Where’s The Film About Our Real Superheroes?
by Yervand KocharThe flood of superhero movies in the past several years has become increasingly worse. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men and, oops, Catwoman, and then what? Underdog … these bustards are everywhere and they keep coming. Even bums are superheroes now – Hancock.
Ogres are superheroes – Hulk. It’s so bad that even the creatures of underworld are being enlisted into the superhero category, and I don’t mean Al Gore. (Although, what do you think Al Gore was doing in his documentary if not saving the world?) Who I mean is Hellboy, a creep who looks so evil that the logline’s compelled to explain, “Believe it or not, he’s the good guy.”
How much of this nonsense can the public take? In its dynamic, this superhero hysteria is reminiscent of the escapism of the 30’s musicals, but only in its dynamic. Essentially, escapism was not deception but a convention to ease the burden of everyday life. People who went to see the musicals were very much aware of their personal economic hardship; they just didn’t want to deal with it for a couple of hours.
Superhero movies are simply a lie, not because they’re fantasies that take us into imaginary worlds, but because most of the contemporary superhero movies are a guilt trip - substitutes for real stories of real heroes not being told. And that real story is the story of the men and women of the U.S. Military.
This is the greatest story not being told, or rather the greatest story not allowed to be told. This is the real superhero movie. After their country was attacked these ordinary people discovered a power within to go and combat the evil order of powerful demons who spread fear and terror around the world. The world does not support these ordinary people and most of their countrymen do not support them out of the fear of demons. But these ordinary people succeed. Outnumbered (100 thousand in a country of 25 million), under excruciating heat and with danger hidden behind every stone, they continue to fight the evil as their own city makes pacts with the Joker to abandon them.
Superhero movies as a genre are fine. I’m not waging war on the genre since I am well aware that “nuclear weapons will only irritate Godzilla.” I’m just stunned by the sheer quantity, frequency and, of course, stupidity of superhero extravaganza.
In a world where beheadings are videographed and pitched to major networks, I guess, it’s hard to find an appropriate way to express the gravity and seriousness of our struggle. We know we can’t escape, although the musical is surely coming back (only “Mamma Mia” could compete with Batman at the box-office last year). We cannot escape but we still haven’t developed the guts to tell stories about what’s really going on. We’re afraid to call the evil to account and we’re afraid to call our own sons and daughters the real heroes.
How sad that the only time they’re portrayed on film is when we rush to condemn them, like in Brian De Palma’s “Redacted.”
To conclude, superhero movies are fun. So the next time a pissed off worshiper of a Joker-god sets a bomb off and/or tries to behead you, make sure to call Batman, aka Christian Bale … if he is not too busy berating a cameraman that day.
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61 Comments
@ JIF
Aren’t you supposed to be pulled from the shelves?
‘Cuz you make me sick!
(Knyuck-nyuk!)
“Yeah, let’s make a movie about brainwashed high-school dropout automatons bayoneting iraqi babies in the name of the military-industrial complex.”
Wow, I didn’t know that Hollywood producers visited this site.
Good ones Joe and Jimmy.
It would be really great to see some REAL superhero movies. Unfortunately Hollywood is too stupid to see the financial value in producing great movies that the American public WANT to see. It does get boring seeing the anti-war movies that the left have produced. Can we say boring!
Its called “Stop-Loss” Yervand, it was a fine move made about the very people you call heroes. It tells their story from their perspective, but unlike your mythical heroes, these heroes have done their duty, survived, but are being forced to go back, beyond their commitment of service…The only problem with this movie is that it doesnt fit into your ideology, so it does not exist…
I know we don’t care about the Oscars on this website, but it’s pathetic that the acting community is about to give one to the late Heath Ledger for basically playing a terrorist. Now if it was Robert Downey, Jr. in makeup playing Usama Bin Laden…well, maybe.
I agree with you only in that we need to see movies about our troops that are both more positive than the junk we’ve been given and more accurate in their depiction of real soldiers. As you said, these men and women are real life hero material.
I suspect that one of the reasons we’re seeing more superhero movies is because Hollywood is more actively courting the geek segment of the public – a segment of which I consider myself a part. Go to the San Diego Comic Con and see how much of that event has been taken up by movie and television studios trying to hype their next project to the masses.
I must disagree with your generally negative tone regarding superhero movies, though. Your assertions that fantasy is inherently born of guilt and the absence of real heroes seem to suggest that we should abandon not only fantasy but fiction altogether, because it is a substitute for Real Life. No more fictional characters – there are plenty of people in the real world to write about. No more stories; just documentaries, please. Made-up stories suggest that there is nothing worthwhile in real life to write about; indeed, fiction is a slap in the face to those who are heroes in real life, and fiction writers, in exercising their craft, are simply expressing their shame and disdain for the Real.
I am unaware of any fantasy writers who think this way.
Contrary to your assertion, superhero movies have been getting *better*, not worse, because they are increasingly attempting to be true to the source material – dispensing with the flash and camp and pop-culture baggage, and examining what these stories were actually about. The superhero genre, when you boil it down, is one concerned with morality. The fantastic setting and circumstances allow us to examine such issues without the baggage that one brings to any discussion of real-world events. I may want to tell a story dealing with the subject of protecting those who are weaker than you, but if I start it with “There once was this Palestinian father who’s child was wounded in an Israeli military strike,” suddenly the audience is thinking about Israel’s right to defend itself, the nature of Hamas, the Palestinian situation, etc., and losing sight of what my story is actually about. Writing a fantasy story – be it superheroes, science fiction, Tolkienesque fantasy, etc. – allows the author and the audience to put those things aside for a moment and look at the underlying philosophies.
For example, Hellboy was intended to be essentially the Antichrist, the infernal power that would destroy the world, but he was taken from the occultists who summoned him and raised by U.S. soldiers (there’s that heroic military you’re looking for) to be a good guy. And though he’s tempted by the powers he could wield were he to embrace his birthright, thus far he continues to choose to rebel against that darkness and fight the good fight. This may not resonate with everyone, but as a Christian, the theme of struggling against my inherent selfishness and sinful nature to do the right thing speaks to my heart. And, of course, the fantastic elements are a lot of fun – after all, I don’t go to the movies to have sermons preached at me, I go to be entertained.
Frankly, I think this is something we could stand to see more of in general. The most successful fantasy is that which inspires us to face real life again, cleansing us of some of our cynicism and re-energizing our desire to do good. Sure, a lot of it’s also based in fantasy escapism, but to paraphrase Tolkien, who would be opposed to escapism except jailers?
weak.
fail.
Peter Berg is working on the film adaptation of “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Lutrell –
Incredible story of 4 Navy Seals who took on over 150 Afghani Mujahideen. They had made the
conscience decision to not kill a couple of goat herders who would have (+ did) alerted the enemy.
which they did and one survived. They were more concerned with being called cold blooded killers in
the U.S. press than fighting off 150 men, on their territory in the most difficult terrain on the planet.
They are the very definition of HEROES!!
Thanks Pete!
[...] BIG HOLLYWOOD: Superheroes? [...]
I agree with the morality point being made. Westerns, like the fairy tales of old were morality tales. It makes sense that stories of existential courage like Shane, High Noon or The Searchers be retold as Batman, in a contemporary urban setting.
By the way could the sign-in include a doctors note to exclude people whose mommy dropped them on their heads as kids? The rage those guys are spewing tells us more about them than they realize. Hey, your guy won, he said so. Lighten up
Look, this is painfully simple.
Exactly three things are needed to create this “real superhero” movie, in this order:
1. An exciting, well-written script good enough to attach at least one bankable star.
2. A letter-of-intent (or signed agreement) from the star’s agent agreeing to act in the film if the financing is raised.
3. Enough money to make and market the film – make it with SOLID production values – i.e., not $750,000 for cheap-looking straight-to-DVD junk. The exact amount is based on many factors, but we’re talking in the $10 to 30 million range.
Now, does anyone have number one? Or think they have number one? If so, let me know. I want to read it.
If you don’t have number one, you’re not serious.
If no one is willing to spend the time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears to at least get past step number one – that tells you something. It tells you that we’re all a bunch of talkers and bloggers, and that’s about it. Because talk is cheap. Blogging is cheap. Work is hard. So there’s your answer.
@JIF, et al: Thank you for insulting five of my best friends, my dad, my grandfather, and a couple of my uncles. No words can acurately desribe how much I hope you suffer the wrench-like wrath that you so richly deserve.
@Devin Parker: You are absolutely correct. Fantasy allows us to step back and look at real world situations through a different light. Consider that in many works of fantasy Humans, Elves, and Dwarves hate each other, but must learn to work, live, and fight together. Talk about confronting and over coming racism. Or Batman’s quest for Justice, not vengence. Proverbs 21:15 says “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.”, we should all be so dedicated to the notion of Justice as Batman is.
Or look at Superman, what makes Supes great isnt’ the Super, its the Man. Its his humanity. He risks everything to save people, he doesn’t just care, he acts upon it to help those in need. Even when his powers are gone because of vitamin K he still fights as hard as he can, and its that same spirit we see in our Soldiers, who, no matter the trials and tribulations, fight for whats right.
And you’re right about Hellboy, its about what makes a man. Its not how he’s born, but how he lives. How many of our soldiers were born to poor families? how many to middle class? How many were hooligans when young? how many walked the line? Our soldiers come from all walks of life, and they all made the choice to live as men, to risk everything for what is right.
And Mr Kochar should go back and read the comics of WWII. Our heroes were pushing for people to support the war effort in every way. And superhero movies, just like any fantasy, deal with real world topics. yes, the Joker IS a terrorist. Consider that one of the villains in Ironman are terrorists, Tony Stark is an arms manufacturer who only stops making weapons because he realizes they’re being sold to the enemy as well as to the good guys. Or Transformers, where its not just giant robots fighting evil, its the American Military, and not only do they fight, but they kick serious ass. Yes, we need more movies about the Real World Heroes, like my friends Jason and Elliot that are in the Army, or my friends Wes and Cody in the Marines, or my friend Rex in the Coast Guard. For every soldier there is a stroy that could be made into an amazing movie. But this doesn’t mean we should stop making super hero movies. Both are needed to get full breadth of our ideals out there.
We often say the people on the left are idealists, and that their crazy ideas will never work. But we here on the right are idealists too. But we know our ideals work. But our ideals are bigger then life. Consider that we have elevated men such as George Washington to almost superhero like status, and rightly so. The idea that all men are created equal, have God Given rights, and that our nation holds the promise of something more, something better, can’t be contained to just true stories, but it spills over to the myths and legends of our culture. Washington was so honest that just saying he was honest wasn’t enough, we created the cherry tree legend. Our workers are so good, so strong, that not even the tide of industrial revolution could keep down John Henry. Our sense of Justice is seen in Batman’s unending fight. Superman represents both our desire to show compassion, but also how, only in America, can a foreigner come and become so great. In Hellboy we see how American Ideals can lead anyone to the side of good. In Ironman we see that patriotism goes beyond just saying “support our troops” it goes to our actions.
As for the real life heroes. Our soldiers, policemen, fire fighters, and more. They show us that our ideals work in the real world. We have men like my friends, that risk life and limb for our ideals. We have men like Captain Sully, leaders like General Petreaus, citizens like the police and fire fighters, who on 9/11 ran into danger instead of away, we have people like the crew of flight 93, showing that average people can do great things. These are stories that are mirrored and made all the greater by our myths and legends.
JIF, I’m one of those mouth breathers who so blindly served my nation. I have two graduate degrees, both earned before I joined the US Army. The Army today does not accept high school dropouts. Any one who aspires to be a commissioned officer had better have a college degree. In fact, the educational level of today’s military is a good step higher than most collections of university students. And as to the “Blood for Oil” rant, how is it that Iraq contracted with China, not the US, for the sale of most of its oil? Man, if you ever get out of grade school the real world will teach you a few lessons.
Have you noticed that ALL the stories and reportage of the War is about death to our side? If you only watch the national news, you would think that a trip to Iraq or Afghanistan is a trip to Death. On TV, and in the movies, soldiers are only portrayed as dead victims (when they are not tragic survivors suffering from Post Traumatic Syndrome….)
Where are the real stories/ reportage about the heroes that have won medals in this war? Michael Yon and Michael Toffin have plenty of stories that show something other than a black dirge.
GI JOE is now an “international unit” that fights scottish arms dealers. how original.
What’s really sad about someone like JIF is that it is because of the sacifices the fine men and women in the military (past and present) that keep giving scumbags like him the freedom to spew their idiotic bile.
To whomever said superhero movies are getting better: If that’s true, how come I’ve seen new “Superman Returns” for $5 at placees like Wal-Mart while the first two movies starring the late Christopher Reeve (a man I believe people, no matter what the political views, should view as a true Superman) cost more?
Sadly JIF wouldn’t have the testicular fortitude to stand up to a 10 yr old girl slapping him around, much less stand up and fight for something with a greater cause.
JIF…at some point in your miserable life you will have to chose to fight for what is right and moral or walk away…in your case…either way you’ll end up on the losing end of the situation. And the world will be better off for it.
I know this is a new site, but if you don’t try to stop the out of control trolls this will turn into a read only blog. Dissent is fine, but talking about our men in uniform as babykillers is a real turn off. Maybe I’ll tune in about a week from now, but if things don’t improve I’ll hang tight at Ace of Spades.
I can’t stand movies based on comic book heroes. They are simply two-dimensional characters based on pure fantasy. I want to see an average person facing obstacles or danger and overcoming them. Someone who is human, who makes mistakes, who is flawed – not a created character who has superpowers. Case in point – the airline pilot Sully, who, just 3 weeks ago, managed to save 155 people without any fanfare. Now that is a movie I’d like to watch. Or any one of thousands of heroic stories about our military, or first responders, or teachers, or missionaries, etc. Just no more fake sperheroes, please. Give us REAL human beings!
From an email found on a Hollywood producer’s computer — RE: Reasons why we’re not making movies favorable to the U.S. Military:
I mean, come on.
Interestingly, the video game Call of Duty 4 bravely and ably tackles the task of creating a compelling storyline featuring our fighting men and women (and the British SAS) as heroes. It does use a fictionalized middle east- but its a thin veneer. The game shows the discipline, honor, and courage of these soldiers- and the storyline is as thrilling as anything I’ve seen in a movie.
- I’m half convinced that JIF was all about yanking chains.
- I’d actually heard that “Stop Loss” was the least offensive of the various Iraq War movies that came out at about the same time.
- I think that the story of Lone Survivor involved 14 SEALS, not 4. But yes, they actually *voted* to let a couple of people go, and all but one of them was killed due to that decision.
- I love the *idea* of superhero movies, even if they often disappoint.
- Glenn, actually I do have a script. It’s not “real heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan,” though. It’s “black-ops shape-changers meet the war on terror.” (After all… why should we have to chose between heroes and superheroes?)
- The main problem with “Stop Loss” was the title. If it didn’t adequately convey what the movie was actually about, it’s not the fault of the people who didn’t go see it.
- Rob, video games are cutting edge, and I’m encouraged to think that while they continue on under the radar they’ll be influencing a whole generation.
STEVE: There are always exceptions to the rule, of course; there are bound to be missteps. But in general, I contend that superhero movies have been getting better. Note that “Superman Returns” decided to use the previous *films* as its basis, rather than the comics. I think this was one of its fatal flaws. The original two “Superman” movies also had the newness of the special effects techniques going for them, and the newness of superhero movies in general, if I’m not mistaken. Not to mention the weight of the Superman brand, which, as James Hudnall pointed out, is modern-day mythology.
CRYPTOFASCIST: I have to wonder if we’re watching the same superheroes. Despite their powers and costumes, they almost always demonstrate themselves to be “mere” human beings, with flaws and shortcomings that they have to try to overcome.
In any case, I’ll be curious to know your reaction to the upcoming “Watchmen” – especially given your choice of screen name – if the film version remains true to the graphic novel.
phillip bernal
It is the night jumps that you will miss most of all, “airborne” to you.
Funny how liberals like JIF constantly quote Ike, Aren’t there any liberals out there who say anything insightful on the topic?
Not to jump to the obvious bait, but JIF inspired an idea over here:
Here’s the pitch…
Yeah, let’s make a movie about brainwashed high school and university graduate non educated and indoctrinated automatons consuming, cheating, stealing, taking and selling drugs, owing tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans to be repaid by mommy and daddy if at all, sponging off same and society…
Meanwhile…
-Consistently scoring dead bottom in international testing of mathematics and science, with many university graduates performing lower in test scores than the average junior high school students in Asia and Europe, the Middle East…
-Loudly and obnoxiously exercising their rights, including freedom of speech, yet never admitting were earned by others…
-Purchasing and boasting name brand goods such as Gap, Abercrombie, Nike, TommyH, Apple, etc. meanwhile protesting ‘big corporations’…
-Adamantly declaring vegetarianism as a moral imperative while owning/wearing leather belts, shoes, jackets, wallets, etc. and eating fish and failing to grasp the scientific fact that fish and vegetables are also living organisms…
-Protesting human rights abuses yet are the first to line up to see Hostel, SAW or any of its offspring…
-Preaching tolerance, yet scream for the silencing of other opinions…
-Preaching environmentalism yet needlessly and carelessly discarding fully functional and working devices in order to have the latest and newest iGadget/Computer/Hardware piece manufactured with some of the most toxic materials known to humankind, thereby exposing populations to waste and conditions unfathomable in their own towns, but are safely out of sight in Asia, Mexico and Central, South America…
-Preaching to others about getting involved, yet belonging to a demographic which has the lowest voting attendance in the history of the nation, (despite the constant barrage of ‘rock the vote’ mantras, college campus indoctrination by student groups, professors, administrators, and incessant and ridiculous reminders from celebrities), yet still with lower turnouts than any third world country…and far lower than Iraq…
-Preaching the importance of helping others, yet rarely, if ever, contribute to a single charity, rarely, if ever do volunteer work, and heaven forbid, rarely, if ever, serve the country in any way shape or form, particularly the military…
and speaking of heaven…
-Demanding religious freedom for all religions, except those who subscribe to Judaeo-Christian beliefs for which there is no reasonable approach aside from ridicule…
-Screaming for action and weeping false tears about Iraqi children dying, yet remaining silent and dry eyed while Iraqi (insert nation where U.S.took action) children were dying in huge numbers long before the U.S. took action… If U.S. failed to take action, such as Rwanda, where hundreds of thousands died in a single month, no screams heard or tears shed at any time.
… all in the name of the Musictelevision-Psychosocialconsumer complex made possible from a grant from Mobile Corporation. Great idea.
What do ya think?
First off – Juanin, actors are awarded Oscars for how good of performance they did (at least in theory). The idea to “punish” someone because he is playing an amoral or despicable character is ridiculous. Someone has to play the villains, and if that person pulls off a great performance doing it, he should be recognized. If Bruno Ganz had won an Oscar for portraying Hitler in Downfall, it would be the Academy honoring his performance and not the character he played.
Secondly – The problem with most war movies is the fact that they are actually too sugarcoated to show how it really is. I am all for showing the heroism, the sacrifice and the hard decisions our men and women in uniform make, but part of that would be to show how truly miserable and unappealing war is. No way are the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces going to allow that – they just want recruiting film, not an actual study of the American soldier.
Even a movie like Black Hawk Down suffers from this. As good as movie as that was, it fails to show the reality of the situation, where U.S. Rangers and Special Forces were forced to open fire on unarmed civilians. I am not criticizing the soldier’s actions – when enemy combatants are firing at you behind children and women you have to make an incredible tough decision and I believe personal survival is a legitimate choice – but by not showing that aspect you do a disservice to those men. By showing combat as cut and dry, black and white scenario, you create an opinion in the public’s mind that war is always clean and uncomplicated, when in fact it is chaotic and very messy. It also fails to show how soldiers sometimes have to make incredibly tough choices, which is one of the reasons why I admire those who chose to serve during wartime.
The other problem with war movies is that the public wants them to be shown one of two ways: as either reluctant or misguided men and women who realize that war and the armed forces are both inherently evil and rebel against it; or as a Dirty Harry figures who can instantly tell who a bad guy is and than blow him away without any moral concerns. Either version sells the American soldier and his service short, in my opinion.
[...] Read Yervand Kochar’s entire post here. [...]
One of the most heroic stories since 9/11 is the attempted rescue of Michael Spann at the outset of the invasion of the Afghan war. It’s the stuff of legend in intelligence circles. I guess the ‘American Taliban’ is a more interesting story to Hollywood. I think George Clooney should take up his cause, cast Christain Bale (using his fine talent as a method actor to act bratty) as a misunderstood teenager who embraces hate and fanaticism against the US, and is wrongly accused of conspiring to commit murder. Oh, and don’t forget how cruely he was denied clemency by Bush. I suppose that’s another injustice that Obama will correct. Maybe he should even take away the medals that were awarded (by Bush, that bastard!) for the mission.
What Hollywood can comprehend about true bravery would fit on a postage stamp. How could they possibly make a movie about it?
Miles –
You think that someone, one person, in Hollywood would actually be PROUD of our military and INSPIRED by their stories of heroism; instead, the “humanity” of child molestors and terrorists seems to interest them more. Wonder why?
Perhaps they could tell the story of one of the 28 million people in Iraq that are now enjoying more freedom than they’ve had in their entire lifetimes? Oh, but that would mean giving credit to President George W. Bush. I forgot. You guys are much more interested parading putative images of his penis in public (how’s that for alliteration) — see Will Ferrell.
Great priorities. . . great value system, Miles.
Marvel is producing their own movies now and there are a slew in the works including Thor, Ant-Man, and the Avengers. At least the Captain America movie should have a positive portrayal of American soldiers albeit WWII era ones.
The upcoming G.I. Joe movie should have been a positive piece on modern American soldiers but they’ve turned the Joes into an international group that, I think, is under the control of the UN because, you know, it makes perfect sense that the UN would name an elite counterterrorism group after slang for American soldiers.
We won’t see movies about the greatest force of good in the world(and it has been for the last 100 years) because Hollyweird has deciede to spit in the face of 50%+ of its audience.
Marcus Latrell’s “Lone Survivor” would/will be a great movie. It’s a must read. And fo the record, it was only four (not fourteen) Navy Seals against a couple hundred Taliban. Note to Peter Berg: Don’t screw this up!
OK folks. There is a film coming out called “Young Americans”. Actual footage of our brave men and women in Iraq. Please visit patdollard.com. He was there with them and opened my eyes.
The main villain in Watchmen (it can be reasonably argued that there are no heroes in the book) is most certainly a liberal.
Secondly – The problem with most war movies is the fact that they are actually too sugarcoated to show how it really is. I am all for showing the heroism, the sacrifice and the hard decisions our men and women in uniform make, but part of that would be to show how truly miserable and unappealing war is. No way are the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces going to allow that – they just want recruiting film, not an actual study of the American soldier.
“how it really is…”
When Scott Beauchamp first published his gritty front-line accounts of his experiences in Iraq there were two reactions. Men and women who had been there, done that, went, “this is fiction,” and anti-war liberals cooed, “Oh, finally someone tells it like it really is.” And the funny part about it was that what triggered the “fiction” reaction in soldiers is the same thing that triggered “truth” reactions in the anti-war liberals who were so very impressed. It was the *tone*.
And it turned out that what impressed the “how it really is” folks the most was how “dehumanized” the soldiers were portrayed. Only later we found out that Beauchamp was describing events that happened *before* he’d ever been to war. But he told the story, the “real story”, that people of a certain political persuasion wanted to hear. He’s an excellent writer.
TRUE accounts always humanize rather than dehumanize the soldiers, no matter how unflinching their portrayal of war. But so many people are so invested in their own vicarious barbarism that they simply can not stand to imagine that soldiers have not had their humanity stripped from them by the experience. They want a romanticized version of war. They want to experience this other, horrible, non-human experience. And when they do, they coo… “wow, someone told it like it really is.”
No way are the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces going to allow that – they just want recruiting film, not an actual study of the American soldier.
Do you even listen to yourself?
At what point and in what reality does the DoD or any branch of our military ALLOW or disallow what can be shown in a movie? Or is this just the persecution fantasy common to liberals?
DEVIN – Just to answer your question, the last “superhero” movie I saw was Spiderman 2 I fell asleep. I also fell asleep during one of the earlier Batman movies. Maybe it’s just me, but I already know going in that he will prevail over the bad guy, which ultimately tends to bore me. I’ve been planning to rent Ironman because I like Robert Downey Jr. Just haven’t found the time yet.
I guess I just prefer seeing a movie about an average person who overcomes difficulty and becomes a hero, even if the story is fictional. Nowadays we need real heroes more than ever.
Memo from Hollywood -
Wow you guys just aren’t paying attention.
We in Hollywood make movies about real heroes all the time.
After all, how many movies have been made in the past 10 years or so about:
1. Lawyers
2. Reporters
3. Evil government assasins turning on their handlers and becoming good guys by fighting the US government?
We’ve been busy, very busy!
Movies about the War on Terror can only be made in a manner which shows our patriotism in dissenting from it or criticizing it.
Making a movie about US soldiers doing brave stuff and all would be glorifying wars that shouldn’t be going on in the first place.
Heavens no, we’re not interested at all in doing that.
Sincerely, Hollywood
So is this all this site is about? Bitching and moaning when the sad reality sinks in that not all movies are made just for you? Get off your a**, raise some money and make your movie. If the site has $100k for a Matt Damon debate, why can’t you raise money for your own “real superhero” movie?
CRYPTOFASCIST:
I guess I just prefer seeing a movie about an average person who overcomes difficulty and becomes a hero, even if the story is fictional. Nowadays we need real heroes more than ever.
I can appreciate that. One of my favorite comments from actor Bruce Campbell in his book If Chins Could Kill was essentially saying (and I’m really paraphrasing here), “Which would you find a more interesting story – ‘Die Hard’ with an ex-Navy SEAL as the protagonist, or ‘Die Hard’ with an accountant?” The audience already knows that the ex-Navy SEAL has the skills to survive; the story of the accountant attempting to survive will be much more harrowing, and the outcome much more uncertain. Of course, the writing needs to be good enough to avoid plot holes or deus ex machina while suspending the audience’s disbelief, but if you can pull it off, I personally agree that it could make for a far more interesting film.
BTW, I quite enjoyed Robert Downey, Jr. in “Iron Man;” aside from just being great casting, he was really entertaining to watch through the entire thing.
The best part of “Jarhead” was when Jake Gyllenhal was masturbating furiously while sitting on the toilet. They should have just had him gone 3 rounds, over 80 minutes, and made that the whole movie.
Why the hostility for Hellboy? The message of that movie was that a fiend of the pit was turned to right, good and the American Way by the example of a few American GI’s and some firm parenting. What exactly is there for a good conservative not to like?
Devin Parker — Die Hard with an accountant is a four-minute movie. Unless, as is not at all unlikely given the millions of veterans in this nation, that accountant has BEEN a SEAL, or a Marine, or a grunt, and is still willing to stand up for his family and neighbors…
It’s zombie movies that are a substitute for battlefield flicks.
I agree with Don51. I just finished the new COD game and its so much more compelling than anything out of Hollywood in the past five years. Not to mention; Ghost Recon, Medal of Honor, Army of Two, and Gears of War.
The military uses a lot of acronyms, takes a while to figure them all out. JIF just started a new one: as in “I’m JIF” Just Intellectually F**ked!
Jif and Andy –
Must’ve been asleep on 9/11. And, have never heard of the concept of “foreign policy.” I can’t believe this has to be explained to adults. Let me break it down: what happens outside of the United States has implications inside the United States.
Jif, why did we join in WWI? Why did we join in WWII on the European front? Germany didn’t attack us, Japan did. U.S. interests “abroad” are U.S. interests; U.S. citizens “abroad” are U.S. citizens. Can’t just withdraw from the world and figure that, if we’re not attacked on U.S. soil, we’re not attacked. Again, guess you were asleep on 9/11.
The U.S. is the only country in the world founded on AN IDEA. Every other country is founded based on blood, ethnicity, tribal concerns (even the countries ‘created’ by the West – Pakistan, etc. were founded with these ethnic concerns). When you attack the idea, you attack America. America can handle, and even welcomes, non-violent attacks on its principles. Debate is the lifesblood of America — may the best ‘idea’ win. America has, and should have, no problem with that. You two are the best examples of that.
But, when you physically attack American interests abroad, you physically attack America. It’s the America idea, as embodied in these interests, that is despised – the notion that your religion, your ethnicity, doesn’t entitle you to special rights greater than your neighbor. The notion that if people, anywhere, want and like a McDonalds in their neighborhood, other people shouldn’t be able to get rid of it by burning it down and beheading its employees. It’s about the forces of ‘civilization’ versus the forces of ‘barbarism’ when ‘barbarism’ directly impinges upon America’s global interests. And, yes, it’s a global war America’s been engaged in since its founding – http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html
It’s the military that protects these interests. Have a little more respect for those who sacrifice for your right to spout your inanities.
Bobbo,
You are wasting you’re time by trying to help jiffy to see the truth. Honest debate is not what scum like that want. He/she/it is exactly the kind of slobbering little weakling that Brian De Palma/Ted Rall wants Americans to become.
KY Marine –
You may be right. But, hopefully, we might just provide some food for thought for some late teen/early 20s who might be attracted by jiffy’s brand of ‘courage.’
I was one of those who thought that such ugly and ungrateful cynicism was the reality of the situation. In reality, my anti-’the man’ positions were just the prolonged teenage rebellion of an incredibly spoiled and ungrateful brat. Thanks to God I actually started to THINK about my positions and their implications.
They keep making these movies because they make A LOT OF MONEY. I thought you conservatives were all about that. Nothing but a bunch of closet socialists. Worship of the military and the great leader(when he is a republican)Our soldiers are always heroes blah blah. The ironic thing is Stalin would love you guys.
Hollywood is afraid to make a pro-troop/pro-american Iraq movie because they are afraid. They are afraid because they know a well-made pro-troop Iraq war movie will more than likely be a success. Then it will be painfully obvious to the public just how selfish and loathsome the Hollywood leftist agenda really is.
pandax
nice try but I did not vote for obama. As an america hater I can’t really bring myself to participate in your little charade that takes place every four years. And aren’t those brave young men dying so that I have a right to be a clueless liberal traitor. As to the original point, a batman, iron man, or x-men movie will always outgross a saving private ryan or black hawk down. Hence why they keep making them. It’s the invisible magical hand of the market. And by the way it’s Where, WHERE leftards like you want to take us. You keep trying.
Bobbo:
Wonderful, somebody ELSE Who couldn’t be bothered to look up history…
“Jif, why did we join in WWI?”
Um, because the Germans were shooting everything that moved in the Atlantic? Because they were giving arms and weaponry to every tin pot thug or Haitian bandit at loggerheads with us in the hopes of forming some Latin-American Coalition against us? Because they were caught RED HANDED trying to encourage Mexico to invade us? Because the Germans were a hair’s breadth away from winning the war and we were going to have to crush them sooner or later?
“Why did we join in WWII on the European front?”
Um, because the Germans were doing all of the above in addition to being on the verge of wiping European democracy from the map? Because a British defeat would have set our cause back YEARS, and a Soviet defeat would probably have ENDED it? Because the Germans were giving aid and intel to the Japanese in the Pacific?
“Germany didn’t attack us, Japan did.”
AIDED by German intel, German plans, German spies, German tactics, an overview of Taranto Harbor (where the British bombed a small “Italian”- read German- fleet out of existence) granted by the Germans, and backed up by a German declaration of war soon after the bombing.
Wonderful historical amnesia.
Not voting has nothing to do with me thinking that I’m bringing someone down or showing “the man”. I think voting is an exercise in self delusion because you only get two dismal choices(third party voting is a more severe form of self delusion). So I just don’t participate. But hey if it makes you feel all funny inside more power to you. And what are all these troop hating movies you refer to. Yes a bunch of them came out, nobody saw them and now they’re not making more. On the other hand there has got to be at least 8-10 superhero movies coming up in the next 3 years. magic hand of the market.
pandax
The majority of those came out in 05-06. Haven’t seen many lately. Don’t know what you mean by “first wave”. It was pretty much one wave, they bombed. There was no second wave. Do you really believe most americans were clamoring for the great pro iraq war movie but evil liberal hollywood refused to give it to them. People in hollywood, be they liberal or conservative, will gladly compromise their principles for lots of money.
Almighty Turtle –
A little something called “context” — maybe you’ve heard of it. The comment I was responding to was “any thinking person can see that the military doesn’t defend America (after all, who’s going to invade us? Mexico? Canada? Was Saddam going to tie one of his nonexistent WMDs to a camel and catapult it across the Pacific Ocean?).”
The point I was making is that Germany didn’t “invade” the U.S. prior to the U.S.’s entry into WWII. Your erudite e-mail makes that perfectly clear. They were bombing the heck out of Europe, working with the Japanese, but NOT invading us. Thus, according to the morons who made the above comment, we shouldn’t have entered into WWII.
After all, the destruction of Europe is not the invasion of America. My point was the attack on American interests/ideas abroad IS an attack on America. Those who made/agreed with the comment above apparently disagree.
But, obviously you either (1) didn’t appreciate/understand the context of my comments; and/or (2) have some axe to grind; and/or (3) love showing off your obviously vast amounts of Turtle knowledge.
nearly every war film ever made was pro-war until american sensibilities changed in the wake of viet nam. when we were allowed to believe that wars were noble efforts, mainly by communicating the morality of going to war, people would pay to see pro-war films.
after vietnam, which was not a war that could be easily defined as a moral war, americans developed a distaste for the sort of movie.
the reason few movies are made that show the iraq war are twofold. hollywood is under the impression that such a film would not make enough money (considering how important the international market is, i'll bet they are right) is the first reason.
the other is more along the lines of : the iraq war is the most unpopular war ever. even when people were taking to the streets protesting(most of them really protesting the draft surreptitiously), most americans were for the war in vietnam. this is not true of the iraq war. most people are against it because the gov has been unable to come up with a clear reason that we should believe that this war is helping the war on terror at all. all it seems to have done is let bin laden have the time to make himself safe so he can plan more attacks with all the people who are flocking to his banner in response to our actions in iraq.
our troops are heroes. not all of the missions we send them on are heroic, and no amount of heroic actions performed by these heroes will change the fact that noone can give us a good reason why we are dismantling a country that did not attack us while we should be pursuing the monsters who attacked us on 9/11.
While I know that nobody is going to read this, I am going to respond anyway.
Firstly, have you EVER heard about the 1898 Cuba (or Kuba) Memorandum, which Hitler reinstated? It is a POLICY that EXPLICITLY placed Germany in an undeclared war with the US in EXPLICIT violation of the Monroe doctrine. And true to form, Hitler's activities there started right after he assumed power in 1933.
Secondly, like it or not, in the modern era, we have ALWAYS had a vested interests in the plight of our allies, even before they officially were our allies. If Germany had overcome Britain and France and their allies in either WWI or WWII, we know quite well that we wouldn't be far down the list, and the possibility of the American seaboard getting torn to pieces a couple decades later was a VERY strong motivator.
And yes, I have an axe to grind. Because my cats desperately need to die for the sake of all humanity (if only they would stop resurrecting themselves and carrying on their wake of terror). If I did not get the full context of your comment, I am sorry, but do you actually disagree with my points?
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