Tokyo incinerated? Surely you're confusing WWII and Godzilla.

What I've read in Ebert's two pieces, rather.

From Haskin:
"Disney also is known for its countless and unforgettable villains, and every Disney movie has to have its Cruella Deville and Scar. In this case, the stereotypical villain was Sham's trainer Pancho Martin, who came across as some street thug and obnoxious braggart ("Secretariat is goin' down!"). Pancho…

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/bl…
This is the link that was supposed to be "above" and didn't come through.

Combative and boastful because he had a top-level horse or because he was Mexican?
If it's the former, it's not all that unusual; if it's the latter, then it's leaning towards racism.

With all due respect, Ebert gets a whole lot of stuff wrong, about the movie and the Salon piece.

I'll say up front that I always preferred Siskel to Ebert, and I didn't watch much after Siskel died.
I've read Ebert's response to Hehir's review (whatever his name is), and Ebert seems to miss some fairly simple things. Like the bit about Pancho Martin, who is turned into an ethnic stereotype in the movie but which…

And a damned good thing, too, Miller. I made the mistake of telling my brother how valuable some of the old Westlake pbs were when I lent them to him, and they've never been seen again.
I had the original Help I Am Being Held Prisoner, first pb printing with the yellow cover, in near-mint condition. I never should…

I have a theory that this country focuses on great performers when there's too much shit going on in real time. Like Secretariat came at the crux of end of Viet Nam/beginning of Watergate, so he became our chosen one.

They ignore Secretariat's champion 2-year-old season, and they move him to fourth place in the Wood.

The movie begins with a quote from the Bible and ends with a chorus singing Oh Happy Day.
No hidden agenda there.

Sadly, that reminded me of Notting Hill.

Yes. It confirmed my worst fears and gave me a whole new batch to be angry about.

They saved the racism for the script, by turning trainer Pancho Martin into a swarthy villain.
And making Lucien Lauren a nutty French eccentric.

There's a good documentary about Secretariat's Triple Crown on youtube. It's broken into 10-minute pieces, and it's from some tv sports show. Good stuff—and honest.

Not exactly. He was trying to get back to her while she was still alive, to save her after her husband tried to kill all three of them, and he was "captured" by some moronic British soldiers and thrown in jail because he was a German, even though he was Hungarian and had no love for the Germans.

And isn't it great that a movie about horse racing, which is funded by gambling, is being marketed to Christian audiences?
That actually might be the only good thing about the movie.

I worship at your shrine, St. Andy.

This is getting the Christian audience push like Passion of the Christ got.
Seriously.
Which is pretty damned ironic when you consider that horse racing is paid for by gambling.

The Ax has humor, just blacker than black.