From the Mailbag (I): Apologize to Steven Spielberg, or Else!

As we expected, the feature on Steven Spielberg's invasion of Budapest that we published before heading off on our August break elicited a great deal of reader interest. But the deluge actually didn't really start until this week, when the item was mentioned in the New York Post's famed "Page Six" gossip feature (registration required), and then picked up by various entertainment news outlets around the world. (Though, perhaps thankfully, by many publications that didn't mention us.) Either way, lots of people had comments or personal experiences to share, and not all were sympathetic to our concerns. Here are a few:

Dear Pestiside:

Give us a break. Just because you have a camera, you think you are entitled to take pictures of a movie set, even if it is in your town or on your street. Filmmaking has nothing to do with a "sprit of openness, and friendship among nations". It's a movie! And I don't think Spielberg will cry if you see it on a pirated DVD or in the theater.

Harry Sparks

Dear Harry:

Actually, we do think we are entitled to take a picture of a movie set if it is on our street. That's part of the reason we decided to live on a street, and not on a movie set.

Dear Pestiside:

Give them hell. We in the states are just as tired of these pompous, self-important assholes as you are now. Why do you think they are filming more and more movies overseas? Not to mention they have to move from one country to the next as they soon overstay their welcome (which is about the first ten minutes). Like you said, get a pirated copy (not something I would normally agree with).

These people DO NOT represent America.

Dana James

Dear Dana:

Thanks, and you keep giving 'em hell, too.

Dear Pestiside:

My name is Soo and I am from Germany. With great joy and interest I have read your article about the Spielberg shoot in Andrassy ut. I have just spent a long weekend in BUD, my boyfriend is working in your great city at the moment, so I took the great opportunity to see it. I am back home now and I have very much enjoyed my short trip.

One thing which really annoyed me was the circus that S. Spielberg created in town and I wanted to find out more about it and found your site. Not only we were not able to enjoy our romantic dinner by the Duna because his helicopter was flying up and down the river for many many hours but we were almost treated like Terrorists when we were strolling down the street to the Opera. Security guys and police met us with big opened hand palms to stop us… none of the people intended to break the barriers... just curious to know what was happening, but no answer to nice questions, only a very grim and rude hand gesture!!!!!

It was so ridiculous... just a movie, nothing else... and if Spielberg is so [scared] about his well-being etc, then maybe he should stay in his beloved home country of so sacred FREEDOM and SECURITY and save people in Malta and Bud the huge hassle and inconvenience and anger he caused to the habitants and tourists with his visit!!!!
I do understand that there has to be a certain kind of security measurements but obviously EXCESS seems to be the Americans best friend!!! WELL DONE Mr. Spielberg... you certainly made no friends in Malta and Budapest!! How about treating people with kindness and respect??? I will come again to BUD and hopefully there will be no Spielberg interrupting my walk down the Andrassy ut to the Opera house.

Best Regards from Germany,
Soo

Dear Soo:

Sorry that this episode marred your visit to BUD, and we hope your next trip will be more enjoyable and romantic. Meanwhile, as Dana pointed out above, this sort of behavior is not necessarily an American trait.

Dear Pestiside:

I'm from New York and arrived at the Marriott hotel in Budapest on Wednesday the 17th. The hotel was infiltrated with rude security who were watching your every step. The Marriot was transformed into the "Europa London" hotel, all the signs were changed. In fact, I didn't realize how much they had changed the hotel until they left in the middle of the night Thursday (Friday morning). Mirrors were covered, the gift shop was made into a 1970s London gift shop, british theater posters, "lifts" instead of "elevators" and so on.

One night I walked on the outskirts of the hotel where they were shooting a London scene on the streets surrounding the hotel. Lights everywhere, security everywhere else. I walked around and snuck some pictures. In one place where there were onlookers we were told we can take pictures as long as we don't use flash. On my way back to the hotel, I walked up the ramp towards the entrance of the hotel and was confronted by a plain clothed security guy who blocked my path and said, "May I help you?" attempting to intimidate me. I told him I [was staying] in the hotel and showed him my room key. He let me aside his, ehh, robust body and I noticed in the mirrors leading to the hotel that he was following me and speaking in his earpiece. I turned around and he exclaimed, "everything's okay" in his horrible english. As I walk into the lobby, assuming I'd be safe in the hotel, I saw the security at the end of the staircase listening to their earpieces and recognizing me from a description that must have been broadcast. I was then, very conspicuously, followed into the elevator. The idiot didn't even push a button until we got to the 6th floor. He then pushed 2, he must have realized he wasn't being too sneaky.

I thought they were going to beat the crap out of me in my room. But the schmuck did not follow me off the elevator. So I was stalked by an over pompous security crew who were concerned with a 22 year old kid taking some pictures. They took over the hotel and wouldn't even let me take pictures IN the hotel by the elevators. Marriott management offered no condolences, I guess everybody has their price.

Brian Kadar

Dear Brian:

Thanks for sharing that with us, and we hope you enjoyed your stay despite the inconvience/discomfort.

Dear Pestiside:

While I totally understand your anger at the predicament. I am a big Spielberg fan and for my two cents would just say that while the situation sucks, his movies are awesome, and putting the blame on spielbergs shoulders is a little bit shortsighted It sounds to me like your mayor and the ancillarily foreign partners/production company are to blame, not the director.

Funny stuff though, keep up the good work.

Grant Donovan

Dear Grant:

"A.I." was awesome?

Dear Pestiside:

I am writing in reference to your recent "Photos Spielberg Doesn't Want You to See" post. I must ask, what is your problem? I am sure it must suck to have your neighborhood over-run by crews and trucks and the like. That circus is not fun when you are trying to go about your daily life. The problem with your complaint is ... You were NOT trying to go about your daily life. You were trying to take photos of the circus as it takes over your neighborhood. If nothing was going on, you would probably not be so desperate to take pictures, now would you?

The producers of the film do not seem to be (as you wrote) employing unprecedented secrecy. Not letting amateurs take photos of sets and actors to post on the net months and months before the film hits theaters is standard practice. Think about it, does that seem particularily terrible? The film-maker wants audiences to see the film for the first time in theaters (or trailers) for the film itself, not on your blog. Check out www.aintitcool.com for local amateur photographers encountering the same security techniques during shooting of many/most major films. The "Man" is not really keeping you down, you probably just need to relax.

Ken Barbie

Dear Ken:

Actually, taking pictures of crazy stuff in our neighborhood IS our daily life, and is actually what helps us relax. But thanks all the same.