Gawker: defamer, golden compass

Godless 'Compass' Officially Rubs Vatican The Wrong Way

jgrode — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:20:26 EST

The unassailable paragon of morality known as the Catholic Church is officially adding to the chorus of complaints about The Golden Compass with a long editorial in the Vatican newspaper l'Osservatore Romano. They're upset because it "promotes a cold and hopeless world without God." (Their displeasure with New Line's fiscal profligacy is unstated but implied. They also thought it was too long.)

It was the Vatican's most stinging broadside against an author and a film since it roundly condemned "The Da Vinci Code" in 2005 and 2006.

The Vatican newspaper said the film and [author] Pullman's writings showed that "when man tries to eliminate God from his horizon, everything is reduced, made sad, cold and inhumane."

Maybe you've never heard of l'Osservatore Romano, but the broadsheet's a must read for industry players; they're renowned for editorials assailing television's most immoral shows (Desperate Housewives and Nova), as well as top coverage of the executive shuffle ("Nina Jacobson Ankles Mouse House, Going to Hell For Being Gay")

Vatican Blasts "Golden Compass" [Reuters]

On The Bright Side, 'The Golden Compass' Seems Quite Popular Everywhere But In America

Mark — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:10:28 EST

As Hollywood tries to shake off another lackluster set of box office performances and limps towards a more promising frame, praying that some animated chipmunks and Will Smith will save the studios from this malaise before Christmas arrives, have a look at the weekend's disappointing numbers:

1. The Golden Compass - $26.125 million
New Line, it seems, had overestimated America's appetite for armored polar bears and terrifyingly waxen villainesses with Botox-impaired abilities to emote, getting just a $26 million opening weekend return on an investment pushing $200 million.

The studio was quick to let everyone know that Compass did pull in $55 million overseas, a result that somewhat mutes the deafening sound of the box office bomb just detonated in domestic multiplexes.

2. Enchanted - $10.706 million
We wouldn't mind seeing Disney remake a selection of their animated classics aimed at adults with Enchanted revelation Amy Adams; in Adams' hands, Cinderella and company could finally reach the deranged potential the studio's psychotically optimistic heroines have been denied by a need not to disturb family audiences with a frank depiction of mental illness.

3. This Christmas - $5 million
4. Fred Claus - $4.660 million
If these two holiday movies or next weekend's The Perfect Holiday don't satisfy all your Yuletide needs, you're pretty much shit out of luck, unless National Treasure II and P.S. I Love You are your idea of Christmassy entertainments.

5. Beowulf - $4.4 million
As Beowulf finally slides out of the top five, we are officially released from having to joke about the digital lipo-scultping done on Ray Winstone's midsection.

Weekend Box Office December 7-9, 2007 [Box Office Mojo]

With nothing more than some savvy wardrobe...

Mark — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:40:55 EST

With nothing more than some savvy wardrobe choices, a few thousands strokes of a hairbrush, and enough Botox to magically vanish the laugh-lines of the craggiest of Hogwarts headmasters, The Golden Compass's stylists were successful in transforming Nicole Kidman into a villain every bit as terrifyingly handsome as the most feared dandy wizard in the Ministry of Magic. [Manolo the Shoeblogger]

Forest Whitaker Sells Out To Mountain Dew To Prove Someone Is Willing To Pay For Online Content

Mark — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:03:20 EST

·The future of online entertainment is now, and Forest Whitaker is stepping boldly into the brave, new world of selling out interactively: the Oscar winner is teaming with Pepsi for a web-based fantasy game called Dewmocracy, in which players will ultimately help create a new, totally extreme flavor of The Dew . [Variety]
· In belt-tightening measures meant to help them survive the strike, agencies are cutting back on overtime, travel, expenses, and baby consumption. With the vast majority of their revenue tied to TV and film, a prolonged work stoppage could mean that chop-shops like CAA would no longer be able to afford the freshest, straight-from-the-nursery infants they're accustomed to gobbling, and may have to temporarily switch to cheaper, lower-quality frozen toddlers until business returns to normal levels. [Variety]

· THR stresses the importance of winning the strike's PR battle as a work stoppage drags on. Translation: Give reporters the quotes they crave, tight-lipped picketers. [THR]
· New Line hopes—perhaps insanely!—that The Golden Compass will bring them Lord of the Rings-like success; however, the studio is hedging its bets somewhat by whoring out the movie to any brand partner who'll help them raise awareness of the armor-clad polar bears they're praying audiences will find every bit as cuddly as furry-footed Hobbits. [Variety]
· CBS must be thrilled that NCIS is reaching new heights in popularity just as it's about to run out of first-run episodes. [THR]