News
Iraq War Films: Waiting For John Wayne?
By Robert Marich
Aug 29, 2008 – The UK’s Economist published a rambling analysis of why the spate of Hollywood films about Iraq/Afghanistan failed at the box office, which mostly concurs with analysis posted here over many months.
The Economist still holds out hope that the upcoming spy drama Green Zone and Iraq bomb squad thriller The Hurt Locker will tap “a reservoir of public anger” (don’t hold your breath).
The article is rambling because the headline seems to get it right “Waiting for John Wayne,” and then the text at times meanders into other tangents. As reported here, it’s obvious U.S. audiences won’t embrace movies fiercely bashing the U.S. military and showing sympathy to terrorists.
Films like the talky Lions for Lambs and Redacted are “worthy (though) often depressing—and certainly not designed to pull in 14-year-olds at the mall,” observes the Economist.
The Economist article and links to earlier Marketing to Moviegoer analysis are below:
For full text, click below:
www.economist.co.uk/books/displaystory.cfm
www.marketingmovies.net/news/rooting-against-war-film-flops/
www.marketingmovies.net/news/wsj-hollywood-unleashes-geopolitical-films/
www.marketingmovies.net/news/hwood-miscalculates-with-politico-films/
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