Harry's Modest Proposal to the Filmmakers, Directors, Writers & Actors that oppose Valenti's Screener Ban...

Hey Folks, Harry here... I think I figured out a way to put an end to this entire bit of Valenti idiocy regarding the Screener issue. Today in VARIETY, David Rooney writes about a protest letter which bears the names of 142 filmmakers spanning the realms of filmmaking from Indie to Hollywood to International filmmaking, but here's the deal... If everyone of those people just refused to continue to work on whatever film they were on till the studios reversed their support of VALENTI, you'd see this thing come to a stop in a hurry. If Sam Raimi ceased shooting the new work on SPIDER-MAN 2... If Martin Scorsese ceased work on THE AVIATOR, and on and on and on... The fact is, so long as the STUDIOS support Valenti's irrationally prejudicial mandate, Jack isn't going to budge a bit.

Let's face it, Jack Valenti is essentially doing the bidding of the studios, working with them on this issue. So, he's not willing to even comprehend of allowing the studios to decide on a FILM BY FILM basis on the screener issue, but rather blanketly decide for all that they can't decide what to do with their films... well... Strike back, but aim at the people that enable Valenti to carry out his mandate.

Make the studios feel how much this decision means to you as filmmakers. Signing pieces of paper won't do it. Valenti has clearly shown that he doesn't care what those 142 people think... Well, be disruptive, don't cooperate, be strong, have the courage of your convictions and stop work on whatever you're working on right now, and don't continue till the studios reconsider their decision and we get this changed.

Executives at all the Boutique Studios - You've tried writing your superiors... well, en masse... just don't show up, till this changes. Shut the whole town down. Don't do publicity, don't write another word, don't shoot another scene. Working on a commentary on the DVD - stop. Show the studios how dear this is, how unfair it is and how SERIOUS you take this.

Ultimately, this isn't Jack Valenti - this is Alan Horn, Amy Pascal, Sherri Lansing, etc... It's the studios that signed on, it is with their support that this has gone forward. Meanwhile, it squeezes the very life out of the little guys and the films that most need the support of the awards, the critics and the ability to send those screeners.

Like I said... it's a Modest Proposal. It's up to all of you filmmakers. If it is worth your name on a piece of paper, is it worth showing a bit more? Your Will?

Meanwhile... Critics - Cease reviewing the MAJOR FILMS - just review the indies till this is over. If you don't support this policy, just drop reviewing the MAJORS till they've reversed their policy, don't give them the ink they need.