Is Red Dawn the best Republican propaganda film of all time?

[bigbillhaywood]

I think it was brilliant. Despite the completely ridiculous premise (Soviets invade US, and for some reason think a little town in the middle of nowhere is of strategic value and use paratroopers to shoot up the high school), it really drew you in and got you rooting for the Wolverines. And the end credits are great. At the time it was released (early 80s, can't remember exactly), there were more incidents of violence per scene than any movie ever made.

Okay, self-disclosure, I'm a pretty pro-gun guy, but, in spite of that, here's my favorite stupid propaganda part-- right after the Soviet invasion, the camera is pointed at the back of a truck with an NRA-style bumper sticker popular at the time, "They'll get my gun when they pry it from my cold, dead hands", then the camera pans down to show a Soviet soldier prying a revolver from someone's cold, dead hands. I laugh hysterically every time.

I think this is a great movie and great piece of right-wing garbage propaganda. Probably the best piece of shit right-wing propaganda film ever made in America.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

1. yes my friend

yes it is.

you have summed it up perfectly. Funny thing is, you can actually - to this day - see which legislators have taken this movie to heart.

My personal favorite part, politically, is when the Cuban Colonel - Colonel Bella (i still remember his fucking name) tells a subordinate to find the documentation, at every department store, of firearms purchases - in order to route out guerillas. So was the NRA's rabid opposition to gun-registration born.

[VTMechEngr]

2. I wonder if the Iraqi insurgents have seen it?

No doubt who they would support!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

3. and so its ironic

that the mission that got saddam was called Red Dawn, and the teams were named like WOlverine 1 and Wolverine 2. Of course, the irony was lost on the grunts, that they were in fact the Russians in the metaphor - and the opposition were the true Wolverines. Oh irony.

[VTMechEngr]

5. Notice the importance of RPGs in the movie

And how often they are used against us.

[bigbillhaywood]

4. Yeah, that's what I like about the film...

It really makes you want to be an insurgent. Except it makes me want to fight the capitalists. There's a line in the movie where they're at a re-education camp, and the Soviets are blaring propaganda out of loudspeakers, at one point they say:

"America is a whorehouse where the revolutionary principles of your founders are bought and sold...(fades out)"

I don't think the writer knew how true that statement was (is).

[Sandpiper]

6. It's a tie between that

And John Wayne's abominable "Green Berets." Your average wingnut really believes that Wayne's white wash job was an accurate portrayal of the Vietnam war.

In reality, it got him booed off the stage when he went there on a USO tour.

[bigbillhaywood]

7. Yeah, but I actually think Red Dawn was a good flick, even if

completely ridiculous.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

8. Good flick?

it was an amazing fucking flick.

Brought to you by John Milius, the same guy who co-wrote Apocalypse Now with Coppola, and originally scripted for Sheen's character to join with Brando's character to fight the Viet Cong with everything they got until they are both airlifted out by Hueys! AHHAHAHAHAHHA!

Oh, and John just loves to demonize South America. His racism oozes out of every pore. In Red Dawn, tons of Mexicans, Nicaraguans and Salvadorans pour over the border "filtrators mostly" to destroy America. He just couldn't wait to make "Clear and Present Danger" to further demonize the South.

Red Dawn, perhaps more than any other movie as a kid, frightened the hell out of me.

[bigbillhaywood]

9. Sorry for understatement. You're right. n/t

[MidwestTransplant]

10. Agreed!

[mouse7]

11. Not really

It leaned that way, but it also showed the tragedy of young people dying. It might have intended to be, but it didn't succeed very well.

I'd have to go with "The Green Berets" as the big propaganda movie. Much more effective.

[bigbillhaywood]

12. Damn you, mouse! Can't you agree with me at least once?

How about this...Generally, having one's testicles crushed in a vise is painful. Are we in agreement?

[mouse7]

14. Not according to Rush and Rummy

According to them, it's a fun for all ages fraternity prank.

So... lets go for something more basic... I think Bush sucks. Agree?

[bigbillhaywood]

15. I'd like to put their views to the test on that one. n/t

[salvorhardin]

13. Hmm... I always leaned toward Top Gun

as the best right-wing propaganda film of all time.

[Fenris]

16. I think "Invasion USA" has that category locked up

http://imdb.com/title/tt0089348/

[BringEmOn]

17. The Birth of a Nation

[bigbillhaywood]

18. Good point. n/t

[lucidmadman]

19. Nope. Read Giop's PEOPLE'S WAR...

like Walter Hill's SOUTHERN COMFORT it's a 'stealth' Viet Nam film..
Just my opinion...