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Not every movie is a political statement. They're movies. They're meant to entertain first. If they fail that then whatever they do won't matter.

Critics not using psychotropic substances would be like having to eat matzoh all year round instead of just one week. Bread needs moisture. The best enhanced criticism ever is Amy Taubin's assessment on the Reservoir Dogs DVD -- where she claims it's really about a masochistic love story between Mr. Orange and Mr. White, and since Orange is bleeding he's the female.

David's well-played snark aside, when Scott claims the studios "have tried to strengthen their connection with religious and social conservatives," is this something that's happening? Or even significant?

And on a separate tack, what ARE some of the great undiscovered subtexts of our favorite flicks? I keep telling people the hallway hues of "Napoleon Dynamite" are eerily reminiscent of the colors of Alfred Nobel's summer villa on Elba, and they keep telling me I'm an idiot.

Godard once claimed that EVERY film is a political act. Indeed, if a film doesn't make any explicit political statement, then it is implicitly supporting the status quo. That's a bit extreme, I'll grant you. But is interesting to see how seemingly innocuous films of a bygone era -- even something as frothy as "Pillow Talk" -- can be more revealing and enlightening than most historical or anthropological overviews of the period’s mood and mores. Truth is, I wonder how future critics and historians will interpret some of today's movies. I can imagine someone getting their PhD by finding allusions to 9/11 in everything from "War of the Worlds" to "Batman Returns" to "Flightplan."

I don't know... Ghost Whisperer... My Name Is Earl... even the Dukes of Hazzard movie... I'm certainly seeing a leaning to the red states recently.

And yes, Speilberg seems to be on a 9/11 tear with "The Terminal," "War of the Worlds" and now "Munich."

I sure do miss Bill Clinton.

Joe L., you're completely correct. It's the least self-conscious movies that are often the most revealing, like an innocuous dream that reveals a patient's subconscious.

Thanks to Dave P for attempting to keep the dialogue at a less interesting, dumber level. Scott makes some really good points and doesn't say anything that crazy, in my opinion.

I agree jeff. I kept waiting for Scott to say something really out there, but it all seems perfectly reasonable and accurate to me.

Jeff thinks its a big right wing conspiracy. They control everything. They made hurricanes!!! Earthquakes!!! Poverty!!! Hold onto your hats!

Not to get into a Spielberg debate again, I found it extremely odd that he decided to make War of the Worlds a very Politically minded film whereas The Terminal, which by all rights should have been more of one, was left as a frothy rom-com with Tom Hanks doing a funny accent.

It wouldn't be hard to find 9/11 and WW2 parallels in War of the Worlds though. It's not like they're subtle or anything

"I don't know... Ghost Whisperer... My Name Is Earl... even the Dukes of Hazzard movie... I'm certainly seeing a leaning to the red states recently."

I haven't seen Ghost Whisperer, but the other two only lean toward the red in so much as they depict red-staters as knuckle-dragging morons.

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