history is dead.

[katster]

From a review of the new Indy movie, Annalee Newitz of io9.com has the following observation:

The only edge to the film is a clumsy, knee-jerk liberal subplot about how the evil U.S. government suspects everyone of being part of the Red Menace — even Indy! Sounds just like the evil, suspicious U.S. government today! Wow, thanks for the commentary, but honestly if there had just been cooler aliens or a weirder plot I would have been a lot happier.

The movie is set in the 1950s. Now you can see why I just sighed to myself and muttered, “History is dead…”

Look, McCarthyism and the whole paranoia over the Red Menace was real, and it destroyed lives. If you’re seeing parallels to today’s US government in it, then maybe y’ought to be more scared, y’know?

Originally published at retstak.org. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[mrfnord.livejournal.com]

Oh hush, you liberal you. ;)

Saw the movie last night, and it is a *very* 1950s picture. This'll probably turn off a lot of people who want more "edge," but for a guy like me who grew up watching all the glorious Technicolor of the 50s (and the very bottom of that barrel on MST3k) it's pretty damn good.

[zibblsnrt.livejournal.com]

So, would I be entertained if I hauled some archaeologist friends to it? ;)

[mrfnord.livejournal.com]

If your archaeologist friends are the type to be annoyed by Indiana Jones movies in general, then their howls of anguish should be most entertaining. ;)

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

*nodnodnod* Very much agreed.