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Elizabeth Sandifer

Elizabeth Sandifer created Eruditorum Press. She’s not really sure why she did that, and she apologizes for the inconvenience. She currently writes Last War in Albion, a history of the magical war between Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. She used to write TARDIS Eruditorum, a history of Britain told through the lens of a ropey sci-fi series. She also wrote Neoreaction a Basilisk, writes comics these days, and has ADHD so will probably just randomly write some other shit sooner or later. Support Elizabeth on Patreon.

6 Comments

  1. Tim Chapman
    January 17, 2023 @ 1:00 pm

    I’ve never been convinced that the film is actually anti-Bush, whatever the makers’ intentions – rather, it seems itself an essentially Neocon fantasy about painless regime change.
    The ‘Sutler’ regime is a broad analogue for Saddam’s Iraq – ruled by a moustached tyrant who gases his own people and whose propaganda spokesman (in the first scene of the film) is simply beastly about the US. The film’s V, meanwhile, carries out a bit of shock-and-awe bombing, broadcasts some vaguely liberal rhetoric, and inspires a bloodless uprising of the masses, in a happy ending with fireworks. That is essentially the pre-invasion fantasy of Iraqi liberation.

    Reply

    • Elizabeth Sandifer
      January 17, 2023 @ 2:12 pm

      I think that reading is transparently counter to the intent of the film, and I retain my longstanding skepticism of the use of readings of the format “it’s obviously meant to read X, but it actually means Y.”

      Reply

      • Tim Chapman
        January 17, 2023 @ 2:44 pm

        It was painfully evident in the ‘00s that there’s a world of difference between intention and results, as with the many erstwhile liberals who supported the military action and neocon agenda. That was the essence of neoconservatism, and I do think the film reflects aspects of that.
        Also, of course, the film does exhibit Chibnall levels of crappiness.

        Reply

        • Elizabeth Sandifer
          January 17, 2023 @ 3:00 pm

          I mean, there’s a world of difference between “the film does not ultimately offer an unproblematic political vision,” which is true if, broadly, a layup of an argument that can be mounted against any Hollywood film, and “the film is not actually anti-Bush,” which is flagrant nonsense that doesn’t stand up to a second of scrutiny.

          Reply

  2. MattM
    January 17, 2023 @ 3:11 pm

    I haven’t seen the film since it premiered in theaters, and disliked it on the whole (that kiss, my god), but I remember enjoying its take on Prothero and the remaking of the “Voice of Fate” into an agitprop broadcast. Maybe that’s just because Roger Allam makes a meal of it (as is his specialty).

    Reply

  3. CJM123
    January 17, 2023 @ 4:46 pm

    Really enjoying this! Wonderful chapter. I just want to throw this out because it’s not the sort of thing a copy editor would spot, but I’m pretty sure Lana Wachowski’s partner’s name is spelt Karin, with an ‘i’.

    Hope that’s not out of line.

    Reply

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