| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
21 Dec 2006 01:46:56 AM |
| Object: |
GAWD and 'Rocky' |
St. Rocky the Evangelist. :-p
---
An unexpected pair: God and 'Rocky'
Stallone promotes 6th installment of series as family film, speaks about
renewed faith
- Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
After 30 years of onscreen carnage, resulting in a triple-digit body
count, Sylvester Stallone is promoting his new "Rocky Balboa" by talking
up his rediscovery of Christianity. In conference calls with religious
leaders over the past few weeks -- and with the help of a marketing
expert who promoted Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" -- Stallone
said he thinks Hollywood should make more movies the whole family can
see.
Like, say, "Rocky Balboa," which opens today -- 21 years after
Stallone's character killed 57 people in "Rambo: First Blood, Part II."
"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with
compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me,
people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late
November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch
some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
Creating box office buzz by pitching "faith and family" films to
religious leaders has become an increasingly popular tactic since the
2004 success of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." More than a
dozen films were marketed through Christian channels in 2006.
But the marketing tack is novel for a secular film -- particularly one
crafted by an entertainer whose career was minted on violent flicks. At
www.rockyresources.com, a Web site created by Motive Entertainment --
whose founder, Paul Lauer, helped promote both "Passion" and "The
Chronicles of Narnia" -- teaching tools like "The Leader's Guide" are
offered. The guide is intended to "help in creating lively discussions
about faith themes found in 'Rocky Balboa.' "
This week, Lauer sent a mass e-mail with the subject line, "Jesus behind
'Rocky Balboa'?" It promised, "This isn't a 'Christian' film, but
there's some pretty cool stuff that you can relate to faith and values."
And Stallone promised religious leaders that he will evangelize while
promoting "Rocky Balboa" on the talk show circuit. "I do plan to get out
that this is a film with great spirituality, this is a film that to me
was driven home by the guidance of God," Stallone said. However, he
didn't mention such an influence during recent interviews on National
Public Radio and on ABC's "Good Morning America."
But while Christian leaders welcomed Stallone's public, if somewhat
nondenominational, reaffirmation of Christian faith, some are taking a
wait-and-see attitude.
The "novelty here," said Toby Frost, a senior director of strategic
evangelism for the Southern Baptist Convention, is that someone with
Stallone's name recognition in secular Hollywood is talking about Christ
in a positive way. And that's a good thing, he said.
Evangelical pastors, in particular, frequently show film clips and make
cinematic allusions in their Sunday messages as a way to reach
media-savvy younger churchgoers. Or, as Frost says, "Popular culture is
the bridge between the Bible and the larger culture."
But as one participant in the conference call asked Stallone, "Why now?"
Stallone, 60, has been telling religious leaders that his past cinematic
bloodbaths were the creative fruits of younger days, when, he said, "my
marriage was not good and I felt myself being seduced by all the
temptations that Hollywood has to offer."
Now, he says, he's got a steady marriage and a renewed relationship with
Jesus.
A. Larry Ross, a publicist who has worked with clients like Gibson and
who specializes in the Christian audience, predicts that Christian
filmgoers will look beyond Stallone's bloody oeuvre if they believe his
faith is genuine. Talking to pastors, as Stallone has done, is a start
in making that happen.
"The Gospel message is something that is open to everyone, no matter how
many people they have killed on screen. The Gospel is redemptive," Ross
said.
In "Rocky Balboa," Stallone said, "The last thing that (Rocky) hears
before he enters the ring is Scripture, and that's what gives him the
strength."
Still, aside from blockbusters like "Passion" and last year's "Narnia,"
most religious-themed films have not achieved major box office success.
This year's religious-themed football flick "Facing the Giants" earned
$10 million. While that is many times more than its $100,000 budget, the
film's box office take is No. 143 for the year. However, "Facing" opened
in 441 theaters, a fraction of the number of most mainstream releases.
While critics and comedians have mocked the mere existence of a sixth
Rocky installment for months, early reviews have been kinder than
expected. Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine, Rolling Stone and the
Hollywood Reporter all have given it grudgingly positive reviews.
Ted Baehr, whose MovieGuide Web site (www.movieguide.org) provides
reviews based on a film's "biblical principles," praised the "strong and
positive Christian content" in "Rocky Balboa."
The film shows how religious themes can appear "more naturally in a
film. It doesn't have to be people reciting Scripture and saying
prayers," said Baehr, who teaches a course in electronic Christian media
at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.
As for Stallone's public embrace of God, Baehr said, "I think it is
incredibly wonderful that he's rediscovering his faith."
---
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/12/20/MNGHCN2QNR
1.DTL
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
.
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| User: "L. Raymond" |
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| Title: Re: GAWD and 'Rocky' |
21 Dec 2006 01:19:43 PM |
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johac wrote:
St. Rocky the Evangelist. :-p
---
...
"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with
compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me,
people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late
November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch
some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
Maybe it's becoming a trend for right-wing, super macho he-men to come
out as Christians. After all, Chuck Norris is a regular contributor to
the World Net Daily
(http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/archives.asp?AUTHOR_ID=274) where he
regales us with such insights as,
[Quote]
But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not
real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this
planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live. We
are not creations of random chance. We are not accidents. There is a
God, a Creator, who made you and me. We were made in His image, which
separates us from all other creatures.
By the way, without him, I don't have any power. But with Him, the Bible
tells me, I really can do all things ¡V and so can you.
[End Quote]
We've also got those Navy SEALS and their Battleforce show, or
whatever it's called.
--
L. Raymond
.
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| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: GAWD and 'Rocky' |
21 Dec 2006 11:47:58 PM |
|
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In article <172tsp77v7co4.5rvgfyyt000q.dlg@40tude.net>,
"L. Raymond" <badaddress@mylinuxisp.com> wrote:
johac wrote:
St. Rocky the Evangelist. :-p
---
...
"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with
compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me,
people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late
November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch
some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
Maybe it's becoming a trend for right-wing, super macho he-men to come
out as Christians.
Are we going to see "Real men love Jesus." T shirts?
After all, Chuck Norris is a regular contributor to
the World Net Daily
(http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/archives.asp?AUTHOR_ID=274) where he
regales us with such insights as,
[Quote]
But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not
real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this
planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live. We
are not creations of random chance. We are not accidents. There is a
God, a Creator, who made you and me. We were made in His image, which
separates us from all other creatures.
By the way, without him, I don't have any power. But with Him, the Bible
tells me, I really can do all things ¡V and so can you.
[End Quote]
I think Chuck should stick to acting and leave biology to the scientists.
We've also got those Navy SEALS and their Battleforce show, or
whatever it's called.
Yeah. I remember that. Wasn't it 'Battle Cry'?
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060511_battle_cry_theocracy/
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
.
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| User: "Kevin Anthoney" |
|
| Title: Re: GAWD and 'Rocky' |
21 Dec 2006 01:47:03 PM |
|
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L. Raymond wrote:
johac wrote:
St. Rocky the Evangelist. :-p
---
...
"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with
compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me,
people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late
November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch
some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
Maybe it's becoming a trend for right-wing, super macho he-men to come
out as Christians. After all, Chuck Norris is a regular contributor to
the World Net Daily
(http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/archives.asp?AUTHOR_ID=274) where he
regales us with such insights as,
[Quote]
But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not
real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this
planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live.
Has he cribbed that from http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com ? One of their
jokes is "There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck
Norris allows to live."
Could be the other way round, of course.
We
are not creations of random chance. We are not accidents. There is a
God, a Creator, who made you and me. We were made in His image, which
separates us from all other creatures.
By the way, without him, I don't have any power. But with Him, the Bible
tells me, I really can do all things ? and so can you.
[End Quote]
We've also got those Navy SEALS and their Battleforce show, or
whatever it's called.
--
Kevin Anthoney
kanthoney[a]dsl.pipex.com
.
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| User: "L. Raymond" |
|
| Title: Re: GAWD and 'Rocky' |
21 Dec 2006 02:31:58 PM |
|
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Kevin Anthoney wrote:
L. Raymond wrote:
johac wrote:
St. Rocky the Evangelist. :-p
---
...
"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with
compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me,
people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late
November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch
some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
Maybe it's becoming a trend for right-wing, super macho he-men to come
out as Christians. After all, Chuck Norris is a regular contributor to
the World Net Daily
(http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/archives.asp?AUTHOR_ID=274) where he
regales us with such insights as,
[Quote]
But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not
real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this
planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live.
Has he cribbed that from http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com ? One of their
jokes is "There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck
Norris allows to live."
Could be the other way round, of course.
He did reference that joke as a starting off point, but the fact he
thinks it's actually a good basis for his observations on religion and
science is breath-takingly ridiculous.
--
L. Raymond
.
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: GAWD and 'Rocky' |
28 Dec 2006 11:31:05 AM |
|
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On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:31:58 -0600, "L. Raymond"
<badaddress@mylinuxisp.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Kevin Anthoney wrote:
L. Raymond wrote:
johac wrote:
St. Rocky the Evangelist. :-p
---
...
"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with
compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me,
people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late
November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch
some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
Maybe it's becoming a trend for right-wing, super macho he-men to come
out as Christians. After all, Chuck Norris is a regular contributor to
the World Net Daily
(http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/archives.asp?AUTHOR_ID=274) where he
regales us with such insights as,
[Quote]
But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not
real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this
planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live.
Has he cribbed that from http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com ? One of their
jokes is "There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck
Norris allows to live."
Could be the other way round, of course.
He did reference that joke as a starting off point, but the fact he
thinks it's actually a good basis for his observations on religion and
science is breath-takingly ridiculous.
More muscle less brain.
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.
.
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