Movie warning---yeah, I'm pissy about it!
 

One of my coworkers forwarded this "warning" about The Golden Compass movie, based on the books by Philip Pullman:

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Hey!
I thought I would share some information I received today. There is a movie, "The Golden Compass", coming out this Holiday season that is a "children's" movie; supposed to be opposite the Chronicles of Narnia that in the end children "kill God". The guy who wrote it hates C.S. Lewis and is a open atheist. Nicole Kidman is staring in this film! I just thought I would share, as this movie will be aimed at children and probably try to fool parents into thinking it is "harmless". Take a couple of minutes and click on the link to read about it.
http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp
Blessings,


This really bums my butt. Warning the public that this movie is harmful to your children because of an anti-religious theme. Don't my co-workers know me at all? Why are they sending me this religious drivel?

. . . I think I'll use it as a recommendation. My children would LOVE to take their kids to a movie with an anti-religious theme.

This was my favorite part! :lol: Staring? On film? :runaway:

must be a close up

An excerpt from another "warning" letter posted on Snopes says this:

I'm really trying to find another interpretation of this beyond my initial one, which is that it would be perfectly acceptable to this person if the book were advocating killing Allah instead of Yahweh.

I don't have a problem with people spreading the word to their friends or family that a movie might not be something they would enjoy, but for a coworker to send it to you is out of line, IMHO.

That would be an improvement over her performance in "Bewitched."

well, it must be a theme. Bewitched has a witch, right? so that's anti-religion, right? ;)

Yes, she's uniquely talented for the role of staring.

Huh. Snopes has kind of a cool page on religious urban legends, with color coding for those which are true/false.

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/

rzkenrage, are you taking note?

Good article
http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp
Amazon has the ten-year anniversary editions of the trilogy. I have not read them yet, but look forward to it.

Nietzsche is dead!! lol!!

When I first saw this on snopes I readit with my mouth open. While it's true - and clear in the book - the this is an attack on organised religion, the logic that the film was trying to slip it to you gently so you went on to buy the books is ludicrous.

Also is the idea that if your children like the books and are taking the ideas on board that they are a tool of the debbil. If Christian children cannot read any books which espouse anything other than a pro-Christian ideal then they are not being educated, they are being brainwashed.

Personally I adored the books, and bought a set for two other people who also adored them. Densely plotted, well rounded characters, fascinating beings and fast moving adventure. I was so drawn in that I cried more than once. And I mean put the put down and howled.

I'm afraid the film worries my far more than when I first heard Harry Potter was being filmed. This is a rich, subtle and sometimes coplicated set of books. I wish they'd left it alone.

I'll get the books for my kids. I almost did a couple months ago, but the boy chose another series instead.

to be fair, while there are some people may be convinced that words on the page might steal their kid's soul, i think most folks would just view this as an opportunity to vote with their dollars. In all honesty, would an ardent atheist like Rage be thrilled to find that his kids are enthralled with, say, the [i]Left Behind[i] series? probably not. is it because he fears his kids would be brainwashed? probably not, but more likely because the subject matter as a foolish waste of time with no constructive value to his children.*


*I have no idea if Rkzenrage actually feels that way about the series, he's just an easy example as an outspoken atheist and critic of all things "christian".

Haven't even heard of it so I guess I won't be seeing it. No frets, other good movies out there.

Anything that teaches kids to question is a good thing.

Open atheist? Chilling...... At least he isn't one of those "Harry Potter" santanists.

What a relief....


:)
Open atheist? Chilling...... At least he isn't one of those "Harry Potter" santanists.

What a relief....


:)

Edit and add-on upon further thought:

Anyhoo...where do people get that it is anti-religious? Can't it just be a story? Why is the suggestion of killing god such a threat, if god is as mighty as people say? To write a fictional representation of killing god is not anti-religious in itself. Fiction fiction fiction.....*breath*....fiction fiction fiction....and so on and so forth.

Here is a fictional line written by me, and only to be taken as such: Cloud kills god with every breath she takes. Fiction...see? Not to be taken literally in any way. Unless you are a crack-pot.

It's not even creative non-fiction. It's fiction. I made it up, it's not even true. It was for your entertainment.....and now that I think about it...funny in a very dark way.

Am I anti-cloud and pro-god now? Am I pro-Cloud and anti-god because I made up a line about it? In case you are having trouble answering that, the answer is no, neither. It's a line I made up. Complete fiction.

BTW- I like Cloud. :)

now I'm scared. Really, really scared.

but I have a new user title!

She's a witch!!! Burn Her!!!!

Imagine the Cloud of smoke.

Sorry, Cloud, just trying to make folks smile a little.

POOF!

[you'll just have to forgive me if my thoughts are a trifle more insubstantial than usual today]

*Clears throat* and your welcome for the signature.
:D

lol!!! Yea....scary stuff.

Strangely, I didn't see a single thing warning anyone about the Christian themes being thrust upon the public in the Narnia film. Oh, wait. That's because Christianity is Truth, and everything else is the devil's work. Silly me.

I had an odd Narnia reaction.
As a kid I loved the books and read them to the point of study, knowing them almost as well as a Rabbi knows the Torah. But I had been raised pretty much without religion, and didn't see the "message" until I was (I guess) in my early or mid teens; then I figured it out. Ow, I was furious! I had been tricked into accepting religious propaganda! Down with Lewis! I hated the books for years, left them buried in a storage box, and I'm surprised I didn't ditch them or even burn them.
I've mellowed a little since then, but I still think it was a dirty trick to go slipping religion into a perfectly good fantasy novel.

ok, my kids have the first book. what's the message? should I read these books also?

Do you mean the first Narnia book?

Interesting comment, Zengum. Here is a list of SF & F works with religious themes. Surprisingly, I haven't read too many off this list, except of course for Tolkien, Lewis, & Gene Wolf.

What if it was something else and he warned you? After all, damn near every movie that comes out has an anti-religious theme (although, not that many star Nicole Kidman).

every movie that comes out has an anti-religious theme? Where do you get that from? Most, in my opinion, are neutral.

I would be more appreciative of warnings for extreme or graphic violence.

If you're going to quote someone then quote them accurately.

anti- is: Displaying opposite characteristics (source: Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary).

Hence: Religious themes in movies are not as prevalent as non-religious themes in movies.

Yes Zengum...the first Narnia book. I think one of them is getting the second one for christmas this year (from my staunch catholic aunt).

Come on now... anti- does not mean a lack of or an alternative to, it means an opposition to. A murder mystery is not anti-religious, it is non-religious. A movie with a symbolic God figure who is deliberately murdered by the characters is anti-religious.

Bill Donahue is the biggest douche... so funny!
http://catholicleague.org/videos/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eZ6X...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEYjz8nkifs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JrEO...eature=related

Talk about morons!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwE8U...eature=related

Just seen the Golden Compass trailer and I'm mad now too.
For a start why did they change the name? It should be The Northern Lights for the first book.

They keep talking about the compass - it's not a compass it's an alethiometer. Why do films always have to dumb down? They should be more complicated than books because at least in films you have a visual reference.

I notice Pantalaimon seems to keep the same shape too - at least in the clips shown, negating one of the central themes of the book.

And to state that the Magisterium control the world and imply the fight is against them is pointless. Lyra falls into her "quest" which adapts and changes as she finds out more step by step.

Oh and the little girl isn't feisty enough to be my Lyra. I bet they don't show her getting drunk under the college with Roger either.

BTW some of the beginning of the film was filmed in Greenwich - saw quite a bit of it in the trailer.

OH OH OH...I didn't realize it was a movie adaption of Northern Lights! That's a great story. I have it here. Studied it during uni.

Anti religious my arse. It's a good story and it's complete fiction. That's why you find it in the 'fantasy' section of the book store.

The Golden Compass was the release title for Northern Lights in the US, so they're just carrying over the decision the publishing company made for the book. (Similar to Harry Potter - Philosopher's Stone over there, Sorcerer's Stone over here.)

I'm sure it is, but the author has specifically stated that it is an anti-religion allegory. Nothing wrong with that, but it is what it is.

I finally saw it tonight. The movie is harmful to your children because it sucks.

The boys only like it for the polar bears, especially when one rips the others lower jaw off.

Iorek!

I enjoyed the film (any film with Mr Craig in it is enjoyable *grins*) but now that i am reading the book (borrowed from my youngest niece) I realise how different the movie is. The book is much better. They totally changed the feel of it and the relationships between characters. Book is better.