Page 14 - aruba-today-20230216

A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Thursday 16 February 2023
In which Winnie the Pooh stars in an R-rated slasher movie

By JAKE COYLE come to some and dis-
AP Film Writer turbing to others,” Jenkins
NEW YORK (AP) — The says. “But I don’t think new
Hundred Acre Wood has content uniformly saps the
seen some pretty unsettling value of the original work.
things over the years. A I have the original books. I
honey jar shortage. Rather adore them. The fact that
blustery days. The omnipres- this slasher film is out there
ent threat of a Heffalump. has no effect whatsoever
But in “Winnie the Pooh: on how I feel about A.A.
Blood and Honey,” a new Milne’s original creation
microbudget R-rated hor- or E.H. Shepard’s pencil
ror film, Pooh wades into far sketches.”
darker territory than even It’s worth noting that much
Eeyore could have ever of the Disney empire was, it-
imagined. After 95 years of self, built on public domain.
saying things like “A hug is “Beauty and the Beast”
always the right size,” Pooh comes from Jeanne-Marie
newly freed from copyright Leprince de Beaumont’s
is now violently terrorizing 1756 version of the fairy tale.
a remote house of young This image released by Fathom Events shows Craig David Dowsett, in a scene from “Winnie the “Sleeping Beauty” came
Pooh: Blood and Honey.”
women. Associated Press from Charles Perrault’s 1697
Countless cherished char- fairy tale. “Aladdin” comes
acters have passed into domain. It will be open on do a small theatrical run in infiltrating their mind and from the folk tale collection
public domain before, but season on the face of the some places and do quite destroying their memories. “The Book of One Thousand
perhaps never so abruptly Walt Disney Co. or at least well commercially,” says When I get claims that I ru- and One Nights.”
and savagely as Pooh. that early whistling variety Waterfield. “But it’s blown ined people’s childhoods, Though Jenkins can’t think
Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, of Mickey. up way beyond that to a I’m genuinely confused. I of too many characters
Owl, Eeyore and Christo- Pop culture, as a concept, scale that’s absolutely in- just kind of brush it off and who had such a jarring
pher Robin all became was born in the 1920s, sane.” carry on making more of entry to public domain
public domain on Janu- meaning many of the most In a 2021 tally of media them.” as Pooh, films like “Pride
ary 1 last year when the indelible and still very cul- franchises by Statista, Win- Waterfield is already plan- and Prejudice and Zom-
copyright on A.A. Milne’s turally present works will fall nie the Pooh, with $80.3 bil- ning sequels with Peter bies” (2016) and the 2021
1926 book, “Winnie-the- into public domain in the lion in worldwide revenue, Pan, Bambi and many book “The Great Gatsby
Pooh,” with illustrations by coming years. There will be tied Mickey Mouse for No. more. (The Felix Salten Undead” are reference
E.H. Shepard, expired. Just all kinds of new and unlikely 3, trailing only Pokémon book “Bambi, A Life in the points. “People love add-
a year later, Pooh and Pig- contexts for some of these and Hello Kitty. But unlike Woods” also became pub- ing zombies to public do-
let can now be found on characters. Some could be them, Pooh accounts for lic domain last year.) main works,” says Jenkins.
a murderous rampage in wonderful, some schlocky. a veritable religion for his Jennifer Jenkins, a profes- To her, “Winnie the Pooh:
nationwide movie theaters But “Winnie Pooh: Blood kind-hearted witticisms and sor of law and director of Blood and Honey” may not

a head-spinning develop- and Honey” may just be a contented spiritual outlook. Duke’s Center for the Study be the most glorious exam-
ment that’s happened taste of what’s in store. Pooh is as much a gentle of Public Domain, is used ple of the effects of public
faster than a bear could “When Superman and Bat- sage as he is a round- to operating in a relatively domain, but it’s part of a
say “Oh, bother.” man fall into the public do- tummied toon. When Wa- quiet and byzantine realm process that human cre-
Depending on how you main, there’s going to be terfield realized Pooh was of copyright law and thorny ativity depends upon and
look at it, “Winnie the Pooh: some wild films, I’m sure of entering public domain, “I rights issues. She writes an thrives on. “Blood and Hon-
Blood and Honey” is either it,” says “Winnie the Pooh: had a spark in my eye,” he annual Jan. 1 column for ey” may not make a lasting
a crass way to capitalize Blood and Honey” writer, says. Here was much-cov- “Public Domain Day.” But mark in the Hundred Acre
on a beloved bear or an in- director and co-producer eted intellectual property nothing has caused her Woods, but something,
genious bit of independent Rhys Waterfield. “There’s that could sell just about phone to ring off the hook someday will. Chalk it up to
filmmaking foresight. Either going to be so many dif- any film. “I’ve never met quite like “Winnie the Pooh: growing pains.
way, it’s probably a harbin- ferent and cool unique it- anyone that doesn’t know Blood and Honey.” “The fact that some peo-
ger of what’s to come. erations coming off that. I who Winnie the Pooh is,” The movie has clearly ple may be disturbed or
In the next 10 years, some might do one.” Waterfield said in a recent touched a nerve; millions revolted by this particu-
of the most iconic charac- Though made for less than phone interview speaking have watched its trailer lar re-use of some of the
ters in pop culture includ- $100,000, “Winnie the from Amsterdam. online. (Typical comment: characters from Winnie the
ing Bugs Bunny, Batman Pooh: Blood and Honey” But certainly, not every- “I can’t believe that this Pooh doesn’t detract from
and Superman will pass will open Friday on some one has been so happy movie is real.”) And Jen- the value of the public do-
into public domain, or at 1,500 screens in North about the idea of one of kins, a firm believer in the main,” says Jenkins.
least their most early incar- America, an unusually wide the most benevolent bears long-range benefits of “This is how people through-
nations. Some elements of release for such a little- turning feral monster. Wa- public domain, has been out history have created.
Pooh are still off-limits, like funded movie. It’s already terfield says he receives somewhat bemused by They’ve always drawn on
his red shirt, since they ap- made $1 million in Mexico daily messages telling him the storm kicked up by or been inspired by earlier
ply to later interpretations. and has many more inter- he’s evil, and even some a movie like “Winnie the works. Time will tell with this
Tigger, who debuted in national territories booked. death threats. One person Pooh: Blood and Honey.” movie or any other reuse of
1928’s “The House at Pooh For Waterfield, a British film said they were calling the She compares public do- Winnie the Pooh and Piglet
Corner,” isn’t public until producer of direct-to-DVD police. “You’ve got to be main issues like these to the whether movies like this will
2024. Many have next Jan. titles (credits include “Dino- pretty thick-skinned to do a way free speech is a right, be rewarded in the market-
1 circled. That’s when the saur Hotel” and “Easter Kill- movie like this,” Waterfield regardless of whether you place or have any endur-
original version of Mickey ing”), it’s already a hit way says. “It baffles me. People agree with what’s said. ing appeal.
Mouse, from “Steamboat beyond expectation. think making an alternative “Some uses of public do- “My thing is always: Time
Willie,” becomes public “I kind of thought this could version of him is somehow main material will be wel- will tell.”q