That's a good point, Dr. Moore, and it takes me back to a point I made earlier about the potential consequences if the film is successful. I'm reminded of the events that transpired back in the 1990s when the Mopologists managed to drum up something like $7 million in order to build a Ziggurat-shaped building to house their endeavors. Of course, the Church swooped in to absorb FARMS into BYU at that point. You have to wonder if something similar would happen in this case.Dr Moore wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:30 pmLet's take the other view and ask whether Witnesses might actually turn into a financial home run?
Look at the situation:
1) While most big budget film release dates remain out on the horizon, people are starting to go back to theaters and desperate for good films to see.
2) North America has, what, 2 million active Mormons? If 2/3 of those are age 8+, tickets monetize at $7 (after exhibitor cut), then we are talking about a $9-10 million revenue opportunity in the next 2 months.
If I was Dan Peterson, I would be doing anything and everything to make that happen. Would be a heroic, if not mythic, level Mopologetic enterprise. In a class all of its own. Like summiting Everest.
Even if Witnesses delivers only half or a quarter of that outcome, it would be an absolute grand slam.
The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
"If, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
Means gave the film 2 1/2 stars....Tom wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:43 pmThe Facebook page for the film reports that "[m]ore than 1,000 people gathered for the nationwide premiere" and that "[d]ue to demand many theaters opened a day early." It quotes the following from Sean Means' review: "Dramatically compelling ... Spiritually inspirational."
"If, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14
Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
Battlefield Earth, Part 2.
Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
That is a weird set of expectations from the co-executive producer. Is this the same co-executive producer who has been trumpeting the possibility that the film will change the minds and hearts of thinking individuals to seriously consider the merits of the Book of Mormon?Tom wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:03 pmI haven’t seen any reviews this morning aside from a handful of positive reviews from audience members posted on Rotten Tomatoes. I will note that one of the co-executive producers recently commented: “Frankly, we're expecting mostly negative reviews.
The hardcore online critics will hate it, of course.
Some because they hate the Church, some because they hate me and all my works. If there are any, non-LDS reviewers won't be particularly sympathetic. And there are only a few believing LDS reviewers -- and, obviously, being LDS doesn't guarantee that you'll like any given LDS-focused film.”
It sounds like he's saying the film will have absolutely no impact, and everyone will come away believing exactly what they did walking into the theater. If so, what was the point of the film?
$$$$?
That's not bad actually. Roger Ebert gave "Lost Highway" 2 stars, "Blue Velvet" 1 star, and "Dune" 1/2 star. An argument could be made that the co-executive producer is a better filmmaker than David Lynch. And you know how the apologists point out that other people did the same bad stuff as Joseph Smith in his day, so he's a prophet? Doesn't that mean if that other films have got 2.5 stars or less, so it's the best film ever?Dr. Scratch wrote:Means gave the film 2 1/2 stars....
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
Did he really pan David Lynch's Dune? Man.Gadianton wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 9:19 pmThat's not bad actually. Roger Ebert gave "Lost Highway" 2 stars, "Blue Velvet" 1 star, and "Dune" 1/2 star. An argument could be made that the co-executive producer is a better filmmaker than David Lynch. And you know how the apologists point out that other people did the same bad stuff as Joseph Smith in his day, so he's a prophet? Doesn't that mean if that other films have got 2.5 stars or less, so it's the best film ever?
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
I’d like to see the film succeed. Don’t ask me why. I’m not sure, other than I used to read a lot of Mormon fiction when I was a teen (my mother would buy me lds-related fiction and I’d oblige her, and I ended up enjoying most of the stories), and so I think there’s a bit of a niche market for this kind of genre. Granted, I’d prefer it if Sam Raimi produced the next few films, which would be especially interesting vis a vis Joseph Smith duking it out with Satan in the Sacred Grove.
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Hugh Nibley claimed he bumped into Adolf Hitler, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Gertrude Stein, and the Grand Duke Vladimir Romanoff. Dishonesty is baked into Mormonism.
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
He claims that he's not going to profit whatsoever from the movie. That said, I wonder who *will* profit if it succeeds. Do the other crew/personnel get to take a slice? Or do all of the profits go back into the Interpreter Foundation's coffers? If it's the latter, then DCP *does* profit in a sense. Regardless, whatever money it makes will go back to Interpreter in some way, shape, or form. I wonder if there are hopes among folks like Lindsey and Wyatt that they will at last get some financial compensation for their work? Maybe the peer review wouldn't be as sloppy if the editors got paid?
Well, the 1 star for Blue Velvet was an anomaly: the film was praised by just about every other major film critic, including Pauline Kael at The New Yorker and even Ebert's old TV chum, Gene Siskel. (Siskel put the movie on his "Best of the Year" list, if I'm remembering correctly.) I shrug at the Lost Highway rating--an interesting film, but not Lynch's best, IMHO. As for Dune--it's a cult classic! Plus, Lynch has basically disowned the movie--didn't he want to have his credit pulled and replaced with "Alan Smithee"? I'm a big fan of the movie, but I can see how critics didn't really know how to take, especially coming on the heels of Eraserhead and The Elephant Man. And then there's Mulholland Dr., which got 4 stars from Ebert and landed on his Top 10 for the year, if I'm not mistaken.That's not bad actually. Roger Ebert gave "Lost Highway" 2 stars, "Blue Velvet" 1 star, and "Dune" 1/2 star. An argument could be made that the co-executive producer is a better filmmaker than David Lynch. And you know how the apologists point out that other people did the same bad stuff as Joseph Smith in his day, so he's a prophet? Doesn't that mean if that other films have got 2.5 stars or less, so it's the best film ever?Dr. Scratch wrote:Means gave the film 2 1/2 stars....
In any case: I await to see how the reviews play out.
"If, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
Sledge wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:29 pmAnderson’s “Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses” is all that and more. Not even the greatest anti-Mormons who ever lived could dispute it.Philo Sofee wrote:
Wait. Wasn't this supposed to be a tell all totality of explanation from all sides, covering every issue, with no stone unturned, and a full disclosure?? It appears it has already failed to live up to its billing. If you can't make it so full disclosure as to shut the mouths of critics, then that is a fail isn't it?
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Re: The Mopologists Face a "Do Or Die" Moment as "Witnesses" Hits Theaters
Rodger I. Anderson's Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined, so mopped the floor with Richard Lloyd Anderson's chinsy apologetics it isn't funny. But lets let Sledge at least enjoy a phony moment of claimed victory before we tell him shall we?