Patrick Swayze's Forgotten Role

NewsRealBlog.com ^ | September 15, 2009 | Ben Johnson

[FrontPageMag.com]

1984’s politically incorrect Red Dawn

The nation is mourning Patrick Swayze, who passed away yesterday at age 57 after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. Everyone remembers his performances in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, but few if any obituaries will commemorate his role in one of the most politically incorrect films of the last 25 years: Red Dawn.

Leftists have always despised, and still revile, the film. For a quarter-century, the far-Left has claimed Ronald Reagan brainwashed the nation’s youth with this movie. Less than a year ago, David Plotz was so troubled by it that he assailed it in a full article in Slate. “Red Dawn embodies conservative nutterdom in a way few films not made by Mel Gibson have ever managed,” he wrote. “If Ann Coulter made a movie, it would look like Red Dawn. ” (Jonah Goldberg responded on “The Corner.”)

It is fun to remember the libertine Left fretting about its violence. The Guinness Book of World Records, through some reckoning system invented by Enron, named it the most violent film in history. (It was the first film rated “PG-13.”) Its real crimes were two-fold: it showed the Soviets as aggressors promoting an insidious agenda, and it depicted the potentially Orwellian implications of gun control.

[Mad Dawgg]

"The same National Review that drooled over the liberal Mitt Romney and supported him for president."

Yes, Reagan Man and the same National Review who drooled over President Reagan.

Game...

Set...

and Match...

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>>I take no issue with your opinion of the film.

You lie! Link.... just like Obama!

[crusty old prospector]

I could never get over the implausibility of millions of Russians "sneaking" into the country on planes.

Dude, like everything else, they came in from Mexico. They were built there in the maquiladora plants when they were supposed to be building Plymouth Valiants. The Russians came over on Royal Caribbean cruises a few at a time.

[Reagan Man]

You're nothing but a RomneyBot.

Comparing Reagan to Romney is an insult to the Gipper's memory.

There is also no comparing NR of the 1980`s with NRO of today.

You're posts are better suited for DU or DailyKos. LOL

[crusty old prospector]

Yeah, the best part is Ben Johnson giving up his prized granddaughters for Jed to look out for, along with a little grub, ammo, and moonshine with the help of Grandma. Brings a tear to my eye to think of what they sacrificed.

[Mad Dawgg]

"You lie! Link.... just like Obama!"

Hmmm, maybe again you are confused (it seems to happen a lot with you) could you point out my quote where I do take issue with your opinion (That it sucks) of the film?

If not I understand, maybe its getting close to time for you to take more Meds. If so have the nurse help you with the big words.

[ansel12]

Red Dawn and Reagan, good times.

[Ramius]

A film doesn’t have to be high cinematic art to be culturally important. I’m not sure why you react so viscerally to Red Dawn.

Yeah, it’s got a cheesy script and it’s chock full of cliches. But it was a feel-good movie that was nakedly patriotic and proud of it— at a time when patriotism was suddenly starting to feel good again. Remember that the country had just come out of the Carter years when it was made. He had embarassed us with failure in Iran, we were still not so far removed from the collapse of Vietnam. The economy had suffered badly and was just beginning to turn around. Sure Red Dawn stretched plausibility a bit... but it was suddenly cool to be patriotic again and it was big fun to wallow in it a little.

And it has become part of the cultural lexicon. Everybody knows what you mean when you stand up and yell “WOLVERINES!!!”

Makes me smile. :-)

[Mad Dawgg]

"You're nothing but a RomneyBot."

Review my postings on FR and you will once again be proved wrong.

No wait I can do it for you:

Mitt ain't Itt

The reason I posted about Reagan and National Review is you attempt to disqualify them based on their backing of Romney only. See in your ignorance you have proved again just how clueless you are.

Your position that National Review is Wrong on Red Dawn because they were wrong on Romney logically means they are wrong on everything including Reagan.

A typical example of inductive reasoning, and provides much hilarity to those of us who are students of Socrates.

[BlueLancer]

Heck, if you want a really cheesy movie, take a look at Chuck Norris' "Invasion USA".

The flip side of that statement is that it's a movie that I also really enjoy watching, in addition to "Red Dawn".

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESISTOR

Swear allegiance to the flag, whatever flag they offer;
Never hint at what you really feel.
Teach the children quietly for, someday, sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still.

Der Elite Møøsënspåånkængrüppen ØberKømmändø (EMØØK)

[Mad Dawgg]

"There is no reason to separate it from Reagan and for good reason. It was never linked with Reagan. It was a bad movie, with bad production values and bad acting. No revisionism."

:D

[TADSLOS]

Oh, man, gotta get me one of those! LOL!

[Reagan Man]

Whatever. Again, there is no accounting for taste.

But to make Red Dawn into a cultural phenomenon, is absurd and ridiculous. It was nothing but trash!

[Jakarta ex-pat]

If we compare Red Dawn to some excellent war movies ( yes, generally based on fact rather than fiction), I doubt few on the board would disagree; Red Dawn doesn't hold a candle to ANY of the following ( I will add an extra 1,000 if necessary:-)

Zulu

The Last of The Mohicans

Black hawk Down

The Beast

Das Boot

The Dambusters

Saving Private Ryan

Gladiator

Henry V

300

Platoon

Tora ! Tora Tora!

Sink The Bismark

Northwest Passage

Sergeant York

They Died With Their Boots on

In Which We Serve

The Desert Fox

Paths of Glory

Breaker Morant

The Duelists

Glory

Red Dawn lacked depth, score, characterization, plot, or performances of any note.

In fact, the only thing anyone seems to ever quote is " Wolverine"

The implausibility of the premise is irrelevant to whether Red Dawn is a good movie or night.

Nor should the fact that it is PRO gun.

Bottom Line Red Dawn is utter rubbish.

Oh, and as for " Feel good " movies dealing with the transition between Carter and Reagan, conservatives need look no further than the exceptional "Miracle" .

In fact, I might just watch it before I go to bed, AGAIN.

[ansel12]

But to make Red Dawn into a cultural phenomenon,

It is too late, this isn't 1984 or 1985, this is a quarter century later and it did become a cultural phenomenon.

[Mad Dawgg]

Listed on EBAY

1.99 on ebay and free shipping!

I got my order in! hahaha Thanks Reagan Man! Without your Tom Foolery I would never have found this gem!

[TADSLOS]

Thanks for the link.

[Clemenza]

Mediocre script (major disappointment, considering Milius’s other work) and some bad acting. Nevertheless, a fun and inspirational movie to watch that I view once a year, usually with friends. WOLVERINES!!!

[chris_bdba]

I always liked his “Next of Kin” because it reminds me of how it is here.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Mediocre script (major disappointment, considering Milius’s other work) and some bad acting."

Yep, no arguments there but there are some "chilling" moments in the film.

When the Enemy Forces Commander tells his underling to go to the sporting goods stores and round up all those folks listed on the stored Forms #4473.(To this day I have never purchased a weapon that needed papers because of that scene, I buy only second hand weapons)

Or when the Enemy forces lined up and shot those folks who were named by the Mayor as being a "Bad Sort."