Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Newsvine
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiBack in 1989, in his smash hit "Say Anything," John Cusack famously stood with a boom box above his head outside the home of the woman he loved blasting Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." With his latest films on the Iraq war, Cusack is standing outside Hollywood with a TV above his head broadcasting his political movies calling on the public to wake up and "Do Something."
John Cusack began working on his new film "War, Inc.," which premieres in LA and New York May 23, about a year into the US occupation of Iraq. From the moment US tanks rolled into Baghdad, Cusack was a voracious consumer of news about the war. He took it deadly seriously, regularly calling independent journalists and asking them questions as he sought as much independent information as he could. Watching the insanity of the erection of the Green Zone and the advent of the era of McWar, complete with tens of thousands of "private contractors," Cusack set out to use the medium of film to unveil the madness. He wanted to do on the big screen what independent reporters like Naomi Klein, Nir Rosen and Dahr Jamail did in print. Over these years of war and occupation, Cusack has become one of the most insightful commentators on a far too seldom discussed aspect of the occupation: the corporate dominance of the US war machine.
Cusack is no parachute humanitarian. While he continues to do the Hollywood thing with big budget movies, he is simultaneously a fierce un-embedded actor/filmmaker who has been at the center of two of the best films to date dealing with the madness of the Iraq war. Without big money sponsors and the backing of powerful production companies, Cusack has spent a lot of his own money on these projects.
Cusack's film "Grace is Gone," was one of the most under-rated and under-viewed movies of 2007. Cusack should have been seriously considered for an Oscar for his portrayal of Stanley Philipps, a man whose wife dies while deployed as a soldier in Iraq. The film centers on Philipps's painful inability to explain to his two young daughters (powerfully played by two amateur actors, Shélan O'Keefe and Gracie Bednarczyk) their mother's death. Instead of telling his daughters the terrible news, he embarks on a surreal road trip to a theme park with the girls as he fights for his own sanity and grapples with his own support for the war that has just taken the life of his wife. The film is a jolting picture of a man caught in the free fall of a nervous breakdown and the ricochet impact of the death of soldiers in the war. It was an outright shame that "Grace is Gone" did not get wide distribution. I was at a screening of the film in New York and there were not many dry eyes at the movie's conclusion.
Perhaps the film's lack of commercial success was due to the so-called "Iraq movie fatigue" that took hold in Hollywood a couple of years ago. But "Grace is Gone" is not simply an "Iraq movie" or a "war movie." It isn't even really an "anti-war" movie. It is a haunting and moving film that cuts across political lines to tell the story of the suffering and shattering of so many US military families with loved ones deployed in Iraq. Had it received the distribution it deserved, "Grace is Gone" would have resonated strongly with both supporters and opponents of the war, a rare accomplishment.
"War, Inc." is a radically different kind of movie. In fact, it really defies genre. It is sort of like this generation's Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange and The Wizard of Oz mixed together with the un-embedded reporting of Naomi Klein, spiced up with a dash of South Park. It is a powerful, visionary response to the cheerleading culture of the corporate media and a pliant Hollywood afraid of its own shadow.
On the surface, "War, Inc." appears to be a spoof of the corporatization of the occupation of Iraq. Cusack plays a hit man, Brand Hauser, deployed to Turaqistan with the mission of killing a Middle Eastern oil baron (named Omar Sharif). Hauser's employer is a secretive for-profit military corporation run by the former US vice president, played by Dan Aykroyd. We first meet Aykroyd's character as he sits, pants down, on a toilet seat during a closed-circuit satellite videoconference call to give Hauser his mission. Hauser arrives in the Turaqi capital and heads for the "Emerald City" (read: the Green Zone), where his cover is director of a trade show for the military corporation, Tamerlane, which is basically running the Turaqi occupation. Hauser soon falls for a progressive journalist, played by Marisa Tomei, who is in Turaqistan to investigate Tamerlane, and what follows is an insane ride through Cusack's interpretation of the radical corporatization of war.
Singer Hilary Duff gives a surprisingly fun performance as a pop star, Yonica Babyyeah, who performs a song in the war zone with the lyrics, "You say you want to invade me, baby/Enslave me, baby." As Duff delivers the song, she caresses a phallic gas nozzle decorated with diamonds while singing, "I want to blow you....up." Obviously Cusack and his co-writers, Mark Leyner and Jeremy Pikser (REDS/Bulworth), sought to tap into the extreme nature of the corporatized war and take it to another level, but anyone who thinks the premise behind "War Inc." is "over-the-top" has not been paying attention to real life.
Cusack, Leyner and Pikser are not predicting the future, they are forcefully--and with dark humor and wit-- branding the present for what it is: the Wal-Mart-ization of life (and death) represented in the new US model for waging war. With 630 corporations like Blackwater and Halliburton on the US government payroll in Iraq getting 40% of the more than $2 billion Washington spends every week on the occupation, Cusack's "futuristic" film is not far from the way things really are. A powerful, for-profit war corporation, run by the former US vice president "owning" the war zone; tanks with NASCAR-like sponsor logos speeding around the streets firing at will; "implanted journalists" watching the war in IMAX theaters in the heavily-fortified "Emerald City" to get "full spectrum sensory reality" while eating popcorn; a secretive "viceroy" running the show from behind a digital curtain are all part of Cusack's battlefield in the fictitious Turaqistan. But how far are they from the realities of the radically privatized corporate war machine Washington has unleashed on the world?
"War, Inc." is already an underground cult classic and will likely remain so for years to come. The film is not without its shortcomings--at times it is confusing and drags--but its faults are significantly overshadowed by its many strengths. It also accomplishes the difficult feat of being very entertaining and funny, while delivering a powerful punch of truth. "War, Inc." is a movie that deserves a much wider viewing than the barons of the film industry are likely to give it. But by filling the theaters in the opening days, people can send a powerful message that there is--and must be--a market for films of conscience.
Visit the official website of "War, Inc." or John Cusack's website to view trailers, get info on tickets for the premieres and to read more about the film.
Jeremy Scahill's New York Times best seller, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, is now available in substantially updated paperback form.
29 Comments so far
Show AllScahill + Cusack = A#1 Humans
Watch this docco Operation Hollywood http://freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=103 (docco = Downunderish for documentary) and find out why Hollywood does not promote such movies.
John Cusack, admire and support what you and your creative team and production crew are doing. Thank you. This is what we need in the 21st Century from our creative sector.
Rich Griffin - My Vietnam vet husband and I saw 'Body of War' in S.F. after I heard the Democracy Now! story with Phil Donahue and Thomas Young. The audio is as amazing as is the film. The persistent roll call crescendo is brilliant, painful, maddening. In the Valley of Elah and Taxi to the Dark Side are also must sees.
I really do hope that all of you will (if for no other reason than to please me!) buy or rent the DVD of "Body Of War" when it comes out on DVD. We've got to start really supporting our own culture in a big way. And it's an AMAZING ASTONISHING heartfelt movie!
"Just wait until the nukes start falling!"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pxh_hArY-dk&feature=related
check out the video at the 5 minute mark. First time (MAY 9, 2008) that Russia has paraded the big bad ass missiles in 18 years.... the day after Dmitry Medvedev took power. CNN and other western media outlets have already pulled the original videos they posted 8 days ago. Now you gotta look to china, russia, or some youtube radicals who are keeping the images up.
Thanks Bush & Co. !!
There's no need to see a war movie. Just watch television.
Although the clips are heavily edited, you can see people being blown up in Iraq and Afghanistan and, shortly, for a change of pace, Iran.
America has brought the world into the 'Continuous War For Profit Age'. Yes, folks, the Beacon on the Hill has become the War God on the Hill.
Just wait until the nukes start falling!
P.S. America's downfall began with the NRA. Check my blog for details.
peace coup said: "I don't believe this "war movie fatigue" thing...I think it is more of a "war movie avoidance" thing."
Absolutely. Surprisingly, it cuts across both demographics: those who supported the war and those who opposed it. I opposed the war and felt surprisingly GUILTY for not doing MORE to oppose it when I saw the movie 'Stop Loss' (before that I hadn't seen ANY of the Iraq War movies). When you're visited with images of those who ACTUALLY paid, in a personal way, for the war you 'let happen', its not a pleasant feeling. No WONDER the Bush administration has worked overtime to prevent those images from reaching the public (interesting role for the party that claims to be image-unconscious to play, to say the least). I just put Grace-is-Gone on my netflix list. Maybe I'll do the same with War,inc. later. The sad thing is: by now I recognize what a 'cop out' it is to play the Iraq War as satire. It's tragedy, and is best played that way. Any movie that plays it as tragedy (like the excellent StopLoss did), will have 'legs', as they say in the industry. Eventually, people will want to explore the tragedy, and learn from it. Even (gasp) Republicans.
Barn Burner, My wife and I grow our own tomatoes. Try it sometime.Also peppers, sweet corn, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, and melons. Like I said, try it sometime.
4thefuture, I just wish the tomato pickers would quit coming across the border for a year and see how the U.S.consumer likes the price of tomatoes, talk about gas prices.........
Rich Griffin asked "I don't get why if jews are such a small percentage of our country, why do they have such an inordinate amount of power, esp. culturally?? I honestly don't understand it?"
Here is my understanding. Historically, certain groups have been despised and marginalized in, probably every, society. These people are forced into work and businesses that the respectable, legal, right and honorable groups won't do. But it is work that is important enough to continue to exist. Right now that would be your tomato pickers, contract cleaners, and other "invisible" jobs that don't pay enough to live well on. After having forced people to do jobs that are considered dirty, they are then further despised for doing the work.
In India, it led to the caste system which even today has not in fact ended, even though it has been ended in the law.
In traditional European, and by extension US, society, Jews were one of these groups that took on work looked down on by others. Among these was entertainment which was not highly regarded, nor especially remunerative, for most of our history. But with the advent of new technology and mass marketing, suddenly the despised vaudevillians became the well-regarded, well-connected, and, now, influential media moguls of today. Once you have a group with a tradition of doing a certain type of work, why would they decide to stop doing it now that it has become influential?
Will the day come when tomato pickers will rule? I doubt it, but no one in 1820 would have believed the influence of entertainers that we see today. One major difference is that tomato picking doesn't have that same degree of creativity that entertainment does, using entertainment to mean any of the currently known performing arts and their more and more corrupted by-products.
And LaLa lands version of Stop-Loss was a disgrace to all Iraq and Afghanistan Active Duty troops and Veterans in general. WTF, you go into the Guard 4 years active, you do your bid, 4 years inactive then the MOTHERF$$ker bush allows them to call them up as Active duty and redploy, redeploy, redeploy, redeploy...........................
Rich Griffin -
As to political power and how to get it, see William Greider's Who Will Tell the People?. Substitute Zionist interest for GE, it works the same.
As to power in the press, find "Midas Ears" on the net. It is old and exaggerated at times (Daniel Schorr had veto power at NPR?), but worth reading.
Norman Finkelstein has written on the use of the Holocaust to stir up guilt among those not involved. I personally note that, at best, the Holocaust is described as the deaths of millions of Jews and a few others. Those few others were most likely about the same in number as the Jews, but the survivors did not make it into the US in large numbers.
G.W.Bush,Dick Cheney,Wolfwwitz,Reith,Perle,Armitage and many other Neo-cons and lets not forget the Media are to Blame for the War crimes currently been committed in Iraq and Afghanistan,but let us not forget the 52% of American Voters who kept them in control in 2004,no you cannot run and hide and scream "we were lied to"the whole world knew by 2004 that the whole thing was an "OIL GRAB".
American Voters were too busy being Republicans and Democrats and forgot to be Americans and there lies the Problem of the USA ,patriotic to your Party but not to your country.
Your in this mess because you voted for it,you can have the benefit of the doubt in 2000 but in 2004 there no excuses.
You were so hellbent on "kicking Iraqi Butt"that you willingly went to the polls and gave the Bush Administration your seal of approval,now that 80% of the American public think that America is heading in the "Wrong Direction"you want Change,but change won't come from Wishing and hoping,change can only come from "changing your we must win Attitude"
You can't change History,the 1 million Iraqi's that you approved could be slaughtered,just "collateral Damage"as they say,the 4000 plus GIs that have been killed and the tens of thousands maimed,you can't change that,That's History now and will be for ever.
And you Can't Change the FACT that you, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GAVE THE ADMINISTRATION THE Approval to continue the War crimes been committed even as i write this comment you are just as guilty as the Neo-cons who Planned this take over of Iraqi Oil.
I have just seen War Inc.And John Cusack is Right on the Money, but as they say "People Deseverve the Government they get and you my American friends,have got what you voted for.
The Third Reich didn't lose WW2 it just changed Locations from Berlin to Washington and the SS became the CIA.
There is hope after all - everybody in the world isn't a Dick.
Cusak an assassin again? Great. Sort of "Iraq Point Blank" maybe?
Iraq Point Blank?
Thank you for a most insightful article. Caroline and other UU Kent members and friends and Social Justice Committee members who read these posts, what do you think about us showing these films for our Social Justice film series?
Bravo, John Cusack, for having the conviction to do pictures like these. They are needed so that people will see the truth behind what this criminal war in Iraq is all about.
I don't get why if jews are such a small percentage of our country, why do they have such an inordinate amount of power, esp. culturally?? I honestly don't understand it?
Two forces are in control of Hollywood right now, and the fate of Cusack's film depends on who wrestles control. On one side we have the Zionist Jews who would do everything they can to see that War, Inc. is un-successful. On the other hand, we have the less-powerful, ethical Jews. These are the people on which the righting of economic force in the United States depends so much. It appears that U.S. Jews have the choice of Israel or their consciences. It didn't have to be this way, but their religion was commandeered by the Zionists, as Christianity was by the fundamentalists.
jccrumb:
You don't have to shout. We can all hear without the shouting. :-)
j. crumb, your all-caps post gave me a headache and I didn't make it all the way through... but global warming is a bigger issue than our constitutional crisis and the Iraq war put together. Constitutional rights and a cessation of hostilities won't mean anything when there isn't enough oxygen in the air to keep mammals alive. And if alternative energy can save the world from dependence on oil, it also renders war in the middle east unnecessary. I'm not saying we shouldn't fight for human rights and socio-economic justice, but don't fault those who are trying to keep the planet fit to sustain life.
"and the grand facade, so soon will burn"
Very noble of JC, however, the whole sub-contractor war thing was already done on "Jericho," (without the irreverence,) which, combined with the fact that his core demo - basically, us, AKA the choir - are already so well versed on the subject, the thought of paying $10 to see the fiction version of the already tragically comic truth spells box office doom again.
The non-choir members avoid Iraq-themed flicks because they simply cannot accept that "we're" not Number 1, which is the bottom line of all the said themed flicks.
Remember, the torture-tainment series "Saw" has outgrossed all Iraq illegal invasion movies combined, twice over. Ponder that for a few moments...
FUCKIN "A" CHIEF.WAY TO GO...DAMN I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED..BUT HEY! SMART MAN IN HOLLYWOOD..NOW IF HE'D ONLY STOP MAKING THOSE IDIOTIC ROMANTIC COMEDIES...
HEY CUSACK...GET TOGETHER WITH OTHER HEAVY DOLLAR PEOPLE AND START THE "PRIVACY MOVEMENT" A PRIVACY ORIENTED AIRLINE CO....OR HOW ABOUT A NAMELESS CREDIT CARD THAT ALLOWS NO "WATCHING" AND RECORDS NO PURCHASES EXCEPT BY NUMBER? OR COUNTER MEASURES FOR OUR PRIVACY...PLEASE..MILLIONAIRS...WE NEED PRIVACY AS MUCH AS ANYTHING...GOOGLE'S BOY..BRILLIANT..YEAH THAT'S HIS NAME..FOCUSES THEIR DOLLARS ON NEW ENERGY..AS IF THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERNCE IN A FASCIST SOCIETY..DUHH..EVERYONE IS PRETENDING THAT THE REAL ISSUE IS SOMEHTING OTHER THAN CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS...AND FRANKLY...THE DWINDLING DEMOCRACY IS THE ENTIRE ISSUE..WITH ACTUAL REAL NEWS...HOW FAST WOULD THE CHANGES THAT THESE PEOPLE DEVOTE THEIR TIME TO..TAKE PLACE?...WITH REAL NEWS...OVERNIGHT IS MY GUESS....AND..FINALLY...HOW ABOUT A REAL HOLLYWOOD HITTER ADVOCATING TAX PROTEST..OR BURING OF THE REAL ID...???????
HOW ABOUT THAT...IF YOU REALLY WANT TO "DO SOMETHING" THEN START WITH THE CONSTITUTION...BURN YOUR REAL ID..RESIST PAYING FOR THE ILLEGAL BULLSHIT...
I ADMIRE YOU STANDING WITH A TV OVER YOUR HEAD..AND MAKING A MOVIE...BUT..C'MON MAN...DO SOMETHING "RISKY" BEFORE YOU ASK OTHERS TO DO SO...THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT..TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE...SO WE SHOULD ALL GO AND STAND OUTSIDE WITH TV'S OVER OUR HEADS??? SEE THE POINT HERE...OR SHOULD WE ALL GO OUT AND BURN OUR REAL ID'S...AND IF YOU DID IT CUSACK..IF YOU DID IT..IT MIGHT GET ON TV...AND THEN...WHOAH NELLY! WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN...MAYBE REAL CHANGE...MAYBE...GULP!...FREEDOM.
BUT STILL..WAY TO GO DUDE!
Why does "gun shy" Hollywood pander to the fly over state bush voters. When the hell are they going to do something courageous and nail the neoCON's with the IMAX truth?
Oh - that's right: goal one; "will it make money?" goal two; "might it piss off bushcon?" ergo, see goal one.-
I will certainly make it a point to see War, Inc.
ASAP and my gratitude to John Cusack ---
The fact that progressives did not support "Body Of War" was so shameful I can't forgive anyone who didn't make sure to go and see it. I hope you all purchase it in DVD form and have house parties to show it to your neighbors.
I can't wait to see John Cusack's film, and hope everyone goes to see it; purchase the CD; and have house parties. WE HAVE GOT TO SUPPORT OUR OWN CULTURE and stop worrying about the larger popularity of their culture. It's more important than who we vote for, since it will lead to changes in the long run.
I just put both movies into my Netflix list.
I don't believe this "war movie fatigue" thing.
I think it is more of a "war movie avoidance" thing.
It has become so easy not to think about what is going on that anyone who wants to talk about something serious is given the tag of a Debbie Downer.
Why be democratic citizens when we can be mindless consumers?
This is the state of the union under George W. Bush.
We have the ability to change things.
Unfortunately war movies that arent jingoistic dont seem to do well.
Iron Man did well-but it completely whitewashed and dumbed down the war. it didnt have to either, but they dont dare offend the die hard patriots.
Gi Joe will be fun to see--since they have to drop the real american hero subtitle since it doesnt go over well overseas.