to be a new Ice Age in the next 50 years... yeah, right.
To answer your question, I don't like films that conk us over the head with propaganda and rhetoric on radical claptrap. I don't want to see a film on global warming pro or con.
The Exorcist and The Ring both managed to scare the living sh!t out of us without hammering away on some controversial issue. That is what I want.
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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casperado
16 years ago
And by propaganda in movies, do you mean all propaganda in general or just the leftist one?
Are you also disgusted by the American-patriotic cr@p which is a major part of MANY Hollywood blockbusters nowadays? A couple of examples of what I mean:
American Flags everywhere, a buncha black guys who are in the movie just because of their skin color, the term "free speech" or "Iknow my rights" being mentioned like 100 times throughout the movie, presidents of USA being depicted as perfect creatures, American military being shown as an anbreakable power - even though in reality they were not able to find Osama for like 6 years, and failed to prevent the largest terror act in history of the USA?
The movies I can name off the top of my head are: Independance Day, Vantage Point, Starship Troopers, National Treasure, Black Hawk Down, Armageddon, Day of the dead 2008 (that one was horrible), Top Gun, Pearl Harbor, Windtalkers, We were soldiers, Godzilla, 300 (full of pathetic idealism), Indiana Jones, On the beach - 2000 (one of the most horrible propaganda-flix ever).
So what'S your opinion about this mainstream brainwashing?
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Bladerunner
16 years ago
That list is frankly, one of the greatest blunders I have ever read. You are completely lost. Haha!
Vantage Point is rife with political lying, doubles and makes the President look like a *fool*!
Day of the dead 2008 - If you don't know why you are idiotic to name this one, then nothing I can't write will illustrate that to you.
Starship Troopers - This is your largest error. Starship Troopers is a SATIRE about militarism and a dystopic future where 1) one must serve in the military to be a *citizen*, and 2) complete and total xenophobia! You really missed the point here.
Black Hawk Down is about the complete and total stupidity of being in Somalia! It is about how "skinnies" brought down *two* Black Hawk helicopters with nothing more than grenades on sticks. It had to watch it's message, because the Black Hawks were on loan from the military, but anyone with half a brain could see that it was about America being where it shouldn't.
Windtalkers was about the prejudice of the American people. About how we regarded the Navajo people as nothing more than tools that could be killed if captured.
We Were Soldiers - A sad commentary on the futility of taking one, stupid hill.
300?!?!? Hahaha! OMG! Spartans and Greeks versus Persians... that's about America? Riiiiiight. Try buying yourself a globe, pal.
And, just exactly is your problem with films that do the patriotic rah-rah for America? Huh? Do you think we should be downing America?
As far as not finding Osama? One man who could be in any number of countries filled with people who name their *children* after him, who almost worship the man, would would gladly give their lives to keep him hid. It would be easier to find a needle in a haystack, because the hay wouldn't die or kill to keep the needle hid!
Now that you've made a fool of yourself, here is a list you can really sink your teeth into, anti-American or anti-military propaganda:
Redacted
Lions for Lambs
Stop-Loss
Jarhead
Sicko
Farenheit 9/11
Bowling for Columbine
Roger and Me
In the Valley of Elah
Syriana
Rendition
The Kingdom
Team America: World Police
Borat
All Police Academy Movies
Most all 007 movies
Wag the Dog
The Girl in the Cafe
Love, Actually
My fingers grow WEARY...
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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Bladerunner
16 years ago
I didn't say it was a "communist conspiracy", try to keep up. I said, it is the old Communist crowd, the pinkos that used to protest imperialism and the war and whathaveyou. When the wall came down, they suddenly had no viable ideology... Communism went the way of the Dodo. So, what next? They latch onto some other issue, because to them protesting is a lifestyle, an all consuming hobby that they devote their life to. Used to be Communism, now it's Global Warming. Same sh!t, different day.
Mankind has not contributed "in some small way" to the warming of this planet. I'm sure the egomaniacs out there would love to think that mankind can manipulate and master the entire universe, but it just ain't so. It's total nonsense that was started by Margaret Thatcher to deal with the coal unions, and grant-greedy scientists continue to hype the hype and will until the money dries up, then it will be onto something else... we're cracking the MOON!
I have a movie for you, check out Chicken Little, I think you'll like the lead character.
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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kryp44
16 years ago
I don't see how you can take that lame ending as anything but an ode to global warming which ruined the movie. The movie starts out pretty slow eventually getting a good creepy vibe going then crashes into a mess only Al Gore could appreciate.
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blacklightconsciousness
13 years ago
Wow, a conspiracy theory that states that Communists acually exist in America AND (through the logic of madness) ties into Margaret Thatcher. That's a new one for me! I bet you are also one of those folks who believes a dead carpenter will magically rise from the dead to save our souls because a slave-woman made from a rib was fooled by a talking snake. That makes about as much sense.
I am obviously more intelligent than you. Accept this.
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biofh
15 years ago
You just can't admit that, as a previous poster eloquently put it, the "difference between a parable and a propaganda is, a parable agrees with your views". You think man-made global climate change is 'bullcrap', therefore anyone who doesn't see it as 'bullcrap' is an agent of propaganda who should be silenced or derided.
Or maybe a more apt quote is from the movie.
"It isn't a debate about global warming. This is just what we're dealing with out here now".
People like scary movies about things that scare them. Climate change and ghosts scare people = movie. Ranting about political motives of a work of fiction = jackassery.
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15 years ago
[deleted]
Bladerunner
15 years ago
You probably won't see this, but I have to ask: Do you REALLY believe that environmentalists are trying to take away the wealth of the rich?
Sure, some of them, sure. Scoff at that, if you like, but it's a truism. Look at what some of them want to do. They want to keep people from having big houses (under the guise of "it consumes too much electricity"), big cars (under the guise of "it consumes too much gasoline"). They want to create a carbon market, where the big energy producers are fined and that money is "redistributed". What happens really though, is companies that produce little "carbon" are paid by the big producers for their credits, which is just another way to redistribute wealth.
I could go on, but I think you should do some research of your own. This assertion of mine isn't anything new and if it's new to you, well then you aren't very well informed.
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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