Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: PHONE BOOTH put on hold

This is topic PHONE BOOTH put on hold in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 10-15-2002, 06:01 PM:

We got a message today that PHONE BOOTH is being put on hold (pun intended) until spring.
They didnt say why, but its probably because of that sniper thing.
If thats true, people are just way too sensitive.

------------------
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AOL: Dexter Caldwell
yahoo!: dexter_caldwell

"It is the opinion of the entire staff the Dexter is criminally insane."

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 10-15-2002, 07:40 PM:

What is "Phone Booth" about?
I always wanted to ask, is James R. Hammonds, Jr your actual name? Do you stem from a dynasty of oil tycoons?
Michael

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 10-15-2002, 09:03 PM:

Based on the trailer, Phone Booth is about some guy who answers a phone ringing in a public phone booth and the caller informs him that he has a high-powered rifle aimed right at him, and if he hangs up, or calls out for help, or tries to run, the caller will shoot him. To prove he's serious, the caller shoots at least one nearby pedestrian.

If they go ahead and release it now, as a minimum, there would be an outcry about it being in poor taste. Which it would kind of be. I mean, 9 people are dead so far in circumstances that are similar to the film's concept of a sniper shooting people in public places. I admit it's silly to delay it, yet I think that's the only choice they have.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-15-2002, 11:21 PM:

People are too sensitive. I think they should release it here in Utah. Most people here believe that if someone is bieng shot and ISN'T mormon, they probably deserved it and are going to hell.

Dave

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 10-15-2002, 11:25 PM:

This is from the IMDb:

Upcoming Hollywood thriller Phone Booth is set to be delayed because of the plot's similarity with the current sniper attacks in and around Washington D.C. Eight people have been killed by a sniper this month, leading local citizens of the nation's capital and the neighboring Maryland and Virginia states living in fear while police try to track down the assailant. And now executives at 20Th Century Fox are deciding the fate of Phone Booth, which stars Minority Report star Colin Farrell as a man stuck in a phone booth at the mercy of crazed sniper, 24 actor Kiefer Sutherland. Director Joel Schumacher is keen to avoid a delay and he says comparisons between the flick and the real-life events are "different cases" and he hadn't even thought about negative parallels. Joel says, "I mean, there are many serial killers that haven't been caught. Should they not release Red Dragon?" Phone Booth has already taken a long time to finally be made. The movie has been in development for some time and at various points Jim Carrey and Will Smith were set to star, but dropped out.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 10-16-2002, 12:47 AM:

Maybe this is a bit too far-fetched, but I think the movie should be delayed until the sniper is caught because there might be a possibility that he sees the movie as celebrating him. This is an extremely sick person who craves power and attention and kills people in a spectacular and well-planned manner with a theatralic element (the tarot card). He might even go as far as targeting people who wait outside a theater to see the film as this will be particularly dramatic.
Michael

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 10-16-2002, 04:01 AM:

<<I always wanted to ask, is James R. Hammonds, Jr your actual name? Do you stem from a dynasty of oil tycoons?>>

The name is real to follow the rules here.
I use aliases on other message boards and messenger.
On line I usually go by Dexter Caldwell, but a few of my friends refer to and introduce me as Jimmy Cinnamonroll.

I dont come from a dynasty of oil tycoons, but I once extrad in a movie in which one of the characters was an oil tycoon.
Care to guess which one?

Your siper theory about targeting moviegoers may sound farfetched, but you have a good point because after all, who knows what people are capable of these days.

------------------
Find me online
AOL: Dexter Caldwell
yahoo!: dexter_caldwell

"It is the opinion of the entire staff the Dexter is criminally insane."

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 10-16-2002, 02:59 PM:

quote:
The movie has been in development for some time and at various points Jim Carrey and Will Smith were set to star, but dropped out.

I wonder which one would play the person in the phone booth, and which one would play the killer? I wonder if people would be offended either way...

=TMP=

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 10-16-2002, 03:56 PM:

Confirmed per Upcoming Movies and Daily Variety.

Not that Phone Booth would have been a hit next month -- it would have been killed at the box office opposite 8 Mile.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-16-2002, 04:24 PM:

Not to disagree that 8 Mile will be a hit, but it would not have trounced any other movie.

Reason? Simple, MOST people hate rap music, hate movies about rappers, and hate rappers in movies, (unless of course they cannot actually identify the rapper as a rapper).

As is the case with 8 Mile. The majority of people watching will be rap fans, and those sympathetic to the cause, and a few others. It will be a hit, but it will not trounce most movies, phone booth included.

But I am looking forward to both films, and hope both do well.

Dave

Posted by Wes Hughes (Member # 981) on 10-16-2002, 10:11 PM:

I think it a bit loud to declare that MOST people hate rap music.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 10-17-2002, 03:14 AM:

While thinking that most rap music sucks, I find Eminem to be very clever, both in his lyrics & his rise to star.
I will see this movie to see him act and sing.

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 10-17-2002, 07:49 AM:

Famous Quote

"Rap Music.....isn't music....it's trash"

--Who said it?

I did.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 10-17-2002, 08:30 AM:

Phone Booth was to have opened on 11/15 -- opposite the second Harry Potter movie.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-17-2002, 01:03 PM:

While rap music is very popular, it is only such in a very small market arena. If one act sells ten million copies, that doesn't mean that 100 million like it. When it comes to rap music, most of thier fans end up with a copy one way or another, so you can just about count the majority of fans on how many copies are sold.

Rap style music does not appeal to the majority of people. That doesn't mean that if you like it that you are some sort of freak. It only means that you like it, and that's cool. Hey I like some of it, but only some. Eminem seems to have a corner on the commercial end of rap music at this time in history. However, once again, it is rap, and there is a great majority that do not cater to that style of music.

It is not a strech in any way to state that most people hate rap music. You get on any singles web site and 90 percent of people state that they like all music, except country and rap.

Country and Rap appeal to very small market niches, but those niches actually BUY the stuff instead of just listening to the radio all day. That is why you have a hoard of radio stations that are rock or top 40, and most are NOT country or rap, with the exceptions in some areas of the country that have super high populations with that particular niche in majority.

This is why 8 Mile is going to be a hit, because Eminem has control of the commercial end of rap music. His fans will see the movie, and will probably drag along a loved one in tow.

However, it will be a limited hit. But still a hit. Those that might have even been remotely interested in the film but believe that it is filled with rap music, will avoid it like the plague. I have many freinds that will not bother with it, becuase they do not want to hear it.

Dave

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 10-17-2002, 01:30 PM:

As much as I would love for the Eminem movie to be the next "Cool as Ice," I suspect that it might a) actually be watchable and b) be a hit. Boxoffice magazine gives it 3.5 stars.

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 10-17-2002, 09:33 PM:

Just found out today that THE CORE has been pushed back to spring.
Maybe they found out that the Earths core really is about to stop spinning and they didnt want to scare anyone.

------------------
Find me online
AOL: Dexter Caldwell
yahoo!: dexter_caldwell

"It is the opinion of the entire staff the Dexter is criminally insane."

Posted by Steve Anderson (Member # 364) on 10-18-2002, 08:29 AM:

I just want to know......When was the last time you saw a phone booth like the one in the movie??? Maybe in small towns , but look around in your city and see if you can find a booth like that.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-18-2002, 12:45 PM:

I think this is what they call a stretch of the imagination here. Come on, you are already knocking the film because of the type of phone booth? So Dr. Who is uncool because his phone booth is so old? How do we know this isn't a period piece, a dated film, or just a film with a slight stretch?

really though, it's just a movie, let's not take it so seriously!

dAVE

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 12-27-2002, 05:16 PM:

We got a new release list today that has PHONE BOOTH set for March 14.