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{{Short description|Fictional country used by Steven E. de Souza}}
{{Other usesdistinguish|ValCosta Verde (disambiguation){{!}}ValCosta Verde#In Fiction}}
'''Val Verde''' is a [[fictional country]] or city used by Hollywood writer and producer [[Steven E. de Souza]] when his stories require a South or Central American locale that will not cause legal or diplomatic problems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baldwin |first=Daniel |title=Val Verde: Exploring Fox's Secret $5 Billion Cinematic Universe |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielbaldwin/2016/03/01/viva-val-verde-verse-exploring-foxs-secret-5-billion-cinematic-universe/ |access-date=2021-01-14 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> The location first appeared in his 1985 film ''[[Commando (1985 film)|Commando]]''.
 
'''ValThe Verde'''name istranslates aas [[fictional"Green country]]Valley", oras city{{lang|roa|val}} usedmeans by''valley'' Hollywoodin filmmakers (mostlymultiple [[20thRomance Century Foxlanguages]]) when(Portuguese,<ref>{{cite they require aweb|url=http://www.priberam.pt/DLPO/val|title=Significado South/Central Americandefinição localede withoutval gettingno intoDicionário legalPriberam orda diplomaticLíngua disputesPortuguesa|first=Priberam Informática|last=S.A.|website=www.priberam.pt}} The(Word namein translatesPriberam asPortuguese "Greendictionary)</ref> Valley"Italian,<ref>{{cite asweb|title=Traccani, "Val"la iscultura anitaliana|url=http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/val2/|publisher=Treccani|access-date=5 [[apocope]]March of2017|language=it}}</ref> "valle"Spanish, the Spanish word for "valley".<ref>{{cite web|title=Diccionario de la lengua española|url=http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=val|publisher=Real Academia Española|accessdateaccess-date=12 October 2012|language=spanishes}}</ref> old-fashioned French, Galician and others) and ''{{linktext|verde}}'' means ''green'' in many languages.
 
==Appearances==
ItA fictional country carrying the name of Val Verde has appeared in a number of films and, television programs, and comics by de Souza:▼
* ''[[Commando (1985 film)|Commando]]'' (1985), Arius ([[Dan Hedaya]]) is the former ruler of Val Verde and sends John Matrix ([[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]) to kill the current president but he escapes en route.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/commando.htm |title=Commando |publisher=fast-rewind.com |date=1985-10-04 |accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-20}}</ref> In the movie, the country is 11an hours11-hour flight from Los Angeles International Airport, which places it approximately 5500 miles from California and is likely to be near Chile, Paraguay or Brazil.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}▼
* ''[[Supercarrier (TV series)|Supercarrier]]'', Episode 5 "Rest and Revolution" (1988) the ''USS ''Georgetown'' commanded by Capt. Henry K. 'Hank' Madigan ([[Dale Dye]]) docks in Val Verde just as civil war breaks out.▼
* ''[[Die Hard 2]]'' (1990), General Ramon Esperanza ([[Franco Nero]]) is from Val Verde. ▼
* ''[[Adventure Inc.]]'' (2003), Episode 10 of Season 1 was titled "Plague Ship of Val Verde".<ref>{{imdbcite episode|0505574|title=Plague Ship of Val Verde|series=[[Adventure Inc.]]}}</ref>▼
* ''[[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle|Sheena]]'' (2015). a [[Devil's Due Publishing|Devil's Due]] [[comic book]], is set in Val Verde.
 
Outside of de Souza's own work, there are other appearances, either linked by shared personnel, or as a direct reference. For example:
▲It has appeared in a number of films and television programs:
* De Souza believes that ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]'' takes place in Val Verde.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/predator-complete-history/|title=Predator: The Complete History|first=Owen|last=Williams|website=Empire|date=January 2012}}</ref> ''Predator'', like ''Commando'', was produced by [[Joel Silver]] and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, in ''[[Predators (film)|Predators]]'' (2010), Isabelle ([[Alice Braga]]) states that the events of the original film took place in [[Guatemala]], though part of the film's first act takes place in another unnamed country. The ''Predator'' novelization by [[Paul Monette]] also places the events in Guatemala, while [[Mark Verheiden]]'s comics for [[Dark Horse Comics|Dark Horse]] specify Colombia.
* In the 2020 video game ''[[Predator:_Hunting_Grounds]]'', the events of the film are explicitly said to have taken place "over the border" in Val Verde, including in [[Downloadable_content|DLC]] audio logs voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
* ''[[Broforce]]'', a 2015 video game, which has characters that parody action heroes like John Matrix from ''Commando'' (as well as Dirty Harry, John Rambo, etc.), uses Val Verde as one of its settings.
* Val Verde appears in the anime ''[[Symphogear]]'' (2012). It is part of the backstory of Chris Yukine, where she lost her parents to war and was captured and enslaved for six years, before being rescued by the [[United Nations]]. The fourth season, ''Symphogear AXZ'' (2017), features the main characters visiting Val Verde as a key part of the season's plot arc, where Chris recalls her past.
* The film ''Jurassic Attack'' (2013) takes place entirely in Val Verde.
* Val Verde appears in the horror film ''The Theta Girl'' (2017). In a flashback sequence, the Papa Shogun character recalls discovering a hallucinogenic compound in the slime of an indigenous ground toad found in "this shit-hole country of Val Verde."
* Val Verde appears in the TV show ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'' ("Rendezvous", Season 14, Episode 24, 2017) as a remote part of Paraguay.
* Val Verde is one of the settings of the 2018 film ''[[Commando Ninja]]''.
* Part of [[Hank Green]]'s 2020 novel ''[[A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor]]'' is set in Val Verde.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-a-beautifully-foolish-endeavor/|title=A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor Summary|language=en}}</ref>
* The podcast Action Boyz, a comedy podcast that focuses on action movies and stars [[Jon Gabrus]], Ben Rodgers, and Ryan Stanger refers to their studio as Val Verde.
* In ''[[Contra (series)|Contra: Operation Galuga]]'', when encountering Beowulf at the ruins, Beowulf tells the team that they had met once before, at Val Verde.
* The game ''Breezer'' takes place in Val Verde, with 'Land For Sale' signs branded as 'Val Verde Estates'
 
==Origin==
▲*''[[Commando (film)|Commando]]'' (1985), Arius ([[Dan Hedaya]]) is the former ruler of Val Verde and sends John Matrix ([[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]) to kill the current president but he escapes en route.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/commando.htm |title=Commando |publisher=fast-rewind.com |date=1985-10-04 |accessdate=2011-07-20}}</ref> In the movie, the country is 11 hours flight from Los Angeles International Airport, which places it approximately 5500 miles from California and is likely to be near Chile, Paraguay or Brazil.
*According to the novelization of the 1987 film ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]'', Alan "Dutch" Schaeffer's ([[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]) rescue team is sent to Val Verde ostensibly to rescue an American politician. However, in ''[[Predators (film)|Predators]]'' (2010), Isabelle ([[Alice Braga]]) states that the events of the original film took place in [[Guatemala]].
▲*''[[Supercarrier (TV series)|Supercarrier]]'' (1988) the ''USS Georgetown'' commanded by Capt. Henry K. 'Hank' Madigan ([[Dale Dye]]) docks in Val Verde just as civil war breaks out.
▲*''[[Die Hard 2]]'' (1990), General Ramon Esperanza ([[Franco Nero]]) is from Val Verde.
▲*''[[Adventure Inc.]]'' (2003), Episode 10 of Season 1 was titled "Plague Ship of Val Verde".<ref>{{imdb episode|0505574|Plague Ship of Val Verde}}</ref>
*''[[Jurassic Attack]]'' (2013)
 
Steven de Souza hasexplained alsohis setreason thefor [[Devil'susing DueVal Publishing|Devil'sVerde Due]]in [[comic book]]his ''[[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle|Sheena]]'' in Val Verde and described his reason for using itcomic:<ref>[httphttps://www.comicbookresourcescbr.com/?page=article&id=12268return-of-the-queen-de-souza-talks-sheena/ Return of the Queen: de Souza Talks "Sheena"], [[Comic Book Resources]], January 7, 2008</ref>▼
Shared personnel link all appearances. ''Commando'', ''Die Hard 2'' and ''Adventure Inc.'' were written by [[Steven E. de Souza]], ''Commando'' and ''Predator'' both star Schwarzenegger, and both films, along with Die Hard 2, were produced by [[Joel Silver]]; de Souza produced the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC TV]] series ''Supercarrier''.
 
▲Steven de Souza has also set the [[Devil's Due Publishing|Devil's Due]] [[comic book]] ''[[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle|Sheena]]'' in Val Verde and described his reason for using it:<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12268 Return of the Queen: de Souza Talks "Sheena"], [[Comic Book Resources]], January 7, 2008</ref>
 
{{cquote|It's something like Guyana, a country which encompasses lush Caribbean resorts popular with tourists, an unexplored mysterious rainforest, and a mix of Anglo, Spanish, African, Creole and indigenous cultures. This is a country of the imagination I've used in several films and TV programs, which I thought was my little inside baseball joke, but Eric Lichtenfield, the author of 'Actions Speak Louder,' recently sent me a Wikipedia page on it! Seriously, my Dad's family is from that part of the world and it's something I can write about with some familiarity.}}
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==Portrayal==
 
Val Verde has principally been used as a plot device or location in place of real [[Latin American]] countries in action and adventure movies, as a particular result of the United States' rocky relations with many nations in the region during the 1980s.
 
When glimpsed in ''Commando'', it appears to be a poor nation, where [[subsistence agriculture]] (i.e., livestock) is side-by-side with military propaganda and constant military presence. Inhabitants appear poor but happy, and there is evidence of a trade embargo reminiscent of that placed on [[Cuba]] in the presence of battered but functional [[vintage]] 1950s cars.
 
While the meaning, if any, of the name of the fictional Val Verde is not definitively established, many real-life places named [[Val Verde (disambiguation)|Val Verde]] derive their names from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "green valley".
 
==Politics==
 
In ''Commando'', Val Verde is presided over by President Velázquez, an apparent puppet leader installed by an American-backed [[revolution]] assisted by Colonel John Matrix (Schwarzenegger) and Captain Bennett ([[Vernon Wells (actor)|Vernon Wells]]), during which the nefarious General Arius was deposed. Bennett later aligns himself with Arius when Matrix discharges him for disregard for order, and they force Matrix to help him reinstate Arius' dictatorship, but are thwarted when Matrix fights back and kills them all.
 
In ''Predator'', the country is described as being invaded by communist inspired revolutionaries. The rebel camp attacked by the team has at least one "Russian Advisor".
 
In ''Die Hard 2'', General Ramon Esperanza ([[Franco Nero]]) is a General in exile, awaiting trial in the United States. He is aided by former special forces members to escape from his prison plane (prior to landing, Esperanza himself strangles his prison guard and steals his handcuff key and gun, then shoots both of the pilots and takes the controls). Esperanza is wanted by the U.S. government for drug trafficking, but the leader of the rogue special forces unit, Colonel Stuart ([[William Sadler (actor)|William Sadler]]), wishes to free Esperanza because he "stands up to communist aggression", and takes over [[Washington Dulles International Airport]]'s air traffic control systems to rescue Esperanza.
 
In ''Supercarrier'' a US Navy carrier is present in Val Verde when civil war breaks out and is forced to step in; this violation of Pentagon protocol, though entirely fictional, precipitated the withdrawal of Navy participation from the series.
 
==Locations==
 
As well as studio shots, other locations have been used to portray Val Verde on film:
* The entrance to [[Long Beach Airport]]'s passenger terminal was used for Val Verde's main airport in ''Commando''.
* [[San Pedro, California]], was used for the port of Val Verde on ''Supercarrier'', while [[Valencia, California]], stood in for the countryside.
* [[Puerto Vallarta]] had previous appeared in ''[[The Night of the Iguana]]'' and was used as the principal filming location for ''Predator'', despite the objections of [[John McTiernan]] and [[Donald McAlpine]]. The early beach shots were taken at Puerto Vallarta and jungle scenes were shot slightly further inland. When more money was released by Fox, McTiernan was able to shoot in his preferred location around [[Palenque]] (including the Misol-Ha waterfall) and about half of the final film came from this round of shooting.<ref>''Beautiful Monsters: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Alien and Predator Films'' (footnote 34, page 148, by [[David A. McIntee]], Telos, 272 pages, 2005, {{ISBN |1-903889-94-4}})</ref>
 
==Legacy==
The spider genus ''[[Predatoroonops]]'' genus of spiders, named after the spiders' similarity to the [[Predator (alienfictional species)|Predator himself]], has a species named ''Predatoroonops valverde''.<ref name="amnh">Brescovit, Bonaldo, Santos, Ott & Rheims, 2012 : ''[http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/6186 The Brazilian goblin spiders of the new genus Predatoroonops (Araneae, Oonopidae).]'' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, n. 370, pp. 29-31. Page accessed on January 12, 2013</ref>▼
The comedy group [[Elephant Larry]] made a series of comedy sketches about the country of Val Verde. The sketches take place between the scenes and off-camera during the film ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]''.
 
▲The ''[[Predatoroonops]]'' genus of spiders, named after the spiders' similarity to the [[Predator (alien)|Predator himself]], has a species named ''Predatoroonops valverde''.<ref name=amnh>Brescovit, Bonaldo, Santos, Ott & Rheims, 2012 : ''[http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/6186 The Brazilian goblin spiders of the new genus Predatoroonops (Araneae, Oonopidae).]'' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, n. 370, pp. 29-31. Page accessed on January 12, 2013</ref>
 
Comedian [[Steve Hofstetter]] referenced Val Verde in one of his Edward Snowden parody videos, having Snowden say "I was just kind of hoping you guys were a real country."<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WXGbJVbOFY</Ref>
 
==See also==
* [[List of fictional countries]]
* [[Banana republic]]
* [[555 (telephone number)]]
* [[Oceanic Airlines]]
 
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
 
{{DieSteven HardE. de Souza}}
{{Fictional countries}}
{{alien}}
 
[[Category:FictionalDie Latin American countriesHard]]
[[Category:Predator (franchise)]]
[[Category:Fictional South American countries]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1985]]
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