Golden Compass
New Line Cinema held a press conference yesterday at the swanky Martinez hotel to promote The Golden Compass, a $180 million action- fantasy pic in the vein of….well, you know. It’s another attempt to deliver a heart-touching, visually-dazzling, all-ages family blockbuster, which is no crime. The director is Chris Weisz, and the costars are Daniel Craig (who showed up) and Nicole Kidman (who didn’t).
It’s a screen adaptation of Philip Pullman‘s novel, which is (what else?) the first book in a trilogy called ”His Dark Materials.” It’ll debut in early December. Here’s hoping it’s as good as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which I thought was quite good. I shouldn’t say more, having missed the three footage screenings that New Line presented…sorry.
I left before it was over, and on my way out noticed a certain New Line executive dozing in his back-row seat in the Martinez ballrooom. We’ve all been there, especially those who’ve just arrived from Los Angeles.
Who are you, and what have you done with Jeffrey Wells?
Seriously, though, keep your eyes on this series. It may look like the Narnia series, but it’s exactly the opposite. They are going to have a dickens of a time promoting this series because it is openly hostile to religion. In fact, without spoiling anything, bringing down organized religion is essentially the raison d’etre of the whole exercise. But it’s all wrapped up in a bunch of pretty pictures the Harry Potter crowd is going to love.
Well, the first book is mostly free of that kind of stuff, but it starts to build in the second book and it is out in full force in the third book. So, I don’t think you will see much of an uproar with this film.
Course, my wife won’t be seeing it. Not because of the religious aspects, but because of the fate of a couple of characters.
Of course Nicole didn’t show. The poor dear was probably worried Lars Von Trier would somehow be there to berate her again.
Jeff these books are almost like the anti Narnia. Christianity doesn’t come off too well here, particularly the Vatican. I heard they made some changes in the book as to not to offend the church. Weitz is a solid director and the trailer that was just released looks pretty damn good.
You’re not going to see much of an uproar over any of them as Weitz and New Line removed direct references to religion and softened the aggressively hostile tone of the books at every turn (or so it has been rumored for some time). Anyway, though the books certainly aren’t dear to me I don’t appreciate the cowardice involved in their adaptation. Why do it at all? Well, to answer my own question, because New Line smelled a profitable franchise here, that’s why. The trailer all too obviously apes the Narnia pic (which is an ironic homage when you think about it) and aspires to LOTR territory. The first book was the best one, not necessarily because its tone was softest but because it was the most elegantly written and could pass as genuine literature–by the time we get to Amber Spyglass Pullman has descend into howling screed mode and the pleasures of the literary journey are mainly lost.
Final word: though I knew such a thing would never happen, the only director I could conceive of who could have done these books justice is Peter Greenaway. His aesthetic is dead on. The humor in the boks, after all, is strictly his variety and I could easily see the whole thing playing out in his usual long take master shot style.
I thought Narnia was pretty cruddy (and pro-war) so here’s hoping this is better.
I really liked Narnia – for the most part – but I thought the forest sets were awful, very fake.
JohnCope, I agree with everything in your post. I have heard the same rumors and all I could think of, if they are taking out the religious aspect, what’s the point? Again, without spoiling anything, what are the two main characters supposed to do? I was trying to think of an LOTR analog and the closest I could come was making LOTR without Frodo, Sam and Gollum.
I also agree with your observation that the books get weaker as they go along, especially without the central theme. Narnia has that same problem.
While we’re all thinking trilogies, I didn’t see “The Lion,” completely spaced on “The Witch,” but I’ll try to catch them on DVD before “The Wardrobe” comes out, which is when, now?
Nicole Kidman wasn’t there because she’s filming Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” with Hugh Jackman in – wait for it – Bowen, Australia.
It most certainly isn’t for the children. In fact, despite the fact the heroine is a pre-teen girl, it’s quite adult. The themes and violence will most likely make for a PG-13 movie.
Just checked out the trailer. It looks interesting. Not sure if it’s for me…I may just wait to see how the reviews are.
I sure hope COMPASS is not at all like NARNIA. I hated almost everything, but the worst was Santa Claus as an arms dealer…
“They are going to have a dickens of a time promoting this series because it is openly hostile to religion.”
No moreso than if the Narnia series actually gets as far as The Horse and His Boy, Lewis’ full-out attack on Islam as a violent slave religion.
There’s a difference between being hostile to religion in general vs. being hostile to one religion while advocating another one.
So?
So, one is more offensive than the other.
(I fully expect your next post to also be ‘so?’)
Just checked out the trailer. It looks interesting. Not sure if it’s for me…I may just wait to see how the reviews are.
“They are going to have a dickens of a time promoting this series because it is openly hostile to religion.”
No moreso than if the Narnia series actually gets as far as The Horse and His Boy, Lewis’ full-out attack on Islam as a violent slave religion.
So?
Is it offensive if it’s true?
If it’s a reasonable opinion to hold?
Were Bunuel’s attacks on Catholicism offensive?
Were Martin Luther’s?
If I didn’t already have a handle, I’d definetly be on here as MartinLutherBunuel.
So calling Islam a ‘violent slave religion’ is just speaking the truth?
How does this make the world a better place, exactly? Are you expecting a devout Muslim to say ‘hey, a white Republican said our religion is loco. Let’s convert!’ No, they get pissed off.
I don’t think Bunuel ever attacked ‘Catholicism’ as much as he attacked stupidity, hypocrisy, and greed. Ditto Luther.
Is this really a discussion you want to have on a blog? Run by Jeff Wells?
Is it offensive if it’s true?
If it’s a reasonable opinion to hold?
Were Bunuel’s attacks on Catholicism offensive?
Were Martin Luther’s?
“So calling Islam a ‘violent slave religion’ is just speaking the truth?”
Nietszche thought so when he called Christianity something similar.
“How does this make the world a better place, exactly?”
Better than one in which we live in fear of robed thugs oppressing us in the name of their sky gods? Yes, how would speaking freely be better than that?
“Are you expecting a devout Muslim to say ‘hey, a white Republican said our religion is loco. Let’s convert!’ No, they get pissed off.”
Well, then we must bow down to them. Or, we could be free mensches, and as Mencken said, “We must respect the other fellow’s religion,but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.”
“I don’t think Bunuel ever attacked ‘Catholicism’ as much as he attacked stupidity, hypocrisy, and greed. Ditto Luther.”
So what’s the difference. Okay, I’m not attacking Islam, just its oft-demonstrated tendency toward barbarism. Think that’ll save me?
“Is this really a discussion you want to have on a blog? Run by Jeff Wells?”
Schoolteacher, live life like Zorba!
“So calling Islam a ‘violent slave religion’ is just speaking the truth?”
Nietszche thought so when he called Christianity something similar.
“How does this make the world a better place, exactly?”
Better than one in which we live in fear of robed thugs oppressing us in the name of their sky gods? Yes, how would speaking freely be better than that?
“Are you expecting a devout Muslim to say ‘hey, a white Republican said our religion is loco. Let’s convert!’ No, they get pissed off.”
Well, then we must bow down to them. Or, we could be free mensches, and as Mencken said, “We must respect the other fellow’s religion,but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.”
“I don’t think Bunuel ever attacked ‘Catholicism’ as much as he attacked stupidity, hypocrisy, and greed. Ditto Luther.”
So what’s the difference. Okay, I’m not attacking Islam, just its oft-demonstrated tendency toward barbarism. Think that’ll save me?
“Is this really a discussion you want to have on a blog? Run by Jeff Wells?”
Schoolteacher, live life like Zorba!
“Nietszche thought so when he called Christianity something similar.”
and that makes nietszche correct?
Mgmax…go start your own blog. I don’t know where you’re coming from on this one and frankly I think discussing religion on a movie blog is a bigger waste of time than usual.
I am not shitting you, hold a mirror up to the left side of this post and see what happens to the signature. It’s like ‘Paul is Dead’ all over again. SPOOOO – KEY!
“So calling Islam a ‘violent slave religion’ is just speaking the truth?”
Nietszche thought so when he called Christianity something similar.
“How does this make the world a better place, exactly?”
Better than one in which we live in fear of robed thugs oppressing us in the name of their sky gods? Yes, how would speaking freely be better than that?
“Are you expecting a devout Muslim to say ‘hey, a white Republican said our religion is loco. Let’s convert!’ No, they get pissed off.”
Well, then we must bow down to them. Or, we could be free mensches, and as Mencken said, “We must respect the other fellow’s religion,but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.”
“I don’t think Bunuel ever attacked ‘Catholicism’ as much as he attacked stupidity, hypocrisy, and greed. Ditto Luther.”
So what’s the difference. Okay, I’m not attacking Islam, just its oft-demonstrated tendency toward barbarism. Think that’ll save me?
“Is this really a discussion you want to have on a blog? Run by Jeff Wells?”
Schoolteacher, live life like Zorba!
Posted by: Mgmax
Jayne Gacey,
I love how this rumours start, lol. LVT berating Kidman? when exactly did it take place? on the moon? At Cannes and elsewhere, LVT had nothing but praise for Kidman in ALL his interviews. I think you will find that even when he came all gun-ho while filming Kidman gave as good as he delivered and put him in his place.
And considering Kidman had better things to do with her time than grinning inanely at journalists or critics who can’t come up with worthy questions after watching a 10min clip, I’d say she should have a ball with Baz instead. There will be time to promote The Golden Compass when it happens but for now New Line should do the promoting.
“Ain’t no heaven. Ain’t no burnin’ hell.”–John Lee Hooker