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Red Yawn
REVIEW: How Hollywood butchered a cult classic to appease China
The new Red Dawn remake is a fine example of a number of dispiriting trends in the filmmaking industry. The picture was based on a brand name instead of a heartfelt original tale. The studios mutilated it in order to placate Chinese Communists. And it was served up to audiences that studios assume will eat whatever they are served.
Ever-increasing budgets and declining domestic audiences have forced studios to look for box office success abroad. “Aimed at Bangkok and Bangalore as much as at Bangor,” David Denby recently wrote in the New Republic, “our big movies have been defoliated of character, wit, psychology, local color.” He’s right.
But it is not only the adult dramas championed by Denby that have been sapped of their vitality; action films, too, have seen plot and character sacrificed for commerce.
Just compare the original Red Dawn with its remake.
Stranded in Sonoma
November 26th, 2012
My son saw it with his friends. When he told me it was the North Koreans that invaded the U.S., I asked him if he had seen the satellite photo of North Korea at night. He said yes and then said, “Yeah, it was pretty dumb.” Though he did like the action/adventure parts, he admitted the plot was pretty stupid.
I told him that the population of NK is about 25 million people. CA has about 35 million. Once again, movie industry libtards still can’t do math.
Stranded in Sonoma
November 26th, 2012
I’m laughing because I’ll bet Ben Affleck wants to stop this war, too.
Bad Brad
November 26th, 2012
Well we should all fear China. Did you see the headlines about how they have landed their first plane on their one only only used and recycled aircraft carrier. I wonder how many F-18s were launched off of and retrieved back on board our carriers that day. Our media really goes out of their way to paint China as some great military power. If the shooting really started, I don’t think they’d last to long. I don’t sweat China.
J Frank Parnell
November 26th, 2012
Red Dawn, the original, the only, was about the federal government says John Milius:
http://www.gunpundit.com/133.php
It reminded my generation the cost of freedom in an age of nuclear brinksmanship. A lesson the tattooed, stoned out salivating idiots of successive generations will make us all relearn.
Milwaukee Mike
November 26th, 2012
Given our current trajectory, Putin and the current Russians would have been the correct choice.
Gina
November 26th, 2012
hey i forgot about that movie..
“wolverines”!!
OTA Mom
November 26th, 2012
Men (Swayze, Sheen, Keith, Stanton, etc.) v. boys (Connor Cruise and some other preschoolers). Shouldn’t this have gone straight to dvd.
Blink
November 26th, 2012
I won’t see this one. If they made a movie showing the country being destroyed from within by a traitor in the White House and other traitors in positions of power and a majority apathetic population. I’d go see it. It would have a stronger ring of reality.
Carlos The Jackal
November 26th, 2012
If ‘Red Dawn’ doesn’t have Patrick Swayze in it, then ‘Red Dawn’ ain’t shit.
Wyatt, Insensitive Progressive Jerk
November 26th, 2012
North Koreans? Assuming that they could find a way to get to California, and assuming that they would not get lost along the way, they would be more likely to storm ashore, take a look around, and head towards the nearest welfare office to apply for all of the goodies the California government provides.
Then it’s off to score some good shit, and mellow out on the beach.
the aardvark
November 26th, 2012
I have never even seen the 1st Red Dawn movie. And why pick on Wash. state, what are we the closest to Asia that it makes us easy pickings? Bet, they wouldn’t mess with Texas, Montana, Wyoming,Idaho, etc., great cowboy states all. Why don’t they just march down Broadway in NYC? They’d probably just give it to them or Vermont or some other weenie East coast state. And I wouldn’t mess with the South either.
J Frank Parnell
November 26th, 2012
Aardvark! Go watch Red Dawn, the original. You are in it.
Bob M.
November 27th, 2012
The ORIGINAL came out the summer before my senior year of hi skrool – you couldn’t re-create THAT impact with a million remakes.
I’ll PASS on re-make #1…
Bad Brad
November 27th, 2012
Bob. Me too. Not the worst remake though. Imagine a bunch of Hollywood fags trying to emulate John Freaken Wayne in True Grit. Haven’t watched it, won’t watch it, times goes buy and the more it’s considered a joke. As it should be.