Someone mentioned that the T-72s looked real, well in fact while they were being carted around during filming, the CIA apparently became very interested in where they had come from. they had actually been built in California, as was the very cool looking ZSU-24.
Other interesting facts:
One of the parachutists from the invasion scene got blown over 1 mile off course, he was found (picture this) stuck up in a tree in a Russian uniform, yelling "don't shoot! I am an Actor!"
Red Dawn was the first PG-13 movie.
The film was shot in New Mexico, not Colorado.
The original screeen play was more about the conflicts within the group of freedom fighters, akin to "Lord of the Flies," but was changed to a Good Guys vs. Bad Guys format before filming.
Millius insisted that all the cast members recieve trianing in Guerilla warfare techniques, weapons use and maintenance before filming. The cast spent about two months dressed in Camo and learning to work together.
the film was heavily criticised here inthe states as being too violent and was even picketed in various places, but some European countries actually refused to show it.
Here's what Milius said about the critics:
"
I wanted to shake Americans up and show them what war would look like on their soil, I must remind them that a story exactly like thisis taking place in Afghanistan every day.
...These are people who are juding the arts...critics and journalists who are the arbiters of 'taste' in our society are saying you should do waht's correct for right now. You should go along with popular thought. this is truly anti-American.
You should see all kinds of movies representing all kinds of views..."
I guess I was about 12 when the movie came out back in 1984. I remember seeing it with a good friend on cable, probably the next year. It just so happened that this was a friend who I had grown up playing with GI Joe toys with, we learned to shoot together, played on the same little league and soccer teams, and we spent many a weekend or summer's day hiking and/or riding dirt bikes through the never ending Pine Barrens together. My dad was a cop and his was Vietnam Vet. All our influences and life history were quite an interesting backdrop for the storyline of
Red Dawn. We taped the movie and must have watched it a thousand times. I can remember that our biggest problem in trying to see ourselves in the movie was that there were no mountains in South Jersey!!
We knew it was fiction and were not "obsessed", but, oddly I guess, I can remember being concientous of the fact that we thought the movie was "cool." We never would've thought of revealing how much we really enjoyed it to very many people.
I remember in High School playing a Role Playing Game that approximated the storyline of
Red Dawn, which was pretty cool. Cooler than the RPGs that focused on magicians and elves I thought.
One scene that really always stuck in my mind, that I don;t think has been mentioned, is the one where they kill the two officers and the young driver who came up to the Arapaho National Forest sign. I have always remembered the scene where the very young looking driver is sitting in the jeep at the end of the scuffle and he looks away, resigned to death as Patrick Swayze winces and conciously decides to end his life. Later in life, I noticed that in this same scene the "translator" explains the significance of the national forest by telling his officers that it was the site of a great battle, where "imperialist" armies crushed Native Americans, althought the sign merely says that the forrest was established by Pres. Roosevelt and other non-military related information.
Red Dawn is definitely the reason I have an odd attraction to Lea Thompson. In fact, I think it is somehow un-patriotic not to be attracted to Lea Thompson.
(note that this feeling does
not extend to Jennifer Grey, which is probably due to the film "Dirty Dancing")
I once had a chance to talk with Charlie Sheen. After enough conversation to get past the "is this guy some jerk fan?" stage, I eventually commented on two movies. The first was one of his fathers, which he agreed was one of the best movies of all time and that his father kicked serious acting ass in it. The second was not one he was expecting me to ask him about, it was, or course,
Red Dawn. I was kinda disappointed in his reaction, he sorta passed over the topic of the movie itself, but I could tell that he did not think of it as one of his greater achievements. He seemed very impressed with John Milius though. He and his father had both worked with him.
Reading the development of this thread has reminded my
why I liked this movie so much. I am watching it right now... looks better on DVD than it did on that raggedy old tape! ... gotta go, Erica is about to come out of the basement
.
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-Essayons
[This message has been edited by Rob (edited July 26, 1999).]