5 posts tagged “spain”

I had never heard of the film Vantage Point but IMDB says it was released in New Zealand in mid-March. YouTube has a bad-ass car chase from it. I understand it’s set in Salamanca, Spain, but this clearly looks like México to me—the cars are the big giveaway (car buffs, look out for the Chevrolet Montana, Volkswagen Gol and Volkswagen Polo Classic, while Dennis Quaid drives not an Opel Astra H, but a Chevrolet Astra H, if you look at the badging) and it doesn’t look that much like what I have seen of Spain in photographs. (Friends with digital cameras must make life hard for film-makers these days!)
   Sound quality is not what it should be, so it was probably pirated at the cinema.

More news is emerging on the American remake of Life on Mars, which may come in the fall break there on ABC.
   But here’s the humdinger. Should we get ready for blog commenters who say Spaniards always mess up British shows though? From Variety:

Spanish terrestrial broadcaster Antena 3 TV will reversion the BBC’s high concept cop drama "Life on Mars," transferring the action from Manchester to Madrid.
   This pioneering remake of a U.K. TV fiction series for Spain, tentatively titled “Vida en Marte,” will be produced in 2008 and aired next year in primetime.

   It’s to be set in 1978. No word yet on the character names but you can be Santos Tyler and Geraldo Hunt won’t be them. But 1978—will they dash around in a Chrysler 150, 180 or Seat 132?

Meanwhile, Spain has its share of undesirables. This sort of behaviour is inexcusable in 2008 (not that it was ever excusable, really). From the BBC’s Anglophenia:

At this weekend’s pre-season auto race in Spain, spectators wore blackface and hurled racial abuse at British racer Lewis Hamilton. The Times reports, “The McLaren driver, 23, was subjected to racist comments and was faced with a group of spectators wearing wigs, dark make-up, and t-shirts with the slogan ‘Hamilton’s Family’ on the front during pre-season testing near Barcelona.” The FIA has threatened to strip Spain of Formula One Grand Prix races if the racist incidents happen again.

[Cross-posted] The above advertisement for the Citroën C4 was withdrawn in Spain after complaints from some Chinese that it was insulting to the entire nation.
   Somehow, I think that’s an exaggeration.
   Sure, some folks in the Politburo might be annoyed. But there will be a lot of Chinese who think that Mao Tse-tung is fair game when it comes to advertising humour.
   Americans are quite happy to dress up an actor as Lincoln and make a few jokes, and Elizabeth I appeared in Blackadder.
   At least neither Abe Lincoln nor QEI was responsible for the deaths of 70 million of their own subjects, managing to butcher more than their enemies were able to.
   While it’s true I might get annoyed at the same treatment being given to Confucius, surely a more uniting figure for Chinese people, chances are I’d shrug it off. The late Pat Morita did plenty of Confucius jokes in Happy Days, and I still watched the series—even when the Fonz became the star.
   Having driven the C4—both diesel and petrol models—I can even endorse these cars.
   Citroën, don’t buy in for a second that Mao is a universally revered symbol among Chinese, or that we can’t take a joke.
   And remember that those people writing on message boards about how insulted they are at this ad are under the surveillance of the Red Chinese Politburo. Ten years ago, they would not have even been allowed online. They know this and they know there are spies online. Everyone is just acting as though they are loyal Communist Party members and not being counter-revolutionary.
   You can bet that no one in Beijing will complain if Mao was used in a Mercedes-Benz advertisement as a satisfied customer. After all, the man ordered plenty of 600 models.
   No Chinese complained when Citroën used Chinese symbols to sell the AX (‘Révolutionnaire!’) in 1986–7. As far as I can make out, this is just an extension.
   Of course, Citroën has apologized to the overly sensitive types, I say principally because it has a vested interest in Red China, selling everything from a facelifted Peugeot 206 as the C2 to ZX sedans that command a hefty share of the taxi market.
   Citroën’s statement read, ‘We repeat our good feelings towards the Chinese people, and confirm that we respect the representatives and symbols of the country.’
   Money and capitalism have won the day and assured the Communists an apology. I wonder what Mao would say to that.

Well, one heat of the America’s Cup. That makes it one all, which will buoy our boys. Congrats to Dean and the lads.