Haines His Way

Am I the only person who has no desire whatsoever to the the Mel Gibson Jesus movie?  

The marketing effort on this picture has proved the notion that there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Inasmuch my sensitivity to anti-Semitism runs rather high, I am very anxious to see what objective reviewers have to say next week when the film opens.

If there is opinion that the movie offers artistic merit, yes, I will see it.

If there is divided opinion as to whether the film is anti-Semitic, I will see it and decide for myself.

If there is consensus, however, that the picture is bald-faced anti-Semitic propaganda, I will skip the opportunity to line Mr. Gibson's pockets with my money.  That would prevent me from criticizing the movie myself, as I do not criticize works of art (even when qualified with a "so-called") that I have not seen, read or heard first-hand.  If the film is as inflammatory as some people are leading us to believe, my boycott would be a stronger course of action than my criticism, I believe.  Then again, I'm not Frank Rich.

CharlesPogue I just came running in to modify my post and correct the spelling-sorry about that.  

We would like to see the movie with your original script.  I'm sorry it was such a dissapoinment to you.

Oh, and you know, I rarely ask for them, but I really could use some of our potent Hainsies/Kimlets good vibes coming in my direction for a variety and also a hollywood reporter of reasons.

Positive OZ vibes aplenty are on their way BK. Thanks for the comment re "Fireflies"

In re Mel Gibson's Passion:

Marketing?  All these people that you couldn't drag to a French movie that isn't dubbed will now flock to listen to two hours of Latin and Aramaic.  That's what marketing can do.  The Anti-Semitic charge will bring $$$ to the box office.

I'm just interested in where they got Aramaic-speaking actors.  And I'm just a-betting that the Latin pronunciation will be Church-Latin, i.e. pronounced like Italian, rather than Classical.

I think I've discussed Kull here (ad nauseam) in my Unseemingly Interview and several weeks (months?) back, I quoted portions of a scathing memo I had written to all concerned after I had seen a screening of it.

Actually shortly before the opening of the movie I got a very nice letter and autographed picture from Kevin Sorbo complimenting me (although he had never met me....also signed his autographed picture to Edward, not Charles Edward...which makes you wonder about sincerity) and telling me how true and faithful they had been to my "vision".  I think it was mostly bullshit and he was trying to butter me up, probably at the behest of the producer who knew I was going to come out in my considerable news media sources and trash my experiences with the film and her, which would trash the film by association (I wouldn't come out and outright trash the film during its initial run...there's contractual crap about that sort of thing...you always come out and say, "It was a very good script, my personal experience was horrible, I hoped they remained true to it and it's good film"...but you get what you want to say out without really saying it).

Anyway, I wrote Sorbo back a letter, included are choice bits:

"...that 'web of power, control, and egos' you mentioned got in the way...This has nothing, of course, to do with you, but it is old bad business between Ms. DeLaurentiis and myself on DRAGONHEART..."

"Story meetings and conferences were held with you to which I was not invited, decisions made without the input of the writer...Needless to say, my firing had nothing to do with artistry or the merits of the script.  The whole fiasco of my rewrite was designed to throw me off the script.  On more than one occasion, Ms. DeLaurentiis had called the original script 'a masterpiece' and 'work of genius'.  You do not replace a 'genius' (which I'm not)  or even a very good writer (which I am) with a lesser talent, which was done.  You don't dismantle a 'masterpiece' (which I'm not sure Kull is) or even a very good script (which Kull was)..."

"As a writer, I felt a great debt to the original creator of KULL, Robert E. Howard, and wanted to create the definitive Howard world, capturing his dark, moody, blood and thunder prose on screen...Mostly, I wanted a piece that, while embracing the genre, also transcended it...giving us multi-dimensional characters, rich plot, and vibrant dialogue...At one time we had accomplished that.  Three years ago,we had a script everyone admired and was a"go" script once we found an actor.  But..the voice of the writer who generated this project, conceived it, and made it viable was muzzled....I find no solace or even much sense in meticulously constructed, lauded work being mandhandled without the creator's input and approval."

Still, if they're running the sucker on cable, I'm getting residuals. So no artistic satisfaction; at least some financial satisfaction for my pains.   Actually, the script from which Janet Greek discovered me was a sword-and-sorcery script (alas, never done) THE GREYSTONE...it was probably one of the first ever written in this town.  

Der Brucer, I wonder if that critic may be my friend Jim Van Hise who printed my side of the sad story in several genre magazines and on the Howard website at the time and made a big deal of this "cribbed dialogue".  It was dialogue that my replacement "cribbed", not I.  Jim reported this and we discussed it in an interview, I remember. Of course, the carrion-eater replacement who pissed all over my work claims it was not "cribbed", but merely an intentional "homage."

JMK, I finished listening to Jarre's score for THE DAMNED.  Found it disappointingly mediocre on the whole.  I guess my tastes have become much more sophisticated over the years.  A Jarre score I'm kinda of fond of is the 1978 film of PRINCE & THE PAUPER, aka CROSSED SWORDS, which has a zippy main theme featuring whistling.

According to the Diane Sawyer / Mel Gibson interview the other night the offending subtitle “His blood be upon us, and on our children has been removed from the final film, but the crowd can still be heard chanting it in Aramaic.  According to Mel, he does not believe that Jews for all eternity are damned because of this line, but he did not feel in the brief context that it was used in the film that he did not have the ability to explain all of the theological implications, so the subtitle was simply removed.

As for accents, since Mr. Caviezel is from the Pacific Northwest, you will probably hear Jesus mention is mother Merry, as well as Marry Magdalene.   

As for accents, since Mr. Caviezel is from the Pacific Northwest, you will probably hear Jesus mention is mother Merry, as well as Marry Magdalene.   

Thanks you for the smile at Breakfast time TCB.

Apropos of nothing.....

I didn't think there could be a scarier photograph of Miss Patty Duke than one of her in character as Neely O'Hara.  

I was wrong wrong wrong.  

Well, it seems more than one person noticed the carrion-eater's unimaginative "homage".

You know it's one thing to steal from a movie forty or fifty years old, but when you still from a cult classic from your own generation that's only twenty years old, you're setting yourself up to take shots.

Unfortunately, too many young writers think film began with STAR WARS and all they really do is keep trying to remake their favourite films from their youth...not do anything original.  Usually films that are derivative from something from the thirties or forties in the first place.  So we just keep getting so much recycled fare...only more diluted and bland...and faster and louder and less subtle, with none of the touches that made the original films great.

I suppose every writer steals (or, shall we say, is "inspired by"), but the key is in knowing what to steal from what film...They keep stealing the wrong stuff...usually the least interesting, most obvious stuff from the least interesting, most obvious films.  

And when you do steal, you have to know how to hide it and disguise it better. That "homage" crap only goes so far.

Is there anything one can't do on this site now?  

Yes - One can't sample all the wonderful food discussed here on a regular basis.

Welcome back JB and a belated welcome to "Dan the Man".

And when you do steal, you have to know how to hide it and disguise it better. That "homage" crap only goes so far.

In one of the "Dirty Harry" movies (don't ask me which one...they've all merged together in the aging gray matter), there's a music video director who's cobbling together an Exorcist-inspired opus.  And when he's accused of ripping off the material, he says with exasperation:

"It's not a rip-off...it's an homage."

I believe I read he took out the objectionable parts.

I have mixed feeling about this.  As much as I would like to see the movie and decide for myself, I don’t want to support anti-Semitism with my money.  Of course I have to see the movie in order to have an educated opinion.

If you don't mind waiting, you could wait until your local library buys the DVD (and it will...when, or if, it is released) and get it for free (of course, your taxes probably pay for all the library materials any way).  That way you can see the movie to be able to form an educated opinion, and your money doesn't go directly to support any (potential) anti-Semitism.

Good afternoon!

What a gorgeous day!  I'm so glad I went out for a walk!  -And I even came across at very nice sale at my favorite knick-knack/home decor/gift store!  50-90% OFF!  I picked up one of those mouse pads that look like oriental rugs - and they're even woven in Turkey too!  -At least that's what the label says.  I almost bought one at full-price, but at 1/2 price, I just had to!

Oohh.. and I also came across some other new low-carb goodies... I'll report back later.

DR Jennifer - Around here, most if not all the supermarkets carry at least one brand of low-carb ice cream.  Atkins' Lo-Carb ice cream is even sold at 7-11s - well, 7-11 has a direct tie-in promotion with Atkins.  And, as I mentioned before, I've seen a brand or two in Wal-Mart.  You may have to look for them.  Some stores put them in the "diet" section.  Some put them in the "health food/all natural" section.  And some put them right in with the regular stuff.  My local Ukrop's has the Atkins Endulge right next to the Ben & Jerry's... ah, well.  Happy Hunting!