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EXCLUSIVE: New allegations in LOTR movies "Securitygate" affair - Lord of the Rings news - J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

August 15, 2000 at 11:38:38

Xenite.Org has received a lengthy complaint from someone claiming to be a recent visitor to one of the movie sets. Xenite.Org cannot confirm or refute this account. We do not endorse rude and threatening behavior, sexual harrassment, or poison pen campaigns. But clearly there is a great interest in what is going on in New Zealand, and we feel the complaint is newsworthy if unverifiable (we are located in the United States).

We will post any response from New Line Cinema and/or Three Foot Six and/or any of the individuals named herein without editing except for inappropriate language. Webmasters, if you reprint this article, please either cite the first paragraphs with a link to the exact Xenite.Org article or cite the entire article, including our disclaimer and offer of equal space.

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to you concerning an incident with Security guards and film crew at the Wellington, NZ, Wingate, Lord of The Rings film set.

I am disgusted with the attitude of those concerned towards my friend and the public. I am also concerned that some people have tried to discredit our story without knowing the full background.

On Tuesday 8 August I drove my friend and her seven year old daughter to the Wingate set in Wellington Lower Hutt, to watch the filming going on at the set. My friend is a great fan of the story as her father read her the book all through her childhood, so she has grown up with the story. She has also read the book numerous times during her adult years.

After parking on the road outside the set, security asked if we were taking photos. My friend explained to security in an assertive and polite manner that she had put in writing that she would not take photos and would not trespass onto the sets. Head of Security has this letter on file. This she thought, would stop her being harassed by security.

My friend and her daughter wandered along the footpath to get a better view. A male crew member ran up to security and pointed at my friend and her daughter. Security approached her and asked her if she had a camera. She again told them about the letter she had written to Barry Thomson Head of Security. She also told them that she had once been invited up to the Helms Deep set and had signed a confidentiality agreement. Meanwhile I had set up my telescope on the bonnet of my car to get a better look. Some crew were milling about the gate looking at us with dirty looks. I ignored them and continued to watch the goings on. A female crew member came storming out of the gates and yelled "If you are going to perve at us, we will perve at you". My friend replied politely " well if thats what you want to do then go ahead". My friend is thirty two years old and is therefore a mature and assertive women. She refused to get drawn into the abusive and childish behaviour displayed by the female crew member. The female crew member went back to the gate. Then the two security guard's approached us One of them said "Excuse me, but we have to ask you people to leave you are not welcome here". My friend being well versed in legal matters, replied that we were legally parked on the road, were standing on public property so therefore were not trespassing. One of the guards stood on the public footpath with his legs spread apart and his arms crossed, and said "I am going to stand here in front of your camera". My friend assertively but politely explained that it was a telescope not a camera, and we were not about to leave and she again explained the law regarding our situation. He then went back to the gates. We thought this was the end of the matter. We then sat on the roof of my car to get a better view as the crew started to move trucks around to block our view. They the crew , were running up to the fence in an aggressive manner, and looking back at the set to see what could be seen.
My friend was so concerned about the aggression displayed by the crew that to make light of the situation, she started giving them directions on where to place the screens that they were now carrying to block our view. At this point a blonde woman with an English accent was trying to calm things down, telling the men to settle down. She was the only crew member there who tried to be polite, and acted in a mature way. In my opinion she deserves a promotion and pay rise.

It was at this point that a male crew member ran up to the fence in an aggressive manner and took at least two photos. Now, my friend was sitting on the roof of my car, and the angle from which the photos were being taken, that man was looking straight up her skirt. I yelled at the man, and he ran to the back of the set. My friends daughter, who was sitting in her car seat in the back of the car, was very distressed because of the man taking photos and called out "Watch out mamma , they are taking your photo". Now I thought the behaviour of that man was absolutely disgusting, because in my opinion, he was sexually harrassing my friend as he was looking up her skirt and taking her photo. I am also concerned that my friends daughter could be in the photos. My friend does not like the idea of a complete stranger possibly having photos of her child. My friends seven year old daughter was quite distressed when the male crew member took her mothers photo. The poor child cowered behind her mothers legs. My friend at the time was looking through the telescope and didn't see her photos taken. When her daughter shouted out to her that her photos were being taken she said to he daughter "don't be so ridiculous they wouldn't do that". As at the time she didn't realize they had gone too far. I then confirmed that her photos had indeed been taken when she was occupied with giving the crew directions where to put the screens, while looking through the telescope.. My friend was furious, and we proceeded to the Lower Hutt Police Station, where my friend made a complaint to the police. The police thought the behaviour of the crew member was quite disgusting and told her to contact Barry Thomson head of security for Three Foot Six.

My friend rang Barry Thomson, and complained assertively but politely about the situation. Barry Thomson said he would investigate the matter, find who took the photos, confiscate the film and give my friend the negatives. My friend explained to Barry that her ex - husband is a barrister and that he would not be too happy to see photos of his daughter bandied about. Barry assured her that he would try and find the person who took the photos, and give my friend the negatives. At the time of writing this has not occurred.

The impaled wizard photo came out in the evening post. My friend notified Barry of the article stating that her friend did not take the photo and the article was inaccurate. She then again demanded the negatives that had been promised to her and Barry said he would find out who had taken the photos.

My friend then rang the Evening Post and complained about the article stating that it was inaccurate. The next day we went to see the reporter responsible for the article and told him our story. He apologized for the error in the article and said that he would run the full story in a feature in the next couple of weeks. He also told us of an elderly gentleman who had been abused at the Poets Park set.

By Friday after getting no response from Barry Thomson, my friend wrote to the publicist Claire Raskind of Three Foot Six, a letter of complaint concerning the above matter. She delivered it in person to Stone Street Studios, and gave it to security. It was addressed to Claire Raskind and marked confidential because at the time she did not want any one to see it.

Four days later my friend has still not recieved any response from Three Foot Six Publicist Claire Raskind, even though she supplied her contact details. In my opinion i feel this is an absolute disgrace considering the seriousness of the matter.

As an after note reflecting on my friends good character:

My friend was out at the Lyall Bay set, and was in a position where she could see quite closely a certain major character in full costume. Out of respect for this actor who plays a major role in the movie, my friend did not take photos of him when, i believe, ninety percent of the population would have and made money out of it. My friend stated she felt to do so would be highly disrespectful to the actor and was disgusted as some members of the public took photos of the set. She also stated that she would not like it if people took photos of her so that is why she does not take photos of the sets or the actors. My friend is an upstanding and a very honest person and this sort of disgusting behaviour directed at her is an absolute disgrace.

I end by saying it is my opinion that my friend's genuine concern regarding the fact that complete strangers are in possession of possible photographs of her daughter, and the purpose to which these photographs will be used is not known and is of legitimate concern. I also am concerned that the photos taken of the persons involved in this matter may not, in my personal opinion be the first photos taken of members of the public, though this has not been proven. It is also of my opinion that male crew, especially, and certain security officials, hold sexist and chauvinistic attitudes towards her because she is an attractive and intelligent woman, and she not only explained the law to them but assertively told them off. This i feel, they can't deal with.

Grant Matheson