An American Carol

[GeraldFord]

Anyone else think this looks like a turd?

A movie goofing on Michael Moore? Hello? 2004 called and wants its movie idea back...

I'm a huge Kelsey Grammer fan, and I'm a massive Frasier freak. There, I've said it. As such, over the years I've forgiven the big man for his numerous transgressions; the biggest, undoubtedly, being his jaw-dropping, unflinching support for the Republican party, leading to him being a guest at George W's first inauguration, as well as backing Rudi Giuliani, then McCain for president. He even counts Ann Coulter as a personal friend for crying out loud. Up until now, I've always stood by the "Wagner defence" - after all, as someone once said, "Genius can inhabit the most ordinary of men." However, in deciding to take part in the what will be the undoubtedly woeful An American Carol (see the trailer here), this time he's gone too far.

An American Carol Release: 2008 Directors: David Zucker Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen More on this film Directed by one-time Democrat supporter, now staunch Republican David Zucker (Airplane!, Naked Gun), An American Carol (released in the US on October 3) is essentially a rightwing hatchet job on Michael Moore and, on the strength of the trailer, a not particularly funny one at that. Even Grammer, who plays General George S Patton in the film, won't be able to save it, for the simple reason ? for which I can't forgive him ? that it's propaganda masquerading as entertainment.

Moore is undoubtedly fair game to be parodied; despite agreeing with most of his arguments I find his unsubtle, sledgehammer style and obvious love of the limelight offputting. But good satire has to be non-partisan (see Team America); otherwise, as with An American Carol, the subject of mockery is merely a vehicle to awkwardly and patronisingly ram home a message ? in this case, the message that the Iraq war was justified, and anyone in disagreement (ie lily-livered liberals) is unpatriotic and doesn't deserve the right to call themselves American. At one point, "America's most infamous film-maker" Michael Malone (Kevin Farley in a baseball cap, flak jacket and carrying stubble and lots of weight) says: "I love America ? that's why it needs to be destroyed." Mmm, subtle.

Ten years ago, such a brazenly rightwing film would never have got made, so An American Carol's significance cannot be underestimated ? it is concrete proof that Grammer's Republican stance is, worryingly, increasingly becoming less and less odd for Hollywood's elite.

Not so long ago, Hollywood's most vocal and politically active appeared to be exclusively Democratic party stalwarts, such as power couple Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, and the walking ego that is Sean Penn. They haven't gone away by any means (Sarandon recently likened Barack Obama to Jesus Christ, and vowed to leave the US if McCain got in), but the balance is being redressed. For example, that the great actors James Woods and John Voight also appear in An American Carol is undoubtedly down to some ill-judged rightwing solidarity on their part (both are hardcore Republicans). Oh, and Dennis Hopper's in it as well.

Perhaps it's some kind of perverse Schwarzenegger effect; other conservative Hollywood big-hitters making their views known include Sylvester Stallone, Robert Duvall, Adam Sandler, The Rock and, um, Chuck Norris ? all of whom have openly and actively supported Republican candidates. So, given the mainstream appeal of these examples (save perhaps for Duvall), the question is this: is the Hollywood right really capable of influencing which way people will vote in November's election? Because that certainly seems to be the hope, if not the belief, of Zucker and co.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/oct/01/1

[Dr. Blutarsky]

I am actually looking forward to seeing that. Lots of 'Airplane' type humor.

[GeraldFord]

I thought it looked like a piece of shit, regardless of everything outlined in the article...just really un-funny, re-hashed Naked Gun trpe humor. Has Kelsey Gramer read a script in ten years?

[Dr. Blutarsky]

I loved the Naked Gun and subsequent Leslie Nielsen movies, but I think I will wait for the DVD on this one. 

[D]

How do u parody someone that is already a parody?

[Bodhi]

Anyone else think this looks like a turd?

A movie goofing on Michael Moore? Hello? 2004 called and wants its movie idea back...

for once we agree about how relevant someone is in today's age....this movie would have been good 4 years ago....

[GeraldFord]

Anyone else think this looks like a turd?

A movie goofing on Michael Moore? Hello? 2004 called and wants its movie idea back...

for once we agree about how relevant someone is in today's age....this movie would have been good 4 years ago....

I like Michael Moore (and agree with a lot of his views) and think his movies are pretty good. However, I think he'd be better recieved if he didn't always get in people's faces and wasn't such an attention whore.

For the right wing, 'An American Carol'

12:01 PM CDT on Friday, October 3, 2008
By MICHAEL PHILLIPS / Chicago Tribune

This weekend, a deeply divided America will have another round of new films to choose from at the theaters. One is Religulous, a comic documentary in which Bill Maher, America's best-known agnostic humorist, presents a vision of the destructive forces of organized religion, a vision no less apocalyptic than the end-times scenarios promulgated by some of his targets.

Also Online Showtimes/review: An American Carol

Showtimes/review: Religulous

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Then there's An American Carol, which its maker, Airplane! and Naked Gun alum David Zucker, describes as "the opposite of the Bill Maher movie."

Mr. Zucker's proudly conservative comedy isn't primarily about religion. It reworks the Charles Dickens Christmas Carol scenario so that a leftist filmmaker based on Michael Moore, painted here as an unpatriotic, America-hating boob out to banish the Fourth of July, is visited, schooled and slapped around by ghosts of Americans past, George Washington (Jon Voight) and Gen. George Patton (Kelsey Grammer), plus a ghost of the future, played by country star Trace Adkins.

According to Mr. Zucker, the film is more about supporting America's war in Iraq and taking down liberal filmmakers than getting people into churches and synagogues.

Nonetheless, the two movies, one a true believer and the other a true skeptic, pose similar questions: Can a polemical comedy bring the funny? And can a fiercely partisan message connect with audiences?

 
David Zucker Mr. Zucker may be Jewish, but he's had it, he says, with Christian-bashing in the popular culture, particularly Catholic-bashing.

One bit in the movie, he says, was inspired by a comment he heard Rosie O'Donnell make on The View, to the effect that radical evangelicals were as dangerous as radical Islamic terrorists.

"We do a whole routine where Rosie shows a documentary to Bill O'Reilly about 'the truth about radical Christians,' where they're going on planes, hitting the pilots with their crosses and Bibles, and we have a nun blowing up a bus ? all these crazy things.

"I loved doing that scene."

Mr. Zucker acknowledges that An American Carol could be called strident. But the right wing of this country, he says, so rarely is offered something expressly for them ? why not this?

The money behind his movie, Mpower Pictures, has chosen not to screen it for critics in advance of today's opening. "We'll get killed," Mr. Zucker predicts.

But like Mr. Maher, he's proud of taking a stand.

And uttering the one thing he and Mr. Maher could surely agree on, Mr. Zucker concludes:

"In the comedy business, you can't be mild."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-carol_1003gl.ART.State.Edition1.2699bd1.html

According to Mr. Zucker, the film is more about supporting America's war in Iraq and taking down liberal filmmakers than getting people into churches and synagogues.

A comedy that supports a stupid war based on lies which as seen the death of over 4000 Americans and who knows how many Iraqis. Way to go Mr. Zucker! 

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I like Kelsey Grammer.

[Axl4Prez2004]

I have very conservative relatives who panned this flaming turd.  They saw it last night.

My wife's dad said, "It was a bomb."  (btw, he's voted Republican in every election he's ever voted in, and he'll be voting McCain in Nov.)

btw, Naked Gun is one of my personal all-time favs. even if I do disagree with Zucker's political beliefs. 

I liked, not loved Moore's controversial films.  Like somebody said earlier, I agree with him on many issues but I'm put off by his often one-sided almost Limbaugh-like presentation.

[D]

99 percent of spoof flicks are HORRIBLE

Scary Movie part 1 was the only spoof movie that I thought  was good.

[Axl4Prez2004]

99 percent of spoof flicks are HORRIBLE

Scary Movie part 1 was the only spoof movie that I thought  was good.

Would Spinal Tap be considered a spoof movie?  Loved it.    SpaceBalls was cool too.

[D]

Oh shit yeah, Those were so good I forgot they were spoofs.

Most of the stuff here the last decade or so sucks though.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

99 percent of spoof flicks are HORRIBLE

Scary Movie part 1 was the only spoof movie that I thought  was good.

Would Spinal Tap be considered a spoof movie?  Loved it.    SpaceBalls was cool too.

Yes, those are 2 great spoof movies.

I saw Scary Movie 1 and it kept me from seeing the subsequent sequels. There are clever & witty spoofs and then there are just dumb spoofs.

[IKnowWhereIAM]

99 percent of spoof flicks are HORRIBLE

Scary Movie part 1 was the only spoof movie that I thought  was good.

Would Spinal Tap be considered a spoof movie?  Loved it.    SpaceBalls was cool too.

Yes, those are 2 great spoof movies.

I saw Scary Movie 1 and it kept me from seeing the subsequent sequels. There are clever & witty spoofs and then there are just dumb spoofs.

Most spoof's are PERFECT at what they intend to be...mindless entertainment, poking fun at something.  It is much easier to make fun of someone trying to be serious, than it is to deal with the serious issues they bring up...see Jon Stewart's career (Daily Show - US, Comedy Central).

Ps - Hey Jon, since when is Stewart a jewish surname???   Unless you spin the dreydel in a kilt??? Since you make your religion such a big part of your show/existence...I suggest you get a better stage name...perhaps Jesus Christ?  There's a fine jewish name.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

99 percent of spoof flicks are HORRIBLE

Scary Movie part 1 was the only spoof movie that I thought  was good.

Would Spinal Tap be considered a spoof movie?  Loved it.    SpaceBalls was cool too.

Yes, those are 2 great spoof movies.

I saw Scary Movie 1 and it kept me from seeing the subsequent sequels. There are clever & witty spoofs and then there are just dumb spoofs.

Most spoof's are PERFECT at what they intend to be...mindless entertainment, poking fun at something.  It is much easier to make fun of someone trying to be serious, than it is to deal with the serious issues they bring up...see Jon Stewart's career (Daily Show - US, Comedy Central).

Ps - Hey Jon, since when is Stewart a jewish surname???   Unless you spin the dreydel in a kilt??? Since you make your religion such a big part of your show/existence...I suggest you get a better stage name...perhaps Jesus Christ?  There's a fine jewish name.

He could easily just add a suffix to the end  like -stien  or  -berg. 

[Booker Floyd]

Conservatives have to accept that theyre just not funny and move on. 




Actually, I should clarify.  Colin Quinn is a self-identified conservative and very funny, but politics is a very small part of his act.  Nick DiPaolo is probably the only conservative who focuses on politics and is still funny.

[Bodhi]

anybody here actually see this movie...it looks fucking terrible...I fucking loathe movies like "Epic Movie", "Meet the Spartans" etc.....this looks very similar.....

[SLCPUNK]

Anybody see that unfunny weasel on Fox's Red Eye? That show sucks ass...

[GeraldFord]

Looks like it was a major flop.

[Drew]

Looks like it was a major flop.

It beat out Bill Maher's turd.