False Controversy, Darwin

I’m a big fan of Pharyngula and PZ Meyers, and I think he’s seen right through some bullshit in this post, or at least, he’s mostly seen through the bullshit.

Basically, there’s a film about Darwin that has gotten foreign distribution but hasn’t gotten a distributor in the US.  And the producer is claiming that this is because it’s too controversial to pick up.  Really, Religulous got picked up, but you’re too controversial?  With your story of a man who never admitted to not believing in God because he didn’t want to offend his wife?  Huh.

I’m pretty sure that controversy has nothing to do with the film not getting picked up. Distributors are driven solely by their bottom line and American film audiences are very different from foreign ones. We don’t go to the theatres for small movies, that’s why we have TVs. The American market picks up less films because it’s much more competitive. Hundreds and hundreds of films get made thanks to Foreign Distribution money and we just never see them here because America has got ‘better’ films to spend their money on.

Don’t forget, most foreign countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK have tons of government money to support filmmaking that’s considered artistic or educational or otherwise important. The US does not.

I’m 100% sure that, if the film is any good, it will get distribution. Probably on television or DVD, maybe with a small theatrical run, but maybe not. There are hundreds of great, small movies that are distributed in foreign markets and not here. I think that the evolution content has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Yeah.  In other news, I’ve got to get on some writing this weekend.  It seems possible that this webseries thing is going to kick into high gear and I’m going to lose my free time.  I absolutely need to have a new draft by the end of October.  And I really want to have a first act for a second script and a treatment for a third.