The Sound of Failure...I mean Freedom

I'm not sure if anyone is aware of the hilarious shenanigans surrounding the recently released film "The Sound of Freedom" starring Jim Cavaziel (the guy that portrayed Jesus in known anti-semite Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ).

To sum up, this film is more or less a retelling of a fake "true" story about child-trafficking that appeals to the far-right conspiracy-brained nutjobs. However, the film and the message it seeks to put out into the world is so unpopular that theaters are empty despite tickets being reported as "sold out".

Link

There is also a suspicious "buy it forward" thing going on with this movie where the creators are encouraging people to buy tickets for people so they can go see it for free; seems like a way for wealthy folks to pad the statistics and say a movement is more popular than it really is.

As if that were not enough, there is also a big lie surrounding the film: the synopsis claims

...the film follows the true story of a former Department of Homeland Security agent’s quest to rescue children from sex trafficking.

However, it was later reported that the young woman that is the subject of the film actually escaped on her own, without the assistance of any government agents.

So basically a good chunk of this "based on true events" movie is total bullshit. Which, fair enough, most movies "based on true events" take a lot of liberties, but not with the foundation of the film.

Anyway, not the biggest deal, I just thought it was interesting. It really shows just how unpopular the far-right agenda is and how it's pretty much only held up by a few rich pillars, and not even the plebs supporting it really put their money where their mouth is.

What say you, OT? Have you seen it? Was it good? Total nonsense?

Ah who am I kidding, no one here saw it.

This movie looks so bad. Only being talked about due to the shady politics of the group making it, otherwise it would be direct to video trash and looks very poorly made.

Trafficking is real, but as far as the Qanon-MAGA right is concerned their trying to tie the validity of its existence into the rest of their tinfoil hat beliefs. Jeffrey Epstein gets brought up a lot. I think what he did was pretty straight forward. Countries that engage in espionage do it all the time. They create situations to compromise people to extort cooperation, and in Epstein's case, probably money. Doesn't mean that everybody that had any dealings with him was in on it, people like that probably float social circles to rope in people though and peddle influence.

I find this idea of virtue signaling by the right to be laughable though because they're a political force that time and time again has shown a callous disregard for pretty much everyone, the poor and working middle class, the sick, foreigners in particular, be in the children of refuges locked in cages or opposing giving aid to Ukranians that are fighting off a genocidal invasion by warmongering Russians because well they're not Americans. But, you know, they use virtue as a shallow prop, like religion and patriotism, because for a party whose sole virtue is some reverse Robin Hood goal with a guiding philosophy of "I got mine, fuuck everyone else", doesn't exactly sample well in a world of growing wealth disparity.

If you want an awesome movie about trafficking, watch this.

Labelled as a thriller but it's actually a Western in disguise.

Haven't seen it but am interested. It has decent user reviews. But it's a heavy subject matter, don't feel like bringing my mood down. Don't really know what's going on politically with the film. Something crazy about elites are scared, everyone forgot about Epstein Island or whatever something.

I don't bother much with prof reviews, but I did find the comments below for this funny. Guy had a complete meltdown.

https://rogersmovienation.com/2023/07/07/movie-review-sound-of-freedom-never-quite-rings-that-bell/

lol the way he called them out.

I miss the days of going to the movies to get AWAY from all the political bullshit that has unfortunately permeated every single aspect of our lives.

Trailer looks good to me. I will watch it. Don't care if people think it is left, right or upside down.

Nice. I like modern Westerns. And Michael C Hall.

Have you seen Hell or High Water? You might enjoy that.

Solid flick, well produced.

People trying to act like this movie is political but it's not at all. It's like saying a movie about drug dealers or serial killers is "political".

It's a serious movie about child/sex trafficking.

Crazy that this was originally supposed to be released by Disney... But they decided against it. Apparently this movie has been done for 5 years but after Disney canned it's release they had to find a new publisher.

I like knowing Disney turned this movie down (low budget/ high earnings)

And instead blew 100s of millions on live action little mermaid and killed off Indiana Jones with commercial failures lol

The movie is not political. It's pretty good. 👍

Think something more like blood diamond. But it's about child trafficking and not child slaves/soldiers.

Reviewers seem to be focusing more on the people behind the movie than the movie itself.

Rocky 4 is propaganda. Ipman is Chinese propaganda.

In fact a major theme of many Chinese movies is anti-western tones. Japan bad. America bad. Over and over and over in a loop.

Can still enjoy them for what they are taking this into account. Because big bio.

Don't think every Russian person is Ivan Drago or American racist Guile.

Ipman 2 basically just wholesale remakes Rocky 4 an and replaces it with a British dude. Tit-for-tat.

China (being great) wins, teaching the West how not to be complete bastards.

Human trafficking is a continuing problem around the world and very much in America as well, but this movie is clown shoes and the people apologizing for it are either unaware of the nonsense in it and behind its creation or are aligned with it.

Enjoy the movie as a piece of entertainment if you can look past the QAnon overtures, but if you want to learn about child trafficking or want to actually do something about it, know that this movie won't get you either.

The details, for those still confused about this film, its origin, and why it's actually controversial (and yes, quite political):

'Sound of Freedom': What you need to know about the hit faith-based thriller fueling conspiracy theories (yahoo.com)

Why are you going to see movies at all? Didn't you just tell us in the strike thread that you'd like to see the industry die and don't care about the fate of its thousands of workers and business that depend on them? How about you start by turning off the TV and leaving the movies -- whose content you clearly hold disdain for -- to those of us who care and touch grass instead?

Bye.

@MirkoS77: You're just politically and socially aware now. Those themes have been present nearly since the dawn of long form cinema.

The movie is based on real events.

Child sex trafficking is a real problem in the world, this movie wants to bring attention too.

It has 0 to do with Qanon, this movie was made 5 years ago but Disney canned it.

I still watch movies, but majority of them are garbage, this movie however was one of the good ones

Also there should be nothing left vs right or dem vs rep when it comes to this movie.

Being against child trafficking should be something everyone should be in agreement....the movie means to bring attention to it.

It's actually really messed up some in the media are going after this movie like they are. Doesn't make any sense to attack it and if you watch it you'll agree with me, I guarantee it.

I'll be honest I expected it to be kind of cheesy or atleast some B movie to it. Nah... This one of the better made movies as far as acting/tone I've seen in a while...

Bloodsport was based on a true story.

Frank Dux is a hero. Chong Li can go **** himself.

So it's a totally legit movie but set on fire because some far-right nutjobs associated with it or used it to further their conspiracy, and then the left fanned those flames to get it to the point it is now with the media attention?

That's too bad.

Still...the group surrounding the whole thing, Operation Underground Railroad, seems a bit curious to say the least.

A September 2020 Vice News article described O.U.R. as a "QAnon-adjacent charity," and said that "While Operation Underground Railroad says it has no connection to QAnon and vaguely disavows conspiracy theories on its website, the organization has embraced followers of that particular baseless conspiracy theory, rather than condemning it the way that other anti-trafficking charities have." Ballard told The New York Times, "Some of these theories have allowed people to open their eyes. So now it's our job to flood the space with real information so the facts can be shared." ^[41][42][43]

..

A 2021 follow-up article further criticized O.U.R.'s practices, including using inexperienced donors and celebrities as part of its jump team, a lack of meaningful surveillance or identification of targets, failing to validate whether the people they intended to rescue were in fact actual trafficking victims, and conflating consensual sex work with sex trafficking...

A 2021 article in Slate criticized an armed 2014 raid conducted by O.U.R. in the Dominican Republic, which was filmed live by a camera crew to use in a proposed reality TV show, saying that it was likely to have traumatized the trafficked children.^[3] The children rescued in the raid were released a few weeks later, without having received the three months of rehabilitative care that was hoped to be provided.^[45]Anne Gallagher, "the leading global expert on the international law on human trafficking",^[46] wrote in 2015 that O.U.R. had an “alarming lack of understanding about how sophisticated criminal trafficking networks must be approached and dismantled” and called the work of O.U.R “arrogant, unethical and illegal"...

In June 2022, O.U.R. announced on its Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as on Ballard's Instagram account that O.U.R. had "partnered" with American Airlines and that the airline would show a video about O.U.R.'s work on all domestic flights that month. American Airlines said that they had never had a partnership or affiliation with O.U.R or ever shown any of their videos, and that they were "taking appropriate action to have these posts removed".^[48]

Still, I suppose if they're doing good work and helping kids it's OK.

Just seems like a bad mix of recklessness, someone thinking they know better than the law and then going around it, and worse. Thinking like this leads to tragedy ultimately, the same kind of person that thinks they can build a submarine and go see the Titanic.

cool.

when was that?

Before the advent and proliferation of social media and the Internet, if I were to try to put a finger on it.

Yeah, that was pretty sweet.

It's like Blood Diamond but without the good directing, budget, good cinematography, or good acting.

It really was.

Like, even stuff like trailers were a surprise. Wouldn't even know their was a new James Bond. Many would be in the cinema and randomly see this.

Let me guess you think its not happening like cnn?

It's taken $85.5 million at the box office so far which is good no matter how you look at it.

What if $60 million of that is empty seats bought and paid for by wealthy donors, or regular folks being scammed into the "pay it forward" deal? It almost sounds like a money laundering scheme.

There are multiple accounts of people going to allegedly-sold out showings only to find the theater nearly empty.

Just curious what people think of this.

And if anyone has gone to see the movie, and if this was the case.

Yeah thank god LOTR and SW Episodes 1-3 came out before social media existed, and I was free to enjoy those films for what they were.

Na, they completely spoiled ROTS lol

The trailer shows lit everything

@uninspiredcup: jesus, that wasn't a trailer, it was a synopsis! Spoiler galore.

@mrbojangles25: I haven't seen it but honestly I haven't been to watch a movie at the cinema in a long time anyway. Honestly though when a movie (or anything) becomes as politically divisive as this you need to take a lot of things you hear with a pinch of salt, the talk of empty cinemas, fire alarms during the film, people being refused entry, 90% of it is probably nonsense.

@mrbojangles25: Ironically that was about the only thing liked from the Obi-Series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4uQ7bHG_1Q

Poor Anakin watched too much Ben Shapiro.

@uninspiredcup: I'm only here for the random Bloodsport reference. I'm glad someone delivered.

It really is fascinating to see so many progressives hang their coat on attacking a movie addressing child sex trafficking.

Saw the movie. Didn’t think it was political at all. Not sure what people are griping about!

Narratives being spun by the media.

People following headlines.

I liked the movie, thought it was well made, especially for its budget.

It's not, but one of the groups behind it is controversial paying millions for empty seats and the IRL story it draws from is potentially fake.

Either way, that fake controversy helped the film. It would be direct to DVD and unheard otherwise. The hoopla around this movie from both sides is stupid.

This isn't a documentary. It's fiction based off a half true story. One can be against this movie (or think it's trash) but not be for Child Sex Trafficking, lol. You can see hypocrisy here when you look at something far more impactful than a fictional movie,

https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-make-case-child-marriage-1786476

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/30/republicans-gop-party-children-abuse

The above is FAR worse than not supporting a fictional movie. Surely you don't vote for the above party!? Right!?

Money laundering.

As a fun aside the RT audience score is magically 100% and has tens of thousands of reviews, which beats out all other movies this year. because everyone loves it and not because of bots nope not bots I tell you.

It should also be noted that many law enforcement agencies and anti-trafficking groups do not support Operation Underground Railroad (the group the movie is ultimately about, from what I've read) for a variety of reasons.

The counter argument is that these groups, some governmental and others not, might be subject to bureaucracy and slow-moving action, which Operation Underground Railroad bypasses by bending laws and ethics.

I don't think they're necessarily attacking the movie, just the circumstances of its development and the associated groups. Also as I said above, many law enforcement agencies do not approve of Operation Underground Railroad's tactics, so it's not just progressives.

I suppose you could make the chicken or egg argument, but I don't think progressives would be making a big deal about it if so many Qanon and far-right whackos weren't supporting it. Who stirred the pot first? I don't know, but progressives don't tend to attack things for absolutely zero reason

*looks around, waits for laughter to stop*

It's kind of like how when Passion of the Christ came out and the anti-Semites loved it, so naturally people were like "Oh this movie is anti-Semetic!", then moderate-right and normal Christians were like "How can you attack a movie about the selfless actions of Jesus Christ!?" and it's like "Because anti-Semites love it". Then Jewish groups criticize the movie and now the counter to that is people saying "See!?! The Jews really are against Christians!" and so on and so on.

I think South Park explained this well with trolling and how you're not really trolling one person, you're trolling the ten people that will respond to the initial trolling attempt (the people that will defend/attack the original act).

This is ultimately why I made this thread: not to troll folks or to even criticize the film, but just to see if people were more aware of the phenomenon surrounding this film (and if anyone saw it). Of course it doesn't help things that the one person that has said they saw it is also the most extreme Trump supporter on this site 😋

Pretty much how I found out about this movie.

@mrbojangles25: It's become a vehicle for the adrenochrome conspiracy theory due to a combination of it's subject matter, it's lead, and his comments during press events for the film.

Haven't paid any attention to it and don't plan on watching it anyway.

@mrbojangles25:

Looks boring from the get go and the fact that it only encourages the wacko conspiracy theories for Qanon and other far right nut jobs -- gives me more incentive to not support it.

It actually happened, check the end credits if you don't beleive me.

Had flashes of Chong Li opposite him on the bus, crazy.

After hearing that it’s supposed to be so controversial I’m definitely going to watch it to see what it’s about, I’ll form my own opinion on it afterwards. Likely seeing it tomorrow night.

Yeah I would like to see it as well. At the very least it sounds entertaining.

@jaydan said:

Pretty much how I found out about this movie.

HAHAHA exactly! OMFG spot on.

I want to see it but it's not high on my list. I watched Barbie and thought it did a fantastic job at explaining gender norms. Going to go see Oppenheimer this week too. I'm a big fan of science, as a biochem myself, and I have a large appreciation for physicists. Without physics, I don't think I'd ever truly understand the phenomenons that occur with biology and chemistry.

Think of all the skills those children learned during their captivity that they can apply to their adult lives, tho. /DeSantis Mode