From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #935 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Wednesday, January 8 2003 Volume 01 : Number 935 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 12:38:51 -0800 (PST) From: William Morris Subject: [AML] Clay MCCONKIE, _The Ten Lost Tribes_ (Review) My apologies to Clay McConkie and Bonneville Books for the=20 lateness of this review. I wanted to give this book a frank,=20 but fair review. This is the best I could do. ~~WM - ---- Clay McConkie=20 The Ten Lost Tribes: A People of Destiny Bonneville Books (Springville, Utah), 2002 Softcover, 131 pages ISBN: 1-55517-587-2 $12.95 =20 THE SETUP: This part of the cover blurb for this book caught=20 my eye and caused me to volunteer to review it: "[the lost=20 tribes of Israel] are very possibly not intermingled among=20 the different countries of the world, as some might suppose,=20 but are living as a separate group of people at an undisclosed=20 location." What could this location be? I have heard LDS folk doctrines=20 about the lost tribes, but knew nothing of their source. This=20 book answered my questions in part, but it also raised further=20 questions and brought up some difficulties, which I discuss below. STRUCTURE & STYLE: The book has two sections, titled=20 "Introduction" and "The Lost Tribes," and 24 chapters.=20 The chapters are incredibly short, averaging four to five pages=20 each. The introduction discusses the Millennium and end time=20 events and mentions the role that the lost tribes will play in=20 those events. The second section deals with historical data about=20 the captivity of lost tribes of Israel, details about how the=20 Assyrians treated conquered peoples and how that might have=20 affected the lost tribes, and ends with speculation on the tribes location. The writing is generally pleasant enough (an exception to this=20 can be found below), a rather straightforward blend of historical=20 facts and LDS theological discourse that is often employed by=20 those who write for a general LDS audience. However, the author=20 does have an annoying habit of using exclamation points for=20 declarative sentences. In fact, most of the chapters end=20 with a sentence that ends with an exclamation point. For example,=20 the chapter titled "The City of Samaria" ends with this sentence:=20 "But in the meantime, those left behind in the original homeland=20 entered a very new phase of existence, joining with incoming=20 colonists from surrounding nations and paying allegiance to=20 the new government and province of Assyria!" (43).=20 I also was a little put off by the use of italics to give=20 certain terms, concepts and adjectives emphasis. It was not=20 only typographically unappealing, but it also projected an=20 effect similar to when someone tries make parts of a lesson=20 or talk seem incredibly important by slowing the enunciation=20 and deepening the tone of certain words or phrases. It=20 comes across, in my opinion, as condescending. Of more=20 concern, is the fact that chapters often repeat information=20 that has already been presented. Sometimes an entire section=20 of a chapter becomes a chapter in its own right with only=20 the slightest added detail. I felt like the entire book had=20 too much padding and could have been tightened up considerably. SOURCES: I did like that the sources used in the book were=20 well-credited. This is something that doesn't always happen=20 in doctrinal works. McConkie draws on the Standard Works,=20 Apocryphal works, B.H. Roberts' _History of The Church of Jesus=20 Christ of Latter-day Saints, and several Biblical and historical=20 sources on the Assyrians and the Middle East. He relies heavily=20 on one work in particular: Oded Bustenay's 1979 work Mass=20 Deportations and Deportees in the Neo-Assyrian Empire. I mention=20 this because I think it important to point out that the research=20 that went into the book is quite adequate and that the premises=20 that I lay out below are, in my opinion, reasonable (although=20 subject to debate).=20 MAJOR PREMISES: These are the main points that I got out of=20 the book: 1. The lost tribes have a crucial part to play in the events=20 preceding the Second Coming of Christ. 2. While the idea that the lost tribes have been dispersed=20 among the known nations is partly true it also doesn't give=20 the whole picture. 3. An analysis of the way the Assyrians resettled conquered=20 peoples shows that at least a portion of the tribes stayed=20 together as a cohesive unit. 4. This portion of the lost tribes went north and still exists=20 somewhere "within the earth's structure and organization" (116). 5. This separate body of people will reappear in the miraculous=20 manner predicted in the scriptures. =20 These premises lead up to a punch line-=97McConkie's grand insight=20 into the location of the lost tribes. Because this is a scholarly=20 work and not a novel, I feel no compunction about revealing=20 McConkie's assertion. It can be found below. But first...=20 A BIFURCATED DISCOURSE: ...I need to note a discourse element that=20 troubled me. In doing so, let me state for the record that I know=20 nothing about McConkie. If anyone has information that clarifies=20 what I'm about to discuss, I'd be happy to consider it, and I'd=20 even be willing to amend this review. My analysis of the discourse used in this book turned up a strange,=20 almost bifurcated authorial voice. This bifurcation comes about=20 because he initially hedges all of his claims=97using phrases like=20 "this suggests" or "it may be" or "there are those who say." He=20 brings up the dominant view that the lost tribes have been scattered=20 among the nations of the earth and then suggests that there is an alternative view. This is all fine, although his continual hinting=20 and hedging does get tiresome at times. But then he starts to focus=20 in a bit more. For instance, at the end of a chapter discussing D&C 133 and=20 the whole idea of the "highway cast up from the deep," he calls=20 for a literal interpretation of the scripture, and writes: "Yet=20 still there are those who prefer a less controversial point of view, people with a tendency to explain away in literal simplicity what=20 they do not wish to understand" (94, italics original). This is a fascinating statement. It is recklessly imputing motives to the=20 adherents of a naturalistic (or should I say socio-geo-political) interpretation of the location of the lost tribes. And more=20 importantly, McConkie is claiming a higher knowledge. It is an old strategy: claiming to have secret knowledge and=20 claiming that any detractors simply aren't ready (or willing)=20 to see the "truth." Now it doesn't seem like McConkie is going=20 splinter on us. It's more like the discourse of a cranky high=20 priest. I'm just saying that he could make a better case for=20 his views if he de-cloaks his writing and drops the mystery=20 discourse. He, of course, doesn't see it that way. For him,=20 orthodox interpreters settle for a "simple and generic"=20 explanation and close themselves off to "an alternative that=20 is more complex but true" (102). What's weird, and why I use the term bifurcated, is that he=20 continues to hedge his claims, but at the same time, in this=20 sort of backhanded way, claims that he has reasoned out the truth.=20 I think what bothers me is that instead of coming right out and=20 saying that he's right and everybody else is wrong, he hints that his explanation is a higher one--one that combines faith and=20 intellect. This is insulting to the reader. The onus is on him=20 to make his claims. Insulting and dancing around the Mormon=20 reader is probably not the best way to get your point across.=20 THE PUNCHLINE: McConkie's speculation on the locations of=20 the lost tribes is one you may have heard before, but it comes with a pretty good twist. He claims that the lost tribes are=20 located "beneath the surface of the earth" (not at the core,=20 but near the mantle). The Jules Verne-like, hollow earth theory of the location of the lost tribes is time-honored part of Mormon folk doctrine. But McConkie takes it a step further (and, in=20 a way, it's a more rational step), acknowledging that the hollow earth theory is implausible, and then claiming that they are located beneath the surface "by way of some type of supernatural phenomena=20 ... their existence ... still one of mortality ... where normal conditions= =20 have necessarily been modified" (122). The precedence he cites, is=20 that of the spirit world which exists on this earth (according to=20 Brigham Young) but is unseen (extra-dimensional?). McConkie doesn't suggest that the lost tribes are in the spirit world because=20 theirs is still a condition of mortality, but that the idea is=20 there of people living on this earth but in a different realm. This theory, of course, is impossible to prove. But as far as=20 supernatural explanations of the lost tribes goes, at least McConkie provides a possible (if not plausible) framework through his=20 interpretation of scripture and Mormon theology and folk doctrine.=20 I just wish he'd been more straightforward and concise about it. I'd recommend this book only for the most die-hard collector of=20 Mormon esoterica. SUGGESTIONS: Note that my objections are to the repetitive nature of the book and to the author's attitude towards his audience and=20 not to the actual content. McConkie has done some decent research=20 to show why he believes a portion of the lost tribes are still=20 living as a cohesive group (the Assyrian material is great),=20 and he has some interesting ideas about their location and=20 the manner of their return. But the material was stretched out way too much. This had the feel of a twenty-page conference=20 paper that had been pumped up into a 130-page book. I would have liked to have seen more research, both of Mormon and of general Christian sources, on other points of view of the location of=20 the lost tribes, followed by a straight-up discussion of McConkie's=20 views on the matter. With the proper editing and additional work,=20 this could have been a great resource for those interested in this particular piece of doctrine and lore.=20 ~~William Morris=20 __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 19:21:30 -0800 From: Jeffrey Needle Subject: Re: [AML] Free Books on Friday (My Christmas Present to AML) The blood is flowing... (Ironic -- I'm just wondering how I'm going to dispose of about 100 books or so, simply no room left. Perhaps I really don't need a dining room table...) 12/20/2002 10:42:41 AM, "Kim Madsen" wrote: >Wow, Stephen! I'll be Jeff Needle is just about slashing his wrists right >now, but those of us on the Wasatch Front THANK YOU! (running off to check >my schedule to see how I can fit an unexpected trip to Spanish Fork in...) - ------------------ Jeffrey Needle jeff.needle@general.com or jeffneedle@tns.net - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 20:34:44 -0700 From: Barbara Hume Subject: Re: [AML] Return of Polygamy? At 01:40 PM 12/17/02 -0700, you wrote: >I would love to read a speculative novel about the return of polygamy to the >LDS Church--and no, not through "Brother Brigham" appearing to some yahoo >(with regards to D. Michael Martindale's novel). In many ways it could be >the ultimate Mormon novel. I've taken a few stabs at it. I created some viable characters and scenarios. In these days of PC, I posit that it would have to be true polygamy, not just plural wives--what a can of worms that opens up! The more I worked with the idea of anything other than one woman and one man committed to each other, the greater my distaste for the whole thing became. I prefer to think of plural marriage among the Mormons as an anomaly. Surely the "ultimate" in LDS literature would deal with something less, well, ickky. barbara hume - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 21:26:31 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] R-Rated Movies - ---Original Message From: Rebecca Talley > > > Um. This is patently not the case as I tried to > > express in my prior > > post. I expect my children not to have sex--it is a commandment. > > Never mind what might be going on when my bedroom door is > > locked. I am > > telling them to follow a commandment that I myself > > am not following. > > I have to point out that, in fact, we who are married > have been commanded to "multiply and replenish the > earth." Therefore, it is not at all contradictory to > expect those who are unmarried to abstain, while we, > who are married, to not abstain from sexual relations > with our spouse. It is only a commandment to abstain > from sexual relations if you are unmarried or are > considering those relations with someone other than > your spouse. Rebecca, you have a really bad habit of glossing over parts of my posts that you don't like. In this case, you cut off the part of my post that *specifically* deals with this objection. This leaves me feeling rather frustrated--like you aren't interested in actual discussion, just in reiterating your point over and over again. Once more: youth are notoriously self-centered and will, if you actually challenge them to act as you do, tell you "sure, easy for you to say, you're married and *old* so this stuff is easy for you." They *know* that we have different situations and different expectations and teaching them to evaluate why we are different is important and needful. Teaching them that you are the same as they are sends entirely the wrong message--for one, why should they listen to you if you are just the same as they are? Exalting a dubious ratings board with localized divinity and treating an arbitrary categorization as the voice of God is a really bad idea. Not that abstaining from R-rated movies is a bad thing. In many cases it is wise. Avoiding things that will harm you is a good idea. *Will* harm you. Avoiding things that are praiseworthy and good just because they *might* do *somebody* harm is patently ridiculous, however, and we expend a good deal of our credibility when we try to make that ridiculous position our standard. Turtling up to avoid any potential of harm is, after all, Satan's plan in a nutshell. Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 22:17:33 -0700 From: Melissa Proffitt Subject: Re: [AML] Free Books on Friday (My Christmas Present to AML) On Fri, 20 Dec 2002 22:03:08 -0800, gtaggart wrote: > No, I mention >this so that Scott Parkin will know that he didn't miss out on the >second set of Harvard Classics after all. I was extremely jealous that you got the Church History, Greg. I would = tell you all the long story of why I wasn't able to arrive until noon, but it sounds really pitiable, so never mind. Thank you for your kind = generosity, Stephen. I did take away quite a load of books and was so happy about it--many of them titles that I've wanted to read for a long time. Lots = of classic literature. And a number of books to give anonymously to my = young nephew, who loves to read but will categorically refuse anything his = mother gives him. I will begin shipping him packages of books after Christmas. Thanks, Melissa Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 00:38:07 -0500 From: RichardDutcher@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] Dutcher Movies News In a message dated 12/20/2002 11:47:18 PM Eastern Standard Time, eric@shrubwalkers.com writes: > So, Richard, do you anticipate any fallout over the fact that Val Kilmer is > playing famed porn star John Holmes in a biopic slated to > open in 2003? Actually, it isn't a biopic. It is called "Wonderland" and it is a true crime drama about some Hollywood murders that Holmes was allegedly involved with. The film isn't about Holmes. It's about the crime. Val will be one of several players in an ensemble cast. We'll see how much visibility the film gets. I'm sure it will be rated "R," so, of course, not a single LDS moviegoer will see the film (certainly no one on the AML list anyway). Richard Dutcher - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 01:10:37 -0800 From: "Eric D. Snider" Subject: Re: [AML] Dutcher Movies News Eric Dixon: > So, Richard, do you anticipate any fallout over the fact that Val Kilmer is > playing famed porn star John Holmes in a biopic slated to open in 2003? I > can imagine many church members would think it's "inappropriate" for Kilmer > to portray Joseph Smith after playing Holmes -- although I don't think > those arguments have much, if any, merit. Still, it will be interesting to > see how people react. > Well, according to urban legend (which may be true), the guy who played Joseph Smith in "Legacy" actually WAS a porn star. So the casting of Val Kilmer may be even more appropriate than it at first seems. (By the way, in my attempts to verify or debunk that rumor once and for all, I started by trying to find out the name of the actor in question. I e-mailed Kieth Merrill -- who directed "Legacy" -- and he said he didn't know the guy's name. The Church Office Building couldn't find it, either. When neither the director of the film nor the people who wrote him his paycheck can "remember" his name, you have to wonder if maybe the rumor is true. Anybody know anything for sure? Like the actor's name, at least?) Eric D. Snider - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 09:41:27 -0700 From: The Laird Jim Subject: Re: [AML] R-Rated Movies on 12/19/02 10:11 AM, Eric Russell at ericrrussell@hotmail.com wrote: ... > I think that may be the fundamental problem. We think our righteousness > is based on what we see, read or hear, when it's really based on who we are > and what we do. > > Eric Russell > Too bad righteousness is such a difficult thing to attain. Anybody who's convinced they're righteous is in big trouble. More than R-rated movies I think the ban on Coke & Pepsi etc is the one used to arrogate a holier-than-thou attitude. My youngest brother doesn't watch R-rated movies ever. Well almost ever. Occasionally he'll decide based on the recommendation of myself or another of our brothers to see one, but always at home with the remote at ready. I judge them by directors and actors generally, and though I've sometimes been horribly mistaken (ie _Carlito's Way_) most of the time it carries through pretty well. I haven't seen an R-rated movie that made me feel less spiritual for a good number of years. My three favorite movies are _We Were Soldiers_, _Glory_, and _Braveheart_, and all three are R-rated are and are extremely uplifting. Not everyone would agree with that statement but since it is an entirely subjective judgement I could care less. I own all three, and have seen them all several times, though I don't watch any frequently. I hate crying, even in a case like that. All three have some profanity that ought to bother me, but since I hear the f-word approximately 613 times per day it really doesn't faze me anymore. It's gotten quite difficult to get people to stop using it, because for lots of people my age and a bit younger that's the means of showing friendship. I've explained any number of times but no matter what I say they only hear "I am more holy than thou." Another movie that had a profound impact on me isn't uplifting at all, and there's not an admirable character in it at all. _Dangerous Liasions_ literally shocked me out of some potentially very dangerous behavior once upon a time and I'm grateful for it--but I would like to get a PG version of it. Or even the TV version. The point is you really never know when or where you might stumble onto a nugget of wisdom, and sometimes outright evil people can teach while meaning to destroy. Evil will oft evil mars. The main reason for this post, however, has to do with righteousness. I believe it was Paul who wrote, "For there is none righteous, no not one." I strive constantly to remember that I haven't arrived. The first time I noticed the danger was from _The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith_. The following is my favorite quotation from the Prophet: "...and I say unto you that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over the ninety-and-nine just persons that are so righteous. They will be damned anyway, you cannot help them." I know I've posted that before but I can't help myself. I have it up on my wall, along with D&C 122 and a quote from Nephi, one from Epictetus and another from Cicero. All of them are reminders that I'm not righteous nor likely to be. I have no idea how difficult that is for others but it's really hard for me. It's an easy thing to look around and feel pretty complacent. The world can look pretty rotten if one allows a bit of cynicism to creep in--just enough to feel superior. For me it's a daily struggle and with any luck someday I'll only have to struggle two or three times each week. In the end there's no point in trying to assert a higher level of righteousness by adding a few commandments. Brings something to mind something Jesus said about being seen of men and already having their reward. Anybody who wants to avoid R-rated movies is perfectly welcome to do so--but arrogating superiority from it is just as damning as doing it for straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. The camel's on your back, no matter how righteous you think you are. Incidentally, I'm not referring to you, Eric, when I say 'you' above. You just incited my rant you rabble rouser you. The Laird Jim - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 09:45:45 -0700 From: The Laird Jim Subject: Re: [AML] Books v. Film (was: Titanic) on 12/19/02 11:48 AM, D. Michael Martindale at dmichael@wwno.com wrote: > Well, of course. Who thinks it can? (And books can?) I don't > _want_ the full experience. The full experience would require me to wade > through the smothering salty sea water as bullets pelted me, biting into > my skin and sucking the life blood from me. > If you really want a closest approximation try _Medal of Honor: Allied Assault_ with a really good sound system and video card. And a really big monitor on your computer with the lights turned off. The Omaha beach assault in that game is really astonishing. It's a first person shooter, and you have to run through the water, hide behind obstacles, huddle on the shingle and navigate a minefield. It was much more affecting than the jiggling camera in _Saving Private Ryan_. Since it's interactive it's a small step closer than a movie. I don't much care for 1st person shooters in general but _Allied Assault_ is something else. The Laird Jim - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 12:23:40 -0800 From: Jeffrey Needle Subject: Re: [AML] Boyd Jay PETERSEN, _Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life_ (Review) Who is willing to accept my first-born for a review copy of this book? Boyd is a friend of mine, too. And I had the pleasure of meeting the Nibleys some years ago. This sounds like a wonderful read. Thanks for the fine review! - ------------------ Jeffrey Needle jeff.needle@general.com or jeffneedle@tns.net - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 23:03:17 -0600 From: "kumiko" Subject: [AML] Box Office Report Dec. 21 02 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of December 21, 2002 Report compiled by: LDSFilm.com [If table below doesn't line up properly, try looking at them with a mono-spaced font, such as Courier - Ed.] Natl Film Title Weekend Gross Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Actor Total Gross Theaters Days - --- ----------------------------- ----------- ----- ---- 11 The Santa Clause 2 3,204,145 1,701 52 Ken Daurio (screenwriter) 129,836,982 Cinco Paul (screenwriter) 72 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 8,222 9 683 Scott Swofford (producer) 13,748,999 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) Sam Cardon (composer) Stephen L. Johnson (film editor) 79 Jack Weyland's Charly 4,270 10 87 Adam Anderegg (director) 563,737 Jack Weyland (book author) Janine Gilbert (screenwriter) Lance Williams (producer) Micah Merrill (producer, film editor) Tip Boxell (co-producer) Bengt Jan Jonsson (cinematographer) Aaron Merrill (composer) Actors: Heather Beers, Jeremy Elliott, Adam Johnson, Jackie Winterrose Fullmer, Diana Dunkley, Gary Neilson, Lisa McCammon, Randy King, Bernie Diamond, etc. 85 China: The Panda Adventure 3,233 4 514 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 2,978,643 88 Galapagos 2,912 4 1151 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 12,396,908? 97 Ziggy Stardust & Spiders from Mars 1,330 4 166 Mick Ronson (2nd billed actor) 143,204 SAINTS OF WAR: More information is available about the upcoming Latter-day Saint-themed feature film "The Saints of War." Ryan Little will be both director and director and director of photography, as well as a producer. The other producer is BYU graduate Adam Abel. The associate producer is Brian Brough, who has previously worked as an assistant director for the Latter-day Saint-themed feature films "Brigham City" and "Out of Step.". Little has previously directed one feature film, the Latter-day Saint-themed romantic drama "Out of Step", now available on video and DVD. "The Saints of War" is inspired by the book SAINTS AT WAR, by Robert C. Freeman and Dennis A. Wright. The executive producer is Charles Chan. The movie has already been cast and will be filming in January and February 2003. Principle photography begins Jan. 22, 2003. The movie is scheduled for theatrical release in Fall 2003. With the release of "Out of Step,", Little became the fourth director to release a movie in the modern LDS cinema genre, following Richard Dutcher, Mitch Davis and Kurt Hale. With the release of "The Saints of War," Little will become the third director (after Dutcher and Hale) to release a SECOND Latter-day Saint-themed feature film. "The Saints of War" will be the first LDS-themed feature film to also be a "war film." It will also be the first movie in the genre set in Europe. This will be the second film in the LDS cinema genre (after "The Other Side of Heaven") to be inspired by a non-fiction book. It will be the third film in the genre (after "The Other Side of Heaven" and "Handcart") set in a historical time period. World War II reenactors will be needed as extras for this movie's battle scenes. See the website for more information: http://www.thesaintsofwar.com CHURCH PUBLISHES A VERY COOL DVD: "Friends to All Nations" DVD Set Available from Church. See http://www.ldscatalog.com. A new two-disk DVD set will be available from Church Distribution Centers beginning Saturday, 21 December. This set presents over 5 hours of video, highlighting activities of the Church and its members during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games hosted by Salt Lake City. The 18 program segments of the set feature, among other things, the "Light of the World" production, staged in the 21,000-seat Conference Center; the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in their Cultural Olympiad Concert performances; President Hinckley's interviews with NBC's Tom Brokaw; and many other bonus features in the 5+ hours of video. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN CHARACTER A BYU PROFESSOR? Frank Abagnale's fellow "alternatively legal" folk heroes Butch Cassidy and D.B. Cooper were Latter-day Saints, but we're certain that Frank isn't a Church member. According to a Knight Ridder News Service article by Lance Gould (Salt Lake Tribune, 22 December 2002), Frank Abagnale, the real-life grifter whose whose experiences are the basis for the movie "Catch Me If You Can," claims that he was a professor at Brigham Young University, which is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The university disputes this. [QUOTING FROM THE ARTICLE:] "We have gone back and searched [our records] under every alias he ever used" and found nothing, said BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. "One of the telling items is his claim in a speech he gave . . . that the [Utah] Board of Regents questioned the grades he gave at BYU. Well, we're a private university and the board of regents has nothing to do with us." MOLEN AND MINORITY REPORT: Segments from interviews with producer Jerry Molen are included in a number of documentaries on the "Minority Report" DVD. I don't recall any of the other producers being interviewed. But Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg dominate the documentary material. I don't know why. Perhaps some people think Tom Cruise is better-looking than Jerry. Interestingly enough, Jerry Molen co-starred onscreen with Tom Cruise in "Rain Man." Molen played Dr. Bruner (the psychiatrist), which wa the movie's 4th billed role. This was the biggest on-screen role Molen has had. Dustin Hoffman took home the Best Actor Academy Award for playing the title character in "Rain Man." But did Molen get a Best Supporting Actor nomination? Nope. He was edged out by Kevin Kline, Alec Guinness, River Phoenix, Dean Stockwell, and Martin Landau. Molen's other on-screen roles are "Jurassic Park", "Amistad" and "Days of Thunder" and playing the first mission president in "The Other Side of Heaven." ANOTHER ACADEMY AWARD NOM FOR MOLEN? Will Latter-day Saint movie producer Jerry Molen, who was overlooked last year in the Best Picture category for his movie "The Other Side of Heaven" AGAIN be shafted at the Oscars this year? Molen won for "Schindler's List," but hasn't been nominated since then. We're not the only ones who think "Minorty Report" deserves Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The country's leading movie critic, Roger Ebert, agrees with us. Quoting from Ebert's writeup of his recent interview with "Minority Report" director Steven Spielberg (http://www.suntimes.com/output/eb-feature/cst-ftr-spiel23.html): [QUOTE] NEW YORK--While many directors spend years in gestation before making a film, Steven Spielberg seems cheerfully productive. In June he released "Minority Report," an awesomely virtuoso futurist thriller starring Tom Cruise, and now here it is December, and he's back with "Catch Me If You Can"... We talked last summer, we talk again now. Spielberg seems more relaxed about the new film (opening Wednesday), which was shot on a much lower budget in a relatively short time, and which must have felt like unwinding after the complexities of "Minority Report." I told him I'd just seen "Minority Report" again on the big screen, going down to Times Square to catch it, just to confirm my feeling about how good it was... Ebert: My opinion of "Minority Report" is exactly the same as it was last summer when I had to use a seven-letter word in order to tell you how much I liked it. Spielberg: It was a beautiful word, though. I'll never forget it. Ebert: Is it going to be overlooked at Oscar time just because of that attention gap problem that the academy has? Spielberg: Well, you know, I'm not the one to say whether something deserves attention or not. We directors are in control of everything we do, except in the Oscar award season. I'm philosophical about that. [END QUOTE] GLAD FOR GLADYS: Latter-day Saint sing and celebrity Gladys Knight is cast in an upcoming movie "Hollywood Homicide," which is scheduled for a June 13, 2003 release. Harrison Ford has the lead role. Ron Shelton is the director. In the movie Ford and Josh Hartnett play Hollywood police detectives who investigate the murder of a rap group, possibly staged by their rap label boss. A number of celebrities from the music world appear in the movie. In "Hollywood Homicide" Knight plays the mother of a character played by popular rap singer Kurupt (who recently appeared with Steven Seagal in "Half Past Dead"). There is a major chase scene in which Harrison Ford chases Kurupt, who flees to his mother's house. Knight will have a much larger role - -- a supporting role with above-the-line/marquee billing -- in an upcoming Latter-day Saint-themed feature film directed by... Knight is listed as one of the recording artists providing music, as well as a supporting actress, on the mock-up poster for... Gladys Knight is known primarily as a singer and songwriter, but she has done some acting. She had a small part in an independent feature film, "Twenty Bucks" (1993), and had a major supporting role in the TV movie "Desperado" (1987). She sang the title song for the James Bond "License to Kill" (1989). Knight also had a regular role as "Diana Richmond" onthe short-lived TV series "Charlie & Co." (1985). She has also made dozens of guest appearances on TV shows, including sitcoms, dramas, variety shows and musical specials. THE R.M. THEATERS ANNOUNCED: The official website for the upcoming Latter-day Saint-themed feature film "The R.M." has announced some theaters where the movie will premiere in 5 weeks, on 31 January 2002. The theaters, all in Utah, are: Gateway 8 (Bountiful); Westates Cinema 8 (Cedar City); Cinemark Tinseltown USA (Layton); Westates Water Gardens 6 (Pleasant Grove); Westates Providence 8 (Providence); Cinemark 16 (Provo); Wynnsong Cinemas (Provo); Megaplex 12 at the Gateway (Salt Lake City); Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons (Sandy); Westates Stadium 8 (St. George); Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing (West Jordan). DON BLUTH: Don Bluth is working on an animated "Dragon's Lair" feature film, with a screenplay by Todd McFarlane (the popular Spider-Man writer/artist and creator of "Spawn"). You can read about the new "Dragon's Lair" comic book series, the new "Dragon's Lair" 3D computer game, and new "Dragon's Lair" action figures, clothing and more, all based on the animated video games directed by Latter-day Saint animation legend Don Bluth, in the following articles: http://wire.ign.com/articles/380/380726p1.html http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021212/122317_1.html YES, THAT WAS ME: This has absolutely nothing to do with movies, but LDSFilm.com's webmaster had the following letter published in the Salt Lake Tribune on 19 December 2002 (http://www.sltrib.com/2002/dec/12192002/public_f/12646.asp) [QUOTE]: Hooray for Rocky! As a Latter-day Saint "living abroad," I have followed the plaza controversy. Until yesterday I felt that Rocky Anderson was a terrible mayor who was doing very bad things to Salt Lake City. But after his proposal to trade land for peace on Main Street, I think he's a hero. I hope the Church will provide specific instructions about how members (such as myself) can donate money to build the new Rocky Anderson Community Center on the west side. [END QUOTE] I also think that Utah should establish a 1% statewide tax on movie tickets, videos and DVDs, for the purpose of funding locally-themed filmmaking, and that an LDS Film History course should be required for high school graduation. I wonder if the Tribune would publish letters on those topics... - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 17:43:05 -0600 From: "Angela Hallstrom" Subject: Re: [AML] R-Rated Movies I don't want to pick on Rebecca here; she represents the opinions of many friends and family members that I respect and care about. However, I do want to mention an experience from my life that highlights the problems that come when we confuse "counsel" into "commandments." Rebecca said: > Avoiding questionable material, R-Rated Movies, may > not be contained in the "official scriptures," but one > thing is for sure, when we obey counsel we receive > blessings and when we disobey we lose those blessings. > Okay, deep breath. I agree that we should be obedient. I agree that we should listen to the counsel of our prophets and act accordingly. I believe that when we are trying to be good--in whatever ways "trying to be good" our manifest in our lives--we are closer to the spirit and therefore more blessed. But it's tricky to decide what kind of the myriad of behaviors we engage in during our lives will "disqualify" us from blessings we would have otherwise received. So here's my story: When I was a senior in high school, my Seminary teacher was talking about rated R movies. He told us a story about a friend of his whose daughter had been hit by a car and how he was able to rush out into the street and heal her. He then went on to talk about how Priesthood holders must be worthy to give blessings, and said (something like), "Imagine if this man had watched a rated R movie the night before. The spirit would not have been with him, and his daughter could have died in the street." I remember being literally sick to my stomach by what he had said. *My* dad watched rated R movies sometimes, and not even "good" rated R movies with redeeming cultural values, but movies like _The Terminator_ (is that R? I think it is. Anyway, you get the idea.) He also read a lot of Stephen King (which I, also, had read a lot of since I could steal them from out of his dresser drawer) and even though they were books, I was smart enough to know that if they were movies, they'd be rated R. So what my teacher was telling me was that my Dad's priesthood was invalid in my home. That if I was sick, or in need, my dad wouldn't be able to help me. Now, my friend's dad, who never talked to his kids except to order them around and spent most of his time ignoring them in the basement but who *didn't* watch rated R movies, he was worthy. So I, a normally non-confrontational young lady, sat stewing through most of that class. Then I couldn't bear it anymore and raised my hand and told my teacher that he was wrong, that my Dad's priesthood was still in force, and that if he believed that a man watching a bad movie the night before was an offense so wrong that God would allow his daughter to die in the street then something was wrong with this Church. Everybody was pretty stunned (myself included) and I remember he kept me after class to talk about it. I don't remember exactly what he said, though--although I remember that he never backed down about his opinion. He insisted he was right. It had never occurred to me until then that a Seminary teacher could be wrong. So there's my problem with it. Rated R movies are a lightning rod in our culture because they're so easy to see, so easy to point to as a measure of true righteousness. I can see Rebecca's point, and understand why many people decide to stay away from them entirely. It's when we, as a church, use them as a measuring stick for righteousness that my dander gets up. Angela Hallstrom - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #935 ******************************