Warner Refuses to Release Anti-War Films

[G_j]

Warner Refuses to Release Anti-War Films

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/090604Z.shtml

Fight Over Gulf War Film Escalates
By Elaine Dutka
Los Angeles Times

A clash between David O. Russell and Warner Bros. over the DVD re-release of his Gulf War film "Three Kings" intensified Thursday as studio executives informed the filmmaker the video could not be released before the November election.

The news came days after the movie studio's decision to drop his 35-minute antiwar documentary, "Soldiers Pay," as a DVD bonus feature because of its political content.

In the documentary, the director revisits some of the Iraqi extras and advisors from the 1999 film "Three Kings" and the result is not favorable to the current administration.

"I am contemplating having a press conference with a 1st Amendment lawyer … next Tuesday to say that this is censorship and an infringement of the 1st Amendment based on political opinions," Russell said by e-mail from Hawaii where he was vacationing.

..more..

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Wow - I hope he wins

or finds some other way to get the movie out.

And hopefully this Warner Brothers tactic will utterly backfire, just like the tirade against F9/11 and Lies and the Lying Liars - ended up making so much publicity that millions more read/saw both than otherwise would have. :-)

Of course, it could be a ploy by WB precisely for the reason selling more DVDs. Make it look like they want to censor the guy, then do a last minute recapitulation, and sell 5 million instead of 1 million.

Or the repukes have sent some phone calls into WB and casually mentioned that some family members might be considering "suicide".

[DBoon]

2. This is a bad sign of things to come

Should Bush be re-elected, we will see much more of this, as studios are pressured via "back channels" to tailor their releases or else.

[KelleyKramer]

3. Like its not already happening??

Disney gave up over $100,000,000.00 when they refused to distribute Fahrenheit 911.

Six giant corporations control everything you see in magazines, books, music, cable tv, movies, etc.

You cant even pay them to let you speak, Viacom's' CBS network sent $1.7 back to moveon.org and refused to take the money because they didn’t want 30 seconds of criticism of Bush during the Superbowl.

The US has the most censored media of any 'free' country in the world.

[Karenina]

8. Carlyle bought Loew's Theaters.

Done deal.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. "Liberal Hollywood" had no problem releasing Mel Gibson's....

Anti-Semetic Crap, yet Mike Moore had to fight to get F9/11 distributed.

:wtf: is this?

Bush is a Hitler!

:puke:

[wuushew]

5. If I was a stock owner I would be pissed

Three Kings is both a quality film and one that would make a lot of money. The cancer that Republicanism is truly sickening.

[Michael Harrington]

11. This is an excellent film

I just picked up the current DVD version a few weeks ago. I'd buy a new Special Edition (especially one w/ a long docu) in a heartbeat.

This is troubling, troubling stuff. Makes you think of Lenin's line about the free press.

[Eloriel]

6. So they're willing to make a buck on it, but only when it's no longer

politically inconvenient for them.

I find this somehow more disturbing than Disney's stupid F911 antics.

Hmm, maybe the same eventual distributors of F911 would be interested? (I wonder if Warner would let it go? Probably not without a court challenge.)

[Joanne98]

7. That's not surprising. Hollywood has been selling militarization for 50 yrs

It's in EVERYTHING. Movies, cop shows even cartoons. Good guy/bad guy.. cowboys/indians..cops/robbers...white hats/black hats...good vs evil.... Hollywood is evil. Japan is even more evil. Watch the cartoons. They're dehumanizing programs. (tinfoil) One of them even caused seizures in children. It was a mistake! YEAH RIGHT!!!!!

[Dem2theMax]

9. Sounds to me like it's time for a HUGE boycott of Warner Bros.

Anybody want to join? :evilgrin:

[Nordic]

10. chances are, the guy has absolutely no power here

the directors almost never get final cut of their film, much less approval of the DVD content.

He should make a big-ass stink about it, but he probably doesn't have a legal leg to stand on to force the issue

[VOX]

12. Yeah, "liberal Hollywood" -- "War Bonds are on sale in the lobby, folks!"

This is so chickenshit of Warner Bros. What exactly are they afraid of, that they hold up release of a movie that has **already** been widely distributed on DVD? Or is "Three Kings" just against their pro-war views? :grr:

[Blayde Starrfyre]

13. Three Kings was a damned good movie

Who'd have ever thought Ice Cube and Marky Mark would end up being good actors?

"Here's your fucking stability my main man . . ."