‘Machete’ Review: Dull, Convoluted, Racist and Anti-American [a film only LaRaza could love]

Big Hollywood ^ | 09/04/10 | Jim Nolte

[Liz]

Complete agreement.

[tanknetter]

Besides, Pt.2 Might be "Revenge of the Gringo"

Actually, it says at the end of the flick that Pt.2 will be "Machete Kills", while Pt.3 will be "Machete Kills Again".

[tanknetter]

Frankly, unless Jessica or Michelle get naked I'll still pass.

Yes and no, respectively. :-D

[DirtyHarryY2K]

All anyone need do to lead you (and most others) to your demise is simply distract you with a painted whore..

[rbg81]

what one character describes as the “personal hell” that is Mexico. And that character is Luz, (Michelle Rodriguez), a taco stand operator and the underground leader of a network dedicated to smuggling illegals across the border. However, she’s also stockpiling weapons of war for the coming “revolution” and represents SHE (an obvious reference to mass-murderer Che — nice, huh?), the mythical, female revolutionary figure who inspires illegals everywhere to fight for their right to be in America. Because, as Sartara sees it: “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us!”

---

I’ll bet a subtheme of this film is that its the Gringo’s fault that Mexico is such a hellhole. The Mexicans themselves had NO responsibility for it or in trying to stay & fight to reclaim it. No, apparently not. But they do have a “right” to cross the border and forment revolution. The fact that such a revolution would turn American into the same kind of personal hell is irrelevant.

[Zack Nguyen]

... except that it's standard Hollywood Financial Law that a film routinely needs to make back three times its total costs, overall, in order to qualify as genuinely "profitable" from a studio's perspective. So, really, Machete needs to make $150M, all told, for the dire prospect of sequels to come into play. ;)

Actually, I've read the studio and the theatres split the profits, so a movie needs to make back about 2x what it cost. I have only read that and am no expert so let me know if I'm wrong.

[jetson]

Is'nt this Johnny 23?

[tanknetter]

All anyone need do to lead you (and most others) to your demise is simply distract you with a painted whore..

FWIW, I prefer latex for my "painted whores".

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Actually, I've read the studio and the theatres split the profits, so a movie needs to make back about 2x what it cost. I have only read that and am no expert so let me know if I'm wrong.

I'm using William Goldman's invaluable how-it's-really-done sourcebooks (Adventures in the Screen Trade, Hype and Glory, Which Lie Did I Tell?, The Big Picture: Who Killed Hollywood?) as my touchstones, chiefly... but: the most recent of these is ten years old, give or take; and I freely admit that circumstances may well have altered since then, given the realities of new retail formats. etc. ;) I, too, am open to any other fellow FReeper expounding further.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Is'nt this Johnny 23?

Yup. (Good catch!) ;)

[GOPsterinMA]

I was staring at my cell phone and having thoughts......

[DirtyHarryY2K]

"FWIW, I prefer latex for my "painted whores"."

I rest my case..

[martin_fierro]

I stopped going to movies when it finally sunk in that every character who remotely shared my values was consistently portrayed as the Bad Guy.

[Ammo Republic 15]

Yep, reading the comments here, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind America is finished!

[moovova]

I won’t even be making a RedBox run for this one...

[Altura Ct.]

I agree. Of course TV, 5th Ave and all media is exactly the same way. We have been immersed in this crap for so long many people don’t know the difference. When you watch this brainwashing all week, every week for years it can’t help but have an effect.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

I stopped going to movies when it finally sunk in that every character who remotely shared my values was consistently portrayed as the Bad Guy.

That's why -- with the increasingly rare exceptions I specifically want to support with my $$$ (the last one, IIRC, being the second "Narnia" film, Prince Caspian) -- I view/obtain the vast majority of my movies, nowadays, via P2P (person-to-person) torrents online.

If Hollywood steadfastly cannot (or, rather, WILL not) refrain from relentless and monotonous conservative-bashing in their product, no matter how wildly inappropriate to the subject at hand... well, then: have at it, lads, do. Enjoy yourselves, by all means.

Just not on MY dime, is all.

Ever, ever again. ;)

[BigCinBigD]

I’m in! :)

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

[belated addenda, RE: #37]

... and evidently, there are now enough of us out there, to where it's actually having starting to have an appreciable effect on their sainted bottom line. ;)

[fieldmarshaldj]

Does that include Frank Booth ?