The "World Trade Center" movie.

[tjwash]

Does anyone else here feel like the timing of the release of this movie is suspect?

The war in Iraq is at it's lowest approval point ever, the pResidents poll numbers are in the shitter, all the while the cons are trying to drum up support for an invasion / occupation of Iran as the situation in the middle east is deteriorates faster and faster.

It's been my experience that nothing whips people into a "we gotta kill them A-RABS" frenzy, more than invoking Bush's greatest failure-the loss of the WTC towers. I don't know why it does it, when all common sense says it should do just the opposite, but it does.

Or should I just pull this off the shelf? :tinfoilhat:

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. Isn't this an Oliver Stone movie?

I'd highly doubt he'd be in bed with the Bush administration

[calico1]

2. I doubt it too.

The movie might remind a lot of people that OBL has not been caught and that the official search for him is over.

[hiphopnation]

4. I doubt it too

but at the same time I agree somewhat with the OP...
if the timing is not suspect, then it seems to be in poor taste...
the last thing the *memory* of 9/11 needs is a hollywood blockbuster starring none other than, Nicholas Cage, imho. the whole thing seems icky to me...there has to be a better way to remember this day than to subject it to our corporatist, consumerist treatment.
what's next, 9/11 Happy Meals at McDs? :puke:

[NYCGirl]

3. Movie releases are usually scheduled from 6 months to a year ahead.

Put the foil away.

[tjwash]

6. OK cool. I don't plan on seeing it for two reasons...

...the first being that I've been 9-11'd half to death as it is, and second, it has that annoying Nicolas Cage in it.

[loveable liberal]

5. Confirmation that Nick Cage is a dufus. n/t

[tjwash]

8. He is annoying isn't he?

Nicholas Cage has one role--the whiny, moody (insert part here,) caught in the (insert plot here).

Oh well I gotta give Stone credit; at least he didn't cast Tom Cruise in the starring role.

[loveable liberal]

10. Cruise doesnt believe that 9/11 happened (wink, wink)....

Maybe Cruise was at the top of Stone's idiot list.... tom cruise... a samurai? that was as believeable as tom cruise... the caring policeman

[stanwyck]

14. He's miscast in every single movie, except

"Raising Arizona". Other than that...he's miscast. Or, isn't horribly wrong but just not as right as someone else would have been.
He's like the seventh choice who ended up with the part. And the movie just stumbles along with that air of what might have been if someone better had won the part.
And absolutely no actress on earth has been able to generate even the teensiest bit of heat onscreen with him.
Although Elizabeth Shue certainly gave it her best shot.

[loveable liberal]

23. Valley Girl was good as well as 8mm. n/t

[wildbilln864]

25. I kinda liked him in ...

Lord of War!
But there are others who'd maybe have been better.

[loveable liberal]

27. Red Rock West was a good one too. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

7. No, I think it's because a summer release promises better

returns as people tend to go out more between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

[longship]

9. Gees, another Hollywood fiction.

Hollywood and non-fiction do not mix.

They'll gloss over important events, make up non-existent characters to enhance the plot, and create entire plot lines out of whole cloth. Even more so since Oliver Stone directed it.

I'll think I'll pass on this one.

[burythehatchet]

11. May it tank like Flight 93

steaming propoganda piled up to my chin

[onenote]

15. i wouldn't be surprised if it was a moderate success

Depends on the reviews and word of mouth. But I would expect it to do better than United 93, in part because the story of United 93 was already known and despite trying to market the film as an uplifting story of heroism, the fact is that in United 93, the protagonists in the story die, and a lot of folks didn't have much interest in re-living that. On the other hand,my understanding is that in World Trade Center, the protagonists survive, and I think folks may be attracted to a movie that finally provides them with a more positive story coming out of 9/11.

On the other hand, August releases generally don't do as well as movies released earlier in thesummer and Pirate of the Carribbean:Dead Man's Chest seems to be swamping the competition.

[ccpup]

12. Actually,

August is considered the Graveyard for movie releases. You'll find a lot of studios dumping subpar product into the theatres during August in the hopes that it might turn a bit of a profit before being released on DVD just in time for Oscar season ... and the inevitable DVD "for your consideration" package they send out to the Academy Members. Besides, not too many people pay attention to what's in theatres after the July 4th weekend. By then, all the super-duper-action thriller blockbusters have been released and, hopefully, are making tons of money, so the studios can take a bit of a financial hit with a "bad release" that makes nothin' ... like "World Trade Center"!

Nic Cage and Oliver Stone haven't made money for the studios in a long, long time. I don't know that it'll change with this film ... although it could have a respectably strong opening weekend (what with the Fundies who just can't leave that scab well enough alone who'll flock to see it and praise Jesus that Bush was there to "save us") and then die a quiet death straight to DVD.

[NYCGirl]

13. I thought "National Treasure" with Cage made a shitload of money. NT

[ccpup]

16. You're right.

National Treasure was done on a $100 million budget, made $36 million it's opening weekend (okay, but not mindblowing) and did around $340 million worldwide. It was universally panned, though, by the critics here in the States and didn't perform as strongly -- it opened at #1, stayed there for about two weeks, and then was out of the Top Ten within two weeks ... I think it was released at the same time as The Incredibles -- as the studio had hoped. Overseas for most action pictures is a cake-walk.

Oh, and yes there is a National Treasure 2 due in 2007.

[loveable liberal]

28. They must have known about The Davinci Code.....

Nick's never been one for demanding originality.....

[NYCGirl]

30. He just acted in it, not wrote it. I like the fact that he does big action

films so he can make money and work for a small salary in more risky, indie films.

[hiphopnation]

17. about the only cage role that's worth much to me:

"I'll take these here Huggies and any cash you got in the register..."

[stanwyck]

26. same here. n/t

[mntleo2]

18. I'm Going Tonight ~Sneak Preview

...and I am hearing from at least one source it is a "rah-rah Bu$h" movie. We will see. It is an Oliver Stone movie, Nicholas Cage is its star and sometimes those two turn my crank and sometimes they haven't. I would not be going at all except that I got free tickets to it, and what the heck, beggars cannot be choosers and I need some "me" time. When I get back from it, maybe I will write my own critique.

Cat In Seattle

[maxrandb]

19. Well if it means anything

Cal Thomas wrote a "glowing review" in his column this week.

Here's a snipet of what he wrote. "It is one of the greatest pro-American, pro-family, pro-faith, pro-male, flag-waving, G-d Bless America films you will ever see."

See, in Cal Thomas' world, if it's pro all those things, it must be anti-Democrat and anti-liberal.

Cal Thomas, another "chicken-hearted chickenhawk" living off the heroism and patriotism of others.

[acmejack]

20. Movie website

http://www.wtcmovie.com/main.html

[silverojo]

21. I'll pass on the web site

Why give the bastards more hits?

[RamboLiberal]

22. It's basically about the PA police, FDNY, NYPD, Citizens

at ground zero that day in the immediate aftermath when these two guys were trapped in the rubble. So it's a disaster movie grounded in the horrible attack on the WTC that day. I doubt if Stone is making a hero of Bush in this one.

Do we need to minimize just how horrible that day was and what it was like in the burning towers and their collapse? Or say that every movie/book that celebrates the heroism of the ordinary people that day is somehow propaganda?

It was a trauma to NYC and it is still costing those who worked in the pile their lives and their health. It's nearly 30% of 12,000 who worked there are so far affected - when Bush EPA was saying it was safe.

I intend to see this movie and judge for myself before commenting.

Even if someday the :tinfoilhat: conspiracies were proven to be true, that still wouldn't minimize that many ordinary people, citizens, FDNY, NYPD, PA Police, blue collar guys, etc., were heroes that day while others like Bush and Cheney were hiding in the bunkers or sitting slack-jawed while the attack happened.

BTW, read this DU thread to see what Stone says about Bush then tell me how you think he'd make a movie that would make Chimpy look good.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1717373

[theboss]

24. Because who else but Oliver Stone would prop up the Republicans

Do you know anything about the movie yet? I mean, Stone's involvement is a pretty good indication that it's not going to be "Why We Fight."

[zonkers]

29. Oliver Stone once stepped on my toe twice, heading to the men's room

in a restaurant and returning from it. He was blasted out of his mind. Nevertheless, I love him... much more than I love his movies. He's such a nut.

[WI_DEM]

31. I have no intentions of seeing this movie or any movie about 9/11

why? I'm tired of hearing continually about 9/11!! it is nothing but a political football. It was a tragedy, yes! but other countries have had terrorism and they don't go on and on about it like we do about 9/11. Katrina was, in many ways, a worse tragedy than 9/11, but it doesn't get the attention (anymore) that 9/11 and this phony war on terrorism still generates.

[robcon]

32. I can't wait to see it.

I saw "United 93" and i'd like to see this one.