It gets worse. I hear Michael Newdow is fighting to have all mentions of the Great Pumpkin removed from public schools.

I live in chicago, I watched the special, the speech was in the show.

Finally a chance to show case my ignorance about an unconfirmed meaningless story. God I love the internet!

God damn ABC affiliate! I say we should boycot ESPN and disneyworld! Who's with me. Their ruining X-mas. I can't even find any Christmas songs anymore on the radio. This makes me boil. When will it end! Oh the humanity.

I feel a little better but I feel I could have been a lot stupider. I guess I'll have to wait for the next meaningless unconfirmed internet based rumor. Damn I'm not sure I can hold out for another 5 minutes.

It was on the DishTV/local ABC affiliate feed. Luke 2: 8-14, just like always.

Indeed, I took a break from cramming an entire quarter's worth of CivPro into my skull last night to watch the Peanuts Christmas special...it was there.

Stupid internet rumors.

Thanks!

Jeff, Jeff B., Gregg K:

I'm not buying it. It's just too convinient that all 3 of you "remember" seeing the scene in question. I'm not going to let any facts detract from my new crusade. Let's start an email campaign to Dan Patrick! Who's with me! I think he's a real tool anyway. They are ruining Chistmas. Why can't you see that.

As the guy who started this ball rolling let me just say, I don't know what the hell people are smoking sometimes.

But hey, I did say it was unconfirmed, I say it was a CIA HAARP project. The new version was beamed into people's fillings.

mmmm...CIA

Doesn't matter whether they cut the scene or not. They were thinking about it, and as far as I'm concerned, that's good enough to disenfranchise the lot of 'em.

Good thing the GOD WARRIORS didn't need to MOUNT UP on this one!

Stand down, brave soldiers, stand down.

I'm with Sobek. The fact that we can imagine this happening is close enough to it really happening.

FREE LINUS!!!

Bill,

Do you believe in God or organized religion? Do you support the conservative Christian political movement?

I'm never really sure. You're always so nuanced and subtle on these issues.

Good thing the GOD WARRIORS didn't need to MOUNT UP on this one!

Prepare to be smited by the wrath of GOD, pagan warrior.

Do you believe in God or organized religion? Do you support the conservative Christian political movement?

It's okay. Jesus loves Bill.

Everyone else thinks he's an asshole.

Pope Benedict XVI,

You should have submitted that statement anonymously. That drives Bill crazy. In fact, he's been known to urge the outing of IP addresses to folks who comment about him like that.

Do I look like I need an IP address?

I'm the frickin' pope, man!

Plus, the big pointy hat makes anonymity pretty hard, know what I'm sayin'?

In fact, he's been known to urge the outing of IP addresses to folks who comment about him like that.

Does Bill really do such a thing? Because that's just cold.

That reminds me: anyone else catch Hewitt's fearless prediction the other day that Narnia's going to blow Kong out of the water at the box office?

Damn right. You know why?

Because Jesus would want it that way.

I don't think that's an absurd prediction.

They're both going to be huge. We'll see.

Narnia's getting five-star reveiws, too.

Plus... kids see movies like that two or three times.

Narnia beating Kong?

Well, I know I'm going to do my part to support both movies. Tickets in hand already for Narnia, will go see Kong first or second night.

Include me in the "both Narnia and Kong" camp. I'll see both -- but during the week, to avoid the inevitable crush over the weekends.

Narnia will do nine figures, but they're talking Titanic numbers for Kong. And if it's as good as they say, it'll get plenty of repeat viewings from kids too.

Anyway, what do you think Hugh's reason is for picking Narnia to win the battle of box office? Because he's crunched the numbers, screened the films, and made an educated guess?

Or because Jesus is in Aslan's corner?

Allah,

I think a less antagonistic view of his thinking -- that there is a large audience hungry for even metaphorically-Christian fare -- is sound.

I think Kong will most likely win. But we have no idea. Critics, you know, are, what is the word, total fucking morons. Kong may be good -- but remember, it's a three-hour movie about a very camp premise.

It's got a good chance to succeed, as it attracts just about everyone. Some will go for the CGI and giant slugs and dinosuars, some will go because it has a classic pedigree. You've got the lowbrow and highbrow and medium brow all well-covered.

But from the commercials, the special effects look bad, and while I'm a sucker for a rousing escapist fantasy movie, I'm not sure that three hours of Kong is going to wear very well.

If it does, Peter Jackson is as brilliant as many think he is.

Some movies are just going to get good reviews because of the audacity of the director's venture, etc.

I'm more interested in Kong now than I was (based on reviews), and do think it has a chance to top Titanic, but it could also be a box office disappointment.

Remember, no matter how you slice it, it's a three hour movie about a 50 foot gorilla.

Allah, I'm not so sure what Jesus wants but I think it'll be closer than what you and the Galley Slaves think. King Kong is just not a scary monster. He's a big ape. That was so awesome sixty years ago but now---big monkey movie just doesn't really do it for me. Kind of like Pearl Harbo or the Alamo (for each of which I could tell you right off that a movie about America getting its ass kicked wasn't going to fire up the public), this is just flawed at the concept level.

I'm just not excited about seeing it, even if Peter Jackson does a great job and the monkey looks really really cool. If I want to see cool monkeys I'll click over to Garfield Ridge. This just reeks of utterly unnecessary remake.

Meanwhile, if Narnia keeps the Jesus angle in there, we might see churches renting out whole theaters like they did with the Passion. If this creates enough buzz within the, to reclaim a phrase, "God Warrior" community then it could really take off. I don't know that that element is still there to justify that kind of buzz. If the filmmakers were smart, they'll really lean on it in the marketing.

I think both movies will do well; Kong will probably do a little better, but I don't think Hewitt's as far off base with that as you do.

Well, DUH! Of course Jesus loves Bill. It's his freakin' job. Believe you me, if Jesus' dad wasn't making him be nice to that asshat, we'd be talking "Plagues of Egypt", baby.

Dude. Jesus IS Aslan.

;-)

Three hour movies are like three minutes of sex -- too much of a good thing.

Also, the clips from King Kong look pretty lame to me. Plus, some reviewer called it "tender." So I am thinking you guys might not LOVE it.

Now, resume Bill bashing. I so enjoy it.

Too many generalites here. Lets see some numbers. Narn v. KK first comparative weekend grosses. Total gross comparison.

Doc--the big variable I need to know is the amount of Jesusness in Narnia. If it's good and Jesusy it'l catch fire. If it's just a magical fairyland romp with a lion, it'll do well when parents take their kids to it, but not so much. Quanitfy the Jesiosity and maybe I'll give you a number.

Well, dude, yeah. But at that point it becomes not a prediction but an accomplished fact.

(Assuming no strange Titanic multiple-viewings-over-six-months-of-box-office domination thing.)

Jesus can't be constrained by numbers.

I'll stand by the following. Opening weekend" King Kong does at least 2.5 times Narnia. Over the long haul, 4X Narnia minimum.

Of course, these numbers are null and void should I discover Ryan 'money in the bank" Reynolds has even a Narnia walk-on.

Don't knock an actor just because he isn't a draw. Most of the bankable asses-in-seats actors suck.

OK, I'll say KK does one and a half times Narnia on opening weekend. By long haul--and I assume you mean including DVD sales, foreign screenings, and such?--in about a year or year and a half they'll be even.

I'll probably see Narnia and be buying the Narnia DVD for my kid. KK I can live without. Or I can rent it. I don't think I'm alone there.

Whoa, that was bossy. What am I, Ryan Reynolds' PR bitch?

Edit out the inadvertant aggressiveness and the point still stands.

I see Tom Cruise movies despite Tom Cruise, not because of him. He just happens to be in big movies.

George Clooney, Julia Roberts, etc. -- so many of the actors who make millions for being draws are really just not great.

Why don't you just marry Reynolds if you love him so much?

"I'm Ace. I love Reynolds" *smooch* *smooch*

Mrs. Ace Spades-Reynolds.

Sigh.

I write that over and over in my Dream Journal.

I mean, isn't KK just Jurassic Park, except with a monkey instead of a Tyrannosaurus?

Tyrannosauruses are cooler than monkeys. Though if the monkey flings Kong-sized gobs of feces at various overpaid actors that would be edgy and different.

Ace and See-Dub: We shall see. Both flicks have a good mix of action, fantasy, and romance (of a sort in Narnia), so both will do well. But the anticipation for Kong has been building for months now, and it's being hyped to the skies. Unless every indicator is wrong, it'll be huge. At the very least, Hewitt's crazy to think that Narnia, which opens first, is going to beat Kong on its own opening day/weekend.

Also, I don't think Kong's necessarily meant to be scary. You're supposed to sympathize with him, at least in part. I watched the original again a few weeks ago, and let me tell you: the climax at the top of the ESB is one of the more gut-wrenching things you'll ever see on a movie screen. If Jackson fucks up the remake, it'll be because he made Kong either too feral or too romantic, and thereby ruined the audience's ambivalence towards the character. I'm curious to know if he pulled it off.

As I say, we shall see.

Have you guys not read "The Chronicles Of Narnia????"

It is a beautiful wonderful story. It is all symbolism. Someone who didn't know it had Christian allegory wouldn't see it in the movie.

I hear the movie is as good as the book. If that is true then it will certainly do better than Kong.

Ace and Ryan
Sittin' in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

Man, you'd think they were gay cowboys or something.

If Jackson fucks up the remake, it'll be because he made Kong either too feral or too romantic, and thereby ruined the audience's ambivalence towards the character. I'm curious to know if he pulled it off.

I have faith in Jackson. He made us care about Gollum in LOTR, he can make me care about a monkey.

I understand Jackson's monkey climbs the Empire State Building and begins masturbating furiously.

It's feral, yet romantic.

Meh.

Wake me when they get to "Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

Who's Ryan Reynolds, by the way?

Seriously.

Slu,

Only if they were eating pudding, my friend.

Slu, ixnay on the Yanray Enoldsray talk.

Needless to say, it's a very, very touchy subject round here. Just let it go.

Needless to say, it's a very, very touchy subject round here. Just let it go.

Noted.

So how about those Patriots?

Boy, it's cold here in Maine.

Kong will not perform per hollywood expectations. isn't it one of the most expensive movies ever? the few clips i've seen look cheesy, and i don't see a lot of excitement for it...but maybe i'm missing it. i predict it will be much more like "pearl harbor" than "titanic"

Three hour movies are like three minutes of sex -- too much of a good thing.

Sometimes you gotta say, "Thanks for the attention. Now get out of my face." You can't placate.

Of course Jesus loves Bill

Even I'm not that religious!

There's a new King Kong movie coming out? And they made a film out of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe?

wow.

That reminds me: anyone else catch Hewitt's fearless prediction the other day that Narnia's going to blow Kong out of the water at the box office?

Yes, but you need to realize that Hugh is about the biggest, cheesiest fanboy there is. Remember he also predicted Bush in a landslide over Kerry in 2004. I mean, I would certainly like to see Narnia blow Kong out of the water, too, but it doesn't mean it's going to happen . Hugh's wishful thinking will not make it so.,

And I intend to see both movies. Got opening night tickets for Narnia, and will see Kong in a couple of weeks.

I'm going to see Narnia dressed as Jesus. I'm hoping they'll let me in half-price.

Just be sure and post a pic of it here..;-)

I am going to see both, and am more excited about Narnia. However, the key factor in narnia will be if turkish delight can match up to bertie bots. I'm skeptical, even with the power of christ compelling it.

In addition, the witch will have to bring something to the table and at the end of the day will be cooking the food or else I'm just not interested.

I am also planning on seeing both, probably on their opening nights. But as much as I'm looking forward to Narnia, I'm more excited about King Kong.

Why?

Kyle "God's Gift to Humanity" Chandler

Boo-yeah

as for Hewitt's predictions, I wrote off to him in September 2004 because he'd left Tom Coburn off his list of Senate campaigns to contribute to. At that point Coburn was down six or seven points to Brad Carson.

Hugh wrote back on Sept. 7th to tell me

Tom's going to win by ten points.--HH

He was wrong; Coburn won by twelve.

So I'll sit up and listen when he makes these counterintuitive predictions. He certainly burned my bohiney with that NYTimes op-ed on Miers, but no one ought to call him dumb.

Micheal Newdow and the other atheist blockheads strike again CHARLES SHULTZ must be spinning in his grave GOOD GREIF