Well, fellow liberal bloggers, we have been duped, bamboozled and hogshanked.  There is a conspiracy afoot and not just the one in Iraq. 

We got suckered into the O’Reilly argument. We have been duped by the overzealous media blitz of Brian DePalma and Mark Cuban. We have been conned by the Venice and New York Film Festivals. circuit. In fact, O’Riley’s fire will probably be more responsible for a strong opening weekend than word of mouth.

We, like Bill O., made the mistake of judging REDACTED before we even saw it. Well, now I have seen it.  This film is a prime example of the starfucking that is required on the so-called indie fest circuit. 

While the subject matter is important and based on reportedly true events, we are being manipulated by the media. The most offensive marketing gimmick of the movie is that it is available for a whopping $19.95 on Video-On-Demand.   Does that sound like someone trying to tell the truth? No, it is Mark Cuban trying to line his pockets by cashing in on our strong liberal views on the war. 

DePalma has never been much of an actor’s director and  has only succeeded in having strong performances when he has had a Pacino, DeNiro, Connery or even Tom Cruise in front of his lens. In this catastrophe, he employs neophyte actors and allows them to flail about in stereotypical roles. As a result, the performances are embarrassing to all involved. The film is shot in a “hip for the kids” doc style complete with You Tube videos, video toaster effects and Al Qaeda style websites. Since the direction of the actors is so underwhelming the entire film comes off as if we are watching a film put together by a not-so-talented film student. You can almost hear DePalma whining "I'M JUST AS GOOD AS OLIVER STONE"

The script penned by DePalma is a fireball of over manipulative claptrap. The lines between good and evil are strictly drawn and leave no room for interpretation. It’s DePalma’s way or the highway. In fact, I got that same dirty feel I get when I watch Bill O.  attempting to manipulate his viewers. . 

We are all sick of the right wing slam machine that revs up when someone speaks out against the war. The issues in the film REDACTED need to be discussed. I’m sure that a small percentage of American Soldiers engage in terrifying acts depicted in the film. This has happened in every war in history. Abu Ghriab proves that it still happens. I just wish they had made a better film about it.