Miramax Muddies the Military

[sfc_darrel]

Miramax Muddies the Military
James Hirsen
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
What?s up with Miramax?
Miramax, the Disney stepchild that?s giving monetary life to a proposed Bush-bashing flick by Michael Moore, is releasing ?Buffalo Soldiers,? a movie demeaning the American military.

Is this Welcome to the Wonderful Brave New World of Disney?

Because of the questionable subject matter, the movie?s release had to be postponed five times. Based on news reports about its content, perhaps the powers that be should have left the thing on the shelf.

Franklin J. Henderson, a retired army colonel and past president of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry Association, told the Kansas City Star, ?The film presents a poor impression of U.S. soldiers.?

Well, that?s putting it mildly. The plot features a GI crime ring that markets stolen Army goods, weapons and drugs to support the ring members? own heroin habits.

Not exactly a cinematic morale booster for our combat soldiers in Iraq.

One of the posters for the movie shows actor Joaquin Phoenix with an ammunition belt wrapped around his neck and wearing combat fatigues. He stands in front of a desecrated American flag whose 50 stars are replaced by Hollywood's favorite symbol: dollar signs. The caption reads, ?Steal all you can steal.?

It Sounds Like a Staff Meeting at Miramax

Of course, the same critics who are attacking Mel Gibson's "The Passion" sight unseen are lining up to defend "Buffalo Soldiers" sight unseen. Yet even a positive review on Internet Movie Database says, "It offers such a critical look at the army that every main character turns out to be a swindler, a wimp, an idiot, a junkie or a psychotic."

To make matters worse, the film?s title also defames African-American regiments who served our nation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and helped America win the West.

Groups dedicated to preserving the memory of the name ?Buffalo Soldiers? (a designation prominently memorialized at Fort Leavenworth) are campaigning for Miramax to change the picture?s title.

"This film not only shows disrespect for our brave American men and women currently serving in the armed forces, but also shows a callous disrespect and ignorance or history of African-American contributions to this great nation," said Geoffrey Moore, a member of the black leadership organization Project 21.

Michael King, another member of Project 21, lambasted Miramax and Disney. "There is no excuse they can provide that can explain their complicity in this outrage," he fumed. "The irresponsibility of the filmmakers borders on criminal in my mind."

Maybe Disney ought to consider a change of its own ? quit Mickeying around and just scrap Miramax for good.

[nang]

It just figures that it is a Michael Moore film. All right I'll keep my mouth shut.

[MORTARDUDE]

my opinion only...the best way to deal with this is to totally ignore it...it and the slimy-shit-heads-who-produced-and-directed it will slowly slide back under the slimy in the dark rocks they slid out from...IMHO

Larry

DEO VINDICE

[Seascamp]

Michael Moore, what a piece of work. Perhaps his girth and tonnage will increase exponentially with his fame until he has to be moved around in a Euclid 20 yard dump truck. I see that guy and I think of Jaba the Hut. Anyone remember frog-eating Jaba? Looks the same to me except Jaba was a lot smarter and better looking, LOL.

Scamp

[1IDVET]