willow_red: (Willow Double Bird)
willow_red ([personal profile] willow_red) wrote2004-11-03 09:36 am

It's Over

Kerry has called Bush and conceded the election. The rest of the world is right about America: we are a nation led by liars, thieves, and murderers who feel no compunction for their actions, and we clearly like it that way. I will be fighting back tears all day. This is a sad day in America.

The following lyrics resonate through my mind:

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the Judgment Day
But on the bloody morning after
One Tin Soldier rides away

[identity profile] ashfae.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 09:02 am (UTC)(link)
On another topic, I have to award you coolness points for knowing that song; I've loved it since I was about eight.

[identity profile] willow-red.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 09:32 am (UTC)(link)
Same here. I take it you know the legend of Billy Jack then? *recalls that your parents are hippies, so you must have seen that film*

[identity profile] ashfae.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 10:03 am (UTC)(link)
No, I know the song from summer camp; we'd sing songs every day after lunch, mostly cheesy hippie music (Peter, Paul, and Mary were great faves) and silly things, but that one was very popular and I loved it.

I've seen part of Billy Jack though, a friend made me watch it in high school. Except that I didn't see the ending; we were interrupted right after the rape scene, which is perhaps just as well because that made me sick to my stomach. How did it end, anyway? And what is the legend of Billy Jack exactly?

[identity profile] willow-red.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 11:05 am (UTC)(link)
My parents didn't let me see Billy Jack until I was 16 because of the rape scene. It's been too long since I last watched the movie for me to write a summary of the end that would do it any justice. The ending was very powerful. Even though Billy technically lost in the end, he was able to stick to the principles taught by the school, and was able to secure its future. I would recommend watching it again, and fast-forwarding past the rape scene. You've seen it once and that's enough.

There's also a really cool story about how the movie got released. Initially, the studio tried to bury the movie to keep it from being seen. Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack) and some of the others broke into the production company offices, stole the movie, and financed their own independent release. Due to legal issues, all of the names used in the credits were aliases. Ultimately, they had to fight the power as much as their characters in the film did.

[identity profile] ashfae.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 11:09 am (UTC)(link)
That is really cool and appropriate. Heh. Why did the studio want to prevent its release?

[identity profile] willow-red.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 11:13 am (UTC)(link)
They considered the film to be too contraversial, and the executives making decisions were rather conservative.

[identity profile] nirik.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 11:23 am (UTC)(link)
oddly I have a boxed set with all 4(!) billy jack movies...

The Born Loosers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061420/) ,
Billy Jack (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066832/) ,
The Trial of Billy Jack (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072317/) ,
Billy Jack Goes to Washington (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075754/)

The Born loosers is not bad. It's a sort of billy jack vs the bikers movie.
The last two were really bad. Just a rehash of billy jack only less interesting. ;)

I think Tom Laughlin was even running for president this election. Pity he didn't win.

[identity profile] willow-red.livejournal.com 2004-11-03 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmm, I hadn't heard of Born Losers before, but I have heard that the last two movies pretty much suck.

I didn't know Tom Laughlin was running this year. My dad has a "Billy Jack for President" button from the 1972(?) election he might have let me borrow.

*imagines debate between George Bush and Billy Jack...a barefoot Billy Jack*