Sunday, July 17, 2011
Movies 19 things about seeing Sarah Palin's 'The Undefeated' in Cobb County
Posted by Curt Holman @Curt_Holman on Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 9:26 PM
- Victory Films
- ALSO, THE POSTER MAKES HER LOOK LIKE AN ANDY WARHOL SUBJECT: Sarah Palin
2. The trailers included the Helen Mirren espionage flick The Debt. When that title came up, a guy yelled out, “Haw haw! Starring Barack Hussein Obama!” The other trailers may have been similarly tailored for this demographic: The Devil’s Double (a thriller about the evils of Saddam Hussein and his sons); The Help (white girl helps black housekeepers during Civil Rights movement); and Anonymous, a historical conspiracy drama about the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. Maybe the connection is that it shows one of history’s most elite intellectuals to be a fraud?
3. Sarah Palin wasn’t involved with the production of The Undefeated, and director Stephen Bannon seems not to have interviewed her, so primarily we see her through still photos, campaign videos and news footage, usually giving speeches. We also hear her reciting from the book on tape of her memoir Going Rogue: An American Life. Apart from a montage of childhood home movies and photographs, we learn practically nothing of Palin’s family history or personal life — not even the story of her “wild ride” delivery of her son Trig.
4. Bannon divides the film into three acts and a coda, with plenty of additional chapter titles like “Ms. Palin Goes to Juneau.” The titles appear in white letters against a black background, with windswept sound effects and big snowflakes falling. Every time you see them, you expect to hear Sean Bean say, “Winter is coming.”
5. The film starts on an angry note through a montage of Hollywood celebrities (Matt Damon, Joy Behar and more) and internet commentators saying mean things about her, intercut with ominous staged footage of, for instance, a guy in a black ski mask holding a switchblade. The film doesn’t really distinguish between Tina Fey’s impression and John Cleese saying “It’s like a nice-looking parrot” with people wishing Palin physical harm.
6. Bannon directs the film very much like a 30-second TV political ad, with constant editing and camera movement, despite the running time of nearly two hours. The soundtrack music maintains a constant state of triumphant crescendo, no matter what’s actually on the screen. Fans and former colleagues recount their history with Palin, standing against white backgrounds, and the image jerks left or right every time they appear. It’s like the camera’s constantly going rogue.
7. In the first major section, “The Seed,” when Palin describes the origins of her political career beginning with seeing images of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Bannon cuts between shots of dead animals being pulled from oil slicks and a seed slowly bursting from the soil. (Get it?) It’s kind of hard to square the message of environmental protection with her subsequent “Drill, baby, drill!” motto — which doesn’t appear in the film.
8. A montage of boom times in Wasilla, Alaska, includes an image of someone buying Ramen Noodles and a Wal-Mart logo, which may not be the best indicators of prosperity.
9. Few documentaries on either side of the political spectrum strive for journalistic objectivity (Michael Moore isn’t exactly known for being calm and two-sided.) The Undefeated lionizes Palin’s political accomplishments but doesn’t provide much context for the few criticisms it mentions. One early opponent accused Palin of “spending like a Nordstrom girl” as mayor of Wasilla. Her goals in office included cutting the budget and building infrastructure, but it’s unclear whether spending went up or down.
10. As Wasilla mayor, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation commissioner and Alaska governor, Palin’s main adversaries were Big Oil and the corrupt Republican Party establishments. The film highlights Palin’s budget-cutting efforts and ethics reform legislation, but doesn’t match, say, Charles Ferguson’s Inside Job at clarifying complicated material.
11. In a section touting the Alaskan Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), the film includes a clip in which Palin says that Alaska’s energy policy “can be summed up in three words: The natural gas pipeline.” I’m surprised that quote made the cut.
12. After John McCain picks Palin as his veep, a sequence shows the McCain/Palin Gallup poll numbers going up and the Obama/Biden numbers going down. The momentum reverses (apparently) with the financial meltdown. The film features the clip of John McCain announcing the suspension of his campaign, and doleful-looking stills of George W. Bush, Henry Paulsen and Ben Bernanke. The implication is that the men lost the election for her.
13. A section about Palin’s post-2008 governorship cuts between accounts of press attacks and ethics complaints against her with a montage of a collapsing bridge, a van flipping and, if memory serves me right, an erupting volcano. Palin defenders say she faced onerous legal bills, but the film implies that the ethics complaints against her were thrown out (which may or may not be a contradiction).
14. The film strongly implies that Congressional Republican leaders like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell aren’t real Republicans. Web publisher/activisit Andrew Breitbart describes his opinion of Beltway insiders thusly: “I see eunuchs.” He says this so much, it’s like his “Show me the money!” (Is it me, or does Andrew Breitbart look like Colm Meaney?)
15. The Undefeated frequently asserts that Palin is the true heir to Ronald Reagan, whom we repeatedly see in his ranch outfit. When Palin quotes Reagan’s reference to “a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol,” the film cuts to an image of the Barack Obama “beer summit.” Take that, Cornel West!
16. The film’s latter section asserts that Palin presaged the Tea Party movement. At times it feels like the point of The Undefeated is to persuade Tea-Partiers to support Palin, which shouldn’t need such a hard sell.
17. The audience at my screening booed at the Barack Obama quote, “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” The rest of Obama’s remarks about pride in American excellence somehow didn’t make the cut. (Later, somebody booed when Nancy Pelosi briefly appeared onscreen.)
18. The audience applauded several times: during the first off-stage introduction of Sarah Palin; during her fiery speech about how politicians, “need to learn how to fight like a girl!”; most enthusiastically, for the results of the 2010 midterm elections; and at the end. As the credits started rolling, a guy stood up and I think was telling people to send emails or something, but was scarcely audible.
19. If you don’t like Sarah Palin, The Undefeated is unlikely to change your mind and will likely give you a migraine. If you like Sarah Palin and want to know more about her, you’d be better served to read her book or watch her reality show, unless you really want to see her standing at podiums.
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Comments (28)
Showing 1-28 of 28
I don't care if you're Democrat, Republican, Green or Independent... I don't care if you're liberal, middle-of-the-road, or conservative... if you CARE about America, consider yourself reasonably intelligent, and FAIR... you must see "The Undefeated."
This is a story about US... hard-working Americans who can make a difference. We. Are. The. Undefeated.
This is arguably the most important documentary of our time as it tells the TRUTH about Sarah Palin, her guts, her courage, her ethics, her intelligence, her passion for both Alaska and the USA, and her accomplishments... nearly all of which has been hidden from the "Lower 48" as MSM, Hollywood, the DNC, Big Oil, and the GOP elite have attempted to destroy her during the past three years. You will lose respect for many celebrities and this film just might change your mind about things.
Spend the $10, invest 2 hours, and LEARN THE TRUTH.
like
dislike
You're kidding right? It's basically preaching to the choir. If you are a fan, you will likely stay a fan, if you aren't, it won't change your mind.
What really got me is how each of these articles always had similar comments after them, usually with someone claiming how the movie showed the "TRUTH." Yeah, see, this is a propaganda film, pure and simple. Nothing more. Propaganda does not equal truth.
The other funny thing is that in each case (imdb, rotten tomatoes, wherever) the glowing reviews were ALWAYS posted by people (or should I say identities) that were just created and all sounded the same.
Grats "Friends of Palin" political committee, but people on the internet are often fairly good at spotting astroturfing.
please enlighten me on what Palin has accomplished (law passages), (bills constructed/written) etc. I'm sure it doesn't take a 2hr doc to fill this list, probably just one sentence. She is an embarrassment to the US. There is a reason why she is the most scrutinized and joked about politician of our times.
I am a Palin fan, but did not learn much from the film. It even seemed confusing as much time was taken up about the AIGA; what was the result of the piipeline - did it bring natural gas to the lower 48? And I have not really understood her criticism. What is not to like? She is brave, decisive, a Christian, family oriented, stands by her principles, and easy on the eyes. What's not to like?
You say she is a Christian like it is a badge of courage. I am sure your admiration would not be as heartfelt if you would replace the "Christian" moniker with "Jew", "Sikh" or even "Buddhist". Personally, I wouldn't vote for her just because she patronizes those who see ALL things through the eyes of a skewed sense of modern Christianity. Jesus wouldn't be fond of how 'born agains' interpret his word these days. Sad.
If it wasn't for that Mrs. Loopner voice (Jane Curtain on SNL) she'd get a lot more traction.
If you don't understand the criticism, it's time to buy a TV and maybe get an internet connection so you can brush up on recent events that occurred while you were in a coma.
My favorite thing about Sarah is the way libruls go into a blind rage at the sight or mention of her. You go, girl! Just don't run.
Thank you, Curt Holman, for writing objectively and not just bashing Sarah Palin. I don't like Palin, but I like balanced articles that let the facts tell the story more than loudmouths bashing conservatives or loudmouths bashing liberals.
Whoa, spoiler alert. No JK.
"It’s like the camera’s constantly going rogue"--Hilarious.
It would be nice to see an un-biased political documentary, but people are so passionate one way or another.
Anyway, I would challenge any Palin supporters to cut through what is propaganda and what is real. It is proven that if someone repeats a statement enough, people will believe it. Same for everyone, just research before you vote. Please.
Anyone who would pay hard earned money to see this piece of trash should be committed to a mental institution. So these are the people who can't think for themselves and who are brainwashed by FOX News to hate America.
@Oydave: I think you'll find that Gilda Radner played Lisa Loopner on "SNL."
I find the Sarah Palin hatred and paranoia on the left to be almost exactly congruent to the Hillary Clinton hatred and paranoia on the right during the 1990s.
This film is simply another publicity stunt to make Palin what she really wants…. not the presidency, but cold hard CASH. Palin is for $ale and is making it rich on your dime with every book, speaking engagement, and movie ticket that markets her image and sells her looks (it’s certainly not her choice of words which got her this far.) Just watch her rolling in the money with an indecent proposal on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/06…
Gilda Radner played Lisa Loopner and Jane Curtain played Mrs. Loopner. It was Mrs. Loopner who had the annoying Midwest twang that sounded like Sarah's accent.
I don't think she's the second coming OR a total dingbat. I like her because she's the antithesis of all things librul and northeast establishment. She's too polarizing to win if by some bizarre chance she was the nominee.
"...she's the antithesis of all things librul and northeast establishment..."
You betcha! She's vindictive, immature, sarcastic, emasculating, dishonest, sneaky, amoral, and sociopathically narcissistic.
One of her most ardent Alaska supporters, shock jock Eddie Burke, has recently "seen the light", and confirmed former Palin aide Frank Bailey told the truth about Palin in his book "Blind Allegiance..."
http://bit.ly/oaU46L
Take the natural gas pipeline, for instance. She lied that it was being built as of September 2008, but bids didn't even go out on it until 2010, and the project is dead in the water in 2011 even with Palin's authorization in 2008 to pay $500 MILLION of AK taxpayer money to the company who will never get permits let alone build the pipeline.
http://palingates.blogspot.com/search/labe…
And the dairy she privatized. AK taxpayer money has bailed out that dairy over and over again -- long before the nation's banks were bailed out. The similarity doesn't end there -- the dairy hasn't paid back any of that money.
http://palingates.blogspot.com/search/labe…
Don't forget Sarah lied about her son Trigs birth. If she'll lie about that she will lie about anything. http://sarahpalinhasaserpentsheart.blogspo…
sarah Palin is the most deserving person for ridicule, jokes and criticism. She is dispicable in how she treats people and disrepects others accomplishments. She even makes fun of her own children on national TV (Diaper Piper on SPA) and makes her daughter Bristol announce she is pregnant on national TV as a teen unwed mother.
Her verbal abuse and obvious neglect of her children when she claims "family values" is bizarre to say the least.
The lack of interest in her "movie" is very telling as far as what the interest would be in her running for any political office now or in the future. Even this grifter knows her days are numbered as far as donations and scamming the naive followers. Her 15 minutes may not be up just yet but she's certainly proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she's not worthy of any leadership position. I think the media will continue to report her silly nonsense because she's still a money maker for them but those days are numbered as well. She'll soon join the ranks of yesterdays news and no matter what she does now, she'll always be the late night talk show joke. And the only news they'll report is when her family behaves in their typical fashion - uneducated, misinformed and lacking basic social graces, just like her.
As a migraine sufferer, I very much appreciate movie reviewers who offer trigger warnings. Thank you kindly, Curt Holman!
What we need is to get rid of these namby-pamby liberals like Creative Loafing and get a real woman of action like Sarah Palin.
I can't wait for First Dude to do some donuts in the Oval Office on his snowmobile giving Sarah the support she needs.
And I can't wait for Sarah, singing "Onward Christian Soldiers" with her finger firmly on the red button, telling Crazy Elvis in North Korea and the rest of the world despots "Welcome to Armageddon baby; you got a front row seat"
You betcha!
Ladeef @9:52 am:
"I am a Palin fan, but did not learn much from the film. It even seemed confusing as much time was taken up about the AIGA; what was the result of the piipeline - did it bring natural gas to the lower 48? And I have not really understood her criticism. What is not to like? She is brave, decisive, a Christian, family oriented, stands by her principles, and easy on the eyes. What's not to like?"
Great question Ladeef. There is no pipeline and no gas has been shipped anywhere. All that Alaska has done so far is pay out a bunch of money to TransCanada to maybe someday build a pipeline. As of right not, it's not looking very promising.
So what's not to like. Leaving Alaska with her miss is a good start.
My fave part of this Palin film screening endeavor? Getting some totally batshit email from PSC commissioner Tim Echols on how he was going to go see this film because it had everything to do with his *work* with the totally batshit Paul Broun on... something. These Crackerstan bubbas with visions of establishment-crumbling magical powers just cracks me the heck up!
I have been to a tea party rally and I can assure you that everybody there was a patriotic. I only heard a couple of racist jokes. I also only heard a couple of people make death threats....the rest were fairly civilized. It is a movement about anger and there will be blood spilled if voices aren't heard. I think the Tea Party should get some seats in the House this year. Rush said Liberty was on the way out if the Dems and Libs get there way....I say the Tea Party is bringing it home. Sean said FREEDOM will ring from coast to coast and free speech is alive and well with the teabaggers. This country was founded by people that didn't want to pay taxes and that is what I am for....a tax free America with no government services or handouts. Beck said that the Framing Founders that Fathered the constitution would soil their pants if they saw this America. We are becoming Canada or worse yet France...soon we will only be the Swiss. We are screwed at that point. Get a bible and gun.
Everybody there was patriotic & yet you heard some racist jokes & some death threats? Yeah, those "patriots" are super civilized, Mr. Get a Bible & a gun.
Idiocracy.
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