American Sniper... go see it

[glasshouses]

Watched it last night
It's not at all what you might think

[ann---]

1. Wouldn't waste my money

on a movie that glorifies sneaky murders.

[treestar]

23. It didn't

He came off in this movie as good at what he did, not sneaky. And in no war was the war "glorified." He thought he was doing a great thing, but that was not taken for granted in the overall movie. In fact it was questioned.

[ann---]

93. Still didn't convince me

to waste my money watching people being murdered by someone who thought he was "doing
a great thing." He was taking the coward's way out.

[Arugula Latte]

2. Nope.

Fuck Chris Kyle.

American Sociopath.

[old guy]

3. No.

[el_bryanto]

4. I think it's probably more ambiguous than most people around here

Film critics I generally like have argued that it isn't as black and white as some take it.

But I still don't really want to see it. I'm not big on war movies to start with, and there are just a lot more movies that I'd like to see.

Bryant

[groundloop]

5. I respectfully decline to see it also....

I outgrew my fascination with war after my cousin came back from Vietnam in a casket.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Gun and war porn not some folks cup of tea.

[MADem]

8. If I watch it at all, and I have heard it has an "antiwar" component despite the hype,

I'll watch it on a premium movie channel I've already paid for.

I just can't motivate myself to part with the price of a first run movie theater ticket for that kind of thing. Depressing.

[glasshouses]

17. It's very antiwar

It doesn't glorify war at all

[MADem]

30. The few scenes I've seen show a guy who isn't handling his situation too easily.

So that was my takeaway, too. That said, I'm just not gonna spend money to see something so depressing. I don't need someone to act out that kind of misery for me to take the point.

[Lifelong Protester]

9. Not going to happen.

N/T

[Romeo.lima333]

10. the movie where america sends a sniper into a country that did nothing to us and then starts

picking off it's people, no thanks, it's a movie about murder and occupation

[madokie]

11. Sure it is worse than I could imagine

No way will I even entertain the idea of watching that let alone actually watching it.

The people of Iraq or Afghanistan did not deserve the hell we unleashed onto them. Being a sniper is not my idea of hero making either.

If we wanted to retaliate against the perpertrators of 911 we need look at the dick, w and the kingdom of SA

[glasshouses]

19. I saw nothing in the movie making him a hero.

That seemed to be on purpose by the director

[madokie]

20. matters not

as far as I'm concerned he was a punk

[leveymg]

12. Why? So, what is it, then?

Please talk us into further inflating this Dirty Hairy flick's box office gross?

[Hoyt]

13. Heck no. A movie about some callous gun nut who thinks shooting is therapy for a vet with PTSD

ain't my idea of entertainment.

[NightWatcher]

14. Well shit, when you say it like that...

What else should we do with our lives????

[dissentient]

15. Maybe one day if I'm bored, and it's cheap enough on

Amazon video, like $2 bucks, then I might see it.

[old guy]

25. Wait and you will be able to get it free from your local library.

[dissentient]

34. Good idea.

[dilby]

16. Really because I am pretty sure it's glorification of an Illegal War.

But I am so glad you enjoyed it.

[Kingofalldems]

18. Republicans seem to love it.

[yeoman6987]

22. BS. A lot of Democratic voters saw and enjoyed it too.

[Kingofalldems]

27. Are you calling me a liar?

Never said anything about Democrats so it looks like you just made it up.

[yeoman6987]

60. Well you made a broad brush statement

Please provide the link to your fact you gave. Polling data would be acceptable too.

[Kingofalldems]

64. I said republicans like the movie. You added Democrats to the mix.

Here you go: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-american-sniper-young-republicans-20150121-story.html

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AwrBT0dNsvRUrtwAxQFXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA3lmcC10LTkwMQRncHJpZAMEbl9yc2x0AzAEbl9zdWdnAzAEb3JpZ2luA3NlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20EcG9zAzAEcHFzdHIDBHBxc3RybAMEcXN0cmwDNDQEcXVlcnkDcmVwdWJsaWNhbnMgYW5kIHRoZSBmaWxtICcgYW1lcmljYW4gc25pcGVyJy4EdF9zdG1wAzE0MjUzMjI1NzQ-?p=republicans+and+the+film+%27+american+sniper%27.&fr2=sb-top-search&fr=yfp-t-901&fp=1

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/american-sniper-criticism-fuels-republican-767778

Too easy. By the way, I see what's going on.

Oh yeah, did I make this up too?

[yeoman6987]

66. You do? What? I like a movie you don't?

I am sure there are other movies we disagree on too. I really don't find it a big deal really. I would rather us be on the same page with equal rights, pro choice, busting corruption, equal and fair elections which I predict we are then some movie that in a few months will be an after thought.

[Kingofalldems]

68. I provided the links and you change the subject.

Don't ask for any more from me.

[yeoman6987]

78. I saw the links.....thank you for your efforts.

If I could thank you in person I would.

[NCTraveler]

45. People seem to love it.

[Kingofalldems]

48. Especially republicans.

[NCTraveler]

50. I will take your word on it.

Thanks for the information.

[Kingofalldems]

52. There was outrage from the right that this movie didn't get any Oscars.

They called it a left wing conspiracy.

[NCTraveler]

55. Gotcha.

Wouldn't catch me watching the Oscars and somehow missed that aspect of it here. Forest Gump, Shawshank. No need for conspiracies from the right. Oscars often suck. I think it was the Oscars that went for Forest over Shawshank. Could be wrong.

[former9thward]

73. So what?

Michelle Obama liked it too.

First Lady Michelle Obama Offers Praise for ‘American Sniper’

Speaking at an event to boost the image of veterans in entertainment, first lady Michelle Obama offered praise to the movie “American Sniper” for its depiction of military families and “the complex journeys that our men and women in uniform endure.”


http://variety.com/2015/film/news/first-lady-michelle-obama-offers-praise-for-american-sniper-1201419881/

[Kingofalldems]

81. So what back at you.

[yeoman6987]

21. I saw it already. Excellent movie

Those that don't like it haven't seen it. Yet they lie all day long about it. Nothing new. Happens to a lot of movies. Anyway, the positive thing from the negatve massagers is that by the end of the week, it will be the number 1 movie of 2014. That is more important then the liars who make up junk about it. The movie won without them.

[glasshouses]

26. I think if a DUers went to see it most would see what I mean about it being an excellent movie

Many probably think it's all about shooting and killing, not even close to that.

[yeoman6987]

62. No kidding. I find it numerous and closed minded quite frankly

[cwydro]

83. Doesn't it show the shooting of women and children?

If I'm wrong, then I stand corrected.

But, that is something I do NOT want to see.

And god only knows how many innocent men he shot.

[Agschmid]

28. Someone alerted... Waiting for results.

[yeoman6987]

63. Not alert worthy at all!

With my 100 percent, I am on a jury a lot and don't find this even close. Jury agreed.

[Agschmid]

67. Yup.

[bravenak]

58. Here are the results.

9:11 AM
Automated Message
AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service
Mail Message
On Mon Mar 2, 2015, 11:58 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

I saw it already. Excellent movie
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6299841

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Calling out an entire thread saying anyone who doesn't like this movie is a liar who makes things up about it. Wow.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Mon Mar 2, 2015, 12:11 PM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Nope.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Long time troll
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This guy's close to orgasm about this movie being the top box office draw of 2014. Probably not the only thing about it that has him breathing heavily.
But I'm voting to leave the post alone. I may see on one of my premium channels but not in the theatre.


Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Opinion - and it doesn't even specify DUers.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: It isn't THAT hard to say that people who haven't seen it don't know what they're talking about without calling them liars. Inappropriate.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Not calling everyone liars. Just those who trash it without seeing it. Like me. I'm a liar too. I hate the movie. It's crap. I have not seen it. Did read the book tho. Same with fifty shades.
This alert just didn't do it for me.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.
Cannot reply to automated messages
Alert abuse Delete this DU Mail
« Newer | Return to My Inbox | Older »

[840high]

80. Totally agree. We saw it.

[tenderfoot]

24. What do people think it is?

eom

[glasshouses]

29. A pro war movie making Kyle some sort of hero in it

[Oilwellian]

91. It's far more complex

It's actually the pro-war Americans (Republicans) who have made Kyle a hero.

Most Democrats and the rest of the civilized world, consider the Iraq war to be illegal and a crime against humanity. What we have witnessed since that war began has been nothing short of sickening, in particular the war crimes we committed in Fallujah where the American Sniper was based.

Paying money to watch a Hollywood production of a sniper's experience in Fallujah, is just not something that is appealing to those in good conscience, because they remember the war crimes that were committed there.

Of course, being a Democrat, you know this already, right?

[kydo]

31. Nah ...honestly, I like Cooper but not into this war pic.

Would rather watch unbroken. Thinks it the directors in this case. I like Anglie Jolie. Eastwood not so much.

So I think I will pass on this one.

[el_bryanto]

33. Unforgiven is good though. The thing with Eastwood is he is a nuts and bolts director

He doesn't spend a lot of time telling you how to feel about his movies in general. I just puts them up there and you can figure it out for yourself.

Bryant

[redstatebluegirl]

32. No thanks.

[one_voice]

35. My sister saw it and said...

Kyle really thought he was doing the right thing. She said it didn't glorify war or the life of a sniper. She also said it was a very hard movie not watch, not one she'd want to see again.

I told her it doesn't sound like it matches what *his* book says. Anyway, I've seen all the 'war' movies. I will probably watch this at some point. Probably when it comes to HBO or one of those channels.

[Iggo]

36. No, thank you.

[rufus dog]

37. Saw it

IMO, just an average movie, sure it had some serious glossing over of issues, but more so no in depth moment into Kyle's psyche. For example, after his last tour, he gets back to the U.S. and doesn't go home, he is sitting in a bar drinking beer by himself, why? Contrast that to Birdman and the scene with Keaton and Stone, she identifies exact cause for his fears, and the general state of all people.

Again, IMO, Sniper should be compared to Diehard, not Academy Award winners.

[StopTheNeoCons]

38. Nope

I don't watch shit like that

[Brother Buzz]

39. I'll catch it when it makes it to television or...

Netflix. The probability of it making it to home television improves as we approach the 2016 election cycle.

[aikoaiko]

40. I don't get the theaters often, but I'll see it on OnDemand or cable.

I don't get why people are refusing to see it on some moral/political grounds.

[KeepItReal]

41. I'll catch it on Netflix

Not trying to help Clint Eastwood's box office take.

[closeupready]

42. Nope. Not a chance in hell. No interest whatsoever.

[hack89]

43. Excellent movie. nt

[NCTraveler]

44. Really good movie.

Really bad idea to even think about having an open discussion here about it.

[leveymg]

47. What made it good, and why do you think DU shouldn't (can't) discuss it?

Thanks for your artistic insight and high opinion of us.

[NCTraveler]

49. "Thanks for your artistic insight and high opinion of us."

Leaving this alone as due to the passive-aggressive tone. Pretty simple to look through the comments if you want to see my meaning. Thanks.

[leveymg]

74. "Really bad idea to even think about having an open discussion here about it."

Responding in kind to your tone and tenor. If you think the audience may disagree, that's when you have to try harder to be persuasive, not dismissive. Otherwise, such comments are likely to be taken as hostile.

[el_bryanto]

53. I haven't seen it; but to some at DU saying the film has artistic merit

Is also saying that Kyle what's his name is a hero, that killing Iraqis is just fine, and that the invasion of Iraq was justified. It's very hard to have a discussion when that's the come back.

Bryant

[Bluenorthwest]

71. Anyone who at anytime voices an opinion about any film or book they have not actually seen or read

gets my contempt. With the exception of 'that does not appeal to me so I'm skipping it'. Preaching a sermon about the content and meaning of anything one has not seen is an extremely conservative action, extremely.

[Logical]

46. LOL, no, it is not what you are saying it is! WTF??? Nt

[daleanime]

51. No...

[WDIM]

54. Not a good movie.

I thought the acting was very stiff. The characters were really not that interesting. The story it tells is a fake as the baby Cooper is holding.


It is a war propaganda movie that is trying to justify the Iaq war by dehumanizing the Iraqis even calling the Iraqis savages. And the one character that even disagrees with the war a little bit gets killed quick and they blame this soldier for his own death because he doubted the war.

They try to sell the idea that kyle was just there to do a job and protect his fellow soldiers from the savage iraqis. Kyle is the big texan protecting the weak. Its a complete fairytale and glossing over of mass murder.

[Paladin]

56. Not a chance.

If you want to add your ticket money to that of all the right-wing sniper worshippers, flag wavers and hate junkies, be my guest. I've been monitoring Facebook and some of the gun sites for the last few weeks concerning Eastwood's tidied-up war porn; I don't need to see the movie to know it would be a travesty for me to support it in any way.

[snacker]

57. No, thank you. nt

[RedCappedBandit]

59. Nah, I'm not giving anyone involved in its creation my money.

[CanonRay]

61. I'll pass

if for no other reason than to not put money in Eastwood's pocket.

[mcranor]

65. No, Don't. (It's terrible.)

I saw it. I watch all the Best Picture nominees each year.

'Sniper' is the Sausage Egg McMuffin of war movies. Banal cliches from beginning to end. It's a magnetic yellow 'support-the-troops' ribbon for your SUV. It is casual reinforcement of every ignorant prejudice held by our hopelessly addled citizenry. It closes the circle of macho bullshit that Dirty Harry opened; another 'iconic' tough guy and his REALLY BIG gun...(eye-roll).

Deeply stupid. Offensive in so many ways. Possibly the worst of the eight nominees. Ptui! (wipes chin)

[WDIM]

69. Agreed

Its not a good movie at all. I really dont even think it deserved to be nominated for anything. I almost didnt even finish watching it because of the repetiton and staleness of the story and the overt pro-war propaganda. Two hours of my life ill never get back but it was like watching a train wreck or something horrible you want to see if it gets worse and it did.

[lame54]

72. I loved Dirty Harry...

so I'll go see it - thanks

[Oilwellian]

94. Thank you for your critique

It's just as I thought it would be, considering the director.

[lame54]

70. I plan on seeing it...

Clint rocks

[LanternWaste]

75. I watched the film last week, and it's little more than a Lee Greenwood song

I watched the film last week, and it's little more than a Lee Greenwood song overlayed onto visual patriotism.

Saccharine, almost PG-rated two-hour cinematic diversion about a killing machine with a heart of gold who slowly, very slowly, starts to feel bad after shooting enough women and children. Sometimes there's no such thing as "just a human story." Sometimes a story is meaningless or worse without real context, and this is one of them.

Eastwood plays down to the lowest common denominator and gives us clear-cut good guys and clear-cut bad guys, and simply leaves too much on the table when the difficult questions come up.

However effective it is as a piece of cinema (arguable-- but Eastwood does know the basic of film), even a cursory look into the film’s backstory raises disturbing questions about which stories we choose to codify into truth, and whose, and why, and the messy social costs of transmogrifying real life into entertainment.

[tularetom]

76. I saw it, it was underwhelming

But for some reason people were able to view it on several levels, depending what their existing world views were.

If you were opposed to the Iraq war and American militarism in general, you could view Kyle as a naive bumpkin who got sold a crock of patriotic bullshit and let it ruin his life.

On the other hand, if you were a flag waving member of the "USA! USA!" crowd and viewed all Muslims and brown people in general as vile subhumans, you would cheer as Kyle blew away haji after haji.

I'm definitely in the first camp, but my primary reaction was "This isn't a very good movie, I'm sorry I wasted my money on it. Hope it's over soon, I got stuff to do".

[Buzz Clik]

77. I watch just about all Clint Eastwood's stuff. This will be no exception.

But, I won't be killing myself to get to it.

[villager]

79. Saw it for work. It was pretty much what I feared it might be.

n/t

[mwrguy]

82. I'll just rewatch 'American Psycho' instead

At least that one calls a spade a spade.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

84. Meh.

I have no burning desire to pay money to see it. Maybe if I'm bored and it's on HBO, but other than that, I've got other movies I'd rather watch first.

[we can do it]

85. Not a chance.

[crim son]

86. My objection to watching the film is that

it gives Kyle motivation and a conscience he didn't actually possess. It misleads. So no, I'm not going to go see the film for that reason.

[bigwillq]

87. I saw it. Good, not great.

And it had nothing to do with any controversy, just thought it was underwhelming as a cinematic experience.

[HughBeaumont]

88. Porn for a Naive American Citizenry.

Links Iraq to 9/11, just like Rumsferatu tried to do hours after it happened.

Someone had to pay for 9/11, and it simply wasn't going to be the BFEE's BFFs (Saudi Arabia).

A reprehensible narrative, a war criminal's costly revenge folly based on lie after lie, the painting of a sovereign nation as a bunch of rogue criminals and the revision of a war-happy gun nut as a troubled soul who loved kittens.

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK that noise.

[Sheelanagig]

89. Not a snowball's chance in hell I would ever go see it.

[mmonk]

90. No thanks. I know about Fallujah. Forcing male civilians back in to kill them, white phosphorous

and more. I do not yield that darkness has a conscience.

[mnhtnbb]

92. No thanks.

[SomethingFishy]

95. Sorry, when Chris Lyle told the story of how he shot 30 "looters" in Katrina

I figured I didn't want anything to do with this psycho. Yeah I said it PSYCHO. The man claimed he was a hero because he sat atop the Superdome shooting people who just lost everything in a horrible catastrophe.

I wonder which of these "looters" he shot:



If what he says is true, he murdered American Citizens for scrounging for food after a natural disaster. Fuck Him.

[Hissyspit]

96. It doesn't matter what it is. What's disgusting is this is the movie America embraced.