Mel and Michael
Monday I suggested that the overlap between the audiences for Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ was probably "much larger than those noxious Red and Blue stereotypes would suggest."
Now I see this in The New York Times:
Mr. Moore and Mel Gibson…are fans of each other's work. Asked if he had seen Mr. Gibson's film, Mr. Moore lighted up.
"I saw it twice," Mr. Moore said. "It's a very powerful film. I'm a practicing Catholic. My film might have been called 'The Compassion of the Christ,' though. The great thing about this country is the diversity of voices. When we limit the voices, we cease being a free society."
When Mr. Gibson walked to the press room lectern, he and Mr. Moore seemed delighted to meet each other.
"I feel a strange kinship with Michael," Mr. Gibson said. "They're trying to pit us against each other in the press, but it's a hologram. They really have got nothing to do with one another. It's just some kind of device, some left-right. He makes some salient points. There was some very expert, elliptical editing going on. However, what the hell are we doing in Iraq? No one can explain to me in a reasonable manner that I can accept why we're there, why we went there, and why we're still there."
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That sound you hear is the collective heads of the Corner exploding at once.
It's just some kind of device, some left-right. He makes some salient points. There was some very expert, elliptical editing going on. However, what the hell are we doing in Iraq?
Never mind that- what the hell was Mel on when he said that? As far as I can tell that's just a string of unrelated, random phrases.
Mel's personal opinions aside, I think this does bring up something that's gotten buried under the Blue/Red, United States of Canada/Jesusland hype. There still is a political divide between Catholics and Evangelicals Protestants. Especially when it comes to the latter's rabid pro-Israel stance.
Avdi,
I had the pleasure of conversing with Mel once. And I can tell you first hand, he really is that incoherent.
No one can explain to me in a reasonable manner that I can accept why we're there, why we went there, and why we're still there.
We're there because we never left in the first place, you fine people simply stopped paying attention for a decade.
As far as why we're still there, it's so that Iran doesn't move in and take over the place.
Uh, wasn't Mel's Icon pictures one of the original backers of Moore/F911?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/13/entertainment/main617158.shtml
Especially when it comes to the latter's rabid pro-Israel stance.
Protestants have a thing for the end of the world, which according to Revelation hits a milestone when all the Jews go "home" to Israel.
rst,
Pro-Israel might not even be the right word. It would be an utter mistake to categorize their Zionism as pro-jewish, since its actually just the required precondition of Jesus coming back to turn the world into a spent match head and converting whatever jews should survive.
As far as I can tell that's just a string of unrelated, random phrases.
I think it makes more sense if you imagine a "On the other hand" before "There was some very expert, elliptical editing going on" -- and then treat the "However" as another "On the other hand."
Uh, wasn't Mel's Icon pictures one of the original backers of Moore/F911?
Yes.
To hell with celebrity opinions - the unasked question is, why did Icon Pictures back out of the F9/11 production if Mel feels this way?
Neither film has enough explosions and kung-fu for me, anyway.
Mo,
Thank you. That image will keep me from going on a multi-state killing spree the next time some posting links to ... that blog.
Not all that long ago lots of fundamentalist protestants didn't even think catholics were christians. They thought they were some sort of cult. See Jack Chick's immortal "The Death Cookie" for example. Maybe they still do but don't talk about it much. That was one of the weirder things about the whole Passion phenomenon. Gibson and the (evangelical) audience both think one another are going to hell.
Right on queue, Free Republic goes crazy.
You don't have to be an asshole like Bill Donahoe to know there is still a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment out there.
BTW: Has anyone done a study as to what extent anti-Catholicism was a factor in the defeat of Kerry?
This is almost as good as when Dale Earnhart, Jr., encouraged his crew to watch F911.
One poster at Free Republic pointed out that there was such a thing as an anti-war conservative, and that being a "conservative" didn't mean swallowing everything Limbaugh and Hannity said. I expect Rim Jobinson to delete it any minute now.
Bill Kaufmann's America is still alive and well.
digamma, great link. Scary bunch, the New Republic posters.
I've never really got the all or nothing mentality that people seem to have about their beliefs.
Oops, I meant free republic. I'm a jackass.
digamma, great link. Scary bunch, the New Republic posters.
second those kudos, mr digamma -- that's some funny reading.
like indymedia, freerepublic needs to be read as one giant piece of prose from a connected godbrain (an idiot version of the sanghra, perhaps) rather than the disconnected thoughts of dozens of frightened people.
BTW: Has anyone done a study as to what extent anti-Catholicism was a factor in the defeat of Kerry?
I might be wrong but I was under the impression that Kerry was pretty much considered a heretic by micks and prods alike.
Didn't Catholics mostly vote for Bush?
It's tough to think of any voters who are anti-Catholic enough for Kerry's religion to make a difference, who weren't already determined to re-elect God's choses president, and vote against a hippy war protester.
digamma,
My thanks as well. But I feel guilty at taking such pleasure in their distress.
"I feel a strange kinship with Michael," Mr. Gibson said. "They're trying to pit us against each other in the press, but it's a hologram."
I knew it!
Michael Moore is a hologram, and all we need to do is find the projector or whatever!
Mel's speech was so incomprehensible in Mad Max that they dubbed over his dialogue.
Cool guy though, until he started doing those chick flicks. I don't care how much money is involved, an action movie star should NEVER do a chick flick.
Mel's speech was so incomprehensible in Mad Max that they dubbed over his dialogue.
Actually it's because the producers didn't think a film with Australian accents would sell in the US market unless it was actually about Australians. The Mad Max flicks take place in some unspecified hellish future somwhere.
If you saw that interview Diane Sawyer (?) did with Mel, you would realise that the dude is quite nuts.
I liked him better when he was drinking, doing coke, and fucking hookers and not addicted to god. But as a non-believing, hedonistic bastard, I like everyone better when they're drinking, doing coke, and fucking hookers.
Lowdog...
But as a non-believing, hedonistic bastard, I like everyone better when they're drinking, doing coke, and fucking hookers
my sentiments exactly...
"Don't be afraid, little people--we're just holygrams!"
"And there's a lot more of me where I come from!"
"In government-inflicted simulations..."
Isaac:
I do believe you are correct. I need to watch Mad Max again, but I don't recall them dubbing anyone else except Mel.. some Aussie accents were kept in, but Mel's was too thick.
But you're right. They wanted to keep the setting vague for the American market. Idiotic, if you ask me.
I need to watch Mad Max again...
Me too. I seem to have this recollection that Mel and the other "good guys" got american or sort of "mid-pacific" accents, while the 'bad guys" kept their Aussie accents (reinforcing the "foreign evil guy" thing). I need to verify that.
I'll watch Road Warrior while I'm at it. I think it's arguably the best sequal ever made.. though Godfather II is tough to beat. Oh yeah, and Evil Dead II and Empire Strikes Back..
The Mad Max flicks take place in some unspecified hellish future somwhere.
Actually, I believe there is a dead kangaroo by the side of the road in The Road Warrior a.k.a. Mad Max 2.
I think Max's dog in TRW/MM2 is also an Australian Blue Cattle Dog, and the camels in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome are pretty familiar as Australian desert transportion (originally imported, of course). Although those don't exactly leap out at most people as "Australian" as much as the kangaroo would (no pun intended).
Stevo
I think the Mad Max franchise might have become more Australian as things Australian became more popular in the US. The popularity of the first one may have led to less self conciousness but there was also the "coming of age" of Australian film with vehicles like Breaker Morant and Gallipoli.
Also if I'm not mistaken Gallipoli and Mad Max established Gibson as a star in the US. Star power is almost indispensible for success in the US market.
Actually I saw good Australian films in the 50s so I knew they could make pictures. My Australian side is not really that proud of Mad Max.
Isaac, ever see Romper Stomper?
No, doesn't ring a bell at all.