Movies
UPDATED: ‘Thirst’ Poster Banned in Korea
Updated with image of banned posters! Well now, this is a shame. A poster is banned and we can’t see it, what a waste of good press! Today Variety broke the news that the one sheet for Park Chan-wook’s Thirst has been banned in Korea. You can read all about it inside and watch for the film to hit theaters here in the States thanks to Focus Features. Click here for the international trailer, or read on for the story.
Koreans treat their clergy with reverence — even if that means upsetting a favorite native helmer.
“Oldboy” director Park Chan-wook found out the hard way when a teaser poster for his vampire pic “Thirst” was banned because it depicts a priest in a sexual context.
Poster features the figure of a bat, which is the Korean title of the film, using the images of its leading character, a priest-turned-vampire (Song Kang-ho) being strangled by a naked woman (Kim Ok-bin).
The ban is the work of the South Korea’s Media Rating Board, which has become more strict about the depiction of sexuality these days. The international poster for John Cameron Mitchell’s “Shortbus” was banned in February.
“Thirst,” co-financed by Universal, is due for release in South Korea on April 30; the production team still plans to use the poster as key artwork for marketing outside Korea.
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”