Where is the out cry of Christians for success of Golden Compass?

[jediliz]

The Golden Compass has been a flop. Look at the numbers.

Its still #1 overseas where Philip Pullman is from. Fortunately, a movie called National Treasure 2 with Nicholas Cage will be hitting theaters tomorrow and I think it’ll knock GC down to 5th place.

 

[ralphinal]

How does one go about debunking a work of fantasy fiction without looking like a complete idiot?

With the Da Vinci Code, there were historical issues as well as the overall story. If you show where the history is made up, you show the holes in the story. With true fantasy fiction, you have to show the problems in the intent and theology. IN this set of books, that is easy. The author said he wanted to “kill God,” the church is shown to be evil to the point of killing children, etc.

 

[lukewarm]

I can watch a movie based around a homicidal maniac like Hannibal Lecter and find it intriguing and a good escape it doesn’t mean I’m going to kill people and eat them. I can watch a film about the holocaust and I’m not going to kill Jews and gypsies en masse.

People aren’t brain dead morons, they can watch a movie and take it for what it is, a story and escapism. If watching a fantasy movie with talking polar bears kills your faith then I wonder how much faith you had in the first place.

I can respect people not wanting to support something because it pokes fun at their religion in suttle ways. But I can’t respect those same people trying to get it banned or not shown at theaters so I can’t see it.

 

[RTMirage]

Who said anything about banning it?

 

[ralphinal]

It still only makes you look silly. You might as well try to debunk the Final Fantasy video game franchise or the Super Mario Brothers.

Instead of attacking a work of obvious fiction, you would do better to distance yourself from the caricature presented in the film. As it is, you’re just reinforcing the connection in people’s minds. (“That’s exactly what the Magisterium in the movie would do.”)

Just brush it off and emphasize all the good the Catholic Church has done, and is doing, in the world. Fighting it just makes you look foolish.

To an extent, I don;t disagree. To me there are two other issues. First, why are Christians and Catholics in particular the only group that can be “picked on?” Why will you get ratings telling Jesus jokes but get pulled off the air for Jewish or minority jokes? I am not even mentioning death for Islam jokes. Second, do not underestemate the power that fiction, whether it is film or books, can have on the “knowledge” that people have about a subject. Who uses Jaws for their basis of shark knowledge? Lots of people. If kids hear that the “Magisterium” wants to kill children, then I tell them about the Magisterium in the church, what will they think? And before you say that people are not that dumb, I will point out that yes, as a group we are. Just look around sometimes. We are no longer, as a group, capable of critical, logical thought in America, or most of the world.

 

[ralphinal]

Mormons get picked on a lot too, but I don’t recall any boycott of Big Love, or even September Dawn. Sometimes the best option is to simply not take offense.

So write good fiction that portrays the real Magisterium in a positive light. If entertainment is the battlefield, then entertainment is the correct response.

I agree about Mormans. Honestly, I do not understand why they don’t protest more. The issue about “good” fiction is one of economics. There are thousands of manuscripts every year that do not get published. Some of them are excellent as far as the message goes. Why are they not published? Who knows. I am not one to claim a giant conspiracy. I think there is one, but it is not huge. I will never forget the time that Ben Stein had to sue to get money he was owed on a movie. The producers had said, publicly (and in court even), that it would be a cold day for the devil when that _____ republican got money for a script that he wrote. I know of actors that have been black-listed for speaking at a pro-life event. Tell them to portray a positive message.

Most of the top 100 grossing films of all time at G or PG, yet there are almost 10 times more R rated released every year. Why? The money says that family films sell. It defies economics to produce something that you know will underperform. If it is about money, or even entertainment, then Hollywood should be making more G and PG movies. No, there is an agenda in America.

 

[THutch04]

I don’t get this at all. I just read the Box Office Hit and Golden Compass is the # 1 film in the nation. I was reviewing the film and the book it is based upon. The author is Philipp Pullman who is an atheist and proudly gives an Anti-Catholic and Anti-Christian theme.

Here is the summary of the trilogy. The world is ruled by God, and establish a Magisterium. They are ruthless, and I think the final series have the boy and girl kill God in the end. You can goggle it, but I think the author’s is a pathetic excuse of expressing his hatred for “organized religion” particularly Christians. I can’t believe a country like the US whose majority are indeed Christians decide to watch this wasteless film.

I tend to think that people who wouldn’t normally go see it want to just because everybody is saying it’s evil and making a big deal about it. That’s honestly the ONLY reason I intend to see it (although from what I’ve also heard, it’s a badly made movie, so I don’t know if I want to see it in the theaters now).

 

[inthecloud]

I saw the movie, well for adults is OK if you like the fantasy genre, but other that the “Daemons” and “Magisterium” and the Orthodox church like office of the Magisterium, the anticristian theme (more than New Atheist like Dawkins Bill Pullman seems to be a Anton LaVey Satanist/atheist type) is subdued and most people would not get it. But is dark and boring for a childrens movie. Most children were bored and did not understand anything.
The Church rightly ignored it in my country. Good idea.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

I love fantasy/ sci-fi movies and books. I had never heard of these books and when i first heard of the movie thought cool looks like a good flick. I did not hear exactly what was in the movies/book only that they the author was was anti Christian /God, and that was in the theme of these books and the movie. I will not being seeing them. I also see no point in talking bout them to people I know.

Peace in the Lord

Scott

 

[rtconstant]

Well, if it is any consolation:

First weekend sales:

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring: 47.2 million

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: 65.6 million

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials): 26.1 million

The above are US domestic incomes. Now Compass can also tak on another 55 million in overseas sales. Yet for a movie that cost 180 million dollars that is horrific. So Christian fantasy seems to hold its own.

It really shouldn’t be surprising though. This is fantasy. Fantasy fans like to believe there is something out there. Fantasy fans like prophesy and wonderous deeds and works. Really in some ways it is rather amazing that an Atheist could have done as well as he did in this genre.

Fantasy requires soul.

 

[jfallaw]

i remember all the atheists and pagans condemning the Passion of the Christ movie because it was strongly pro-Christian, which implies anti-pagan. They cried that their children might watch it and doubt their non-faith, and be tricked into becoming Christians! Wait, no… that never happened. Nobody cared! Just like I could care less about the Golden Compass or what it’s about! If a movie makes you doubt your faith, you need to go to Church more, anyway, and study the Catechism! We have better things to protest against!!!