Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

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] 
> > 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] 
> 
> > > > 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] 
> 
> > > >
> > > > 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]  
>  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 

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Mike Street]

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]> 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]
>  > > 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]
>  > >
>  > > 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]  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]
>  > 
>  > > > >
>  > > >
>  > > > > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
>  > > > > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
>  > > > >
>  > 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 o

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

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] 
> > 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] 
> >
> > 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]  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] 
> 
> > > >
> > >
> > > > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
> > > > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
> > > > 
> 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 a

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[KeithBJohnson]

well, i tend to think that Harry Potter generates less overt hostility than 
this supposed anti-religious Golden Compass does. I know lots of conservative 
Christians who are disturbed by the witchcraft aspects of Potter, but 
nonetheless let their kids read the books and watch the movies. In that case, 
they just write it off as fantasy and let it go. But again, when they hear that 
this stuff is supposedly overtly anti-religious, that's a different slant 
altogether, and i think that's making a difference. I agree part of it is that 
no one's heard of "Golden Compass", but given the time of year, the FX, the aim 
at kids and families, it really should have done much better. Not "Potter" 
numbers, but better than this. It's the atheist thing scaring away families in 
large part

-- Original message -- 
From: "Mike Street" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
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]> 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]>
> 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] 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]
> > >
> >
> > > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
> > > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
> > > 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 Britis

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Mike Street]

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]> 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]>
>  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] 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]
>  > >
>  >
>  > > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
>  > > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
>  > > 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

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[KeithBJohnson]

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]> 
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] 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] 
> >
>
> > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
> > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
> > 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]

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

I agree, but they were not thinking about it shrewdly.  Even if they 
decided to moved away from the source material, this was an inevitable 
time bomb.  My daughter is two young for a lot of the kids literature 
that they are now turning to, but there has to be books out there that 
are not intended to be controversial.

Martin wrote:
>
> The skeptic in me says that they were thinking $$...
>
> "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" 
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> > wrote: 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]  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] 
> 
> > >
> >
> > > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
> > > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
> > > 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 sum

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Martin]

The skeptic in me says that they were thinking $$...

"Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  
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] 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] 
> >
>
> > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
> > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
> > 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]



 


"There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels will get 
organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, "A Man Withou

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Justin Mohareb]

It would appear we have finally found someone who will go broke
underestimating the American people.

JJ Mohareb

On Dec 9, 2007 1:31 PM, Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 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
>



-- 
Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy.
http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

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] 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] 
> >
>
> > "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
> > Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
> > 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]

Re: [scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[KeithBJohnson]

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]> 

> "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office 
> Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST 
> 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]

[scifinoir2] "Golden Compass" disappoints at box office

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

"Golden Compass" disappoints at box office
Sun Dec 9, 2007 10:27am EST
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.


 
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