God is cut from film of Dark Materials

The Times (UK) ^ | December 08, 2004 | Sam Coates

[burlywood]

I just don't see how they can do it? They might as well remake Schindler's List without the Germans. Very disappointing.

[Moose4]

You might be interested in this...I know how much you loathe Pullman.

}:-)4

[cricket]

"Meanwhile the “Authority”, the weak God figure, will become “any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual”. "

So . . .What/Who, is the 'Superior Authority' in this film?

[AntiGuv]

“any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual”

OOooh!! Spine-tingling!

[Revelation 911]

Nine Line Cinema, had expressed concern that His Dark Materials’ perceived anti-religiosity might make “it an inviable project financially”.

in plainspeak: the revived Christian voice will boycott the film and it will be box office poison

[muawiyah]

Guess some people still get off on man vs. church battles.

Then there are those who undertake limb amputations and other mutilations.

What makes Hollywood think any of this stuff is of interest to the general audience?

[beautifulgirl]

Hollywierd has finally realized that you don't need contraversy to sell a movie. Sounds like good news to me.

[marty60]

You will probably not hear of the church, but you will hear of the Magisterium. Those who will understand will understand.”

Yes the stupid unwashed masses are to stupid to understand the anti-God premise of the movie.

Well maybe the stupid unwashed masses will NOT go to see the movie.

[agere_contra]

“any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual”

... its about ACLU?

[marty60]

Evil will continue to attack anything even slightly religious in nature. And the amazing thing is that these people think they are so superior to everyone else. Without God, chaos, murder, rape and pillaging will prevail. yes that's the world we want to live in, I don't think so.

[agere_contra]

“any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual”

Actually, by that definition I suppose it could be about the Highway code (do you call it that in the States?). The law about driving on the right is arbitrary and curtails the freedom of the individual. It's also highly necessary, of course

[Jabba the Nutt]

I'd like to know, were these books big hits in the first place? "The Last Temptation of Christ" bombed in America and this was years and years before anyone had heard of George Bush or the change in attitude in George Bush's America. The US is a religious country with a small market for anti-religious movies. Why make a watered-down version of a book, when the book was idiotic to begin with? Or why not change the all-powerful church to Islam?

[UseYourHead]

Phil, Prince of Insufficient Light

[Aquinasfan]

Parents, beware what your children are reading. Take a walk down the teens/Sci-fi/Fantasy aisle at your local bookstore and read the synopses on the backs of the books.

This isn't the stuff you read in your teenage years.

[eno_]

I just don't see how they can do it? They might as well remake Schindler's List without the Germans. Very disappointing.

It sounds as if the plan is to pull a pretty thin little fig leaf over the anticlericalism and see if they can get away with it.

My take on the books is that the quality of writing is uneven, but the subjects are refreshingly ambitious for kid's books. Overall, I thought they were good books.

[eno_]

This isn't the stuff you read in your teenage years.

You mean, like they're not making books like the Illuminatus Trilogy anymore?

[burlywood]

Or why not change the all-powerful church to Islam?

Why does everyone here seem to think that books are specifically anti-Christian? I am more inclined to equate the "magisterium" with fundamentalist Islam. The character Serafina Pekkala even alludes to the parallel between the practice of separating children and their "daemons" and the barbaric practice of genital mutilation.

[Aquinasfan]

Eno

[Mr. Jeeves]

So . . .What/Who, is the 'Superior Authority' in this film?

Jerry Bruckheimer? ;)