1 February, 2001

Undercover Brother

TNMC favorite Denise Richards (Wild Things) is close to signing a deal to star with Eddie Griffin (Double Take) in the comedy Undercover Brother. The movie is about secret organization that plots to end oppression from the establishment. Griffin's character poses as a "mayonnaise-loving, Gap-wearing, 'Friends'-watching black man," as he infiltrate's the upper crust of society. The movie is based on an animated series that originated on the internet. I have no doubt that this is an Oscar contender in the making.

Journalistic Integrity? What's That?

The NY Post continued to prove that it is a bastion of respectability and journalistic integrity by publishing pretty much any nonsense that some celebrity spouts. This week they reported that shock rocker Marilyn Manson had stated that he had been cast in the role of Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. remake of the Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now anyone with more than two or three active brain cells roaming about in their skull could see that this was obviously nonsense. Undeterred by such negative thinking however, the Post printed a long story with quotes from Manson like "I really see the movie as a metaphor. I see Willy Wonka as Satan because he presents people with the temptation of picking good and evil, and they all pick evil." Not satisfied with that little bit of fiction, the Post goes on to say that Tim Burton would direct the movie.

So what does Warner Bros. have to say on the matter? In a press release the studio states:

Contrary to a false and misleading report published in the Jan. 31 edition of the New York Post, singer Marilyn Manson has not been cast in a role in the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'

Additionally, the director of the project is not Tim Burton, as falsely stated in the Post. Gary Ross ("Pleasantville," "Dave," "Big") is directing the film, currently in development at the Studio, from a screenplay by Scott Frank ("Out of Sight"), which he is adapting from the beloved Roald Dahl novel.

Neither Gary Ross nor Warner Bros. Pictures have any intention whatsoever of casting Marilyn Manson in the revered role of 'Willy Wonka' or any other role in the film.

Warner Bros. Pictures has requested that the New York Post issue a retraction of this erroneous story immediately.

Quills Website Plucked

In a move of astounding irony, Fox has censored part of the website for its movie Quills, which incidently is about censorship and freedom of speech. The studio was asked to close the Vices section of the site by the MPAA which had been receiving numerous complaints from parents. The section apparently contained some of the Marquis de Sade's writing as well as links to related material.

"The irony is that the movie is about how the Marquis de Sade was willing to die for his right to speak his mind without censorship," said Andrew Chapman, creative director at Arrowire.com, whose company created the Quills site. "But the Web site for the movie was taken down without a fight."

On one hand you have to give Fox Searchlight a lot of credit for making this movie. The Marquis de Sade is a tough subject to approach but it was handled well and makes it's anti-censorship points extremely well. On the other hand though, caving into demands for censorship on the very same material is the height of hypocrisy and cowardice. I think the focus needs to be on parents who were sufficiently aware of their children's actions to know what sites they visit but at the same time allow them to go to the website for an R rated movie they shouldn't be seeing. I sense a real discrepancy in logic there. I wonder if they do?