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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2017
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Top reviews from other countries
Scriptwriter
Excellent expose of the military-industrial-intelligence-entertainment complex
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2021Verified Purchase
Excellent expose of the military-industrial-intelligence-entertainment complex
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2021
Matthew Alford and Tom Secker's excellent book brilliantly exposes Hollywood's dirty - and not so little - secret: that the Pentagon and various intelligence agencies (mostly the Central Intelligence Agency) have a power, reach and influence in the development of films and television programmes, far beyond an "advisory / consultancy" basis.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2021
National Security Cinema shows how a startlingly high number of mainstream media products, have been shaped to give favourable interpretations of United States foreign policy or public relations images of intelligence institutions and the military. Sometimes this is achieved through a simple quid pro quo: we'll let you film on a battleship / lend you helicopters etc and you give us authorisation over the portrayal of our institution.
It comes as no surprise that overtly military films like Black Hawk Down and Lone Survivor had a deep relationship with the military in their development, distorting and sometimes completely rewriting the actual events to put said organisation in a favourable light, or television series like Homeland. What is more disturbing is that fantasy material like the Transformers franchise, the later Terminator films (not the excellent first two) and even the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, have gone through development changes at the wishes of the Department of Defence.
What is also distressing is that, far from the military-industrial-intelligence complex having to engage in any arm-twisting or exerting leverage to get what they want out of Hollywood (though in some cases this is true: some films only got made because the army, navy or airforce was prepared to lend equipment or allow a military base as a shooting location and other films never got made because military support was not forthcoming), many writers, producers, directors and actors are only too willing to acquiesce to their demands and in many cases, actively seek this influence.
Authors Alford and Secker convincingly document and establish this through interviews as well as extensive use of the US Freedom of Information Act.
The authors also take time to look at those in the culture industry who have managed to resist the tentacles of National Security influence whilst making political statements: filmmakers like Oliver Stone and Paul Verhoeven.
National Security Cinema is a brilliant expose of a disturbing but little known and under-reported facet of the culture industry: so prevalent and powerful is the military-industrial-intelligence complex, embedded within Hollywood, that its output could be really called propaganda with out hyperbole. This book is highly recommended for those interested in how films are actually made (beyond the usual fluffy PR "making of...") and also for those who think Hollywood is run by a bunch of liberals.
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Kieran
Not great
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2021Verified Purchase
sten bjorsell
The title could equally be "The sculpturing of the American ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 4, 2018Verified Purchase
Rabbit
Recommended reading for truth seekers and those curious about home grown propaganda
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2017Verified Purchase
Matt Alford
Such lovely authors with great clothes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2021Verified Purchase
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