The recent war of words between George Clooney and hedge fund kingpin Daniel Loeb was quite significant. What appears to just beanother investor tired of Hollywood political flops, in reality, is apublic face on a very private fight. One raging within Hollywood itself.
The future of Hollywood political preach fests is dire, here are the main reasons why:
1. The Avengers (May 2012)
WhileHollywood releasing left wing films is nothing new, the fight over themtook on another level with the release of this superhero feature. Thereason being as follows: to justify the making of big budgetliberal box office flops like Green Zone, or even the more recent WhiteHouse Down, the progressives in Hollywood sought to make a new argument.That argument was: “Well, the budgets on other films is too highanyway. The major box office records won’t be ever broken. The state ofHollywood’s future has to be the political films we want to make. We’lljust do them cheaper. Trust us. We can.”
Much like a campaigntrail promise, this went out the window with The Avengers opening. Not onlydid it shatter box office records (the most impressive being thebiggest film opening of all time), it did so by a wide margin. The filmalso featured a character talking openly about God (Captain America),and featured a budget well over $200 million to produce. According to theprogressives in Hollywood trying to shape the industry’s future, thisnever should have happened.
There’s even a dig at Democrats late in thefilm. After saving New York City, various news feeds are shownshowcasing people’s opinions on the Avengers. One, if you look closely,is a Democratic politician from New York who angrily yells that theAvengers “should have to pay for all damage” caused by the film’s alieninvasion. But this was nothing compared to future progressive troubles.
2. The Astounding Christmas Frame of 2012
Thisone really hurt progressives. Films over the Christmas frame last year (films thatopen around Christmas and onward) was long circled on many box officeanalyst charts. The reason being the significant change in direction theindustry was trying. The return of the much beloved conservative opusLord Of The Rings emerged in the form of The Hobbit: An UnexpectedJourney. There was also Les Miserables‘, a film musical marketed directly to church audiences. Also included was Quentin Tarantino’swestern Django Unchained. To top if off was Zero Dark Thirty, a filmwho’s target audience was the current American conservative base. Allwere seen as “old fashioned” and “too much a representation of a dyingage in Hollywood,” by many in the Hollywood left.
To counter, progressiveshad Matt Damon’s Promised Land (an anti-fracking movie) and others. Theresult was not only did Hobbit, Les Miserables’, Django, and Zero DarkThirty open to successful box office. They continued to make a lot ofmoney in the long run. In fact, these films performed so well on themargins (all easily breaking the $95-300 million domestic mark), itshocked the majority of Hollywood talent that such “staying power” was even possible at the multiplex during the Christmas frame(usually only the lucrative Summer frame could see as many films withsuch strong box office results). The films did so well, they actually dominated all films released the next month entirely.
On the other side of the coin,Promised Land flopped. No other progressive film even made adent on the box office stage.
Before they were done, Hobbit brokethe elusive billion dollar mark worldwide, Les Miserables’, DjangoUnchained, and Zero Dark Thirty all grabbed Best Picture nominations.Which brings us to our last point.
3. Zero Dark Thirty’s Oscar Campaign
Itwas bound to happen. After suffering massive embarrassment over thevastly successful (and very anti-progressive) Christmas frame.Progressives took out their frustration on Zero Dark Thirty’s Oscarroad.
The claim was Zero Dark Thirty’s controversy was over the”enhanced interrogation efforts” in the film which many liberalorganizations viewed as “torture.” For many this was true. But don’t befooled, this was mainly a fight over the direction of the Hollywood filmindustry. Many in Hollywood grew frustrated they were losing the reignsto the Zero and Hobbits of the world, and they lashed out accordingly.
Theresult, sadly, was Zero Dark Thirty (though critically acclaimed andvoted high by audiences) never stood a chance to win Best Picture at thevery politicized Academy Awards. But the greater victory was easily wonon Hollywood’s future.
Which brings us to George Clooney andDaniel’s Loeb’s public feud. What’s it over? What else, frustration overbox office flops loaded with liberal talking points (in this case,Elysium and White House Down). Coincidence it falls in with previousfrustrations expressed on progressive films this past year? Nope. Just amore public face on the very private fight.
A box office fight, right now, Hollywood progressives know they’re losing.
Sensei White Lotus
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