I have to agree here with Frank. An article in today and
yesterday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted test audiences in Atlanta
simply found the movie dull (which could be a neutral way of avoiding the
issue, too, I guess.)
"Fernbank among IMAX theaters rejecting 'Volcanoes''"
http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/entertainment/news/0305/25volcanoes.html
(It's on the AP wire if you'd prefer to locate in your own
newspaper.)
"The scientific team and research on the film was top-notch,"
said Anita Kern, dean of science at Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural
History, whose IMAX theater chose not to run "Volcanoes."
"But when you're doing IMAX films, you're doing it for the general
public. What you want is to educate people in very entertaining ways.
This film just didn't do it. It was slow moving and a little
dry."
http://www.accessatlanta.com/search/content/movies/news/0305/25mojo.html
(At bottom of page)
""I think the bigger issue is more serious [than whether a few
theaters are concerned about offending fundamentalists]," Low [the
movie's producer-director] said by phone Thursday. "All the theaters
are struggling with the same dilemma lots of science films aren't the
best box office. They try to straddle it with films that show hot ladies
kayaking or skydivers in a science mission."
It may be a sadder truth that science movies (even those with underwater
volcanoes, archaea, and chemosynthetic tube-worms) have a hard time
competing with the mindless and more profitable stuff available
everywhere.
But it does seem that the "evolvophobes" did protest during
screenings at other southern theaters. The good news is that the
controversy is piquing enough interest to make the movie
profitable. Perhaps picketing is in order? It worked for
Fahrenheit 9-11 and the Last Temptation of Christ. Now there's a
thought...
Phil
At 01:11 PM 3/25/2005, you wrote:
I certainly second the emotion,
but not the action. So, what, if we also boycott the IMAX theater
system, then they become doubly unprofitable and go out of business
entirely? And then the general public misses out on an otherwise
valuable resource in disseminating scientific information, especially to
young people?
Not to repeat myself, but IMAX is a business, whatever else it also
is. We can't insist that they stay in business at a loss.
Let's look for ways they can continue to disseminate sound scientific
info, and remain profitable.
You know, we and the anti-evolutionists are starting to sound like the
hockey players and owners!
F
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