Have you seen the stupid “Boycott Weinstein Co. YouTube Video” that’s out there? What, you haven’t? You mean the one where Harvey Weinstein is voiced by a Star Wars fan while dressed in Darth Vader garb and reining rule from his cush location aboard the Death Star. Man, it’s a “great” one alright. Not only is it poorly made, but it is also entirely insignificant (It’s at the bottom of this article for the uninitiated). The video comes as part of a movement made up of Star Wars fans out to boycott all of the Weinstein Co. films as a result of Weinstein head honcho Harvey Weinstein deciding to reshoot portions of Fanboys in an effort to change the plot.
You see, the film was originally supposed to come out on August 17, 2007 telling the story of a group of friends trying to sneak their cancerous friend onto the Skywalker Ranch so he could see Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace before he died. I know, Episode I sucked and may actually serve as more torture to the cancer riddled friend, but that’s the story.
Well, fast forward to today and the film hasn’t seen the light of day. It was moved from Aug. 2007, to Jan. 2008, to the back of the line with a release date officially TBA.
The release date debacle comes as Weinstein commissioned reshoots from director Steve Brill of Drillbit Taylor and Without a Paddle fame if you can actually believe that, and this is the one spot I entirely agree with the Star Wars blokes. Why the hell would you bring aboard an F-list director to “fix” your film? Oh, because he was the only one dumb enough to do it? Well, the 501st, that’s what the Star Wars online fan mob are calling themselves on their website, ain’t having it.
The reshoots were ordered to apparently axe the cancer story and turn this thing into some sort of a dramedy. Word is test screenings for both versions tested pretty much the same, which I can only assume to mean they both tested poorly considering Dan Fogler is in this and so far everything that tub has acted in almost tasted like the shit it was.
So, the fans, these Star Wars guys have put together a “Stop Darth Weinstein” boycott and plan on boycotting Superhero Movie this weekend and every other Weinstein Co. film. Do they not realize that the Weinstein Co. doesn’t care? And who else really cares?
Imagine this, you go to see Superhero Movie (it’s hypothetical, work with me) and off to the side are a group of ten people holding up picket signs with Star Wars logos and a guy dressed as Darth Vader is telling you not to go see this movie because it is evil. Sorry, but I would be buying my ticket and running in just to get away from such folks, especially if they tried talking to me. Outside of the 40 or so minutes of Fanboys that has been shown to people, including a group of Star Wars fans at last year’s Comic Con, none of these people have even seen the film. So what the hell are they up in arms about? They want to see a movie featuring a kid that gets to see The Phantom Menace before he dies? Why not strap him to a chair and force him to watch Holocaust footage too? Either way he is coming out of it disappointed, but still having seen The Phantom Menace.
Here’s a comparison of the two synopses from Stop Darth Weinstein:
I just don’t get the concern. If the original film was so great I can’t see the Weinstein’s not releasing it. My only assumption is that the Weinstein’s have had so many turds since departing from Disney that they didn’t want to lay another egg based on Internet chatter, just as they did with Grindhouse (a film I cringe at even comparing to Fanboys).
The Weinstein Co. released a statement saying they would make sure both versions make it to DVD and are “exploring” a theatrical release for both. I am now curious about seeing both cuts, only because it is now interesting to see a terrible movie twice, with not only its terrible first cut, but also the cut that apparently tested a whole two points better! Yay!
Now for the video. May the Force be with you.
