One of the single, most common things in sports is having the general manager come out publicly and start insisting that whatever rumor about this player or that manager is dominating the press is 100% not happening or untrue. And then a week or two later, whatever was reported usually happens.
At a wrap-party for Ides Of March, one of the writers from Hollywood Elsewhere caught up with Philip Seymour Hoffman (allegedly known as "Philly" in that group) and he asked him directly about some of the endless Master/Scientology reports. Their conversation:
PSH: "It's not a scientology film."
HE: "But I've read an early draft and it seems to be about a Scientology-like cult...and I've read about the parallels."
PSH: "I don't know what you've heard and what script you've read...Trust me, it's not about Scientology."So there you have it officially from The Master's mouth. It is, or is not, about Scientology. Sleep well until around December when we'll actually have the answer and perhaps the first teaser trailer.
You think we're gonna have a teaser trailer by December? That'd be awesome, but isn't it coming out like November of 2012?
ReplyDeleteAnyone else find this annoying?
ReplyDeleteI understand why PTA/PSH feel they need to say this (we all understand why). I understand that there have been significant revisions to the script and that many of the specific allusions to Scientology are probably now missing. I also understand that the movie could rightfully be described as being a film about family, beliefs, religion/cults in general and group cohesion rather than a film about Scientology.
But at the core, this movie is fucking about Scientology. Come on! If it involves a sophisticated cult leader from the middle of this century that likes boats, then the movie is about Scientology in a significant way.
I'm totally down for artists blatantly lying about their work, but not if it's for non-artistic, practical purposes. Be a fucking rebel PTA!!!! Orson was when he did Citizen Kane and pissed off Hearst. Yeah, the movie got buried for a long time, but in the end the movie was better for its badassery fuck-you to the Man.
I know, I know...there might be consequences for being honest - such as, the film not getting funding, or distribution, or perhaps PTA feels it would piss off too many allies that he feels he needs....
But fuuuuuuck. I hate obfuscation about art for these kinds of reasons. WHY ARE MOVIES SO EXPENSIVE TO MAKE!?!? I guess it makes film a very unique artform, and sometimes a very sad one. :(
Imagine what an unchained PTA could create? He needs to start a winery like Coppola and make his movies on his own dime.
or maybe it really isn't about Scientology anymore
ReplyDeleteytrdytf, you can't possibly be that stupid.
ReplyDeleteBut, still, the media needs to let the movie speak for itself and stop trying to create false, predigested "controversy" instead of letting people parse it for themselves.
Badassery F. Yu could be a really good name for a character, Austin.
ReplyDeletehonestly i think we need to stop speculating so much about it and just wait to see it already, whether or not it is about scientology, it definitely will be a pretty powerful, and most likely controversial film. now i have heard from someone who has an ear in this business that it is obviously still somewhat analogous to scientology, and it's possible it won't even be distributed in the states. but who knows
ReplyDeleteyeah man, you'd have to make a new script, from scratch, to cut out the connections to scientology.
ReplyDeletemaybe scientology is more powerful than we can imagine? i mean, maybe it really, like truly, controls all of hollywood and everyone's frightened of even touching them? im very skeptical of that, but maybe...?
and fuck not speculating. stop being such a pussy. we are having fun here.
it probably is and PSH is just teasing us (and I'm still waiting on the rumors of the Elisabeth Moss and Giovanni Ribisi cameos...)
ReplyDeleteArticles in the media making mention of Scientology in any light that isn't overwhelmingly positive immediately get calls from the church and their lawyers threatening to take action and then voila! No more article.
ReplyDeleteThat said, don't you understand the shit storm that would come ANYONES way who says it IS about Scientology? I've read reports about how members of the church going to the set making threats and harassing people. They've heard enough to know what's going on with this movie.
I suggest you all go on YouTube and watch a BBC documentary called "Scientology and Me" and the follow up "Secrets of Scientology". Genuinely creepy. It's too bad that PTA and the people involved in the movie may very well be experiencing shit seen in that documentary. He's gonna be watching his back for the next few months.
"maybe scientology is more powerful than we can imagine? i mean, maybe it really, like truly, controls all of hollywood and everyone's frightened of even touching them? im very skeptical of that, but maybe...?"
ReplyDeleteOr maybe, just maybe, they simply don't want their film to be chalked up as just 'the story of Scientology' and to have people see it like that and expect something like that. Is that really so hard to comprehend, Austin, you dumb bastard? I mean, it doesn't take an overgrown brain to realise that the desire to not be 'the story of scientology' likely has nothing to do with being a 'rebel' or not, you stupid twat.
Saying The Master is about Scientology is like saying Boogie Nights is a John Holmes biopic. Of course this film is not about Scientology, it's just partly based on it.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt about parallels to scientology. I think what they are fighting against though, is the whole 'rotten tomatoes' hive. You know what I mean, when every single review is going to mention it.
ReplyDeleteLike Tree of Life, every single review mentions 2001: A Space Odyssey. in the Tree of Life imdb boards, all people talk about is 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is Malick's fault, for putting in a long 10 minute space scene. and that will follow that film for its whole life.
PTA/PSH I think just want The Master to stand on its own.