Good Actors (Actresses) Careers Sabotaged by Bad Writing, Bad Project Choices.

Aside from the logistics of the overall actual invasion, I thought it was a pretty decent depiction of how a major invasion like that would have occurred. Yes, there is some american patriotism tossed in there, but there were multiple arguments and angles presented. The wolverines themselves chose their school colors and vandalism more than america. When you look how the town mayor behaved and some of the townspeople it did not necessarily paint all red blooded americans as the fighters. I don't remember there being any right/left distinction over all.

I think the movie showed more of how we would be reduced to tactics similar to guerrilas and terrorists if facing an occupying force. The movie made a huge effort to paint a large occupying force as evil versus the local population. That could very easily be flipped to look at american military imperialism in things like vietnam and our middle east occupations. I would not say that movie necessarily paints the american military in a decent light for a thoughtful person.

You miss a big portion of what that movie was about if you came out of it going america fuck yeah.

Wasn't one of the most sympathetic characters in the movie the Cuban officer who was one of the commanders of the invading communist forces. ? From the beginning when he first appeared and looked shocked at the intensity of the American resistance saying "This is madness!".

Even one of the hardline Russians to shows up later in the movie who sets out to crush the Wolverines is somewhat sympathetic to me when he announces that "reprisals against civilians will cease. If a wolf slaughters your pigs you don't kill your cow because it saw him do it.".

After rewatching it recently, I was a little surprised at just how much of the fighting in the movie was done by regular American military forces. The "Wolverines" were saved early in the movie when an American helicopter killed a group of Russians that were about to kill them. Later of course was the battle between U.S. tanks and Russian tanks with the U.S. supported by an F-111 bomber.

I remember though in the 1980s when it came out the review in the Arkansas Gazette (which was a very liberal newspaper) and it said harshly that the movie promoted the "fantasies of the NRA" that "citizens should be armed so that they can resist the communist menace" and that "right wingers are not only afraid of such an event (invasion) happening but are actually hoping it will happen one day".

Despite the right wing wank material (Millius... so, duh), it had an appeal for the anti authoritarian of any stripe... Specifically the still relevant at the time 14-24 year old demographic. Timing wise, it was really just "The Outsiders"-using many of the same (proto brat pack) cast even- with a post invasion setting.

I'd venture that a lot of Swayze's marquee appeal was that he played guys that the average dude could either see himself as or aspire to be, rather than the superheroics of his contemporaries. He played the everyman who rises to the occasion well.

According to Millius himself, he was worried that the movie as it aired had become "too right wing" mainly thanks to the influence of former Reagan Secretary of State and former NATO Supreme Commander General Alexander Haig who had been consulted on the movie. Reportedly Haig wanted to get into the movie production business and the stuff about the communists taking over Mexico and a Cuban officer being one of the main antagonists was Haig's doing.

Millius later described the movie as being more "anti state" than "pro war".

That said, I have always liked the fact that even after Dirty Dancing Swayze in his movies never seemed intent on taking up all the oxygen and dominating the screen at the expense of his costars. He wasn't a greedy actor.

Would Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls count?






Those caffeine pills really fucked her up.

To be honest, I thought far and away the best parts of "Showgirls" was when Nomi beats the living hell out of Andrew Carver in retaliation for his raping Molly. Not many other persons on screen have ever so richly deserved such a beating. And then Nomi smiling and giggling as she left at his bodyguards outside and implying that Carver is simply exhausted because they just had sex.

She was wearing "lipstick" in that scene.

Not sure.

I kinda think that, without Showgirls, she'd just be "that chick from Saved by the Bell." I mean, Showgirls is not cinema gold, but it was still a legitimate feature film that she was the lead in. And that's something.

And it's not like her career flat-lined; she's worked pretty steadily in film and TV since, and even had parts in some significant pictures. She's had opportunities to shine after Showgirls, but never made the successful leap to the next level. She got about as good a shot as anyone gets.

Would she have been a bigger star if she passed on Showgirls? I kinda doubt it.

In "Showgirls" to me Gina Gershon was the really hot one.

In regards to "Red Dawn" does anyone remember that it wasn't the U.S. that really suffered most as a nation in the war?

Jed: "Who do we have on our side"
Tanner: "600 million screaming Chinaman"
Jed: "I thought there were a billion screaming Chinaman"
Tanner: "There were".

Thus indicating, especially since Tanner threw his drink in the campfire causing it to flare up ominously, that the Russians had nuked 400,000,000 Chinese into oblivion.

Yes, we have seen the movie. Is there some reason you are particularly intrigued by this point?

Yes.

is a band who made this


Do you have anything else to say?

Elaboration might be considered Red Room material.