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October 07, 2005
Conservative Bastion Warner Indie Dumps Strangers With Candy
Rush & Molloy today reported the issue of WIP's pick-up of Strangers With Candy at Sundance and their subsequent decision not to release the movie.
Just last January, WIP’s Mark “The Flightless Bird” Gill told The Hollywood Reporter, " Strangers With Candy completely caught me off guard," WIP president Mark Gill said. "It is rude, hilarious and bizarre. We loved it," proving that he could never have mixed feelings about releasing the film on issues of quality or marketability. There must be a more nefarious reason.
Clearly, Warner Indie is bending to the conservative notions of the Bush Administration, staying far away from anything that might be misunderstood as leading young high school children astray. After their great success with right wing and Christian groups this summer with March of the Penguins (retitled for Germany, "March of the Short Winged Fuhrer"), one can hardly blame them.
What is Alan Horn hiding? Should we be looking more closely at his high school record?
Of course, Mark “Burgess Meredith” Gill would never be stupid enough to show public disrespect to those involved with this film. Silly political accusations could all go away if he just pointed out that Paramount passed on the movie even though it was born of Viacom business relationships with Worldwide Pants and Comedy Central… so how good can it really be?
Of course, it could not just be the kind of private decision that a film distributor makes about films as they go about business each year, finding their priorities changing and allowing certain filmmakers to take their projects to other distributors rather than having them gather dust on the shelf.
It’s very important that every one of those decisions be analyzed and spun into a publicity ploy for the film in the most unkind of industry games. Right?
(If anyone doesn’t have a sense of humor… while the film being dropped by WIP has been reported, the rest is dripping sarcasm meant as a counterbalance to the insane “Muslim World” coverage of late. A joke. Get it?
Posted by poland at October 7, 2005 08:56 PM
Comments
I think that it's disgusting that a conservative like Richard Parsons had the gall to step all over their film releasing units and censor this film. Doesn't he have other pressing matters to attend to, like supporting a baby killing Washington regime?
Mark Gill should sue Parsons and his bloodthirsty GOP corporate cronies. We need heroes like Gill to expose corporate AmeriKKKa for what it is: Satan in a business suit.
Posted by: Wrecktum ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 7, 2005 11:26 PM
It should be a 40 yr old Virgin--another R rated comedy hit.
They'd make a mountain of money. idiots.
Posted by: Lota at October 8, 2005 02:11 AM
So a movie like Strangers With Candy that a whole 7 people would see in cinemas won't be shown?
That's so... silly.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at October 8, 2005 02:35 PM
Time Warner properties tailor content to fit US government policy. CNN is the most prominent example. WIP is following in that practice.
Hollywood has long tailored its release schedule to fit the prevailing political agenda. Never has this been more true than since 9/11. Fox rush-released "Behind Enemy Lines" after the US invaded Afghanistan. Miramax spiked 3 pictures for political reasons and tried to spike a fourth. Universal is releasing "Jarhead" to prop up support (whatever there is left) for the US war in Iraq.
Also, the Bush government is not "conservative". It is a right-wing band of crooks, cronies and thugs whose policies reek of fascism. (Examples: Tom DeLay, Harriet Miers.)
Posted by: Chucky in Jersey at October 8, 2005 06:40 PM
So they are dumping Strangers with Candy because they fear conservatives might not like it? Dave I expect more from you than this kind of lazy and sheer dumb logic.
Posted by: Sanchez at October 9, 2005 05:42 AM
Sanchez: Re-read Dave's last paragraph up there.
Chucky: Do you know for a fact that Jarhead is pro-war? Isn't WIP releasing Good Night and Good Luck, which certainly doesn't seem right-wing.
Also, you're forgetting that Sony rushed Black Hawk Down to completion poat 9/11.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 05:50 AM
Jeff reread everything. You need to get some ideas, son.
Posted by: Sanchez at October 9, 2005 05:55 AM
A right wing band of crooks? Chuck you forgot to post your website at leftykook.com. How can you forget that?
Posted by: Josh at October 9, 2005 05:58 AM
No, seriously. Dave says that this story is a sarcastic joke. His exact words are "the rest is dripping sarcasm meant as a counterbalance to the insane “Muslim World” coverage of late. A joke. Get it?"
Better luck next time.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 05:58 AM
No, seriously, jeff, you should really expand your horizons and read more. You might learn something. I know, shocker right?
Posted by: Sanchez at October 9, 2005 05:59 AM
Yeah. Send me your reading list.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 05:59 AM
Wait a second. Jeff can't read. He gets Howard Deans rants sent to his audio files and then just memorizes them.
Posted by: Angelus21 at October 9, 2005 06:05 AM
Lets start small, jeff. Green Eggs and Ham to start it off. When you finish that we can move on from there, son.
Posted by: Sanchez at October 9, 2005 06:08 AM
I hope you guys have stock in toilet paper companies, because your disses were so harsh that I'm STILL sh#tting myself! Zing!
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 06:09 AM
By the way, I don't understand the hostility. I was telling Sanchez that he was, in fact, correct that anyone would be dumb to say the things Poland was saying sarcastically. And we've been agreeing on the McKittrick thing.
No pleasing some people.
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 06:13 AM
I don't think Jeffrey liked Green Eggs and Ham too much. He can't "get" Seuss.
Posted by: PandaBear at October 9, 2005 08:05 AM
When you have to explain your joke, jeffmcm, it means its not funny.
Posted by: Josh at October 9, 2005 08:11 AM
I'm not trying to diss you jeff. Just trying to guide you, son. But there you go being headstrong and unresponsive.
Posted by: Sanchez at October 9, 2005 08:17 AM
What joke did I have to explain?
Sanchez, you're the one with the reading comprehension problem.
Anyway, why are people so pissy on this blog?
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 08:54 AM
Sanchez, 'Pop', how old are you?
Posted by: jeffmcm at October 9, 2005 08:55 AM
How couldn't Jeff finish a Dr Seuss book??? What is with some people?
Posted by: BluStealer at October 9, 2005 05:26 PM
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