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Author Topic: _The Da Vinci Code_ protest letter Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: California, U.S.A. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-11-2006 03:47 AM                     Anyone who uses children who only know what they see around them is a moral criminal on so many levels. That's rediculous.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-11-2006 10:32 AM                     I was walking by the Cheri theater in Boston and saw the nuns praying (protesting) on the sidewalk in front of the place. That is the ONLY reason I watched the movie. Only, later, to find out that the whole scene was probably contrived as a publicity stunt. As others say, this is likely to be no different.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 03-11-2006 10:49 AM                     Speaking completely from a historical viewpoint here, not religious in any nature as such discussion is taboo here. I have seen several documentaries on the History channel that talked about how Mary Magdalene was actually an apostle. She, and a few others that no one knows about now, was what you would consider to be Gnostic. She taught that "salvation" came from within you and not lying in a heaven or hell. I forget the whole story but basically when the church decided what "Christianity" should be the MEN that decided just happened to leave her out of the canon. They could not have a woman apostle because it would mess up the whole man is superior to woman thing. Plus, they could not scare people into giving them money if this crazy lady was teaching people that they can be happy here on earth. It is also believed by intelligent historians that she was not a prostitute at all and this was a slander by the church to shame her. I have not read the book The DaVinci Code but I'm sure this has something to do with the story. From what I understand The DaVinci code is loosely based on this book, which I have read. Very boring but interesting.  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 03-11-2006 04:02 PM                     Gotta love ancient conspiracy theories...  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 03-11-2006 09:57 PM                     Unfortunately, some Americans are afraid of free expression that presents confrontational ideas. There's these raving sects that believe everyone would be better off if nobody ever asked "what if..."  |  IP: Logged Jason Winn Expert Film Handler Posts: 131 From: Mesquite, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2006 posted 03-11-2006 10:02 PM                     Wow, Chris! I didn't know you were a religious scholar! Thank you for enlightening us with your wisdom!  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-12-2006 12:28 AM                        quote: Steve Scott There's these raving sects that believe everyone would be better off if nobody ever asked "what if..." That'd be pretty much every sect if you finished the question, "What if you people are wrong?"  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-15-2006 12:59 PM                     Ignore the letter. It's not even worth a response. Your patrons will be the ultimate decision makers. Either they will place their fannies in the seats, or they will not. All the protests, letter writing, demonstrations, etc. will not change that fact.  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 03-15-2006 06:34 PM                        Unfortunately, we're becoming very much like the places that we think we're better than. People in this country have become so badly educated, only a tiny minority understand our own history and the meaning behind the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Too many people think that whatever they personally find offensive or incorrect should be banned. Even aside from media-related issues, parents barge into schools and insist that their child not be taught "x" or "y" because it "violates their values." It's not that we don't have a lot of offensive product in our society...we do. But that's the price of a democracy, especially a capitalist one. I personally believe we're headed down a dangerous road. Don't think it's impossible for us to be headed towards a theocracy that's disguised as a democracy. I find it remarkable that certain subgroups of Christians can portray themselves as a besieged religion when they comprise at least 85% (right?) of the population. When they go after someone as benign as Ron Howard, you know they're feeling especially paranoid. What are they worried about? It isn't like The DaVinci Code is going to be a big youth movie or anything. Do they really think that anyone who regularly attends church is suddenly going to think that anything in the DaVinci code is real any more than they thought that the Exorcist was real? I think they'll find it to be an entertaining movie (assuming it's good) that deals with an interesting twist on religious themes, just as a scientist enjoys a good sci-fi yarn. Personally, I think this is a power play. They want Howard to place a disclaimer at the beginning of the film stating that it's fiction. If anything, forcing the studio or director to place a disclaimer in the film would make more people think it's non-fiction, not fewer. This is simply so that the group can claim a victory. As everyone else has posted, the protests will only serve to generate more publicity for the film. The danger is that over-zealous protesters will damage theaters or otherwise disrupt showings, as they did with The Last Temptation of Christ.  |  IP: Logged Matt Fields Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 545 From: Ohio, United States Registered: Jun 2005 posted 03-15-2006 08:21 PM                     quote: Martin Brooks I find it remarkable that certain subgroups of Christians can portray themselves as a besieged religion when they comprise at least 85% (right?) of the population. One example of why would be art like Piss Christ  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-15-2006 10:37 PM                     Wow! So much for the "no religious or political discusssion rule". I don't agree with the author of the letter even though much of what I have seen presented on the Da Vinci Code I would consider blasphemous. I think everyone should have the freedom to decide for themselves. I also certainly do not agree with the God hates fags thing either. But it seems like whenever we get on these discussions all Christians and conservatives are stereotyped and lumped together because of a few people with wacky ideas. There are extremists in every group. MOST Christians do not share these views. Christ preached love, not hate. In fact, he spent the majority of his time with people who were considered to be outcasts. The people that were looked down upon in society. The problem I do have with this forum is that it seems like whenever people are bashing the conservative or religious folks the thread is allowed to go on. However if someone posts a comment that has a conservative or religious view, the thread is always closed immediately and the trusty old "no political or religious discussion allowed" rule is used. What's up with that?  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 03-15-2006 10:43 PM                  quote: Matt Fields One example of why would be art like Piss Christ Well, ain't that a piss-poor example! HA! It's called free speech no matter how offensive it may be to certain self-appointed "holier-than-thou" people. As far as those radical Christian protesters of the real "America Needs Fatima" group of crazies that threaten to boycott and stage a protest to any theatre playing that film... I say send in the lions to guard the theatres! OBTW: I am a Christian... I just don't like radicals telling ME what to do or see, etc!  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-15-2006 11:15 PM                       In 1988, while checking speakers one afternoon at the drive-in I was working, someone drove onto the lot and said they'd like to talk to me about "not playing The Last Temptation of Christ here." I told him I just worked there, but the owner would be in later and he would be the one to speak with. The guy then proceeded to explain to me how his group fully planned to picket the drive-in, should we ever play that picture. Being a Christian myself, I stopped what I was doing, walked up to the guy's window and said, "Look, I know where you're coming from, but this is just a little theatre. If you really don't want that movie to play here, take my word for it, don't say ANYTHING. Believe me, that picture won't do any business around here so he'll never play it... UNLESS he knows you don't WANT him to. Then he'll play it just for spite. Really. Don't say anything and it will all go away on its own." I guess the guy took my advice because I never heard anything else and we never played the picture.  |  IP: Logged Don Anderson Master Film Handler Posts: 312 From: West Bend, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 03-15-2006 11:54 PM                     I remember when DOGMA was released. We had two local Catholic churches protest under our theatre canopy. They would have their congregations call our theatre office all day and all night threatening, yes, threatening us. Ah yes, true Christians. Anyway, they contacted the local FOX tv affiliate, and the local newspaper, who arrived opening night. For as many Catholic churches in our town, only a handful of demonstrators arrived (24 headcount). What a joke! We had tons of free press, and packed them in. Even offering the protestors a free ticket to see it, or private screening. No takers. Not even 15 minutes after the press had left our theatre, only two protesters remained.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-16-2006 01:46 AM                        Same thing here when Crash (the 1997 Cronenberg film, not this year's Oscar-winner) and Romance (1999 French feminist film with explicit sex scenes) came out. The morals brigade mieowed and hissed like crazy, and we raked in the money for films which otherwise would have played one Friday-Sunday or Monday-Thursday booking on two shows a day and then disappeared without trace. In the case of Romance, tens of people would walk out after the first sex scene, explaining that they'd just wanted to see what all the fuss was about; but that otherwise, the film was as boring as watching paint dry and that they're now off to the bar for a pint, thankyou very much. On the radio last night there was an item about the travel and theatre booking agent Lastminute.com, which stuck up posters with the slogan 'Like Gary Glitter in a sweet shop, you can have all the kiddie fun you like when you book with...'. Child protection pressure groups promptly took to the media with howls of protest. During an interview with someone from the Advertising Standards Authority on the radio last night, the presenter commented, 'Their stunt's clearly worked, hasn't it? I mean, here we are talking about their company and giving them free airtime.'  |  IP: Logged

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