By David Ross. Genocide gets plenty of publicity, and rightfully so, but there must be a word – and the attention that goes with it – for the willful annihilation of culture. It’s terrible to kill, but also terrible to sever and expunge and leave people naked and shivering in a void. Among the perpetrators of what we might call ‘civilicide’ or ‘sociocide,’ Mao is without peer, having reduced one of the great civilizations of history to childlike incapacity, to the extent that it can barely produce a readable book (so I’m told). Le Corbusier (1887-1965) ranks second to Mao, only because he desolated a narrower field of expression and did so without force. When you look at a city or a building and find it aggressively repulsive and comprehensible only in terms of self-inflicted punishment, you are almost certainly right to blame Le Corbusier.
Destroyer.
I work in a building inspired by Le Corbusier. It is a concrete beehive that rejects windows and public meeting areas, travesties the other buildings in its vicinity, and spurns all decoration and organic flow of space in favor of the repetitive, numbing geometry of the cube. I compare this to the charming irregularity and understated delicacy of Bulfinch Hall (1818) at Phillips Academy, Andover, where I began my long dalliance with literature, seduced, perhaps, by the building itself. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch, the greatest architect of colonial Boston. The difference in the two buildings is not merely aesthetic, but functional in the largest sense. I suspect we would think better and learn better in buildings that exemplify graceful thought and mastered education. People have a way of living up to their buildings, and buildings have a way of teaching what we must live up to.
By Jason Apuzzo. This is a melancholy weekend. The ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is upon us – and it is natural, I think, to reflect not only on the victims of that day, but on the people whose lives are continually put in the line of fire in order to prevent those sorts of attacks from happening again. So for this reason I want to tell you about a little documentary that recently came to my attention, called Pappy Boyington Field. You can see the trailer for the film above.
Who was Pappy Boyington? Pappy Boyington is what America was – and I dearly hope still is – made of. He is the sort of man who made this country the most powerful force for democracy and freedom this world has ever seen. If Homer walked our streets today, he is the kind of man the poet would likely write epic poems about. As it turns out, John Wayne more or less did play Pappy in the classic film Flying Tigers, and Robert Conrad certainly played Pappy in the famous TV series Baa Baa Black Sheep.
'Pappy' Boyington.
So in his lifetime, Pappy certainly got his due. And in our lifetime? Let’s just say that remains to be seen. Boyington’s present-day legacy is the subject of Kevin Gonzalez’s fine new documentary Pappy Boyington Field, and certainly Gonzalez’s film takes us great strides forward in understanding and appreciating this extraordinary American.
Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington was a Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II, who had the distinction of being awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. With between 22 and 28 kills (depending on the source) Pappy was not quite America’s top scoring ace – that distinction belongs to Air Force Maj. Richard Bong (with over 40) – but Pappy was likely the most brash and daring. Boyington initially flew with Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers in China (often clashing with Chennault), and later commanded the famous Marine Corps Black Sheep Squadron. Boyington would later become a prisoner of war – a ‘guest of the Emperor’ – before returning home in triumph, after he’d more or less been given up for dead.
He was called ‘Pappy’ because during the War he commanded men who were, for the most part, about a decade younger than he was.
Part of the Boyington legend is that Pappy would actually goad the enemy into coming up to fight him and his men. Over the Kahili airdrome, for example, Pappy and two dozen of his fighters circled a Japanese airfield where 60 aircraft were based. The Japanese took the bait, and sent up a large squadron. In the battle that followed, 20 Japanese aircraft were shot down. Among the Black Sheep? None.
At one point during the war, Boyington’s Black Sheep squadron offered to shoot down a Japanese Zero for every baseball cap sent to them by baseball players playing in the World Series. They received 20 caps – and shot down 20 Zeros … and just kept going. At one point during the squadron’s first tour of combat duty, Pappy actually shot down 14 enemy fighter planes in 32 days. Boyington’s war record is studded with such colorful tales of bravado and triumph.
One of America's greatest heroes.
Flash forward to today. A group of Marine veterans in Boyington’s birthplace of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, wanted to rename that small town’s airport “Coeur d’Alene Airport–Pappy Boyington Field” in his honor. You would think this sort of thing would be a lock, a no-brainer. When you accomplish the sort of things Pappy accomplished, you would think that naming a small airfield in his name would sort of be the minimum his country might do for him. For all I’m concerned, they could’ve renamed Idaho ‘Pappy’ and I personally would’ve been fine with it.
But we don’t live in the World War II era any more, of course, and so the city fathers of Coeur d’Alene stalled and made excuses. They asserted that it might be ‘dangerous’ to pilots to change the airport’s name, because it might confuse them(!). They hid behind amorphous accusations of Boyington’s drinking and philandering. Essentially they stalled and evaded … for three years. They did so until a variety of media people got involved and took up Pappy’s cause. One key figure in this fight was Fox News’ Oliver North. I won’t tell you how the story panned out.
Pappy Boyington Field is a documentary that tells the story behind the effort to rename the Coeur d’Alene Airport in Pappy’s honor. In so doing, the film subtley tells the story of two Americas: the World War II America in which Boyington was a hero who received a hero’s welcome after his return from the Pacific theater (including a massive downtown parade in San Francisco, and receiving the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman); and, of course, the America of today … when faceless, politically correct bureaucrats do everything imaginable to erase the memory of this genuine hero. So there’s a melancholy quality to Pappy Boyington Field that is unmistakable. How in hell has our country changed so much, in such a relatively brief period of time?
Receiving the Medal of Honor, from Pres. Truman
Kudos to filmmaker (and fellow USC Trojan) Kevin Gonzalez for putting together this compelling documentary about the fight on Pappy’s behalf. Pappy Boyington Field is a film about the type of old-fashioned, small town activism – precisely the sort of the fueling the current Tea Party movement – that is trying to halt the wholesale erasing of America’s freedom-loving heritage. Except in this case, the activism is coming from Marines, who were simply trying to honor a man whose valor in combat on behalf of his country is already the stuff of legend.
Please pick up a copy of Pappy Boyington Field and watch it. Take some time to learn something about an American hero, who put his life on the line for you. Once you’ve done that, pick up another copy for your local library – and make sure they stock it, so that young people can learn something about their country’s heritage. Demand that it be seen. Make some noise. Little acts like these will prevent our shared history from slipping away.
As a footnote here, I understand that John Woo will soon be doing a large-scale Flying Tigers movie, to be released in IMAX. I think that’s great … but I’m hoping there’s a character named Pappy Boyington in it – and that he gets the props he deserves. Men like Pappy are what made this country what it is – or what it can be, when we continue to live up to his example.
By Jason Apuzzo. • This weekend marks the 9-year anniversary of the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. The legacy of this horrific event is ongoing, of course – including in the cinema, over which the shadow of 9/11 continues to hover. We remember the victims of 9/11 this weekend, and honor the sacrifices of those who continue to keep America and her allies safe.
• Is Tron going political? I saw something recently that unnerved me, somewhat. In the middle of this interview with Tron star Bruce Boxleitner, Boxleitner (who played Tron in the original film, and who also appears in the new film) indicates that in the new film the software corporation ENCOM (from the original movie) has morphed into a weapons contractor, a development against which Jeff Bridge’s character Kevin Flynn will apparently be struggling. Oh boy. I’m hoping this doesn’t go where I think it might go … I will really go ballistic, so to speak, if this film bashes defense contractors who are currently helping us fight our war, and giving us the technological edge we need to fight the kind of cave-dwelling primitives who hit us on 9/11. Please Disney, do not go there.
• As I write this, I don’t know whether this psychotic Florida pastor is going to be burning any Korans on the anniversary of 9/11, but it’s worth mentioning in the context of this website that Angelina Jolie has strongly condemned the proposed conflagration while she’s in Pakistan helping with flood relief. Jolie seems to be playing the role that, as I understand it, Hillary Clinton was supposed to be playing as our Secretary of State. That’s fine with me, by the way – I prefer Jolie, although Hillary has a certain flinty resolve I’ve reluctantly come to respect over the years. Anyway, I’m hoping this guy doesn’t burn anything – other than perhaps Ron Artest’s driver’s license.
• Roger Ebert is relaunching his show. LFM’s own Govindini Murty was one of the many guests who substituted for Roger during his extended health struggles. We wish him the best.
Ali Larter & Milla Jovovich in "Resident Evil: Afterlife."
By Jason Apuzzo.THE PITCH: Post-apocalyptic zombie-fighter Milla Jovovich takes her quest for survivors of an apocalyptic viral outbreak to Tokyo, Alaska and ultimately Los Angeles … as she squares off against zombies, and the occasional henchman of the Umbrella Corporation. Extreme 3D mayhem ensues.
THE SKINNY: Surprisingly satisfying genre entertainment from director Paul W. S. Anderson (hubby of Jovovich, btw), who may be working at his best here.
WHAT WORKS:
• Milla Jovovich’s high cheekbones, full lips, and ability to unleash extreme mayhem while sprinting through slow-motion raindrops in a black catsuit.
Arriving in post-apocalyptic Hollywood.
• Setting the film in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles – and populating the city with thousands of drooling, shambling, flesh-eating zombies. Rarely have I seen a more realistic depiction of what this city is actually like.
• Having one of the film’s primary villains be a former movie executive. Laughed out loud at that one.
• One particular 10-foot tall mega-zombie, who wields a 300 pound axe. The guy comes across a bit like Xerxes from 300. The fight scene involving this dude and Jovovich was easily the best fight scene of any film this summer.
• The 3D in this film looked immersive and natural – because the movie was shot natively in 3D, rather than retrofitted in post-production. My understanding is that this is the first major film since Avatar to be shot 3D-native.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK:
• Having yet another corporation as the villain – although one gets the sense that the film might actually be a big, coded metaphor for the horrors of working at Sony. More on that below.
• The lame, Agent Smith-style villain – who goes by the name ‘Albert Wesker.’ The guy was a total bore, as was his Matrix-style, ‘bullet time’ fight scene at the end of the film. Strictly ho-hum.
• The TV-level casting. Outside of Jovovich, the cast lacks personality.
Milla Jovovich is probably the only serious contender Angelina Jolie has to the title of Queen of the Action Film, with Kate Beckensdale a distant third. Jolie’s appeal in these films is that she always comes across as a bit crazy, a bit insane – which gives her action scenes a cracked sort of credibility. Jovovich, on the other hand, seems to be more of a natural. Originally a Kiev girl, born in the old Soviet Union, Jovovich apparently has a colorful family history of military commanders and Cossacks in her past – and she looks it. You just get the feeling looking at those imperious, high Ukranian cheekbones of hers that her ancestors probably sacked a few Polish villages in their time. That gives her a lot of credibiilty as she’s mowing down zombies, or anybody else in her way. Acting-wise, I don’t think she has Jolie’s depth – but since this is a post-apocalyptic zombie picture, that’s not much of a concern here.
One funny thing about Resident Evil: Afterlife is that the film is constantly taking little pot-shots at Los Angeles and the entertainment industry in general. Although a Big Evil Corporation is the villain here, it’s interesting that its headquarters at the outset of the film is in Tokyo, underneath the Ginza. So one gets the impression that when Jovovich shows up and starts doing her Aeon Flux-routine – absolutely laying waste to the place with guns, ninja stars and samurai swords – that she’s exacting some kind of bizarre, personal vendetta against the Sony Corporation. Plus, one of the film’s main villains is a former movie producer – who is depicted as being the most conniving, sniveling creature imaginable.
Great cheekbones.
My favorite little dig, though, comes when Jovovich initially flies into Los Angeles – right over the Hollywood sign – and looks down on post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The city is burning, smashed to pieces, and crowded with hordes of shambling, flesh-eating zombies. “Los Angeles,” Milla says, “no signs of life here.” The audience in my theater laughed out loud at that one.
I haven’t really been following the Resident Evil franchise, but this film now has me interested. I know that Paul W.S. Anderson has taken a lot of heat for films like Alien vs. Predator and the Death Race remake, but this film works quite well. The only serious disappointment I had was with the scene in which Milla starts to disrobe, and is about to take a shower … in 3D … when the zombies show up and start another fight, interrupting everything. [Sigh.]
I think all this discussion is great, and I very much wish the best for this film project – but I just want to caution everybody that Reagan has thus far not secured its financing yet, or a cast, or a director, or distribution. What this means, practically, is that this film is a long way from hitting theaters. I’m assuming that announcements about financing and cast/crew are imminent, but until then it’s hard to judge all this properly.
The irony here is that there’s actually quite a good film in theaters right now featuring Reagan called Farewell (starring Fred Ward as Reagan, and featuring Willem Dafoe, David Soul and others) – that depicts Reagan respectfully and intelligently – during one of the most decisive moments of his Presidency. Farewell deals with the famous Cold War spy case ‘L’Affaire Farewell,’ an episode which Reagan himself called “one of the most important espionage cases of the 20th century.”
We really liked Farewell here at Libertas, including its depiction of Reagan (see Joe Bendel’s LFM review here), and we encourage Libertas readers to go see it since it’s still being rolled out nationwide. The realities of the business are that the better a film like Farewell does, the more likely Reagan will actually get made – and receive the distribution it deserves.
As LFM’s Joe Bendel said about Farewell, “[I]t is an engrossing film. It also might be the fairest shake Pres. Reagan has gotten on screen since his inauguration in 1981 …” So go check it out. I’ve put the trailer below.
By Jason Apuzzo. I am very pleased to report that a movie we loved here at Libertas – Chris Morris’ Islamic terror satire Four Lions – has just picked up U.S. distribution. We’ve been covering the progress of this film for months, and we’re so happy that Alamo Drafthouse – a great cult movie distribution outfit (for DVDs) that will now be entering theatrical distribution under the banner of Drafthouse Films – has selected Four Lions as its first theatrical venture. Four Lions will apparently be kicking off a 10 city promotional screening tour with Chris Morris in mid-October, and the film is otherwise slated for release this fall in New York, Los Angeles and Austin – with other cities in following weeks. This is great news.
Total morons.
We got a chance to see Four Lions at the LA Film Festival a few months ago, and we thought it was fantastic. [Read my review of Four Lionshere.] We also had fun meeting actor Kayvan Novak, who plays the clueless ‘Waj’ in the film. After Four Lions’ big debut at Sundance, the film closed the South by Southwest Film Festival, won the Independent Camera Award at Karlovy Vary – and was voted Best Narrative Feature by audiences at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
Having been at one of those LA Film Fest screenings, I can tell you that the place rocked. Why? Because Four Lions breaks all the rules and says things that need to be said about contemporary Islamic terror … but are never allowed to be said in current Hollywood cinema.
As we’ve been reporting here for months, Four Lions is part of a recent wave of narrative films that are finally starting to look honestly at the phenomenon of Islamic terror … and doing so through the subversive medium of humor. Joining Four Lions in this new wave are Omid Djalili’s absolutely hilarious new film The Infidel (see our review of it here), the popular British web series “Living with the Infidels” (see our review of that here), and … am I allowed to mention this? … my own film Kalifornistan, which will be opening the Free Thinking Film Festival on November 12th.
The most obvious thing to say about this phenomenon is that all of these are indie projects. Studios still won’t touch this subject. Frankly, I don’t expect that to change. My sense is that Hollywood feels the War on Terror winding down, and is simply going to sit it out on the sidelines and let the indies take care of this stuff.
That’s fine by me. We don’t need the studio people ruining our fun.
[UPDATE: You can read a great interview with Drafthouse’s CEO Tim League here. His outfit will be distributing Four Lions here in the U.S.]
