BREAKING: ‘Machete’ Director Backtracks, Removes Scenes After ‘Race War’ Complaint
by John NolteHarry Knowles at AICN interviewed “Machete” director Robert Rodriguez about the controversy surrounding the director’s “special” Cinco de Mayo message to Arizona after that state passed a new set of (wildly popular) laws meant to protect its borders – laws nowhere near as strict as the Police Statish laws Mexico enforces to keep illegals out of their own country.
Watch below as the film’s protagonist, Machete (The Great Danny Trejo), targets a Southern politician who favors border enforcement (The Formerly Great Robert DeNiro) for assassination on behalf of illegals being “forced out” of the country “at an alarming rate.”
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Rodriguez’s response to the uproar that followed the release of this trailer?: Just kiddin’! According to him, it’s not the actual movie that’s all about ginning up racial divisions … just the trailer, I guess.
You know, three minutes of race baiting, but thankfully not ninety.
You gotta love the way the Hollywood mind works.
But as with all things Leftist Hollywood, you have to look and read closely. The backlash was obviously unexpected and so Rodriguez poses as the innocent and tries to laugh the whole thing off as a misunderstanding. But buried deep in a rather tortured explanation and disguised as a throwaway is the real story:
I will admit that there were a few scenes that became so real in the past month because of what’s going on that they’ll be best left as a fascinating case study for the DVD extras. This will be my best DVD special features to date, that’s for sure.
And into the Super-Duper-Lefty-Hollywood-Bullshit-Sniffing-Thingamajigger that statement goes, and out comes…!
Yeah, this divisive race-baiting angle didn’t quite go the way I hoped and now I’m gonna have to go ahead and remove some scenes.
The director also doesn’t deny this report regarding the incendiary “Machete” screenplay. He only offers the explanation that the film evolved through the shooting and editing process — which, to be fair, does happen all the time:
They may have read a script that wasn’t finished and jumped to conclusions about its content and tone. We kept adding characters so often during production as the movie got bigger and the cast grew that actors would get their lines and scenes the night before (or morning of) each day of shooting. The best lines and scenes and character moments are always those that are added on the day of shooting or added in post. Any filmmaker will tell you, there are three movies that you make: the one you write, the one you shoot and the one you edit. And that’s especially the case with Machete, making the story as tight and as entertaining as possible.
But post-Arizona, he’s removing scenes, isn’t he? And using his Machete character to gin up racial animosities and publicity seemed like a pretty good idea before the backlash, didn’t it?
FOR THE RECORD: I loath the idea of an artist bowing to any kind of pressure. Rodriguez should tell the story he wants to tell. That’s how things are supposed to work. He has his go and then those of us who disagree have ours. But the director’s feeling the heat and his backtracking doesn’t stop there. Now he won’t even take a stand on the new Arizona law! Laughably, after pouring all that energy into cutting and releasing three minutes of violent, racially-charged gasoline (the film’s hero aiming a rifle at a U.S. Senator?) on a simmering house fire, Rodriguez is suddenly bored by the very thought of it all.
AICN: So what do you really think about what’s going on in Arizona?
RODRIGUEZ: ZZZZZZZZ. Okay, last question about this.
I’m not that worried about it anymore, because it’s pretty clear that people won’t stand for it. I don’t really believe in protests, rallies or marches either. The real power is in voting. People have to register and vote because what we need is serious, comprehensive immigration reform. Our immigration system is so screwed up, I didn’t realize how much misinformation and misconceptions are out there until all this happened in Arizona and I started reading people’s thoughts about it. You can feel people’s frustration and yet it’s difficult for them to have a clear opinion on the matter because there’s such a mess of misinformation. This has to be figured out, the federal government has left it on the back burner for too long. Hopefully this will put pressure on them to do something about it. It won’t get solved before this mid-term election but they can at least start making progress.
I’m putting myself to sleep, that’s not what I’m here for, Harry. We have something terribly exciting to talk about. Well, I know it’s especially exciting to you and me.
That response is a thing of beauty, no? I wonder who who gave him Parsing Lessons? Now all of a sudden Rodriguez has moved past the whole issue — he’s all eager to move on and talk movies. Suddenly he’s Mr. Nuance, Mr. Politic, Mr. Entertainment!
But of course he is. His cinematic experiment in racial demagoguery blew up in his face. After maliciously and willingly throwing a racially-charged grenade into an already bubbling cauldron, he never expected to be held accountable. He is a member of the protected class, after all…
A filmmaker.
Now, if I could only get my hands on a copy of the “Machete” script.
Hmm… *taps chin thoughtfully*
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203 Comments
- I have a feeling he hasn’t read the Arizona immigration law either…
>>Our immigration system is so screwed up, I didn’t realize how much misinformation
Well he is right, we are allowing wards of the state to flow over the border like water while making it near impossible for people that would be assets to the country to get in.
Somehow though I don't think that's what the leftist ass'hat of a director was suggesting.
"People have to register and vote because what we need is serious, comprehensive immigration reform."
And who is it that Rodriguez so desperately wants to register and hustle over to polling places? Maybe he can get ACORN to help.
"it’s pretty clear that people won’t stand for it."
It's pretty clear to me, Rob, that it has overwhelming support.
Does anybody know the Spanish words for "turkey" and/or "flop"?
Sounds like Rodriguez – whose work I typically enjoy – realized he might want Machete to last more than two weeks on screens outside of LA and other self-loathing leftist enclaves. Good business move!
The real story here is that, while Rodriguez backpedals, our asinine Department of Justice and the president himself are going full steam ahead with similar comments. They must by now be aware that their whiny race-baiting position is completely dishonest, which is the most sickening thing of all.
"i didn't realize how much misinformation and misconceptions are out there until all this happened"
maybe he didn't realize it because all that misinformation is coming from people who believe the sameway he does.
In spite of his "retraction" I still will not see Rodriguez’s movie. I'll vote with my wallet and go see something else. Though I suspect that this "movie" will be wildly popular in ELA.
Someone should ask Rodriquez if the Spanish Colonial Caste system still exists in Mexico and is that why every Mexican President is white, as in "Criollos"?
Check it out ->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criollo_people
Now you know who monopolizes every facet of Mexico since shortly after the Spaniards show'd up in the 1500's.
another rocket scientist…
We keep expecting literacy and cogent thought out of these people just because they know how to shoot film.
Trus us on this- it ain't a necessary attribute. And Rodriguez is as empty as the rest. They simply recycle and regurgitate…
Wow, can't wait to see it, looks like fun..
"merda"
Full disclosure, I am an AICN fan and check in there everyday. When I first saw the trailer I got a bit nervous, I had been excited for this movie months ago but I was upset that it looked like something I'd have to skip (since my beliefs were the enemy) and frankly I was worried there would be riots or something involved. Can you imagine this movie, all about how evil people are for wanting to enforce the border, opening in Arizona with La Raza people starting violent attacks on people at the theater? There are so many ways for this to go really bad.
BTW it is seriously time, to refuse to let the left get away with their abuse and misrepresentation of the word "reform". It does not mean what they think it means. I'm sorry but if you are not for securing the border, hiding behind the word "reform" does not fool people into thinking that you do. "People really want immigration reform…" like that's a bipartisan desire. No, it isn't. People want our borders secured. Just using the word reform isn't going to dupe us into thinking you share our values. Gimme a break.
And WTF does he mean by "reform"? Send the illegals home and secure our borders? If you look at the polls, THAT is what people want. I suspect his definition of "reform" differs significantly.
He means the fringe minority view in his closed off, incestuous Hollywood social circle. Those people won't stand for it, but they never stand for anything good anyway.
"Texas Film Commission–your blank check to fund your liberal extremist movies". Doesn't sound like the right image. Good job telling them what you thought about it.
Hollywood hugs a pedophile rapist – and can't understand why we don't. Hollywood spits on American soldiers – and can't understand why we won't. Now Hollywood makes a film about killing Americans who oppose illegal immigration – and can't understand we won't buy popcorn to sit and watch it.
Well, Hollywood better understand this. Unless they stop disgusting us, they're going to have all the time in the world to understand bankruptcy.
Thank you for taking the initiative to inform them. However, I just don't think they'll pull the plug. They're trying to lure business to the state, which means people in that office have to speak "hollywood-ese", it'll take action from the Governor's Office to stop the credit to Machete. (just my two cents, I may be wrong).
Funny how you won't see a film out of the Hollywood system that draws a direct line from their lavish drug use and it's brutal effects on the streets of Mexico between the Drug Lords fighting to keep Hollywood well-medicated.
Instead, we'll get more Blame Bush, Hate the Troops, and We're Destroying the Environment movies…in 3-D.
Don't worry … you know Rodriguez will stick the scene back in when the DVD comes out, with a commentary track to boot, saying he was only foolin' about saying he was only foolin' about the scene.
I really wish Rodriquez would get off this grindhouse kick.
It bombed before Rob. Take the hint.
When I saw Grindhouse, I loved the fake trailer for Machete. It fit in with the movie as a genre/exploitation film of that era.
Too bad RR went for the cheap PR with the trailer, the blowback from it will ruin what looked to be a decent way to waste a couple hours on a rainy afternoon.
Personally, as a B-movie enthusiast, these are the little treats I look forward to. He just had to go and ruin a good thing.
Agree,
Oh Perry heard from me too. Loud and clear. And at the perfect time since it's his election year too. In fact if a bunch of people wrote him on his website….he'd pull the plug himself. The film commission is usually just a few folks in an office, over worked and schmoozing arrogant h'wood directors scouting for location anyway.
Perry will NOT let something this IN YOUR FACE glue itself to him when he's runnin for election. No way. Pound him. You don't even have to be a resident….his email is open on his site.
That's why he won't throw down with AZ. Don't pay to piss off 35% of your voters before an election. Right after he'll jump in. He's just a political animal.
Make it work for you if you don't like that movie. Or at least make'em go find money somewhere else.
Take the scenes out … leave the scenes in … doesn't matter to me because the mere fact he put them in (even as a "joke") he's dead to me now.
I suspect Rodriquez is as hateful as his trailer made him out to be, but even if he's not he now reminds me of those guy's back in college in film classes that would marvel at the beauty of Riefenstahl's work and act all indignant when you brought up Adolph's death camps and claim there was no connection … she didn't REALLY support Nazism.
I'm tired of everybody screaming for civil rights except for white people who have to give up theirs. And I'm not even white.
With support climbing over 70%, please let the people decide through voting on this issue, Mr. Rodriguez. Please. As for the trailer, and who really knows how the finished movie will be, for the time being I'll just chalk it up to being the opposite of the trailer for Brotherhood of Death: trailer absolutely fee-frikkin'-nomenal, God-awful movie.
So the great "la machete" is afraid that he may have cut his own financial and artistic throat! How brave of him to quicly move on from his own demagoguery. I know that some people here in Texas have lobbied the state government and the GOP to deny him the tax credits he wanted for making this inflamatory piece.
This is what Robert R. gets for deviating too far from the original idea. When I saw the trailer in Grindhouse, I thought Machete sounded like a revenge film, a Mexican Shaft-meets-Point Blank or something of the sort. Mexploitation, I guess you'd call it.
And then he made the mistake of getting political. He is going to get hurt at the box office.
[...] the article here: BREAKING: ‘Machete’ Director Backpeddles, Removes Scenes After ‘Race War’ Complaint This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Big Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this [...]
And Rodriguez doesn't REALLY support race warfare.
You're right. Fuck him.
No, but I know that the Spanish for "Robert Rodriguez" is Putazo.
The "Machete" trailer was hands-down the best thing in "Grindhouse." When I heard he was making a feature I was thrilled. You can tell this AZ thing's in his head, though, and it's hurting the story he wants to tell — which was never his strong suit — so I'm much less enthusiastic.
You're right about Grindhouse, the fake trailers were the only parts that made that thing palatable in its original cut.
I loved the whole Grindhouse angle as I especially enjoyed Rodriguez' "Planet Terror" over Tarantino's "Death Proof" which was too talky at times. That being said I would like to ask Mr. Rodriguez and for that matter anyone who mouths "we need immigration reform" what exactly is broken? Who is being kept out of our country? Why does Mexico feel that they have more of a right to be here than any other deserving citizen fleeing Communism, Fascism, or cruel dictatorships? By "immigration reform" they mean Mexicans want no recognizable border between the U.S. and Mexico, all taxpayer funded perks of citizenship i.e. free healthcare, acess to our schools, right to collect welfare, as well as to come and go as they please with immunity. To call these ridiculous demands "reform" is disingenuous at best and racially divisive at worst.
Everyone gets civil rights but Whitey? How does that work? Don't they pay most of the taxes for people to live high off the hog on?
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Democrats replace donkey with fitting new symbol: http://bit.ly/bzW7I3
Ding ding ding! We have a winner!
So that makes Rodriguez only marginally more intelligent than the Department of Justice and the President. Well, there's one thing in his favor.
You know, the bummer is that if Rodriguez just placed the entire story in Mexico with all its corruption, it could have been a decent kick-ass B-movie without all this B.S.
Bummer.
I've been in the offices of the Film Commision many times and despite being "part of the Governor's office" it, like most of Austin's governmental entities are NO FRIENDS to conservatives. I don't know how they'll decide on this issue but I know one thing – they'll be VERY, VERY accommodating to Robert Rodriguez – he IS Texas film, he IS Austin's film business.
The nice facilities in Austin at the site of the old Robert Mueller airport (I've been in there too) are REALLY NICE and very high tech. Roberto has carte` blanche in Austin and despite this blow up, he's earned it.
When I was living in Austin, Harry Knowles was a chubby, read headed kid doing something called "blogging" in his room in Central Austin. He worked really hard at it, he single handedly turned the "buzz" about Cameron's "Titanic" AROUND (it was getting killed in the tradional Hollywood press) and he made his bones.
I salute Harry Knowles for becoming then respected, revelant power in the film world that he has become. Only in America.
"pavo" is turkey. As in "Machet es un pavo"
My vote goes to Rob Zombie's Werewolf Women of the SS. I lost it when Nicholas Cage appeared as Fu Manchu … classic.
or "putito", or just "puto"…
That's very true. My grandfather was born in Mexico City, his father was a high ranking diplomat. No "brown people" need apply for that kind of federal gig, only "white" Mexicans.
He immigrated to America and married my grandmother who is as brown as any indigenous indian from anywhere in Noth America – and yet another "halfer/coconut" is born! ;p
Another example of harvesting the gooey results of the affirmative action idiocy.
This guy Rodrigues is completely talentless, yet years ago the power that be at Sundance decided that this Texas fruit-pickers' offspring, and his "Mariachi" oevere shows promise and warrants full blast support (Redford's post-colonial, "Out Of Africa" closure, I guess), etc, etc . – and they set in motion a false cult of Rodriguez as a phenomenal underdog that will shake the movie-making world, blah-blah-blah –
It didn't happen, and despite all this liberal hype machine Rodriguez failed to do a even one, one mediocre movie (that is to became a Spike Lee – thanks god, that idiot's over, too). All Rodriguez movies are primitive – crappy screenwriting and odious staging work, and mindless violence, everything still praised by (an actually weary) MSM, that still hopes that one day, one day! this kid will do a new… Patty Rocks.
A fleeting thought – isn't Rodriguez's career eerily resembling Obama's?
Rodriguez has fallen into the "pander pit" thinking that he's keeping connected to his "Mexican roots" rather than people that ACTUALLY go to see his films (i.e. not a huge Latino audience that I know of) I've been to several Rod efforts and nary a Latino film buff around, paticularly in Austin.
Many, many people are misreading the sentiment of the country concerning Arizona SB 1070. Legal immigration – cool. Illegal immigration – NOT cool. Period, Easy. Even for a Hollywooder.
"reform" = "amnesty" in the liberal lexicon. That's a non-starter for most of us, even those of us with Mexican roots.
No way Jose`!
Very true about storytelling not being Robert's best feature. I know a lot of people who consider FROM DUSK TO DAWN and SIN CITY to be his finest work — and he didn't lay a finger on the screenplays for either of those.
Rodriguez doing Tarantino or Frank Miller = awesome. Rodriguez doing Rodriguez = sometimes highly entertaining, but more often faintly ridiculous. (Then again, being faintly ridiculous was the entire point of the SPY KIDS movies.)
He already did that. It's called ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO.
Are you saying he only keeps getting money to make movies because he's Hispanic? Personally, I think the real reason he keeps getting funding is that his movies, as shite as they may be, make money.
The Spike Lee comparison seems a little inaccurate — Lee's always been more openly political than Rodriguez, to the extent that you start wondering whether politics is Spike's only motivation to make movies at all. Until MACHETE, I never thought of Rodriguez in a similar light.
Another Hollywood liberal whose products I will not watch.
John Nolte and Big Hollywood keep them honest!
Unless? I stopped spending my dough on this crap years ago; no movie theatre no DVD except the old classics. Lots more fun going to plays and watching uplifting, pro-American, pro-virtue movies. "Progressive" Hollywood road apples yecch!
Exactly. That, Desperado and Sin City = one happy EPorvaznik camper.
Very disappointed, but not surprised. My kids absolutely love Spy Kids and Rodriguez's work on Sin City will forever hold a place in my geeky little comic book heart. One of the best comic movies of all time IMO. Trejo is really a nice guy, met him here in Hawaii at a car show. Down to earth and really cool. He is one of my favs to be honest. Much like Lance Henrickson, Bill Pullman, etc. He just seems to bring something to any movie no matter how big the role may be.
Oh well, looks like I will be skipping this one. Thanks for the heads up Mr. Nolte. BTW, sucker punch squad is a Godsend. Keep up the good work.
I don´t think a movie like that can flop. It didn´t cost much to begin with. It is flop-proof in the sense that Saw XII is flop-proof. And that is another reason why I have begun to ignore Rodriguez the filmmaker. Because he is one lazy cabrón. This movie, like Planet Terror, is trash paying homage to trash.
Now that's some good entertainment. Fiction about Messkins who have gumption is always a good fantasy. Drunken wife beating is the National Sport of Mexico not fighting real men.
You raise an excellent and oft-overlooked point. Illegal aliens jumping ahead in line make it harder for legal migrants to get in. We can only absorb so many people a year, and we ought to take those who risk their lives fleeing political and religious oppression before those who've basically given up on trying to fix their own broken country.
Oh, and what about "all those jobs that Americans aren't willing to do"? Well, if all the illegals were deported tomorrow, the providers of those jobs would be forced to offer better pay and benefits — and then those jobs would be filled by unemployed Americans. As it is, we're just setting the illegals up for a form of slavery, since they can't exactly organize into unions, or sue for minimum wage and health benefits, etc. You'd think the labor movement would be opposed to letting them be exploited so — makes you wonder if maybe they don't care about the work conditions of illegals because they don't care for the color of their skin. Guess that's par for the course, since the last time slavery was legal in this country, I think it had something to with race….
My friends and I had a lot of margaritas in us when we went to see OUATIM, so my memory may be a bit fuzzy, but wasn't the Bush administration revealed to be the ultimate villain behind everything — Johnny Depp as a CIA official?
"Reform" means "we get our way." See "amnesty" and "health care." I can't wait for the latest round of "reforms" coming for the financial industry, energy industries, &c!
Are you ready for military reform?
The American snobs AKA illiberal elites (who call themselves liberals to get stupid kids to follow them) have fked the Mexicans in their asses for decades. They want Mexicans to come to the US to supply cheap labour and do things like gardening and flipping burgers. This keeps the US economy going for the elites who don't want to do or don't want their kids doing those jobs. It keeps Mexico poor by taking their workforce out of the country. And it keeps Mexico's elites in power because poverty can't challenge authority.
It's slavery without the chains and ships bringing them over.
Exactly. I really wanted Machete to come true. Now, not so eager to watch it especially with Lohan in it.
[...] The Taming of “Machete” May 22, 2010 Posted by Jehuda in Uncategorized. Tags: Film, Politics, News, Entertainment trackback Robert Rodriguez decides the race war is out of the picture. [...]
[...] “Machete” director backs down. [...]
Typical clueless Hollyweirdite. Just more proof that most of these denizens of LaLaLand have zero understanding of real people in the real world. I'm sure EVERYONE around Rodriquez despises the Arizona law, and so he assumes that means everyone EVERYWHERE does. So making his little "joke" should be no big deal, right? Like I say: clueless.
John, I think you meann "back-pdalled" unless he retroactively sold something.
Hey now, he was *perfect* in Stardust. One of my favorite books and a beautiful movie.
D'oh…pEdalled
I think the spanish word for nearly everything coming out of the film industry is "caca".
It's a difficult, ugly problem – trying to live up to the fancy words on the Statue of Liberty without allowing everyone and his brother to violate our national borders, flout our laws, and make American citizenship basically worthless. Unfortunately, illegal immigrants aren't bad people – they're just poor, ignorant peasants looking for a better life. Salt of the earth. None of our politicians wants to the be the one who tells them "No." The whole issue is political poison. Easier for our leaders to ignore it. Maybe the Arizona situation will prod them into action. Not getting my hopes up, though.
Exactly. The meaning of "reform" depends on which side of the aisle you sit on.
I have met many Mexican illegals while working in construction. Most worked hard and were decent people. Those that work like that and obey the laws would not anger me for them to get a green card. But this shit like this stupid movie that agitates young Hispanics and then the school in CA where the US flag was flown upside down under the Mexican flag and also the kids wearing American flags were sent home makes me want to go to war. This is my country, our country, and is damn worth fighting for. Now all I want is that all illegals to go home and get back in line. I don't blame those that want a better life to try and come here too achieve that, but those that bring drugs, drive drunk on our roads, break more laws, and work without paying taxes while their women draw food stamps is going to kill America. Boycott every actor on the script, write them and tell them to go to hell, don't buy anything from Mexico, don't hire an illegal for work of any kind, and write and call your reps in Congress until their phones burn up. God bless America!
I'm married to a woman who was born in Mexico and who didn't become a US citizen until she was in her twenties. I am PRO-Immigration because without it I'd be one lonely son of a bitch.
I also live in East L.A. and know a number of folks who I suspect are illegal but wouldn't turn in if my life depended on it. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 500 American-born losers (Starting with demagogues like Robert Rodriguez) I'd prefer to see deported for the good of our country than those who came here to better their lives.
My wife and her parents jumped through all the legal hoops necessary to do things legally. For a time this meant carrying her "papers." So if you want to meet someone enraged at the line jumpers, meet my wife and others who came here legally for the right reasons.
My church — where I am waaaaay in the racial minority — is filled with legal immigrants from Mexico, China, Indonesia and other exotic places. Most LOVE this country and are just as outraged by the line jumpers.
I am PRO-Immigration because these individuals are ten times the Americans than most of those rich, white, Leftist, America-bashers in places like Santa Monica.
I am PRO-Immigration because even though the English language is the least spoken in my neighborhood, there are more American flags hanging out here than anywhere in rich, white, America-bashing Beverly Hills.
If "America" is a race then call me a racist.
I wonder how many of the illegals really want to start a race war with well armed, well trained, committed patriots. It would be like the typical skirmishes Hezbollah starts with the Israelis. They talk big, throw a few rockets and then when Israel creams them in about six hours they start crying from the schools and hospitals they hide in to fight from about the overwhelming response.
Go ahead illegals, bring it. However, you better not expect the same restraint the Israelis show their enemies. Most people here will be perfectly ok with shooting what's left of you in the back as you run towards the border screaming like a little girl.
Too many posts here are talking about the money angle. The money wont hurt him because Spy Kids 4 is coming out, and all the people offended by Machete will line up with their kids to make this man richer. You remember Spy Kids, right ? (your supposed to be a film site). The wholesome story of a Latino family of spies that adopt an Irish kid because they need a comic relief ( yeah I know, He didn't look Celtic in the first two movies but by the third he started looking just like Conan O'Brien ). Anyhow before Machete (Danny Trejo) was this Machete, he was Machete Cortez, Antonio Banderas brother in Spy Kids. Same Name, Same Actor, Same Writer/Director. So we are to assume the Office of Secret Spies recruits outside of the "Home Depot" – I have seen writers flail with character design before – but Rodriquez isn't even trying.
Yeah, I loved the fake Machete trailer in Grindhouse, too.
But Rodriguez has lost his chance with me.
Not one dollar for America-hating leftists.
Maybe our Congressional masters can spend a couple of million dollars to discover why it is that Hollywierd puts out so many anti-american movies that nobody wants to watch. This thing has "Netflix dvd" written all over it, if it gets watched at all. This will happen about 15 days after it opens in the theaters. Hey Segal–you finally made my never go see list. Your topless pole dancers in all your movies almost did it, but this definitely did.
Illegals don't want a race war, they want a better life and live apart from their loved ones in order to try and make that a possibility. Don't conflate "Illegals" with Leftist demagogues like Rodriguez.
This isn't us vs. Illegals. This is leftist demagogues who want to cede American sovereignty vs. us.
I am VERY sympathetic towards Illegals. Leftists, however, receive no quarter.
I'm not dull. I realize the original trailer was a toungue-in-cheek, 'one-off' filler for the "Grindhouse" trilogy. But with the Arizona specific additions, it strikes me as downright incendiary. It is a plain and open incitement to racial violence and skillfully strikes every chord to promote that outcome. It strives to turn Illegal aliens into North American "Palestinians," promoting the 'reconquista' agenda of La Raza and other leftists agitators, and propagandizing the lawless agenda of our own corrupt administration.
I'm utterly speechless that this trailer did not result in immediate, widespread denunciations and demands for retractions, resignations and apologies… Imagine, for example that the trailer plot concerned a white hero, hired to a s a s s i n a t e a liberal politician who sought to uphold current civil rights law, and provoking a racial war against black voter rights… The outrage would be immediate and complete, with front page, prime time coverage, lawsuits and demands for boycotts and firings.
But from this we get nothing. It's obvious that there is a larger agenda at work here, with powerful forces against America behind it.
Overwhelming support indeed! 71% in Arizona support Arizona by last count.
Most of them know very well what the end result would be like for them but you can't deny there is a sizable militant wing… bullets won't make any distinction between the two. They better pray nothing happens between now and November because if the Marxists in power provoke a civil war to attempt to stay in power, illegals will be targeted as part of the enemy.
After November there will not be enough Marxists and Socialists left in Washington to even write an amnesty bill much less pass one. The illegals should leave now while they still can because mass deportations are on the horizon.
[...] [Video available at Big Hollywood] [...]
[...] [Video available at Big Hollywood] [...]
[...] Read more from the original source: Liberal Hispanic director softens message of hate film [...]
Some previous posters have touched on the fact that Machete came out of the Grindhouse project and that the film intends to follow the vintage exploitation cinema tradition. The irony of this uproar is that this movie is not supposed to be political at all, just tongue and cheek for the story's sake. It's also ironic that Rodriguez has tried to distance himself from the Hollywood establishment throughout his career, and admirably so. He shoots almost every one of his films in Austin, Texas and the surrounding area. He also gave up his Screen Actor's Guild card when they wouldn't approve of Frank Miller as co-director on Sin City. My point is that I think RR was trying to be clever and funny about the Arizona law, and by slipping that into the trailer he was making reference to current events. I don't think he can be simply dismissed as "another Hollywood liberal" a la Sean Penn, Tim Robbins or Susan Sarandon. Machete will be a true "Mexploitaion" film. I mean come on, how serious can you take a movie with a tagline that says "They just f!#$&^% with the wrong Mexican!!".
For Rodriquez to come out with this trailer and make a joke about Arizona immigration and how the hero feels about assassinating a U.S. senator who is for doing something about illegal immigration tells the audience volumes and loudly how he feels about the Arizona issue. Also, he expended effort to show and display nmes of famous Hollywood actors/actresses in the trailer tells the viewer that they are on board for Open Borders and breaking immigration laws. In the meantime, who pays for the illegal immigrants? Where is Obama? ISN'T THE OBAMA ACTION OR IN-ACTION TELLING US WHERE HE STANDS ON OPEN BORDERS? Even Napolitano was upset at the illegal immigration when she was the governor. Now that she's in the Obama administration, she parrots what is fed to her by them. I wonder if she has read the immigration law yet?
Heh, this piece of crap-fest has Lindsey Lohan in it….that alone should tell you the movie is garbage!
The ruling class of Mexico was of European decent due to the reign of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria (1832-1867). He was allied with Napolean III, who supplied troops to maintain Maximilian's reign. Because of this occupation, it is not unusual to meet a Mexican with a German sounding name.
As I recall, the CIA was trying to figure out what the hell was going on behind the scenes of the election — they knew there was drug money etc. involved, and they were looking for the guys on either side of the border who were funding it. Their big problem was that the guy they sent in to investigate was a borderline sociopath played by Johnny Depp, who didn't get around to shooting people who actually deserved it until one of them put both his eyes out.
Trust me, I live in Arizona, and if anything Napolitano gave even less of a s__t about illegal immigration when she was here. If SB1070 had come up when she was governor, she would have fought it every step of the way and vetoed it the very second it landed on her desk. The state legislature would have had to go back and pass it over her head.
This movie is meant as a frijoles refritos take on Blaxploitation. Of course the entire thing is going to be about Fighting The Man, because that's exactly what these movies do.
The EXPLICIT linkage to current events, however, was a mistake. People would have had the illegal-immigration thing in the backs of their minds anyway, just as they were subconsciously thinking about civil-rights issues while watching Shaft — the plots of these films are meant to be allegorical, or at least a metaphor for real-world issues ("The Man" is a perfect allegorical figure). To make it DIRECTLY about the real-world issues in question is a violation of the conventions of the genre, not to mention that you risk losing half your audience.
OMG.. Looks stupid..
Haha! I love that! I think he says something like, "This will be my masterpiece!" I'm not a huge Nicholas Cage fan (did love him in Wild At Heart and Raising Arizona), but in this trailer he was magnificent. Werewolf Women of the SS, haha, brilliant!
I completely agree. The trailers were the only things that saved that dreck.
Also on an off note, it's really cool to know I'm not the only Cowboy Bebop fan on here.
Did you hear they're casting Keanu Reeves as Spike for the live-action movie?
Jesus, sometimes I think Hollywood exists to screw with my favorite series.
Hm. No, I don't recall Spike ever showing "Dull Surprise" in the anime so I must ask why Keanu Reeves?
About the only scene Reeves could pull off is Spike walking up his imaginary stairway while tripping on mushrooms.
My only guess is that they heard Cowboy Bebop had some kung-fu in it and immediately "OMG, we'll get Neo", apparently not realizing that the main character also had a personality. But then again, I'm still at a loss of who could play a credible live-action Spike.
So he says he sees a lot of passion in peoples' comments regarding illegal immigration and Arizona law, yet much of that is confused, as those same people have been fed misinformation? In other words, another Hollywood pomp who thinks he's smarter and more informed that the rest of us dumb norms.
About 50 seconds into the video you can see that Machete's M16 has it's flash hider on sideways. Heh.
I am all for the AZ law!!!!!!!
I will not go to Rodriguiez movie, NEVER!!!!
Please Mr. Rodriguez, exercise your free speech. Unlike liberals, I love free speech.
Without free speech, we would never know what hate, jealousy, violence, and racism exist in the minds of leftists. We would only hear their meandering lectures about cotton candy, dancing unicorns and the kindness of communism. But let them speak from their hearts, and "Machete" is what you get.
Interestingly, what this film portrays is exactly what we all fear about importing the worst of Mexican culture to America. They show us what America would be like if we accepted the lawlessness, violence, and tribalism that controls Mexico. Many good people from south of the border hate the corruption. But they don’t have the will to fix it because there’s an escape hatch just to the north.
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