Vatican hampered Angels and Demons filming
Ron Howard, the director of Angels and Demons, has accused the Vatican of trying to hamper the filming of his latest blockbuster “through back channels”.
When you come to film in Rome, the official statement to you is that the Vatican has no influence.
Everything progressed very smoothly, but unofficially a couple of days before we were to start filming in several of our locations, it was explained to us that through back channels and so forth that the Vatican had exerted some influence.
The Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon, Bishop of Nottingham, has been speaking out against the film in the usual irony-laden way:
This is so outlandish, it’s total rubbish
he said, with admirable scepticism not otherwise evident in his world-view.
It’s mischievous to stir up this kind of anti-Catholic sentiment. It’s a gratuitous knocking of the Church and I can’t see any reason for it. […] “I don’t think that Catholics will be interested in seeing this as it’s so far removed from the truth.
Ersatz Irishman Bill Donahue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights has done what he always does: play the victim card.
They wouldn’t dare treat any other religion like this.
The Holy See is showing signs of having learned a lesson, however. Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, the Vatican economics minister, is aware that the staggering success of The Da Vinci Code was due at least in part to the outraged squeals of leading Catholics:
Let’s be careful not to play their game… by giving them free publicity.
Oops. Too late.
“This is so outlandish”
Yes, it’s a novel and a movie.
I have to say, I find the Lion King to be totally unrealistic and outlandish. I mean, talking lions and hyenas? There’s nothing about that in the Bible!
“They wouldn’t dare treat any other religion like this” Ahh… poor little catholics playing the victim for the nth time. One work of fiction criticises another – so what!
“Talking lions and hyenas? There’s nothing about that in the Bible!”
There is however a talking snake (Gen. Ch.3 Vs.1-5) and a talking donkey (Num. Ch. 22 Vs.26-31).
Having read the book, I can’t really see what the Vatican is getting worked up about. Although I think that one spokesbish said that just the name Dan Brown was enough.
Numbers 22:26-31 revealed much to me – thanks for the reference.
Obviously the Church is the ass and Ron Howard, Balaam.
Do we see here men of God reviewing a film they’ve not even watched yet? Or did they get preview copies?
Oh, and Tom Hanks is the staff.
Will Angels & Demons be banned and prosecuted under the new blasphemy law?