On Monday, January 27th Quentin Tarantino filed suit against Gawker media for linking to various file sharing sites that had posted a leaked copy of his new screenplay, The Hateful Eight. The lawsuit claims (rightly) that Gawker was fully aware they were infringing on QT’s copyright and acted in a willful and malicious way. And I quote:
“Gawker Media has made a business of predatory journalism, violating people’s rights to make a buck. This time they went too far. Rather than merely publishing a news story reporting that Plaintiff’s screenplay may have been circulating in Hollywood without his permission, Gawker Media crossed the journalistic line by promoting itself to the public as the first source to read the entire Screenplay illegally.”
Fast forward to present day. Now, It’s being reported by a one Jeff Sneider of The Wrap (via tweets) that QT has calmed the eff down, is thinking of rewriting the script and said to have already reached out to Sam Jackson to play a part in the film. All of this, of course, is unofficial.
So I have to ask, why the change of heart?
I agree with Tarantino’s initial firestorm and the litigation in this case. It’s one thing to point a finger and say, “Awwwww, look at the author whose work was compromised. Look at the ‘fit’ he’s throwing.” It’s another thing to provide a link to a script that invites people perpetuate the offense. The film was never produced. A work that was intended to further his career, a work he spent considerable time developing, was posted in its entirety by an individual…and then Gawker enabled the rest of the world to see that work. Gawker wanted a story, and now they have it. Their complicit in copyright infringement.
The reason I am critical of Gawker is not they report on impending releases in a variety of mediums, that’s freedom of the press. It is that they reveal the content of those artistic works which is invasive and destructive to the works in question. It isn’t a fair representation of the what the finished product might be. It can jeopardize funding and limit various opportunities for the artists. This goes for film, television, literature, and gaming, etc. It compromises an artists livelihood and, regardless of your opinion of the merit Tarantino’s work, is a practice that can destroy careers and effect the quality of things we all love.
Tarantino has fans and haters in equal amounts and he can count on his fans to fill cinema seats, often more than once. To assume this is a publicity stunt begs the question: why bother?
It’s not going to gain him any new fans, and it’s never a surprise when he releases a film as Tarantino’s works always generate their own attention on account of the stars he recruits or the controversies built into his films. If it’s simply to get people talking about him, it’s too bad he took this route as this doesn’t build excitement around the project as much as it merely builds pointless controversy.
-Dagobot
Get at me on twitter: @markdago
Like me on THE Facebook: facebook.com/markdagoraps
Download my latest EP for free: markdago.bandcamp.com
Listen to MY podcast http: http://poppundits.libsyn.com