Posted on 03/23/2005 7:38:50 AM PST by Crackingham
IMAX theaters in several Southern cities have decided not to show a film on volcanoes out of concern that its references to evolution might offend those with fundamental religious beliefs.
"We've got to pick a film that's going to sell in our area. If it's not going to sell, we're not going to take it," said Lisa Buzzelli, director of an IMAX theater in Charleston that is not showing the movie. "Many people here believe in creationism, not evolution."
The film, "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea," makes a connection between human DNA and microbes inside undersea volcanoes.
Buzzelli doesn't rule out showing the movie in the future.
IMAX theaters in Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas have declined to show the film, said Pietro Serapiglia, who handles distribution for Stephen Low, the film's Montreal-based director and producer.
"I find it's only in the South," Serapiglia said.
Critics worry screening out films that mention evolution will discourage the production of others in the future.
"It's going to restrain the creative approach by directors who refer to evolution," said Joe DeAmicis, vice president for marketing at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and a former director of an IMAX theater. "References to evolution will be dropped."
If you believe it, put it out there. You're guaranteed to get more people watching it than if you don't release it at all.
Free enterprise in action.
The market decides whether to attend or not, but I find this article puzzling. Unless this film is just over the top trying to overtly debunk creationism, I don't see how some references to evolution in context of this are such a big deal even in the south. Atlanta, Charleston, Memphis, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, JacksonMS, NOLA, etc., aren't exactly fervent hotbeads of hostility to evolutionism. Maybe if they are building their IMAX's out in the boondocks, but not in major urban areas, could I see a problem.
For the poster-state-flag police (one of whom recently accosted me on another thread), I was born in and have spent over half my life in Mississippi.
Perfectly said. In a free enterprise system, its this is the bottom line.
I had forgotten that IMAX screens have limited capacity versus available films to show, unlike conventional theaters, so that they might have just concluded they would get 10% or whatever more from another film on the same screen.
I wonder if some of the theater owners or managers who have declined to show it are objecting to it personally, but hiding behind the fear of public condemnation to justify keeping it off their screens.
Wouldn't you pretty much *expect* to hear stuff like that if you go to some documentary that involves geology?
"Perfectly said. In a free enterprise system, its this is the bottom line."
After going to their site and checking on the movie, it looks like a Discovery Channel documentary or something. I seriously doubt, now, that there is any religious-type reasons for this decision. It's about ticket sales. A documentary on undersea volcanoes would pretty much guarantee empty seats.
> A documentary on undersea volcanoes would pretty much guarantee empty seats.
Ah, bot not *now.* Had they just released it normally, it woudl have been met with a chorus of snores, probably. Even with the reference to evolution. But *now* it has had a bit of notoriety. So if it does get released, some more people may go to see it.
Additionally, by inventing controversy, they just might well ge tthe IDiots to come out and protest. And that will drive ticket sales through the roof. Nothing is better for a lackluster movie than a bunch of screaming retards stomping around out front. Look at "Last Temptation of Christ:" the movie was *boring* should have made a buck-ninety-five. But profits were driven up by the yahoos protesting.
I wish PBS would adopt this same attitude towards their viewing base and quit showing gay buster episodes and show instead the documentary on Intelligent Design.
It sounds to me like the director and a few liberal compatriots at IMAX figured they could drum up some interest in his film by claiming the "evil fundies" are against it.
Nothing guarantees you more ink in the US media than a "Christian nuts are out to get me" story.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.