Offline Illumination
Beware the movie Arlington Road! It has a conspiracy theme and is a taut thriller, but also serious propaganda for the feds. It turns the Oklahoma City building bomb into the "St. Louis IRS building bomb" and includes thinly veiled reference to the Randy Weaver incident. Jeff Bridges looks like Flatland publisher Jim Martin, but the movie makes the militia groups look like some super-sophisticated terrorist network that does not even suggest the typical stereotype. It includes no suggestion of infiltration or provocateurism by police agencies. Arlington Road has a deceptively benificent message, that authorities corral "lone nuts" and ignore larger conspiracies as a means to reassure people, but in the end the FBI appears as an innocent victim. The real "terrorist" threat is distorted to unrecognizable dimensions, and conspiracy theorist Bridges becomes its ultimate fool and victim. It's worse even than Mel Gibson's Conspiracy Theory movie.
Parascope publishing co-hort Ruffin Prevost relates this incident with regard to the movie:
I was (un)lucky enough to see one of those infamous "test screenings" of this pic months ago. You know, the major studios set up preview screenings in which they invite certain demographic groups to come see the flick while it's still being made (a rough cut) and comment on it.
I guess I am easily spotted as a "conspiracy monger" by demographic researchers, because I was invited. (Actually a lady just handed me a card when I was coming out of another movie and when I read the plot synopsis I figured I had to go.)
The screening I saw was about 7 or 8 months ago, but I suspect it's essentially the same movie that was released last weekend. The market research company that runs the test screening herds everyone into a theater, a few studio people are there, they show the movie (with a speech about how it's not entirely finished yet and not to let the rough parts affect your judgment of the film overall) and then they have you fill out these comment cards at the end. Sometimes, they recruit a small group of 8 to 15 people for a post-screening rap session (it's a fucking focus group but they won't call it that) where they pick your brains about the flick.
When they were passing out the comment cards, I snagged three of them and
filled in the most outrageous comments I could think of on each one. Stuff
like:
"If you people think portraying Americans who distrust government as wild-eye nuts is proper, just wait till they see your movie. You're in for a big surprise. Have your butlers start your cars for a while."
"Thanks for letting me see this film early. Now, when it opens, I'm going to get together with my militia buddies and blow up the homes, offices and poolside bungalows of all the producers, writers and directors involved on this project."
"You will rue the day you reap the bitter harvest you now sow. Vengeance will be ours. Don't think we'll sit still while you make us look like kooks! We know where you live."
I don't know why I didn't share this silly experience with everyone, but it
just never dawned on me to do so. The plot points toward the end of the flick
were ridiculous and show just how weak-minded its writers were. I was also
disappointed to see Tim Robbins, who I've enjoyed in "politically charged"
roles like Bob Roberts in the past, play a schlocky part in a stupid movie.
For me, the only bright spot in the flick was Joan Cusack's
slightly-over-the-top performance as a daffy stepford wife meets militia mom.
Sort of like if Donna Reed had been in the SLA. No, wait, that's Kathleen
Soliah. Never mind.
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