To me this whole discussion boils down to Murphy's law. We know the DoD is pro-military and has a huge budget for PR. We know making a movie requires a lot of cash (and for most non-scifi movies: props.)
There is need; there is opportunity; there is will on both sides. What can happen, will happen, and has happened.
To what extent I have no idea, but while I haven't yet seen an American-made movie that is wholly critical of the US military and the politics governing it, I wouldn't shout conspiracy. In my opinion, Hollywood is the least nationalistic of all countries' film-community, because it doesn't have to answer to their main audience's constant need for re-affirmation. The rest of the western world may have lost respect for the US the last decade or two, but we still envy the hell out of you, no denying that.
One can't actually blame the military and DoD for attaching strings to any filmmaker who wants an aircraft carrier or fighter jets or what have you. If you want to involve their personnel or their multi-billion dollar equipment (which is, essentially an incorporation of the 'brand' of the US government) in your work, you have to do so on their terms or else go elsewhere. That's not propaganda, that's just the government acting in its own self-interest.
There is need; there is opportunity; there is will on both sides. What can happen, will happen, and has happened.
To what extent I have no idea, but while I haven't yet seen an American-made movie that is wholly critical of the US military and the politics governing it, I wouldn't shout conspiracy. In my opinion, Hollywood is the least nationalistic of all countries' film-community, because it doesn't have to answer to their main audience's constant need for re-affirmation. The rest of the western world may have lost respect for the US the last decade or two, but we still envy the hell out of you, no denying that.