Live for Nothing, Die for Access to Banned Pirated DVDs

The Tatmadaw and 65 percent of critics agree: Rambo sucks. According to some reports of extremely dubious origin, Than Shwe's men have banned the film. Since the only copies available will be pirated, that makes them extra illegal.

"People are going crazy with the quote 'Live for nothing, die for something'," one resident said, referring to the tagline of the fourth Rambo installment, which opened in the United States this week.

Even though it received lukewarm reviews, it is likely to be a sure-fire hit with opponents of the junta, with some even hoping it could spur a change of regime in the impoverished southeast Asian nation.

As with previous Rambo films, it is short on plot and long on blood and guts -- although viewers appear to think it is all relative.

"Rambo acted very cruelly, but his cruelty is nothing compared to that of the military junta," a Myanmar student in Thailand, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters.

Defy the junta and enjoy some reason on Rambo.

Hat Tip: Bill Piper. 

Comments

[Rimfax]

Gad! Please no! Not the "Rambo Revolution"!!!

[Jorgen]

I guess if you're angry enough, anything can be a rallying point.

[Gary Gold]

Uhh, in the next Rambo installment,is he going to beat them with his walker?

[Jacob]

"When you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing"

[Eric Atkinson]

I ENJOYED the new Rambo movie. All the critics that did not enjoy the story line or the digital effects of a bunch of assholes getting chopped to pieces by an M2 can go watch Brokeback Mountain again.

[Tom]

"I ENJOYED the new Rambo movie. All the critics that did not enjoy the story line or the digital effects of a bunch of assholes getting chopped to pieces by an M2 can go watch Brokeback Mountain again."

Digital effects......bunch of assholes.....Brokeback Mountain.

Eric, I think you're on to something here.........

[smartass sob]

it is short on plot and long on blood and guts --

And with enough action in it so that foreign audiences don't need to understand the dialog to enjoy it. American movies are made with foreign distribution in mind. Perhaps that is why so many of them only appeal to kids - or those with a kid's mentality. It's been a long time since I ran across an action flick that I thought was worth the time to sit through.

[smartass sob]

Perhaps that is why so many of them only appeal to kids - or those with a kid's mentality.

Upon re-reading what I just wrote I've realized how incredibly elitist or condescending that reads. I did not mean to imply that foreign audiences are childish or immature - what I meant was that the movies are simple enough that people can figure out what is going on even though they don't understand what the characters are saying.

[anonymouse]

'Live for nothing, die for something'

I think the suicide bombers already sympathize with Rambo's attitude.

I wonder how much of the recruiting work for the "let's-die-for-something-and-take-20-suckers-with-me" squads is done by this kind of movies ...

[Douglas Gray]

It may turn out that the most effective way to promote democracy in places like Burma, is to make Rambo movies where he kick's the Junta's ass. Probably more effective than Condoleeza Rice going all over the place condescendingly expressing "concern" about this or that, or lame proclamations from a lame duck pres.

[anonymouse]

Douglas Gray | February 4, 2008, 10:52pm:
"It may turn out that the most effective way to promote democracy in places like Burma"

If it will get seen by others than the already privileged, it will more likely promote only "ass kicking", not democracy.

My guess is democracy is more about talking than "kicking the tyrant's ass". Burma had enough "ass kinking" as it is, and another guess of mine is that the fear of getting themselves kicked real hard is the only thing that prevents the Junta from overthrowing themselves, the way the Communists in the Easter Europe did.

[t. j.]

i tried to watch first blood years ago and couldn't get into it. seems like an 80s thing that didn't need to come back. you compare rambo to something like the teriminator films they've aged a lot better.

[Windypundit]

"Defy the Junta" Wasn't that an '80's metal band?

[Malvolio]

Since the only copies available will be pirated, that makes them extra illegal.

Ever been to South-East Asia? There might be some non-pirated DVDs available there, but I've never seen any. And I don't know how well they would compete with the professionally produced 10-for-a-dollar pirate copies.

Two things I noticed about the movie. First: it portrays the opposition to the murderous dictatorship as a unitary if underfunded group of freedom fighters, while in reality there is a multiway fight going on there (Karen, Shan, Wa, and SDPC, among other contestants), mostly for control of the lucrative opium business. Which, if I remember correctly, was sort of the situation with the last Rambo movie.

Second: in the movie, everybody was wearing pants. Burmese don't wear pants. Not usually anyway; the average Burmese wears an ankle-length sarong called a longyi.

[Jumbie]

They wear this longyi even in combat situations?

Man, I can imagine facing down a hundred armed junta soldiers with nothing but an AK47, but to dto that with the wind blowing past my balls?

*shudder*

[Nolan]

just saw it tonight. Total awesomeness in it's overkill. It felt like a throwback to 80's action flicks with a modern twist. 8/10

btw, this film did a good job on actually spreading a message as well. Before this film, I,sadly, didn't know anything about Burma. I kenw there was genocide and terrible things happening in africa, but nothing in asia. The film has encouraged me to do more research on the situation there, and see what is being done about it.

[val]

Im glad to see that many people here are able enjoy Rambo for it really is. A throw back to the 80-90s action flick, not some pretention attempt at an Oscar.

[kwais]

Here in the Arab world the pirate DVDs are anywhere from $2 to $5 a piece, and most of them are nowhere near professionally done.

Most of them look like they were filmed by Kramer in the movie theater. Some of them you can hear the conversation of the couple in front of the camera man, some of them you miss a part of the movie when the guy filming goes to the bathroom or smokes a joint or whatever.

I guess if you get to know the dealer, you can get a guy that will tell you which are the bogus copies, which ones were filmed on someones cell phone, and which ones are the good ones.

You might pay more $10 to $10 for a movie that was hacked so it has the full quality of a production DVD, I'm willing to pay that to watch a quality movie, but those are hard to find.

Another note, the pirated DVDs are sold openly on US bases, but alcohol isn't.

[Col. Troutman]

If the Burmese Junta is going after Rambo, they better remember one thing.

A good supply of body bags.

[Episiarch]

Murdock...I'm comin' for you.

[BakedPenguin]

After reading this thread, I anticipate the junta and the US government coming to an agreement on trade. The US will agree to remove some of the sanctions in place, and Than Shwe will agree to hunt down every seller of pirated DVDs in Burma.

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, I'm reposting something I posted too late last Rambpost:

Pro Libertate | January 28, 2008, 10:09pm | #

Crap. I wish I'd remembered this sooner. Bob Rivers did a song parody called "Rambo On" (to the tune of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On"). You can find the tune here. Here's the lyrics:

Bodies dropping all around,
Blood is flyin' your way.
Rambo III has hit the screen,
Oh, what a happy day.

I'm coming to get you!

We gonna' Rambo on.
They did one or two,
Just for you.
They're gonna' drag it on,
After Rambo X,
They'll do it again.
We gonna' Rambo on.
He can't be beat,
But his brain is dead meat.
Like a one ounce steak,
It sure looks clear that
Rambo's gonna' stay.

Another round of shells and mortar,
A few more Commies blown away.
Another wordless script,
Of yelps and yutz.
What the hell did he say?
We gonna' Rambo on.
He's gonna' nuke those pukes
With big bazooks
And leave the camera on.
He's gonna' shoot shoot shoot.
We gonna' Rambo on.
And make it last
With a napalm blast.
Shoot shoot shoot shoot.
I guess I can Rambo on.
Rambo Rambo Rambo Rambo.

[Lamar]

When can we expect Rambo vs. Rocky? I mean, at least give us Rambo vs. Ray Tango.

[Pro Libertate]

Lamar,

That's silly. Rocky doesn't use guns.

[Lamar]

Pro Libertate:

Oh yeah? What about these guns?

[flexes biceps]

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, then Rambo will shoot you and Rocky. Over and over and over again.

[Lamar]

How about Rocky vs. John Spartan?

[Pro Libertate]

Guns are the problem. Unless you just want these guys in a ring, fighting by whatever rules supposedly apply to boxing.

[Lamar]

Honestly, I would be entertained if they put Rambo and Rocky in a ring and let them go at it, even if Rambo had a Kalashnikov. It would be over too quickly, but at least one of the franchises would be gone.

[Pro Libertate]

Well then, how about Alien and Predator against Rocky and Rambo?

[Lamar]

For the tag-team championship of the world? Yes.

[Pro Libertate]

Given their respective movie powers, I think the humans have an excellent chance.

[Episiarch]

You are both silly. None of them would stand a chance against Machine Gun Joe Viterbo.

[Qbryzan]

Given their respective movie powers, I think the humans have an excellent chance.

I predict Rocky's team will lose, but it will feel like a win

[Atavist]

I really liked Rambo II, but Rambo III isn't very good (I doubt if I'll be seeing Rambo IV). What turned me off Rambo III was when Rambo kills some fresh-faced young Russian conscript. Here's this kid, just minding his own business, hoping to get home alive, and this ugly, muscle-bound psycho sneaks up behind him and breaks his neck.

[nolan]

Well, Atavist, you don't have to worry about that in this one. Rambo IV makes it a point to show how effed in the head the badguys are

[daniel k]

I'd like to see Rambo against the ?84? chicago bears, you know, the year they had that awesome defense and Peyton.