Film4 cancels Four Lions

[tylereddyallen]

They have stopped an airing of Four Lions because of the Boston Bombings, just in case any of you guys were planning on (re)watching it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9998864/Boston-Marathon-bombings-Film4-pulls-Four-Lions-but-Channel-5-goes-ahead-with-Neighbours-the-Explosion.html

Also Zee News have asked this:

http://zeenews.india.com/news/boston-bombings/four-lions-movie-the-inspiration-behind-boston-bombings_842559.html

[Bad Ambassador]

What did Film4 show instead?

[Small Man Big Horse]

It was due to be aired on 22nd April, but instead (depending on what time slot it had) Role Models or Hot Rod are being shown.

[Noodle Lizard]

Never really got postponing/cancelling the release/airing of something/a thing in light of a real life tragedy/disaster that it vaguely mirrors/mirrors.  Someone explain it.

[Thomas]

'Out of respect,' I suppose.

How long does it last, though? How many hours from now until the UK broadcasting of Four Lions becomes appropriate again?

[Noodle Lizard]

'Out of respect,' I suppose.

Yeah, that's the bit I don't get.  It makes about as much sense as wearing red tommarow in order to support the victims.

[Thomas]

Neither do I, really, hence the skeptical inverted commas.

Perhaps it's because Event A, here the Boston bombing, is so recently and vividly scalded onto the public consciousness, like temporary blindness after a bright flash, that the displaying of art, anywhere on the planet, featuring anything resembling details of Event A would make people go 'oooh' and do that weird noise where they breathe in sharply through pursed lips.

It's sensitivity and the like. Though I've just read the synopsis for Hot Rod, and I think that - if Film4 view themselves as being in any way connected to the public aftermath of the Boston bombings - Four Lions would be a more appropriate and sensitive film to show.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Hot Rod's surprisingly good and a lot better than you'd expect it to be. Ian McShane especially steals every scene he's in, but it's got a nice line in gentle absurdity as well.

[tylereddyallen]

I can't help but think if they'd have followed this through they would have got better ratings. It's either the best or worse time to air it ever.

[Ian Benson]

Here's twitter if Film Four airs Four Lions:

Pat Gilder @glandsac
Cant belive @film4 put on four lions considering what happened at boston's marathan #woops

JFT96 @steve202193
.@Film4 Someone hasn't been paying attention to the news lately! #fourlions #prayforboston #JFT96

Barbara Kelly @spongebabs18
@djshimmystep @film4 may be #fourlions is were these ones got the idea form! #prayfroboston

Clive Harris @clive_g_harr
@Film4 @Channel4 Hope somebody's getting sacked for this balls up :) #FourLions #BostonMarathon

TONY JONES @GEARSTICKJONES
Insensitve much @Film4 LOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #filmfour #fourlions #JFT96

Zara Foster @zarafos
@channel4 this would be the same as if you showed Remember Me the week after 911! #prayforboston

Dan Grosvenor @Dangross
.@Film4 In a word, appalling. Shame on you. #fourlions

Nathan @nathanschu
UK TV airs controversial terrorism comedy just days after the Boston marathon tragedy goo.gl/e0aqf #prayersforboston

Tasha Turner @tashlove19
@zarafos @channel4 Remember Me wasnt even made then so how would taht happen?

Rich Jeans @jeanmachine
Why would @Film4 air this movie? Terrorism is never funny and especially not at the moment #fourlions #boston

Louise Young @LYoung121
Looked up this four lions on wiki and its basicaly the exact same story as what happened. Discusted by  @channel4 right now

Dave James @dave_james44
@Film4 wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah #FourLions

And so on. So it's like, on the one hand they say it's out of respect or something, but then on the other hand, and perhaps primarily, it's just to avoid any kind of outcry from the cunts who enjoy getting upset about things like this and so actively seek out things like this out. And even before the twitter age there were obviously people who actually wrote letters and put them into envelopes and sealed the envelope and put a stamp on the envelope and wrote the address on the envelope and went to the postbox and posted the letter, obvs in an absolute fucking apoplectic rage the entire time. And whilst I'm sure that some people might be genuinely upset by some of these things, for the most part it's just cunts pretending and piling on because it's momentarily a popular cause, especially with twitter because it's all out in the open. Fucking twats. If you see any of these people, tell them that I fucking hate them.

I didn't mind Hot Rod, but it could have been better. There's a very funny film to be made about daredevils and this sure as shit wasn't it. Viva Knieval! is actually much funnier, even though it's not meant to be.

The trailer for Viva Knieval!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yfw01nOBQs

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

There's a huge hypocrisy at play because just like there is no logical reason for someone to change their behaviour or decisions after the Boston Marathon, the timing of a completely seperate film similarly should have no bearing on.anything. The film would presumably upset some families of the 7/7 or Madrid bombings. Should we not show the film ever, just to preserve their feelings?

[BlodwynPig]

I am sure the victims families in all bombing tragedies would be sitting down and watching Film 4, so best not to show it.

[Mister Six]

There's sort of a point in that if they don't then they look like clueless idiots who are either unaware of their own schedules or clueless idiots who don't watch the news. That said, a more sensible thing to do would be to preface the film with a brief voiceover saying that the film 'may contain scenes that, in the light of recent events, some may find disturbing blah blah blah'.

But that would be treating people like adults.

[Crabwalk]

It'll be because many of the advertisers would've likely pulled their slots. A basic commercial decision.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I'm not sure I'd want to watch a comedy about a terrorist attack at a marathon after all this Boston stuff. After a day of grim news and pics I kind of wanted to watch Toy Story or something.

And the wearing red thing just seems like when people wear black arm bands at sporting events. It doesn't "do" anything, it's just a sign of grief and respect.

[thomasina]

I think anyone who's just lost a friend or relative/seen one grievously injured sees parallels and reminders in almost everything.  I doubt that anyone whose feelings would actually be hurt were likely to see the showing on Film4 anyway, as the majority of people personally affected will live in the US.  Anyone not personally affected - well, feck off really.

[BritishHobo]

Yeah, that's the bit I don't get.  It makes about as much sense as wearing red tommarow in order to support the victims.

I guess the logic is that they're presenting as entertainment events similar to a real tragedy. Making light of it, almost.

Not that I agree with the logic.

[BlodwynPig]

I think anyone who's just lost a friend or relative/seen one grievously injured sees parallels and reminders in almost everything.  I doubt that anyone whose feelings would actually be hurt were likely to see the showing on Film4 anyway, as the majority of people personally affected will live in the US.  Anyone not personally affected - well, feck off really.

^^^^

[small_world]

Discusted by  @channel4 right now

Brilliant.

[Noodle Lizard]

I'm not sure I'd want to watch a comedy about a terrorist attack at a marathon after all this Boston stuff. After a day of grim news and pics I kind of wanted to watch Toy Story or something.

Don't watch it, then.  Plenty of other stuff on.

I guess the logic is that they're presenting as entertainment events similar to a real tragedy. Making light of it, almost.

Not as if they decided to show it in light of the events, though.  If they'd seen the news and then thought, "That reminds me, we haven't shown 'Four Lions' in a while", that'd be ... well, sort of funny actually.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I remember during the Gulf War when Massive Attack temporarily changed their name to Massive. Now that was silly.

[BritishHobo]

Not as if they decided to show it in light of the events, though.  If they'd seen the news and then thought, "That reminds me, we haven't shown 'Four Lions' in a while", that'd be ... well, sort of funny actually.

Oh no yeah, obviously. I know nothing about scheduling but it's presumably been in place a while. It's just that it would still appear in that order, despite not being inspired by the tragedy. It wouldn't have been intentionally because of what happened, but people's offence would presumably come from the fact that they went ahead with showing something that treats the same events lightly - even if it is a satire.

[Cerys]

Could it not be that screening Four Lions could be perceived as an implication that the Boston Marathon bombings were Islam-related?

[thenoise]

Probably more to do with it being marathon related and bomb related.  They aren't suggesting that it mirrors the film in every respect.

[zomgmouse]

A channel here (in Australia) postponed showing Four Lions for a couple of weeks as well. THE PLOT THICKENS.

[kidsick5000]

This is probably the most legit example of pulling a film due to recent events.
It's not even like those times they took a film off TV because they happened to feature a plane in trouble after a plane crash.
Or there was one time a film was dropped because it featured a crowd surrounding a (US) police car which was apparently similar to an event at an IRA funeral.

[Noodle Lizard]

Could it not be that screening Four Lions could be perceived as an implication that the Boston Marathon bombings were Islam-related?

They were, weren't they?  But nah, it'd be an implication that the fictional marathon bombing was fictional Islamist-related.

[BritishHobo]

This is probably the most legit example of pulling a film due to recent events.
It's not even like those times they took a film off TV because they happened to feature a plane in trouble after a plane crash.
Or there was one time a film was dropped because it featured a crowd surrounding a (US) police car which was apparently similar to an event at an IRA funeral.

Aye, I just watched it the other night finally, and I can see why they pulled it - especially with the final scenes showing several innocent people getting killed in explosions at the marathon, with the vague air of comedy in some of them. I wouldn't have complained if I came across it on TV with no idea what it was about, but I understand them pulling it from the schedule.