WEINSTEIN VOWS TO STOP RELEASING VIOLENT FILMS

In what appeared to be a split between himself and his longtime collaborator Quentin Tarantino and an acknowledgment of conservative criticism that Hollywood practices hypocrisy when it comes to gun violence, producer Harvey Weinstein announced over the weekend that he will henceforth “choose movies that aren’t violent or as violent as they used to be.” In an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, Weinstein said that conservatives “have a point” when they accuse liberal filmmakers of calling for gun control while escalating the number of shoot-em-up movies. “I know for me, personally, I can’t continue to do that. The change starts here. It has already,” he said. His position presumably puts him at odds with Tarantino, whose films, such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained were all released by Weinstein-owned companies. Tarantino has repeatedly denied that his films contribute to violent behavior and last year erupted at a British TV interviewer who again raised the matter, refusing to answer his questions. “The reason I don’t want to talk about it — cause I’ve said everything I have to say about it. … I haven’t changed my opinion one iota.” Weinstein has disclosed that he is producing a new film, The Senator’s Wife, starring Maryl Streep, that will take aim at the National Rifle Association.