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March 29, 2010
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Kate Upton



Travolta blamed for 'Battlefield'
By QMI Agency


John Travolta in a scene from "Battlefield Earth."

He wants you to know he's very sorry: The worst movie of the decade was, at least partly, his fault.

J.D. Shapiro, one of the screenwriters behind 2000's Battlefield Earth starring John Travolta, has written a thorough explanation of how the movie came to suck so bad.

"Now, looking back at the movie with fresh eyes, I can't help but be strangely proud of it. Because out of all the sucky movies, mine is the suckiest," he wrote in the New York Post.

Battlefield Earth was the recipient of the Worst Movie of the Decade award at the Razzie Awards, handed out on March 6.

The film is based on a novel written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard about an alien race that enslaves humanity. Shapiro, who also helped write Robin Hood: Men in Tights, was commissioned to turn the book into a film.

"My script was very, very different than what ended up on the screen," he wrote. "My screenplay was darker, grittier and had a very compelling story with rich characters. What my screenplay didn't have was slow motion at every turn, Dutch tilts, campy dialogue, aliens in KISS boots, and everyone wearing Bob Marley wigs."

He doesn't pull any punches about who to blame, either. It was all John Travolta.

"Then I got another batch of notes. I thought it was a joke. They changed the entire tone. I knew these notes would kill the movie. The notes wanted me to lose key scenes, add ridiculous scenes, take out some of the key characters. I asked Mike where they came from. He said, "From us." But when

I pressed him, he said, "From John's camp, but we agree with them."

"I refused to incorporate the notes into the script and was fired."

The resulting film was so bad Shapiro even debated removing his name from it entirely before it hit theatres.

He's only seen the finished product once.



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