'72 Olympic Terror to Be a Film by Spielberg

[Capulet]

'72 Terror to Be a Film by Spielberg
By REUTERS

Published: April 23, 2004


OS ANGELES, April 22 (Reuters) — Steven Spielberg plans to start production in June on a movie about the kidnapping and killing of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, DreamWorks studio has announced.

A studio spokeswoman said on Wednesday that Mr. Spielberg was considering Ben Kingsley for a role and that the screenplay would be written by Eric Roth, who won an Oscar for "Forrest Gump" and was nominated for "The Insider." Mr. Kingsley co-starred in "Schindler's List," the Holocaust film that won Mr. Spielberg his first Oscar.

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The new film is to be released domestically by Universal Pictures, a unit of Vivendi Universal, and will be overseen by Mr. Spielberg's home studio, DreamWorks SKG. No release date has been set.

Eleven Israelis lost their lives at the 1972 games, including nine hostages killed in a botched rescue attempt. Five Palestinian gunmen and a German policeman also died. Three Palestinians were captured.

Now do we need another thing to get Anti-Arab sentiments up? Is this really necessary, at this day and time? When public opinion of Arabs and Muslims is already very low, why is Steven Speilberg making a movie on a subject such as this? I know that Arabs were responsible for this, but is this truely the right time for this movie?

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

We already made a movie about the Reconquista.

And we say Al Qaeda is obsessed with the past...

 

[silver 2039]

It's his chice to make a movie on what he wants. He dose'nt have to listen to public sentiments and world opnion. Movie making and politics are'nt related.

 

[Capulet]

But indeed politics and movie making are related. Movies can be used as a platform of politics. When Speilberg shows this movie of Arabs killing Israelis, do you think the Americans who watch the movie will leave unaffected? The Israelis have enough sympathy - so why does Speilberg want more?

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

I thought Spielberg was dead.

Pity.

 

[De Lorimier]

Why do you assume the general public will make a stupid generalization regarding this movie? Not all people will associate terrorists with Arabs after seeing this movie. Give the public more credit than that.

 

[silver 2039]

Originally posted by Musa
But indeed politics and movie making are related. Movies can be used as a platform of politics. When Speilberg shows this movie of Arabs killing Israelis, do you think the Americans who watch the movie will leave unaffected? The Israelis have enough sympathy - so why does Speilberg want more?

Whats wrong with having more sympathy? WHy don't the Palestnians also make a movie that stirs up sympathy for them?

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Here's a list of the movies he's made:

Illustrious, no?

1960 Escape to Nowhere
1963 Firefight
1969 Amblin (short film );Night Gallery (TV)
1970 Four in One (TV)
1972 Something Evil (TV)
1973 Savage (TV)
1974 The Sugarland Express
1975 Jaws*
1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1978 I Want to Hold Your Hand(P)
1979 1941*
1980 Used Cars(P); The Blues Brothers* (as actor)
1981 Continental Divide(P); Raiders of the Lost Ark*
1982 ET*; Poltergeist(P)
1983 The Twighlight Zone - The Movie
1984 Gremlins*(P); Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom*
1985 Back to the Future*(P); Young Sherlock Homes(P ); The Goonies(P ); The Color Purple
1986 An American Tail(P); The Money Pit(P)
1987 Batteries Not Included(P); Innerspace(P ); Empire of the Sun*
1988 The Land Before Time(P); Who Framed Roger Rabbit*(P);
1989 Back to the Future II(P); Dad(P ); Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom*; Always
1990 Joe Verus the Volcano(P); Arachnophobia(P); Gremlins 2:The New Batch(P ); Back to the Future III(P)
1991 An American Tail - Feival Goes West(P ); Hook*
1993 Jurrasic Park; Schindler's List

 

[silver 2039]

Originally posted by Pontiuth Pilate
I thought Spielberg was dead.

Pity.

WHAT! I like his movies well expect Jurassic Park 3 and 4

 

[Capulet]

Originally posted by De Lorimier
Why do you assume the general public will make a stupid generalization regarding this movie? Not all people will associate terrorists with Arabs after seeing this movie. Give the public more credit than that.

Numbers speak for themselves. From http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/islam021028.html

The percentage of Americans having an unfavorable view of Islam has jumped from 24 percent in January 2002 to 33 percent now.

The portion of Americans who say that Islam "doesn't teach respect for other faiths" rose from 22 percent to 35 percent.

A total of 73 percent of Americans do not feel they have a good basic understanding of its beliefs and tenets, and that, too, has risen, from 61 percent last winter. This suggests that any additional information people have gleaned about Islam has confused more than clarified.

Meanwhile, evangelical white Protestants are 22 points more likely than other white Protestants to express an unfavorable opinion of Islam. They're also more likely, but by much smaller margins, to think Islam encourages violence and doesn't teach respect for other beliefs.

Now with American-Christian religious leaders publicly calling the Prophet Muhammad a terrorist, this obviously leads to more unecesssary, negative public opinion.

 

[AceChilla]

Originally posted by Pontiuth Pilate
We already made a movie about the Reconquista.

You did?

What's the title?

 

[aaminion00]

Another Spielberg movie about Jews and their eternal struggle. How many of these has the man made... at least 6. Way to milk it for what it's worth.

 

[Capulet]

Originally posted by silver 2039
Whats wrong with having more sympathy? WHy don't the Palestnians also make a movie that stirs up sympathy for them?

They have. Ever heard of "Divine Intervention?" A comedy about the Israeli occupation, winning a special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival and best foreign film at the European Film Awards. the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences won't even consider it because they do not recognize Palesitine as an independant entity, yet Palestine has had observer status at the United Nations since 1974 and is recognized by more than 115 countries.

Hypocrisy at it's finest.

 

[De Lorimier]

Yes Musa, those numbers are alarming, but they have nothing or very little to do with Hollywood movies.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

"El Cid" starring [unsurprisingly] Charlton Heston.

 

[CurtSibling]

Spielberg lives for beating the drum about politics.
Oh, and did he mention that Europeans were evil?

It gets old vey quickly.

PS
His movies are crap of late.

 

[Capulet]

Originally posted by De Lorimier
Yes Musa, those numbers are alarming, but they have nothing or very little to do with Hollywood movies.

But movies they show a negative image of Arabs and Muslims does nothing but harm public opinon of us. Why isn't there an alarm over this like there was over the Passion of the Christ? People were worried about anti-semetism, but when it comes to anti-islam people don't care.

 

[Marla_Singer]

Originally posted by Drunk Master
You did?
What's the title?

I can see "1492" from Ridley Scott... but even if the Reconquista is mentioned, it's certainly not the main topic.

 

[De Lorimier]

But movies they show a negative image of Arabs and Muslims does nothing but harm public opinon of us. Why isn't there an alarm over this like there was over the Passion of the Christ? People were worried about anti-semetism, but when it comes to anti-islam people don't care.

I believe this negative image came from the actual events, you know, the savage killing of Jewish athletes.

 

[Capulet]

Originally posted by De Lorimier

I believe this negative image came from the actual events, you know, the savage killing of Jewish athletes.

29 years ago. Though the relatives and friends of the people who were killed will never forget this, isn't the timing of this movie rather odd? Why not 10 years ago? Why not 15? Speilberg has been making movies for a while.


Edit: My bad, it was 32 years ago. I misread the date