Phone Booth postponed?

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

LOS ANGELES (AP) Real-life sniper attacks have prompted 20th Century Fox to consider postponing release of the thriller "Phone Booth," about a man who answers a public telephone and finds himself pinned down by a faraway shooter.

 

The film, starring Colin Farrell as the trapped victim and Kiefer Sutherland as the shooter, is set to debut nationwide Nov. 15.

 

The plot of the film bears some similarities to the sniper attacks on the East Coast that have killed seven people and wounded two in the Washington area.

 

 

In the real cases, no one is known to have seen the triggerman carry out any of the attacks, although some witnesses reported seeing a white van flee some of the shooting scenes. In the film, the shooter singles out individuals he believes deserve punishment.

 

Fox spokeswoman Flo Grace said studio executives are examining "Phone Booth" to determine if it would be appropriate to release it. She could not say when the decision would be made.

 

"Everyone wants to know: Are we moving the film? Are we changing the marketing plan? ... All I can say is we're evaluating the situation," she said.

 

Screenwriter Larry Cohen, who wrote "Phone Booth" three years ago, said he would not mind if the studio delayed release of the film.

 

"I'd hate to inflict pain on any of the family and friends of the victims and bring the pain back to them," he said. "A movie is meaningless compared to the reality of what's going on."

 

When the shootings began last week, Cohen best known for the writing and directing monster features like "The Stuff" and "Return to Salem's Lot" said he knew the release of "Phone Booth" would be in jeopardy.

 

"I'm very happy the picture didn't come out beforehand," he said. "It would have been horrible to think, 'Oh my God, did I put the idea in someone's head?'"

 

Cohen's 1976 film "God Told Me To" had a similar sniper theme it was about a series of random shooting murders by a madman who thinks God talks to him.

 

At the site of Monday's shooting that critically wounded a 13-year-old boy outside his school in Bowie, Md., police found a tarot death card with the taunting words, "Dear policeman, I am God" near a bullet shell.

 

"Maybe it's better to stick with monster babies and dragons flying down from the Chrysler Building, because you know that some diseased mind can't make those things really happen," Cohen said, referring to his films "It's Alive!" and "Q."

 

Sometimes movies that explore current events coincide with real-life headlines more closely than filmmakers expect.

 

Perhaps the most uncanny timing in film history came in 1979 when the nuclear-meltdown thriller "The China Syndrome" opened in theaters 12 days before the nation's worst commercial nuclear accident, at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pa.

 

 

This sucks. I was looking forward to it's release.

[Guest razazteca]

odds are this will never make it to the theaters, this movie could have a long cooling period, expect it to come out in the 1st quarter next year at the earliest.

 

Remember what happened to Colliteral Damage.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

If it does come out. It will probably bomb.

 

Colliteral Damage came out 6 Months after the Sept.11 Attacks and even though opening up at # 1 it bombed.

[Guest Smues]

I think it's stupid to delay the film, but seeing as I thought it looked terrible to begin with I don't really care how long it's delayed, I won't be watching.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

"I'd hate to inflict pain on any of the family and friends of the victims and bring the pain back to them," he said. "A movie is meaningless compared to the reality of what's going on."

 

...

 

"Maybe it's better to stick with monster babies and dragons flying down from the Chrysler Building, because you know that some diseased mind can't make those things really happen," Cohen said, referring to his films "It's Alive!" and "Q."

Larry Cohen's got the right idea. Twice.

 

And by the way, Collateral Damage bombed because it sucked. I haven't seen any previews/etc for Phone Booth so I can't prejudge that one yet.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

Pussies for not showing it, they could use the news as hype if they were that dememnted.

 

But seriously, just like CD, just relse the fucking movie, its a movie, its not real. People know the difference. The reason CD bombed is Aronald(sp), no one cares about him anymore, hes like 50 and im suppose to believe he can save the world? Its WCW syndrome in hollywood.

[Guest El Satanico]

Haysoos...When did Americans became such big pussies? These pussy ass Americans get emotional if a movie even remotely resembles a real life "tragedy"...give me a fucking break.

 

Holywood needs some balls.

 

The premise of Phone Booth sounds fairly interesting so i hope it doesn't get blackballed with next to no hype upon it's release.

[Guest What?]

So Colin Farrel answers a call in a phone booth from the sniper, and the entire movie is Colin trying to get out of said phone booth?

 

It actually sounds pretty intriguing (sp)

[Guest the 1inch punch]

So Colin Farrel answers a call in a phone booth from the sniper, and the entire movie is Colin trying to get out of said phone booth?

 

It actually sounds pretty intriguing (sp)

Yeah i was looking forward to it, it was written with Jim Carrey in mind though

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Really? Jim Carrey in mind? So now we won't be able to seed Ace Ventura trying to get out of a phone booth?

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Um..so Kiefer Sutherland was originally supposed to be shooting at Jim Carrey in a phone booth keeping him stuck in said phone booth for an entire movie?

 

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MOVIES!

 

Im still interested in it with Kiefer Sutherland as the shooter..

[Guest Eagan469]

I still thought Jim Carrey was starring in this when I heard about the setback. Color me dissapointed.

 

Who the fuck is Colin Farrel anyway?

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

Colin Farell was an relatively new Actor. He co-starred with Tom Cruise in Minority Report and he will play Bullseye in Daredevil.

 

Keifer Sutherland = Ratings And Big Box Office!

[Guest the 1inch punch]

Keifer Sutherland = Ratings And Big Box Office!

Kiefer= GOD

[Guest C.H.U.D.]

Yet another reason why political correctness sucks. People are scared of everything.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

Man dies of breating air, all movies with breating in them to be postponed.