Advertising for the movie that had scenes filmed in West Cobb last fall has been pulled in Florida in the wake of the Trayvon Martin Case.
The movie, Neighborhood Watch, features Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill as they form a neighborhood watch group and discover a plot by aliens to destroy the planet. Trayvon, 17, was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida, 28-year-old George Zimmerman.
CBS News reported that two pieces of advertising were removed from Florida theaters and will be phased out nationally: a poster and a short trailer.
The poster contains what appears to be a prowler on a sign with bullet holes in it, and the trailer shows Hill mimicking a gun with his hands from the backseat of a slow-moving car.
"We are very sensitive to the Trayvon Martin case, but our film is a broad alien-invasion comedy and bears absolutely no relation to the tragic events in Florida," a Fox spokesperson told Hollywood Reporter. "The movie, which is not scheduled for release for several months, was made and these initial marketing materials were released before this incident ever came to light.”
Neighborhood Watch is still set to be released July 27, the website says.
We want to know what you think about Fox’s decision to pull the advertising.
On one hand, it could be seen as a proactive showing of respect for the parties involved and the sensitive nature of the case. But on the other, some might say it draws attention to connections that before might not have been made, and people could now associate the comedy with the real-life case.
That brings up another discussion topic, as debated on ABC 15 in Arizona: Should the release of Neighborhood Watch be postponed?
Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
Cathy
12:30 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Not good timing, I think was a wise decision to put it off for awhile.
Michael Stone
1:17 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Thank you for your input, Cathy! I'm glad you're getting the discussion started.
Jim Arnold
4:11 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Another example of political correctness gone amuck.
Here is a thought
9:33 am on Friday, April 6, 2012
Oh puh-leeze. Now the concept of, and the words of, Neighborhood Watch are tainted?!? We have one in our neighborhood - should we disband?
The Trayvon case is tragic, sad and disheartening, but at this point, all we have is assumption and conjecture. How about if we wait for actual fact and knowledge before we leap to over-sensitivity? Let's not get skittlish about it unless we should.
Sissy
9:17 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Good grief! I agree, let law enforcement do their job and investigation, stop "trying this in the media" and move along. I will continue to keep my eyes peeled in my neighborhood and hope others do, as well. And, when a good movie that may bring a little laughter to a day comes along, AND brings a boost to the local economy and mood, WHY in the world even dose it up in the same hype of what happened in FL? Two completely different things.
Let law enforcement do their jobs, let people live their lives.