"Red Dawn": Important Movie Marks 25th Anniversary, as Star Fights Heroic Battle Against Cancer
By Debbie Schlussel
This is one of those things that makes you feel old. Some movie publicists tell me that Thursday is the 25th anniversary of an important movie, "Red Dawn," which depicts a Soviet Communist invasion of America and a band of American teens--the "Wolverines"--who heroically fight them off. (IMDB differs and says it was released on August 10, 1984, so I'll repost on this, again, then.)
American Cinemathique sent me word that the organization will be marking "Red Dawn's" 25th anniversary with a special showing and discussion at the historic, restored Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, on Thursday Night at 7:30 p.m. So if you live in the Los Angeles area, this is a great opportunity to see this excellent movie as it was meant to be seen--on the big screen. More details here.
"Red Dawn" Trailer . . .
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_I4WgBfETc"]YouTube - Red Dawn[/ame]
Although it was panned by many critics (a/k/a liberals) at the time, "Red Dawn" is a great movie that stands the test of time . . . if you realize that the Communist threat of yesterday in the movie could easily be the Islamic threat of today, taking over our country unless we stop them. Only a few years after "Red Dawn" came out, the Soviet Union fell. But several of the Communist leaders on our own Western Hemisphere, in Latin America, who were around then--like Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega--are back or have been replaced by far worse, such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales.
As I wrote in a previous column:
And as we celebrate this great, important movie, let's not forget its star, Patrick Swayze, whose heroic battle against pancreatic cancer has taken a turn for the worse. He has lived far longer than most who are struck with this horrible disease. And, even though I've been critical of some of his political statements in the past (here and here), I don't forget his contribution in starring in "Red Dawn." And we should keep him in our prayers.
By Debbie Schlussel
This is one of those things that makes you feel old. Some movie publicists tell me that Thursday is the 25th anniversary of an important movie, "Red Dawn," which depicts a Soviet Communist invasion of America and a band of American teens--the "Wolverines"--who heroically fight them off. (IMDB differs and says it was released on August 10, 1984, so I'll repost on this, again, then.)
American Cinemathique sent me word that the organization will be marking "Red Dawn's" 25th anniversary with a special showing and discussion at the historic, restored Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, on Thursday Night at 7:30 p.m. So if you live in the Los Angeles area, this is a great opportunity to see this excellent movie as it was meant to be seen--on the big screen. More details here.
"Red Dawn" Trailer . . .
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_I4WgBfETc"]YouTube - Red Dawn[/ame]
Although it was panned by many critics (a/k/a liberals) at the time, "Red Dawn" is a great movie that stands the test of time . . . if you realize that the Communist threat of yesterday in the movie could easily be the Islamic threat of today, taking over our country unless we stop them. Only a few years after "Red Dawn" came out, the Soviet Union fell. But several of the Communist leaders on our own Western Hemisphere, in Latin America, who were around then--like Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega--are back or have been replaced by far worse, such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales.
As I wrote in a previous column:
At the time it came out, we were in the midst of fighting the Soviets and other forces of Communist hegemony in the Cold War. That's why despite universal critical panning, the movie was a box office success, with Americans paying to see it in droves. It was an important film that embodied the fight Ronald Reagan was preventing in our future by fighting--and beating--it during his Presidency. If only President Bush had done the same in the last 6.5 years, instead of kowtowing to it. Unlike Ronald Reagan, his actions insure that "Black Dawn" will not just be a movie.
I've always said that "Red Dawn" and "Arlington Road" are both great movies that should be remade into timely movies with Muslims replacing Communists and neo-Nazis. They are the current threat. But Hollywood refuses to believe it. Given that mentality, it's in fact miraculous that "Red Dawn" was ever made. Don't look for "Green Dawn" or "Black Dawn"--about the Muslim invasion--to ever get greenlit.
And as we celebrate this great, important movie, let's not forget its star, Patrick Swayze, whose heroic battle against pancreatic cancer has taken a turn for the worse. He has lived far longer than most who are struck with this horrible disease. And, even though I've been critical of some of his political statements in the past (here and here), I don't forget his contribution in starring in "Red Dawn." And we should keep him in our prayers.
thanks for the post.
well put....
WOLVERINES! 
less one morning when, upon looking out her back window, she saw paratroopers raining into the fields behind her home. 
