Posted on 05/03/2009 6:57:52 PM PDT by Steelfish
Ron Howard: Vatican obstructed 'Angels & Demons'
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer May 3, 2009
Director Ron Howard claimed Sunday that the Vatican interfered with efforts to get permits to shoot certain scenes of his "Angels & Demons" religious thriller in Rome — a charge the Vatican said was purely a publicity stunt.
The film, which stars Tom Hanks and is based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, has its world premiere Monday in Rome.
"Angels & Demons" combines an ancient secret brotherhood called the Illuminati, a papal conclave and a high-tech weapon threatening to destroy the Vatican.
But [Howard] he said the Vatican nevertheless exerted influence regarding his filming permits, and he was told it would not be possible even to shoot scenes in Rome that had churches in the background.
"When you come to film in Rome, the official statement to you is that the Vatican has no influence," he said. "Everything progressed very smoothly, but unofficially a couple of days before we were to start filming in several of our locations, it was explained to us that through back channels and so forth that the Vatican had exerted some influence."
"Was I surprised? No. Am I a little frustrated at times? Sure," he said.
Nevertheless he said he felt that he was able to preserve the overall "Angels & Demons" experience despite the restrictions by recreating scenes on sets. For the Sistine Chapel alone, some 20 members of the production crew — posing as tourists — took photos of all the frescoes, floor mosaics and paintings of the tiny chapel where popes are elected — until they were told to stop, the film's Web site says.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Ron Howard can’t direct his way out of a paper bag.
He is criminally responsible for a sizeable chunk of the leftist crap Hollywood dumps on the unwitting public.
Howard probably doesn’t know it, but he’s just another useful idiot for the powers that be...
“Destroy the church Ronnie, Destroy the church!”
This movie will bomb miserably
______________________________
Exactly...it will be a big stinker just like the first one, that went on...and on....and on.
Opie has turned into the biggest liberal pr*ck who is a money grubber. Little jerk.
Looks like Ronnie is milking this for as much free publicity as he can, because according to the Vatican, this charge was purely a publicity stunt. What the Vatican should do the next time this freak tries to film a sequel, or another evil Catholic movie, is to deny him any access to the Vatican. Let him spend the money and create expensive or cheap sets. Who cares? Just don’t let these hostile filmmakers walk on sacred grounds with the purpose to trash the Catholic Church.
‘Tis amazing how Hollywierd can warp even a talented brain.
Ron, there are things called “special effects”. You know how to do use them (Appolo 13).
Use them. Considering the hack job done with your last “Catholic” movie, can you blame Rome for telling you to get lost?
Celebrity status makes ignorant Americans sit up and pay attention.
However, I remember the drama students at my school . . . NONE of them were mental giants, and I certainly would not consult them about political matters. Most gravitated toward alternate extracurricular activities after no one picked them first in gym class for anything ... this all makes so much more sense than anyone will acknowledge.
So he thought he should have unfettered access to the Vatican to film his movie?
Jeez, in the very place where Popes are selected and elected, these guys thought they would disrespect the wishes of the very Church that allows visitors to view the chapel painted by Michelangelo and he's upset? Poor baby.
What doesn’t Ron Howard get about this? He is making his second attempt to smear the world’s oldest and largest religion ever known to man and he’s pissed that the church is against it?
He lives in a distorted bubble. He should step outside California and visit with us religious God and gun and clingers once in a while.
Then why wasn't he content to use a pretend Vatican?
Ronnie... the Church has been around a bit longer than you/Hollywood... don’t go away mad... just go away.
....the film earned over US$232.1 million worldwide, seventh biggest opening in history.
This movie is critical of the Catholic church, but when you have the ticket sales this one had, there is little reason to suspect that the sequel (prequel, actually) will fare much worse.
That said, one can easily understand why ANY church would not be overly cooperative with a movie that puts their faith in a very bad light. I think it's downright silly for Opie to cast blame at the Catholic church, while he's planning on making a fortune by lambasting that church. Sort of like Opie telling the Pope "C'mon, turn the other cheek - I promise this slap won't hurt as bad as the first".
Can’t disagree with anything you said, except possibly the word “useful.”
Ron Howard is a prick. “Frost/Nixon” is filled with lies and total fabrications of events that everyone involved said never happened.
What an arrogant Ahole.
Demanding that the target of their hit piece participate in slandering themselves.
Go shoot an anti-Islam film in Mecca, Ronnie.
Would Ronnie open his home to do a movie filled with lies about his life? Perhaps he would be thrilled to be forced to open his home to the movie “Andy and Opie, the Untold Story” or perhaps “Barney and Aunt Bea, Truth is Stranger than Fiction”?
Would Ronnie open his home to do a movie filled with lies about his life? Perhaps he would be thrilled to be forced to open his home to the movie “Andy and Opie, the Untold Story” or perhaps “Barney and Aunt Bea, Truth is Stranger than Fiction”?
Yes, poor rich Ronnie is a victim.
Useful idiots
by Thomas Sowell
LENIN is supposed to have referred to blind defenders and apologists for the Soviet Union in the Western democracies as "useful idiots." Yet even Lenin might have been surprised at how far these useful idiots would carry their partisanship in later years -- including our own times. ..."
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