I still return to the fact that the premise and purpose of the Golden Compass series of books, by the author's own words was to promote atheism and attack religious institutions. The other is a series of books that as you say have religious symbolism, but the author never claimed that the purpose of the book was to attack religion, nor has anyone as I know, ever made a case for the Potters books being anything more than fantasy. Big difference is the mind of parents who embrace Christianity. Also, many adults have read the Potter books, so when the boycotters come out of the woodworks its not that difficult to ask someone you know whether you should take them seriously. Finally, you have legions of kids who have read the books, many of them Christians who have not turned away from Christianity in the 10+ years the Potter books have been must reads. Again, I return to the fact that the Golden Compass author has promoted his membership in an atheist organization and came out to promote his book as promoting atheism and being critical of religious institutions. those two acts alone are public relations nightmares. While there are some similarities, between the two series of books, I think you are comparing apples and oranges.
Mike Street wrote: > > I have to disagree there cause there is a ton of religious symbolism > in Harry Potter. I just think it comes down to branding. if the books > had a bigger following the movie would have done better religious or > otherwise. Something are best left on print. But I enjoyed the movie. > I'm just tired of never seeing any Black people in any of these films. > Harry Potter tries to be a little bit more diverse. But I long for the > day to see a lil black or latino kid find a magic something and go on > a magical adventure. > > On Dec 10, 2007 12:31 AM, Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. > Minor) <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The difference, I think is that none of the Harry Potter books had > > anything to do with religion , nor did their premise specifically have > > to do with being against the concept of God or religious institutions. > > If you really diud not think the magic in those stories were against god > > and religion then you were not likely to heed the boycotts. In > > addition, as you said, it did not have the magical push of selling a > > billion books as Harry Potter did. It was truly an epidemic. That > > being said, I agree that it would be nice if they backed a movie with an > > original story. > > > > > > Mike Street wrote: > > > > > > The Christians protest Harry Potter and it doesn't effect it's box > > > office numbers. I just think that the movie didn't have the magical > > > push of selling a billion books that Harry Potter has. It's all about > > > branding and His Dark Materials doesn't have much of a brand behind it > > > in order to translate it into movie ticket sells. The movie industry > > > is suffering and so is the entertainment industry acorss the board. > > > They need to stop making every book, 80's cartoon, and comic into a > > > movie and find some original scripts. I can't remember the last movie > > > that I've seen that wasn't a book, comic, video game, or TV show. > > > > > > On Dec 9, 2007 11:57 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> > > > <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > yeah, and toning down the movie isn't going to help once people > > > > understand--or think they do--what's in the books... > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > From: "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com> > > > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com>> > > > > While I personally do not have a problem with the anti-religious > slant, > > > > you got to wonder when the people who decide to make it thought > that it > > > > would be a Lord of The Rings or Narnia. It seems as if they did not > > > > take into consideration the ramifications of the religious issue > until > > > > they had already committed to the project. knowing how American > > > > audiences and opinion groups are, you got to wonder what they were > > > thinking > > > > > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> > <mailto:KeithBJohnson%40comcast.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > i know of at least one person who is refusing to see the film > based > > on > > > > > the perceived anti-religious bias. i think that can't be > discounted. > > i > > > > > bet that can translate into at least 5 - 10 million in loss if > > > > > Christian conservatives dediced to stay away. The FX on the > trailers > > > > > look better than "Narnia" (or at least as good), which was > released > > at > > > > > the exact same time of year as "Golden Compass". And to be > honest, a > > > > > whole lot of people who took their kids to see "Narnia" hadn't > read > > > > > the books and knew little about the story. What they *did* > know was > > > > > that "Narnia" was at least in part based on Christian themes, > which > > > > > drew them in. in the same way, they heard that "Compass" was > based on > > > > > anti-religious themes, which i feel kept many away > > > > > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > > From: "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" > > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com> > > > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com> > > > > > <mailto:tdlists%40multiculturaladvantage.com>> > > > > > > > > > > > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office > > > > > > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST > > > > > > > > > http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209 > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209> > > > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209 > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209>> > > > > > > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209 > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209> > > > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209 > <http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN0835936220071209>>> > > > > > > > > > > By Dean Goodman > > > > > > > > > > > > LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "The Golden Compass," a costly fantasy > > > starring > > > > > > Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, got off to a slow start at the > > North > > > > > > American box office and will likely fall short of > opening-weekend > > > > > > expectations. > > > > > > > > > > > > New Line Cinema's $180 million film sold an estimated $8.8 > million > > > > > worth > > > > > > of tickets during its first day in theaters on Friday, > according to > > > > > data > > > > > > issued on Saturday by tracking firm Box Office Mojo > > > > > (www.boxofficemojo.com). > > > > > > > > > > > > After Saturday and Sunday sales are factored in, the film will > > > come in > > > > > > at No. 1 with about $28 million when the studios issue their > > weekend > > > > > > estimates on Sunday, said Paul Dergarabedian at Media By > Numbers, > > > > > > another tracking firm. > > > > > > > > > > > > New Line, a struggling Time Warner Inc unit hoping to launch > > another > > > > > > franchise along the lines of its blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" > > > > > series, > > > > > > said last week it was hoping the film would open to between $30 > > > million > > > > > > and $40 million. > > > > > > > > > > > > "It's below expectations, but it's not an out-and-out debacle," > > said > > > > > > Dergarabedian. > > > > > > > > > > > > Conspiring against the movie, he said, were such factors as > a soft > > > > > > marketplace and unrealistic expectations for an epic fantasy > > filling > > > > > the > > > > > > holiday void left by the "Narnia" and "Lord of the Rings" > smashes. > > > > > > > > > > > > A New Line executive did not return a call seeking comment. > > > > > > > > > > > > Based on the first book in British author Philip Pullman's > > acclaimed > > > > > > children's series "His Dark Materials," writer/director Chris > > > Weitz's > > > > > > film is set in an alternate world ruled by an oppressive > religious > > > > > > authority. It features talking animals and a heroine played by > > > > > youngster > > > > > > Dakota Blue Richards. > > > > > > > > > > > > Even though the film downplays the religious aspect, it has been > > > > > savaged > > > > > > by such groups as the Catholic League and the U.S. Conference of > > > > > > Bishops. Opponents have cited Pullman's unflattering portrayal > > > of the > > > > > > church and specifically the Catholic faith. > > > > > > > > > > > > Critics were also generally negative on the film, according to > > > the web > > > > > > site Rotten Tomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com), which collates > > > reviews. > > > > > > > > > > > > The film represents another disappointment for Kidman, who had > > > yet to > > > > > > headline a live-action $100 million movie. Her most recent > > successes > > > > > > were 2005's "The Interpreter" ($72 million) and 2003's "Cold > > > Mountain" > > > > > > ($96 million). > > > > > > > > > > > > She and Craig co-starred in the summer release "The Invasion," > > which > > > > > > flopped with just $15 million. Craig had better luck reviving > > > the James > > > > > > Bond franchise last year with "Casino Royale" ($167 million). > > > > > > > > > > > > New Line has also struggled. Its biggest movie of 2007, "Rush > > > Hour 3" > > > > > > ($140 million), earned less than half of its predecessor. Other > > > films, > > > > > > such as Jim Carrey's "The Number 23" and the wartime drama > > > "Rendition" > > > > > > quickly came and went. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > -- > > > Blogs: > > > > > > The Greasy Guide > > > http://greasyguide.com <http://greasyguide.com> > <http://greasyguide.com <http://greasyguide.com>> > > > > > Your Online Destination for Urban Information > > > > > > Coming Soon > > > Street Sweet NYC > > > http://www.streetsweetnyc.com <http://www.streetsweetnyc.com> > <http://www.streetsweetnyc.com <http://www.streetsweetnyc.com>> > > > > > Get your fix on cupcake bliss. > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > -- > > -- > Blogs: > > The Greasy Guide > http://greasyguide.com <http://greasyguide.com> > Your Online Destination for Urban Information > > Coming Soon > Street Sweet NYC > http://www.streetsweetnyc.com <http://www.streetsweetnyc.com> > Get your fix on cupcake bliss. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
