http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/23/volcano.movie.ap/index.html

This IMAX movie on volcanoes was withdrawn from theaters in the south (of the US), due to a passing reference to evolution with respect to the DNA of microbes found in deep undersea vents. What the hell? Is there an anti-science culture evolving in the US?

It's South Carolina. Their university football team is the Gamecocks. You can buy underwear but not beer on Sundays. You must acknowledge the existence of God to hold public office. (I'm not sure if the courts have overturned those last two yet.)

It's South Carolina: 'nuff said.

• • •

Okay, so I'm being unfair to South Carolina in specific (that's where the story originates).

In the "South" (actually the southeast), folks live in what's referred to as the "Bible belt". In the Bible belt, nothing is as important as Christianity. Science, law, justice, children, education, medicine ... it's not so much an anti-science bender as it is a protest against reality.

I mean, look at the South's causes: human bondage, religious supremacy, and a clear hatred of knowledge. Superstition, fear, and greed dominate Southern politics and social expression.

We treat those people as human beings because we must. They, however, would like to be treated otherwise.

This IMAX movie on volcanoes was withdrawn from theaters in the south (of the US), ....

Is there some law that says that they must show that movie even if they don't want to? Are the movie houses private enterprises or government-run theaters? And who are we to tell them what they can and can't show in their theaters?

Baron Max

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/23/volcano.movie.ap/index.html

This IMAX movie on volcanoes was withdrawn from theaters in the south (of the US), due to a passing reference to evolution with respect to the DNA of microbes found in deep undersea vents. What the hell? Is there an anti-science culture evolving in the US?

There's an anti-science culture being sustained in the southern US, not 'evolving'.

Christians can't stand living near fags and such, so they migrate to the center of the US and the southern states where they can do their own thing. Its more isolated there, and you're not near any ports or large metropolises that might have negative cultural influences. So they all migrate there, drive the niggers, fags, liberals and atheists out, and breed.

Thats the way it's always been in the US... it's such a big country that if you want to be insane, you can do it and move off to some remote region where you have plenty of room, nobody will bother you. Hey, that's the whole reason people came here in the first place. Part of why we're such a successful nation. Everyone can build their own little 'city on a hill'.

Imax movies are horrible anyway.
I had no idea what they were like and I saw a bargain bin full of IMAX dvds at JB hi-fi so I'm like "fuck yeah, wolves, bears, the serengetti... 7 bucks each, this is too good to be true", I bought 20 of them.
Then I raced home and excitedly threw "whales" in the dvd player and it's like "whales..... no where .... on earth... is there... a bigger... animal.... than the whale" in this wierd decrepid voice.
They showed like 4 different individual whales doing absolutely nothing throughout the whole 50 minutes, and 2 of them were captive. And there was clearly absolutely no research done for the film at all. All the information presented by the stroke victim of a narrator was out of an encyclopedia or something.
Most of the film was just moving aerial shots of the ocean.
And all 20 of them are like this.

Maybe thats why they banned them.
They're banned from my home theatre also.

Lou,

Imax movies are filmed for the 'grandeur' of it all. They're meant to be played in huge domes that make you feel like you're flying or running or swimming or just puking all over the guy in front of you.

Yeah. They'd be pretty gay in a regular theatre or on the tv.

Oh. And on topic. Bob's got it dead on about the how the whackos are free to be whackos in the US. They just have to go to the right parts of the countries where they're welcomed in wholeheartedly.

Imax is okay, Imax 3D is just awesome. Last one I saw was about dolphins, very cool, at least i think that one was 3d...

Bob, speaking as a christian, I'd just like to say that yes, there are some hard-core bigot christians that fear gay, lesbians, blacks, hispanics, guatamalans (my grandma's personal flavor of bigotry...), and anything else that's not white, christian, and american. That's not JUSt the christianity, that's a sick pathetic grappling ofthe way things are, they fear change. Some of us christians actually go by the true ideals of brotherhood, forgiving your neighbor, to the point where, for example, I don't agree with my gay friend's choice, but we'll still be awesome friends, even though i make fun of his love of Cher and he picks on my choice of rock. And respectfully, I know you probably didn't mean EVERY christian is a xenophobe, just wanted to throw this thought out anyway to enhance the picture of 'southern values'. Such values as my cousin's girlfriend's confederate flag tattoo on her arm, (both still in high school in Mossouri).

The IMAX movies can't be blocked by legal precedence, 1st amend. violation. Sadly, it's an economic choice of theatre owners. Too bad too, IMAX is always fun to see, and yeah, they'd horribly suck on any normal TV.

I was mostly referring to the fundamentalist Christians, not the watered-down, less fervent ones.

I wrote to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History a couple of days ago and got this response today:

From: "FWMSH4" <fwmsh4@fwmsh.org>
To: <SPAMFREE@gmail.com>
Subject: IMAX film Volcanoes
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:38:11 -0600
On behalf of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, we are writing to let you know how much we sincerely appreciate your interest in the Museum and the programs and films we show at the Omni Theater. In light of the current interest in the film, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea, the Museum will be showing the film, which will open soon. Please check our website, www.fortworthmuseum.org, for specific show times.

The original decision not to show the film for a variety of reasons received coverage in The New York Times and in the Star-Telegram on Saturday, March 19, 2005. The articles focused on IMAX theaters not showing movies that mention evolution for fear of offending people who would object. Readers of the articles understandably gained the impression that the Museum lacks the willingness to present scientific viewpoints in an uncensored environment, which is incorrect. [emphasis there's]

The results of a survey taken after prescreening Volcanoes revealed that several individuals were concerned about its references to evolution; however, the Museum would like to set the record straight: Those concerns were not the determining factor as to why we did not show the film. The survey indicated that the film simply did not have the potential for broad audience interest compared to other films under consideration at the time. Importantly, we also want you to know that the Omni Theater has also shown Cosmic Voyage and is currently showing Aliens of the Deep, which presents much of the same science as Volcanoes of the Deep Sea.

We want to ensure that you know the Museum supports the position that evolution is a major unifying concept of science. We use scientific evidence in our wide-ranging presentations and interpretations of how life has changed over time. But we also want you to know that the Museum respects the beliefs of its guests and acknowledges that they are able to make their own decisions about science-related programs.

Again, thank you for your interest in the Museum. We welcome you to come and see Volcanoes of the Deep Sea this April.

Sincerely Yours,
Your Friends at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Either they truly didn't censor based on religious concerns, or they caved to the pressures that the science-minded patrons gave them in response to the articles in various newspapers and online sources.

:D Wow, you actually got the bottom of the story, Great job SkinWalker!

Either they truly didn't censor based on religious concerns, or they caved to the pressures that the science-minded patrons gave them in response to the articles in various newspapers and online sources.

Oh, they caved all right!

....however, the Museum would like to set the record straight: Those concerns were not the determining factor as to why we did not show the film. The survey indicated that the film simply did not have the potential for broad audience interest compared to other films under consideration at the time.

What a bald-faced lie. Are they really trying to suggest that it is only in the 'Bible Belt' that there is no "broad audience interest"? Practically every other IMAX in the US chose to show the film.<P>

I wonder if there'll be big religious-based protests for the film while it's being played in Ft. Worth and in other theatres that give in to the pressure?

This could be the most popular Imax film of all time. Hell, I want to go see it. I haven't seen an Imax film since I was a sophomore. Used to go the Space Museum and Omnidome (Not the one if Ft. Worth) ever year in gifted class.


Lou,

I've been thinking about what you said about your theatre 'banning' them. I don't think that it's a matter of your theatre refusing to play them so much as it is impossible for them to be played in your theatre. It's a special type of film requiring an Imax projector. I seriously doubt that your theatre has one. And the effect would be lost, except for maybe the first couple of rows of seats. And even in those it wouldn't wrap around you like it does in a dome.

Surely there's an Imax theatre in Australia somewhere you can go to just to understand what they're like? You make a good point about the lack of information, but they're meant more to titilate and to inspire your imagination by immersing you in the action than to really cram a million facts and research into it.

It would be interesting to see if more could be made of an Imax film. I think that they feel that people might be too caught up in the 'ride' and if they put into much information it'd either detract from the ride aspect or it would just get lost in sensory overload.

Anyone read the book by Lloyd Pye - Everything you know is wrong- if so what are your thoughts about it?? :confused: