MELISSA GEORGE - BRAZILIAN TOURIST BOSSES QUICK TO EXPLAIN TURISTAS

Brazilian tourist officials are employing a little damage control after watching screenings of new horror film TURISTAS, which focuses of a group of US holidaymakers stranded in the rainforest. The film, which was shot on location in Brazil and stars MELISSA GEORGE and JOSH DUHAMEL as backpacking surfers, suggests the South American country is far from vacation perfect. The holidaymakers are drugged and robbed by locals and then find themselves trying to escape from a mad doctor determined to remove their organs. And tourist bosses only hope US filmgoers realise the movie is fictional. In a statement from the Brazilian Tourism Board, released to coincide with the film's debut yesterday (01DEC06), a spokesman writes, "This is a fictional story created for those who enjoy horror movies. "We hope moviegoers will be inspired to learn more about Brazil because of the breathtaking setting, which is true to life, unlike the people and the events of the movie." Meanwhile, Duhamel took time out of his appearance on THE TONIGHT SHOW on Thursday (30NOV06) to apologise to the Brazilians. He said, "I guess there's a bit of a stink about the way the movie portrays Brazil but our intention was not to deter people to go to Brazil (sic)... It's a beautiful country."