Michael Bay’s action movie about the Benghazi, Libya, terror attacks stumbled at the box office this weekend, opening at No. 4 in American theaters.
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” opened with an estimated $19.6 million domestically, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“American Sniper,” which opened the same weekend a year prior, pulled in a stunning $107.2 million, while “Lone Survivor” opened to $37 million in early January 2014.
Bay's last opening as a director — for "Transformers: Age of Extinction" — brought in more than $100 million.
“13 hours” was politicized by Republicans who slammed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the lapses in security at the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi.
Ouch!
According to Gawker explains exactly what is wrong with the movie's storytelling:
Much of what has likely inhibited the film’s performance is disagreement not only over the interpretation of the facts on which it is purportedly based but also those facts themselves. The CIA’s Benghazi station chief—now retired, but identified only by his first name, “Bob,” because his cover hasn’t been lifted yet—rejected the film’s portrayal of his actions. “I thought I would regret it if I didn’t,” Bob told the Washington Post. “So much of this information has been wrong.”
An agency spokesman, Ryan Trapani, went even further. “No one will mistake this movie for a documentary,” he told the Post. “It’s a distortion of the events and people who served in Benghazi that night. It’s shameful that, in order to highlight the heroism of some, those responsible for the movie felt the need to denigrate the courage of other Americans who served in harm’s way.”
Variety reports that much of that 19 million in box office revenue came from, you guessed it, red states:
The action thriller did well in red states, generating 41% of the $19 million it stands to make this weekend from theaters in the South. Those areas out-performed blue states by 25%. Most other releases this weekend made up 33% of their grosses in these regions.
Gee, THERE'S a surprise.
Of course the makers of this movie vehemently deny they were making a politically ideological film, but seriously who are they kidding?
This was no "Black Hawk Down," and the only people who think this is a story worthy of having a movie made about it, are those on the Right Wing who think it will damage or destroy Hillary Clinton's campaign to be President.
So once again let me remind you of just how incredibly aggressive the conservatives have been in their efforts to discredit and stop Hillary.
You simply do NOT go to all this effort, and spend all of this money, unless you are TERRIFIED of a political rival.
Anybody disagree with that?
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