Opinion: Why Schwarzenegger, Stallone and nostalgia for '80s action movies are back (via latimesopinion )
Americans have a right to know the extent of the military’s influence on the shows and films they consume.Forty years ago, anyone afraid and uncertain could seek comfort in the thickly muscled arms of action movie stars, whose characters fulfilled empowerment fantasies by meeting adversity with a wry smile and a loaded machine gun. Stallone’s “Rambo” saga saw a tormented Vietnam vet become so unstoppable that he could head back to the jungle and restore American pride.
In the 1980s, these movies were a chance to cheer on someone who could actually do something about the threats affecting their lives. For more than a decade, studios have delivered a seemingly endless series of heroes who rely on superpowers to save the day in elaborate, computer-generated scenes. Yet we are still drawn to ’80s-style blockbusters that take place in a world that looks like ours. Watching one gives us a guilt-free hit of adrenaline in dark times.
But action-movie highs come at a cost. They tend to offer cartoonishly simple and violent solutions to complex problems — just as strongmen trying to appeal to desperate citizens do. Certainly the first generation of ’80s action films, and some of the recent renaissance, are frequently misogynistic, and often have nasty streaks of racism and xenophobia.
And those faults can’t just be attributed to the movies being products of their times. “Rambo: Last Blood,” the most recent in the franchise, came out in 2019 and saw its hero take on demonically evil Mexicans, as if a Trump campaign speech had been fused with a Hollywood pitch. Extreme right-leaning politicians have also embraced the action stars of this era.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sylvester Stallone Says Arnold Schwarzenegger “Was Superior”: “He Had The Body, He Had The Strength”Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are best known for their action movies from the 80s. As part of the Netflix docuseries Arnold, Stallone is recalling his former bitter rivalry with Schw…
Read more »
Sylvester Stallone Admits Arnold Schwarzenegger Was 'Superior'Actor Sylvester Stallone has admitted that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the superior action movie star in the 1980s.
Read more »
Stallone Admits Schwarzenegger Was The Superior '80s Action Star After Years of DebateAfter a number of hit films and years of debate, Sylvester Stallone admits that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the superior 1980s action star.
Read more »
Sylvester Stallone says ex-rival Arnold Schwarzenegger was ‘superior’ starTwo of Hollywood’s biggest kick-butt action heroes may have clashed back in the 1980s, but now the two are the best of friends.
Read more »
Opinion | Why Trump's favorite trial delay tactics may not fly in FloridaAnd that’s bad news for Trump's lawyers ahead of his arraignment on charges of willful retention of classified information.
Read more »