The Deep Politics of Hollywood: Close Encounters with the Pentagon
August 3rd, 2009I wish I’d taken a screenshot from the scene in the 2007 Transformers where John Turturro is shown against a wall and the sign to the left of the frame says something like, “322 days since last accident.” HAHA. I almost upchucked the lamb chop I ate for dinner that night.
I hit REWIND and then I paused it. A couple of things went through my mind. First of all, I didn’t want to tell you guys that I watched Transformers. (I like any SciFi, even nonsense SciFi.) Additionally, I don’t want to be seen as someone who cuts Easter Eggs out of movies. I mean, after all, appearances need to be maintained! (I’ve probably done it on Cryptogon somewhere and forgotten about it. I should have just taken the screenshot.)
After I returned the DVD, I wondered how many maniacs posted that 322 shot.
I couldn’t find even one site that mentioned it.
That was a bit of ramble, but when you understand that there are no coincidences with the set design, and that everything was put there on purpose, and that U.S. Military “advisers” were present during filming… Like I said, that lamb chop nearly came up. The military isn’t just going to let any joker run his film crew around F-117s and F-22s. The light from atop the pyramid must shine brightly on Michael Bay.
Via: Information Clearing House:
For 60 years space aliens have left their mark on the Hollywood box-office in some of the most popular movies of all time, from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), E.T: The Extraterrestrial (1982) and Independence Day (1996), to the highly lucrative Monsters vs. Aliens (2009). The new Transformers sequel, Revenge of the Fallen (2009), is also poised for box-office glory this summer with its big-budget blend of eye-popping special effects, fan-fiction and UFO mythology. The most interesting aspects of the Transformers films, however, are evident not so much in celluloid form as they are behind the scenes – in a production process built around the close relationship between Hollywood, the United States military and a variety of government agencies. While the dryer details of this relationship have been relatively well documented, the curious tale of government involvement in Hollywood’s UFO movies represents a forgotten chapter in the history of American cinema.
