Back in March, I said in my trailer review of That's My Boy that I skipped over some better picks to cover first. One of those was the trailer for Gangster Squad. Since then, I still haven't seen the trailer, despite many opportunities to due so. The only thing I overheard about it from many was the presence of an anachronistic rap song that could have derided everything the film was trying to accomplish and sell.
I am now unable to see this trailer properly. I also, along with the rest of America, will have to continuing waiting for the film. Due to the still lingering situation and controversy generated by the Aurora theater shooting, Warner Bros has decided to postpone the film till January for seemingly mandatory re-shoots. The problem in question is a scene that was glimpsed in the now-pulled trailer, where some people fire off their tommy guns behind a movie screen.
I see this "problem" as a bit maddening, though I can understand the reasons for the further delay. Like Warner Bros, I would have also decided to move the release date due to this ill-timed event. Since the film is to be one of the expected films for awards consideration, the company could have just moved it to November and December, without removing the film's intentions and original state. I know that those months are highly violatile at the box office but the film could have a chance to survive and wow some people, even if the film turns out to be not all that great or possibly pretty bad to watch. It could had enough time to lose some of the bad vibes generated by the tabloids and talking heads of the world without losing steam. Look at 20th Century Fox's strategy with The Watch, which undergone a name change (prevously known as Neighborhood Watch) after the stigma of the Trayvon Martin shooting, yet the company stuck by it and maintained its release date for this Friday. I do not have high hopes for that film and have mocked it often but I do at least respect the audacity of not caving under the pressure of public sentimentality. If Hollywood did that at all times, then no film would be released in theaters.
The re-shoots are the worst thing to do for this film. I know I said otherwise about re-shoots with Channing Tatum and G.I. Joe 2. You can call me a hypocrite, but I call it being human. However, those re-shoots were done for pure business reasons. This is being done just to keep the well-dressed blow-hards on cable channels and morning talk shows off their case. By doing this act, you not only create a giant risk of ruining the film after it has been completed and canned, you also in a way benefit the fame-seeking, heinous Aurora murderer. He set out to shock the world with his depravity for attention and social buzz, and Warner Bros sadly conceded to him. As a strong counter-point to this censorship, let's just say that, Quentin Tarantino released Inglorious Basterds this year instead of 2008. I can absolutely believe and bet that he would never re-do the film's movie theater climax. He would have out-right refuse to, knowing well that this sicko would not outlive his work of art.
From the footage and news I gathered from the scene in question, it does look highly striking and could have been a memorable moment for the film. Like Warner Bros, I have no idea what they can do to top and replace it. Unless the company changes their mind, I do hope that the original cut of the film will be released later on home video, or as one of those annoying Blu-Ray only director's cut.
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