“Film distributors in Israel have decided not to invite film critics to press screenings. They feel bad reviews hurt the film’s financial potential. This has been going on for nearly eight weeks but only recently has attracted trade press coverage. Most critics have rejected the distributors’ offer to be re-invited to screenings if we only push back the publication date of our reviews, and give their movie, their massive-mega-million-dolar blockbuster, ‘one weekend of grace’. The companies are G.G (Globus Group), UIP (Universal. Paramount. Dreamworks), WB. and Forum Film, representing Disney, Miramax, New Line and Sony. It’s been speculated here that this reactionary move was done without the permission of the Hollywood managenent and that upon running that 7.9 item in Variety, the shit — it seems — has hit the fan. It should be noted that in Israel film distributors and exhibitors are one and the same, an issue once investigated by the anti-trust office at the department of finance, but no ruling was ever issued.” —
Yair Raveh, film critic, Film Critic, “Pnai Plus”, Tel Aviv.