|
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 12/19/2007 : 20:56:26
|
The Vatican goes to make itself even more desperate and pathetic by blasting the movie "The Golden Compass", an adaptation of a book written by an atheist which blatantly criticizes religion (specifically Catholicism.)
Link
In the film version all references to the Church have been stripped out, with director Chris Weitz keen to avoid offending religious cinema goers.
Still, some Catholic groups in the United States have called for a boycott, fearing even a diluted version of the book might draw people to read the bestselling trilogy.
The Vatican newspaper said the film and Pullman's writings showed that "when man tries to eliminate God from his horizon, everything is reduced, made sad, cold and inhumane".
The U.S.-based Catholic League, a conservative group, has urged Christians not to see the movie, saying that its objective was "to bash Christianity and promote atheism" to children. |
I saw the film. It doesn't bath Christianity even slightly. It blasted organizations which seek to control social behavior - which is almost always powerful, organized religious institutions, like the Catholic church.
There is nothing sad, chilling, or inhumane about the film's secular worldview. On the contrary, the view pushed by the Magisterium is what is reduced, and the cosmic reality that they want censored is in fact far more grand and awe-inspiring. (sound familiar?)
Also, where the fuck do these assholes get off? I'm an atheist, and if I want to promote an atheistic worldview to kids, I have just as much a right to do so as they have to try to spread their stupid, narrow-minded, dogmatic religion all over the world. Really, Catholics, one of the biggest proselytizing religions in the world - bitching about one little movie and trilogy of books? So when they go around the world for centuries, converting people like there's no tomorrow, that's fine; but if we atheists so much as express ourselves through popular culture, we are bad? What year is this, 1300? Did democracy, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and widespread literacy and globalism just not happen? Seriously, who the fuck do they think they are, the Magisterium?
|
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
Edited by - marfknox on 12/19/2007 20:56:49
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2007 : 02:47:00 [Permalink]
|
So, it's a good flick, then? Worth buying the DVD?
I guess now, I'll definatly see it. Anything that puts a wedgie in the Papal Panties is usually pretty good.
 |
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
|
 |
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2007 : 06:13:53 [Permalink]
|
With "The Golden Compass" being Bowdlerized to remove the most direct references to the Catholic Church, it would have made great sense for the Vatican to pretend that the movie had nothing to do with them. But a religious hierarchy getting heavy-handedly offended at the portrayal of a heavy-handed religious hierarchy underscores Philip Pullman's point in his original novel series.
Stupid move by Rome. Kind of undoes the self-censorship of the movie, doesn't it?
|
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
|
|
|
chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2007 : 06:44:30 [Permalink]
|
I wasn't planning on seeing it, but now I think I'll take the kids. I just love this:
The Vatican newspaper said the film and Pullman's writings showed that "when man tries to eliminate God from his horizon, everything is reduced, made sad, cold and inhumane".
|
As if. Church history is loaded with some of the most inhumane acts humanity has ever practiced. And I dare say Catholicism's trademark guilt has made 'everything sad' in the lives of the Faithful with institutional efficiency for centuries. Puh-leez! |
-Chaloobi
|
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2007 : 10:23:39 [Permalink]
|
filthy wrote: | So, it's a good flick, then? Worth buying the DVD? |
Actually, IMO no. The acting and cinematography were fabulous, but a lot of the movie was ruined for me by the very contrived and unrealistic writing and poor editing. A lot of monologuing, and the battle scene was so contrived (perhaps to serve a younger audience?) that it just seemed patronizing to kids and dull for adults. It was obviously a much richer story crammed into a short movie. My mom (ironically, a Catholic, but a liberal one) and my brother both told me that the books are great and that any freethinker would love them, so I'm going to go read those now.
I don't think the Catholic church is so much worried about the impact of the film as they are worried that the film will encourage more people to read the books. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
| Edited by - marfknox on 12/20/2007 10:24:15 |
|
|
|
Boron10
Religion Moderator
USA
1266 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2007 : 11:47:58 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by marfknox
filthy wrote: | So, it's a good flick, then? Worth buying the DVD? |
Actually, IMO no.
.
.
. |
Sadly, I have to agree with marfknox, the movie was a little disappointing. My girlfriend and I both really enjoyed the books, but the movie was just kind of a let-down. It was a little too contrived and it avoided a lot of the gritty details that mad the books so good.
I read somewhere that Philip Pullman (the author) despised C. S. Lewis for his Narnia series, because it pandered to children and presented easy (and unrealistic) solutions to every problem. Pullman's trilogy doesn't do that. I recommend the books, not so much the movie. |
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 12/20/2007 : 12:03:13 [Permalink]
|
I have ordered the books from Amazon,com; thirteen bucks for the trilogy in paperback. Also ordered the Simpsons flick.
We shall see & thanks for the input.
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
|
|
|
|
Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2007 : 14:37:40 [Permalink]
|
The book series is fantastic. The movie leaves something to be desired. Its not terrible, its just a little bit like Nichole Kidman's face these days (attractive to see, but frozen, paralyzed, excessively botoxed, or whatever), doesn't properly express the feeling of the story.
|
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
|
|
|
|
The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2007 : 22:48:25 [Permalink]
|
| Just bought my daughter all three volumes in one. Fuck the church. |
Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2007 : 02:44:24 [Permalink]
|
Got the books in and I'm reading GC now. It almost lost me with the first sentence; "daemon" indeed! It has been my experience that any writing using that word seldom lives up to even minor billing. Happily, this time is an exception that disproves the rule.
Good read!
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
|
|
|
|
Roddy
New Member
Panama
48 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2008 : 22:26:13 [Permalink]
|
I am not a fan of fantasy, but I am going to buy the books just because the Vatican condemns them.
And I am planning to buy Towing Jehovah too.
Fuck the Church. |
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 01:57:07 [Permalink]
|
I'm about 1/2 way through The Subtle Knife. Not too bad; not too bad. Indeed, the trilogy thus far will be worth a re-read down the road a piece. I think we can safely assume that two more movies will be made, and the churchs be damned.
Heh, didn't Harry Potter teach them to just shut the hell up about it lest they increase the box office receipts by an order of magnitude? Apparently the lesson either failed to take or they are getting a piece of the action from the advertising payroll.
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Vatican calls for boycott against "Golden Compass"
