Filed under: Around the Web

Disney, Church of Scientology, Spike Lee and 'Miracle at St. Anna'?

What a strange comparison...

Photo: Touchstone Pictures

I am seeing Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna in just under four hours. Considering it opens this Friday that is cutting it pretty close in terms of screening-to-publication ratio, which typically never bodes well for a film's quality. To be fair I am not seeing Paramount's Eagle Eye until tomorrow. However, Par isn't pubbing Eagle Eye as an Oscar hopeful and ever since seeing the massive amount of TV spots for the film including critic quotes from Ben Lyons of all people I have grown rather wary of the film I have already added to "The Contenders". Personally I think the trailer is phenomenal, but early word isn't good and the 160-minute running time has been called into question.

The largest voice pummeling the film is Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere who admits he hasn't even seen the film but is continuing his skepticism as Disney seems to have shut him out from a recent all-media screening. He also mentions how he was met with locked doors when it came to the screening of WALL•E and has now posted a new entry on his blog saying:

Honestly? It's getting harder and harder to ignore the similarities between Disney publicity and the Church of Scientology.

Wells doesn't explain his Scientology comment any further (which makes it all a little unfair) but just goes on to quote a negative review from Todd McCarthy at Variety, but that isn't stopping him from drawing a line:

As soon as I saw that made-up-to-look-older black guy shoot that made-up-to-look-older white guy in the trailer, I said to myself, "That's it… the movie is trouble." I didn't know a damn thing about it, but I knew. Trailers and ads do more to kill interest in movies than bad reviews. If there's something wrong with a movie, the trailers will almost always tell you this.

Nevertheless, I am still anxious to see it. I thought the trailer looked fantastic and I remain optimistic even though it appears Disney/Touchstone is trying to hide it to some extent and keep any negative buzz mum until after the film's release.

For more on the film including four clips click here.

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Years ago I noticed the connection between Disney and "Church" of Scientology. Who's starring in all those Disney movies? Scientologists John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, etc. Years ago there was a special on VH-1 about Elvis Presley. It was hosted by Scientologist Priscilla Presley. Every commercial interruption was a Disney promotion. And when there was a Disney special, who showed up as hosts? Kirstie Alley and Priscilla Presley.

So what's the connection? Who in the Disney empire is a closet Scientologist?

And why do people allow Disney to fingerprint them just to get into an amusement park? How oppressive is that? Where is the Civil Liberties Union?

And why is the software used by Scientology to block members from using the net freely also used by Disney and China?

Scientology is Hitler re-incarnated–mind control, punishment camps, breaking up families, forced labor in return for auditing (you must sign a contract that is valid even into the next life), isolaton from the rest of society, cash bonuses for recruiting more Scientologists (what "church" pays its members to recruit more members?), many "fronts" to trick people into getting into Scientology–Narcanon, Human Rights Commission in California, Assn for Better Living thru Education, etc.

After 911, the "Church" printed special pamphlets to be given to NY's police and firefighters, taking advantage of the psychological problems caused by 911; a Girl Scout leader in Texas wrote a letter thanking Scientology and asked them to send more booklets, "The Way to Happiness; even Senators Joe Lieberman and John Glenn wrote letters of support for Business Enterprise Day in California, an event sponsored by Scientology.

Critics are called "enemies" and subjected to "fair game" in which Scientology will resort to any tactic to terrorize and destroy their critics–spreading lies to people's neighbors, co-workers, etc. and in some cases, leading to deaths; Allstate Insurance discontinued a training program for agents when they discovered that Sterling Management was actually a front for Scientology. As part of "auditing" you must confess any wrongdoing IN WRITING which is then placed in a file and there have been accusations that these files have been used to manipulate members.

So why do those celebrities endorse Scientology? Because the treatment they receive is not the same as the abuse thrust upon the no-name members who are merely being milked for their money.

Scientology is recruiting members all over the world–people who have no idea what they're getting into.

Check it out.

- babs
( March 24th, 2009 | 11:31 pm )
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