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5 Kick-Ass Action Movies That Are Pure Propaganda

By Steve Clark
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These days, we don't go for propaganda via posters or showy military parades. No, if you want the populace subdued, you'd better dress up your message with some high-wire kung fu and guys running in slow motion from fireballs.

Some fine examples of thought control via the kick-ass action movie:

On Deadly Ground

The Plot
Steven Seagal IS Forrest Taft, an ex-CIA badass who puts out oil-well fires for a living. How does he put them out? He blows them the fuck up, that's how! But, when his Big Oil employer (Michael Caine) kills Forrest's best friend so that the company can keep letting faulty equipment start deadly oil fires and so they can rip off the local Eskimos in some complicated way, Forrest becomes slightly curious. So, his boss tries to blow him up too.

One Eskimo spirit journey later (he fights a fucking bear) ...

... Forrest is finally ready to kill some fuckers and blow up some shit for the environment.

The Message
Big Oil is Bad. Let's Kill the Fuckers.

Think of it as An Inconvenient Truth II: This Time It's Personal. Of course, Seagal is so ahead of his time that he had the idea more than a decade before Al Gore decided that a slideshow about global warming would be a cool thing to put in a movie. Seriously, the movie ends with our hero giving a 3.5-minute speech (we timed it) about the need for alternative-energy sources.

Significant Quote
"How many of you out there have heard of alternative engines? Engines that can run on anything from alcohol to garbage or water. Or carburetors that can get hundreds of miles to the gallon. Or electric or magnetic engines, that can practically run forever. You don't know about them because if they were to come into use, they'd put the oil companies out of business... Big Business is primarily responsible for destroying the water we drink, the air we breathe and the food we eat. They have no care for the world they destroy, only for the money they make in the process." -Forrest Taft

Bonus Message
Eskimos rock, even if we can't tell them apart from the Chinese.

Yeah, But Do They Still Blow Some Shit Up?
Motherfucker, they blow shit up in the first scene. And, the explosions just keep getting bigger from there. For somebody who cares so much about the environment, this Taft guy sure burns a lot of fossil fuels. Add in some solid fight scenes, excellent shoot-outs and enough blood to fill the dolphin tank at Sea World and kill all the fucking dolphins, and you've got one hell of a crazy, dumb action flick.


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40 Comments

Hey, was that John C. McGinley in the "On Deadly Ground" trailer? Dr. Cox on the side of oil barons haha

Posted on 5/12/2008 11:44:46 AM

I'd like to see a similar article on 80's children's cartoons. GI Joe? How about Inhumanoids? Inhumanoids was total anti-Russian propaganda. A memorable quote from Metlar: "I'll just kill all the Russians myself!"

Posted on 5/12/2008 9:55:07 AM

what about Rambo 3? I thought that was a lot of propaganda.

Posted on 5/11/2008 1:23:16 PM

"Farenheit 9/11 is in a COMPLETELY different genre than any of these. It's a documentary, not an action movie." 'Documentary'? AAAAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH Best joke I've heard all year.

Posted on 5/11/2008 12:08:14 PM

Actually, Red Dawn was PG-13. It was famous when it was first released because it was the first movie to ever be released with that rating.

Posted on 5/10/2008 10:29:03 PM

You think maybe 300 was written about the Battle of Thermopylae, which actually happened (although not quite like that) and has nothing whatever to do with the United States of America, as it didn't exist and wouldn't for another 2256 years? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_thermopylae

Posted on 5/10/2008 12:52:43 AM

The 'US is Best' 'subtext' of 300 is something infered by people trying to look for a reason to bash the movie, aside from historical innacuracy. But, to answer your question... Yes. 300 was made about 3 years before 9/11. Was out in Graphic Novel format well before we went to war with Iraq. Twit.

Posted on 5/9/2008 9:43:35 PM

shooter was based on a book. somehow the story got twisted (ah, imagine that) and that piece of shit came out of it, makes me sad.

Posted on 3/30/2008 2:01:37 AM

Really, Average Joes? You think that Frank Miller, several years BEFORE the U.S. invaded the Middle East, wrote 300 with the "U.S. is best" subtext? If you do, it's even funnier.

Posted on 3/29/2008 10:16:40 PM

What about "300"? Hmmmm, good-looking white guys fighting for "democracy" against fugly Persians (Persia is now known as Iran). Could it be alluding to little Israel in the middle of Arab neighbors...or perhaps U.S. forces in the middle of Iraq...I wonder.

Posted on 3/29/2008 9:04:33 AM

Lummox you fuckin' idiot, this is the best article I've seen in many a moon. Write some more, you massive douche.

Posted on 3/27/2008 2:21:02 PM

gaybears

My life's been bland. I've basically been doing nothing to speak of, but what can I say? Not that it matters. Eh. Such is life.

Posted on 3/27/2008 4:09:29 AM

adult video chat

The Aging Population Hurts The Economy

Posted on 3/26/2008 1:56:04 PM

drake

what about csa the confederate states of america.

Posted on 3/26/2008 10:21:41 AM

unknown

As for "Valley of the Wolves" all I have to say is FUCK THE TURKS!! Who are they to act all ritious, seeing as how they committed the first genocide of the 20th century and all.

Posted on 3/25/2008 5:16:14 PM

DAMAN

You are all stupid communists. 9/11 was an inside job. Bush is Hitler. You are all communists.

Posted on 3/25/2008 4:03:15 PM

KarmikCykle

Farenheit 9/11 is in a COMPLETELY different genre than any of these. It's a documentary, not an action movie.

Posted on 3/23/2008 11:08:28 PM

Jacko

Maybe if Farenheit 9/11 were a "Kick-Ass Action Movie" as the title states, it would've made the list, smart guy.

Posted on 3/22/2008 9:14:01 PM

wanderlust

and farenheit 9/11 wasn't on this list?! really? ya know, my dad once told me something he heard in the army, you don't realize when you're watching the best forms of propaganda, because the best propaganda is so entertaining that you don't notice. or something like that...

Posted on 3/22/2008 8:36:44 PM

DAmn, i miss the old 'america is better than the shithole your parents came from, so go die for us' genre of propaganda movie

Posted on 3/22/2008 2:27:26 PM

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