----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 9:49 AM
Subject: The New Blacklist
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES: Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, the principals of DreamWorks, have privately expressed anger over the film, said an executive close to the two men. The chairmen of two other major studios said they would avoid working with Mr. Gibson because of "The Passion of the Christ" and the star's remarks surrounding its release. Neither of the chairmen would speak for attribution, but as one explained: "It doesn't matter what I say. It'll matter what I do. I will do something. I won't hire him. I won't support anything he's part of. Personally that's all I can do."
In other words, Mel Gibson will be blacklisted by the very same people who are still crying and wailing about the so-called "blacklisting" of fifty years ago. In that case, however, the people who were prevented from working (the sainted "Hollywood 10") were card-carrying communists who called for the overthrow of America.
I can't remember studio heads complaining about Oliver Stone's worship of Castro; Steven Spielberg's pilgrimage to Cuba for an audience with the supremo leader (which he called "the most important eight hours of my life.") But heaven forbid, no pun intended, that someone make an overtly religious film.
While not personally a member of the flock, I hope this movie takes in 150 million dollars .... if only because Hollywood, the major media, and academia look upon religious Americans with such disgust and disdain.