Topic: Is Riddick just more anti-American tripe? (Read 5816 times)

Toasty0 · « **on:** June 13, 2004, 05:50:37 pm »

http://toasty0.ipbhost.com/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=107&st=0#entry231

Clark Kent · « **Reply #1 on:** June 13, 2004, 06:52:37 pm »

Haven't seen ityet, but I';m leaning towards no. Typically, movies these days spend years in development, then more time before they are fianlly released. This is especially true of sci fi movies and movies with alot of special effects. I'm sure the movie has been ready for release for over a year. I'm betting that they finished filming before the war in iraq even occurred, and the plot and dialogue were set long bofore Iraq had become an issue.
Of course, this isn't even a fully formed opnion yet, so I could very well be wrong.

CK

P.S. I like Latinas...
....And apparently Asian ladies as well...

SFC Bennie · « **Reply #2 on:** June 13, 2004, 07:20:06 pm »

I didn't get that impression. The Necromongers had a more Roman than American feel for me.

I understand the concerns, but I'd urge caution. It's hard to ignore the events of our times, but it's also easyt to misapply labels. I was pretty sure the Thanagarian occupation on the Justice League finale was a slam at the Americans in Iraq, until one of the creators stated it had been written before the invasion. So it's probably best to be cautious about using the label.

And of course, a person can oppose the policy of the current United States administration without being anti-American, just as those who opposed the Clinton adminstration weren't necessarily anti-American.

Scott Bennie

JMM · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2004, 07:49:02 pm »

Words well spoken Bennie. I'm no fan of Bush and Cheney and the mess in Iraq, but it sure as hades does not mean I would turn my back on our country!

BTW, for everyone that saw the movie, is it worth seeing? Some critics were saying "the best sci-fi" movie yet, yeah right... If Star Wars 1 was adjusted for today's dollars, it would still be far ahead (gross profit) of any other sci-fi film made yet.

Iceman · « **Reply #4 on:** June 13, 2004, 08:58:52 pm »

So by that mark Spider-Man is the best movie of all time? No, sorry.

Riddick was a good movie. I really enjoyed it, even if they just shook the camera around a lot for a fight scene. I've give it an 7.5 or 8 out iof 10.

By the way Toasty, I think you're reading WAY to far into these types of things.

Rat_Boy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 13, 2004, 09:16:25 pm »

Hey, I wasn't going to go see it just because I thought it was going to be plain tripe.

Toasty0 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 13, 2004, 10:30:02 pm »

Quote:

I didn't get that impression. The Necromongers had a more Roman than American feel for me.

True, but then that resemblence would've been too on the nose, imho, and not over looked by the averge or younger movie goer.

Quote:

I understand the concerns, but I'd urge caution. It's hard to ignore the events of our times, but it's also easyt to misapply labels. I was pretty sure the Thanagarian occupation on the Justice League finale was a slam at the Americans in Iraq, until one of the creators stated it had been written before the invasion. So it's probably best to be cautious about using the label.

So, your suggesting that the choice of using red, white and blue to represent the arrival of the "necros", and the set design (all done during production and less then 3 years ago) was just a coincedence?

Quote:

And of course, a person can oppose the policy of the current United States administration without being anti-American, just as those who opposed the Clinton adminstration weren't necessarily anti-American.

Of course they can. It'd be silly to suggest otherwise. But this wasn't a commentary on the presidency or the president. The choice of symbols goes much further than a simple "the-president-sucks" message.

Further, I don't believe that someone's right to slam my country in any way limits my right to recognize such a slam nor shold that person's right stop me from expressing my disdain for their action.

Quote:

Scott Bennie

I ask again--do you think the juxtapostion of imagery and character(s) was just a simple coincidence?

SFC Bennie · « **Reply #8 on:** June 14, 2004, 01:42:26 am »

I understand your qualms about the denegration of national symbology. My apologies for not making it clearer in my post..

Keith David's character is "Imam", so they're clearly *not* blind to politics, but I didn't notice the use of red/white/blue color scheme during the invasion sequence. The Necromonger image is more Roman/Teutonic knight than American, so I suspect the poliitical message is meant to evoke something broader.hen it comes out on DVD, I'll look at the sequence again and see if something subliminal pops out.

Scott Bennie

Scott Allen Abfalter · « **Reply #9 on:** June 14, 2004, 10:37:40 am »

I am sure it is more of a matter of looking at the movie and seeing unimplied parallels than it was any intentional effort. Particularly since this (as was said above) took years to create.

Iceman · « **Reply #10 on:** June 14, 2004, 10:59:32 am »

I haven't seen either, but I've got a friend who's very much into film and I think he's got them, so I'll watch them sometime.

Scott Allen Abfalter · « **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2004, 12:43:09 pm »

Remember, too, that critics trashed Star Wars when it came out.

Tremok · « **Reply #15 on:** June 15, 2004, 08:20:53 pm »

Seeing things that are not there has always been the danger of looking too deeply into things. I recall seeing some vaguely red, white, and blue lights on one of the necro doom towers. If you wish to take that as an American/Necromonger association, and hence a slight/condemnation, then go ahead. You can take it anyway you want to and It can mean anything you want it to. For me, the Necromongers are the Necromongers, and the only thing I note about the lights is the fact they don't look hideous or out of place.

On a side note, the irony that New Mecca, were there are many different people with many different religions, is conquered by the Necromongers in a 'one true religion' crusade is not lost on me.

Bonk · « **Reply #16 on:** June 15, 2004, 08:50:03 pm »

Most popular movies are American made - most of them are tripe.
It is inconcievable the amount of energy we waste on this crap...
Might I suggest some enlightening literature?

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business - Neil Postman

Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media - Edward S. Herman, Noam Chomsky

and not unrelated:
Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (The American Empire Project) - Noam Chomsky

I just love irony...

Hexx · « **Reply #17 on:** June 16, 2004, 04:07:44 am »

Man I reall have to check out this forum more often.

You guys are kinda entertaining. (Or maybe really scary)

So the movie had the Necromongers ship use Red White and Blue?
Maybe they were from France.
Maybe they were from the Netherlands.

Maybe you're just reading way to much into this.

But if I can ask something ( and I don't mean to be rude, or critical) how is it that a Nation that considers itself
"Home of the Free" and prides itself on it's freedom of speech is so quick to have it's citizens and it's media (for the most part) jump on anyone that seems to question it's motives?

I mean everything from Farenheit 9/11 has attrracted the World's interest because of the stupidity (imho) of the political scene that has distributers not releasing it, and now there is a campaign to have people try and call the managers of thettres showing it to chage their minds? I've seen pieces of it and it doesn't look all that impressive. Just let people watch it. hear some rebuttals and decide for themselves.

Then everyone can spend more time deciding if a semi-coherent action movie is really making an anti-American statement in disguise.
<snicker>

Bonk · « **Reply #18 on:** June 16, 2004, 04:38:58 am »

You mean Ray Bradbury's - Fahrenheit 451 ?

Excellent story, I have a copy of the original printing, it is in tatters now but I won't let it go...

But back on topic - from what I gather (I have not seen Riddick), it sounds like exactly the opposite of what Toasty suggests. Someone had posted similarly earlier in the thread but has edited it now unfortunately and backed down from their seemingly accurate assesment of the propaganda potential of such a film.

ghostcamel · « **Reply #19 on:** June 17, 2004, 03:16:35 am »

No, hes talking about Micheal Moores new movie Fahrenheit 9-11, a documentary thats highly critical of the Bush regimes handling of the aftermath of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.

Personally, while i find Disneycorps refusal to distribute the film unfortunate, i am much more appalled by the MPAA supposedly giving it a R rating. Hell, the uber-violence of Riddick only garnered a PG-13, for "intense sequences of violent action and some language."

Heres a trailer to F-9/11

And another to the Riddick Trailer

Of course you cant really judge based on a trailer(Both are all audience). Maybe Moore visits alot of hospitals in Iraq with wounded and dead lying about... not sure, but it does seem highly improper. When anyone can turn to CNN and see the same sorts of things.

I do think this thread should be in Hot Topics though, little flamey for this part of the Forums IMHO.

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Topic: Is Riddick just more anti-American tripe? (Read 5816 times) var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

Toasty0

Clark Kent

SFC Bennie

JMM

Iceman

Rat_Boy

Toasty0

Toasty0

SFC Bennie

Scott Allen Abfalter

Iceman

Toasty0

Yabrodan

Scott Allen Abfalter

Sethan

Tremok

Bonk

Hexx

Bonk

ghostcamel

Topic: Is Riddick just more anti-American tripe? (Read 5816 times)