May 15, 2003: The movie studio that released "The Matrix Reloaded" fired back at suggestions the science-fiction thriller somehow portrayed albinos in a bad light.
Part two of the trilogy introduced two new enemies: twins with pale skin and light-colored hair.
"There are even dreadlocked albinos who look like a vanilla Milli Vanilli," is the way movie critic Carrie Rickey termed them.
"For the last 40 years filmmakers have used albino characters as villains, and they're almost always vicious, inhuman characters, depicted as freaks," dermatologist and self-proclaimed film buff Dr. Vail Reese added.
Warner Bros. did not taking the issue lightly.
"They're not albinos!" a studio spokeswoman stressed to WND regarding the new villains. "They're not even human. They're vampires, 15th century vampires. … These characters do not possess the qualities that albinos possess. They don't have red eyes. They become invisible. Clearly, they're not real people."
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