10 Strangest Fictitious Countries
Yes, Transformers did have a racist nation called Carbombya... we were sort of fine with it.
Last year, President Donald Trump frustratedly asked his staff why America was taking refugees from "s***hole countries", going on to cite his preferred, Nordic choices. It was one of the most unforgivable comments a leader could make about supposed allies, so no one forgave him. There was no attempt made at apology, and the world collectively moved on.
Perhaps part of the reason for the giant shrug goes beyond a general "that's Donald" vibe, as for years Hollywood has used other countries as villains, chock full of stereotypes ready to wipe The Great Satan off the map even if it means martyrdom. Action cinema's reductive nature, boiling conflict down to good versus bad, has led to some unintentionally hysterical xenophobic and racist entertainment.
It's gotten so bad that movies and television have taken to inventing countries of their own, so as not to incite a world war. It's much easier, particularly today when the Chinese market is such a major factor, to sub in some nonsense country rather than risk your film not play in overseas venues.
Some were just quick rewrites, clear stand-ins for real places, while others were invented out of true creativity and sharp satire. Here are some of the best, weirdest and worst.
10. Zamunda - Coming To America
Even when he was still an unqualified success, no one saw Eddie Murphy coming.
Take Paramount Pictures' initial reaction to Coming to America, Murphy's second pairing with director John Landis. Today, it's fondly remembered as one of Murphy's highlights alongside Beverly Hills Cop and Trading Places. Before its release, however, it wasn't even screened for critics.
Even after release, critics harshly rebuked it, writing it off as a cheap fairy tale. Perhaps it was Murphy's primadonna attitude which led to tussles with director John Landis that shook Paramount's faith. The director was nearly on the outs with Hollywood after The Twilight Zone debacle, and Murphy viewed hiring him for a job he was set to direct himself as a favour.
"The guy on Coming to America was the pig of the world... but I still think he's wonderful in the movie," said Landis.
Murphy's main role is played straight, a rare choice for an actor who got laughs winking at the camera through Beverly Hills. As a wealthy prince of African nation Zamunda, it's the smart choice, centering the film's emotional core on a romance between his fish-out-of-water and inner-city activist Lisa.
Little is known about the monarchy Zamunda beyond a few customs (including, unfortunately, arranged marriage), but seeing an African nation portrayed as wealthy in the Eighties was the closest we'd get to Wakanda for several decades. Those "fairy tale" criticisms don't hold up well in that context. We'll hopefully see more of the country in Craig Brewer's upcoming sequel.