What a difference a couple years make

Back in 2005:  Bruce Willis to take on career-killing endeavor.  The Times Online story Libertas linked to  has moved here.  He also attended the 'Punisher's Ball' where he, according to Michael Yon,

[...] gave the most impassioned speech I can remember, using clear terms—including some well-selected profanities to describe terrorists—to express his admiration and support for the troops. Bruce’s speech was so accurate in his description of the war, and so charged with emotion, that he seemed ready to lead the troops himself back to Iraq; and they were ready to go.

Sure, Willis is doing war movies.  According to IMDB he's doing The Last Full Measure

Thirty-three years after his death, during one of the bloodiest days of the Vietnam War, Air Force Para-rescue Jumper William H. Pitsenbarger is awarded the Medal of Honor after a young Washington bureaucrat and fellow veterans of Operation Abilene get Congress to reconsider the legacy of his sacrifice. From a true story.

and Pinkville - Oliver Stone's take on the My Lai Massacre.

So why not this 'Deuce Four' project?  Especially now with the current slate of vehemently anti-U.S., anti-military cinematic diatribes Hollywood is set to dump into theaters - like this and this.  Willis can give the "most impassioned speech" about the War to a gathering of distinguished veterans, but he can't take that passion into his own work, and present the story of those same distinguished veterans on film?  Instead he takes the lead role in an Oliver Stone flick?

Willis and others like him are in a perfect position to create an opposition to mainstream Hollywood tripe - to at least balance flicks like the ones I linked above.  They have the talent, the box office credibility, and the fan base.  More importantly, probably, they have the financial resources and the connections.  That is, the ability but, apparently, not the desire.  It makes Willis giving that speech reprehensible - these people are giving their lives while Willis and others aren't willing to take a chance on their careers.  Talk is cheap - so is praise when you have the ability to really support what the troops are doing yet do not.

Why are we losing the war in the media again?

Edit:  Here's another story ripe for dramatization:  Was a Crime Committed in Haditha?  Waiting, waiting.  (h/t Uncle Jimbo - nice letter to the NYT too)

Edit2:  Well, no, not really.  This edit was getting too long to include in this post.  That's why you read the edit to this post before this post.  It's like time traveling.  You've just messed with the laws of physics.  Feel good.

Posted by: Jason at 01:08 PM in Zombiewood | No Comments | Add Comment
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