I’ve grown to love Bill OReilly. Seriously. If there is anyone who can publicize a political movie, its Bill and I truly appreciate that about him.
Magnolia Pictures and HDNet Films’ Redacted premiered last week as part of HDNet’s Ultra VOD program. With HDNet Ultra VOD movies premiere first in Hotels and on cable and satellite VOD systems PRIOR to making their national theatrical premieres. HDNet Movies will also show a sneak preview on Nov 14th, 2 days before the Nov 16th theatrical release.
Its a new and different approach to selling movies, but it gives everyone and anyone who cant make it to theaters or who prefer their living room to a theater the chance to see the movie without leaving the comfort of their own homes.
The way the movie is released is important because it has allowed us to benefit from Mr OReilly’s comments about Redacted even before the movie has made its theatrical debut. If you don’t happen to watch his show, he has made the movie out to be Anti Troops. Of course there is one catch, he hasn’t seen the movie yet. But why should that get in the way.
You see, Mr OReilly thinks that movies are a tool used by terrorists, and any Anti American faction as motivation to hate us and everything we stand for even more than they already do. I’m not sure that terrorists and those who are Anti American need any more motivation , or if they are even capable of hating us even more than they do. We are at war. There are people willing to be convinced to blow themselves up to kill as many of us as possible. Anytime, anywhere. I don’t think there are any clerics expanding the offer of 70 virgins to include a DVD. Nor do I believe that they are translating the movie and then gathering around a TV or Internet screen to get motivated to strap explosives to themselves or to build IEDs.
I don’t see it. I have asked many of Mr OReilly’s followers if they have any factual evidence that this takes place, or is this just a ploy by Mr OReilly to get his viewers all riled up , without any basis in fact. ? No one has come up with any factual examples to this point. In fact, when Mr Oreilly had the author of “Schmoozing with the Terrorists“, when asked whether the terrorists the author had dealt with had even heard of several people Mr OReilly considered aiding the cause of the enemy, the author stated the terrorists had never heard of them. That they didn’t know their positions until Mr Klein told them , at which point they loved them. Which of course means that Mr OReilly was supportive of a guest that was engaging the enemy and giving them new information they found encouraging. How could you Mr OReilly ? Supporting an author who sourced information the terrorists found encouraging, isn’t that traitorous ?
I think Mr OReilly is giving movies far too much credit. The movies with true cultural impact are few and far between and as Mr Klein points out, don’t have the reach some think they do I also think Mr OReilly is a hypocrite.
Last week he wrote an article entitled “Harming America the Pop Culture Way”. It starts off with:
“ Some Americans believe that pop culture has no impact on the state of the nation. They think that reporting on the media is frivolous -a complete waste of time. They are dead wrong. Just look at how the hip-hop industry has damaged so many young Americans, giving them insidious role models to glorify crime and self- destructive behavior.”
Maybe 28 years of hearing “Hotel Motel Holiday Inn, if your girl starts acting up, then you take her friend” has corrupted our minds. Mine included. But come one Bill, can you at least quote one study or source ? I also wonder if you actually believe what you say and write. Just yesterday on your TV show, in an interview with the hilarious Vince Vaughn, you called Wedding Crashers on your personal 5 top favorites of all time. Now maybe I was laughing so hard during the movie I misunderstood, but didn’t the Wedding Crashers feature guys taking on fake identities at weddings to try to get laid ? I’m stunned. You thought that this example of Hollywood corrupting the morals of the kids in this country was funny ?
Bill, do movies corrupt absolutely, or do they not ?
Maybe you should actually read some of what you write Bill. In the above mentioned America Pop Culture Way article , you include the following:
“Finally, I went to see a movie called “American Gangster” over the weekend because of charges it glorified a drug dealer, played by Denzel Washington. “
Bill, you went to see a movie because you thought it glorified a drug dealer ??
Then you went on to say :
“But “American Gangster” did not glorify the dealer, although now for children, it is an excellent film, one that targets corruption, and demonstrates the evil of Mr. Washington’s character.
Those kinds of movies, tough as they are, actually, help the United States, unlike films that actively spur anti-American hatred. All of us have a responsibility to speak out against that.”
I want to make sure I understand something here Bill. Are you saying here that you were wrong about a movie you hadn’t yet seen ,and you changed your mind after you saw it ?
What a concept. I’m glad you thought of it Bill
Update Nov 12
The comments have become so moronic, I wanted to proactively say many, if not most will be “redacted” if they are not on topic and substantiative. I guess I should have expected this.
I also want to give those of you who would rather condemn before evaluating an answer to your question, “Is this film, anti troops”. The answer is no.
The movie is about what soldiers of every walk of life go through on a daily basis in Iraq. The challenge of facing 99pct of the day bored to tears, while at the same time being terrified that you never know who the enemy really is. Kids can be just kids, or they can be placing IEDs. Women can be just wives, or sisters or mothers, or they can be suicide bombers. Telling each from the other is impossible.
The movie is about this impossible position that soldiers are put into. No amount of training can prevent the humanity that comes from our soldiers , yet is the very trait that puts them in harm’s way. No amount of training can prepare them for seeing their friends die. This film recognizes that 99.9 pct of our forces cope with it and do their jobs. That each knows that among their peers , some may have a breaking point, and they do all they can to prevent them from reaching that breaking point. But they arent, and cant always be successful.
This movie is so far from being anti troops. You can’t watch this movie without it smacking you across the face that the battles that come with serving our country are as much mental and emotional as they are physical. That the weight and burden of survival they must carry every minute of every day is incomprehensible . You cant watch this movie without your heart going out to each and every serviceperson who is put in harms way.
When a couple of the servicepeople crack from the pressure, they dont become the story. They become one more burden that everyone else associated with them must carry. They become one more obstacle to be conquered, and that is conquered.
I recognize what the Director Brian DePalma set out to do . He wanted to make a movie about the horrors of war. He did it. He wanted to send an anti war message. Whether or not he accomplished that, will probably depend on your perspective before you saw the movie.
The horror comes not from generalizing about the troops in some negative way as some would have you believe. Not at all. The horror in this movie is a demand that we all respect the fact that those who serve our country face a ubiquitous pressure to survive against insurmountable odds. That those of us at home have no earthly idea just how horrific that pressure to survive is. That this understanding of what our troops go through has been “Redacted” from the media here at home.
In DePalma’s eyes, if this understanding had not been kept from us at home, the masses would stand up to fight the war. I don’t think it works that way. I think we as Americans want to, and do support our troops as much as we possibly can. In every situation, in every way possible. This movie helps us respect them and understand what they go through more than we did before. This understanding, IMHO, wont push people to call for an end to the war, but it can push people to .honor those who survive the horrors of war in service to our country even more than we already do.
This movie is incredibly powerful. No matter your position on the war, it will have an emotional impact on you.
That is where I stand with Redacted.
This movie has made me respect what our troops go through even more than I did in the past. I felt that way the first time I saw it, and even more so every time since that I have watched it since.
So now you know where I stand with this movie. Exactly