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JoBlo comments on BATTLEFIELD EARTH!
Hey folks, Harry here, never let it be said that AICN ain't fair, we'll show the other side to the coin, JoBlo got a look at BATTLEFIELD EARTH as well as an interview with Travolta and really dug what he saw. I've also received a couple of other people that wrote in saying the liked the movie, but they didn't write it up in review format. So...you should know that there are people that really like the film. So... well, we'll see won't we?
Hey Hares:
I was lucky enough to catch an early screening of "Battlefield Earth" over
the weekend in Montreal (where the film was shot), and even luckier to
actually get a chance to INTERVIEW Travolta face-to-face (great guy!). I
can't post my own review yet (embargo by studio and all), but I thought I
would send you a couple of my comments, since I quite enjoyed the film,
unlike the two other dudes who reviewed the movie on your site.
Sure, the film has plot holes, is pretty far-fetched and does take some time
to get used to the exagerrated accents and laughs. But for some reason or
another (mostly because the movie is never dull and is pretty original), I
totally got "into" this film about 20 minutes in, and never looked back.
It's the PERFECT summer mindless popcorn sci-fi extravaganza, with plenty of
action to keep those looking for cheezy entertainment...entertained!
The special effects are way kool! The aliens, Travolta, Whitaker et al, are
awesome. They are the nastiest characters to hit the big screen in a while.
I really LOVED their alien garb and look, but mostly I enjoyed their "I
don't give a f**k about anyone but myself" attitude. And however you feel
about the flick, you gotta admire Travolta for having the cajones to try
something different for once.
This movie is loud, never boring, has some nice transitions, and despite
some plot holes (which I didn't mind too much because I didn't go in
expecting 2001), pretty enjoyable.
** A couple of notes from my interview with Travolta. He confirmed that the
sequel is a go, and that it would most likely begin shooting in Montreal
sometime next year. He claimed to pass on "Quiller Solitaire" because of
time constraints, but said that he might still do it one day. He thought the
idea of "Grease 3" sounded "fun", and also said that he would most likely
direct one day, but only if it was something real personal to him, like an
adaptation of his own novel "Propeller One-Way Night Coach".
I also asked him what he was expecting people to get out of "Battlefield
Earth"-- popcorn fun or a serious message, and he completely confirmed that
he was going only for the POPCORN fun!
This film is DEFINITELY not for everyone, but I think that if you go in with
campy and mindless fun expectations, or if you're looking for some cool,
nasty characters and solid special effects....this one should quench your
thirst for now.
That's it, should have my whole review up in a week or so, and if you want
to read more of my interview with Mr. Travolta (who was cool enough to allow
me to take a picture with him.....yeeehaaaawwwww!!!!), check out:
My Travolta Interview!
Later duder!
JoBlo
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Though I hope to be able to enjoy this film as another mindless sci-fi summer flick, I can't help but be wary of the Scientology slant of the film. I don't know what their particular beliefs are, but I am quiet curious what of their doctrine shows up in the film, if any. Does anyone know?
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May 01, 2000 1:35:34 AM CDT
Ok, so does Travolta wear a HUGE codpiece or just a BIG one?
by darthjoe
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Why is L. Ron Hubbard's smiling dead
mug on the new movie released BE paperback cover??? Not a propoganda tool huh? That creeped
me out...maybe because I'm a Psychlo. Fuckin' giant ass boots gives me blisters on my heels too. Forrest says just to use some of that cow nipple cream and it won't pop. --Syd. -
This is from a guy who thought "Armageddon" and "Big Daddy" were better films than "Eyes Wide Shut?" Get real!
No, we do not need to see a Terl Harry Head.
Cool battlefield earth links:
http://209.241.48.234/us/battlefield.htm
http://www.geocities.com/xenu2000/
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Sounds like a really good movie! To him at least, and of course you're going to try to be nice about a flick after getting to talk with the star. I just don't see this being any good. I don't like Scientology, at ALL, but I would consider the movies that Tom Cruise does to be exceptional in many cases. I just think this movie will suck, and I will not waste my money on it. It is fun to see everyone get worked up about it, though.
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Sorry, but any reviewer who describes the special effects as "way kool!" and the aliens as "awesome" makes me raise a suspicious eyebrow and question the validity of the review or the integrity of the reviewer. I'd like to know if there are any positive reviews for Battlefield Earth that were not written by retards.
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And who really cares what the religious background of the cast, crew, or author is? I disliked the book (and yeah, I read the whole thing) on its own merits. I'm sure that I'll be more interested in hearing about the mreits of the movie, not that the extra who was 132nd from the left once dated someone who said she was friends with a girl who once saw a Wiccan. IMHO, all religions are equally wacked, so who cares what branch of the latest cult people are associated with?
Cheers,
??Pseudo??
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This JoBlo guy liked "Big Daddy" and "Armageddon" better than "Eyes Wide Shut"? BY ZEUS' BEARD! WHAT FORM OF DEVILTRY IS THIS!? Adam Sandler movies make me question what comedy has come to these days. Is he really paving new paths in comedy or is he really just a total moron without any notion of comic timing? Give me the Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton over Mr. Sandler anyday. As for ye ol' "Armageddon," I couldn't understand why some people I saw coming out of that theater were weeping. I mean, did we see the same cheesy-action movie? Me and my gal were laughing through the entire thing. "Eyes Wide Shut" was excellent. Not for everyone, but it was an intersting film nonetheless. Most of my buddies who hated "Eyes Wide Shut" are not into, as the called it, 'old fashioned' movies. They were squirming all over the place when I tried to show them "The Graduate." Judging from JoBlo's taste in films, I guess we see what type of audience "Battlefield Earth" panders to, eh? Still, I gotta wait and see for myself if it is diarrhea or decent. Sweet midsummer night dreams, everyone.
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Enough with "it's a popcorn movie." How many more movies are going to use this as an excuse to substitute for clever, well-thought-out, enthralling stories? "It's a popcorn movie" is like saying "don't expect a lot." I can see where mindless diversions might occasionally appeal, but I feel like we're being told "don't expect a lot", a lot lately. I'm not asking for ridiculous melodrama, but there used to be such a thing as layers. (I think it's been a few years since I've actually had popcorn at a movie anyway. IMHO, it's a sad thing when the confectionery stand is the highlight of a movie experience.) As for Battlefield Earth, forget it. Not going. The author's fiction doesn't interest me, the trailer doesn't interest me, and I am under no obligation to go. In fact, it looks pretty mindless. Those who think people are shallow to judge a movie by its trailer are putting the burden of proof on the wrong people. It's the obligation of the movie's marketing people to convince me to go. They failed.
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May 01, 2000 3:07:29 AM CDT
The Scientology angle doesn't mean crap to me (and here's my own
by cereal killer
First, I'm gonna end up seeing this film anyway even though it doesn't look that good to me. Truth is, I haven't missed a big-budget summer actioner in a long time good-bad-or-indifferent. Hell I even saw "Wild, Wild West" so I'll end up sitting through "Battlefield Earth." I don't really care that it's financed by Travolta or that the novel was written by a cult leader or that it might be some kind of recruitment film. Hell I'm strong enough not to be influenced by any of that. But I must say that the trailer doesn't look all that cool. Travolta's bad guy looks kinda stupid and the effects don't impress me and if there's a good story there it isn't hinted at by the trailer. So I'll be seeing it but I'm not jumping up and down waiting for it to come out. As for the Scientologists, here is my little story of my contact with them. Back in '94 I came across a flyer at the library advertising for a free IQ test. I'd taken a couple of home do-it-yourself tests but I wanted to try a more legitimate one. I didn't know until I arrived at the test sight that it was sponsored by the Scientologists. I took the test anyway and even let them talk me into a personality test as well. I scored pretty good on the IQ test (146) but the personality test said I was neurotic, unstable and paranoid. I was bummed out but the tester said that Dianetics could cure all that for me and even raise my IQ. I told the guy I was a Baptist and wasn't interested in changing religions. He tried to convince me that Scientology was not contradictory to Baptism and that I could be both. I got outta there by buying a six dollar copy of "Dianetics" and promising to think things over. For the next six months I was called every few weeks and invited to some Scientology function. I was afraid to tell them to fuck off since they're notorious for getting even with their enemies so I just made excuses until they got the message. I've been getting junk mail from them a couple of times a week ever since 1994. So take my advice, if you're offered a "free" IQ test just remember that nothing is ever really free. There's my little rant on Scientology.
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"The special effects are way kool!"
Whatever.
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"I scored pretty good on the IQ test (146)" -- Apparently the IQ test doesn't check grammar.
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If this movie is successful, it will be used in the promotion of Scientology. There's no two ways about it. ("Scientology's founder, L Ron Hubbard whose book became the smash hit movie 'Battlefield Earth' etc etc) not to mention the fact that there are financial links between the film's revenues and the cult's income. And to Mr. IQ test above: Just by trying the test you immediately sent them a signal that you were susceptible - that's how these scams work.
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More Battlefield Earth links. Also: Sci(entology)-Fi Thriller:
http://www.ironminds.com/ironminds/issues/000421/moviemusings.shtml -
That way the Scienos won't get any more dough...
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Man-o-man...I just read some of the talk back at my review...hehe...wow, and I thought I WAS CYNICAL!!
Lighten up, folks...it's only a movie! If you actually expect ALL MOVIES to intellectually stimulate you...then you should DEFINITELY expect to be majorly disappointed with most of what Hollywood has coming out this summer.
I enjoy movies cause they provide me with entertainment. Some movies speak to me, others do not. Some are there for "mindless entertainment", and others for more. Battlefield Earth doesn't pretend to be about anything more. If that's not what you're looking for, go rent 2001 again.
EYES WIDE SHUT didn't "do it" for me, and BIG DADDY made me laugh. Anyone who compares the two on the same level, isn't exactly playing a fair game.
As for the Scientology claims and connections. Forget it! There aren't any! This movie is pure sci-fi schlock. No hidden messages. No cult phone numbers at the end of the credits. L. Ron Hubbard was known to have written a couple of sci-fi books in his day, you know...
And to the guy who said I wrote a good review cause I met Travolta...screw that, dude! I call 'em like I see 'em, and I saw this flick before I ever met the guy, and enjoyed it as it was...a "popcorn" movie. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, that's all good too. Adieu. -
Will some people enjoy BE? Sure. Will they all be Scientologists? Of course not...but I wouldn't trust this review at all. It is part of the damage control being conducted by Scientology who need to have this film be a success. On the Warner Brother message boards, the Scientology shills continue to point to a rave review of the script by Brad Linaweaver which appeared after all the negative buzz about the script. That review was posted a few places including at cinecon:
http://www.cinecon.com/reviews/batearthscript.html
However after a little research I discovered that Linaweaver is doing PR for the film for the church:
http://www.dragoncon.org/people/linaweb.html
Even after this was uncovered, the shills still claim the review is legit.
What does your nose tell you about this film? Stinker, right?
And this review smells just as bad.
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Not everyone that reads these talkbacks are jaded assholes with nothing better to do then bitch. Most of us remain silent, chuckling at these freaks of society. Thanks for taking the time to send in your take on this movie.
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Stop trying to play off the fact that this movie will be total SHITE by saying it's a popcorn movie! JAWS was a popcorn movie. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a popcorn movie. STAR WARS was a popcorn movie. ALIENS was a popcorn movie. You see what I'm getting at? I have nothing against popcorn, in fact a lot of my favorite movies (such as the four mentioned above) are popcorn. Being entertaining does not mean being lacking in quality however, as I believe my examples illustrate. I can't wait to see Gladiator and Mission: Impossible 2, and I don't expect enlightenment from either of them, but I do expect them to well written, well directed, and well acted. If they're not, I'll reflect that when I'm passing word of mouth onto others about the movie. I expect my word of mouth on those two to be very good, but I would place a leper's odds of getting into the Playboy Mansion over the odds that Battlefield Earth will be anything but SHITE.
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Since my last post, I visited JoBlo's site and have to say I see no reason to call JoBlo a shill for Scientology and I apologize for that. Linaweaver is a shill but that doesn't seem to be the case with JoBlo. That said, I still am looking forward to seeing BE and expect to laugh myself silly.
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This movie looks like it sucks ass. Spacey could play Finch God forbid they remake it. Not Tom Fucking Hanks. Go Expos. Vladimir Guerrero kicks ass.
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...I wince. Not because it's not true -- it IS only a movie -- but because it's used as an excuse for gross insults to an audience's intelligence. "The Mask of Zorro" was a great piece of entertainment, and you know something? It was smart, too -- witty, engaging, fun, everything I hoped it would be and then some. That's what I ask for at the least: a level of wit.
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Wrong: LRH started Dianetics and Scientology in the 50s, and wrote Battlefield Earth in the 80s.
Hey XenuTV, will Xenu himself be making an appearance at the premiere and will you be there to film it? -
Hubbard wrote a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and western pulp crap before creating Scientology but Battlefield Earth and the even worse Mission Earth were written in the 80's after Hubbard went into hiding to escape being imprisoned by the Feds for ordering the break-in and burgleries of the IRS and FBI. Hubbard's wife MarySue and ten other top Scientology officials weren't so lucky. They were sent to the slammer while Hubbard let them take the fall. Hubbard spent the last ten years of his life in hiding, creating the crap which is about to hit our movie screens next week.
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Cereal Killer-- the IQ test may have been valid, but I wouldn't put too much stock into their personality tests. A female acquaintance of mine had a similar experience, and the Scientologists seemed to use a friendly 'hook' (e.g. good IQ test score, compliments about a book you're reading, what you're wearing, etc.) and then switch gears to some sort of (likely nonexistent) personality flaw that only Scientology can cure (a variant of bait and switch). Of course, this isn't exactly a new tactic for any religion. So unless you buy what they're selling, it doesn't matter at all. That also applies to this creepy, creepy "review", which strikes me as eeriely similar to a pitch I received at a local car lot last week: "this car isn't for everyone, but you, you'd love this car. Recall on the steering assembly? No, this baby'll get you where you want to go, and that's what counts." Or drain the money from your wallet and the soul from your body.
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You want to know why I don't wish to watch Battlefield? Its simple: Somewhere, somehow, Scientology is getting some sort of kick back. L. Ron Hubbard's estate would allow nothing less. It is a simple matter of deductive logic.
Now, with that said. Go do a little bit of research at Operation Clambake's website. Look at how Scientology abused members such as Lisa McPherson. Enough said.
The movie deserves no support from people patronizing such schlock. I highly suggest that movie goers ignore this piece of celluloid trash. But, keep this in mind. It is only a suggestion. You the movie goer can do as you please. It is your right after all. If you wish to demonstrate your lack of taste, then by all means, Go right ahead. -
This movie is great, but not for everyone. Go see this movie! "Buy this cereal! Its great, but not for everyone!" Ummm, no thanks.
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If people want to be dumb scientologists, that's their business. I am somewhat puzzled, though, as to why these guys decided to turn a novel by their god into something campy. In most cultures, campiness is a sign of disrespect.
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i hate how the media is all surface and no substance. i've probably read 500 articles saying how controversial scientology is and not one ever bothered to explain WHY. i believe it's even outlawed in germany isn't it? could someone explain exactly what the controversy is? or better yet, post the address of a pro-scientology website and an anti-scientology website and i'll figure it our for myself. if they really are a bunch of wackos maybe i will sneak into this. (there is no question i'll see it. i'm not one to miss an A-list star's big summer action entry no matter how bad the buzz)
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If you've done an interview before and you really like that person, it's hard as hell to write up a nasty review about their movie -- like this one. So as I already said, and with all due respect to our reviewer, take it with a grain of salt...
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(The text below is copied from a leaflet produced by the largest and most reliable Anti-Cult of $cientology site on the net, www.xenu.net, and can be found at http://www.xenu.net/archive/leaflet/xemuleaf.htm)
Who is Xemu?
I'm going to tell you a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Right, then I'll begin.
Once upon a time (75 million years ago to be more precise) there was an alien galactic ruler named Xemu. Xemu was in charge of all the
planets in this part of the galaxy including our own planet Earth, except in those days it was called Teegeeack.
Now Xemu had a problem. All of the 76 planets he controlled were
overpopulated. Each planet had on average 178 billion people. He wanted to get rid of all the overpopulation so he had a plan.
Xemu took over complete control with the help of renegades to defeat the good people and the Loyal Officers. Then with the help of psychiatrists he called in
billions of people for income tax inspections where they were instead given injections of alcohol and glycol mixed to paralyse them. Then they were put into space planes that looked exactly like DC8s (except they had rocket motors instead of propellers).
These DC8 space planes then flew to planet Earth where the paralysed people were stacked around the bases of volcanoes in their
hundreds of billions. When they had finished stacking them around then H-bombs were lowered into the volcanoes. Xemu then detonated all the H-bombs at the same time and everyone was killed.
The story doesn't end there though. Since everyone has a soul (called a "thetan" in this story) then you have to trick souls into not coming
back again. So while the hundreds of billions of souls were being blown around by the nuclear winds he had special electronic traps that caught all the souls in electronic beams (the electronic beams were sticky like fly-paper).
After he had captured all these souls he had them packed into boxes and taken to a few huge cinemas. There all the souls had to spend
days watching special 3D motion pictures that told them what life should be like and many confusing things. In this film they were shown false pictures and told they were God, The Devil and Christ. In the story this process is called "implanting".
When the films ended and the souls left the cinema these souls started to stick together because since they had all seen the same film they thought they were the same people. They clustered in groups of a few thousand. Now because there were only a few living bodies left
they stayed as clusters and inhabited these bodies.
As for Xemu, the Loyal Officers finally overthrew him and they locked him away in a mountain on one of the planets. He is kept in by a force-field powered by an eternal battery and Xemu is still alive today.
That is the end of the story. And so today everyone is full of these clusters of souls called "body thetans". And if we are to be a free soul then we have to remove all these "body thetans" and pay lots of money to do so. And the only reason people believe in God and Christ was because it was in the film their body thetans saw 75 million years ago.
Well what did you think of that story?
What? You thought it was a stupid story?
Well so do we. However, this story is the core belief in the religion known as Scientology.* If people knew about this story then most
people would never get involved in it. This story is told to you when you reach one of their secret levels called OT III. After that you are supposed to telepathically communicate with these body thetans to make them go away. You have to pay a lot of money to get to this level and do this (or you have to work very hard for the organisation on extremely low pay for many years).
We are telling you this story as a warning. If you become involved with Scientology then we would like you to do so with your eyes open
and fully aware of the sort of material it contains.
Most of the Scientologists who work in their Dianetics* centres
and so called "Churches" of Scientology do not know this story
since they are not allowed to hear it until they reach the secret
"upper" levels of Scientology. It may take them many years before they reach this level if they ever do. The ones who do know it are forced to keep it a secret and not tell it to those people who are joining Scientology.
Now you have read this you know their big secret. Don't let us put you off joining though.
* Dianetics and Scientology are trademarks of the Religious Technology Centre. This document is not connected with that organisation in any way.
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www.xenu.net, www.scientology.org
Compare for yourself and see who the paranoid loonies are. -
Check also the Battlefield Earth pages: http://www.battlefieldearth.com/ (Author Services is Co$) and http://www.geocities.com/xenu2000/
(Co$-critic). Have Fun! -
www.scientology.org for official pap. BTW, they don't explain what Scientology is or does on their site at all.
www.xenu.net for great info.
www.xenutv.com to see what the world media has had to say about Scientology in great detail and also see how Scientology behaves. -
I am no expert but I can tell you there are basically four reasons a lot of people are very strongly against Scientology. (1) Scientology is widely perceived as a religion/organization founded and operated by cynical people driven by profit motive. Hubbard is reported to have stated repeatedly that starting one's own religion is a good way to make money. (2) Scientology is widely perceieved as exercising "cult-like" control over its members' lives, using coercive and intrusive techniques to ensure compliance. There are rumors that some high-profile Scientologists (like Travola) may be staying with the organization because in early consulting sessions they were foolish enough to admit something damaging and are now being blackmailed. (3) Many people find the historical origins of the religion religiously offensive. Even marginally more respectable groups such as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses at least base their teachings on a novel/heretical interpretation of established religious tradition and texts; the idea that all other religious traditions are superceded by "truths" revealed to/through a mediocre 20th-century SF novelist seems offensive. (4) Finally, the actual content of the views of Scientology is offensive to many peoples' belief systems. For example, Hubbard reportedly accused Jesus of pederasty and homosexuality and described Muhammed as having cobbled together Islam for economic reasons (a bit of projection perhaps?).
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May 01, 2000 12:00:14 PM CDT
Cereal Killer - - - Eyes Wide Shut - - - Scientology notes and o
by im your daddy
I took a scientology test and winded up giving all my money to them because they said I had a 150 IQ. .. .er, wait, no thats not it - I thought I was that lame-ass CEREAL KILLER for a sec. Dude, you can bank that your IQ is not above 105 by the sounds of things. ############ Eyes Wide Shut DID totally suck, so get over it, and yes, I too would rather watch that FAG Ben asslick pick the lint from Liv's belly with an animal cracker than watch EWS again. ########### To all of you afraid of SCIENTOLOGY - find your nads and stop being pussies - nobody's going to hypnotize or brainwash you into believing their shit - unless your too f**cking stupid, in which case it would be an improvement anyway. ################ This movie will ROCK! (kind of) just like the book
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I'm very curious of Scientology, mostly because I wonder how it is that no one's ever fully infiltrated this place and reported on it. So I'm wary of criticism, and on some level I believe that the bashers are running on subconscious paranoia of a seemingly cult-like organization. From what I know, Scientology is simply a set of self-improvement philosophies, laid out in Dianetics. I've heard the stories, but there's never been any kind of proof to back any anti-Hubbard claims, that I've seen in mainstream media. What worries me about B.E. is that there's subverted messages in the timecode, seeking to infect the minds of the perennially stupid. I just think that when the Scientological $$ is behind it (and when you have a monkey like Travolta yammering on and on about there being no Scientological dogma contained within), we have to be very careful about what we're supporting. Be wary!
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For those of you who haven't figured out what's going on here, I thought I should just do a little statistical analysis of the discussion of the Battlefield Earth movie on this thread.
Remember this is an entertainment site supposedly discussing movies.
So here goes:
Anti-Scientology posts: 25
Posts about the movie: 12
Plain wacky, no topic etc: 5
Isn't it unusual that most of the people on an "entertainment/movie" site are posting raving anti-Scientology messages? What does that have to do with the film?
Could it be that most of these so-called movie "fans" are actually more interested in dissing Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard than talking about the movie. Would these guys even be here if not for a chance to tie this movie to their anti-Scientology agenda?
Hmmm. So who are the shills? It looks to me that the Scientology-haters are the real shills at this site.
So why don't the shills at least be honest and admit they would hate this film no matter what, sort of like the way a Clansman hates Jews and Blacks no matter what... -
that I don't like this movie. I am sooooo afraid that I will go see it and end up liking it. Is there anything scarier than that?
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I first read Battlefield Earth when I was a freshman in high school, and at that point I was completely unaware of Scientology, except that it was something else that L. Ron Hubbard had been involved with. I completely enjoyed it. It DID have a few plot holes, and it WAS about one of the most basic sci-fi plots there is (aliens invade earth, we fight back), but it was campy fun and its 1000+ pages were richly detailed. I followed it up with the Mission Earth series, and found it much the same. Taken by themselves, I found, and still find, that these books are some of the best I
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This review sounds too good. I mean, I can understand a movie like GLADIATOR getting a review like that, because it's been getting *nothing* but great reviews, but B.E.? It's been getting nothing but bad buzz, and then along comes a nice review saying stuff like:
"It's the PERFECT summer mindless popcorn sci-fi extravaganza, with plenty of action to keep those looking for cheezy etertainment...entertained!
The special effects are way kool! The aliens, Travolta, Whitaker et al, are awesome. They are the nastiest characters to hit the big screen in a while. I really LOVED their alien garb and look ..."
Like those boots? I mean, isn't that review just a little too positive for this film? At this point in test screenings, there should still be mixed reviews coming from test audiences. Maybe by the time summer hits enough changes would be made in order to make the film passable and to fill those plot holes. But right now, it doesn't seem plausible to me that this review is real. Take it with a grain of salt, that's all I'm saying. The movie may improve by the summer (and I'm keeping an open mind about it) but right now, based on what we've heard and read, this review is bogus. -
I know nothing about Scientology, nor do I care. All I know is this film IS NOT about Scientology. It is based on one of Hubbord's FICIONAL novels. The Trailer looks good, it's based on one of the best selling Sci-Fi novels of all time (which I've never read), and I'm sure it will be AT LEAST entertaining if nothing else. I will see this movie. Maybe it will suck, maybe it will be good. All I know is this: I'm NOT going to boycott a film just because the author of the book it was based on founded a weird religion. This film isnt ABOUT Scientology so I DONT CARE. I'll judge the film for its OWN merits or faults, not for Scientology's!
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Several posts have indicated a general, most likely uninformed, disdain and skepticism for Scientology. And while this is a forum for discussion about film, there are always wider implications in the messages film tries to get across to the viewer. Now in this case, the notoriety of the author is far-reaching and for one reason or another puts a bitter taste in some people's mouths. In discussing a film in which Scientology has a financial stake in, there's no avoiding a discussion about it. I, for one, will not support this film for the plain reason that the Scientological community is not up front with what they're doing. A poster above describes the links between the movie and Dianetics philosophy, and that's evidence enough for me. Another fact I take issue with is how the church of scientology claims B.E. is the best-selling sci-fi book of all time. I've been told by more than one that the church buys back mulititudes of the book just so they could make the claim. With all this rambling, what I mean to say is that you cannot discuss this sort of release without discussing who created it and who they are, especially when the controversy is imbedded in the very mention of the name L. Ron Hubbard.
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>I know nothing about Scientology, >nor do I care. All I know is this >film IS
NOT >about Scientology. It is based on >one of Hubbord's FICIONAL
>novels.
Me thinks you do protest too much. Is a ficional novel the same as a fictional novel? Which is kinda redundant anyway, since novels are generally works of fiction.
Of course, BE is about Scientology - don't be silly. Scientology is funding it, their golden boy is starring and producing it, they will reap the merchandising profits at least, if not the ticket sales. Of course it's about Scientology. There's a bunch of links up above that lay this out, but I think the most level-heading article about the movie in particular is at http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=movienews/confidential/archive/20000419/page2. It reports only on the industry angle, and it looks really, really bleak for the film.
The Trailer looks good, it's based on one of the best selling Sci-Fi
novels of all time (which I've never read), and I'm sure it will be AT LEAST
The trailer looks horrible, what're you talking about? It looks about as good and profit worthy as Wing Commander...surely you remember that great movie from last year? Who cares if it were the "greatest selling SF book of all time"? As if that is a reliable figure. Does that make it good? Jackie Collins is one of the top writers of all time, but that doesn't stop her from being one of the all time dreck meisters.
>entertaining if nothing else. I >will see this movie. Maybe it will >I DONT CARE. I'll >judge the film >for its OWN
> >merits >or faults, not for >Scientology's!
Okay...it's your 6.50-8.50.... I plan to buy another ticket to Gladiator, SEE Gladiator again, then sneak into BE for rich and hearty laugh.
About the posters who say we shouldn't really talk about a movie we haven't seen yet...wow, is that foolish. Of course we can talk about it. You CAN judge a book by its cover, you do it all the time. It's called using your judgement - deducing from the crummy trailer, crummy advance word, the fact that BE was written by a mediocre science fiction writer with messianic delusions, leads me to the conclusion, soon to be validated, that the movie is /will be garbage. But that won't stop me from laughing my ass off at it. Or using enough commas,
Flashy -
The bottom line is that Travolta is one horrible actor. So even if this movie is halfway decent, you have to remember the Travolta deosn't know how to act-factor. Are you kidding me with that costume & hairdo? And what's with the nose thing? Is that in case he goes swimming-so he won't get water up his nose? His attempt to at an evil laugh ...made me laugh! As for Barry Pepper, I expected a little more from a varsity letterman.
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JoBlo said:
"This film is DEFINITELY not for everyone, but I think that if you go in with campy and mindless fun expectations, or if you're looking for some cool, nasty characters and solid special effects....this one should quench your thirst for now. "
That's another way of saying this movie sucks.
No way am I going to slap down any money for this piece of shit. -
All this "don't judge this film till you see it" crap is an attempt to stop bad buzz from killing the opening weekend. Well, guess what Scientology...YOU CAN'T CONTROL PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE WOG WORLD!!!! That's right! We're Wogs and we'll do as we damn please! Control the thoughts of your minions all you want but we will diss any movie we damn well please. That's the whole point of this site. To discuss films we usually haven't seen yet. Oh, and if Travolta gets the BE sequel made...it will stink too!!!! There! I've viciously attacked a film that is a couple years away at least. Hubbard was a tubby lunatic charlatan at best and a hack writer to boot.
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Listen, what kind of endorsement is 'don't expect much'? O.K., so you will have me fork over my hard-earned money and time to be pissed away? I'll leave my low expecations to television...at least it's free and it doesn't require me leaving my couch. I think John Travolta is seriously taking advantage of his celebrity to slowly infuse the public with the work of L. Ron Hubbard.Johnny boy has a serious god complex of his own. Why else do you think he's always in movies in which he has 'special powers' (Phenomenon) or appears somehow godlike (Michael)... What, he's putting sugar on french fries? How innocently irreverent! Personally, I think anyone stupid enough to see this movie should be deemed an honorary scientologist. And to the loser who compared anti-scientology sentiment to a clansman being racist, thank you for stating the most absurd logic I have ever heard in my life. All other idiotic statements and comparisons now have to raise the bar of stupidity even further.
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Well it could be worse,the CO$ could be making a Kieslowski-style 10 film saga of that invasion plan rigamarole Hubbard "wrote" during the 80's.What was that called anyway?"10 volumes of shite better used as bookstops and flower presses?"I worked at aradio station afew years back and we'd regularly get CO$ press releases and Media packs.The best was the glosst folders detailing each era of Hubbards life.Soft focus photos,rosy lighting and all that cal.best part was that they never said he died,but that he "left this earthly plane"Yeesh.
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Hey, man. Might as well address your posty you put up. I agree that if you're looking for some intellectually stimulating movies, Hollywood's summer batch is not going to satisfy. Heck, I'm all for a popcorn movie too every now and then. I guess our tastes are different, and that's expected. And you is right. It isn't fair to compare "Big Daddy" to "Eyes Wide Shut." It's essentially comparing an Adam Sandler comdey about an orphan to a Kubrick film about love and sexuality. Apples and oranges? Most definitely. Some movies speak to us more than others, and that is expected. No faulting others for different tastes. Take it easy, buddy. If this shadow has offended, think but this and all is mended... one word: plastics.
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I saw a screening too and tend to agree with JoBlo. It's a fast-moving sci-fi action flick. It's not going to change the world, but if you like sci-fi action movies you'll probably like it.
Travola was really good as the evil alien. I was a bit dubious about him being able to pull this part off, but was pleasantly surprised at the excellent job he did dramatizing what is essentially an evil character from an evil culture.
Like many books, this one is very detailed and it's hard to fully support the details in a two-hour movie. But they came pretty close and being the sci-fi fan that I am I'm going to go see it again when it comes out. The screening theater had terrible sound. I want to see it with some rocking sound as there were a lot of great sound effects. -
Sounds great to me! I am looking for a great escapist picture and this looks like it will do nicely. I'm sorry the "grassy knoll" crowd isn't going to get their subliminals but maybe they could just go see a great Sci Fi adventure flick.
Zylon -
THE REAL DIRT ON SCIENTOLOGY:
All the bad rumors based on scientology are all false.
I go to a scientology based school and have been to a few scientology places myself, done a few scientology courses here and there, and my only complaint about it is that stuff they send in the mail, which I don't care much about anyway.
1. If scientology sends you mail, simply say "take me off your mailing list". It's that simple. You do that, and you are off the list. They will try to promote you into scientology, but if you simply won't do it, they will take you off. Take christianity for example, they claim that if you don't believe in jesus, you are going to hell. Isn't that worse than getting mail?
2. Most of the stories that you hear are false or are severely altered to make it seem bad. The one about Xenu or whatever is %70 false from how scientology wrote it. And L. Ron Hubbard almost died getting the information, literally. The bible was written by people who thought the earth was flat.
3. 5 days a week I hang around with scientologists, they are not insane or anything like that. They are normal kids just like what you used to be, possibly smarter than you. They don't go to burn flags and praise the devil like you all make it seem. They aren't nazis like you make it seem. Some of them are african american, so that bullshit about scientology being racist is very false. Psychiatrists are the ones who carry on what the nazis used to do. Pulling out parts of your brain, shock therapy (also known as shock torture to the nazis, but with a new "soothing" name), most of the time making you mentally retarded.
4. The bible has been altered so many times throughout history. The books written by L. Ron Hubbard have never been changed. It's one of scientology's main goal not to change anything. Infact, the bible once had information about past lifes and being exterior from your body. But sometime through history it was removed so soldiers wouldn't fight less and believe they get a second chance at life.
5. Scientology isn't a cult. Consider it to be a new religion. Christianity was a new religion once. People can't accept the fact about a new religion without it being a cult. An example of a cult is Heaven's Gate.
6. No matter how much you try to make scientology go down and how much you want it banned from the earth, it will never die. Because scientologists aren't stupid. They aren't going to say "welp, scientology's gone, better go back to being a christian". Scientology is a way of living, from communicating, studying, staying healthy, etc. While christianity is a way of believing. Christianity doesn't have any way to help you improve your life or anything like that, it just says "god exists, you die you go to heaven, jesus was a nice guy, pray and maybe things will go right". And I think L. Ron Hubbard could care less if scientology praised him or not, but scientology chooses to praise him because he's the one that brought the religion in.
7. The bullshit about L. Ron Hubbard hiding from the feds is so false it's funny. He wasn't hiding, he just went into the dark for a while. He was writing books and studying. He would jog on the beach every day. Drive around in his car. Do things a normal person would do.
8. The fact that you believe there is a huge guy in the sky and no life on other planets is both funny and scary at the same time. Most of the things science proves, scientology proves at the same time. Science deals with math, which is the basis of all logic. If christianity doesn't work well with science, what does that say about christianity being logical? Think of scientology as being a religion based on science.
9. You all talk about how scientology could not be true, but you never talk about how it could be. Well here's something I'm gonna throw out there. A girl who was deep into scientology died a while ago. About 10 years after her death, she came back in a new body (about 9 years old) and continued her training right where she left off. Which meant she didn't recap anything she learnt in her last lifetime or anything. She told what her name was on her last life time, told them what level she was in, they got out the file from her last lifetime, and she started again. I could get really deep into things scientologists who are really deep into it can do, but it would take up a post of it's own.
10. Battlefield Earth has nothing to do with scientology except that L. Ron Hubbard wrote it. I haven't read it myself, but from what I heard, the relation from the book to scientology is about 1%. -
It's simple good film criticism. You leave ALL OTHER aspects aside, and consider the quality of the film on its own. Hence, you can't judge the film without having seen it. Simple objectivity.
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Like always! Our scienos jark, zylon and dmdog are too late!
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Saw the screening? Where and when?
Here are some information about jarke:
http://users.erols.com/jstanard/knowmore.htm -
For those of you befuddled by the fact that Scientology keeps being brought up in connection with this film, even though it's not based on Scientology, here's a clue, free of charge: L. Ron Hubbard wrote BE and also invented Scientology, a group which has "evolved" from a mild rehashing of early Freudian pscho-therapy techniques to a world-wide organization which, frankly, does bad things to people. The Church of Scientology has a background rich with lawsuits (for and against), pickets, deaths, criminal indictments, allegations of child abuse, rabid lawyers, allegations of mind control, and what amounts to its own private Gulag for bad little Scientologists. L. Ron himself was a shady character, almost unbelievably so, and there's plenty of documentation available on the Net. Therefore, he evokes a strong response from some people, and the idea of ANYTHING this guy has written doing well offends them. Fortunately, BE appears to be sucky enough that the anti-LRH people will be satisfied. And even if it DOES tank because of the bad buzz, I don't think that anyone will be missing much if it doesn't get extended showings at the local omniplex. Personally, I won't pay to see it just because the book sucked so damned bad; I can't see reliving that sucker on film for any amount of money. Whatever else he may have done, LRH was a serious hack. Bad source material rarely turns into a good film.
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Good mindless entertainment: watching a grainy, off-register video of "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!" in your living room with a group of your peers and a case of cheap beer. Bad mindless entertainment: Subjecting yourself to an over-amplified, mass-market, CGI-laden schlockfest forced upon the viewing public with an aggressive ad campaign and lotsa buck bigs. A pretty simple distinction, for me, anyway. As for all them Scientologists...people that desperate for easy answers are likely to fall into one sketchy group or another, no matter how logically you explain the situation or how forcefully you bop 'em upside the head. Their having to read L. Ron's Hubbard's collected oveure is grave punishment in itself...
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I've been reading all these posts for BE, and I think people are losing sight of rationalism. Let me state up front that I am not a Scientologist (I'm a student of psychology, so I probably wouldn't be allowed to be anyway), and I've read some stuff about them (a down-to-earth article in TIME magazine at http:\\www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/time-behar.html) which makes me very suspicious of the way they operate. As for BE being Scientology propaganda, there will undoubtedly be some traces of Scientology in the film. I do some writing myself, and let me tell you, your core beliefs always manifest themselves in some way, so Hubbard's beliefs are going to come through in it. How you think is how you write. I'm sure there are ideas in Scientology that have some merit, but I find it interesting that a religion that rejects psychologists so much has so much information akin to psychology in its books (at least from what I've seen on those commercials for 'Dianetics'). I also agree that movies shouldn't aspire to be "mindless fun" anymore than people should aspire to be "as average as I can be." But BE is a movie. Just a movie. I don't plan on seeing it, but don't slam someone to the mat just because they may think the trailer holds some promise. We all have different tastes. I myself stopped expecting great movies to come out in the summer a long time ago, and I think most people should do the same to save themselves some pain. I'm not saying that ALL summer movies are crap that sucks like a black hole, but if you accept that they probably will, it makes the few that don't seem that much better. I suppose I have to do something to defend my peers in psychology at this point since we've been made the villains of this movie. Yes, I agree that we've become way too drug-dependent nowadays, but I have a hard time accepting that someone like a severe paranoid schizophrenic has the power within him or herself to stop displaying psychotic, dangerous or hallucinatory behavior. As for the rest of us with some personality flaws, we should just suck it up and make some changes rather than take a pill. So there, I'm not evil or a Nazi. So to all the disciples of Hubbard and the rest of us non-believers, don't believe a religion blindly or hate one blindly. The same thing goes for this movie. If you're going to hate it, hate it because it don't look entertaining. That's why I don't want to see it.
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For the love of L. Ron Hubbard people, let me explain this as simply as possible. IT DOESN'T MATTER whether this story has anything to do with scientology or not. It was written by the man who invented scientology. A religion that brainwashes and harasses people and hurts people and coerces them to stay. Money made from this movie goes right into the hands of charlatans. Look beyond the fact that it looks like a harmless movie. The fact that people know this and are willing to go is bad enough, but to be aware of this fact, agree that it looks bad and still say that you're giving them your money? For those people, there's a plot of land in Florida I've got that you might be interested in. It's a REAL WINNER. And cheese in a can is good for you. And don't tell me what I do or do not have a right to make a judgement on. I don't need to see this movie to tell you it's bad no more than I don't need to hit my head with a hammer to know that it will hurt me. Geesh.
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Check out who the two executive producers are on this movie. Elie Samaha and Andrew Stevens. The L.A. Times ran a story on Samaha last weekend in the Calender section. What a dirtbag! Same goes for Stevens! Check out this Sunday's
Calendar letters section for the feedback! -
I will see this film. May be there's will be scientology in it but I don't f****g care. And If the movie is bad ( I saw a lot of bad movie in my life...like all of you )I will laugh about it with my friends. If my money go to the scientologist, I don't care too. Maybe fox, WB,paramount, and the others big mama are not very clean too...
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The works of Jackie Collins have not been changed since they were written. All that means is that they are rank pieces of shit now, just like they were pieces of shit when she wrote them. Hey, Jackie Collins and ol' Mother Hubbard got a lot in common, don't you think? All hail and worship Jackie Collins! And peace be unto you from Cli, from the planet Taurus!
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I LIKE STAR WARS
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Ok, let's say Adolf Hitler, while hunkered down in his bunker towards the end of WW2, writes his epic science fiction novel, Battlefield Berlin. In this novel, the earth is being invaded by a race of aliens called the Jewklos. The humans, through genetics and selective breeding, all become blonde supermen and are able to defeat the Jewklos. Now present day, some white supremacists get enough independent financing from investors in Argentina to get the movie produced. "It's a perfect popcorn movie" say the reviewers. "I don't see how it has anything to do with Hitler's philosophies or his book Mein Kampf, besides, it has KOOL special effects!" Oops, I invoked Godwin's law, end of discussion.
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I have never seen a more concentrated pit of losers my whole life! And the really funny thing about all these little freaks whittling away on their axes all night long? There's nothing they can do to change the fact that this movie is gonna be HUGE! Keep grinding away, boys--you're changing the world! Just keep telling yourselves that, and grind grind grind. And me? What am I gonna be doing? I'll be at the movie theatre watching B:E and LOVING IT! I can't wait to see it, and I know I'm gonna have a BLAST! The book was great and Travolta can crank the camp like no one else. This is a movie--a movie, boys. Fiction. Hollywood. Popcorn. Entertainment. Get a grip, and grind grind grind, you're changing the world...
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HEY! What's with all you bleedin' morons coming down harshly on the man's taste simply because he disliked Eyes Wide Shut? Have you all lost your senses? EWS was easily one of the worst movies in recent years... What was the point? It was a lousy pseudo-intelectual, "look-at-us-act", steaming bag of puke. UGH! I wanted to kick Nicole Kidman in the face, beat Cruise, and shake Sydney Pollack into speeding up his f**kin' idiotic delivery... Check www.joblo.com and you'll quickly learn that the man is not shill, a stooge, or a plant!!
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Wow bashing a critic for his personnal taste.How mature. Well guys I loved Eyes Wide Shut, thought Big Daddy was ok and also thought Battlefield Earth was good POPCORN fun and no I did not interview the star. Some people get the "artsier" flicks some dont...it doesn't mean they're less of a critic...Let me clarify a few things about BE: To my surprise they're is not one hint of Scientologie in the film, so you guy's can stop bringing that issue up...it's not relevant. 2: The movie does have plot holes the size of my ego.
3: Travolta is an over actor so get use to it.
Thats it...I'm done but BTW Armegeddon was great POPCORN fun. And you guys can now have some fun correcting my spelling mistakes.
"somebody is not getting laid" -
I used to be a big SF fan and I read L. Ron Hubbard and his contemporaries. I wouldn't worry too much about brainwashing though. Yes, Battlefield Earth does have Scientologist elements. I haven't read the book but I own a copy. I had read 8 books of Mission: Earth before I knew what Scientology was. I read an article recently about what Scientologist influence was in Battlefield Earth and was surprised to find many common elements in Mission: Earth. Anti-psychology, anti-media, etc. I don't know if this has any meaning in Scientology, but as another reviewer mentioned, gold is considered extremely rare by the aliens. Not a very worthy SF concept.
Anyway, despite what a lot of people say, Battlefield Earth is not independent of Scientologist thinking. In addition to what someone mentioned earlier about Psyclos=psychology, here's another interesting fact: the leaders of the aliens are a secretive group called Catrists. Put the two words together and the meaning becomes even clearer.
The reason I wouldn't worry about brainwashing is that these ideas are plainly stupid and I'd like to give the average viewer some credit. I read 8 books and those ideas just seemed sort of weird. If there is any reason not to watch this movie, it should be because it's a bad novel. I've owned it for years and haven't been able to get past the first few pages. I couldn't understand how it could be considered "one of the world's most beloved SF novels." At best, it's mediocre. I'm guessing that the substantial wealth of CoS had something to do with it's success. As one reviewer said, this movie should never have been made. -
What IS it with you Scientologist Obsessed "Critics"
I can't honestly see any reason to correlate L R Hubbards Sci-Fi Book -> Movie translation with some fictitious EVIL you have predetermined Scientology is to be...... Sure, it may be a shallow rendition of the 900 odd paged Epic Sage, and MAYBE the plot even seemed thin in said book... but For godsake don't let your past (however many degrees of seperation there be) Scientology experiences (be they as whack and exaggerated) divert your attention from the film.
Silly bums!
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