[dropcap]S[/dropcap]eth Rogen has said that ‘ American Sniper’ was just like a “right wing propaganda film for the Iraq War.” Clint Eastwood’s totally bombed at the box office this weekend, even though it got its share of liberal detractors, and Rogen, 32, took to Twitter to share his views saying that it “reminds me of the movie that’s showing in the third act of ‘Inglorious Basterds,’ referring to a flick called ‘Stolz der Nation’ which shows a German sniper killing 200 Allied soldiers from a clock tower, TMZ.com reported.
Rogen, whose movie ‘The Interview’ caught political fire recently, was backed by Michael Moore who chimed in, saying “My uncle was killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren’t heroes. And invaders r worse.”
Despite the comments, the film has managed to gross 90 million dollars this weekend.
Fans defend ‘American Sniper’ after criticism
Fans of “American Sniper” rushed to defend the controversial new movie Monday, blasting critics who called it pro-war propaganda and lauding the real-life Navy SEAL who is the basis of the story.
“Chris Kyle was a hero. Period.” wrote Twitter user Katie Pavlich.
“American Sniper depicts a real American hero with flaws and human-ness,” added another, @daggy1.
Kyle, who served in the Iraq war, was credited with being the most lethal sniper in the history of the US military, with 160 confirmed kills.
The Clint Eastwood-directed film — which pulled in $100 million last weekend — is based on Kyle’s autobiography of the same name and tracks his days in the war and his attempt to readjust to home life.
But critics have blasted Kyle — who was murdered in 2013 at a Texas gun range — and called the movie bloodthirsty and hateful of Iraqis.
Filmmaker Michael Moore went so far as to call snipers “cowards” over the weekend.
“March a mile in enemy territory in #ChrisKyle shoes, THEN call him a coward you wussy Liberals,” said a Twitter user named Chuck Nellis.
Another user, John Harvoy, tweeted: “#AmericanSniper is not a pro war movie but it is a Pro-American movie. It shows the sacrifice we all should make to keep USA the best.”
And Twitterer David Higgins wrote: “A sniper is one of the most isolated and vulnerable combat roles. Yet #MichaelMoore thinks #ChrisKyle was a #Coward? #Idiot.”
Faced with the backlash, Moore backtracked on his comment, which he said he made because his uncle was killed in World War II by a sniper. He said he was not specifically talking about Kyle when he make the “cowards” comment.
“Hmm. I never tweeted 1word bout AmericanSniper/ChrisKyle. I said my uncle killed by sniper in WWII; only cowards would do that 2 him, others,” the “Bowling for Columbine” director tweeted, adding that the movie had a “powerful message” and a “sad ending.”
But actor Seth Rogen piled on, tweeting, “American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that’s showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds,” referring to a Nazi propaganda piece about a German sharpshooter depicted in the Quentin Tarantino film.
Also, some members of the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences went online and attacked Kyle as a “sociopath.” Some circulated a recent article by Dennis Jett of The New Republic that attacks the movie for making a hero out of Kyle, the film-news site TheWrap reported.
“The real American Sniper had no remorse about the Iraqis he killed . . . His only regret [was] that he didn’t kill more,” the piece says.
In his 2012 biography, Kyle wrote, “The enemy are savages and despicably evil,” and added his “only regret is that I didn’t kill more.”
