LOOKS LIKE COWBOY ADAM SANDLER MOVIE IS OFFENSIVE
Bears, woods, etc. For all the cool things that Netflix has provided, they certainly have a giveth and taketh relationship with us. Yes, Daredevil is pretty cool, but they also signed that four-movie deal with Adam Sandler, which is already paying offensive, tone-deaf dividends.
One of those movies, comedy western The Ridiculous 6, is currently filming. Sandler’s character is adopted by an Apache tribe and since this is an Adam Sandler movie you can already see where this is going. About a dozen Native American actors have walked off the set, objecting to the stereotypes and misrepresentations of Native American culture the film is using under the guise of jokes, for this thing that is a tax write-off under the guise of a film.
Why Sandler would want a film in the Old West where he can’t plausibly stick in product placement for Dunkin’ Donuts is unclear, but at least it allows the Happy Madison shower to double down on hilarity such as “Native women’s names such as Beaver’s Breath and No Bra, an actress portraying an Apache woman squatting and urinating while smoking a peace pipe, and feathers inappropriately positioned on a teepee.” Those who raised complaints were supposedly told “If you guys are so sensitive, you should leave” and among those to walk out was a “cultural consultant” who obviously was not listened to at all. Netflix made a statement on the controversy, which is about as weak as a grain of coffee in a gallon of water. “The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous,” it reads. “It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularized, featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of—but in on—the joke.”
In describing an Adam Sandler movie as a “satire” and in calling a cast that was so upset by the depiction of their culture that they walked out on the film “in on the joke”, Netflix have shown that they’re already funny enough on their own, so they don’t really need The Ridiculous 6.
RIZ THE ROGUE
While all the attention and reaction videos go to The Force Awakens, Star Wars spin-off film Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One continues to take shape with Nightcrawler and Four Lions star Riz Ahmed in talks to join Felicity Jones and Ben Mendelsohn in Gareth Edwards’ film.
Rogue One will be set before the original series and will be, as the name implies, focused on the rebel fighter pilots of the Rogue Squadron as opposed the typical force-users, charming scoundrels or useless fey robots. As announced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Rogue One will be like a heist film, focusing on rebels attempts to steal the plans for the Death Star. It’s a smart move, adding some variety to Star Wars’ standard adventure formula and also, heist movies are my jam.
Riz Ahmed reportedly met with Edwards to test for the part an although he isn’t a confirmed cast member yet, it is said that he worked the best with Felicity Jones which will give him the edge. The casting and directing choices for the Star Wars film continues to impress, with a diverse crew of hungry young stars. Adam Sandler likely doesn’t get it.