Movie Reviews from a Capitalist’s Perspective

Unique movie reviews that review today’s movie themes and plots from a Tea Party and capitalist’s perspective.

Thor by Miyem Supriyati of Flickr

Avengers: Endgame – A Tea Party movie review with NO SPOILERS

John

Overall, the new Avengers film Endgame takes a long time to ramp up and does not live up to the expectations a superhero film lover expects from a Marvel movie.  It does yet again, though, strike another cord that rings true to the Tea Party Movement’s revolution to renew the core American value that people’s lives are their own, and they are not cogs in another person’s machine.  In other words, no tyrant has the right to force the world to conform to their world vision.

It is evident that the former Avengers movie, Infinity War, underscored the real threat to humanity imposed upon every American via the United Nations entire Sustainable Development initiatives the Worcester Tea Party discusses here.  The newest chapter in this story, Avengers:  Endgame does not hit on such timely circumstances of the world today, but has an inspirational sub-theme that rings true for all who fight for capitalist, American Tea Party values.

At the start of the climax of the film, Thanos muses;

I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive, but you have shown me that’s impossible. As long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those, that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist.   

The Tea Party and a handful of other good-government groups “remember what was” and therefore we are the ones who will never be able to accept the vision of the future others wish to impose upon us.  Whether it be the big-government Republicans, the Democrats, Progressives, socialists, or those using concern for the environment as a wedge to rollback the progress and prosperity of capitalism, we must have the eternal vigilance required to save the great American experiment.

As insightfully stated by AntiCorporatism.com in its article, Disrespect for the National Anthem, Suppression of Speech, Violence . . . What is going on? The Answer:;

This is why it is necessary to diminish and then destroy the previously widely accepted perception of America.  By burning flags, destroying monuments, and disrespecting the National Anthem, the enemies of America can begin the long, but necessary steps to ascribe a negative connotation to what it means to be an American.

The political Left understand Thanos’ point in Avengers:  Endgame, albeit not yet to believe in the same violent means to their end.  The political Left understands that if real Americans are allowed to speak their mind and defend their views openly, their desire to impose their will upon them will never succeed.  This is why today we see such a concerted effort to shut down speech and disarm lawful and moral Americans. 

The left understands the stakes and knows that without such actions, they will lose. Therefore, it is imperative that the Worcester Tea Party and all other Tea Parties across America continue to champion the critical moral foundation of capitalism and the preservation of individual rights regardless of the costs. 

Thanos is the epitome of the political Left today, but there are no small group of superheroes to fight them off.  There is only the powerful force of the millions of Tea Party Americans that will remember what was, and therefore fight to preserve the blessings of liberty and freedom for generations to come.

Little Pink House: The Government vs Life, Liberty, and Property “She fought for her home… and yours.”

Little Pink House: The Government vs Life, Liberty, and Property “She fought for her home… and yours.”

John

A very important film is in limited release currently, and it is worth seeing for the important case of government abuse and it highlights the heroism of those who fought the good fight.  LITTLE PINK HOUSE is based on the true story told in the book Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage by Jeff Benedict.

Susette Kelo (wonderfully played by Catherine Keener) was a woman who was winding down her second marriage, and she bought a run-down house and made it into her dream home.  It wasn’t glamorous, but it was modest and had a nice view.  And it was HERS.  She put a lot of work into it and was proud of what she had accomplished.  She was living her American Dream – working hard, saving, taking care of yourself and making a good life for yourself.

The Fort Trumbull area was not a garden spot – it was a working class area.  There was a dilapidated state park and there was a sewage treatment plant.  The neighborhood was filled with many elderly and people of modest means.  As you hear again and again in the movie and book, many of the residents were born there, and many husbands and wives and parents had spent their whole lives there and they wanted to die there.

Life was good.  Then – the government got their grubby hands into it.  The Republican Governor John Rowland (played by Aaron Douglas) was looking to make a positive impression in an economically under-performing Democratic community, New London, Connecticut.  He saw an opportunity for redevelopment.  He and his chief of staff select  a surrogate, New London civic leader “Charlotte Wells” (played by Jeanne Tripplehorn).  She brings into the equation the president of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals who just happens to have a brand new product.  Yes, the movie goer is treated to a short version of a commercial for a “little blue pill” (Viagra) which will enlarge many things, including their business, bottom line and need for additional office and research space.

Note that many of the characters identified do not have their real names in the movie.  “Charlotte Wells” is actually Dr. Claire Gaudiani, who was president of the New London Development Corporation (NLDC) and also president of Connecticut College.  I am assuming this is to avoid lawsuits about their portrayals on the big screen.  Some of the “behind the scenes” actions of the “bad guys” are unknown, so individual acts of evil can only be guessed.  But their ultimate evil ends which are inflicted upon the residents of Fort Trumbull were VERY REAL.

Susette Kelo and her fellow “good guys” can, of course, be named.  There is a property and store owner Billy Von Winkle (played by Colin Cunningham) and antique dealer/second-hand store owner Tim Leblanc (nicely played by Callum Keith Rennie) who eventually becomes involved with Susette.  They lead a normal life until they start hearing about the plans for change in Fort Trumbull.  When they start hearing about eminent domain, a “trailer” that was played  for “Little Pink House at the Anthem Film Festival Trailer” has a good clip from the movie about how this was an outrageous abuse of Eminent Domain – it was not for a “public good” but simply a taking for another private party (NLDC on behalf of Pfizer).

White Knight – The Institute for Justice

At this point Susette Kelo starts becoming an activists, and asks Lloyd Beachy (Garry Chalk), the mayor of New London, to help them.  He brings in the Eminent Domain – a non-profit legal .foundation which works on behalf of issues involving free speech, economic liberty, educational choice, property rights and liberty.  Here is a link to their information on the Kelo case:  Kelo Eminent Domain – Institute for Justice.  The lead attorney in the case is Scott Bullock (Giacomo Baessato), and some of the other “good guys” are Dana Berliner (Miranda Frigon) and IJ President Chip Mellor (Gardiner Millar).  [NOTE:  Institute for Justice also took on the Motel Caswell Civil Asset Forfeiture (IJ.org link) case from Tewksbury Massachusetts – and won!].

Well, not to give the whole movie away…  They took the case to court, there was a “half win” (half the families keep their homes;half do not). A very much divided (4-3) State Supreme Court verdict, NOT in Kelo’s favor. And then, because there just happened to be a similar (with an opposite outcome) case in Detroit, their chances went from one in a hundred to – fifty-fifty. And thenoff they were to the Supreme Court.

There are many moving parts in the movie, that make you want to gasp in horror, and when, if you are an empathetic person, you want to cry for some of the tribulations Susette goes through.  She is a reluctant activist, a plain spoken person who does not feel comfortable in the spotlight.  And you should read the book – she is much more of a hero than the movie lets on.  (I’m not putting the movie down at all – there are only so many things you can fit into a movie).

The movie covers about two thirds of the book.  The remainder of the book tells further tales of struggles and heroism, of battling big and out of control government.  About the activism undertaken by the Institute for Justice – part of their “Liberty in Action” efforts.  It is summed up in some of the post script portions of the movie – about the 40+ states which have enacted laws to reign in Eminent Domain abuse (including New Hampshire; but excluding Connecticut).

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  For my first viewing, because it was not in the Boston area, I went to Fort Trumbull, to the “scene of the crime.”  It is still an empty lot, where a community had once stood.  The Fort Trumbull State Park looks better than described, and you can see the views that were stolen from Susette Kelo. I took a few “souvenirs – a couple of brick fragments, a broken piece of pottery.  Just a few artifacts from this tomb where some of our freedoms died.  Then I went to the Kelo House – reconstructed by moving it board by board to a location roughly a mile away. Including the stone pillar with “NOT FOR SALE” carved into it!

The second time I saw it was in Cambridge, to help refresh my memory for writing this review.   The only reason I mention this is that playing at the theater was the movie RBG – #RBGMovie – singing the praises of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Ironic – on one theater screen, she is being lauded, and in the other, she was playing (in my mind) an agent of a major evil.

See the movie, and cheer.  Read the book, and be motivated to become or continue on as an activist.  All government abuses must be fought, and if citizens of the caliber of Susette Kelo continue to stand up, we can continue to attempt to reign in out-of-control government.

Normally reviewers are reluctant to give out “5 stars.”  At a minimum it deserves 4.5 stars.  Since the producers included a scene they idealized about where the disgraced governor was when he finds out the results of the Kelo verdict, I’m bumping it up to 5 stars. (you have to see the movie to find out what the reference is about).

Some other tidbits:

John Stossel has followed the case for years, and has a great case update and review:  Stossel: Little Pink House – Reason.com. Link:  LITTLE PINK HOUSE Official Trailer.  The Kelo Case – several update videos from the Institute for Justice:  Kelo: Five Years Later The Story of Susette Kelo Kelo and Its Aftermath: 10 Year Anniversary.  From the Cato Institute:  Kelo v. City of New London and The Kelo Decision Ten Years Later.  A link about the movie being made:  Reason.TV – Kelo Decision Coming to Big Screen in Little Pink House – YouTube.  Link regarding the Kelo House on its current site:  Historic Buildings of Connecticut » Blog Archive » The Kelo House (1890).

Reviews and news of Little Pink House – with pictures of Susette Kelo’s home where it should still be, but is not:  Hartford Courant: George F. Will: Go See New London’s ‘Little Pink House‘  Mercury News: ‘Little Pink House’: The real story behind the movie  USA Today: ‘Little Pink House’ eminent domain case deserves more attention  Today show:  This woman’s ‘Little Pink House’ was taken away by the government – TODAY.com

– Patrick Humphries – President of the Greater Boston Tea Party

Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War Illustrates the Immorality that is the foundation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Initiatives

John

Worcester TeaParty movie review of Avengers: Infinity WarMarvel’s latest movie, Avengers: Infinity War will open up every American’s eyes to the horror being imposed upon the United States and all countries via the United Nations’ Sustainable Development initiatives.  Also referred to as Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030, the new Avengers’ movie addresses this somewhat complicated topic in a thrilling and entertaining way.  The Worcester Tea Party strongly recommends this fantastic film.

The supervillain of the movie, Thanos, parallels exactly the immoral justification of the UN planners’ efforts to impose the misnomered “Sustainable Development” initiatives upon every sovereign nation.  The underlying concept is based upon the belief that the human race is destroying the planet, and therefore our proliferation and use of the Earth’s resources must be controlled by a centralized authority.

In the real world, this would be the Elites and Globalist that comprise the United Nations.  In Infinity War, it would be the antagonist, Thanos.  Both equally as evil.

In an exchange with Gamora, a woman he viewed as his daughter, Thanos proclaims, “I saved you,” in which Gamora replies tearfully that her people were happy the way they were, but regardless Thanos murdered half of them.  Thanos then justifies his actions by claiming it was, “A small price to pay for salvation . . . Going to bed hungry, scrounging for scraps? Your planet was on the brink of collapse. I was the one who stopped that. You know what’s happened since then? The children born have known nothing but full bellies and clear skies. It’s a paradise.”

Gamora replies simply, “You’re insane.”

The justifications for Agenda 21 / Agenda 2030 and the disposition of the entire UN Sustainable Development initiatives are founded in the idea that the middle class and our single family homeownership creates environmentally unfriendly “sprawl” because each home must have its own septic, water supply, and “greenspace” (land) to exist. Read more →

Tea Party Movie Review of Black Panther: The epitome of racist, collectivist paranoia

John

the Worcester Tea Party eagle soars movie ratings meeterThe popular and critically acclaimed movie, Black Panther, is a fantastic opportunity for the Tea Party to finally review a movie that portrays extremely well the horrors of collectivism, paranoia, racism, and any non-capitalist government.  The movie from the outset is firmly settled on a foundation of monarchy and wholly concerned about the racist concept that a person’s genetic makeup or their family right is a license to rule over others.  The film even goes so far as to state that the power vested in the land should be used to protect “people who look like us” from their oppressors, further underscoring the racist and collectivist overtones of the movie.

The plot reinforces these concepts by a strict adherence to family rule, and the fact that the only option to transform leadership is by initiating force and defeating the king.

Much of the movie is set in the Kingdom of Wakanda, which is idolized as a paradise; joyous and prosperous because of an all powerful alien mineral buried in their land from a meteorite that smashed into the Earth centuries prior.  The mineral, vibranium, is the foundation of their leaders’ great power and the foundation of the super science they were able to create.

The Kingdom, though, is isolated by its paranoia and desire to conceal its great gift.  Wakanda’s only export is spies, so they can keep the secrets of their super science and their limitless supply of vibranium to themselves. Read more →

15:17 to Paris: A Tea Party Movie Review

John

15:17 to Paris a Worcester Tea Party Movie ReviewThe film 15:17 to Paris is a very unique film by Clint Eastwood.  Although the plot was nothing very new, the fact that the heroes in the movie were not played by actors but the actual men who witnessed the event, made the movie appear more authentic and true to the events surrounding that day.

In a nutshell, the movie is about the events of August 21, 2015 that transpired on a train between Amsterdam and Paris where three Americans disarmed and stopped a terrorist attack and preformed first aid on an injured victim.  The film attempts to fit an event that encompassed 20 – 30 minutes into a two-hour film, so much of the movie focuses how the men met as children and their lives growing up.  This made the film slow at times, particularly when one intends to see an action film.

Tea Party-wise, it is the underlying theme that makes this movie special.  As Tea Party activists, we can relate and understand this theme better than others.  This quote from the movie sums it up perfectly:

“Do you ever just feel like life is catapulting you towards something, some greater purpose?” 

In our case, this of course extends to our fight to restore our republic to its capitalist roots so that our children will know and understand the blessings of liberty.  In the movie, it was these men and the great courage and strength they exemplified to save hundreds of passengers on a train.

The movie, at its core, is an ode to the common man, the average everyday people who rise to the occasion and do great things.  In keeping with that concept the film has a wonderful Cinema Verite feel to it and it is devoid of tricky camera work, special effects, or CGI.  It is a remarkable cinematic event, and speaks to the fact that people are capable of ruling themselves as well as speaks to many of the core foundational principles that our nation was founded.

The Tea Party gives this film 3 out of 5 stars.  Although a wonderfully courageous story with a very realistic twist by having the actual heroes play their own parts in the movie and a nice sub-theme all Tea Party supporters understand, the gaps in action made the movie hard to sit through at times.

Star Wars “The Last Jedi” Tea Party Review

John

Capitalist's review of Star Wars the last jedi
Worcester Tea Party Eagle sores review of Star Wars The Last Jedi 2017

Historically, Star Wars perpetuated the concept that a person’s lineage and “bloodline” was a major factor in a person’s abilities; a concept rooted in racism.  Although this was likely not the intent of those who wrote the Star Wars scripts, this concept was always an underlying theme through each trilogy.

The Star Wars writers cannot separate themselves from this concept entirely, but The Last Jedi makes a sincere attempt to show that others not born to people with special attributes can achieve great things.  The main characters Finn, Rey, and Poe thus far are not portrayed as superheroes propped up by their genetic inheritance, making The Last Jedi the more morally sound iteration of the saga, and therefore better from a capitalist’s perspective.

Curtailing the Focus on Racist Undertones of Bloodline Determinism

Fortunately, the newest Star Wars saga turns away from this concept to a larger degree than in the past, and yet continues to paint individuality and freedom in a negative light.  Still we witness that the most powerful characters in the movie, Kilo Ren and Luke Skywalker both are inheritors of The Forces due to their ancestry and not their desire to cultivate it by their own effort.

As with all Star Wars iterations, the movie was enjoyable in many different ways.  The Last Jedi has an expansive sense of cinematography that is very visually exciting.  There is a lot of adrenaline pumping action.  The plot is familiar and most of the familiar characters return, and The Last Jedi introduces several interesting new ones as well.

Ascribing a Negative Connotation to Individualism

Our heroes Finn and Rey of the Resistance find a scoundrel code hacker necessary to flee a trap set by the Empire.  Named DJ, it has been claimed the hacker’s name is an acronym for his memorial declaration in the movie, “don’t join.”  After they escape from the casino planet Canto Bight aboard a stolen spaceship, they take a moment to review how the owner of the ship gathered all his wealth.  DJ hacks the ship’s commuter to find out that the owner was an arms merchant and had sold weapons to both the First Order and the Resistance.  It is at this point DJ delivers the best line in the film in which he proclaims the reality we see today politically, implying there is evil on all sides of the war and in turn proclaims, “It’s all a machine, partner.  Live free, don’t join.”

In the same way that the Democrats have tried to change the brand of liberal to progressive, in this movie the Sith Lord changed the brand from the Empire to the First-Order, while keeping all the interstellar oppression and warmongering.  Conversely, we see a rebranding of the Jedi movement from the Rebel Alliance to the Resistance (alluding to present day politics possibly?).

The idea of not choosing sides may not seem to fit with the overall principles of the Tea Party Movement, but any true and honest capitalist must conclude that in modern politics BOTH parties have evil and immoral elements.  Therefore, despite DJ’s eventual betrayal of good, the concept of being loyal to one’s values and not a group or team is the foundation of Tea Party principles.

Conclusion

Overall, the Worcester Tea Party sees The Last Jedi as an entertaining movie and truly in the spirit of Star Wars that so many of us anticipate with great eagerness.  But in light of how we have matured since our younger years of enjoying Star Wars films, and our witnessing of the true dangers of collectivism and conformity, we cannot give The Last Jedi a very strong Tea Party rating when considered through the spectrum of a capitalist and moral society.

2.5 out of 5 stars.

John Niewicki

Justice League: A Tea Party Movie Review

John

The Worcester Tea Party Eagle Soars Move Review Justice LeagueJustice League is a wonderful Tea Party movie earning 4.5 / 5 on the Eagle Soars Meter of American Values.  The core theme of the movie illustrates effectively the horrors caused by those who wish to destroy individuality in the name of “unity.”

The maniacal villain Steppenwolf is bent on destroying the world due to his frustration with his inability to produce anything of value.  So he turns this frustration into aggression with the goal of enslaving mankind to serve his will.  This theme illustrates the evil of the ever-present groupthink of public sector unions and all other political entities that consider “solidarity” one of its highest values.

To do this, Steppenwolf wishes for the sum of all power.  As with all people with similar goals, analogous to the political power of today, this can only be achieved through the destruction of the individual, their egos, and their lives in order to bring about the solidarity and coercion necessary to amass a blind following.  Steppenwolf surrounded himself with an army of identical human shaped bug winged monsters born and fed by human fear and willing to do his bidding without any question.

The heroes are of course brilliantly played with obvious undertones of a capitalist morality.  With references to Ayn Rand’s concept of certain people being “. . . the engine of the world” and of course Batman’s admission that his superpower is his immense wealth, we see a clear celebration of success and productivity as well as the willingness of many to voluntarily give back to society.  In the case of Batman, he is driven to use his immense wealth to satisfy his love for justice.

A Profound Observation

The President of the Worcester Tea Party makes a profound observation regarding one of the subthemes of the movie.  Upon completing the viewing, Matt O’Brien stated “It is an interesting juxtaposition between Bruce Wayne, who suppresses his humanity in attempt to gain superpowers and Clark Kent, who suppresses his super powers to gain more humanity.”

This analysis shows brilliantly that even those whom we perceive possess everything, they too want more.  And for both, the ‘more’ that they want is a better world for everyone.

The Use of Fear to Destroy

There’s plenty of action, adventure, narrow escapes and, of course, in the end the bad guy loses, although how Steppenwolf loses is one of the most important underlying concepts that underscores the importance of a capitalist morality.

Steppenwolf fights the heroes in an epic battle, until his weapon is destroyed triggering his fear of failure, which attracts his minions who sense his weakness and strike.  This is reminiscent of what happens at the end of all socialist regimes that adore coercion (e.g. Yugoslavia).  This is not a cautionary tale for every erstwhile dictator (e.g. Mugabe in Zambia).  After Steppenwolf is defeated, the strange horror he had controlled and tried to use for destruction miraculously bursts forth in an array of strange and beautiful flowers as peace and prosperity return.

Statism vs. Individualism

In the philosophy of socialism, progressivism, and communism, morality is founded on the belief that people, at their core, are bad.  Therefore, people must be forced to do good deeds, or in the case of Justice League’s antagonist, evil deeds.  This concept is profound because capitalists understand and truly believe that most people are good.  People whom are unsure of the morality of capitalism find this concept hard to accept; but once they do the philosophy is easily understood and applied:

A society consisting of people who truly own their lives,
when left to act upon their own free will,
will choose to help others.

This is true justice, and the Justice League nails it!

 

Authored by John Niewicki