NationStates Jolt Archive

Liberty Times: Foreign Film Succeeds in Allanea

For what is perhaps the first time in the history of Allanea, a foreign action movie – 'Absolute, Comprehensive, and Total Destruction' – has become a blockbuster, grossing more then six billion Universal Standard Dollars (about three Billion Menelmacari Credits) in the summer season. What is the movie about? Simply put, it's a movie about the life of three Bomblean military pilots. It is full of explosions and destruction – and, according to one fan, it is also 'full of win'.

The Simon Phoenix Movie Theater Company has scheduled a media conference tomorrow morning, saying in part: “The public in Allanea loves big explosions, they like movies about the good guys and the bad guys. This is because – we believe – that these movies have a degree of truth in them. The other message – that 'there is only gray' is a nice message, but there are some times cases when there's real black and white, when you need to stand up and be counted – and this is what action movies remind people of. We are proud to be doing a valuable service to the Allanean public, and tomorrow we will talk about the plans we have for our business and clients.”

Rumours have been leaked from the SPMTC about pending plans for a flight-simulator game based on the film, as well as a toy and memorabilia series, however it is not clear whether the Bomblean company that owns the rights to the film has yet affirmed these plans.

We have contacted representatives of the foreign press as to their comments on the phenomenon of this film having this much success, but no response have been received as of the time of print.

OOC: Followup to this:

Bomblean Movies (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12489416&postcount=6)

Multimedia Association of Leafanistan

This movie has been approved as 16+ for showing in Leafanistani Theatres and Theatres in her Colonies. You may submit a short summary not exceeding 7 lines for use in our online database.

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Viewpoint
Successful Bomblean film combines "cheap thrills and moralistic propaganda", says PINA cultural analyst

It is, alas, all too often that foreign cinemas are flooded with "blockbusting" films which constitute, from start to finish, an insult to the intellect of any sensible, educated viewer. It is also with great reluctance that I go and see them.

Absolute, Comprehensive, and Total Destruction - the title says it all, doesn't it? - falls all too neatly into this category. The lower end of the septième art seems to get worse and worse every year, but this film is truly devoid of any redeeming features. It is, quite simply put, empty, and a total waste of time.

Of course, some viewers might enjoy switching their brains off for a couple of hours or so and subjecting themselves to a cheap thrill of senseless action and special effects, but there is, in Absolute, Comprehensive, and Total Destruction, no coherent storyline, no interesting characterisation... nothing. Only explosions for the sake of explosions, trivialising fictionalised murder and turning it into a consumer product, numbing the viewer's consciousness, intelligence and senses.

The characters have no depth at all, being one-dimensional stereotypes. And this, of course, is at the heart of the problem. For if there is nothing of positive value in this film, it does attempt to 'teach' something to its mostly uneducated viewers.

Just recently, a spokesman of the Simon Phoenix Movie Theater Company said: "There are sometimes cases when there's real black and white, when you need to stand up and be counted – and this is what action movies remind people of. We are proud to be doing a valuable service to the Allanean public."

This disturbing opinion speaks for itself, really. 'Black and white' morals appeal to the simple-minded because they are themselves simplistic, and therefore reassuring. Intellectual laziness encourages many to seak simple messages that they can understand without too much mental effort. Never mind that reality itself is rarely this simple. Moralistic propaganda is not about reality; it is about building and encouraging a bubble of beliefs entirely disconnected from reality.

Why? Because a public trained to accept simple stories, beliefs and statements is a public conditioned to believe whatever its government - or, more often, private corporations - choose to tell it.

That Absolute, Comprehensive, and Total Destruction does not stimulate the mind is obvious; nor is it in the least bit entertaining. But then it was not designed solely as entertainment. There is nothing new here. The tried and tested approach of panem et circenses continues to flourish, fed by the ignorance of its consumers. Give the people what you have taught them to want, and their minds will be readily shaped to accept whatever moralistic nonsense you - their leaders and economic masters - choose to invoke to further your own gains at their expense.

Joseph Oliech (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Joseph_Oliech) is a reporter on cultural issues for PINA.

the Government of Zeara has decided to ban this film from showing in the nations cinemas and in the cinemas of our depeninces like the dzarv islands. The reason is that the government has declerd that this film prompotes a forign army and is nothing more than forign propaganda. Instead the Zeara government has given money to the states top film studio to make a film like yours but about the Royal zeara Airforce 101st fighter squad we are going to use this film as a propaganda thing in our own state to hopefully boost troop numbers and promote natinol pride.

"Ah, another Arriddian claiming 'things are never black and white'. I wonder when they'll realize that is an oversimplification, too?" – H. Akston, Professor of Philosophy, Concord University, Allanea

A thNews Newspaper report:

Top Film Re-Released

Top grossing box-office film, Absolute, Comprehensive and Total Destruction is due to be re-released in cinemas across Bomble.
The call comes weeks after violent attacks on projectionists and cinema attendants in reaction to the decision to cease screening in national cinemas. Scientists claimed that the level of brightness and number of on-screen explosions caused servere retinal damage and mild headaches, among other side-effects including nausea and death.
Pro-film group, Recall All Brilliant EntertaInment movieS (RABIES) organised a petition to bring back the film, which over 25,000 people signed. This, along with sponsored walks and bare-knuckle boxing championships finally convinced the Bomblean Film Board to reconsider their decision of pulling the plug and re-screen the film.
The film has had numerous chronically bad reviews, including one by the Ariddian news company, PINA. In its report, reporter Joseph Oliech described it as combining "cheap thrills and moralistic propaganda". The Bomblean Film board has decided to include this quote onto the re-released and re-designed film poster, stating that the film was in fact shot for this purpose.
The film has been exported to a number of countries. Allanea is the only nation to report any ounce of success. The film has conversely been banned in numerous countries including Zeara, citing the high levels of gratuitous violence.
The film has a G rating in Bomble, making it accessible to any age level and not requiring young children to be supervised whilst watching.

OOC: I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, to be honest I didn't see the thread!