This is just too weird. I was out surfing cyberspace today, looking for news of fantasy, science-fiction, and horror films, and what do I find? A website called “The Middle East Research Institue." What they do, as far as I can tell, is post English-language translations of articles from Middle Eastern sources, and their top story today is a way, way, WAY over the top.
The unwieldy title is Islamic Republic of Iran News Network TV Documentary Traces Zionist Themes in Hollywood Films, from Disney to DreamWorks – With Special Focus On ‘Chicken Run.’
The post consists of excerpts of narration from the “documentary,” which (you guessed it) accuses Hollywood of having a pro-Zionist agenda:
Narrator: “Even though ‘Chicken Run’ is a sort of fantasy about an animal farm, on a deeper level it depicts the Zionists’ favorite themes, which appear in many of the visual dramas of the 20th century. The recreation of a kind of genocide, using visual elements reminiscent of Nazi Germany death camps – an idea linked to the religious themes of a savior and immigration to a promised land – serves a propaganda machine, whose goal is to depict itself as a symbol for the oppressed and for those who suffer.”
[…]
Dr. Majid Shah-Hosseini: “In ‘Chicken Run,’ for example, you find allusions to the Holocaust, to concentration camps, and to the concept of awaiting a hero or a savior. It portrays efforts to escape a predetermined fate – the death of all those who lived in that camp, who are depicted as chickens. Eventually, a kind of Noah’s Ark is built – in this case, a flying ship – which is used for their escape.”
[…]
Narrator: “Unfortunately, Zionist notions can be detected in children’s movies, from the days of Walt Disney and TV animation films. The Zionists’ exclusive investment in groups specializing in children’s films – such as DreamWorks in the 1990s – and the appearance of various works like ‘Chicken Run,’ which employed magnificent techniques, were part of their premeditated plan to cover the bloodstains soiling the clothes of the occupiers of the lands of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.”
I guess I would be wasting my breath if I pointed out that CHICKEN RUN has more in common with THE GREAT ESCAPE than with SCHINDLER’S LIST; after all, anyone irrational enough to write this stuff in the first place would not be dissuaded by a little logic. These ravings are so crazy that you could post the whole thing on The Onion, and everyone would assume it was a parody of paranoia. It’s sad to think that people believe this nonsense; and not just lone wackos writing blogs in their basement, but alleged academics making television programs.
Well, nothing can top that, but here are a couple of anti-climactic items I found, which you may want to check out if you want a respite from racist ravings.
WAXWORKS REDUX: Bloody-Disgusting.com recycles some info from Fangoria – writer-director Anthony Hickox speculating that one of the producers of his film WAXWORKS is eager to do a remake.
RICCI SPEEDS INTO BLOCKBUSTER ROLES: This Reuters article, posted at ABC News, makes the unconvincing argument that it’s surprising ot see Christini Ricci in SPEED RACER, because she the darlking of independent cinema. Well, maybe she is, but it’s not as if this is the first time she’s appeard in a big-budget Hollywood flick – let’s not forget THE ADDAMS FAMILY and SLEEPY HOLLOW. Perhaps the author was just trying to put spin on an interview that has surpassed its shelf-life, thanks to the fact that SPEED RACER sped out of theatres much fastter than expected:
Speed Racer, Ricci says, is a "back-to-basics moral story" about staying true to yourself and not selling out – a theme that struck a chord with the actress, who says she has become pickier about the roles she takes on.
“The last couple of years I’ve gotten to the point where I’m like ‘All right, I’ve done a lot of working for its own sake. Now I think I might be a little more selective’.”
The bottom line on Speed Racer, Ricci says, was that with The Matrix directors Andy and Larry Wachowski making the film, she felt sure it was going to have artistic integrity, while still being fun for families.