Theaters of War explained

Theaters of War
Director:	Roger Stahl
Starring:	Oliver Stone Matthew Alford Tricia Jenkins
Studio:	Chiasmus pictures
Distributor:	Media Education Foundation
Runtime:	88 minutes

Theaters of War is a 2022 American documentary film that examines the influence of the Pentagon and CIA in shaping Hollywood and television scripts, making use of the Freedom of Information Act to acquire internal state files. The film also features interviews with academics, government officials, veterans, and industry players including Oliver Stone.^{[1] [2]}

Production

The film is directed and narrated by Communication Studies professor Roger Stahl. The co-producers are Matthew Alford, Tom Secker, and Sebastian Kaempf. The film is partially based on Alford and Secker's 2017 book National Security Cinema.^{[3] [4]}

Reception

After selling on online platforms, Theaters of War had its festival premiere at the Lone Star Film Festival in 2022.^{[5] [6]} In a preview, CounterPunch called it a "fantastic new film [which performs] an important public service."^[7] On the film's release, Stahl wrote an editorial for the Los Angeles Times.^[8] Comedian Alexei Sayle discussed the film's content before joking about how the CIA would rewrite ITV's soap opera Emmerdale in an episode of Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar.^[9]

See also

• Military-entertainment complex

Notes and References

1. Web site: Top Gun for hire: why Hollywood is the US military's best wingman. May 26, 2022. The Guardian.
2. Beijing’s Movie War Propaganda—and Washington’s. FAIR. December 31, 2021. Reprinted in Alternet, January 1, 2022.
3. Web site: Abolish the Military-Entertainment Complex. jacobin.com.
4. Web site: How the Pentagon dictates Hollywood storylines. Middle East Eye.
5. Web site: Festival-Goers Guide to the Lone Star Film Festival. Hannah. Barricks. November 10, 2022. Fort Worth Magazine.
6. Web site: New documentary scrutinizes Pentagon-Hollywood relationship — but is it propaganda?. Davis. Winkie. August 4, 2022. Military Times.
7. The Pentagon and CIA Have Shaped Thousands of Hollywood Movies into Super Effective Propaganda https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/01/10/the-pentagon-and-cia-have-shaped-thousands-of-hollywood-movies-into-super-effective-propaganda/ January 10, 2022
8. Web site: Op-Ed: Why does the Pentagon give a helping hand to films like 'Top Gun'?. Roger. Stahl. May 30, 2022. Los Angeles Times.
9. Web site: Theaters of War on Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar | Spy Culture. Tom Secker 31st. October 2022. October 31, 2022.