AMERICAN SNIPER

[HairOfTheDog]

What are some movies you saw at the drive in? I distinctively remember seeing "Mohogany" with Dianne Summers (the first boobies I'd ever seen and man there was a lot of them in that movie!), "Blazing Saddles", "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Young Frankenstein."

We had a cream colored Country Squire station wagon with wood paneling. There were three of us girls 13 months apart and we'd all take a bath together first, get into footie pajamas, get tossed into a sea of pillows and blankets in the back of the car, and head off to the drive-in on the weekends. I think when we were off at the playground was probably the only time my mom and dad had alone all week.

I liked the playground and the Woody Woodpecker and Chilly Willy cartoons before the movies the best, so that's what I remember most clearly. But, I do remember watching part of one of the Dirty Harry movies when we were supposed to be sleeping -- there was a scene at a strip club and I remember being floored that ladies were running around with their boobies showing.

Fun times.

[Blindgreed1]

I can't even remember now, I think one of them was Friday the 13^th.

That explains a lot.

[Duchess]

Regarding the Academy Awards - Al Sharpton is calling for an emergency meeting early next week in Hollywood to discuss possible action regarding the Oscars. He said the movie industry is like the Rocky Mountains, the higher you get, the whiter it gets. (That's not the first time I've seen him use that expression). He went on to state that the lack of black actors nominated is appalling.

As far as I can tell, when their work is worthy, they get nominated and on occasion, win.

[username]

What are some movies you saw at the drive in? I distinctively remember seeing "Mohogany" with Dianne Summers (the first boobies I'd ever seen and man there was a lot of them in that movie!), "Blazing Saddles", "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Young Frankenstein."

I think we might have watched Smokey and the Bandit at a drive in too! I'm not sure. I remember watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Chitty chitty Bang Bang over and over again but I doubt that was at the theaters; my dad wouldn't have the patience for that shit.

My neighbors once took me along with them to a drive in movie (they had a couple of kids). They had an RV so we were on the top bed over the driver's seat watching. I remember at least one if not more nude love scenes in the movie. Now that I think about it, it was probably just R rated but I believed for years that they took me to a complete porn/X-rated film. I never told my parents about that and never went to the movies with them again.

[crash]

I went and watched this today. It don't get much more American and Hollywood. If you need a dose of freedom, patriotism and 'Murica OORAH!! Go watch it..

[ZEROSPHERES]

Regarding the Academy Awards - Al Sharpton is calling for an emergency meeting early next week in Hollywood to discuss possible action regarding the Oscars.

Lt. Col. Allen West, who satirically said of Sharpton's annoyance at the lack of black Oscar nominees: "It's shocking! Seventy-eight percent of all MVPs in history have been black! Boy, I'd say the NBA is way too black. We ought to hold an emergency meeting to discuss possible action against the NBA, right Al? I mean it's simply not fair

http://www.Newsmax.com/US/Larry-Wilmore-...z3Qe8BF7uY

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I went and watched this today. It don't get much more American and Hollywood. If you need a dose of freedom, patriotism and 'Murica OORAH!! Go watch it..

SAw it Friday for Date Night..She picked it.
Very cool story, right up to the end.
I sat there watching this guys story roll by and thinking, Yea, I know about this guy.
Right up to the end, I had forgotten what happened to him.

Great story, makes a man proud, and pissed

[ZEROSPHERES]

I blame Bush for the Middle East quagmire and between Bush and Obama we are making enemies faster than we can kill them.

[crash]

Very cool story, right up to the end.

Surprises me not this does..

I like this guy's synopsis;

The movie depicts compounded action scenes with very little political and regional context. It was a conscious decision by Clint Eastwood, apparently, to leave out the cause of the U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. It was a conscious decision, apparently, for multiple characters to describe the Iraqis as “savages” and never show any alternative. When I heard of the bigoted reaction some Americans had after watching the film, I was disgusted, but not surprised. Audience members are mistaking Chris Kyle’s view of the war as “the” story about the war.

Great story, makes a man proud, and pissed

This was you, wasn't it?

No wonder someone tweeted that the movie made them “want to go kill some ragheads.” It’s sad that such a nearsighted portrayal of Iraqis has caused more people to fear Arabs and glorify violence against them

That whole article by Garret Reppenhagen is worth a read. He may be trying on a coat tail ride, but I'd still buy his book to judge for myself. He just seems a little less 'glossed up for Hollywood'

[Duchess]

So this movie is all about killing the people who are trying to kill US soldiers and not about a husband & wife and the effects of the war on them?

[crash]

It's about both. The bit about the husband and wife and the effect of a war on a relationship is probably the more accurate bit, but probably not developed enough.

[Duchess]

The film maker Michael Moore has had a lot to say about this film, none of it nice. I don't know what he said to Clint Eastwood to elicit this response but it was reported that Clint told him if he showed up at his door with cameras he would shoot him.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's a movie based on a soldier's autobiographical book about his experiences during wartime and the effects on his life, not a historical or political documentary. As such, it should be told from the sniper's perspective, FFS.

No secret how I feel about the Iraqi invasion and the false narrative used to sell it -- I'm far from alone. I could still watch the movie depicting one man's role in it, from his perspective, without walking out of the theater less educated than when I walked into it. And, for those who supported the invasion/war regardless of the lie used to sell it, I could see the movie stoking feelings of patriotism. So what?

It's just a movie. I think the critics who wanna indict the American public or the director for being entertained or moved by Chris Kyle's story sound petty and ridiculous, personally. There are a lot of movies about war, unless they're classified as documentaries, it's ignorant to expect an accurate unbiased history lesson when you buy your popcorn.

(Kyle's suspected killer goes on trial this month, btw).

[crash]

I think the critics who wanna indict the American public or the director for being entertained or moved by Chris Kyle's story sound petty and ridiculous, personally.

I wonder how the American critics would indict the Middle Eastern movie maker's story if the same movie was made glorifying the sniper depicted by Mustafa

I also wonder if the American muslims that have been victims of abuse and death threats since the movies release buy into the cheap comment that 'It's just a movie'

[HairOfTheDog]

Wonder away, crash. I don't have the answers on how others would feel about Mustafa; I imagine it would vary. I'm telling you my opinion of the American Sniper critiques posted here.

As far as American Muslims, and Australian Muslims, and French Muslims, etc... They already face hostilities because some Americans, Australians, and French assume that all Muslims have jihadist mindset, or that "good Muslims" are not vocal enough in denouncing terrorism, or they don't speak the right language, or they don't dress right... The movie didn't create that mindset, not by a long shot. And, it is, in fact, just a movie.

Freedom of speech and expression -- I'm a fan of it. That includes Kyle's freedom to write his book, Eastwood's freedom to make his movie, your freedom to critique them, and my freedom to share my opinion of it all.

[crash]

The movie didn't create that mindset, not by a long shot. And, it is, in fact, just a movie.

Au contraire..

The movie is helping to create that mindset. It's adding fuel to an already volatile fire. And when it is passed of as a 'true' story, albeit based on the biography of a pathological liar, it is borderline propaganda.

I'm a fan of free speech too; Factual, unbiased speech. Speech that is not loaded from one side, that doesn't invoke a preconcieved opinion. I'm a fan of that.

[HairOfTheDog]

As I said, the movie didn't "create" the mindset. Unless you're arguing that there was no anti-Iraq or anti-Muslim sentiment in the West before this movie release, my statement is undisputed.

If the movie perpetuates those negative feelings for some in America whilst motivating others to argue that the invasion was wrong and that Muslims are unfairly portrayed and discriminated against, it's controversial -- not always a bad thing.

Factual and unbiased are subjective, crash. I assume you think your critiques on the movie and comments on "'Murica" are unbiased. I see them as something else. I'm a fan of free expression and free speech; even when what is being expressed or spoken doesn't coincide with what I consider factual and unbiased -- that's what it's all about.

[crash]

As I said, the movie didn't "create" the mindset. Unless you're arguing that there was no anti-Iraq or anti-Muslim sentiment in the West before this movie release, my statement is undisputed.

If the movie perpetuates those negative feelings for some in America whilst motivating others to argue that the invasion was wrong and that Muslims are unfairly portrayed and discriminated against, it's controversial -- not always a bad thing.

Factual and unbiased are subjective, crash. I assume you think your critiques on the movie and comments on "'Murica" are unbiased. I see them as something else. I'm a fan of free expression and free speech; even when what is being expressed or spoken doesn't coincide with what I consider factual and unbiased -- that's what it's all about.

Can anyone remember what did create the mindset? I think that's a moot point anyway.. Shouldn't we be concentrating on what perpetuates it? I'm sorry, but I think if anything is one sided and propagandistic, then that is a bad thing.

I don't see how this is a grey area. This is a glorified account from a proven liar that only serves the purpose of one side. You can claim all the freedom of speech you like and unbiased blah blah blah, but that's just like Mr Isis saying his propaganda is unbiased and for the greater good too.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, crash, you see more bad than I do then, which is not a problem.

One-sided propaganda: impassioned religious preachings, political posturing, deeply felt cultural beliefs which cannot be proven true or false, product/service marketing and sales, centuries of war-based movies from around the world...

I don't think people and organizations are bad if they don't present alternative view points whenever they exercise their freedom of speech and expression. I'd have a very negative view of the world if I did; I think my definition of freedom is less narrow than yours.

[crash]

I don't think people and organizations are bad if they don't present alternative view points whenever they exercise their freedom of speech and expression.

Ima just keep that little gem for posterity..