The Dakota Fanning child-rape movie Hounddog is going down a storm at Sundance, and by 'going down a storm' we mean 'not a single person is dumb enough to want to go anywhere near a film where Dakota Fanning gets raped in a barn.'
According to reports Hounddog – despite being easily the most controversial movie at this year's Sundance film festival – just can't seem to find a buyer. There are many conflicting theories as to why nobody wants to buy a film where little 12-year-old Dakota Fanning gets raped by an older man – some say it's because the script is flaccid and cliched, some say it's because events in the movie pass for no reason and are never spoken of again, and some say it's because look, for the love of all that's holy, a 12-year-old gets raped in it! How creepy is that?
Picture the scene – it's a Friday night and a group of friends are trying to decide what movie they want to go and watch. One says "Hey, that film about giant robots destroying the Earth with their massive robot fists is out! Let's go see that! Graham, what do you think?" Graham clears his throat and says "Well, actually I was kinda hoping we could all go and watch Dakota Fanning get raped in a barn." End of friendship. Of course, this is an imagined conversation – nobody in their right mind, not even your creepy friend Graham, would ever ever suggest ever going to the cinema to watch a movie where a 12-year-old girl gets raped.
Only yesterday Dakota Fanning was talking up Hounddog at Sundance, saying how she'd love to see a film of her getting raped if she wasn't her, and that she could think of nothing better than mothers taking their young daughters to watch the rape scene in Hounddog and then endlessly lecturing them for months afterwards about how if they ever stop and talk to anyone at all in the street it'd be them getting raped in a shed and not Dakota Fanning. But Dakota's big Hounddog promotional blitz didn't work, and Fox reports that Hounddog is looking dangerously like it's going to go unsold at Sundance:
"Hounddog," the simply awful movie in which 12-year-old Dakota Fanning’s character is raped, has no buyers. "No one wants it after the terrible reviews," one distributor told me… Indeed, the people associated with The Weinstein Company, IFC Films and First Look were among those who instantly agreed that they had no interest in "Hounddog."… With the above mentioned distributors out, it’s unlikely now that any major will take "Hounddog." And that’s just as well, considering that its release is sure to spark more outrage, protests and calls for investigations.
And we thought the reviews of Dreamer were pretty harsh. But where do we go from here? It's hard to know if Hounddog's abysmal performance at Sundance will have a negative or a positive effect on Dakota Fanning's career – on the plus side it looks like nobody will actually see Hounddog, which at least spares Dakota a life of being stopped on the street and called Rapey Fanning; but now she'll always be known as the little girl Hollywood didn't want to see get raped. Maybe Hounddog needs a reshoot where Dakota, you know, puts her back into it a bit more.
Sorry.
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Stagger Lee says
Oh, you’re going to hell for that one… but then so am I for laughing at it, I guess
A. Brown says
I want to know how a 12 year old girl knows how to “act” like she is getting raped, when for heavens sake she shouldn’t be having sex yet!
D. Pidgeon says
Mark my words, in twenty odd years it’ll be a special edition DVD in HMV.
I mean I’ve got a copy of Straw Dogs on my shelf right now. And that recieved pretty similar reactions when it was made.
jennifer says
Everyone is whining about how dakota is going to be raped and such, but has anyone ever stopped to think about all of the other rape movies where little girls, JUST LIKE DAKOTA, get raped in the movie? BIG FREAKIN DEAL. its been done before, and its not MORE important and outrageous because its dakota fanning. if you wanted to cry about a little girl rape scene, look back to the dozens and dozens of other movies where this already happens, and cry about those little girls too. they are all the same. so what if it’s dakota fanning, quit making a big goddamn deal about it.
myscrnnm says
@jennifer
This is a big deal because it was a bad move on Dakota Fanning’s part. In the past, she has been in big-budget films like War of the Worlds and Hide and Seek. Participating in an independent film made by an unknown director is just bad.
Angelina says
Quit making sucha big deal about this movie there are plenty of movies out there if a girl is not getting raped she is introduced to sex. It’s just a movie and believe it not people in the world girls, women, and some men get raped in real life and some get caught and some don’t. There is nothin we can do to make this from stop happening. Don’t take your kids to see a movie like this you would just be a dum shit if you did. There are kids that watch scary movies so why take them to one like this if it’s so bad. If it wasn’t Dakota Fanning as the little girl I bet this movie would have gotten bought. Now put it one video so I can’t see what all the bullshit is about.
Kermit says
this is so stupid. so what if it’s dakota fanning? and besides, it doesn’t matter if she’s working for an individual film studio anyway, she’s already such a huge star, and besides now directors can see what kind of different parts she can play. i say, ‘way to go, dakota!’
it’s not like she’ll be less liked. there are so many movies about little girls being raped; this one is just different because it’s a famous girl being raped. who cares? don’t lash out on her alone, i mean, yeah the movie might be terrible, but no offense, there are, i’m pretty sure, worse movies out there to do with rape and more violence on children than can be imagined, and all of the sudden this movie is the one being trashed. open you eyes people.
Anon says
I’d watch it.
Monisha says
I HAVE NOT SEEN DA MOVIE YET, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT I CAN’T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN STORES THIS IS JUST A MOVIE NOT 4REAL U PPLE ARE ALWAYS THINKING RETARDED I’M SURE SHE IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT YOU PPLE AND ABOUT WHAT YALL ARE SAYING
James says
“Maybe Hounddog needs a reshoot where Dakota, you know, puts her back into it a bit more.”
WHAT IN THE GODDAMNED FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?
Nicole says
I agree, that last comment
Magoichi Saika says
Dear Everyone,
I’ve seen the film already and find it extremely intriguing and interesting.
Complementing on the idea that a young Dakota would grace such a gamble-of-a-movie is highly applaudable.
The fact is, Dakota sees herself as a serious character actor. Box office is not an issue with her. Fame is one thing. But, integrity is everything.
Viewers who fail to see the aesthetic value of the film should put themselves in the shoes of the actors’ characters several decades ago. As well as the theme.
The movie is about the blues. This music genre is about misery and how to cope with it. Therefore, you get a movie like… ”Hounddog”
Atticus says
People should watch the online documentary “Don’t Go West” for why people should avoid Hollywood and even the indie music.
YouTube will usually allow clips of Hollywood movies, but they banned “Don’t Go West” because it exposed the kind of cultural rot that produces movies about 12 year old girls (and boys) getting raped or otherwise expolited.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwAQtgwHqRg
Don’t Go West Full
http://www.4shared.com/video/vOzJf3aP/Celtic_Rebel-Dont_Go_West_V20-.html
http://www.4shared.com/video/lH3Am1-k/Celtic_Rebel-_Dont_Go_West_V20.html