Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of The United States of America. In spite of his pending rape trial, in spite of his constant dumb-ass comments all campaign long, in spite of his VP who believes gay people can be electrocuted until they are straight, in spite of – well – everything this moron TV reality star has said – you elected him.
Most of you voted for Trump – like it not, that’s how this went down. So what do you do now as a country USA? Well – the ones that voted for her anyway – aka a little less than half of a country that isn’t racist, sexist or a stupid idiot. You hope that Rage Against The Machine reunites, you hope that some amazing art is spawned from this horrible and embarrassing decision… You just hope – and then you act to make a difference. Or if you’re Canadian like myself, you make a list of the top 5 movies that resemble the current United States of America under Donald Trump.
#5. The Purge: Election Year (2016)
As a young woman, Sen. Charlie Roan survived the annual night of lawlessness that took the lives of her family members. As a presidential candidate, Roan is determined to end the yearly tradition of blood lust once and for all. When her opponents hatch a deadly scheme, the senator finds herself trapped on the streets of Washington, D.C., just as the latest Purge gets underway. Now, it’s up to Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), her head of security, to keep her alive during the next 12 hours of mayhem.
I realise that this movie was made during the election and it was made to show the exaggerated horrors of electing a corrupt right wing extremist hellbent on twisting religion, politics and wealth to eliminate and suppress the weak – but at least that film had a happy ending. Once a year – all crime is legal and the rich come out to play and abuse/murder/pillage the lower class in the USA. I’m beginning to think this dumb horror action franchise is a legit possibility if Trump isn’t impeached sooner than later. The man constantly asked the military why no one is actually using nuclear weapons right now to win wars. Why is it so easy to picture the Trump family tying up poor people and using them like pinatas in their deluxe suite at Trump Tower on Purge Night?
#4. Equilibrium (2002)
In a futuristic world, a regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Clerick John Preston (Christian Bale) is a top-ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist these rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the one capable of overthrowing it.
The United States has figured out the problem… They know why their country (THEIR WORLD) is failing – human emotion. So what do they do about it? They outlaw it. Take this pill and you’ll no longer feel anything – therefore – you’ll no longer want to commit crimes. Equilibrium was so ahead of it’s time – the most extreme futuristic post-apocalyptic sci-fi action thriller since The Matrix. Music, the arts – anything that would ignite a sense of feeling has become outlawed now. If you own a record player – they send in their agents to take you out. After browsing through hundreds of tweets and reactions to Trump’s victory, the only positive that anyone can get out of this result is that the entertainment world will react – and do so viciously. I’m hoping for some damn good music (finally), some amazing comedy, important films for a change — all of it. However – if potential dictator Trump deems it so – you may all need to take your medicine – or die.
#3. Idiocracy (2006)
In 2005, average in every way private Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph). The slumbering duo is forgotten when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505. When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world.
Mike Judge is apparently the new Nostradamus because his cult classic film about how America continues to regress and become dumber over time, has finally come true only a decade later. In this film, the President is a former wrestler who flips off the people and waters the crops with Gatorade because it has what plants need – electrolytes! Trump is a former reality TV star who is officially the least qualified person for the Presidency in history. He’s made fun of handicapped people this year, made “Grab them by the pussy” some sort of catchphrase and said the most idiotic things a world leader has EVER said – and in public too.
#2. Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) leaves his hometown under threat when his ex-girlfriend’s brother discovers that he’s biologically female. Resettling in the small town of Falls City, Nebraska, Brandon falls for Lana (Chloë Sevigny), an aspiring singer, and begins to plan for their future together. But when her ex-convict friends, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Tom (Brendan Sexton III), learn Brandon’s secret, things change very quickly.
Now that we have the most Right-Wing house and leadership – I think in the history of the USA after Trump and the Republicans dominated the vote – expect some severe backlash against the LGBT community. This is such a disastrous setback considering the recent efforts to legalise gay marriage in that country… Boys Don’t Cry is a remarkable film about a transgender teen who is forced to live in a world where he can’t be accepted for who HE truly is. Hilary Swank’s performance is the best of her career here and this movie is truly heartbreaking… It also doesn’t hurt to mention that there’s a horrific sexual assault in this film and Trump is going on trial for rape himself (DURING HIS VICTORY LAP AS PRESIDENT ELECT). I thought better of the USA – I thought wrong.
#1. American History X (1998)
Living a life marked by violence and racism, neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) finally goes to prison after killing two black youths who tried to steal his car. Upon his release, Derek vows to change his ways; he hopes to prevent his younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps. As he struggles with his own deeply ingrained prejudices and watches their mother grow sicker, Derek wonders if his family can overcome a lifetime of hate.
The KKK officially endorsed Trump this year and after his victory – a representative tweeted that they had a huge role in his victory. I don’t doubt it you awful disgusting pieces of trash. American History X exposes the hidden racism that still plagues the USA, whether it’s those angry with Affirmative Action or immigration taking jobs from middle class white America (you know – the ones who voted Trump in 2016). I love this movie and it’s message so much (even if it is a hopeless one – now we know it really is all these years later). I would have to say that this is easily the number one film to watch now that Donald Trump is your leader America – “Curb stomp them in the pussy!” What have you done to your country people? Honestly…