Bill Gates Assassination 'Documentary' to premiere (1 Viewer)

[Greg_Y]

From the Drudge Report:

CINEMATIC SHOCK: MOCK DOC ON THE ASSASSINATION OF BILL GATES TO PREMIERE JANUARY 13 AT SLAMDANCE 2002 FILM FESTIVAL

Mon Dec 31 2001 12:22:11 ET

A new shock film is set to debut -- a film which depicts the assassination of the world's richest man.

"Bill Gates was shot dead in Los Angeles on December 2, 1999. Police and city officials say a lone assassin - an African-American hell-bent on class war - was apprehended and killed immediately thereafter. But skeptical citizens band together to investigate the real truth behind the last great crime of the 20th century..."

Thus begins the controversial and eerily realistic faux documentary NOTHING SO STRANGE by writer/director Brian Flemming (Bat Boy: the Musical; Hang Your Dog in the Wind). NOTHING SO STRANGE, produced by GMD Studios in tandem with key production consultant Haxan Films (The Blair Witch Project), will premiere January 13 at Slamdance, the annual Park City, Utah, festival that has debuted independent films by such luminaries as Steven Soderbergh and Memento director Chistopher Nolan.

THE FILM

David James (who, coincidentally enough, recently appeared in a Microsoft print ad campaign) and Laurie Pike (the former editor and publisher of Glue magazine) star as leaders of the activist group Citizens for Truth, who aim to open the files of the police investigation of the Gates assassination, which was handled by the scandal-ridden Rampart Division of the LAPD. NOTHING SO STRANGE documents the group's dreams and struggles in their David-versus-Goliath battle.

Steve Sires, a professional Bill Gates impersonator, makes his feature film debut in a scene in which his head gets graphically blown off.

"The film isn't really about Bill Gates, though, and I have nothing against the man," says director Brian Flemming. "His murder is simply used at the start of the film to launch a story about class, race and corrupt government institutions."

GMD Studios has created a vast Web universe that both draws from and expands on the plot of NOTHING SO STRANGE. Incorporating dozens of separate websites, all of which purport to be real (and one of which prompted a threatening call from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office).

The real Bill Gates's only reaction to NOTHING SO STRANGE has been through a spokesperson: "It's very disappointing that a movie maker would do something like this."

Developing...

 

[Brian_J]

All I can muster is yuk.

Brian

 

[MichaelPe]

If anyone can prevent a film like this from being made/released, it's Mr. Gates.

 

[RobertR]

If anyone can prevent a film like this from being made/released, it's Mr. Gates

I don't think so. If Hearst couldn't stop Citizen Kane, this won't be stopped. I don't consider this film in the same class as CK, BTW. It sounds like neo Marxist posturing to me.

 

[Joe D]

This is pretty pathetic. If someone is going to do something like this, at least change the name of the person.

 

[MichaelPe]

If Hearst couldn't stop Citizen Kane, this won't be stopped.

I also thought of Citizen Kane when I read this. But, like Joe mentioned, they should at least have the decency to use a different name. At least "Antitrust" tried.

 

[Jason Seaver]

If someone is going to do something like this, at least change the name of the person.

Why? If your target is Bill Gates, don't wimp out and say "Gil Bates" instead. Admittedly, this only works for good satire, but when it does, it makes it all the stronger.

 

[Joe D]

It's not about wimping out in what you're attempting to make, but it's a matter of respect to the person.

 

[Brad Grenz]

I'm not sure I see what problems you guys have with this film. It sounds interesting to me. I don't think we should be judging it without even having seen it. As was referred to above the director says the film isn't about Bill Gates, he's just a jumping off point. A pretty good one for a film about ecconomic and racial class division. I suspect Bill Gates is being used simply in his capasity as the richest man on Earth, not as a anti-competitive nazi. That being the case I say he's fair game. I've not seen the movie, so for all I know it's a pile of crap that is extremely offensive, but it's not fair to make that assumption based on little more than this thread's subject line.

 

[Seth Paxton]

I agree with what Brad just said. This sounds like Gates being used as an identifiable figure of immense wealth and power in America.
And unlike Kane, this sounds like less of a character assassination than Kane (ironically).
I assume the story must go that the "killer" was a fall guy for some more sinister plot and cover-up, probably for power and corruption. Meanwhile the class war heats up due to the cover story patsy.
Gates needs to lighten up on this one. If it was some dream fantasy on how wonderful it would be to kill Gates that's one thing, but this is nothing more than an Escape from NY level of attack (meaning depicting the attempted murder of the president). Plot device is much different than "theme".