[nfbmi-talk] "Don't Breathe": What Have You Heard?

[Kane Brolin]

Hi, everybody.

I am putting this out there to several lists, because I see potential
opportunity to educate the public and to promote our org, but am not
sure what we've got here or what we should be doing with it.

While perusing my newsfeed on Twitter this morning, I ran across a
reference to the new Sony Pictures action adventure film "Don't
Breathe," due to be released Friday, August 26.  This looks
intriguing, because the plot involves some kids who on a lark decide
they are going to steal a lot of money from this supposedly wealthy
blind man--something they think will be cake.  But it turns out to be
anything but cake, as this blind man appears to outsmart and terrify
them. http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/dontbreathe/

So far all I've been able to detect is a really rough sense of the
plot based on the official trailer, which I've only listened to,
without the benefit of any audio description.  This genre of film,
with minimal dialogue in many parts, can be hard to understand without
a DVS track or a human narrator watching it with me to interpret the
action.  But this looks to be at least a cut above that horrid
European film "Blindness" directed by Fernando Meirelles that came out
in 2008, in that this one depicts a blind man who is intelligent and
empowered, at least to some degree.

Has anyone had the opportunity to attend an advance showing of "Don't
Breathe"?  Does the Federation have a position statement about it?

What I'm thinking is that this could present an interesting chance for
us to partner with a movie theater--maybe as a fundraising event--to
draw people in for a special showing, perhaps followed by a discussion
of how real blind people live the life we want and how we would face
down actual danger or deal with emergency situations if required to do
so.  Does anyone think this is a constructive idea that could raise
the level of community awareness about us or enhance the membership
rolls or positive cash flow of a chapter?

Kind regards,

Kane Brolin, President
Michiana Chapter, National Federation of the Blind