Ahh, the delicious irony. Fox News, which is owned by the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp, has reviewed the 20th Century Fox-owned leaked and unfinished “Wolverine” workprint (basically it’s all in the family). It seems like quite the brazen stunt to pull however, like a good Fox employee, crit hack Roger Friedman, actually loved it, so no axe is probably going to fall on his head today.
“I doubt anyone else has seen this film,” he wrote despite the fact it’s been downloaded by practically half the world already. “But everyone can relax. I am, in fact, amazed about how great Wolverine turned out. It exceeds expectations at every turn … It’s miles easier to understand than ‘The Dark Knight,’ and tremendously more emotional … A couple of times it was possible to see the harnesses on the actors. It didn’t take away from the film at all. I was completely riveted to my desk chair in front of my computer.”
Despite the fact that Vulture went through the leaked workprint shot by shot and practically laughed out loud at all the visible harnesses (because it’s not done, not because it’s bad, but still…). Is this more damage control by Fox news as dictated by Rupert Murdoch? We generally have disdain for cynical conspiracy theories, but Friedman is the worst, frankly, and nothing would surprise us at this point.
All the more hysterical though? Fox as a corporation is off message. Friedman says the film is “95 percent completed,” but yesterday 20th Century Fox chairman Tom Rothman said the picture is very “unfinished” and “a complete misrepresentation of the film.” So which one is it guys, huh?
We all appreciate what Fox is going through, it’s a fucking tough position to be in, but unctuous moves like Friedman’s (and these flubs under the parent umbrella) make these kinds of PR salvages all the more transparent. This will actually turn people against the studio and the film all the more. Word to the wise, people.
