Author of Be Ready for Anything and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course
A new thriller by Universal Studios called “The Hunt” has been met with fury in the wake of two politically motivated mass shootings. The horrifying plot features liberal “elites” who go to a resort called The Manor where they are able to hunt down and brutally murder a dozen “deplorables.”
I swore I was going to stay away from politics but…well, let’s just say if you haven’t muttered “WTF” yet today, you will soon.
The plot
But don’t worry. It’s “satire.”
The violent, R-rated film from producer Jason Blum’s Blumhouse follows a dozen MAGA types who wake up in a clearing and realize they are being stalked for sport by elite liberals…
…The Hunt stars Betty Gilpin from GLOW and Hilary Swank, representing opposite sides of the political divide. It features guns blazing along with other ultra-violent killings as the elites pick off their prey. The script from Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse reviewed by The Hollywood Reporter revolves around third-rail political themes. (Original title: Red State Vs. Blue State.) (source)
Ads were pulled last weekend.
The trailers for the movie were so gory and horrifying, particularly in the aftermath of last weekend’s mass shooting tragedies, ESPN pulled the ads.
Over the Aug. 3 weekend, ESPN pulled an ad for the film that it had previously cleared, while AMC ran the spot during the season premiere of its drama The Preacher. It’s unclear whether the ads were identical, but the one yanked by ESPN opened with a sound resembling an emergency broadcast signal. A rep for ESPN parent Disney declined to comment on the move, but an ESPN source says no spots for the film will appear on the network in the coming weeks. (source)
Studio gossip hints that people within Universal are divided about the advertising for this film.
While one high-level Universal source says the studio has pulled some ads that are beginning to air and appear online “for content and placement,” others say the matter is still under discussion internally. A major ad blitz on television and the web had been planned for the beginning of September, says one insider. A trailer is already online.
Given the fraught political climate — particularly in the wake of the attack in El Paso, which was motivated by anti-immigrant bigotry — studio sources say Universal is evaluating its plans in what one called “a fluid situation.” A high-level insider says top executives want to stand by Blum, one of the studio’s most prolific and successful producers, as well as filmmaker Craig Zobel, and see the project as a satire addressing an issue of great social importance. But this person says plans could change “if people think we’re being exploitative rather than opinionated.” (source)
This is sick, regardless of where your political beliefs lie.
Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and “liberal snowflakes” were being hunted by a bunch of red-hat wearing rednecks. The media would go wild and reasonably so.
But when conservatives are in the crosshairs? Crickets.
Even as a person who is apolitical – neither Republican nor Democrat, I’m truly sickened by this, particularly in these divisive times. It’s important to note that I don’t believe most Democrats would find this movie acceptable either. Despite what the media would have us believe, most Americans don’t loathe everyone of a different political party. This will appeal to extremists, however, and extremists are the ones that turn into actual domestic terrorists.
Here’s the trailer.
Chillingly, in the trailer, a woman’s voice is heard saying, “We pay for everything. So this country belongs to us.”
The “satire” is due to be released on September 27, just as the election gets into full swing. Considering that the last election resulted in violence between the political parties, it’s hard to imagine this twisted movie would be without fans willing to do some re-enactments.
“This certainly shows Hollywood for what it really is — demented and evil. At a time when journalists try to blame President Trump for every act of violence in the world, wannabe Tinseltown terrorists are making sick murder fantasies about right-wingers,” Media Research Center vice president Dan Gainor told Fox News. (source)
Even political satirist Tim Young feels like the movie goes too far.
Why would anyone think it’s a great idea to have a movie about hunting down someone who doesn’t agree with them politically? It’s remarkable to me that the left blames Donald Trump’s rhetoric for violence, then literally spends millions to normalize the killing of people based on politics…
…We’re told over and over again by the left, especially in Hollywood, that this country is more divided than ever and we need to come together… is this what they mean by it? Come together to murder your neighbors that you don’t agree with? This film is sick and shows just how hateful the left has become…
…The executives at Universal and those even willing to promote this or run ads for it, should know better than to promote political violence. (source)
But promote it they will. And if you already thought this election cycle was going to be outrageous and even more divisive than the 2016 election, this will ensure it.
Fire, meet gasoline.
“sick” said it well.
I grew up in LA. “The Industry” has always felt it was superior to everyone not in the industry. There are a few good guys in the industry, but most are narcissistic jackasses who value their own worth way too high. THIS-is a dip into crazyland!! I can’t imagine the entertainment industry of old- Cagney, Gable, Hepburn-even being willing to read the script, let alone “starring” in this crapy piece of film. The election of 2020 is going to be violent and frightening.
Actually, from the trailer I don’t see this film as declaring open season on Trump supporters, but dramatizing the actual situation in the world today: the wealthy elite is engaged in genocide. The heroine doesn’t seem to be the hunter but the hunted, who turns the tables on her hunters. Unless I’m missing something, this film seems to go against the Hollywood grain.
Having just now watched the trailer, I’m inclined to agree with James Cook. Nothing in the video gives any clue as to whether the hunted are Ds or Rs. Just the elite gunning for the hoi polloi. The idea of man hunting man has been around for many, many years. Sick? Absolutely. Very bad timing? Without a doubt. Open season on Trump supporters? Hmmm – not so much.
It started out being “Red Vs Blue”. How much more of a clue do you need?
The turning of tables and having a savior is a mind trick used to make you think you won in the end. The real message was the evil doers perpetrating their deed.
Cry me a river. The snowflakes on the right are exhibiting classic behavior of a bully. Dish it out but can’t take it. Hypocrisy at its finest. Just fine to shoot “immigrants” but when someone suggests shooting them, outrage abounds. But we pretty much don’t have to worry about shooting deplorables, mortality and demographics will cause them to be extinct.
I’m not sure if you’re calling me a right wing snowflake or just casting general aspersions. If it’s the first, you couldn’t be further from the truth.
Promoting violence between Americans is wrong.
What snowflakes? They’re all on the left – the perpetually offended. To what bullies are you referring? What is being dished out and who can’t take it? The left is the most hypocritical group in history. Who thinks it is okay to shoot immigrants? Deplorables? It is the illogical, unreasonable, idiotic thinking coming from people like you which will insure mortality. It was Hillary who used the term deporables and she is the most corrupt, evil politician of at least the last 40 years. She does belong in prison along with Bill. I would vote for Atilla the Hun before I would vote for her.
“Just fine to shoot “immigrants……”
Where did anyone on the right except the shooter himself say that it was just fine to shoot immigrants? You paint with much too broad of a brush to say that stupid shit.
My sister in law is an immigrant. My brothers son is mixed white and Hispanic. My youngest son is mixed black and white. But, because my brother, his wife, my wife and I ALL voted for The Wrong Candidate, somehow, that gives an excuse for a self righteous bigot like you to come here and peddle your poison and fling your pathetic self loathing at us. You have literally NO IDEA who you’re talking to, but in your mind I guess thats ok, because you already have all the answers.. Your TV told you so, and your TV would never lie, now would it?
Selena eats up gross stereotypes MSM feeds her on a daily basis. She is what we call a “non-thinking American.”
She promotes and perpetrates the hate and division we are seeing in society today.
I believe that real Americans think.
Selena: What snowflakes on the right? Who do you call “right”? Are you so far to the kooky left that you call Marxist socialists “right” or even “extreme right”? And no, that’s not an illegitimate question as there are people who do just that. Just look at Antifa: the Fascists were/are Marxist socialists who oppose capitalism.
Have you noticed the similarity in ideology and tactics of Antifa and that mostly homosexual group known as the Nazi Brownshirts? I saw that in San Francisco. Queer Nation and similar groups acted just the same. Scary when you live there, as I did.
What we, and all decent people oppose, is a movie that apparently glorifies murder, murder based on political leanings.
Boy oh boy! That Universal studios would even make a movie like this, nevermind release it is beyond comprehension.
While not a new concept or plot, where we have people who are actually going out and shooting people for sport or to further their own political agenda it’s incredibly stupid to glorify it on the screen.
Even though the tables apparently are turned on the perpetrators, this type of “entertainment” in the current political atmosphere can only inflame an already volatile situation. How many people will think “Gee, what a great idea to get rid of “them”? How many people will think “Gee, how dare “they” do this to “my people”? How many unstable people are going to think this is real? And then act on this belief?
Bad bad idea, Universal.
I suggest boycotting all of Universal’s subsidiaries and advertisers ( on their TV shows) unless and until this movie is pulled and all copies are destroyed.
First amendment rights don’t apply to inciting people to commit murder.
Exactly. But. Why do we have to wait for riot and murder to take place before we can protect our society from this kind of film? What agency do we contact to lodge our protests, the FCC?
How about boycotting all the actors and their films as well — those who agree to such a script. But as some have discerned, the entertainment industry is the medium for the preview/revelation of intention designed to add fear to those in the crosshairs of the True Hate Industry..
Right/Left. No one should be in anybody’s crosshairs in this country.
The election of Obama was to libertarians and conservatives what Trump’s election was to the left. Obama is a communist who hates America and doesn’t believe in freedom and civil liberties. As well, because his father wasn’t an American, he was ineligible to become president (yes, that is in the Constitution). Also, look how Hillary has acted since her loss to Trump. I’m not saying the right never acts bad; everyone does at some time or another, but the behavior of the sides couldn’t be more telling.
The continuous call of the left for impeachment and the totally discredited Mueller probe should embarrass the left, yet doesn’t. They keep looking under the same rock over and over expecting to find something new (the definition of insanity). Apparently, to the left, the ends are completely justified by any means possible. The left seems completely intent on forcing their world view on everyone whether or not those being forced want it or not. Seems to me they’re who need to be stopped.
I am an outsider “watching in”. For me it is interesting to note the comments.
Reading the article, watching the trailer, two thoughts come to mind:
1) The Purge movies, that was American against American?
2) There has been movies like this before – name/s escape me – of rich American’s hunting poorer Americans for sport, movies that are “Made in the USA”.
3) There was a movie of a American guy hunting immigrants that crossed the border.
What makes this so different?
Because this is not merely “entertainment”. This is a self righteous Hollyweird asshat saying “I’m Jason Blum, and I approve this message”.
It’s one to make a movie that shows bad people doing bad things…because we “get it”, they’re the bad guys. Nobody watching Star wars cheered for Darth Vader to win, just like no one cheered when Obi Won got killed and nobody booed when the Death Star got blown up.
The difference here is that the Jason Blum is pretty damned obviously rooting for the rich bastards hunting them there “deplorables”. Why? Can’t really say for sure. My strong hunch is that this is some sick, perverted fantasy of his, but he knows he better never try it in real life, since he would get his ass handed to him.
For my own self, I am a heavily armed pacifist. Yes, I own some guns, and no, I don’t go waving them around acting like Mr. “tough guy”. I didn’t bully people in school, and I don’t cut people off in traffic. I will never watch boxing or UFC or anything else that promotes violence as entertainment. I think dog fighting is sick and evil, and I will literally defend my dogs with my very life. I don’t try to get my way by screaming at the sky or yelling louder than the other guy. I have never and will never put the “Punisher” symbol on a firearm, nor will I have any of them engraved with stupid shit like “one shot, one kill”. I own firearms, and train with them, and hope to never have to actually use to defend me and my loved ones. The chances of me being granted that wish go DOWN considerably every time some self righteous jerk puts on a mask and smashes peoples heads with a club, and it goes down WAY further than that every time some Hollyweird scumbag peddles filth like this.
OMG! This is totally crazy. Someone needs to look into this. It is scary.
Hatred is like farting. Everyone thinks that their own is “not so bad”. Its just them there Other People who are disgusting.
The self righteous Hollyweird bigots making this “entertainment” are a perfect example. Time and again, they have lashed out not only against President Trump, but against anybody who voted them. Time and again, they have accused all them there “deplorables” as being mean, racissssss, slavering, stoooopid, drool lipped haters who wake up every morning just itching to hurt those who are different.. They cheered and clapped when Hillary first coined the term, and they have cheered and clapped for every vile and evil thing done to ANYONE who dares disagree with them. All because millions of people, who they have never met, dared to disagree with them.
Americans have already been beaten half to death by masked goon squads spouting hate filled communist slogans, in broad daylight, on city streets in America. Not only have the Hollyweird makers of this pathetic garbage never once condemned that sick, violent behavior, neither has anyone else on the left, including the excuse making trolls spouting their disconnected nonsense here. THAT is hatred, pure and simple. But see, they obviously don’t see it that way… because after all, the folks they obviously hate so much are not “fellow Americans”, they’re Bad People who “deserve” to be insulted, slandered, beaten and killed.
Now, there will be some who who say, “C’mon now, its all just entertainment and fantasy.” And, it IS true, that none of the people involved with peddling this filth would ever last more than an hour trying to actually DO any of the stuff they’re babbling about. Deep down, they know that any ten of them trying to pull this sick twisted shit with any random ten of of us would end getting their tiny lil dicks knocked in the dirt. That’s why they blast their hatred at us while they are safe and cozy behind walls and gates and 24/7 armed security, all while they are doing their level best to disarm every one of us.
But that is all beside the point. They TALK a good game about supposedly wanting to make America a better place, just like they TALK about “tolerance” and “diversity”. But out of the other side of their mouths they spew an endless tidal wave of hate, which they try and justify by saying its only aimed against bad people/deplorables/bitter clingers. Try as they might, they’re not going to be able to have it both ways. Before this plunges into true stupidity, they might want to first talk with those of us who have seen actual war and bloodshed first hand, who know damned right well that even when you “win”, it might not quite feel like such a victory. And that would be if they actually won, which I’m guessing is not at all likely to happen.
“Stand your ground, don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” – Captain John Parker
Well, this was brought to us by the same guy who gave us The Purge. That was a equally dumb movie. And lets face it, if anyone can take and glorify killing and violence and make it cool, it is Hollywood.
Based off the trailer, they (Hollywood) do seem to imply the plot as kidnapping the uneducated, heavily backwoods accented red-neck types, listening to Alex Jones like underground radio conspiracy theorists. The guy from Orlando was the exception, but he had a beard, so he must be a conservative. The ones hunting them down are the champagne and caviar elites.
In the trailer is there really any indication of it being a political divide? Meh, to each their own interpretation. It could be equally be read as socio-economic class warfare.
BUT! Based off the leaked material, the pulling of ads, and other reporting, it does imply elite liberals kidnapping and killing . . . “deplorables.”
Satire, when done well, can be funny and a pointed message of the state of society.
When done well.
Something tells me, due to the gross, gory, trailer, the satire part takes a back seat to the gross and gory glorification of violence. And that makes ticket sales. That is what is really important and all Hollywood cares about.
I never read the books, but I found the ideas and plot of The Hunger Games (I only saw the first two) to be well done commentary on American society at the time: The coastal elites looking down upon, exploiting the “fly over” states. Or, as Hillary Clinton put it, the “basket of deplorables.”
Only some putz wagging Hollyweird jerkoff, living behind walls and gates and 24/7 armed security, can think that violence of any kind is “cool”. As I have observed here before now, this seems like some sick, twisted fantasy of his, but deep down he knows better than to try it in real life, as he would get 100% of his ass kicked in.
It reminds me of a conversation I overheard between two professors my sophomore year. (Yes, some hill billies are smart enough to go to to college, lets try not to be shocked 🙂 ) One was getting ready to go out on a date I guess, which seemed weird to me, as i couldn’t imagine professors dating. Look, I was all of 17… I didn’t know any better! Any way, the other professor smirked and said something like “Thou goest to women? Remember to bring thy whip!”
I mentioned this to my mentor, who laughed and then said “He knows that 99 women out of 100 would get the whip away from him, which is why he stays far away from them.”
Thank you for bringing this travesty of a “movie” to our attention. If I hadn’t watched the trailer I wouldn’t have believed this. Hollywood is now promoting the murder of those who don’t agree with them politically. Look at history and you will see that is what Socialism and Communism are all about. It truly is sick. And for those who don’t see this as an open season on Trump supporters film just look at the original working title.
Red vs Blue says it all, don’t you think?
Just read this movie was originally titled “Red State vs Blue State.”
Yes, so let’s not pretend that he isn’t talking about elitists liberals hunting down them there deplorables. Because thats exactly what he was saying
A very lame pathetic liberal fantasy movie. Highly immature. A different rating should be given. No one over 18 should watch.
No one brings up the FACT that these are the Media Assault Movie Makers that TEACH violence?
NO more guns in any movies. No swords, spears, clubs, or axes.
These “pious” actors are all about “righteousness” Chinese characters HAVE to be played by Chinese actors , Black characters HAVE to be played by Black actors , then —- NO actor shall be allowed to pick up a weapon if they are not NRA members or Military Veterans. Also all weapons MUST be handled in a safe and proper method as approved by NRA and Military training.
Notice that the most violent movies are ALWAYS the ones with Afleck, Clooney, Damon, DiCaprio, Gyllenhaal, and Pitt in them? They yammer on about conservatives and “their guns” while making the most senselessly violent flicks.
Coming from an industry that thrives on guns. If a 30 second commercial sells things the best commercials are the thousands of hours of guns in movies. Thanks Hollywood!!
Universal Pictures film executives have reportedly pulled ads for an upcoming horror film, “The Hunt,” which centers on a retreat for rich, elite liberals to physically hunt “deplorables” for sport. According to The Hollywood Reporter, executives decided to pull advertisements for the film in the wake of the deadly mass killings that took place in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. http://www.hideoutnow.com/2019/08/universal-pictures-pulls-ads-for-horror.html
Are these “courageous” play actors going to refuse to make anymore picture shows with guns, lazer swords, arrows, or any other form of violence? No more smashing or bashing ….. NO VIOLENCE in any of Their work? No more profiting off gratuitous violence?
It is the MSM pushing the IDEA of consequence free violence that is the cause of the bloodshed.
MEDIA-ASSAULT-THOUGHTS. There is no action that is not preceded by the thought and idea of the action, and MSM has immersed America in violent anti-social thoughts. and been publicly proud and boastful of their ANTI-heroes. The immersion of a society in the thoughts and ideas of senseless violence unaccompanied by consequences. The flooding of Media venues such as music, movies, video games, TV, with thoughts and ideas designed to induce violent behavior. If purveying ideas through the media does not work ….. why are $BILLIONS spent every year on advertising and political propaganda if spreading “thoughts” does not matter?!?!
What are the anti-Freedom activists doing except SPREADING anti-gun THOUGHTS hoping they will lead to ACTIONS?
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the [public] is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.” -Edward Bernays writing in Propaganda, l928, from “Food & Water Journal”
I now have been researching for at least 7 years on our empire – geopoliticallly, politics/government at home politicians (who pays them and who they really work for – Our economy and the truth of who controls it as its planned destruction as well as the destruction of the fabric of our society in total (constitution and all ) the history repeats in empires throughout time. A very scary time. the hate and divide is a planned mechanism tactics that have successfully been implemented by those that govern us and that govern our goverment, media , education institutions, military industrial complex..Global pay for play to make the us a feudal society where there are only the very very poor and the extremely powerful rich at the top who have sucked all the life blood out of a once great country and absorbs all her assets to let the peasants fight for survival. A divided country is easy to take down..Educate yourselves on the truth of who is the real enemy of the people..its both the republican and democrat party, its leaders and their handlers (who they work for- the global corporations who own them, the federal reserve (central banks ) and the military industrial complex situated in bases all over the world ( who runs them ) The Council of Foreign Relations, The Trilateral Commission, The Biliderbergs, The International Monetary Fund IMF, The Bank of International Settlements _Whose on the Board of all the World Powers – You will see the heads all media corporations and our government politicians flow between the top global institutions and washington dc (congress.senate.pentagon, cia/mossad, fbi they don’t work for you they work for their global handlers in a pay for play power grab – They have zero loyalty to this country nor any of its citizens the objective is profit at any and all expense – We are debt slaves and they are here to take any and all assets. Good luck and God Bless- Love each other – Do not support their efforts. strike buying into the system – Stop supporting divide of all kinds your masters want you divided – Do not give it to them.
We still have the First Amendment so show the film and let the left keep shooting itself in the foot.
I LOVE IT! they can play make believe and have their pretend deplorable hunts. the reality is that they are by and large COMPLETELY unable IN REAL LIFE to defend themselves and if there ever is a day when shit hits a fan they will be as helpless as lambs. all those firearms non-owners can all rejoice in their snarky movies and thump their chests when they fantasize about gun owners being pretend hunted…i’ll be fine thanks…