films came from making those first reviews the best they could be. Give your film the same good fortune.
Seek flattery . . . or controversy. MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING turned its small fire into a huge blaze by showing it to influential audiences in Hollywood, Cannes, Aspen and elsewhere. Those media magnates loved it, told one another, told the world that this was the first of a new breed of independent films. It didn’t have big stars. It didn’t have a big budget. But it did have a big heart. PASSION OF THE CHRIST and FARENHEIT 911 both thrived on controversy. PASSION OF THE CHRIST was an unabashedly Christian film in a nation embattled over religion. It was bloody, violent, showcased torture, and didn’t protray Jews (or Romans for that matter) in a particularly favorable light. For all the people who hated the film for those reasons, others loved