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 ...
poor witto Ronnie, he should have been left alone to blaspheme all he wanted
> “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.”
It’s official. Opie has drank the Kool Aid from the altar of stupidity.
"Ron Howard's Call To Action:
Ron Howard wants to talk about the election. So does Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler"
http://www.funnyordie.com/ron_howard
or...
A secret anti-matter bomb affixed to the tomb of St. Peter?
LOLOL
A publicity stunt???
Naaaahh...he wouldn’t.
Manipulate the media or public opinion, like, say making an add capitalizing on former beloved characters to promote a neo-emperor? He wouldn’t do it. I don’t believe it.
Hey, opie—try the same thing in a few mosques and see where THAT gets you. Of, course, you wouldn’t dare complain about a muzzie for fear of being offensive.
Reckon Aunt Bea would be whoopin' you upside the head right about now.
Why don’t they try “fiction” with Mohammed?
How come Salman Rushdie’s novel hasn’t been filmed?
EWTN, showed it on World Over, Friday night.
In the clip Howard claims that Galileo was a member of the Illuminati.
Howard was only a century or two off since the Illuminati was not even founded until some time in the 1700's.
Hey Opie, if I were you I wouldn’t go outside in a lightning storm!
Opie Cunningham resorts to deceit, dishonesty and quite possibly criminal activity to make another crappy movie.
This movie will bomb miserably
Oh, Opie, why don’t you be like all other former child actors, a drug addled hasbeen!
“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”
There are signs that make it quite clear that photographs are not allowed. That’s why they needed to ‘pose’ as something other than a commercial movie studio... in case they got caught doing what they claim they didn’t know wasn’t allowed.
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