This website is not dedicated to politics. If it were I’d be saying more than a few things about the change in leadership the country experienced today. I’m pretty politically minded and I’ve definitely got more than a few opinions on what’s been going on in the United States over not only the past few months, but the past few years as well, opinions that I’m fairly certain many of the people that contribute to or read this site don’t agree with. That’s not what this post or this site is about though so relax and put away your pitchforks and torches. We talk about movies here and that’s what I’m going to do now. A pretty big change was made in our country today and I’m sorry but I just can’t help but comment on it because, well… brace yourself, movies are gonna suck!
I suppose I should preface this by saying that this isn’t an exact science but during my 29 years on this planet I’ve learned that for the most part there is no greater artistic force than a pissed off liberal! Now look around you is there a single liberal anywhere in America that isn’t smiling ear to ear? Seriously turn on your TV, most of them were at Barack Obama’s inauguration and outside of a post Oscar party I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a happier bunch of celebrities.
Don’t get me wrong, America’s gone through some pretty dark times over the past few years and regardless of your political affiliation or whether or not such emotions are warranted or called for there’s a sense of hope attached with the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States that I can’t recall for any other elected official in my lifetime. That’s not a political statement or an editorial opinion that’s just an observation on the current social climate of the world around me. As an eternal optimist this makes me happy, the idea of so much hope permeating the American public at this moment in history is a good thing, unless you follow the arts.
Seriously look back at the history of this country the majority of our best art comes when people are miserable, down trodden and generally pissed off. For most of the artistic community they seem to feel like this anytime a Republican is in office. How many great movies were made during Clinton’s term as president? A few but NOTHING like what we’ve seen over the past couple of years.
If the last five plus years hadn’t been filled with so much confusion, despair, violence, apathy and well… you get the idea would we have NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, MUNICH any of the Jason Bourne films or worst yet THE DARK KNIGHT? I don’t think so. All of those movies and so many more were birthed out of the righteously indignant minds of the world’s greatest film makers.
Music, comics, literature, television and most of all film have all enjoyed something of a new renaissance over the last several years and now that Obama has taken office what do we have to look forward to? Nothing, most likely it’s just gonna be a bunch of phoned in, touchy-feely crap because every actor, writer and director worth his salt is going to be too busy trying to save the world, not put out quality entertainment! PAUL BLART: MALL COP was the number one movie at the box office this weekend, coincidence? I think not, more like a harbinger of the things to come I say!
So go ahead, sit there on your couch with a huge grin on your face and hope in your heart as what most people think is a new day dawns in America. Will our economy, education and health care systems be fixed along with our world image and too many other problems to count? Who knows, all I know is I’m gonna have to make sure my DVD player is running at it’s optimal level because it’s gonna be just about the only place I’ll be able to gain viewing satisfaction for the next 4 or… I shudder to think 8 years!
(I leave it up to the reader to figure out how much of this post is good natured satire but consider this. Movies made while Bill Clinton was in office: THE POSTMAN, BATMAN AND ROBIN, STOP OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT, JUDGE DREDD, LOST IN SPACE, SHOWGIRLS. Movies made while Ronald Reagan was in office: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, GHOSTBUSTERS, DIE HARD, LETHAL WEAPON, ALIENS… I could go on and on. =-)
I suppose I should preface this by saying that this isn’t an exact science but during my 29 years on this planet I’ve learned that for the most part there is no greater artistic force than a pissed off liberal! Now look around you is there a single liberal anywhere in America that isn’t smiling ear to ear? Seriously turn on your TV, most of them were at Barack Obama’s inauguration and outside of a post Oscar party I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a happier bunch of celebrities.
Don’t get me wrong, America’s gone through some pretty dark times over the past few years and regardless of your political affiliation or whether or not such emotions are warranted or called for there’s a sense of hope attached with the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States that I can’t recall for any other elected official in my lifetime. That’s not a political statement or an editorial opinion that’s just an observation on the current social climate of the world around me. As an eternal optimist this makes me happy, the idea of so much hope permeating the American public at this moment in history is a good thing, unless you follow the arts.
Seriously look back at the history of this country the majority of our best art comes when people are miserable, down trodden and generally pissed off. For most of the artistic community they seem to feel like this anytime a Republican is in office. How many great movies were made during Clinton’s term as president? A few but NOTHING like what we’ve seen over the past couple of years.
If the last five plus years hadn’t been filled with so much confusion, despair, violence, apathy and well… you get the idea would we have NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, MUNICH any of the Jason Bourne films or worst yet THE DARK KNIGHT? I don’t think so. All of those movies and so many more were birthed out of the righteously indignant minds of the world’s greatest film makers.
Music, comics, literature, television and most of all film have all enjoyed something of a new renaissance over the last several years and now that Obama has taken office what do we have to look forward to? Nothing, most likely it’s just gonna be a bunch of phoned in, touchy-feely crap because every actor, writer and director worth his salt is going to be too busy trying to save the world, not put out quality entertainment! PAUL BLART: MALL COP was the number one movie at the box office this weekend, coincidence? I think not, more like a harbinger of the things to come I say!
So go ahead, sit there on your couch with a huge grin on your face and hope in your heart as what most people think is a new day dawns in America. Will our economy, education and health care systems be fixed along with our world image and too many other problems to count? Who knows, all I know is I’m gonna have to make sure my DVD player is running at it’s optimal level because it’s gonna be just about the only place I’ll be able to gain viewing satisfaction for the next 4 or… I shudder to think 8 years!
(I leave it up to the reader to figure out how much of this post is good natured satire but consider this. Movies made while Bill Clinton was in office: THE POSTMAN, BATMAN AND ROBIN, STOP OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT, JUDGE DREDD, LOST IN SPACE, SHOWGIRLS. Movies made while Ronald Reagan was in office: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, GHOSTBUSTERS, DIE HARD, LETHAL WEAPON, ALIENS… I could go on and on. =-)
4 comments:
Hahahahaha! What a very clever article. ; )
I won't argue with you, I enjoy films of the 80's far more than most films that have been released since then and not just purely for nostalgic reasons as my much younger relatives like to watch those films far more than some of the glut out today.
I'm not going to make this political either but if anything our political process has gotten to the point where political parties are more and more becoming one giant Orwellian entity in order to win more votes and bring in the pork. Its why I fight in every election to bring in the third parties to get away from this two party BS, sure a lot of the third parties may be kooky and out there but this is a democracy and we at least should let them have their voice heard because who knows if they have something worth saying?
Where I'm going with this is that I doubt Obama will be a two term President because of all the tough decisions he's going to have to make over the next four years and also due to the fact that I think most people are sick and tired of having two 8 year back to back Presidincies. Personally I think the office of the President should be abolished and replaced by a non-partisan council or commitee because its turned our system into "Blame President such and such" and takes away from the accountability on the puppetmasters pulling their strings.
Anyway, our new President has a LOT of things to fix and I'm sure there will be a lot of equally disappointed people out there (who will go on to make fine films) who will feel the same disinfranchisement they felt under other Presidents. I think he'll get the most important problems taken care of come 2012 (unless of course you believe in that Mayan calender at which point none of use will exist) but it won't matter since setting up unrealistic expectations is a very common trait among most American voters or at least the ones I've encountered.
Great work though, I could easily see this article being published in a film magazine or online publication. I'd hang on this one to put in your portfolio.
Very apt photo btw! Of course, its far too early to tell but I think TDK will be one of those touchstone films for this decade in the years to come as Dr. Strangelove was for the 60's and First Blood was for the 80's.
While I agree that your article is entertaining, I think the idea that there were few good films made during the Clinton years is a premise that is completely off-base.
Schindler's List, American Beauty, Fargo, Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, Shakespeare In Love, Apollo 13, The Matrix, Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, Sense and Sensibility, The Three Colors Trilogy (Blue, White, Red), L.A. Confidential, Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, Traffic, Crouching Tiger - Hidden Dragon, Toy Story, The Usual Suspects, and The Shawshank Redemption all have one thing in common.
They were all made when Bill Clinton was President of the United States.
Here we go Christopher - You're already writing propaganda! And you are a wacky-headed liberal! :)
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