Chernobyl Horror Film Called Disrespectful, A Joke

Chernobyl Diaries

With a slogan of Experience the fallout, the Chernobyl Diaries has unsurprisingly been called tasteless.

LOS ANGELES Horror film "Chernobyl Diaries," with its ghostly tale ofterror near theinfamous, abandoned nuclear plant hits theaters after protests that it sensationalizes adisaster that had tragic human consequences.

But filmmaker Oren Peli, best known as thecreator ofthe "Paranormal Activity" horror franchise, defends his movie bycalling it ahorror film meant toentertain andnever offend. Andhe does have some support fromoutside groups.

Still, as with many other films that use real events or people onwhich tobase fictional horror stories "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," toname just one "Chernobyl Diaries" has sparked concern, leading topetitions andcalls forboycotts.

Yago Alayza, aFlorida-based graphic designer, created one oftwo existing petitions onChange.org andstarted another onFacebook after viewing advertisements forthe film.

"Seeing teenagers taking avacation atChernobyl, as if they were going toDisney World, shocked me deeply," he said. "Anyone visiting Chernobyl should have thesame respect as if they were visiting Auschwitz or theKhmer Rouge Museum inCambodia."

Alayza, who has not yet seen thefilm, also takes issue with theposter andits slogan: "Experience theFallout." "Honestly, who wants toexperience afallout? Do thefilmmakers really know what that means? They are making areal horror situation intoa joke. This is pure indifference tothe reality ofthe tragedy."

"Chernobyl Diaries" takes place inthe Ukrainian ghost town ofPrypiat, acity that once housed workers ofthe Chernobyl power plant. It was abandoned in1986 after one ofthe nearby reactors exploded, causing anuclear plant accident unrivaled until 2011's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster inJapan.

Ukraine, Russia andBelarus are still dealing with theradiation exposure, which has been linked todeath, chronic health issues andbirth deformities among thousands ofpeople.

The rest is here:
Chernobyl Horror Film Called Disrespectful, A Joke

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero