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Film Critics Barred From Mars
Internet Movie Database ^ | 6-23-05

Posted on 06/23/2005 4:06:51 PM PDT by Paul Atreides

New York film critics have been barred from tonight's (Thursday) premiere of Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, leading New York Times columnist Campbell Robertson to wax poetic -- Yeatsian, really -- to speculate whether the snub might have something to do with star Tom Cruise's Scientology beliefs, or last weekend's incident in which a bogus reporter squirted him with a phony microphone, or his bizarre behavior on Oprah Winfrey's talk show. ("The press lacks all conviction, while TOM CRUISE/Is full of passionate intensity, /Really, really passionate intensity.") Meanwhile, film critics in Germany threatened Wednesday to boycott War of the Worlds if they are required to sign an agreement not to publish a review before its June 29 release date in that country. While an informal agreement exists between U.S. critics and studios to withhold publication of reviews of new movies until the day of their premieres, no such agreement exists in Germany. In a statement released Wednesday, the Association of German Film Critics said that the studio demand represents "scandalous P.R." and "obstructs the press from its constitutionally guaranteed rights."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: sheilajacksonlee
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To: Diddle E. Squat

Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Mars).

Truly the best and the brightest.


21 posted on 06/23/2005 4:20:23 PM PDT by Husker8877
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To: ahayes
that's usually the case. Most movie makers like the press and the buzz BEFORE the movie opens.

It'll still make money. I'm not sure what the budget was on this one, but it'll gross $200 mil domestically easily.
22 posted on 06/23/2005 4:20:28 PM PDT by birbear (I know it might be wrong, but I'm love with Stacy's mom. And Kim's. And Rachel's. And Janet's.)
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To: Paul Atreides

I guess in the last scene, Tom chills with his homeboys from outer space and has a clambake with his new gf.


23 posted on 06/23/2005 4:21:05 PM PDT by AmishDude (Once you go black hat, you never go back.)
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To: ahayes
Maybe they just know that the movie really, really sucks and they don't want the news to get out.

Typically that is the reason. Or Spielberg may be trying to prevent spoilers. E.T.'s image was tightly controlled using non-disclousre agreements, so it would not be the first time for S.S.

IMDB reviews are running 7-1 very positive, but of course those could merely be Dreamworks staffers.

24 posted on 06/23/2005 4:21:25 PM PDT by montag813
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To: Paul Atreides

Maybe there's a subliminal message to give all your property away to go clear, and Tom doesn't want to rob the nation of the left's best last hope - the press.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Nevermind.


25 posted on 06/23/2005 4:21:28 PM PDT by glock rocks (Get er done!)
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To: Paul Atreides

Oh, please do read the thread! I transcribed my 12 yo son's running commentary as best I could...


26 posted on 06/23/2005 4:21:32 PM PDT by null and void (2¢ plain)
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To: birbear

Not necessarily. Overseas+DVD will insure it's not a flop, but I really can't see $200M domestic being a slam dunk.


27 posted on 06/23/2005 4:22:30 PM PDT by AmishDude (Once you go black hat, you never go back.)
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To: AmishDude
Well, the original movie was pretty great, IMHO. I truly think that the majority of Americans like these disaster movies because they don't have to think about anything. They just sit there and drool at the special effects. The dumbing down of America continues.

Thank you, public schools of America.
28 posted on 06/23/2005 4:23:17 PM PDT by An American in Turkiye
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To: clearlight
Have to give Spielberg his due as a director--he's usually excellent. But after that propaganda piece he put together for John Kerry and the Democratic convention, I'll never see one of his films again.

This is untrue. Spielberg did not direct the Kerry film.

The official convention video introducing Kerry was directed by Steven Spielberg protégé James Moll. Moll was given hours of Kerry's homemade 8 millimeter film (much of which showed re-enacted footage) to incorporate into the convention short

29 posted on 06/23/2005 4:23:44 PM PDT by montag813
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To: AmishDude
I guess in the last scene, Tom chills with his homeboys from outer space and has a clambake with his new gf.

This clambake?

30 posted on 06/23/2005 4:24:03 PM PDT by null and void (2¢ plain)
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To: An American in Turkiye

Oh, there's nothing wrong with a little mindless entertainment. We don't have to watch Citizen Kane every time, you know. Besides, I think people who "entertain themselves" with intellectual films have very little intellect in their real lives.


31 posted on 06/23/2005 4:24:52 PM PDT by AmishDude (Once you go black hat, you never go back.)
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To: clearlight

What propaganda film?


32 posted on 06/23/2005 4:25:06 PM PDT by Borges
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To: Paul Atreides

Yes, I'm disillusioned...that you would use Google.


33 posted on 06/23/2005 4:25:26 PM PDT by My2Cents
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Comment #34 Removed by Moderator

To: null and void

Probably not that one, exactly. But I knew the reference when I wrote the post. :)


35 posted on 06/23/2005 4:27:05 PM PDT by AmishDude (Once you go black hat, you never go back.)
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To: null and void

The Brit version went straight-to-DVD. The bad reviews are fun to read:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425638/usercomments


36 posted on 06/23/2005 4:27:12 PM PDT by LibFreeOrDie (L'chaim!)
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To: null and void

I bookmarked it. I wasn't dismissing the thread, just commenting on the reviews that I read on the Internet Movie Database.


37 posted on 06/23/2005 4:27:36 PM PDT by Paul Atreides (FACT: You can get more reliable information in a beauty shop, than from the media)
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To: AmishDude

Touche. I do enjoy special effects in movies. I stand corrected.


38 posted on 06/23/2005 4:28:54 PM PDT by An American in Turkiye
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To: montag813
What's to spoil? Unless Spielberg rewrote the whole story, the plot line and ending are well-known.

Who would have a big enough ego to rewrite H. G. Wells?

Ooops (slaps self), neverrr mind...

39 posted on 06/23/2005 4:29:38 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: AmishDude

Citizen Kane is a highly entertaining film. It probably has more special effects per second then most 'special effects' films.


40 posted on 06/23/2005 4:30:03 PM PDT by Borges
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