ampdead

Another great idea

Redacted 2:  Sierra Leone and then Redacted 3:  Sudan

Actually, no.  There's no need to rip-off De Palma's brilliant title.  We'll Kill You If You Cry will work.

Posted by: Jason at 01:10 PM in Zombiewood | No Comments | Add Comment
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"But I'm not the only one"

Dirty Harry at Libertas jumps into the lake I was swimming in here and here.  I have nothing to add - it's a brilliant post that focuses on the power film has, and the inability of Conservatives to wield it.

But it was a means to rip-off a John Lennon line, and I couldn't pass that up.

Posted by: Jason at 01:45 PM in Zombiewood | No Comments | Add Comment
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It's everything you thought it could be

Moriarity at Ain't It Cool News posted a reader-submitted review of Redacted by someone who saw it in Venice.

The reviewer gave it five stars saying, "Disturbing.  This is the only word I could think of when it finished."  I sure as shit hope anyone would find this sort of thing disturbing.  No mention of whether or not the film depicts the full force of the UMCJ coming down on these bastards.  I'm guessing it doesn't since that would take away from the message.

Highlights from the review.

There is a full out rape of a young woman on camera.

The film stars are all relatively unknown which is key considering its premise - a story told from video journals of a soldier, a French documentary film maker, and an Al-Jazeera like network.

All seem like relatively normal Army guys. Mostly bored and horny. Everywhere pictures of naked women hanging on the walls. And constant talk of getting laid.

A bit further on, the film then switches back to the Americans where a car appears to be running a checkpoint. They order he car to stop but it won't. The Americans open fire and the car stops. Out comes a man trying to take his sister to the hospital as she is giving birth. The sister has been shot. The Al-Jazeera network takes over at which point we learn the woman and baby both died.

And if you were grossed out by the bathroom scene in Scarface, this one blows that way with a revenge decapitation. The sound effects used still make me flinch when thinking about them.

The movie ends with real pictures from dead civilians in Iraq including a pregnant woman who was clearly killed at a checkpoint.

Clearly.

But, really, the only two highlights needed are these - from the beginning and the end of the review:

The movie opens with a statement that the events pictured in this film are fictional.

If you think its a good idea we should be in Iraq, or that we have a clue and know what we are doing, then you need to see this movie. If you are opposed to the war, you still need to see this movie to see just how bad it really is.

The flick apparently received over five minutes of standing ovation.  The reviewer admits to his hands hurting from so much clapping.  I wonder, shouldn't they have been weeping instead?

Update:  The Hollywood Reporter also reviews (h/t Sister Toldjah).  Same sort of swooning gusto, but none of the spoilers the AICN reader had.

Noticed the character names though - hadn't bothered to look them up on IMDB.  Reno Flake is a druggie.  B.B. Rush is a fat blowhard - does he have a mic?  Gabe Blix is apparently at least literate - he reads John O'Hara.  Angel Salazar is based on the character of Scott Thomas Beauchamp; although, with film school aspirations instead of John O'Hara-like writer aspirations.  There's also Sergeant Sweet and Sergeant Vazques - a reference to the Sweet V perhaps?

The druggie and the fat blowhard come up with the idea of raping the daughter of a recently arrested Sunni man.  Understanding the leftie penchant for crude subtlety, I wonder if there was a reason for the names.

Posted by: Jason at 12:00 AM in Zombiewood | No Comments | Add Comment
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Degrees of separation

One of the credited producers of Brian De Palma's anti-military screed, Redacted, is Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks.  Coincidentally, Cuban is also "planning to use his media muscle to distribute Loose Change in theaters this year."

I'd start crying conspiracy, but I took my meds today.

h/t Pat Dollard

Posted by: Jason at 01:07 PM in Zombiewood | No Comments | Add Comment
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