July 25, 2008 10:19 AM
Hollywood's deep end hits rock bottom
You've never quite experienced Hollywood insanity until you've been in the seats at a post-screening Q&A. I remember being at the post-screening panel at Paramount studios for "A Mighty Heart," listening to the interreligious panel assembled (that the studio thought would promote healing after Jewish Daniel Pearl was killed by al-Qaida operatives in Islamic Pakistan) -- and the moderator stressing to the audience that Pearl wasn't a practicing Jew, thus it was senseless and tragic that he was killed by Islamic extremists. (????) The tone of the discussion was that it was too bad that Pearl was beheaded, but the U.S. is so evil that it was understandable why Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would want to saw off a reporter's head.
Well, my friend Dirty Harry attended a Wednesday night sneak preview in L.A. of the movie "Towelhead," adapted from a novel about an Arab-American girl living in Texas during the first Gulf War. The movie is apparently light on political context and heavy on the sexual exploitation of the 13-year-old girl. DH captured the most outrageous aspect, though, in a quote said by writer/director Alan Ball (writer of "American Beauty") during the Q&A after the screening. Of child rape, Ball said, "Society wants us to believe that's a soul destroying event, I don't believe that."
I have two words: Oy vey.
Well, my friend Dirty Harry attended a Wednesday night sneak preview in L.A. of the movie "Towelhead," adapted from a novel about an Arab-American girl living in Texas during the first Gulf War. The movie is apparently light on political context and heavy on the sexual exploitation of the 13-year-old girl. DH captured the most outrageous aspect, though, in a quote said by writer/director Alan Ball (writer of "American Beauty") during the Q&A after the screening. Of child rape, Ball said, "Society wants us to believe that's a soul destroying event, I don't believe that."
I have two words: Oy vey.
