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Topic: _The Da Vinci Code_ protest letter

Jeffry L. Johnson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 809
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 03-10-2006 11:21 AM

Handwritten letter

quote:
Dear Superintendant of the theater,

Please do not consent to have the "Da Vinci Code," movie presented at your theatre.

It's a major attack against Christianity, based on a novel by Dan Brown who says that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had sexual relations and a child together - and that the figure of St. John in the Da Vinci picture of "the Last supper", is really Mary Magdalene. How preposterous when there are 12 figures, representing the 12 apostles.

If you do present this movie, we will rally the theatre and protest for the good of all society.

The organization that we belong to is, "America Needs Fatima." It is a catholic organization - yet in listening to the Protestant T.V. stations, they also are protesting the novel; and are determined to organize and protest the movie theatre that will present it.

Hopefully none will accept this movie in their theatre.

Thank you.

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William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-10-2006 11:27 AM

And in true fashion, them making that big of an issue is turning into Free Publicity for the Studio. In the long run, it will drive more folks to see it because there really going to be curious to see what all the outrage is about.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 03-10-2006 12:44 PM

I love a PLAN when it comes together. Sounds like...is it....Wm Castle? Louis

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Ron Keillor
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 166
From: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 03-10-2006 02:19 PM

"The Last Temptation of Christ" revisited. They'll be wanting to know when the DVD will be out so it can shown in the church basement.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 03-10-2006 03:00 PM

Pull out the extra leader, it's time to interlock that baby!

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 03-10-2006 03:09 PM

Lots of good buzz about the picture. Good movies are often based on "what if...?" speculation and storytelling.

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Jason Winn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 131
From: Mesquite, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 03-10-2006 03:18 PM

People that protest movies are stupid! If you don't wanna watch it, then don't! It's as simple as that. They need to get a life and realize it's just a movie. Oh well, the more they protest, the more money that movie will make. Any publicity is good publicity.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-10-2006 06:18 PM

Normally word of such a brewing protest about a movie would make me a bit angry. I just hope this Da Vinci Code thing doesn't inflame to the level seen back in the last 1980s when The Last Temptation of Christ was released.

Some protestors can really get on your nerves. But I've never seen anything quite as outrageous as what has been perpetrated at a number of military funerals lately. There is a group of hateful, insufferable moron protestors led by Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, KS who crash any military funeral they can find.

If you haven't heard of them, here's their M.O.: they picket funerals of military service people who died in Iraq -and say those soldiers deserved to die because they fought for a nation that promotes homosexuality. They verbally shout taunts at the grieving family and carry cruelly worded picket signs like "Thank God for IEDs" or derogatory anti-gay phrases. It boggles the mind to find anything more illogical than the stunts that group is pulling.

They hate gays, so they insult grieving military families?
[Roll Eyes]

Some states are trying to ban the Phelps group from getting anywhere near a military funeral, but many in Phelps' throng are lawyers and are actively fighting any such legislation.

A couple motorcycle enthusiast groups have joined the fray on the side of the families of fallen soliders. They show up and block the protestors and do other things to drown out their taunts (play blaring patriotic music or rev their bike engines).
[Big Grin]

I think the folks in that Phelps gang are risking their lives. I personally know people in my area who would greet any such protestor with a loaded shotgun if they tried crashing a military funeral in this area. If they keep up their brand of bullshit one of them is going to get shot.

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Bruce Hansen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 847
From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-10-2006 06:25 PM

I really hate it when some communist super conservative dweeb thinks he has the right to tell me that I cannot see a movie. People like that need to be told to go live in China.

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 03-10-2006 06:40 PM

And it will probably be the best movie this year...............

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 03-10-2006 07:39 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
There is a group of hateful, insufferable moron protestors led by Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, KS who crash any military funeral they can find.

LOL! I grew up in Topeka and have met Fred. Our teacher invited him to speak at one of our philosophy classes.. The man is truely an attention whore.

Pickets are great for movies. My first theatre that I was a manager in, which was in Topeka, played Showgirls. Friday grosses were horrible. The picketers (not Phelps but others) showed up Saturday morning, along with TV cameras.. Grosses were good on Saturday. Then "bowing to pressure" the company announced it was pulling the film at the end of the weekend. Sunday's shows all sold out...

People don't seem to get the point about creating publicity.

Basically, if you are getting letters this far out, its time to look at adding prints.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-10-2006 08:15 PM

I don't have a problem with the general right for people to protest. It is agreed protests against a movie will actually improve business (provided the theater company itself books the print instead of refusing it as some did with regard to the NC-17 rated Showgirls).

I remember buying certain rock albums back in the 1980s simply because Tipper Gore held up copies of them in front of a senate subcommittee. Their seal of disapproval worked in ironic fashion, actually improving the sales.

I don't expect protestors of The Da Vinci Code to be very outrageous. They may get a decent amount of press coverage though (and help the movie sell more tickets). The Phelps gang is an example of just low exceedingly low the behavior of some groups can reach.

Frankly, when one considers three teens in Alabama were arrested this week for burning down roughly a dozen churches just as a "joke that got out of hand," I'm surprised Fred Phelps would be pulling such hateful stunts at military funerals. He would definintely give any college arsonist quite the inspiration for targeting Phelps' specific building. He's making a lot of enemies in the military as well. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple stick-of-butter sized pieces of C4 turned up missing...only to wind up being used elsewhere for some other purpose. Hmm.
[evil]

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 03-10-2006 08:44 PM

Fred Phelps at Wikipedia makes for some interesting reading.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: Boulder Creek, CA.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-11-2006 12:21 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
many in Phelps' throng are lawyers and are actively fighting any such legislation

It always amazes me how smart people can be so dumb.

As the release date closes in I imagine a lot of us are going to be hearing from some very outraged people who hardly ever patronize our theater anyway saying we'll never see them in again.
It's amazing how many times these people make the judgement that the general public is too stupid to separate a work of fiction and reality.
Sometimes they are but those people are beyond "saving" anyhow. Why does everyone need to be saved? What is this nonsense?

Anyhow, I also agree this will probably one of the best movies of the year earning a high gross.

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Stephen Furley
Film God

Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002

posted 03-11-2006 03:29 AM

Fred Phelps is insane. He claims to be anti-gay, but is actually anti everything, except his own 'church', which consists mainly of members of his own family.

If you haven't heard him speak, go to www.godhatesfags.com, and listen to one of the sermons; there's one for almost every week for several years. I doubt that you'll want to listen to the full hour or so of it. Even most anti-gay people can't stand Fred.

This is his idea of some nice childrens clothing:

or this:

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