Posted on 11/29/2004 3:37:34 PM PST by Valin
SINCE November 2, I've had an icky feeling in the pit of my stomach. As an ardent Bush backer, my queasiness has nothing to do with the glorious election results, but is prompted by a murder that occurred the same day in Amsterdam.
Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh's short film Submission, about the treatment of women in Islam, written by female Dutch parliamentarian and former Muslim, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, had aired in August on Dutch TV. Van Gogh was riding his bike near his home when a Muslim terrorist shot him, slashed his throat and pinned to his body a note threatening Ms Ali. This appears to be an organised effort, not the act of a lone nut; Dutch authorities are holding 13 suspects in the case.
After the slaying, I watched Submission (available online at ifilm.com) and my mind is still boggled that 11 minutes decrying violence against women incites such violence. There have been many films over the years that have taken pot shots at Catholics, but I don't remember any of us slaughtering film-makers over the offence. You didn't see the National Rifle Association order a hit on Michael Moore over Bowling for Columbine.
One would think that in the name of artistic freedom, the creative community would take a stand against film-makers being sent into hiding a la Salman Rushdie, or left bleeding in the street. Yet we've heard nary a peep from Hollywood about the van Gogh slaying. Indeed Hollywood has long walked on eggshells regarding the topic of Islamic fundamentalism. The film version of Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears changed Palestinian terrorists to neo-Nazis out of a desire to avoid offending Arabs or Muslims. The war on terror is a Tinsel Town taboo, even though a Hollywood Reporter poll showed that roughly two-thirds of filmgoers surveyed would pay to see a film on the topic.
In a recent conversation with a struggling Left-liberal screenwriter, I brought up the Clancy film as an example of Hollywood shying away from what really affects film goers – namely, the al-Qa'ida threat versus the neo-Nazi threat. He vehemently defended the script switch. "It's an easy target," he said of Arab terrorism, repeating this like a parrot, then adding: "It's a cheap shot." How many American moviegoers would think that scripting Arab terrorists as the enemy in a fiction film is a "cheap shot"?
In fact, it's realism; it's what touches lives worldwide. It's this disconnect with filmgoers that has left the Hollywood box office bleeding by the side of the road.
I know, and it's great. Maybe he'll exert his influence to stop the effort to normalize relations with Cuba. Well, even more hopefully, there'll be a power vacuum down there real soon.
I'm glad to see Oliver Stones "Alexander" go belly up.
I go to about one movie a year and went and seen "The Incredibles" which was pretty good. It showed the family unit in a good light for a change.
Seen The Passion at home on DVD which was one of the best movies I've ever seen.
"Well, even more hopefully, there'll be a power vacuum down there real soon."
One of my remaining life goals at age 66, after Fidel dies and Cuba becomes a free nation again, is to fly there and get in line to urinate on his grave and then fly fish around the island.
What I find interesting is that the Hollyweirdos piss and moan over the treatment of women in THIS country, but they don't make a peep about how Muslims abuse their women. Perhaps they should go live in some backwards Middle Eastern country; that will shut them up (if only by force).
I know a few Marines past their actived duty stages, who were outraged at his attacks on GW and support of Kerry.
TV's "Monk" starring Arab actor/peace activist Tony Shaloub had a line in this week's episode which went, "If you want to ambush someone, Go join the Army."
Click. End of story.
"TV's "Monk" starring Arab actor/peace activist Tony Shaloub had a line in this week's episode which went, "If you want to ambush someone, Go join the Army."
The show was starting to get very old anyway. His RN Nurse care taker is showing more of her boobs every show as the plot line drags on.
That remark will help more of us to just flip by the same old same old.
It was WWII, the scene was an aircraft carrier just before leaving port. On the deck was a makeshift stage. Sailors were seated all over and were hanging over the rails on the decks above.
On the stage were Hollywood stars performing for the boys. Not all troop entertainment was provided by the Bob Hope troupers. This one starred a young Dick Powell singing his heart out (he had a great voice), a sexy Yvonne DeCarlo singing and doing a shimmy here and there which brought down the house (ship), Danny Kaye who did one of his hilarious and unintelligible patter songs, a young, pretty, bouncy Dale Evans who wowed the guys........it was a great show. The looks and smiles on the young faces in the audience were heartwarming.
By contrast, where are the Hollyweirders during this war? There's only a few who are entertaining the troops. There should be hundreds. They don't have to go to Iraq if they're in fear. There's other military bases, ships and ports where they can utilize their talents for the men and women of the armed services.
Well, I can answer my own questions.....and it all makes me mad. They fear blacklisting by powerful Hollyweird liberals, and of course, a lot of them are anti-military to their core.
I don't go to the movies any more (only Mel Gibson). Turner Movie Classics satisfy all my needs to see oldy, goody films produced when movies were movies.
If I could, I'd go to California and organize another Hollywood Canteen.
Leni
The Arabs have invested their money wisely in Hollywood and the newsrooms.
Alexander the Great
FYI
Culling From Among the Mediocre in Hollywood
A short review of Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great
by Victor Davis Hanson
Private Papers
http://victorhanson.com/articles/hanson112704.html
Well, I thought it was simply terrible. The film goes on for nearly three hours, but we hear nothing of what either supporters or detractors of Alexander, both ancient and modern, have agreed were the central issues of his life. Did he really believe in a unity of mankind, and were his mass mixed marriages, Persian dress, and kowtowing cynical, sincere, or delusions of megalomania? We see nothing of the siege of Tyre, Gaza, much less Thebes or even the burning of Persepolis. Other than the talking head Ptolemy, none of his generals have much of a character. There is nothing really in detail about the page purging other than a single reference; Stone, I would have thought, could have had a field day with Alexander’s introduction of both crucifixion and decimation.
The Gedrosian desert gets a few seconds. And what was the elephant scene in the jungle? Was that supposed to be dirty fighting in India, or the battle at the Hydaspes—which in fact was a brilliant Macedonian victory? The elephants were visually good, but without context or significance. So since Stone omitted the controversial and key issues of Alexander’s career, what do we get instead for at least over two thirds of the movie? Mostly sit-com drama, with gay and bi- subplots, in various bedrooms and banquet halls. Olympias was something out of a teen-aged vampire movie, not the sophisticated and conniving royal we read about in the sources. It is the old Dallas or Falcon Crest glossy pulp in Macedonian drag. Stone’s Alexander is a pouty, wimpy bore; the real figure, whatever your thoughts on him, was a killer and a fearful man of action. Gladiator’s Maximus was a far more engaging and forceful character—and that was a far better film as well.
There is also irony here. If we remember the embarrassing Troy, we are beginning to see, that all for all the protestations of artistic excellence and craftsmanship, Hollywood has become mostly a place of mediocrity, talentless actors and writers who spout off about politics in lieu of having any real accomplishment in their own field. I’ve heard so many inane things mouthed by Stone that I would like someone at last to address this question—why would supposedly smart insiders turn over $160 million to someone of such meager talent to make such an embarrassing film? Alexander the Great is third-rate Cecil B. Demille in drag.
©2004 Victor Davis Hanson
Make me number seven. If there is ever another 9/11, there will be cages constructed for the Muslims. (Does my heart good just thinking about it).
Bingo. Libs can smack their women around and cheat on them, Muslims can force them to wear burqas and subject them to daily violence, and that's OK. But G-d help any businessman that stoops so low as to compliment a woman's appearance or - Heaven forbid - ask her on a date! The NOW gang will be on his back in a second.
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