My Friend's Film Destroyed by Bush - How Often Do Films Get Stuck on the Shelf?

[JohnCrichton]

I wonder how often it happens that films get made that can suddenly go utterly nowhere because of world events? It happened to a friend's small indy film, but how often does it happen to Hollywood flicks?

Several years ago I got to be a part of an awesome film project called Making Revolution (http://www.makingrevolution.com/making.html).

It was about a slacker Woodstock that gathered for a purpose that nobody was quite sure of and the underlying theme was that the young people of my generation had pretty much all and nothing to fight for. Nothing was really going on to rally around except for legalization of pot or.... just hangin' out.

The director and several good friends of mine spent what is to us a ton of money and time on this project to get... a very modest result, but one we all loved nonetheless.

Then Bush was elected and all revolutionary hell broke out. Suddenly people that have been pretty calm and mild politically around me are having debates and world discussions on a daily basis and here in my liberal town of Madison I have never seen so many young people rallying up and around to get everyone in our city to vote and take down Bush.

Hell, one friend who I never seen really take up any serious political discussion actually quit his motherlovin' job to roll out into the country to do some volunteer work for the Kerry Campaign!

So it's kinda funny, cool, and unfortunate all at the same time. I'm proud that my generation has rallied to action and I'm nothing short of amazed at my buddy who dropped everything to fight for an America that he believes in...... but damned if it doesn't suck that all that time and money was wasted in making Making Revolution!

I mean, this was my friends' first big project. All their lives had been pretty much spent litterally leading up to a point where they were all able and skilled enough to pull together resources and people to construct something they've always wanted in their hearts.... only to have the whole friggin' thing rendered irrelevant in a single election.

Makes me wonder why big Hollywood projects have been completely and utterly punked into never being able to be released as a result of events beyond their control.

Mentioning this because next to where I work, the college kids have set up a "Take Down Bush!" headquarters that was full of volunteers working together and buzzing about and everytime I see something like that lately I think about that lil' indy film my friends made that can now pretty much never leave the shelf because pretty much none of it applies to the world today.

[Don_East]

You know when the results said that Bush is reelected. You friend will be in deep ****. The whole teenagers rebeling Bush is useless due to this important fact:

Most college students are slackers that don't register to vote. They're too busy getting stoned to vote.


[Don_East]

[Fone Bone]

Actually Bush might've given the film more relevance. If your friend puts a date on it like August 21, 2001 (an example) it could acheive a poignancy that it couldn't have if 9/11 didn't happen. Basically, all these kids are looking for a revolution. Honestly, the one we're stuck with is one I don't want. I don't want to be scared about whoever is elected president for my safety. It always seemed kind of naive for young people before 9/11 to want to fight something. For me, I'd give anything to go back to the way things used to be.

[Deadly Messiah]

Bush is just a scum sucking loser to begin with. I feel sorry for anyone that is stupid enough to vote for the tyrant. He is getting our troops killed left and right, and it is too late to take them out of there because he was so stupid.

[SirLemming]

I wouldn't think that too many movies have been affected by this kind of stuff... just the documentary types. Hollywood doesn't have much of a problem with stereotypes, and I think it kind of takes a while for big social changes to register with them.
Of course, maybe your friends could make a movie about how a large portion of the kids on the Bush-bashing bandwagon don't really know what they're talking about and are simply desperate for something to fight against. But I guess even if they wanted to do that it'd be too late to start now.
Bush is just a scum sucking loser to begin with. I feel sorry for anyone that is stupid enough to vote for the tyrant. He is getting our troops killed left and right, and it is too late to take them out of there because he was so stupid.Oh wow, really? Thanks for posting that even though it doesn't really address the topic and is politically charged, because I needed to hear it. Seems nobody is willing to speak out against Bush these days. :rolleyes:

[halinar]

True, the world was a perfect place until Bush was elected, then everything turned around completely the minute he walked into office.


Bwa ha ha

[JohnCrichton]

The point isn't that the world was a perfect place, the point of the movie was that for young people it was a place without really any direction or something to fight for. Just a kind of wandering about aimlessly, looking for something to fight for.

Then the whole world erupted with 9/11 and Bush and suddenly all the people and themes in the movie he spent so much time and money making were rendered completely and utterly irrelevant.

I like the one idea tho... put a date lable on it, then maybe shoot a different half of the movie, rewritten to show people who were once aimless now having aim and knowing what they want in life... socially and politically at least.

In any case it still sucks. You should've seen the time, fun, and positivity that was put into it. The director really felt he had made something that would've had a relevant message.

I just wonder if Hollywood ever had something like this where they finished a multi-million dollar movie and because of something, can pretty much never put it out.

If it happens to the little guy, it has to have happened to the big guy once or twice.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

It is a fairly frequent occurence for movies to get stuck on the shelf for a variety of reasons. However, the more money is involved in the movie, the less likely a studio will shelve the thing entirely. To Hollywood, a movie isn't a work of art as much as its an investment. Thus, a finished movie on the shelf is REALLY viewed as a large pile of wasted money and nobody likes to waste money. Hollywood will make every effort to get its money back, even if it's just to release the movie in the January - May dead zone so they can get the tax writeoff.

That Schwarzenegger vehicle Collateral Damage was delayed for nearly a year after 9/11, since it dealt with a firefighter whose family is killed in a terrorist bombing. Hollywood still released the thing FIVE MONTHS (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0233469/releaseinfo) after 9/11. Take a look at the estimated $85 million price tag (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0233469/business) and you'll understand why sensitivity and concern gave way to the bottom line.

More recently, Hero was on a shelf for nearly two years for reasons that are still unclear.

I also don't see how current college-level activism to beat Bush makes the entire film irrelevant. If anything, I think current events may make the film MORE relevant instead of less, since it can be presented as a warning that apathy in the political process is not something to be encouraged, and that it's really not that hard for grassroots-level movements to change the world (or that apathy can lead to results you don't necessarily like). At least for now. Even if you don't want to go that route, Fone Bone's suggestion to explicitly date the film August 2001 is a pretty good one, IMO. It may allow the viewer to insert their own irony.

-- Ed/Ace

[JohnCrichton]

Nice insights, Ace! Thanks!

All damn good points. I guess there's some hope for Making Revolution seeing the light of day... someday.

[James]

Bush is just a scum sucking loser to begin with. I feel sorry for anyone that is stupid enough to vote for the tyrant. He is getting our troops killed left and right, and it is too late to take them out of there because he was so stupid.
Bit late, but any more stupid irrelevant comments like this and we'll be dishing out very official warnings attached to very official bricks.

Thanks. Keep it nice, and keep it on topic.

[Speedy Boris]

Oh yeah, Madison is quite the liberal city. I assume that one of the reasons Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty is simply because of liberal Madison. And adding to the fire, the UW Madison is one of the bigger party schools in the U.S. Booze+varying, unwavering opinions=Riots :D State Street on Halloween, say no more. ;)

Well this sucks that your friend's film basically ended up on the cutting room floor. But yeah, maybe he could timestamp it or something.

[mikestorm]

I like the one idea tho... put a date lable on it, then maybe shoot a different half of the movie, rewritten to show people who were once aimless now having aim and knowing what they want in life... socially and politically at least.
Based on what I've gathered, aside from dating the movie (a good idea) I like it as-is! Hard to believe that not so long ago it was commonplace for young people to be apathetic, unmotivated and univolved when it comes to politics and social issues. Not caring about who's next in line for the White House because they believe whoever it is will just screw things up more than they are already.

A time when the Urban Outfitters T-shirt, "Voting is for Old People" would have elicited chuckles, not a tirade of outrage. A time when "homeland security" was the last thing on anyone's mind. We were the untouchable country; strife happens on other continents. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, a simpler time.

Now I'm not saying the above is better, but your friend's movie may make people yearn for those times again.

Personally, the fact that nowadays everyone has a political opinion and is perfectly willing to shove it down your throat whether you want it or not makes ME yearn for those times again. :D

[FredNash]

Most college students are slackers that don't register to vote. They're too busy getting stoned to vote.Lol, nice. Because everyone knows that every eligible voter in the united states registers and votes, except for those crazy college students who are cannot be bothered since they are all too busy smoking their marijuana! :rolleyes:

[Deadly Messiah]

Sorry guys, I will still tired when I posted that. I think it is a bad thing that your friend stopped making his movie, but it is a good thing that he is helping to support Kerry so we can get that ruthless tyrant out of office.

[MahouShoujo13]

True, the world was a perfect place until Bush was elected, then everything turned around completely the minute he walked into office.


Bwa ha ha
Oh course. Sure, we do need a leader like Bush, but when we all elected him into office back at 2000, we never knew what would happen.

Sometimes I yearn for things to go back the way they were again. No terror on the news, no college kids being drafted, etc.

But hey, even if we voted for Al Gore back then, 9/11 would've happened still. And we don't even know what he would've done.

As for the War on Terror and the War in Iraq, back then we wanted Terrorism to be defeated, by the impact 9/11 had on all of us. We thought there were MWD in Iraq (everytime the Weapons Investigators go to Iraq's plants, they try to cover the camera they have; it was on the news once. That's how they got suspicious), so we went. So, we overthew a cruel tyrrant, killed Saddam's sons, captured Saddam, and also captured important people in Saddam's reign over Iraq and put them someplace were they had no rights whatsoever. We did all that, and no WMD. And how, we're in a place we can't get out of, and our bad rep with the Arabice Muslims has gotten worse. And it's a big "mistake".

And the War on Terror...we might never win...terror will still be there. And it was on impulse; Bush didn't really think the situation through.

As for your friend's film John, I'm hoping for the best.

[loyalheart]

Sorry guys, I will still tired when I posted that. I think it is a bad thing that your friend stopped making his movie, but it is a good thing that he is helping to support Kerry so we can get that ruthless tyrant out of office.then why are you voting for one? your all full of crap

kerry is no different and 9/11 would of happened to matter what

[JohnCrichton]

Pleeeeaaase keep it on topic!

If ya have something political to say, make sure it ties in to how it can affect the entertainment industry or something.

Anyway, while I like the time stamp idea... I saw the movie and it wouldn't really work, I don't think. Overall feel was that our generations aimlessness and apathy was a joke.

With how things actually are now, I could easily see how people would now take offense to the movie after all the hard work I'm seeing people put into making a difference in the world now.

It just takes place far too close to the 9/11 blast radius and Bush's reaction to it.

I do know what some of you mean tho. I definately long for that world again where you just didn't have to worry at all. But with the world we have now it does make me damn proud that there are heroes in our world that risk their lives during 9/11 or to have friends who care so much about fighting for a new world that they're willing to drop everything to help with a campaign to elect what he feels is a better president.

That when chips are down, the same generation that was made a joke out of in Making Revolution are now standing up and taking responsiblity for their world.

[James]

I would say listen to John peeps - but I think this has gone on long enough and it's got wayy to political. It's a shame. Sorry John, I've changed my mind and I'm closing this.

People - as John says, if politics comes into the Entertainment board it has to relate to the entertainment industry or no go. We've said this many times and once in this thread and people ignore it.

Why are we so harsh on this - well, the thread speaks for itself.

No politics - that's TZ rule. CTZ is the exclusion to this rule only cos you have staff there who out of their own choice have decided to bend that general rule. Good on them, but it's not the case here. If it doesn't relate to something Entertainment based, we don't want it. This isn't Soapbox land guys.

Not the proudest use of my 10,000 post.. depressing even. Thread closed.

[JohnCrichton]

Sorry guys, I will still tired when I posted that. I think it is a bad thing that your friend stopped making his movie, but it is a good thing that he is helping to support Kerry so we can get that ruthless tyrant out of office.
Sorry, let me clarify... Making Revolution was already shot, editted, slapped with a soundtrack and made.

Fully done and in the can, ready for whomever they found to release it.

It was done by Dan Kline and an old high school associate, Josh Roth.

So, they finished it, but world events made a world that really doesn't need the movie anymore and would more than likely be insulted by it.

Now another friend of mine quit his full time job to hit the road and help with the Kerry Campaign, because he was sick of sitting with friend complaining, but wanted, for once in his life, to stand up run out and do something to fight and make a difference. He's nicknamed, Radical B.

Two seperate people.

[James]

Sorry, let me clarify... Making Revolution was already shot, editted, slapped with a soundtrack and made.

Fully done and in the can, ready for whomever they found to release it.

It was done by Dan Kline and an old high school associate, Josh Roth.

So, they finished it, but world events made a world that really doesn't need the movie anymore and would more than likely be insulted by it.

Now another friend of mine quit his full time job to hit the road and help with the Kerry Campaign, because he was sick of sitting with friend complaining, but wanted, for once in his life, to stand up run out and do something to fight and make a difference. He's nicknamed, Radical B.

Two seperate people.
Sorry John, you posted as I reedited - just so there is no confusion, the thread is closed for political comments gone haywire...