Posted on 12/11/2007 7:12:52 PM PST by topher
The movie Bella beat Golden Compass on the stat of dollars per movie theater (screen) for the weekend.
Bella had $8051 per theater
Golden Compass had $7308 per theaterHowever, in FAIRNESS TO BELLA, it did not have the millions of dollars of advertising that Golden Comapsss...
I imagine that there was spent at $30 million on marketing of Golden Compass -- which probably exceeds the production budget of Bella and exceeds the total dollars that Golden Compass brought in for the first weekend...
Nice to have friends in good places -- got this as an email from someone who works closely with the Good Archbishop, the Good Shepherd of Denver...
Looks like fools gold to me. I doubt the compass even points in the right direction. No wonder the movie is losing its audience.
bttt
I strongly suspect this humorless, rebellious protagonist is a reflection of the author's own cold world-view. The majority of atheists I've met also reflect similar traits as well, although a minority are as pleasant as any person one might encounter.
For Charles J. Chaput to see this movie in a largely deserted theater in the Denver area bodes very badly for the film...
Archbishop Chaput is very serious about defending Christians and Christian faith...
Why not have Archbishop Chaput, Archbishop Burke, Cardinal O'Malley, and Cardinal George review movies for the USCCB NCCB.
After all, when Cardinal Rigali became the pro-life chair, he did a wonderful job of making announcements about things.
WHy hire someone at USCCB NCCB to foul up Catholics as the current reviewer has done...
Or maybe Archbishop Chaput's review should replace the review on USCCB website...
With regard to the ways of Satan, C.S. Lewis wrote in “The Screwtape Letters”, about two of Satan’s favorite tools.
In a letter from the senior temptor, Screwtape, to his nephew and temptor in triaing, he advised that the most important thing to convince their human targets is that the temptors and diciples of Satan don’t exist.
In a later writing after the nephew has expressed frustration at his lack of success in getting his target to commit murder, Screwtape assures his nephew (Wormwood), that “Cards are as good as murder, if cards do the trick.”
(Meaning that the sin does not need to be spectacular to obstruct the path to Heaven.)
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic Ping List:
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Let's all Email the USCCB a copy of the review!!!!!
(of course, if they listen it'll be the first thing they've done right since they DIDN'T fire their stupid movie reviewer after he praised Brokeback Mountain to the skies on the USCCB website!)
As long as we are send the USCCB reviews, we could send them this one too.
Archbishop Chaput was trying to get people to change the USCCB review, and that was his tack last week (through my connections at his office).
The thing about what Archbishop Chaput writes is that he is viewing a movie on opening weekend on a Saturday night with almost no one in attendence.
OUCH!
For the makers of the film hear of a review like this one, they know it is trouble...
They may try to spin well there is controversy so each person should see it approach will fail with this review.
The Bishop of LaCrosse did the right thing -- it is just that Chaput's approach may also help the Gentiles (those who are not Christians)...
The Bishop of LaCrosse is an approach to protect his flock (his main intent).
Both are correct.
In a sense, one has to play devil's advocate -- how would you view these reviews if you are Christian and maybe have a very fuzzy view of God and religion.
I think I like Chaput's approach because of the title: Sympathy for the devil...
I think if I was a non-Christian who did not necessarily believe in God, I might be leery of such a movie -- just because helping the devil does not sound like a good thing to do...
So there is also activism in the review...
But I think he should have gone one step further -- recommend replacing Golden Compass in theaters with Bella and start a marketing campaign by New Line Cinema...
This is what a real bishop looks like.
Good article by Archbishop Chaput.
...And it certainly serves New Line Cinema right for having the gall to release such a dismal film at Christmas time, when the commemoration of His Birth is in full swing. Talk about a 'What were they thinking?!' moment.
The joke fits Philip Pullman, an avowed atheist, and a bear (a key character in the film Golden Compass).
The joke is as follows:
An avowed atheist loved nature, and went hiking one day. As he looked around, he saw how beautiful things were, and exclaimed: "What beauty there is here on earth, and I know that God did not create it."Later there was a brief shower, and a rainbow appeared, to which the avowed atheist exclaimed: "What a beautiful rainbow that I know that God did not create this rainbow".
The atheist hiked further. Suddenly a ten foot black bear appeared, and the atheist started running for his life. He suddenly found himself trapped by the huge black bear.
Out of desperation, he prayed feverishly to God to help him.
God FROZE the bear just before the bear was about to start eating the atheist. At the same time God appeared to the avowed atheist.
The avowed atheist, seeing how the situation had changed, said to God:
"I know I have thought all my life that you do not exist and taught others that. For me now to acknowledge your existence would be hypocrisy on my part. I bid you, however, in the interest of mercy, to make this bear a CHRISTIAN bear."God responded: "Your request is granted."
At that God disappeared and the bear was unfrozen.
The bear knelled down on his knees and prayed: "We thank thee, O Lord, for these gifts we are about to receive from thy bounty, and the meal that is before us."
After praying, the bear had his dinner -- the avowed atheist...
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