A Film Reviewer For A British Paper Who Can Go Stuff Himself
[posted by Justin Levine]
That would be Leo Lewis, who ends his banally written Spider-Man 3 review with this observation:
Also disappointing is the inability of the director, Sam Raimi, to end the romp without a fleeting shot of the American flag. The Stars and Stripes just happens to be fluttering behind Spidey as he makes his triumphal return to honour, probity and good honest fist-fighting.
Am I supposed to be upset if the British flag is fleetingly shown in a James Bond flick? Give me a break.
Oh gee, that’s a shame. Too bad the Austin Powers movies featured so much of the Union Jack as well.
aunursa (1b5bad) — 4/19/2007 @ 10:27 amAn american showing the american flag in a film he directs?
It’s an outrage!!!
Scott Jacobs (feb2f7) — 4/19/2007 @ 10:34 amMore & more I’m seeing journalists abuse their particular platform (here movie reviews) to jab political views down their reader’s throats. Obviously this guy sees the flag waving as symbolism for the war he opposes. Least you assume that – otherwise the guy comes across as un-American. I’m just surprised he didn’t accuse Spiderman’s web of contributing to Global Warming!!
Brotherico (d553bf) — 4/19/2007 @ 10:40 amChristopher Reeve’s Superman made a big deal of waving the American flag. In that his character was fighting for “Truth, Justice and The American Way” (of what, I always wondered) it was appropriate. Have to wait to see Spiderman 3 itself to find out if the flag’s appearance has any special significance or this British reviewer is going overboard.
Context is all. In Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point a huge American flag can be seen fluttering outside the window of capitalist bigwig Rod Taylor — ominously.
Why the perpetual “down the throat” bsuiness? Fear of fellatio perchance?
David Ehrenstein (7f21f7) — 4/19/2007 @ 11:23 amErm… yeah. Too much spare time. And waaay too much politicizing of something pretty harmless/removed.
David N. Scott (71e316) — 4/19/2007 @ 11:26 amI wonder what Leo Lewis though when they had to drop a critical sequence from the first Spiderman movie because it featured the Twin Towers? Did he even notice?
tyree (b2fade) — 4/19/2007 @ 11:38 amI take it this guy has never watched Superman II.
Alia (36a42f) — 4/19/2007 @ 11:54 amOr 4
Scott Jacobs (feb2f7) — 4/19/2007 @ 12:26 pmThe man has fallen off the politically correct band-wagon. Obviously he has not taken time to understand and accept American culture. He must apologize and be sent to a reeducation camp. What would he do if he went to an American ball game and had to endure the entire Star Spangle Banner?
Perfect Sense (b6ec8c) — 4/19/2007 @ 1:10 pmspidey must seem a little intimidating to those well-known british superheroes, snuffbox man, crumpet boy and the retarded foxhunter.
assistant devil's advocate (6d0edf) — 4/19/2007 @ 2:58 pm“Resistance was not an option”. That’s all we need to know about the British.
nk (6415d7) — 4/19/2007 @ 3:22 pmP.S. Correction. That’s all we need to know about Englandistan.
nk (6415d7) — 4/19/2007 @ 3:23 pmHis copy of the flag has a swastika instead of stars. Or would if that wasn’t illegal over there.
Kevin Murphy (805c5b) — 4/19/2007 @ 4:04 pmActually, Spiderman is very “America”… The entire thing around him is that ‘with great power comes great responsability’.
Scott Jacobs (a1de9d) — 4/19/2007 @ 5:25 pmWhat would he do if he went to an American ball game and had to endure the entire Star Spangle Banner?
Just to nitpick, you almost never heard the entirety of The Star Spangled banner. Generally you only ever hear the first of the four verses.
Taltos (c99804) — 4/19/2007 @ 7:30 pm“spidey must seem a little intimidating to those well-known british superheroes, snuffbox man, crumpet boy and the retarded foxhunter.”
-assistant devil’s advocate
I don’t know… a spider isn’t an inherently threatening concept. It’s all about how you spin it…
For instance: snuffbox man could have the ability to deviate his opponents’ septums, or to cause them to go into withdrawal at will. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Imagine what Stan Lee could do with a concept like that.
Leviticus (e87aad) — 4/20/2007 @ 7:06 amFunny thing, the Times Online didn’t include my comment at last view, but I think it is apples and oranges to compare US Flag to British Flag. We should compare references to our flag to their Queen. Our national anthem looks at the flag, theirs looks at the Queen.
CrosSwords (b20a10) — 4/22/2007 @ 10:12 am