Post by P(D)enny La(i)ne on Jul 26, 2008 18:38:13 GMT -5
Just watched NETWORK for the first time in like fifteen years.
Woah.....nellie!
For those who haven't seen it, Peter Finch plays a network news anchor named Howard Beale. The network has recently been purchased by one of those evil corporations we hear (so little) about, and it's been determined that Beale will "retire" due to bad ratings.
That is, of course, until Beale mentions on his broadcast that he intends to blow his brains out ON THE AIR on his last night.
Initially, the corporation decides to fire him on the spot, but soon change their minds when they realize that Beale's tantrum has captured the nation's anger and can be exploited as a ratings phenomenon.
The corporation rides the coattails of Beale's success, making money hand-over-fist, until Beale decides to use his new voice to OUT a shady takeover of the corporation by a Saudi Arabian conglomerate, thus ruining a multu-billion dollar deal.
At this point, instead of firing Beale, the head of the Corporation (Ned Beatty) enlists Beale to change the message of his show from one of anger and action into one of passive acceptance of a corporatist, NWO scenario. In fact, it's an absolutely amazing scene, during which Beatty says the following:
"There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and Dupont, DOW, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those ARE the nations of the world today."
Hell, just watch it here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jmuhZY2mgs&feature=related
When ratings for the new Beale message begin to sag, the revenue loss doesn't seem to trouble the Beatty character, because his real goal is to use Beale as a tool of cultural influence. It DOES trouble a group at the network (headed by Faye Funaway!) who don't understand Beatty's agenda and don't want Beale's sliding rantings to ruin their reputations.
The movie ends with the on-air assassination of Beale, which brings me back to me original point.
I believe that NETWORK is partailly an allegory of the Beatles as tools of cultural influence, and that Howard BeaTle represents Paul.
Oh, and I'd also like to mention that Commander Shears...erm, Admiral Halsey....I mean William Holden co-stars in this movie, just like another 70's movie that pretty presciently predicted the current state of the world. A few days ago, I wrote about Monsanto being represented as a tool of the antichrist in Damien, Omen II, which also starred Holden.
Holden.
Hmmmmmm.
Commander William Shears Holden Caulfield.
Interesting stuff.
Woah.....nellie!
For those who haven't seen it, Peter Finch plays a network news anchor named Howard Beale. The network has recently been purchased by one of those evil corporations we hear (so little) about, and it's been determined that Beale will "retire" due to bad ratings.
That is, of course, until Beale mentions on his broadcast that he intends to blow his brains out ON THE AIR on his last night.
Initially, the corporation decides to fire him on the spot, but soon change their minds when they realize that Beale's tantrum has captured the nation's anger and can be exploited as a ratings phenomenon.
The corporation rides the coattails of Beale's success, making money hand-over-fist, until Beale decides to use his new voice to OUT a shady takeover of the corporation by a Saudi Arabian conglomerate, thus ruining a multu-billion dollar deal.
At this point, instead of firing Beale, the head of the Corporation (Ned Beatty) enlists Beale to change the message of his show from one of anger and action into one of passive acceptance of a corporatist, NWO scenario. In fact, it's an absolutely amazing scene, during which Beatty says the following:
"There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and Dupont, DOW, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those ARE the nations of the world today."
Hell, just watch it here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jmuhZY2mgs&feature=related
When ratings for the new Beale message begin to sag, the revenue loss doesn't seem to trouble the Beatty character, because his real goal is to use Beale as a tool of cultural influence. It DOES trouble a group at the network (headed by Faye Funaway!) who don't understand Beatty's agenda and don't want Beale's sliding rantings to ruin their reputations.
The movie ends with the on-air assassination of Beale, which brings me back to me original point.
I believe that NETWORK is partailly an allegory of the Beatles as tools of cultural influence, and that Howard BeaTle represents Paul.
Oh, and I'd also like to mention that Commander Shears...erm, Admiral Halsey....I mean William Holden co-stars in this movie, just like another 70's movie that pretty presciently predicted the current state of the world. A few days ago, I wrote about Monsanto being represented as a tool of the antichrist in Damien, Omen II, which also starred Holden.
Holden.
Hmmmmmm.
Commander William Shears Holden Caulfield.
Interesting stuff.