Woodyanders Idaho governor Jim Farley (a fine performance by Beau Bridges) closes the state's borders to a bunch of Pakistani child refugees. The idiotic president (a divinely dim-witted portrayal by Phil Hartman) decides to make a stand against Farley that only causes things to spiral out of control while News Net reports on the resultant pandemonium with an eye solely on keeping viewers glued to their TV screens.Director Joe Dante keeps the wickedly funny and entertaining story moving along at a swift pace as well as adroitly maintains a darkly humorous, yet still oddly humane tone throughout. Martyn Burke's barbed and scarily prophetic script predicts with uncanny accuracy the gross ineptitude of the Trump administration, with a doltish chief executive who's nothing more than a mindless puppet who's easily manipulated by shrewd and influential lobbyist Jack Buchan (James Coburn in peak smooth form); the chaos caused by Trump's Muslim ban, an America that's degenerated into angry warring factions, and an amoral media that cares more about ratings and sensationalism than covering world events in a thoughtful and intelligent manner.The bang-up cast of familiar faces keeps this picture humming: Joanna Cassidy as poised news anchor Helena Newman, James Earl Jones as dignified old school reporter Jim Kalla, Dan Hedaya as excitable TV producer Mel Burgess, Denis Leary as sarcastic field reporter Vinnie Franko, Elizabeth Pena as Farley's lusty paramour Christina, Ron Perlman as levelheaded director Alan Manieska, and Dick Miller as cynical cameraman Eddie O'Neill. Jerry Hardin and Brian Keith are hilarious as a couple of crusty bellicose generals with an old score to settle. Moreover, there are a wealth of terrific supporting contributions from such always welcome folks as Kevin McCarthy, William Schallert, Robert Picardo, Rance Howard, and even Roger Corman. Mac Alhberg's dynamic cinematography and Hummie Mann's catchy military score further enhance the overall sterling quality of this total doozy.

targetlad72 Having looked back thorough Joe Dante's work I came upon this film, obviously I had to illegally download it, then watched it.Based in a CNN type newsroom, a story begins to brake about the governors of Idaho closing it's border to the rest of America.A loosed brained President then plans to send it the National Guard, to invade the state.James Earl Jones has a great part as a reporter, as does Dennis Leary. Credit must really go to Kevin Dunn playing the Governors right-hand man. Congratulations as well go to Robert Picado, hidden name and small role.Americans of voting age. See this film to observe what President Trump's would be like (Red Dawn too).

MovieAddict2016 Political satires are interesting films, and they can sometimes be especially good. "Wag the Dog," with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, is one of the best political satires in decades, and "The Second Civil War," though not nearly as smart as the former, is pretty darn funny in its own right, and -- if you can find it on TV or home video -- you'll probably find yourself smiling at it.I hadn't expected too much sitting down to watch "The Second Civil War." I had never heard of it before, and my TV guide didn't give it an especially favorable review. But it is a surprisingly good TV film."Since when was the country run by a soap opera?" asks US President Phil Hartman in the deliciously dark political satire "The Second Civil War." Star-studded and laugh-packed, the film may seem like mediocre fodder at first, but you'll soon find yourself getting caught up in the mild genius and clever wit of it all. Yes, the film is a public TV production, but that does not reflect its position as a film.The plot: Orphans from Pakistan are being immigrated to Idaho, but the Governor of Idaho doesn't like this idea one little bit, so he closes the border of Idaho and refuses to permit any Pakistanis into his state. This causes problems, of course, and immediately news and media from around the world start to monitor the entire situation in anticipation of something dreadful to happen.The US President, played by Phil Hartman, likes Dwight D. Eisenhower, but lacks the smarts to be President -- he covers behind the image of an all together man and quotes Eisenhower in speeches. He shifts his nationwide announcements so that they do not interfere with soap operas. His advisor reminds him that women got mad last time he did that.Idaho threatens to separate from the United States of America, and "The Second Civil War" is essentially a satire of the political scene and the newspeople surrounding it. "Boys, it looks like Idaho is going to war," says news anchorman Denis Leary. "I smell another emmy."Anticipating Idaho's separation from the USA, the President and his staff make a last ditch effort to save their country by placing the Pakistanis in the middle of the battle. But this only makes matters worse.Dennis Leary ("The Ref") is funny, but other great actors include Dan Hedaya ("The Addams Family"), Beau Bridges, James Earl Jones and James Coburn, to name a few of the A-list cast members. They all play pivotal roles in the plot, and when the film gets them in lengthy word fights it is at its best.To top it all off, the film is directed by Joe Dante, who has brought Gremlins and werewolfs to life in the past. Dante is great at making imaginations come to life -- his kiddy action film "Small Soldiers" was even fun to sit through. Like Robert Zemeckis, Dante uses film as a medium for wit and imagination. He's made some great films. Here is another one.4/5 stars.John Ulmer

Rabster22 Though not a 100% spoof in the Airplane! league, this film is quite ridiculous in it's own way. It hits more targets than it misses, and it has some truly wonderful moments. By no means a 'must see' it is nonetheless a useful waste of time.