[URL]http://www.popeater.com/2010/03/28/jd-shapiro-battlefield-earth-screenwriter-apology/?ncid=webmaildl2[/URL]
[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.popeater.com/media/2010/03/battlefield.jpg[/img]
[quote=aol]J.D. Shapiro wrote one of the most derided films of all time. Now, he's saying sorry. In early March, 2000's 'Battlefield Earth' was "awarded" worst movie of the decade by the Razzies. Few are protesting it and even more, like the folks behind 'Freddy Got Fingered,' must have let out a sigh of relief at the news. But Shapiro knows what he did was awful. Truly awful, and in an open letter [URL="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/movies/penned_the_suckiest_movie_ever_sorry_MdXedZpTMWJmfpw80Xc7aO/1"][B]published by the NY Post[/B][/URL], he hilariously tries to explain himself.
"It wasn't as I intended -- promise. No one sets out to make a train wreck. Actually, comparing it to a train wreck isn't really fair to train wrecks, because people actually want to watch those."
Shapiro runs down the whole experience, starting with a tour of a Scientology center and being approached to write a film, to having dinner with the film's future star John Travolta, to even taking some classes to bone up on the L. Ron Hubbard-created religion.
"I took a few courses, including the Purification Rundown, or Purif. You go to CC every day, take vitamins and go in and out of a sauna so toxins are released from your body. You're supposed to reach an 'End Point.' I never did, but I was bored so I told them I had a vision of L. Ron. They said, 'What did he say?' 'Pull my finger,' was my response. They said I was done."
He even got to take a ride on the super-exclusive cruise ship, the Freewind, where he stuck out by walking around in a robe, smoking and drinking scotch. Scientologists are not allowed to drink while taking classes.
Soon, he signed on and quickly got to work writing the film, based on Hubbard's book and set in the year 3000, where Earth is ruled by not-so-nice aliens called the Psyclos (take that, psychology!). Humans put up a fight and stand up to the bad guys (led by Travolta's Terl).
"A few days after I finished the script, a very excited Travolta called, told me he 'loved it,' and wanted to have dinner. At dinner, John said again how much he loved the script and called it 'The 'Schindler's List' of sci-fi.'"
Before long, he got a series of notes about the script that he just assumed were "a joke," but ended up being directly from Travolta himself.
"They changed the entire tone. I knew these notes would kill the movie. The notes wanted me to lose key scenes, add ridiculous scenes, take out some of the key characters. I asked Mike [Marcus, the president of MGM] where they came from. He said, 'From us.' But when I pressed him, he said, 'From John's camp, but we agree with them.'"
He refused to use the notes and was fired, but later accepted shared writing credit for the finished product at the urging of his agent.
About what made it to the big screen, Shapiro insists: "My script was very, VERY different than what ended up on the screen. My screenplay was darker, grittier and had a very compelling story with rich characters. What my screenplay didn't have was slow motion at every turn, Dutch tilts, campy dialog, aliens in KISS boots, and everyone wearing Bob Marley wigs."
"Now, looking back at the movie with fresh eyes, I can't help but be strangely proud of it. Because out of all the sucky movies, mine is the suckiest."
According to his IMDB page, Shapiro has not had another screenplay make it to theaters since 'Battlefield.' His other main credit is 'Robin Hood: Men In Tights.'[/quote]
After 10 years the writer apologizes for the abomination that is Battlefield Earth stating that Travolta wanted a lot of crazy crap that he didn't want. Although I'm not sure how good a script the original Battlefield Earth would have had, any script would have been better then the one put on screen.
[editline]08:56PM[/editline]
Also relates some stuff about Scientology
Wow, the guilt got to him.
But, I liked the movie
I liked it too until I learned it was about L. Ron Hubbard and his Scientology bullshit.
I feel sorry for him.
[quote]John said again how much he loved the script and called it 'The 'Schindler's List' of sci-fi.'"[/quote]
It sounds like everyone but him was nuts.
How unfortunate for the writer. John Travolta sucks and he can kiss my bootybutt! XD
I will outdo him with an even worse movie.
Just you guys wait and see!
[IMG]http://images.dailyfill.com/004c7fb927a94dde_b5d17a82bdafd464_o.jpg[/IMG]
I've never seen the movie, but just from this picture, I can understand how horrible it was.
I'm watching this movie again to see what so shit about it, I mean the worse movie of all time should have massive shit smeared all over the movie.
I honestly never knew this movie was Scientology related.
:tinfoil:
[QUOTE=Craptasket;21047084]But, I liked the movie[/QUOTE]
Yea me too. It wasn't made how it should have, but I loved the concept and that's what I like about the movie. I just wish he was smarter with all the plot holes and filling them up. A civilization of humans couldn't stop the aliens, but somehow a few "man animals" were able to blow up their entire homeworld? Because that makes sense...
[QUOTE=Jurikuer;21047493]but somehow a few "man animals" were able to blow up their entire homeworld? Because that makes sense...[/QUOTE]
The nuke they exploded reacted in their atmosphere, causing like a catalyst.
I fucking loved it.
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;21047272]I will outdo him with an even worse movie.
Just you guys wait and see![/QUOTE]
a movie about your posting?
Their atmosphere caught fire. Apparently an advanced alien race can develop without ever even creating a mother fucking spark. L. Ron Hubbard was a dipshit.
If you want to see how shitty this movie is just watch this: [url]http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/16754-battlefield-earth[/url]
[QUOTE=thisispain;21047625]a movie about your posting?[/QUOTE]
bad pitch...
[QUOTE=Craptasket;21047614]The nuke they exploded reacted in their atmosphere, causing like a catalyst.[/QUOTE]
Yea I know, but how come an advanced civilization such as ourselves couldn't do that in the first place? I can assume the initial invasion force was huge, that's the only thing that can explain it, but then how are there several tribes through out the planets surface? There are a lot of questions that can be asked that make the movie dumb. Especially the atmosphere being flammable. How did they advance without fire?
[QUOTE=thisispain;21047625]a movie about your posting?[/QUOTE]
woa...
[QUOTE=Jurikuer;21047951]Yea I know, but how come an advanced civilization such as ourselves couldn't do that in the first place? I can assume the initial invasion force was huge, that's the only thing that can explain it, but then how are there several tribes through out the planets surface? There are a lot of questions that can be asked that make the movie dumb. Especially the atmosphere being flammable. How did they advance without fire?[/QUOTE]
They fart out nukes.
Did he get down on his knees, start crying and shout "PLEASE LORD IN HEAVEN FORGIVE ME"? Because if not I ain't interested.
Scientology's going to have him killed now.
. . .Learning to SPAEL YOR NAME-
[QUOTE=Jurikuer;21047951]Yea I know, but how come an advanced civilization such as ourselves couldn't do that in the first place? I can assume the initial invasion force was huge, that's the only thing that can explain it, but then how are there several tribes through out the planets surface? There are a lot of questions that can be asked that make the movie dumb. Especially the atmosphere being flammable. How did they advance without fire?[/QUOTE]
They took out all of earths forces in ~8 min with "gas drones" people survived hiding around low radioactive areas because it effects cyclones breathing gas.
It's not fire that took out their atmosphere.
[QUOTE=Craptasket;21049198]They took out all of earths forces in ~8 min with "gas drones" people survived hiding around low radioactive areas because it effects cyclones breathing gas.
It's not fire that took out their atmosphere.[/QUOTE]
why did the psychlo outpost not have gas drones FUCK IT
You're defending a movie in which white Bob Marley's named Psychlos take over the world. [I]You have no argument.[/I]
[QUOTE=Mr. Mcguffin;21049239]why did the psychlo outpost not have gas drones FUCK IT
You're defending a movie in which white Bob Marley's named Psychlos take over the world. [I]You have no argument.[/I][/QUOTE]
huh, what the hell are you posting
It's only a movie, people don't seem to know some details so I'm correcting them
In 2 weeks the rebels learned to pilot jet fighters.
The movie is bad.
In the books, the atmosphere of their planet wasn't flammable. However, the gas that they breathed (that made up the atmosphere of their planet) explodes when exposed to uranium.
Which is why humans were able to live in radioactive mountains virtually untouched, the aliens didn't want to risk exploding out of fucking nowhere due to uranium exposure. The humans use bottles of the alien gas to find uranium deposits in mountains in the books and stuff. The alien planet is fucked when they detonate nukes on it because of the uranium used in the nukes, it causes the whole atmosphere to ignite.
The plot of the movie was nothing like the book, which is a good thing. The book is fucking massive and long, and it's only slightly interesting during the whole human revolution part. There's a whole second half of the book with the humans fighting other races and dealing with intergalactic diplomacy and all kinds of bullshit.
[QUOTE=Carbon Knight;21049867]In 2 weeks the rebels learned to pilot jet fighters.
The movie is bad.[/QUOTE]
Jets that managed to survive the elements for about a thousand years. Yeah, the movie was complete shit.
[QUOTE=MaverickIB;21049886]:words:[/QUOTE]
Me and you must be the only ones who read the book in this thread. The book was awesome, and it pretty much explained everything in detail on why and how a couple dozen humans managed nearly wipe out an intergalactic species, how small groups of humans survived and why the Psyclos never finished them off, and pretty much everything else that the movie turned to shit.
Seriously if you are a sci-fi fan, read the book. It really has nothing to do with Scientology, and it is so much better than the movie. People say that about lots books that became movies - I liked the Lord of the Rings books better than the movies, but honest-to-god the movie strayed so far from the book in this instance that it should have had a different title.
[QUOTE=Carbon Knight;21049867]In 2 weeks the rebels learned to pilot jet fighters.
The movie is bad.[/QUOTE]
i love imdb:
[url]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185183/goofs[/url]
[B]Factual errors:[/B] The AV-8B Harrier is incapable of performing many of the maneuvers shown in the film.
[B]
Plot holes:[/B] Jet fuel has a shelf life of about four years. A fully-fueled jet found after 1,000 years wouldn't even be able to start, much less take off and fly.
