On this edition of Parallax Views, the new hit Marvel Studios movie The Eternals has garnered criticism for its treatment of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki during WWII. Additionally, it has raised the specter of the relationship Marvel Studios with the Pentagon and whether said relationship is ethical or unethical. In truth, its not just Marvel Studios though. Hollywood has a long relationship with the Pentagon dating back to the WWII era. David Saviliev, a contributor to Responsible State, the official publication of the Quincy Institute, joins me on this edition of the program to discuss the often underreported relationship between Hollywood and the military. We also manage to discuss the story of Marvel comics attempting to team up with the arms manufacture Northrupp Grumman and the relationship between Hollywood and the CIA when it came to the (arguably pro-torture) Katheryn Bigelow movie Zero Dark Thirty. Movies mentioned in this episode that were either supported or rejected by the Pentagon include Iron Man, Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, Captain Marvel, Independence Day: Resurgence, Michael Bay's Transformers movies, The Avengers, Clint Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge, and Top Gun. We also discuss the China/Hollywood relationship, military involvement in Hollywood and recruitment agendas, the Pentagon's apparent dislike for movies where Will Smith dates a stripper, the Pentagon's definition of "accurate portrayals" of itself in films including anything that is critical or negative being "inaccurate", Captain Marvel and the Air Force's recruitment campaign, taxpayer dollars and the Hollywood/Pentagon relationship, how Pentagon involvement with Hollywood cuts down on movie production costs, Pentagon approval of screenplays, David Robb's Operation Hollywood (a notable book spotlighting Hollywood's military ties), and more!

"New Marvel film puts spotlight on Hollywood’s military ties" by David Saviliev - Responsible Statecraft 11/05/21

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Parashat Va'Era: Living in the Double Exposure