Hollywood Hypocrite: Karl Urban as Judge Dredd

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JohnPierce

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Hot on the heels of yesterday’s column about Hollywood’s evolving take on gun rights, comes the tale of yet another star who profits greatly from glorifying guns in film while apparently embracing gun control for all us ordinary mortals.

The star in this case is New Zealand born actor Karl Urban. He is best known for two roles, Bones on the 2009 Star Trek reboot and Russian Secret Service assassin Kirill in The Bourne Supremacy. And on September 21, he will return to the big screen with his biggest role yet as Judge Dredd in a much-touted 3D reboot of the popular and gritty comic book franchise.

As you may recall, the last big screen appearance of Judge Dredd featured rabid anti-gunner Sylvester Stallone.

Read more at http://monachuslex.com/?p=1933
 
Probably at least as well known as Eomer from The Lord of the Rings trilogy too.

All in all though, they're actors. I don't agree with their position but the fact that they play roles that don't align with their opinions in real life isn't all that surprising. Lord if they did that I'd shudder to think what type of lunatic Gary Oldman would be :).
 
mgmorden said:
Probably at least as well known as Eomer from The Lord of the Rings trilogy too.

All in all though, they're actors. I don't agree with their position but the fact that they play roles that don't align with their opinions in real life isn't all that surprising. Lord if they did that I'd shudder to think what type of lunatic Gary Oldman would be :).
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I know ... I just hate the thought of paying money to someone who disagrees with one of my most important issues.
 
I think calling him a hypocrite may be a bit of a stretch. Its not practical to expect actors to support everything their movies glorify.
 
Personally, I separate the production from the personal politics. If the production has politics I disagree with, I'm against it. If it's just good entertainment, I'm fine.
 
That's why I stopped watching Anthony Hopkins movies. How can he make all that money by portraying a cannibal then turn around and not eat people? It's almost as though the Hollywood types are paid to portray someone they aren't in real life.

If you want to say that you don't support him because of his politics, that makes sense. But as mentioned earlier, the hypocrite thing is quite a stretch, particularly if someone actually takes the time to read the quote in question.
 
Skribs said:
Personally, I separate the production from the personal politics. If the production has politics I disagree with, I'm against it. If it's just good entertainment, I'm fine.
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That is a thought-provoking way to separate the issues. I will have to think about it.
 
And Gary Oldman gets a mention! Nice...

Rich people, not just actors, have no need for guns. They can afford body guards (with guns!), million dollar home security systems and gated neighborhoods.
 
Too much of a stretch. One off handed comment, just part of a sentence, not directly related to the US or 2A, and not even completely clear as to the context ...

Besides, he has as much a right to his personal opinions as do any of us. I support the First Amendment as much as the Second. That one little part of his sentence is no where near the level of anti-2A advocacy bloviating from many Hollywood A listers.

Besides, if one was to boycott every movie, TV show, album, radio station etc. for the offending political or social views of the actors and directors, well, I bet one's DVD/CD rack and iPod would be pretty empty...
 
I personally don't really care what their stances are anymore. It proabably matters more to me what the overall message of what I'm watching. Judge Dredd is probably one of my favorite comic book concepts from the get-go, so I'll be watching it (time permitting).

This movie seems to be a more anti-drug theme than anti 2A anyway, from the little I've gathered from watching the previews.
 
This isn't like a Micheal Moore film where the aim of the film is to support propaganda. So a few actors in the film are anti-gun (I understand Lena Headey has made some disparaging remarks about guns also) but the aim of the movie is to provide entertainment. That's what the movie does.

Yes, I have seen the movie in 3D here in London. It wasn't bad. Not brilliant, but several very nice sequences and an overall gritty feel to it. They don't hold back on the gunshot wounds, trust me on that (I won't spoil it for you, but you'll know it when you see it).

Just relax with your popcorn and enjoy the film. You won't even know who the male lead actor is anyway, the helmet never comes off.
There are several bus-loads of people involved in making a film like Dredd 3D. If you want to imagine that your $8 (or in my case £11) went to one of the extras instead of Urban or Headey, then that's the way to rationalise it in my opinion...
 
Jorg nailed it.

If I were to ONLY watch entertainers who match my politics EXACTLY, I would probably narrow it down to Ted Nugent and that's it, with a few close seconds. I guess we have to choose. INSIST that they match us exactly, OR, separate entertainment from politics and live with it.
 
Odd Job said:
This isn't like a Micheal Moore film where the aim of the film is to support propaganda. So a few actors in the film are anti-gun (I understand Lena Headey has made some disparaging remarks about guns also) but the aim of the movie is to provide entertainment. That's what the movie does.

Yes, I have seen the movie in 3D here in London. It wasn't bad. Not brilliant, but several very nice sequences and an overall gritty feel to it. They don't hold back on the gunshot wounds, trust me on that (I won't spoil it for you, but you'll know it when you see it).

Just relax with your popcorn and enjoy the film. You won't even know who the male lead actor is anyway, the helmet never comes off.
There are several bus-loads of people involved in making a film like Dredd 3D. If you want to imagine that your $8 (or in my case £11) went to one of the extras instead of Urban or Headey, then that's the way to rationalise it in my opinion...
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Lol. Did the helmet really never come off? Stallone at least managed to get it off a few times.
 
Odd Job said:
This isn't like a Micheal Moore film where the aim of the film is to support propaganda. So a few actors in the film are anti-gun (I understand Lena Headey has made some disparaging remarks about guns also) but the aim of the movie is to provide entertainment. That's what the movie does.

Yes, I have seen the movie in 3D here in London. It wasn't bad. Not brilliant, but several very nice sequences and an overall gritty feel to it. They don't hold back on the gunshot wounds, trust me on that (I won't spoil it for you, but you'll know it when you see it).

Just relax with your popcorn and enjoy the film. You won't even know who the male lead actor is anyway, the helmet never comes off.
There are several bus-loads of people involved in making a film like Dredd 3D. If you want to imagine that your $8 (or in my case £11) went to one of the extras instead of Urban or Headey, then that's the way to rationalise it in my opinion...
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I do love the Judge Dredd character. With my anticipation of seeing the movie mounting, seeing that commentary just infuriated me.
 
On the flip side...
During an interview by a British reporter, shortly after the mass shooting in Aurora, CO...
Brad Pitt said:
I absolutely don't believe you can put sanctions or shackles on what is made. Nor do I want to pretend the world is different than what we witnessed that night...

America is a country founded on guns. It's in our DNA. It's very strange but I feel better having a gun. I really do. I don't feel safe, I don't feel the house is completely safe, if I don't have one hidden somewhere. That's my thinking, right or wrong.

I got my first BB (air) gun when I was in nursery school. I got my first shotgun by first grade. I had shot a handgun by third grade and I grew up in a pretty sane environment. I was in the U.K. when the shootings happened and I did hear the discussion about gun control start again, and as far as I know it petered out as it always does.

It's just something with us. To turn around and ask us to give up our guns... I don't know, we're too afraid that we're going to give up ours and the bad guys are still going to get theirs. It's just in our thinking. I'm telling you, we don't know America without guns.
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Jorg said:
That's why I stopped watching Anthony Hopkins movies. How can he make all that money by portraying a cannibal then turn around and not eat people? It's almost as though the Hollywood types are paid to portray someone they aren't in real life.
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:) LOL, Jorg.
I thought you were being serious there for a nanosecond .....:p
 
Hahahaha, gotcha. I don't even own a TV. I'm certainly not paying to go see it in the theater. If I want garbage, even small-town Texas has the internet, fast food, and Walmart.
 
Quiet said:
On the flip side...
During an interview by a British reporter, shortly after the mass shooting in Aurora, CO...

Originally Posted by Brad Pitt
I absolutely don't believe you can put sanctions or shackles on what is made. Nor do I want to pretend the world is different than what we witnessed that night...

America is a country founded on guns. It's in our DNA. It's very strange but I feel better having a gun. I really do. I don't feel safe, I don't feel the house is completely safe, if I don't have one hidden somewhere. That's my thinking, right or wrong.

I got my first BB (air) gun when I was in nursery school. I got my first shotgun by first grade. I had shot a handgun by third grade and I grew up in a pretty sane environment. I was in the U.K. when the shootings happened and I did hear the discussion about gun control start again, and as far as I know it petered out as it always does.

It's just something with us. To turn around and ask us to give up our guns... I don't know, we're too afraid that we're going to give up ours and the bad guys are still going to get theirs. It's just in our thinking. I'm telling you, we don't know America without guns.
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Both the Pitts are big time 2nd amendment supporters and make no bones about it. Nice folks too.
 
Here's a thought.

Develop a plot that shows how the disarmed good guys (by virtue of law abiding citizens obeying gun control laws and do not carry guns in public) win in the end against the armed bad guys (a demonstrably real scenario in todays' society). Set it in LA, NYC, SF or Chicago.

Cast it with strong gun control supporters that are protraying what they truly believe and have screen writers follow the reality of real-world street dynamics.

The thugs and bad guys are easy to cast, they are all over the place in reality. Have them portray the characters they portray in the streets, easy to do.

Write a script that that shows how the good guys win this one (legally, set an example). I'll get the popcorn.

Dan
 
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