Comments on: How to “Successfully” Assassinate a Dictator http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/ Overthinking It subjects the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:53:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4595 Gab Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:49:55 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4595 http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/ownsociety/Head20on20Desk.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/ownsociety/Head20on20Desk.jpg

]]> By: lee http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4562 lee Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:44:41 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4562 Speaking of Nazi zombies...I just had to share this upcoming flick: http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/13/headless-poster-for-nazi-zombie-flick-dead-snow/ Speaking of Nazi zombies…I just had to share this upcoming flick:

http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/13/headless-poster-for-nazi-zombie-flick-dead-snow/

]]> By: CppThis http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4494 CppThis Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:24:59 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4494 The problem isn't so much the violence itself, but the fact that just killing one guy won't normally do much. Dictators always have a party full of lieutenants and cronies backing them up, so kill the top guy and one of them will take over. The July 20 plot might have worked as a military coup, but would have probably ended in messy civil war with Nazi loyalists like Himmler fighting the Stauffenberg faction for control of Germany. The problem isn’t so much the violence itself, but the fact that just killing one guy won’t normally do much. Dictators always have a party full of lieutenants and cronies backing them up, so kill the top guy and one of them will take over.

The July 20 plot might have worked as a military coup, but would have probably ended in messy civil war with Nazi loyalists like Himmler fighting the Stauffenberg faction for control of Germany.

]]> By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4469 Gab Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:28:43 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4469 Would you really count _The Producers_, though? It's a comical depiction of the production of what is intended to be a farce. Granted, the audience in the movie totally digs the Hitler in the musical, but really, would that musical ever be produced with the honest intent of success rather than failure in our happy, P.C. world? And would the general public really go for it like they did in the movie? I really don't think so- the Holocaust and Hitler are things "decent people" just don't joke about in public. It's one thing to say, "Hitler," if the adjective is "sexy" when playing Apples to Apples with your friends, but it's another thing to make a comedy about him for major release. But I'll concede that it HAS happened before, comical Nazis, but emphasize how you said it's hard to pull off; and I can't think of a successfully comedic Hitler. _Hard Rock Zombies_ doesn't even have a Wiki page. Doesn't that speak volumes about its reception (or lack thereof)? Would you really count _The Producers_, though? It’s a comical depiction of the production of what is intended to be a farce. Granted, the audience in the movie totally digs the Hitler in the musical, but really, would that musical ever be produced with the honest intent of success rather than failure in our happy, P.C. world? And would the general public really go for it like they did in the movie? I really don’t think so- the Holocaust and Hitler are things “decent people” just don’t joke about in public. It’s one thing to say, “Hitler,” if the adjective is “sexy” when playing Apples to Apples with your friends, but it’s another thing to make a comedy about him for major release. But I’ll concede that it HAS happened before, comical Nazis, but emphasize how you said it’s hard to pull off; and I can’t think of a successfully comedic Hitler.

_Hard Rock Zombies_ doesn’t even have a Wiki page. Doesn’t that speak volumes about its reception (or lack thereof)?

]]> By: lee http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4468 lee Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:40:57 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4468 _The Producers_ is an obvious example of a funny Hitler. _Hogan's Heroes_ has funny Nazis, thought to my knowledge, Der Fuhrer himself never shows up in the show. Also, last summer, several writers saw "Hard Rock Zombies," which featured a hard rock band, zombies, Hitler, AND a zombie Hitler: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089254/ While this Hitler wasn't exactly "funny" per se, he was certainly campy. Oh, and gas chambers. This movie actually went beyond camp; it was rather hideous to watch. So you can have funny Nazis/Hitler, but it's obviously very tricky to pull off. This subject is probably worth an entire post on its own, as well as other forms of war comedy. _The Producers_ is an obvious example of a funny Hitler.

_Hogan’s Heroes_ has funny Nazis, thought to my knowledge, Der Fuhrer himself never shows up in the show.

Also, last summer, several writers saw “Hard Rock Zombies,” which featured a hard rock band, zombies, Hitler, AND a zombie Hitler:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089254/

While this Hitler wasn’t exactly “funny” per se, he was certainly campy. Oh, and gas chambers. This movie actually went beyond camp; it was rather hideous to watch.

So you can have funny Nazis/Hitler, but it’s obviously very tricky to pull off.

This subject is probably worth an entire post on its own, as well as other forms of war comedy.

]]> By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4463 Gab Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:51:58 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4463 So Hitler just can't be funny? So Hitler just can’t be funny?

]]> By: lee http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4448 lee Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:14:08 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4448 @Gab: that's part of the reason, but in general, I was pointing to lack of moral black/white in this historical situation as the main reason why it was appropriate to make this a dark comedy. The dictator was a bad dude, but not all Koreans watching the movie were looking forward to him taking a bullet in the head. The assassin may or may not have had the best intentions, and he was kind of sloppy, and any viewer, regardless of his/her knowledge of the context, really wouldn't have been rooting for him. I suppose all of this could have been accomplished in a more straight-up drama style, but then you'd have lost the opportunity to show the assassin on the crapper. @Gab: that’s part of the reason, but in general, I was pointing to lack of moral black/white in this historical situation as the main reason why it was appropriate to make this a dark comedy. The dictator was a bad dude, but not all Koreans watching the movie were looking forward to him taking a bullet in the head. The assassin may or may not have had the best intentions, and he was kind of sloppy, and any viewer, regardless of his/her knowledge of the context, really wouldn’t have been rooting for him.

I suppose all of this could have been accomplished in a more straight-up drama style, but then you’d have lost the opportunity to show the assassin on the crapper.

]]> By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4425 Gab Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:13:50 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4425 _B5_. Am I the only one thinking Vader looks bored as he picks up Palpatine? It's like he sighs, "Oh, fine," and does it. Lee, are you saying _The President's Last Big Bang_ is a dark comedy because the result of the assassination was worse than how things already were? And if so, does this mean the filmmakers were poking fun at it to bring speculation as to how things would have turned out, had the assassination failed? _B5_.

Am I the only one thinking Vader looks bored as he picks up Palpatine? It’s like he sighs, “Oh, fine,” and does it.

Lee, are you saying _The President’s Last Big Bang_ is a dark comedy because the result of the assassination was worse than how things already were? And if so, does this mean the filmmakers were poking fun at it to bring speculation as to how things would have turned out, had the assassination failed?

]]> By: JT http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4413 JT Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:01:02 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4413 All 3 Terminator movies could be considered failed assassination films. But John Connor is not an evil dictator, at least not yet. Maybe a successful assassination/coup movie would be V for Vendetta. All 3 Terminator movies could be considered failed assassination films. But John Connor is not an evil dictator, at least not yet.

Maybe a successful assassination/coup movie would be V for Vendetta.

]]> By: lee http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/09/how-to-successfully-assassinate-a-dictator/#comment-4412 lee Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:51:36 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=4015#comment-4412 Also, added bonus. If you don't mind having this scene "spoiled," you can check out the presidential assassination scene from _The President's Last Bang_ here. Warning: NSFW, lots of blood. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hynwc5jejVQ Also, added bonus. If you don’t mind having this scene “spoiled,” you can check out the presidential assassination scene from _The President’s Last Bang_ here. Warning: NSFW, lots of blood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hynwc5jejVQ

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