Author Topic: Resurrecting the Movies thread...  (Read 1022322 times)

Offline Kd5000

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #460 on: December 21, 2007, 09:30:02 pm »
I just came back from seeing CHARLEY WILSON'S WAR. Very timely.  And of the course, the msg about being careful with what you sow.  Evidently, since it was covert war, (America's involvement with getting the USSR out of Afghanistan), many Afghans were unaware of what efforts the USA made. Countries seem to do a poor job of planning for victory. It's all about defeating the enemy and then everything is forgotten. 

Towards the film's end, when Charley wants to introduce bills to help rebuild Afghan schools, he's met with rebuffs as "there's Eastern Europe to worry about." OF course, the rest is history. 

A well acted film at the least.  The film does sag a few times.   

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #461 on: December 22, 2007, 12:35:48 pm »
I just came back from seeing CHARLEY WILSON'S WAR. Very timely.  And of the course, the msg about being careful with what you sow.  Evidently, since it was covert war, (America's involvement with getting the USSR out of Afghanistan), many Afghans were unaware of what efforts the USA made. Countries seem to do a poor job of planning for victory. It's all about defeating the enemy and then everything is forgotten. 

Towards the film's end, when Charley wants to introduce bills to help rebuild Afghan schools, he's met with rebuffs as "there's Eastern Europe to worry about." OF course, the rest is history. 

A well acted film at the least.  The film does sag a few times.

My friend and I were anxious to see it, until, again, we saw the slant of the film toward the left.  I know Hollywood politics traditionally slant left a great deal and most of the time I have no problem with it since I do as well, but we wondered why can't they just tell the story the way it actually was and let the viewer make up their minds?  Otherwise, all these anti-war morality tales do not reach the people they need to.

All my right-wing friends have already turned up their noses at these movies.  They like to crow about how every single one of these left-wing war movies have failed at the box office.

I haven't seen the movie, but based on kd's review, it's another headshaker.  Yes, you reap what you sow, but if that's so, why isn't the USSR then or Russia now getting the 'great Satan' shit the US is?  THEY invaded after all, not us.  Also we did have eastern Europe to worry about at the time - or thought we did -  and if we were in Afghanistan covertly, we couldn't exactly start openly funding the infrastructure there, now could we?  Sometimes a war is about fighting a common enemy, not helping friends and what becomes of that - well, hindsight is 20/20. 

Offline Kd5000

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #462 on: December 22, 2007, 01:56:19 pm »
Actually a conservative poster had this to say about CHARLEY WILSON's WAR at IMDB.com.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hollywood Finally Sticking it To Mushy-headed Liberals

Charlie Wilson was an aimless and directionless Congressman into little more than hookers and blow until he was spurred to action by a God-fearing, conservative Texan.

In uncompromising terms, the film lays out the moral failure and weak-willed incompetence of the Carter Administration in recognizing the real threat that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan posed. Here was a Carter Administration that armed Afghan resistence with pop guns.

The film makes a very good point. Once a liberal Congress lined up behind Ronald Reagan, they brought an end to a global ideology that threatened world security.

I thought it was particularly bold in the way that it endorsed the idea that covert action in such instances is very effective. The way it exposes how the Democrats in Congress weren't even willing to fund $1 million in building Afghan schools was a courageous tactic for this film to take, especially given Jack Murtha's role as chairman of that committee.

Given that Murtha has been one of the more vocal critics of the current war, I could see how easy it would be to gloss over that fact, but it made no mistake of excusing teh short-sidedness of Murtha's failings as chairman.

I know that a lot of conservatives are going to have a knee-jerk reaction to this movie and call it un-American. A lot of liberals are going to line up to look at this as a bold attack on republicans.

But, in the end, it shows that Rudy Giuliani has been fighting corruption and criminal wrong-doing since the 1970s. It shows that Carter was a weak leader and that inteh 1980s, we brought the Soviets to their knees. It shows that great things happen when Congress lines up behind these principles and has a strong Republican leader in the White House to back the expenditures and effort, we get great things.

God Bless Tom Hanks. God Bless Julia Roberts.God Bless Charlie Walker. God Bless Ronald Reagan. And God Bless a Hollywood film with the courage to show what can happen when men like Jimmy Carter are sent to the ash heap of history.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/board/flat/92830154

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #463 on: December 22, 2007, 02:02:28 pm »
*sigh*

Well, let's just say politics is in the mind of the beholder.

Offline oilgun

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #464 on: December 22, 2007, 02:29:20 pm »

[...]
All my right-wing friends have already turned up their noses at these movies. 
[...]


My god!  How many have you got?!  I only have ONE and we always end up at each others throat!  :laugh:

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #465 on: December 22, 2007, 03:12:44 pm »
My god!  How many have you got?!  I only have ONE and we always end up at each others throat!  :laugh:

Several.  They are also either Born Again Christians or give lip-service to Christianity (e.g. they are homophobic, pro-life, pro-church and state, yet they are also fully behind the military, the death sentence, cutting social programs and have no problem sleeping around and judging others).  Yes, we tear each other to shreds over politics and religion, but somehow, we still manage to stay friends.  I've known them for years.  I abhor their politics and religious beliefs and I'm sure they do mine, but they will also give you the shirt off their backs and offer to bring chicken soup to you if you're sick.  They e-mail me right-wing political/religious things and I'm right back at them with counter stories and e-mails.

They sadden me.  :(  They're intelligent, college educated men, yet cannot or will not make logical connections or educate themselves if the conclusions they will reach are beyond their comfort levels.  I gave my favorite Carl Sagan book to one during a long operative convalescent period.  He was honest enough to admit it was interesting and well written but he just stopped reading because he grew 'uncomfortable' with Sagan's atheistic leanings.

He didn't even want to read what the man had to say.  What does that say about this man's ability to look at or listen to others' opinions objectively on any subject before making a decision?   :(

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #466 on: December 22, 2007, 03:24:45 pm »
You and della are luck oilgun. I happen to actually be married to one.  :'( He won't go to a concert, movie, or play or read a book or watch a TV show that was created by a non-Republican. An...that's how come me end up here!!


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Offline Shasta542

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #467 on: December 22, 2007, 03:32:52 pm »
You and della are luck oilgun. I happen to actually be married to one.  :'( He won't go to a concert, movie, or play or read a book or watch a TV show that was created by a non-Republican. An...that's how come me end up here!!


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Offline delalluvia

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #468 on: December 22, 2007, 03:33:55 pm »
You and della are luck oilgun. I happen to actually be married to one.  :'( He won't go to a concert, movie, or play or read a book or watch a TV show that was created by a non-Republican. An...that's how come me end up here!!

Now that's true love!!  ;D

Offline Kd5000

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #469 on: December 22, 2007, 05:10:45 pm »
I have a few conservative friends.  We tend to NOT talk much about politics.  In other words, I'm not friendly with them because of their politics.  Front-Ranger, how??? Well I do know a married couple and they do an awful amount of quarreling over politics.  I guess they like to argue.