Penelope wrote:Berger has not seen the movie. He said his opinions were formed by what he has read about it.
I haven't even seen Hounddog and neither have any of these so-called enraged people. All they've heard about it is that it includes a depiction of rape involving a minor, yet it is supposed to be tastefully and non-graphically shown. Why don't they pour all this energy into helping actual young rape victims? These roving mobs of Republican Christian-right family-values robots are like the Carry Nations of American filmmaking today and, unfortunately, their hatchet is just as powerful.
Edited By flipp525 on 1169848055
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
Republican: Scripts need reviewing
Movie prompts lawmaker's film incentive idea
Raleigh | Citing the controversy surrounding the Dakota Fanning film Hounddog, the leader of the state Senate Republicans says he wants the government to review scripts before cameras start rolling in North Carolina.
That system, said state Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, would apply only to films seeking the state's lucrative filmmaker incentive, which refunds as much as 15 percent of what productions spend in North Carolina from the state treasury.
"Why should North Carolina taxpayers pay for something they find objectionable?" said Berger, who is having proposed legislation drafted.
It is not known whether Hounddog's producers have or will apply for the incentive. A call Thursday to the N.C. Department of Revenue, which oversees incentive payments, was not returned.
Sen. Julia Boseman, D-New Hanover, one of the backers of the new law that created the current incentive system, said she couldn't say much until she saw Berger's proposal in writing.
"There's no bill yet to take a look at," she said. "But I am always willing to consider reasonable ways to improve the program."
She did say she thought looking at scripts before shooting starts might be meaningless because a script could be changed during production.
"We should consider the end product," she said, "which is what our current system is designed to do."
State law denies the incentive to films that are obscene. In state law, obscenity is defined as depicting sexual conduct presented in an offensive way that appeals to prurient interest, lacks any "serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value" and is not free speech protected by the state or federal constitutions.
Berger said the film-incentive ban should be broadened to include material considered objectionable. He said there should be no First Amendment concerns because the producer would be seeking money from the state government. But he did say that if constitutional questions confused the matter, it would be better not to have a film incentive at all.
Berger has not seen the movie. He said his opinions were formed by what he has read about it.
The Fanning film, which is playing this week at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, has been a flashpoint of controversy since it was filmed on locations in New Hanover and Brunswick counties last summer.
The movie tells the story of Lewellen, a girl played by 12-year-old Fanning, who is growing up in the 1960s South.
In one scene, the character is raped. The scene lasts a few minutes and is not graphic, according to The Associated Press. There is no nudity, the scene is darkly lit, and only Fanning's face and hand are shown.
Criticism and questions began even before the first screening of the film. A group called the Christian Film and Television Commission claims Hounddog breaks the federal child-pornography law, according to the AP.
Last year, a complaint reached the New Hanover County district attorney, who issued a letter saying he saw uncut portions of the film and found that no crime had been committed in his jurisdiction.
The film's publicist took a request for comment Thursday afternoon but did not return it before press time.
Under the current system, the process begins when producers make inquiries of local film commissions or the state film office to gauge whether their project might be eligible.
But to claim the credit, the producers must file a state tax return. The N.C. Department of Revenue examines the return and judges whether all the criteria in the law have been met. The refund can be as much as $7.5 million per film.
Berger pointed to South Carolina, which requires up-front applications from producers, who must attach a copy of their script.
Even so, said Jeff Monks, South Carolina's film commissioner, the state does not assess the content of a proposed movie.
"Censorship is not part of our activity," he said. The purpose of asking for the script is to see whether it conforms to the budget and schedule information producers are required to provide.
"We want to see if this film is doable and a good investment for the people of the state," he said.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
I know there was something about this a few months ago on the board but I can't find the original posting.
Anyway this is in relation to it's screen at Sundance.
If anyone comes across any reviews could they post them.
Outcry over Fanning child rape scene
Sydney Morning Herald 24 January 2007
A controversial new movie starring child actress Dakota Fanning as a rape victim, has made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in the US.
Hounddog, written by director Deborah Kampmeier received a storm of complaints before the festival, from groups concerned about a scene in which a girl named Lewellen is raped by a teenage boy. The groups had not yet seen the film.
The New York-based Catholic League earlier this month called for a federal probe to determine whether child pornography laws were violated because Fanning, like the character she plays, is 12 years old.
In the rape scene, only Fanning's face, neck, shoulders, hand and foot appear onscreen. Much of the rape is depicted in darkness, with flashes of lightning and the sound of Lewellen screaming "stop it, stop it".
Kampmeier told Reuters that the scene onscreen is exactly how the film was shot on a closed set with a limited crew.
"It's important for people to remember that when you are crafting a film, you are putting images next to each other. It's not like we had Dakota acting out the rape, we didn't," she said.
"Dakota and I were there together."
Fanning, who has played children in numerous Hollywood films like Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds and most recently Charlotte's Web, said conjuring up the emotion for the scene was like any other. She said the controversy over the scene was "blown out of proportion".
"I'm not going through anything like that, it's just my character. It's just another scene and wasn't any different from anything else I've done," Fanning said.
"Dakota was screaming 'Stop it'. She could be screaming 'stop it' about anything," Kampmeier added.
Sundance is the top US film festival for movies made outside Hollywood's mainstream studios. Movies screening at the festival often tackle dark subjects - like child rape - that Hollywood will not.
The 10-day festival ends on the weekend, following the awards ceremony.
Reuters
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
