The Rants of Issachar

The Da Vinci Code opens tonight in theatres. Here's hoping it doesn't suffer from the typi problems that film adaptations of books have. I enjoyed the book too much to sit through a bad movie.

But of course there's the controversy about it.

Yesterday a friend told me she was writing the the Campus Crusade blog response to Cineplex Odion's cancellation of their Da Vinci ad. (Allegedly for planning to "stalk" theatre patrons, and for a general "no advertising of any kind from religious groups" policy).

Tsk tsk... If only they were kidding. No advertising from religious groups no matter the content? That's a bit extreme don't you think? I mean, if you don't want to run the ads from certain groups, I guess that's up to you, but it does reveal a certain intolerance.

As for stalking, the Toronto Star's claim that Campus Crusade had "mobilized a small army of volunteers from Toronto to Vancouver willing to stalk movie-goers" seems a bit much. First of all, anyone who thinks an ad for a website constitutes a biblical tract has never actually seen a biblical tract. Let's just say subtle isn't a word you'd associate with a tract. "In your face obvious approach" would be more apt.

More importantly, if someone is harrassing your patrons, you tell them to leave. Cancelling an ad for a website isn't going to achieve anything. If groups of students are in fact planning to hand out promotional material for Crusade's website, only the unsophisticated would believe that cancelling the ad is going to cause them to reconsider whether they're being organized by Campus Crusade or not.

However, Cineplex Odeon spokesperson Pat Marshall is saying that the e-mail they sent to Crusade mentioning the Toronto Star article was a mistake and that they don't think that Campus Crusade was planning to "stalk" their patrons. I'm unconvinced. I am convinced that's what Cineplex Odeon has chosen as their official line, but if the Toronto Star had nothing to do with the decision making, I find it doubtful it would have been mentioned an e-mail.

Neither explanation reflects terribly well on Cineplex Odeon and I'm disappointed that they're sticking to their "we choose to discriminate against religious people" defence.


Image from Wikipedia. The image is copyrighted, although I believe my use of the scaled down image constitutes fair use as does Wikipedia's use of the image.

Posted by:  Valerius

Personally I don't think there should be advertising in theatres at all. Ten minutes of previews are bad enough, but paying your admission and then having to sit through a bunch of advertising is ridiculous.

Posted by:  issachar

Excellent point.

Although I have to say that the ad for the mini photo printer that's entirely in Japanese is oddly hilarious. It's not a very good ad though, I have no idea what brand the printer is.

Posted by:  Lisa

I wouldn't mind borrowing the book and having a read...but paying admission to see this movie, in my humble opinion, is like giving an offering to the anti-Christ. Where do we draw the line.

Posted by:  issachar

Careful... I might take offense at a suggestion I was giving an offereing to the anti-Christ. :)

Posted by:  Lisa

Yah. :) I've supported my share of 'anti-Christ' Hollywood films...and still do, unfortunately...or however you want to look at it. It adds up to a lot of hours though...