>>> WELCOME BACK.
EARLIER THIS WEEK WE MET A
FEW OF THE TALENTED ACTORS
IN THE SOON TO BE RELEASED
FILM "DETROIT" AND THIS
MORNING WE MEET MORE OF THE
CAST.
GOOD MORNING, JIM.
>> WELL, VERY GOOD MORNING.
OUR HOLLYWOOD HAPPENING
LOOKS AT THE POWERFUL DRAMA
"DETROIT", A TRUE STORY THAT
CENTERS AROUND A 1967 POLICE
RAID THAT RESULTED IN ONE OF
THE LARGEST RACE RIOTS.
HERE IS LAZ ALONSO AND TYLER
JAMES TO TELL YOU THE STORY.
THE OPEN OF THE FILM, IT'S
ALMOST IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT
WAS DETROIT, MICHIGAN, YOU
WOULD THINK IT WAS THE
MIDDLE EAST, BEIRUT OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> I THINK USING ANIMATION
IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE
FILM, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO
WHAT YOU SEE IN
DOCUMENTARIES, WHERE THEY
USE IT AS A VEHICLE TO BRING
YOU UP TO SPEED LIKE HOW DID
WE GET TO WHERE WE ARE
TODAY.
THE WHOLE THEME BEHIND THIS
FILM IS HOW DID WE GET
THERE, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY NEED
TO BE HEARD AND WHEN THEY
AREN'T HEARD, HOW THAT CAN
UNFOLD.
>> SO IT'S NOT DIFFICULT TO
UNDERSTAND WHY IT HAPPENED,
I DON'T THINK, GROWING UP ON
THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO AT
THE TIME, I UNDERSTOOD WHY
IT HAPPENED, I SAW IT
PERSONALLY.
BEN, YOUR CHARACTER IS A
DETROIT POLICE OFFICER
CAUGHT IN THE SITUATION AT
THE ALGIERS HOTEL, WHICH
BECAME WORLD FAMOUS AT THAT
PARTICULAR TIME.
DID HE, IN HIS MIND, FEEL
THAT HE'S JUST DOING HIS
JOB?
DO YOU THINK?
>> YEAH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
HE IS -- I MEAN, LOOK, I'VE
GOT TO SAY, BY THE WAY,
PLAYING WITH THAT
CHARACTER'S HEAD SPACE, WHEN
THEY ARRIVE AT THE ALGIERS,
THAT SERIOUS SENSE OF
CAMARADERIE WITH POLICE
OFFICERS, AND THE BROTHERS
IN BLUE, THE BOYS IN BLUE,
YOU KNOW, AND PRIOR TO
ARRIVING, A POLICE OFFICER
THAT NIGHT HAD BEEN KILLED
BY LOOTERS, SO THEY KIND OF
WERE OUT FOR BLOOD A BIT,
THOSE THREE POLICE OFFICERS
THAT NIGHT.
BUT, YEAH, REALISTICALLY,
THEY HONESTLY BELIEVED THEY
COULD SWEEP IT UNDER THE
RUG, AND THEY WERE JUST
DOING THEIR JOB.
>> AND THEY GOT CAUGHT UP IN
THE CHAOS.
>> EVERYBODY IS BASICALLY
RUNNING ON NO SLEEP, THE
POLICE ARE NOT GETTING PAID
ENOUGH --.
>> I JUST WONDER HOW AN
AUSSIE ENDED UP IN THE
DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
>> [ LAUGHTER
] .
>> AND YOUR CHARACTER, LEON,
REALLY AN INNOCENT VICTIM,
WOULD YOU AGREE?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY,
COMPLETELY INNOCENT.
YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING,
HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH
PEOPLE ABOUT THIS MOVIE AND
SEEING THAT, A LOT OF PEOPLE
LIKE TO ASSOCIATE THE
BEGINNING OF THE FILM WITH
WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM LATER,
AND SAY THAT THOSE TWO
THINGS CORRELATE.
THAT DOESN'T NEGATE THE
INNOCENCE OF THE PERSON OR
THE CHARACTER.
AND IN A WAY, THIS PERSON
SPEAKS FOR ALL THOSE WHO
WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEAK.
EVERYONE HAS A CAMERA PHONE
NOW AND CAN SHOOT IT, BUT AT
THE TIME, HOW MANY OF THESE
INCIDENTS HAPPENED THAT WE
DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT?
>> WHAT WENT ON AT THE
MOTEL.
>> WHAT HAPPENED AT THE
MOTEL?
>> YOU DON'T KNOW, I'LL TELL
YOU.
I WAS WORKING SECURITY BY
WISCONSIN, AND ON TUESDAY
NIGHT WE HEARD GUNFIRE
COMING FROM THE ALGIERS.
POLICE WERE THERE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF SHOOTING.
[ GUNFIRE ] I WENT IN THERE.
THREE KIDS HAD BEEN KILLED.
>> NO.
SO THEY WERE KILLED RIGHT
BEFORE YOU GOT THERE
>> YOU CARRY A .38; RIGHT?
>> A REVOLVER.
YOU CARRY A REVOLVER.
>> I DO HAVE A .38.
[ INAUDIBLE ].
>> I DIDN'T DO IT.
>> POLICE.
AHH, HERE WE GO.
>> HERE IN DETROIT, A CITY
OF WAR.
STATE POLICE AND NATIONAL
GUARDSMEN...
>> STATE OF EMERGENCY...
>> THEY'RE DESTROYING THE
CITY.
>> POLICE!
>> I'M GOING TO ASSUME
YOU'RE ALL CRIMINALS.
>> WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THIS
TO ANYONE EVER.
UNDERSTAND?
[ INAUDIBLE ].
>> A CHANGE IS COMING!
>> I TOLD YOU WHAT I SAW.
I'M TRYING TO HELP, HERE.
>> WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH
YOU?
>> CHANGES ARE COMING!
>> YOU WANT TO GO HOME?
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT HAPPENED AT THE
MOTEL?
>> OPENING IN THEATERS
TODAY, AN ACTION MYSTERY
THRILLER "ATOMIC BLONDE"
STARRING CHARLIZE THERON,