The War Room

VOTE WITH YOUR ENTERTAINMENT DOLLAR!

There are perhaps many more important issues in the news at the moment; Duke University, the child care showdown, our troops in Afghanistan or the Liberal leadership, but here is an interesting article on the current nature of the Canadian film industry.

Part of the reason why I started up The War Room was to comment on how culture affects politics, not the other way around. It is the reason why the center has continually moved more left over the past several decades and why even when conservatives win elections, nothing really 'conservative' seems to happen. I guarantee you, even if we do not get National Daycare now, once the checks begin to roll it will only be a matter of time.

Until Christians, Catholics and conservatives take back the educational system and the arts the system will continue to drift more left. The combined strength of Stephen Harper, George Bush, and the Pope will not be able to change that.

In Canada, even more so than America our arts industries are in a virtual death grip with hard left wing ideology. Nowhere is this moreso than in the Toronto-centric film industry. Put bluntly, we do not allow stories to be told that Canadians can relate to. Some people want change and are beginning to talk about it.

I have no idea what his personal politics are, but I agree with every single word that Paul Gross says here:

"Telefilm is floundering," he says. "It's a public service, paid for by the Canadian people. But we are not making movies that people want to see. If we made roads that nobody wanted to drive on, that would be hard to defend as a public service."

"Why are the giants of cinematic comedy -- Jim Carrey, Mike Myers -- not making movies here? Because there's absoutely no room for someone like that in our system. Telefilm wouldn't consider in a billion years a movie where someone sticks his tongue to a pole."

Gross is currently trying to find funding for a 17 million production that would take place during WWI. He is shooting in Alberta and has already secured a committment from Ralph Klein.

I certainly hope he achieves his goals.

Too often, we love to rail against comtemporary films without tying to make them ourselves.

Do not wait for a pro-Christian or conservative film to made by Steven Spielberg or George Clooney. They have no interest in telling your stories.

But also, vote with your dollar. Too many conservatives, Christians and Catholics believe that ole' 'it's only a movie' line. That is not true. Young people today get more of their views from film and music than any other medium. It forms their views on everything from politics to religion to sexuality.

If you do not like how Catholics are portrayed in the media, do not see The Da Vinci Code.

If you do not like that you always have to defend yourself as a conservative do not rent V for Vendetta.

If you do not like how people ridicule Evangelicals do not watch The Daily Show or Bill Maher.

These things matter.

I cannot believe how many people I know who are 'Christian/Catholic' but are planning on seeing The DaVinci Code, because they love a good Tom Hanks movie.

Hey, I love Hanks too, but when you are the villain he is out to save the world from, maybe you have to reconsider the proposition. Maybe you should buck up and see United 93 instead.

I must add as an aside however, that I read some more of The DaVinci Code in the library on the weekend. Visualizing the ending, where a long-haired Hanks bows down to the earth goddess and hears the whispers of the 'Divine Feminine' from ages past rustling through the breeze, would really be laugh out loud funny.

And what the hell happened to Hanks anyway? He was one of my childhood heroes and now, not only is he saving the world from 'evil' Catholics, but he also produces the pro-polygamy Big Love on American cable.

Et tu Thomas? Et tu?

As for Canada, I am glad people like Paul Gross are starting to speak up about the poor state of Canadian film.

He certainly seems to be fed up with the 'elites' who from their offices in Toronto make films that are usually about some 'poor, oppressed immigrant' who can't handle the (ethnic/Christian/Catholic/conservative) surroundings, and therefore must escape to the 'tolerant' big city (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal) where he/she/transgendered it can discover that they are (feminist, gay, lesbian, S&M expert) and are therefore liberated.

That is the template for the average Canadian film. I actually find it very ignorant at best and racist at worst.

If Gross wants to change that...more power to him. I'll pay to see his film in the theatre.

If I need to see Da Vinci...there's always the bootleggers in Chinatown.

posted by Nicol DuMoulin @ 11:09 AM