Red Dawn (John Milius related)

roistoroisto 879 Posts
edited October 2005 in Strut Central
I've watched this a couple of times on DVD. Very wrong, interesting (and, in a way, quite good) at the same time...any of you Americans seen this? Any thoughts?
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  • TabaskoTabasko 1,357 Posts
    I looks wrong. very wrong.

    WHy should I see it?

  • roistoroisto 879 Posts
    The plot (from imdb.com):

    "A film depicting the invasion of the United States from the north and south by communist forces from Nicaragua and Russia in the beginning of WWIII and the efforts of partisans from a small mid-western town to turn back the invasion. This film is one of the basis of the beliefs of the citizens militias and patriot groups about the possiblity of a U.N. takeover of the U.S. The movie and the theory of the New World Order proposed by the militias are similar, invasion by a foreign force, a big gun grab, arrest of gun owners, military equipment being moved on railroads, enemy helicopters re-education facilities (concentration camps), and a citizen force that strikes back."

  • An unfortunate cross between the Brat Pack and John Milius' jingoistic ideas. Republican wet-dream garbage circa the end of the cold war....











































    WOLVERINES?!?!??!

  • America, Fuck Yeah!!

    Kill the commies!

  • roistoroisto 879 Posts
    I've understood that it did well at the box office in 1984.

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    That film set a Guinness World record for most deaths per film.
    I don't remember it well, but remember it being mildly entertaining. The Swayze factor does detract a bit though....

  • 99Problems99Problems 1,541 Posts
    I've understood that it did well at the box office in 1984.

    Only took $8 million on it's opening weekend. While that was pretty good for '84 the budget of the film was $35 million. When factoring in advertising costs, I'd say they only broke even on the film...Not a success by any means.

    Studios/producers always make a profit overseas, on the other hand...

  • DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,632 Posts
    Haven't seen it since I was a kid. This was pre USSR coup. It scared the shit out of me. Haven't seen it since. I only remember the school being invaded.

  • read Make-Believe Media: The Politics of Entertainment
    by micheal parenti its a great book about the ties between governement and hollywood.

  • roistoroisto 879 Posts
    Haven't seen it since I was a kid. This was pre USSR coup. It scared the shit out of me. Haven't seen it since. I only remember the school being invaded.

    This is what I was after.

    Red Dawn went much further than, say, Top Gun and other 1980's army-recruiting movies. Which is why it is so entertaining.

  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts
    My brother and I had that on Betamax back in '85, that was our shit too.

    And that movie wasnt a political statment of ANY kind. A typical 'shoot the bad guys' flick that had two five years olds screaming 'Wolverines'! from days on end.

  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts
    My brother and I had that on Betamax back in '85, that was our shit too.

    And that movie wasnt a political statment of ANY kind. A typical 'shoot the bad guys' flick that had two five years olds screaming 'Wolverines'! from days on end.

  • KARLITOKARLITO 991 Posts
    as jingoistic as this movie is it's pretty bad ass. I haven't seen it in a few years but enjoyed it thuroughly last time and I'm by no means a republican or right wing dude.

  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    I've understood that it did well at the box office in 1984.

    Only took $8 million on it's opening weekend. While that was pretty good for '84 the budget of the film was $35 million. When factoring in advertising costs, I'd say they only broke even on the film...Not a success by any means.

    Studios/producers always make a profit overseas, on the other hand...

    can't speak for fiscal success, but that was a HUGE movie on the teen market back when I was in high school...I bet the video rentals were through the roof by the end of the 80s.

    Me, I never saw it, always thought it looked stupid.
    John Milius gets my respect mainly for Apocalypse Now and of course, Big Wednesday.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    I can't believe I saw this shit in the the theatre. Terrible beret on C THomas Howell.

  • The third film in the "John Milius Trilogy" (the first two being Big Wednesday and Conan the Barbarian) is also his most hardcore. Whatever your political attitudes may be, if you're gonna hate on this movie you are numb to the true essence of cinema (seriously). The point about this being a huge rental item is important -- this movie strikes a deep chord. If you want to understand America in the 80s this is a pretty good place to start.



    Milius is way deep and more than a little ironic in sensibilty, but he let himself go to the dark side on this movie in terms of Hollywood gloss and inanity. He knew that the more simplistic its politics, the more audiences would like it. (I think it was marketed badly. One funny piece of trivia is that the trailer had a tank fucking up a McDonalds, but before the movie came out someone went nuts and shot a bunch of people in a McDonalds and they cut the scene from the finished film.)



    It's sort of painful to compare this to Big Wednesday, which has a similar seasonal-themed structure and is also about young men coming of age, but is uncomfortably real where this one is largely about escapist heroics. But I watched it again a couple of weeks ago and still dig its tacky, gonzo genius (as opposed to acting like some stuck up dude with a ponytail thinking of it as some sinister right wing plot, which it is not).




  • I'm definitely gonna buy this.

  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    That film set a Guinness World record for most deaths per film.
    I don't remember it well, but remember it being mildly entertaining. The Swayze factor does detract a bit though....

    Higher body count than Schwarzenegger in Commando? That's impressive...

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    I've understood that it did well at the box office in 1984.

    Only took $8 million on it's opening weekend. While that was pretty good for '84 the budget of the film was $35 million. When factoring in advertising costs, I'd say they only broke even on the film...Not a success by any means.

    Studios/producers always make a profit overseas, on the other hand...

    The 35 Mill wasn't it's Budget... It was it's domestic total gross. Which another site puts at 38.3 Million.

    It still ranks in the top 20 for that year. Top 20 of that year? Big deal right? Well, look at the movies it went up against for the year.


    1 Beverly Hills Cop Par. $234,760,478
    2 Ghostbusters Col. $229,242,989
    3 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Par. $179,870,271
    4 Gremlins WB $148,168,459
    5 The Karate Kid Col. $90,815,558
    6 Police Academy WB $81,198,894
    7 Footloose Par. $80,035,402
    8 Romancing the Stone Fox $76,572,238
    9 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Par. $76,471,046
    10 Splash BV $69,821,334
    11 Purple Rain WB $68,392,977
    12 Amadeus Orion $51,564,280
    13 Tightrope WB $48,143,579
    14 The Natural TriS $47,951,979
    15 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan WB $45,858,563
    16 Revenge of the Nerds Fox $40,874,452 989
    17 2010 MGM $40,400,657
    18 Breakin' Can. $38,682,707
    19 Bachelor Party Fox $38,435,947
    20 Red Dawn MGM $38,376,497

    Hahaha, Breakin' make some cash....


    From what I read awhile back, the budget on Red Dawn was really low.

  • DubiousDubious 1,865 Posts
    Red Dawn was the perfect movie for 9 / 10 year old boys in that era... running around playing gi joes in the woods... man o man.. this was MY flic at the time.

    i saw it incalcualable numbers of time back then.. in the theatre, on video disc (anybody even remember these fuckers??), laser diusc, beta, and it was the first movie i ever had taped off the movie channel free weekend.

    i actually watched it on tv about 3 weeks ago.




  • any of you Americans seen this? Any thoughts?


    this is one of the mainstay of movies for guys age 28 - 35. Everyone wanted to be a Wolverine...

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Red Dawn was the perfect movie for 9 / 10 year old boys in that era... running around playing gi joes in the woods... man o man.. this was MY flic at the time.

    i saw it incalcualable numbers of time back then.. in the theatre, on video disc (anybody even remember these fuckers??), laser diusc, beta, and it was the first movie i ever had taped off the movie channel free weekend.

    i actually watched it on tv about 3 weeks ago.

    Memories...



    I remember reading how they were pushing brat pack status on these guys.

    Patrick Swayze
    C. Thomas Howell
    Lea Thompson
    Charlie Sheen
    Jennifer Grey



    The Colonel: All that hate's gonna burn you up, kid.
    Robert: It keeps me warm.


  • any of you Americans seen this? Any thoughts?


    this is one of the mainstay of movies for guys age 28 - 35. Everyone wanted to be a Wolverine...

    straight co-sign.

  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    Man I wanted to hit Jennifer Grey.

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Man I wanted to hit Jennifer Grey.

    Hey...

    Nobody puts Baby in a corner!!!






    "Umm, would you mind waiting by Umm the corner? Thxxx"[/b]

  • 33thirdcom33thirdcom 2,049 Posts
    man that movie is straight chuckles... Anyone older than 12 that even slightly takes this movie as serious needs a serious reality check... I mean cmon Patrick Swaze? That should say it all right there...

    There are a mad amount of classic lines in it.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    The third film in the "John Milius Trilogy" (the first two being Big Wednesday and Conan the Barbarian) is also his most hardcore. Whatever your political attitudes may be, if you're gonna hate on this movie you are numb to the true essence of cinema (seriously). The point about this being a huge rental item is important -- this movie strikes a deep chord. If you want to understand America in the 80s this is a pretty good place to start.

    Milius is way deep and more than a little ironic in sensibilty, but he let himself go to the dark side on this movie in terms of Hollywood gloss and inanity. He knew that the more simplistic its politics, the more audiences would like it. (I think it was marketed badly. One funny piece of trivia is that the trailer had a tank fucking up a McDonalds, but before the movie came out someone went nuts and shot a bunch of people in a McDonalds and they cut the scene from the finished film.)

    It's sort of painful to compare this to Big Wednesday, which has a similar seasonal-themed structure and is also about young men coming of age, but is uncomfortably real where this one is largely about escapist heroics. But I watched it again a couple of weeks ago and still dig its tacky, gonzo genius (as opposed to acting like some stuck up dude with a ponytail thinking of it as some sinister right wing plot, which it is not).


    Any film can be made to seem important/interesting if you spin it a certain way. This is part of a trilogy blah, blah..seasonal themes...darkside of hollywood. Beverly hills cop is a trilogy. The fact is that there is nothing really redeeming about the ideas, the filmaking or the acting in this film. For right wingish macho man type steez, I'll take Dirty Harry (scripted by Milius) over this piece o junk anyday. Hell Conan is more interesting just cause it's got titties and Grace Jones, (I think I am being redundant here).

    As far as the political message of the film. Shit could not be clearer. America faces real danger from its mortal enemies the Soviets and......Cuba. Only violent confrontation will make them step back. Of course, The great irony of all this that WE sponsored a real life invasion of Cuba, along with many failed illegal assassination attempts of Castro. What is disturbing is that uncritical viewers would probably miss this point. It is this kind of media that subconsciously works to convince Americans that they are better than other people, surrounded by hatters that would take what is theirs. If you are interested in getting under Milius' political wig, just watch "Hearts of Darkness" and see how he proposed to end Apocalypse Now. Shit was gonna be Rambo.

  • KARLITOKARLITO 991 Posts
    Hell Conan is more interesting just cause it's got titties and Grace Jones
    Conan is awesome, really good sets and costumes great cinematography excelent soundtrack plenty of flesh. What more do you want out of a non art film? As for Red Dawn it's a fun movie too. Yes it's very jingoistic and anti soviet but so what, it's a reflection of it's times. You can't really expect that movies like this arent going to be made. National pride is not specific to America either. Can it go to far sometimes? sure. Is this just a movie? yes.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    I was refering to Milius' nutty macho man BS specifically. I dig me some diversion like the rest. Dirty Dozen, 48 Hours, Animal House. Bring it on. It's true that many countries are extremely chauvinsitic but we got a unfriendly bout of that shit going round right now and it ain't funny.

  • KARLITOKARLITO 991 Posts
    but we got a unfriendly bout of that shit going round right now and it ain't funny.
    what current movies are along these lines? I just can't think of any right now...
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