United 93...

...is getting an insane amount of publicity and controversy.

http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/United-93-1535.html
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/united_93/

I know that Cheyenne Jackson has a lot of fans on this board, and it will be very interesting to see him doing something so drastically different from his last project.

There was another interview with him on Entertainment Tonight a few days ago, which was substantially longer then the earlier one. I thought he came across wonderfully - very poised and he looked fantastic.

This movie is going to be so tough to watch - but I'm still going to see it.

Also, United 93 is getting a lot of attnetion from BWWers

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=892459&boardname=off&dt=66

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Well then, how fabulously altruistic.

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my post from the other thread:

While it's easy to stereotype Hollywood as only trying to make a buck off of the latest movie of the week, I look at this as artists doing what artists do best. Just look at the discussions being had in this thread just in response to the trailer or the idea of the film!

I think it's important for the people who are ready to engage in this film and discuss it. I think it's important for our youth and the future generations to see these kinds of films to be able to understand that day---just as we were shown films like The Diary of Anne Frank in school so that we could begin to comprehend the Holocaust.

The roots of Drama began as Greek Tragedy--giving the audience great catharsis so that they could purge great emotions. We've become a society that for the most part only wants to be entertained by art. We don't want to face great tragedy and attempt to purge it. We'd rather make it go away as easily as possible. And that's each person's choice. But, I am ready to go to this film and face the emotions that may come. And, I celebrate art that attempts to actually say something or deal with contemporary issues.

And, I'll add the sentiment that has been expressed to me: "The greatest art comes out of conservative times". There is so much passion in our lives right now, and I am glad to see artists confronting that.

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And that is absolutely fair--deciding whether or not one wants to see it now or ever. But, to denounce the film without having seen it or to pretend to know the artists' motivations is unfair and just as foolish as when conservatives do the same thing to films about Jesus or gays or any other sensitive issue.

I think it IS noteworthy that the families of those in this story have given their blessing and that the families of those depicted in Oliver Stone's film are rather upset as they haven't been given any say in the matter. Granted, if Oliver Stone had chosen to cover fictional representations (ala Titanic), he wouldn't need to get anyone's blessing. But he is apparently using real people's stories without any consent. However, faux pas aside, his intentions may also be genuine and political dramas/historical events, etc. have been a common theme in his work--it makes sense that he would make a film about this. I hope it is a good film as I understand Flight 93 is.

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That can be arranged!

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"Well then, how fabulously altruistic. "

I thought the same thing, especially after a tv movie JUST was on.

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I did a few days of post-production work on this film, and for what it's worth and what I could tell from my limited point of view, every effort was being made to get as close to reality as possible. Many of the air traffic controllers involved played themselves, the pilots were played by pilots, and relatives of the passengers were asked what kinds of things the passengers might have talked about. Much of the dialog was ad libbed based on this information, or taken from air traffic transcripts. There didn't seem to be any "main" characters either.

Interestingly, the "real" people seemed to have gotten past the event, or cordoned it off emotionally, while the actors playing the passengers often got extremely upset while recreating the awful moments of panic and chaos.

This is exactly like Passion of the Christ for me. I dont get the point of paying 10 bucks and going to sit in a theater full of people with a big bucket of popcorn and soda to see people's ture life suffering. I just feel it is wait too soon, and to be frank, pointless.

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10 percent of the opening weekend? If this movie does well, that will be a sad sum of money compared to what they stand to profit from this tragedy.

Just saw "Ebert and Roper" review it. Two Thumbs Up. "Tough to watch but inspirational."

I still think it looks tough to sit through.

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Updated On: 4/22/06 at 09:39 PM

Still, it is about a movie, not Broadway related at all...

Oh well.

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