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"Golden Compass" disappoints at box office (Praise the Lord!)
REuters ^ | Dec. 8 2007 | Dean Goodman

Posted on 12/08/2007 11:24:02 PM PST by DesScorp

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "The Golden Compass," a costly fantasy starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, got off to a slow start at the North American box office and will likely fall short of opening-weekend expectations.

New Line Cinema's $180 million film sold an estimated $8.8 million worth of tickets during its first day in theaters on Friday, according to data issued on Saturday by tracking firm Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com).

After Saturday and Sunday sales are factored in, the film will come in at No. 1 with about $28 million when the studios issue their weekend estimates on Sunday, said Paul Dergarabedian at Media By Numbers, another tracking firm.

New Line, a struggling Time Warner Inc unit hoping to launch another franchise along the lines of its blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" series, said last week it was hoping the film would open to between $30 million and $40 million.

"It's below expectations, but it's not an out-and-out debacle," said Dergarabedian.

Conspiring against the movie, he said, were such factors as a soft marketplace and unrealistic expectations for an epic fantasy filling the holiday void left by the "Narnia" and "Lord of the Rings" smashes.

A New Line executive did not return a call seeking comment.

Based on the first book in British author Philip Pullman's acclaimed children's series "His Dark Materials," writer/director Chris Weitz's film is set in an alternate world ruled by an oppressive religious authority. It features talking animals and a heroine played by youngster Dakota Blue Richards.

Even though the film downplays the religious aspect, it has been savaged by such groups as the Catholic League and the U.S. Conference of Bishops. Opponents have cited Pullman's unflattering portrayal of the church and specifically the Catholic faith.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: antichristian; atheism; boxoffice; boxofficebomb; catholicleague; goldencompass; hollywood; moviereview; movies; religion
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To: Racehorse
Why do you believe I shouldn't?

Do you want to put dollars into the pocket of corporations who are invested into devaluing the very foundation this country was built on...........religious values

Go right ahead.

Yeah, those societies built on secularism worked so well.............

61 posted on 12/09/2007 6:11:21 AM PST by Popman (My doohickey is discombobulated)
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To: ontap
This author is a hate munger when it comes to the Christian faith. People of the Christian faith are the only people who can safely be ridiculed.

I agree 100%. A person who is a true atheist, who doesn't believe in the existence of God, would go about their life concerning themselves with things other than religion. They might be privately amused by what they feel are other people's superstitions. Or they might become angry if someone tried to compel them to believe, but otherwise they would mind their own business.

People like Pullman and Dawkins and Madelaine Murray O'Haire are much different. Their goal is not to go about their own lives free from what they regard as superstition. They are angry that anyone believes in God, because the possibility of the existence of God implies the possibility of absolutely standards of right and wrong, of which they might fall short. Their goal is to impose their atheism on everyone around them, by whatever means necessary, in order to avoid the possibility of ever examining the morality of their own actions. From Robespierre to Stalin to Mao to Pol Pot, we have seen the consequences when millitant atheists acquire the power to implement their vision. They far surpass the worst days of the Inquisition in bloodshed and cruelty.

62 posted on 12/09/2007 6:20:12 AM PST by CaptainMorgantown
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To: singfreedom
They (Reuters and the Guardian) even distort the film's religious critics:

"Even though the film downplays the religious aspect, it has been savaged by such groups as the Catholic League and the U.S. Conference of Bishops."

Fact is, the Catholic League ---which is basically Bill Donohue and four (4) employees--- blasted the film, but the USCCB Media Office critics Harry Forbes and John Mulderig praised it and gave it an A-II rating (suitable for Adults and Adolescents).

Naturally, discerning Catholics are calling for Forbes and Mulderig to be fired (read about the USCCB/Compass Kafuffle here), but the interesting thing is the Pullman supporters falsely claiming they've been attacked by the nodding, fawning USCCB!

Like they're saying, "OK, Protestants and Jews, relax: we're just offending those stupid Catholic Bishops, after all!" --- while whacking them surreptitiously with a stick: "C'mon, Bishops! Get offended! Get bloody offended!")

63 posted on 12/09/2007 6:32:29 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Mammalia Primatia Hominidae Homo sapiens. Still working on the "sapiens" part.)
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To: DesScorp

Based on previews and the choices available, I took my 16year old son to see the movie yesterday. I wasn’t aware of the author’s positions and possible motives, and that may have influenced me had I known.

I saw a fantasy movie about another world with some very good special effects and several well known actors. It looked like a poorly written knock off of other “fantasy epic” flicks with an interesting, albeit confusing premise.

Nicole Kidman plays a character that is just a modified version of the Ice Queen in Narnia. The Armored Bear is a polar bear that reminded me of the lion in the same movie. The odd collection of different clans and species with different skills mimicked the hobbits, elves, dwarves, and fairies of LOTR.

The movie assumes there is a connectedness between this and other universes, and the source of the connection is “dust.” The compass is a source that can relate truth to the user. If the story is about atheism, it certainly is chocked full of mysticism that atheism would certainly have trouble explaining.

I certainly didn’t see anything that offended my views on religion. It was a somewhat entertaining movie, but I kept thinking it was almost just a parody of previous movies.


64 posted on 12/09/2007 6:48:02 AM PST by TN4Liberty (A liberal is someone who believes Scooter Libby should be in jail and Bill Clinton should not.)
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To: luckystarmom
It’s based on a book where the author has explicity said he is trying to undermine Christianity.

Who cares? It has up-armored polar bears.

That's just too cool to miss.

65 posted on 12/09/2007 6:51:17 AM PST by humblegunner (My KungFu is ten times power.©)
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To: DesScorp

I saw the movie last night - it makes as much sense as talking polar bears.

The religious angle of this is confusing, as the bad guys are better suited to be big government liberals than religious theologists. They control the education system, like big government. They control the dissemenation of information, like big-government liberals.

There is a Nurse Cratchett within a cukoo’s nest of children who are watched over by government-empowered scientists. They have the children after taking them from their parents, of course, when they are not being raised properly. What church does that? GOVERNMENT! Strangely, they are not killing the unborn, which would be a “dead” giveaway.

The organized military represents the big-government bad guys, but it is defeated by a MILITIA and some attractive flying witches who do not use poisoned apples or brooms, but arrows and supernatural flight powers. If they wore white, they would appear to be angels.

Nichole Kidman was the younger Hillary Clinton. She poses herself as nice, knowledgable and altruistic. But she is a power mad woman who cares little for anyone who gets in her way. She uses government intelligence to get information then its powers to help defeat those who may oppose her.

The heroine is the prophesized solution to the problems caused by the empowered. Phophecy = religion?

If there were any anti-religious part of this movie, it was too weak to materialize, as it was cloaked in confusing contradictions.

The cute portrayal of animals was Ewok-ish. Were they connected to the idea of guardian angels?

In the end, this movie is BORING and stupid. Some people applauded at the movie’s end; I nearly did for reasons of relief. The nuclear powered airships and carriages were cool. But the word “cool” brings up one redeeming thought: All the frigid lands prove again that Al Gore is wrong.


66 posted on 12/09/2007 7:21:12 AM PST by Loud Mime (The Democrats made people believe that govt. lawyers are victims, whatta country!)
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To: TN4Liberty
ping to 66....we saw the same movie.
67 posted on 12/09/2007 7:23:41 AM PST by Loud Mime (The Democrats made people believe that govt. lawyers are victims, whatta country!)
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To: DesScorp
"It's below expectations, but it's not an out-and-out debacle," said Dergarabedian.

Baghdad Bob found a job!

68 posted on 12/09/2007 7:32:15 AM PST by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: IDontLikeToPayTaxes

I think the special effects in the original Star Wars trilogy are much more impressive than the stuff in the prequels. And the original was made on a $10 million budget!!!!


69 posted on 12/09/2007 7:54:33 AM PST by EdnaMode
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To: IDontLikeToPayTaxes
Facing the Giants had a $100,000 budget, cleared $10 mil at the B.O., and more than 8000 churches purchased site licenses to show the film to their community. Not an "A" movie, but a faith-filled movie that inspired people worldwide. All the while, Hollywood watches from afar and scratches their heads.

Incidentally, the makers of that film have another one coming out next August called "Fireproof". These guys have the right motives, and I wish this next film great success.

70 posted on 12/09/2007 8:07:32 AM PST by I'm ALL Right! (THOMPSON '08)
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To: Caipirabob; Lucius Cornelius Sulla
The success of TLOTR was in part due to the support of Tolkien fans. If New Line tried what you suggest the results from the fans will be like the peasants with the torches scene in “Frankenstein”.

I'd pay to see that! :)

Instead of the "Scouring of the Shire" we could have the "Scouring of Hollywood". You may be on to something here! With the way people feel towards Hollywood these days we could easily recruit a cast of thousands, probably as volunteers who'd work (scour!) for free!

Have your people call my people and we'll do lunch!

71 posted on 12/09/2007 8:36:12 AM PST by tarheelswamprat
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To: TalBlack; Jedi Master Pikachu
I don’t think that there are many actual atheists in this country. A REAL atheist is amused by the necessity of religion in peoples lives and wonders how they can be so pathetically dependent upon some fairy tale.

People like the author of these compass stories are another animal entirely.

You are correct. Pullman is not an "a-theist"; he is an "anti-theist". They are not the same thing.

This is precisely analogous to the hypocrisy of those people who claim they are "apolitical" yet virulently attack those who openly acknowledge "some" political agendas yet curiously ignore advocates of "other" agendas.

72 posted on 12/09/2007 8:46:50 AM PST by tarheelswamprat
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To: EdnaMode
I think the special effects in the original Star Wars trilogy are much more impressive than the stuff in the prequels. And the original was made on a $10 million budget!!!!

I've always though so, too. The ships looked real because they WERE real.

73 posted on 12/09/2007 9:52:53 AM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: I'm ALL Right!
Facing the Giants had a $100,000 budget, cleared $10 mil at the B.O., and more than 8000 churches purchased site licenses to show the film to their community. Not an "A" movie, but a faith-filled movie that inspired people worldwide. All the while, Hollywood watches from afar and scratches their heads.

Clerks was made with $18,000 in 1994. Kevin Smith simply maxed out his credit cards.

Clerks probably isn't a favorite among the FR crowd, but it illustrates that it does not take a ton of $ to make a movie.

74 posted on 12/09/2007 9:55:53 AM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: humblegunner

I have 3 little kids, so I care about what they watch and read.


75 posted on 12/09/2007 9:57:20 AM PST by luckystarmom
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To: Caipirabob
One of my favorite movies of all times. Right after "The Thing" in the "nightmare monster" category. That's a very interesting fact that it only took 18.6 Million back then. That one was the best of the series, IMHO.

I couldn't agree more. Aliens was an instant classic. It also taught me one of my "good movie" rules of thumb.

If you watch a movie and don't know the names of the characters when the movie is over, it's not a good movie!

For example, here are the names of some of the characters in Aliens: Ripley, Hicks, Newt, Bishop, Burke, Vasquez, Hudson, Drake, Frost, Wierzbowski, Crowe.

I've seen Aliens once or twice in the past 10 years probably. I watched Pirates of the Caribbean 3 last night and there is no way I could name that many characters in that movie.

If you can't name most of the characters in the movie, it's a crappy movie! :)

76 posted on 12/09/2007 10:02:40 AM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: CaptainMorgantown
I loved the first National Treasure movie. It was a good adventure thriller for the whole family, of a kind that Hollywood seldom produces these days.

I agree. Although I'm not a "family movie" kind of guy, I do enjoy a good old fashioned adventure without the violence and language.

Which makes we wonder why the Pirates trilogy is so successful. Those movies, especially the last two, are extremely violent and dark. The third one opens with a mass hanging.

77 posted on 12/09/2007 10:06:57 AM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: napscoordinator

I think that Hollywood would be better off showing all different types. However, it seems as if most of the movies coming out have agendas programmed into them. Why can’t they just do movies without agendas? I think that that is what most of us miss.


78 posted on 12/09/2007 4:10:51 PM PST by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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To: napscoordinator

LOL. I like your title better.


79 posted on 12/09/2007 4:11:40 PM PST by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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To: singfreedom

I’ve heard that ‘August Rush’ is pretty good, it’s about a guy who plays guitar trying to make it big into the music industry. ‘Beowulf’ will be fun if you don’t take it seriously and see it in 3D, and I’ve heard ‘Across the Universe’ is good as well (you might want to check the ratings on those depending on how old your kids are).


80 posted on 12/09/2007 6:46:01 PM PST by Hyzenthlay (1 4m t3h 1337 h4x0r ch1x!!!!111!!!ONE)
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