"Turistas" Stirs up Trouble in Brazil

"Jaws" kept us out of the water; "Psycho" made us anxious in the shower and now the release of a new film, "Turistas," is putting Brazil in an uproar. "Turistas" chronicles the travails of a group of American backpackers whose holiday at a Brazilian resort turns into a nightmare when they are drugged with caipirinhas, kidnapped and swept up by a gang of organ traffickers. Brazilian tourism officials are concerned that visitor arrivals will plummet in response to the film. The filmmakers are being accused of sensationalism. Brazil's tourism board has hired a U.S. public relations company to counter the negative depictions of what Hollywood imagines could happen during a Brazilian vacation. "Jaws" was a classic, and people went back in the water. "Psycho" still frightens people, and we still take showers. Brazilians should take heart that advance reviews of "Turistas" describe a film that will most likely have a very limited shelf life.