This Just In – Movie Whose Plot is North Korea Invading Spokane, Washington is Not an Onion Article – It is a Real Movie

No, We Didn’t Believe It At First Either

In the ‘life is stranger than fiction is stranger than life’ category this Forum brings news that yes, a movie called “Red Dawn” that depicts the attack by North Korea on Spokane, Washington is a genuine movie, down to its review in the New York Times.

The ideal viewer for “Red Dawn,” a slicked-up redo of the 1984 John Milius war flick about a Soviet invasion (with Cuban and Nicaraguan support) of the United States, has to be Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. That’s because by changing the attackers to North Koreans, the filmmakers have paid him a great compliment by making his country a Hollywood villain. Thinking adults will find a North Korean invasion the stuff of wing-nut fantasies, which — with kids who just want to see guys shoot stuff up — is probably what the distributor is banking on. Everyone else interested may want to go with the campy flow, like a colleague who snorted of the invaders, “What, did they paddle over in canoes?”

Unanswered, at least as far as the review is concerned (all The Dismal Political Economist will do with respect to this movie is read the NYT review) is why Spokane.  The Dismal Political Economist has never been to Spokane, but knows of its existence and despite voluminous research he can think of absolutely no reason why North Korea or any other foreign enemy would want to attack this city.  It seems like a nice place and there is certainly no reason why that city should be picked on by slick Hollywood film makers.  

In fact, one can easily imagine an American populace tired of world conflict by non-entities like North Korea saying, “Hey, stay in Spokane, open up some great restaurants and other businesses and give up all of your other provocations on the world stage and we got a deal”.   Yep, sounds like a win-win for everyone.