Does anyone remember the movie Red Dawn? It's only the best movie ever made that stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, and Powers Boothe. It's your typical teens-experience-Soviet-led-invasion-of-the-United-States-and-decide-to-
become-guerilla-fighters plot. I loved it as a twelve-year-old, and I still love it now.
I caught part of it over the weekend because AMC channel has been generously playing Red Dawn on a virtual loop lately.
Now here's something that I didn't really realize when I saw it as a kid. This movie is a not only much beloved by those of us who grew up in the 80s worshipping C. Thomas Howell and Patrick Swayze. It's also lionized by the right-wing. One online review explains that ""Red Dawn" was certainly a powerful pop-culture rebuke of the nuclear-freeze movement and other dovish responses to the arms race." Before he had to resign in disgrace, conservative blogger Ben Domenech cited "Red Dawn" as a powerful conservative shibboleth.
Currently, the blog Free Republic has a thread going to discuss the AMC airing of the movie, with much reminiscing about the good ole days when Commies were the enemy. One of the Freepers asks: "Any reason why it is playing so frequently now?" and another answers, "Dont know. Maybe to celebrate the anniversary of D-Day?"
Well, upon re-watching, I noticed something funny I didn’t think about when I originally saw it in 1984. This movie is one of the most sympathetic portrayals of an insurgency against an unprovoked foreign invasion and occupation of a sovereign country I've ever seen. It's so sympathetic that even the Cuban commander of the local Soviet military presence decides to hang up his AK-47 forever rather than have to fight these brave and good-looking young lads and lasses.
A determined insurgency fighting an unprovoked invasion and occupation? Sound familiar? Anyone feel any resonance for anything happening today?
So, in answer the question, "Why is AMC playing the movie now?", well, maybe AMC is trying to tell us something.
Comments (9)
Whoa, deep. Excellent point. :-)
Either that or to stir up the "red menace" crap again. What with Putin behaving like him less enlightened predessors..
Either that or to stir up the "red menace" crap again. What with Putin behaving like his less enlightened predessors..
Red Dawn is one of the best documentaries ever.
I noticed that Hunt for Red October has been airing an awful lot lately as well. I'm going with the stir up the anti-Commie feelings theory...
Wow Paula, I've been enjoying catching bits and pieces of it during its numerous showings on AMC. I loved the movie too.
I've also noticed that right wingers gravitate towards the movie. But I had not considered what you're saying. Unforunately, the movie sort of fits the situation. And we have more than a few American soldiers that feel the way that the Cuban commander did.
The only thing that Red Dawn is missing is a nefarious administration willing to put the interests of their family and friends above the nation they're sworn to serve and protect.
Button sez: "The only thing that Red Dawn is missing is a nefarious administration willing to put the interests of their family and friends above the nation they're sworn to serve and protect."
Hey Button, what about the collaborationist Mayor who gets his son to give up the location of the secret headquarters? Does that count?
Close enough. I had forgotten about the scene where they execute their own friend for giving them up. War has that kind of effect on people. And some people in this world are having to live that kind of reality today.
Gosh, now I'm wanting to dig up 80's WW3 movies. There's "Amerika" and that movie where the Soviets invaded Alaska.
My day may well be shot.
Don't forget Spies Like Us!