The Ann Arbor News Letter-Writing Syndrome
A letter to the News explores the prophetic power of film:
Early in 1979, Jane Fonda’s “The China Syndrome'’ was successful at the box office, and then the catastrophe at Three Mile Island happened on March 28, 1979. The nuclear power industry was crippled. Despite the spinach scare earlier with E-coli, the country is gripped with fear from the recent Taco Bell illness in the East. Interestingly, not too many people saw the film “Fast Food Nation.'’ We did at the State Theater, and it’s worth viewing. Since Taco Bell gets their produce and meat from plants in Texas, you can imagine how the film and real illness are connected.
We usually avoid any work titled “[something] Nation,” so perhaps we’re missing something here, but was there something in it about scallions from Texas?
Of course, the ability of pet-issue movies for the NPR set to predict world events wouldn’t be very useful if you could realize it only through hindsight.
Recently, we saw the film “Bobby.'’ The similarity between the Vietnam era and a young charismatic Bobby Kennedy, with the current Iraq conflict and Barack Obama, who may be a candidate for president, are chilling. I can only pray that nothing happens to the young senator from Illinois.
You might want to include the Mayan civilization in your prayers too. Recent box office events point toward an imminent collapse.
Fast Food Nation is supposedly based on the book of the same name. I haven’t seen the movie but I’ve read the book. The book is a pretty good eye opener into some of the practices of the fast food industry. Although, I suspect the e. coli issues have nothing to do with those practices.
posted by Kozzie_13 on December 15th, 2006 at 1:44 pmAnn Arborlypto.
Coming soon to overrated theaters near you.
posted by David Boyle on December 15th, 2006 at 1:47 pmHappy Hanukkah to all, by the way. I have no idea how it relates to the main topic here but maybe some genius out there can figure out something.
posted by David Boyle on December 15th, 2006 at 2:09 pmI loved Fast Food Nation. Especially the first edition, published 100 years ago under the title The Jungle.
posted by FAA on December 15th, 2006 at 3:55 pmI saw “Inland Empire” today, which will probably fill Ann Arbor with existential dread. If you like David Lynch, it’s a hell of a fascinating movie, probably the most frightening thing he’s ever made.
posted by Nick on December 15th, 2006 at 9:18 pmAnn Arborlypto.
Coming soon to overrated theaters near you.
posted by David Boyle
Isn’t it spelled “Arborypsi”?
;-)
posted by myproxy on December 16th, 2006 at 7:14 pmI saw this move, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and we all know what happened after it came out.
Lots of shitty sequels and an awful remake.
posted by Dave on December 18th, 2006 at 2:05 pmMel Gibson’s beeper is waiting for a phone call from The Maximum Force from the Future. It has been since 1979. But they didn’t have beepers back then, yet, did they? (Spoiler: this joke will not be funny if you haven’t seen Mad Max, sorry … )
posted by toasty on December 19th, 2006 at 4:23 amI saw an interesting film recently-made in michigan-about rampant consumerism vis-a -via big box stores. They used a fictional entity-S-mart- as a focal point. the metaphors flew as the “undead” American unions attacked an isolated employee of S-Mart(since no man is an island it takes a village ect…) after he read an ancient text(a populist interpretation of the constitution0thank you Howard Zinn). It covers deforestation, sexism, body autonomy and the right to die with dignity. Short of mixing a few metaphors, it is an outstanding film. I recommend Evil Dead 2 for all Ann Arborites.
posted by odbwilk on December 19th, 2006 at 8:46 amThere’s also “The Laughing Dead”, but I walked out before it was over, so I don’t know how it ends.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on December 19th, 2006 at 4:08 pmSoon… we will all find out how it ends! Ha Ha!
posted by la cosa nostradamus on December 19th, 2006 at 11:25 pmDidn’t Taco Bell eliminate green onions once before due to an E.Coli outbreak. As I recall at that time they were importing them from Mexico. I think there may have been “sewage as fertilizer” issue.
posted by A Different Jon on December 20th, 2006 at 7:35 ami couldn’t disagree with you more. bobby came from a wealthy and established east coast family and was appointed by his brother to the presidential cabinet. obama is a great person and his book is interesting. however, he lacks experience to get elected. we’d be better off with a clinton/obama ticket in 2008 to perhaps get rid of the neocon menace.
posted by Roberto on December 22nd, 2006 at 12:51 pmBecause what America needs is Hitlery Clinton and Obama bin Laden? Put down the bong.
posted by Anonymous on December 23rd, 2006 at 12:45 pm