Twitter Debates: ATTACK THE BLOCK Needs Subtitles For A U.S. Release

One of the best things about Twitter is the ability to see conversations take place in real-time and it’s even better when these conversations turn into heated debates. What’s real interesting is that the platform’s 140 character limit filters the filibuster, requiring succinct responses to get a point across. The Lincoln-Douglas debate this is not.

A Twitter debate took place earlier today that I thought was worthy of classic debate breakdown and here it is:

The Resolution: The Hollywood Reporter‘s Heat Vision blog claims that Attack the Block, which was a huge hit at SXSW, has not been picked up by a U.S. distributor yet because the British accents in the film are too hard to understand. There is talk of having subtitles for any North American release.

In the Affirmative: @rejects, Publisher and Executive Editor of Film School Rejects.

In the Negative: @scottEweinberg, Editor/Film Critic for Twitch and FEARnet.

Affirmative Constructive:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48770843173601280”]

Cross-Examination:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48771468951175168”]

Negative Constructive:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48773237886291969”]

[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48773778896990209”]

[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48774983991836672”]

Cross-Examination:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48771798938030080”]

1st Negative Rebuttal:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48772531057999872”]

Cross-Examination:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48772750130675712”]

1st Affirmative Rebuttal:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48772967018139648”]

2nd Negative Rebuttal:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48782025129345024”]

2nd Affirmative Rebuttal:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48782514369736704”]

[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48782618195533824”]

[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48783309693648896”]

Negative Summary:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/scottEweinberg/status/48783789115195393”]

Affirmative Summary:
[blackbirdpie url=“http://twitter.com/#!/rejects/status/48784553585807360”]

So, who do you think won? And what’re your thoughts on why Attack the Block wasn’t picked up despite positive buzz out of SXSW? Does it really need subtitles?