quote: We have prepared a special "preview trailer" to give you a "peek" at what you might see in the movie! This is NOT the Theatrical Trailer that will include dialogue, special visual effects, final sound mix and the completed musical score. The full 2 minute theatrical trailer will be available shortly before the release of the movie.
Their clothes are so...clean...
They shot this thing on 24p instead of film - which is interesting - But the lighting makes me sad. That added to the fact that the clothes ALL look completely unworn (and SOFT!) makes me wonder what their DPs and Costume Designers were thinking. Couldn't they, you know, rub them in dirt a few times? Didn't these folks know that they didn't have "snuggle" back then?
Posts: 2689 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Wow. From what I've seen so far, I don't think any film has done more of a disservice to Mormonism since The Godmakers.
Do we really need a two-hour Seminary video? Did they have to claim the title of the book, as though the movie were "official"? Why does Laman beat Nephi with a hockey stick? Why does Nephi take comical pratfalls in the desert? What the crap has happened to the universe that such things should come to pass?! [rends clothing and rolls in ashes]
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quote: From what I've seen so far, I don't think any film has done more of a disservice to Mormonism since The Godmakers.
Are you kidding? The Godmakers was hilarious. I loved it. Every time on my mission I ran across someone who had seen the Godmakers (unless they already had it in their heads that they hated Mormons), it actually made them more ready to talk to me, because it was such a good example of the idiocy of anti-Mormons. [Not to be confused with non-Mormons. There's a difference, so don't take offense if you belong to another church.] The scene where the cartoon God walks down the street in Jerusalem and knocks on Mary's door looking for action--I almost wet my pants.
However, as far as this movie... yes, it does look very cheap and patronising. I'm sure its intended audience will love it. But I've always had a problem with church-related media, because it's so blatantly emotionally manipulative, in a way so un-subtle that it comes across as more coarse and insulting than touching. When I was on my misison, the only movies that I would ever show anyone were "Mountain of the Lord" and "Johnny Lingo" (and ocassionally "A Voice From the Dust"), because every other movie made by the Church or one of its affiliates embarassed me and made my religion look bad. I would literally rather watch "The Godmakers" with an investigator than "Legacy" or "On the Way Home.", and "Together Forever" is good solely for camp value.
Anyway, I will not be seeing the Book of Mormon movie. I hope the people that do go see it--the type of people that automatically think that any movie featuring something from their church is automatically as well made as anything Spielberg ever produced--will enjoy it. And I hope they'll resist the temptation to invite their non-member friends.
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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Luke II is fun just because of something an RM sister friend of mine showed me. At the very end, when they show scenes of the Christ child interspersed with all the animals, and a little high voice singing, this is what you hear:
posted
I do want to know what laundry detergent those dancing ladies were using, their colors are shining just like new!
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I just watched the preview. I honestly don't see why some of you folks are ripping it apart. Yeah, it's pretentious and cannot possibly live up to what it is claiming, but I didn't see anything in the preview to justify Geoff's remark. I think there is an outside chance that it might even be alright.
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And even though they said the last trailer was 'unpolished' - looks like color correcting did them no good. The lighting still blows. Especially in that 'unveiling-wedding' shot. Icky poo.
And I love how we go from "I've never met anyone like you before, Nephi!" to "If he should command me to say unto this water be thou earth, and I should say it - it would be earth!" Seems a little, well, poor on language continuity.
Does "The Godmakers" now have a rival, as Geoff said before? That's up to you to decide!
Posts: 2689 | Registered: Apr 2000
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This is a totally unfair thing to say, but whatever....
Some folks in the 'mormon arts community' were very dubious about this production from the time of the announcement because of
a) the lack of serious film/acting/directing experience on the part of the people involved
b) the shoddiness of much of the writing and other publicity activity surrounding the announcement and subsequent updates on the project
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And I should add that while I don't know much about either a) or b) above (my info is second hand), I did read a copy of the original press release announcing the project.
It was hilarious. In fact, I think the word I used was one I had coined on Hatrack a while back: blandiose.
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I haven't seen it, and I'm not really sure what it's actually about, so I can't say. From what I have heard about it, I'm guessing it's sort of along the lines of the Chick Tract on Mormons—some truth with some not-quite-truth, exaggeration, and lies thrown in.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Nick, I haven't seen it, but I've read a transcript and several responses. Basically, it takes a lot of apocryphal ideas on the fringes of Mormon thought and casts them as the foundation of our beliefs. Then it falsifies statistics to make Mormon culture look harmful in a whole bunch of different ways. And given that it was made by a former Mormon who was excommunicated for multiple deplorable acts, I'd say it's pretty much a childish, vengeful attempt at slander.
posted
Nick -- I've read the book (haven't seen the movie) and some of the stuff in the book is true, but requires some pretty significant twisting to make it look the way Ed made it look there. The idea that he has Satan "dancing" before God in the temple film is silly, and seems to be targetted toward the kind of Baptists who are concerned about people having sex standing up because it might lead to dancing.
Frankly, my experience with Ed has found his elevator not quite reaching the top floor, and the Godmakers held that not-quite-coherent flavor to me. There is little value to be gained from contact with it IMO. There are much higher quality sources of anti-Mormon thought than Ed Decker.
Posts: 35 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Wow. All that hardship and they still have time for regular haircuts. And lots of laundry, obviously.
Our missionaries gave us Together Forever, because it was obvious to them how much we love each other, and they knew the idea appealed. We never watched it, though I tried once. I got the giggles. Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I'll probably go see the movie. Based upon the very limited information available, it looks at least as good as 85% of the other movies out there. Posts: 524 | Registered: May 2003
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Well, Unicornwhisperer and I saw this movie. Has anyone else seen it?
I will hold my detailed critique for later, but let's just say I hope someone else makes a Book of Mormon movie again...someone who won't slaughter it (maybe slaughter is too harsh of a word, but not far off). Posts: 684 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Oh come on!! You can't hold it from us now!!! We've been dying to hear about it (well, relatively speaking) and now you're not gonna cough it up??? Tell us!! *leap leap leap*
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You can tell us. It would be hard to spoil a movie if we already know it's rotten.
Anyway, I'm not a Mormon, and I haven't read The Book of Mormon, but this kind of looks like Jesus Christ Superstar without the singing...which isn't good (not that JCS was good with the singing, but at least other people could tell it stunk by the commercials).
Posts: 2292 | Registered: Aug 2003
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It's interesting what Sister Yozh said about delaying her baptism. I read "Miracle of Forgiveness" and I think perhaps it has delayed me getting my temple endowment, possibly forever. Still not sure what to think about it.
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Really? Hm...personal questions coming to mind. I'm just interested to know what it was about reading that book that delayed you...I've heard that this book had similar effects on other people. I haven't read it. Faith Preceeds the Miracle is one that knocked me into self-condemnation mode.
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Oh, dear, Sister AK. (I haven't read the book myself, but am also curious to know about your experience.)
The thing that bothered me about Together Forever (other than the really cheesy music) was that I started to think about my family and how none of them are LDS so that I wouldn't get to be with them in the CK...but after a while the thought came to me that it was a silly thing to worry about, since (1) the Lord provides a way out of this -- maybe they'll accept the gospel in the next life or something, and (2) it's not like *I'm* so freaking perfect that I'm a shoo-in for the CK anyway; maybe I should work on fixing my own screwed-up self first, rather than trying to control the eternal destiny of other people.
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Well, I loved the title. Certainly there has been a miracle in my life, and it was one of forgiveness, that I discovered the atonement, and accepted the gift, and was freed from an intolerable burden.
But the actual book wasn't like that at all. I can only assume that for some people it was a liberating thing, showing some positive path, but for me it seemed to close doors before me that had earlier been open. The reason it acted to sunder me from the church is that, so far as I can tell, it still represents official teaching, though certainly not what's stressed.
When I got stuck on the threshold of Christianity about 8 years back, when I was still an atheist, it was because of a particular concept that seemed terribly wrong to me, (that I should willingly allow the innocent to suffer in my stead) and C.S. Lewis opened that door for me, showed me another way to see things, that I could understand and connect to (that I was given a gift, a debt was paid for me that I was unable pay myself, and that by accepting that gift I made it not have been given in vain). Perhaps this is the same sort of thing.
I'm a believer in setting aside the things that aren't helpful to me right now, in suspending my thoughts about them, and moving ahead with what IS. I think that's what I'm trying to do with this, yet I still feel no desire to go to the temple so far. I do want to go on youth temple night, and do baptisms and confirmations. I love doing that. But I don't feel like a grown up yet in the church, I guess. I don't feel ready for my endowment.
[ September 22, 2003, 02:03 PM: Message edited by: ana kata ]
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Sister Yozh, I do understand what you felt about the video. Particularly when my father was sick and died, I felt so sad that I couldn't share the blessings of the church with him. My parents were barely out of the "LDS church is a cult" phase. I didn't even ask him if he would accept a priesthood blessing, though I did put him on the prayer list at the temple.
I felt sad about the possibility of losing him forever. But I was shown during that time that all losses will be restored, and all lacks made up, and then some. And much, much more. Far more than we are able to fathom, even, right now. Not being sealed to your family doesn't necessarily mean you WON'T see them. Yes, like you said, there's a lot more coming after this life. A whole lot can happen, still, in our path of eternal progression. There is no need for sorrow, in the long run, but only for joy.
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Yes. I understand the emphasis on the practical, on the doing good and living right in the here and now, but I think that the 'we don't know' and the 'there's still much more ahead' is not as ingrained into Mormon discourse as it should be. There's too much of the wrong sort of certainty.
Certainty is a nice stabilizing factor. But it can hamper growth.
At the same time, I understand the impetus for hedges, for shoring up the walls, because us humans tend to be too undisciplined in our openness, flitting too much about after unimportant things, or catching the vision at moments but then falling down in the follow through. The few great people I have met seem to keep certainity and uncertainty, the here and now and the still to come in productive tension.
I think that ability is especially part of what made Joseph Smith what he was (and is).
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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ak, I will venture to say that I think I understand a little bit of how you feel. Before my mission, I was reading everything I could get my hands on, trying to enlarge my list of "things I need to do better" so that I could be the perfect missionary!! It stressed me out to no end and actually served to make me unhappy. The more I read, the more painfully aware I was of ALL of my flaws and how I couldn't POSSIBLY fix them. But I'm a fixer. That's what I do. It killed me that I could't fix the flaws that I could see...and the more wonderful books I read with tips and lists and fixits...the more flaws I could see!!
I remember one day I took some of those books back to the USU library. I remember clearly a couple of them. "Seeking the Spirit" by Joseph F. McKonkie, and "Faith Preceeds the Miracle" by Spencer W. Kimball. (both fantastic books by the way, especially the first one.) I was going to look for more books, stuff to enlighten me. But I was so heartsick and heavy with my own sorrow and the knowledge that I just wasn't enough, I threw the books back and checked out every OSC book I hadn't read yet. That's just a coincidence, but it made me feel better to put the stressful stuff to the side for a while and read something fluffy.
I didn't understand it until 10 or 12 months into my mission. It was a stressful and self-condemning 10 months. I began to realize that the Lord delights in my imperfections, he's very familiar with them, and HE'S the one that gave them to me, so that I could learn what I needed to learn. The important thing I think was when I figured out that only HE could help me fix them...and that it's ok to work on them one at a time. When I finally realized that I'm not the fixer, I relaxed a lot. I'm still learning a whole lot about it all the time, but I'm MUCH more mellow than I used to be. Really, that's an understatement.
Anyway, I didn't tell you that to convince you of anything or to even pretend that I know what your thoughts are about your personal endowment...but some of the things you said rang familiar to me and I just wanted to share my experience with you. I think you're great by the way. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Hey, this is totally off the subject, but ... weren't "ana" and "kata" the directional names that defined fourth-dimensional space in William Sleator's The Boy Who Reversed Himself? Maybe I'm misremembering, I read it when I was nine ...
[checks Google] Yeah, they are. Cool!
[ September 23, 2003, 04:16 AM: Message edited by: A Rat Named Dog ]
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Yeah, Geoff! I took this new name because of a statue that Paul Ganssle made in my honor in association with the galaxy-wide era of Anne Kate adulation which has recently been ushered in amidst much fanfare. He was going to make it a zero dimensional statue but then I confessed that I had always been fond of odd numbers of dimensions, suggesting seven instead. However, he balked at the price of a seven dimensional statue so we eventually settled on one.
He decided then, from an artistic standpoint, to make it exist in time only, and not have any spatial dimensions at all. And so my statue, as created, is the duration of time comprising one rotation of our star about the galactic center. I was quite honored by that, and you all may experience my statue (which exists everywhere at once) any time during the next two hundred thirty million some odd years.
The jumps from time-as-the-fourth-dimension to the-fourth-spatial-dimension to playing around with tesseracts to ana and kata (originally greek words for backward and forward but now used widely as directions in the fourth spatial dimension) from that point, were, of course, quite natural. The new thing now is to take all words with "ana" and "cata" prefixes and see what happens when you make their opposites. Is the opposite of an analogue a catalogue? I guess if things don't match up they simply become a list, huh? Are anacombs underground passages which proceed directly to their goal? Is a single-hulled boat an anamaran? Is there such thing as cataphylactic shock? These and other weighty questions now occupy the great minds of our time.
Applications for new acolytes are available via email from dracofire87@yahoo.net.
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