Just Curious About Your Opinions...

[shanstress70]

I got this forwarded e-mail from a family member. Do you agree that Blockbuster should pull the movie? If so, why?

The reason given in the letter is because it is offensive to her religion. I have to say that even if I was still LDS, I would not send a letter to get them to remove it. There are MANY movies in Blockbuster that are offensive to me, or probably anyone else. Guess what... I won't rent them! Should Barnes and Noble pull The Da Vinci Code because it is possibly offensive to Catholics?

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope you will take a minute now to help in this just cause. I have asked for and followed the counsel of my bishop regarding this matter.

I was at Blockbuster to rent a movie a few days ago, and came across a movie that showed a missionary on the front cover and was titled Latter Days. My first thought was that it was from the same people who have done God's Army, The RM, The Home Teacher, The Singles Ward, etc. However when I turned it over I saw it was rated R for strong sexual content and language. I read the blurb on the back, which states, "A heartwarming and tender gay romantic drama that combines laughs, seduction, tears and plenty of romance." This is a show about a young man who goes on a mission to West Hollywood and becomes involved in a homosexual affair with a Hollywood "party boy". I was appalled! I couldn't believe someone would make a movie like this. It is a direct attack on the church and our beliefs.

I spoke with the manager of the store and told him the movie is very offensive to my religion and asked that it be removed from the shelf. He said he could not make that decision and that I would have to contact the corporate office in Dallas. He gave me the corporate office phone number, and also the number of the district sales manager.

I called the corporate office and was told that there have been other complaints against the movie and that I could give them my name and membership number and be added to the list of those who have requested the movie be removed from the stores. The movie is being reviewed by the parties who can make the decision to remove it. I also asked that in the notes on my case, it state that I will not patronize their store until it is removed.

I then called the district manager and left a voicemail stating the same things I said to corporate. He called me back and left a message that he too is very against the movie, as he is a high councilman in the church.

He said the best thing we could do is to write or e-mail the corporate office.

So, now to the reason I'm writing all of you. We need to "stand for truth and righteousness". My hope is that you will take the time to voice your opinion in regards to this movie. A huge influx of e-mail at Blockbuster over the weekend would be powerful and show them the magnitude of our feelings about this offensive movie.

Please take the time right now to e-mail them. Go to www.blockbuster.com and click on CUSTOMER SERVICE at the bottom. Then scroll down to CONTACT US, and click on BLOCKBUSTER CORPORATE. You do not have to provide a membership number, so anyone can do this. In your notes, if you feel so inclined, mention that you will not patronize their store while this offensive movie is available there.

If you prefer, you can write to Blockbuster, Inc., 1201 Elm St., Dallas, TX, 75270. Now we need to spread this message to all the responsible Christian people we know. Please forward this message to them and let's all take a stand against this malicious movie, meant to malign the name of the church and put down the values and principles we hold dear. We can do great things together.

Thank you so much. xxxxxx xxxxxxx

[Jenda]

If you believe in something strongly enough, then I believe that you should stand up for those beliefs.

That said, since I am not LDS, I cannot comment on whether it is appropriate to try to block this type of movie, but then, lots and lots of people tried to block The Passion of the Christ.

[StrawberryFields]

This is a great post.

I remember when the TV Mini Series Angles In America came out. It was being publicized as a story about a Mormon. I was looking foreword to seeing this "Hollywood" version of Mormon life. I watched only a portion of the first show but was disappointed to see what they represented in this mini series. If I remember correctly, there was a similar in context to this movie in the email above. This is not the LDS lifestyle that I am familiar with and I felt that the writers caught hold of something they thought would get them recognition and money. The media doesn't always produce truth and in today’s world it isn't always truth that sells. If you can add an element of truth with something scandalous you just might have a best seller. This is not something new to us Satan has used this recipe many times to lead us down the wrong path.

Should Blockbuster pull the movie... it depends on the message they want to deliver. Yes, many members will be upset about this movie that by name, and appearance, represents the beliefs of the LDS Faith. Who I will feel pity for, are the makers of the movie for miss-representing the LDS Faith in order to make a buck. The Blockbuster Corporation either, didn't check into the movie for context, or they just didn't care. It would be interesting to see where this movie is being marketed…is it only in Utah? Unfortunately, it is the movie makers right to produce what they want, regardless who it will offend.

I believe that we should pass the word along that this movie is NOT like the other ones and should not be rented or bought. Many times, we could get the wrong idea just as Blockbuster patron did at first. I had the wrong idea when the movie Brigham City came out. I did not turn it over and see that it was about a murder; sure they had a bishop and other religious figures in that movie but it still was disturbing. Luckily, when I rented it I only watched it with my husband and my children wasn't part of the deceit. The movie Latter Days, will not be only my list to see or buy this Christmas season.

[Deb]

I totally agree with you Strawberry Fields. Have you seen or heard about those awful TV programs out now? I think one is called Desperate Housewives and the other is called Sex in the City. I haven't seen them, but from what I've heard they are disgusting. It's bad enough that they foist homosexuality on us all the time, but now they seem to think all we want on TV is sex, sex and more sex. Satan isn't pulling any punches in his attempt to destroy the youth of this country.

[Guest curvette]

Personally, I think these people are wasting their time on this issue. If it's making them money, Blockbuster will continue renting it. On the other hand, it's certainly someone's right to protest it and inform people about the movie.

I agree with Strawberry about "Angels in America." I started watching it because I was anxious to see Meryl Streep's portrayal of a Mormon mom. I didn't make it through because the movie so offended me. Al Pacino's character was positively disgusting, and I didn't find anything enriching about the plot. I wouldn't start a protest against it airing though. It's a constitutional right to make the movie, and to air it. And I gladly exercised my constitutional right to discontinue watching it. God Bless America!

[Ray]

When enough people speak up and say that they’re not willing to buy things or watch things because they don’t like them, then the people who produce those things should notice that they’re not appealing to those people and produce something else that those people will buy or watch. After all, even if people are making something only because they want people to buy it or watch it, the less people there are who buy it or watch it, the less people there will be with an interest for their product.

And btw, I think that along with sending a message about what we don’t like, we should also send a message about what we do like, to help producers know what kind of product they should produce. And if those producers then turn around and make a billion bucks on good products that we have helped them know to produce, more power to them!

[Ray]

Originally posted by curvette@Nov 22 2004, 01:12 PM

Personally, I think these people are wasting their time on this issue. If it's making them money, Blockbuster will continue renting it. On the other hand, it's certainly someone's right to protest it and inform people about the movie.

I agree with Strawberry about "Angels in America." I started watching it because I was anxious to see Meryl Streep's portrayal of a Mormon mom. I didn't make it through because the movie so offended me. Al Pacino's character was positively disgusting, and I didn't find anything enriching about the plot. I wouldn't start a protest against it airing though. It's a constitutional right to make the movie, and to air it. And I gladly exercised my constitutional right to discontinue watching it. God Bless America!

If I were you, curvette, I would demand a refund while explaining why you believe you are entitled to it. Otherwise the producer may believe that he had another happy customer.

[Ray]

Btw, to give a more direct answer to your question, shanstress, I will say that I think the leaders of Blockbuster should pull any movie that doesn’t meet with their approval.

If people don’t rent certain movies from Blockbuster, perhaps the leaders of Blockbuster will realize that those movies aren’t worth putting on their shelves, because very few people rent them.

Or perhaps if the leaders of Blockbuster realize that a movie is offensive to someone, they might remove that movie from their shelves so that potential customers won’t be offended by their products.

Do you think the leaders of Blockbuster are always going to know whether or not a movie is offensive to someone if someone doesn’t speak up? I don’t…. not always. So I think it then becomes a matter of deciding how in what way we should speak up to let the leaders of Blockbuster know how we feel.

[Faerie]

the more hooplah that is made, the more people will see it..just like farencrap 9/11...

but i don't think bb should pull it...that's the lovely part of free speech...you have the right not to watch it...and what a great opportunity to talk about the church :)

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Ray@Nov 22 2004, 02:52 PM

If I were you, curvette, I would demand a refund while explaining why you believe you are entitled to it. Otherwise the producer may believe that he had another happy customer.

Demand a refund from my Satellite company? "Angels" wasn't a rental--I just tuned into it. I would never do that anyway. The description of a movie is readily available along with a rating. I don't think anyone ever has the right to "demand a refund" unless the movie is substantially different than advertised, or it malfunctions. I guess they could ask nicely, but demand? Nah.

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Faerie@Nov 22 2004, 06:41 PM

the more hooplah that is made, the more people will see it..just like farencrap 9/11...

but i don't think bb should pull it...that's the lovely part of free speech...you have the right not to watch it...and what a great opportunity to talk about the church :)

"Farencrap"??????

[Ray]

Originally posted by curvette+Nov 23 2004, 12:46 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (curvette @ Nov 23 2004, 12:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Ray@Nov 22 2004, 02:52 PM

If I were you, curvette, I would demand a refund while explaining why you believe you are entitled to it.  Otherwise the producer may believe that he had another happy customer.

Demand a refund from my Satellite company? "Angels" wasn't a rental--I just tuned into it. I would never do that anyway. The description of a movie is readily available along with a rating. I don't think anyone ever has the right to "demand a refund" unless the movie is substantially different than advertised, or it malfunctions. I guess they could ask nicely, but demand? Nah.

I think it’s rare to see a movie clip or read a review that fairly and accurately portrays how good or bad a movie will be, but then again I am one who tries to avoid watching trailers and reading reviews because I don’t want to spoil the movie!

And what I meant was that I would have asked for a refund, in all seriousness, because I would have wanted to tell somebody in charge of making or renting that movie that I didn’t enjoy watching that movie enough to pay for it… not because I wanted my money back.

And btw, whether you realize it or not, you are paying for what you watch from your satellite company, and I think you have an equal right to make your voice heard while doing business with them as much as you do with anyone else.

[Guest curvette]

Originally posted by Ray@Nov 23 2004, 01:45 PM

And btw, whether you realize it or not, you are paying for what you watch from your satellite company, and I think you have an equal right to make your voice heard while doing business with them as much as you do with anyone else.

Well, I know that I am paying for it (I pay the bill every month.) I just don't think it's reasonable to demand a refund from the satellite company because I'm disappointed in a movie. It would be barking up the wrong tree. It would be like demanding Salt Lake City give me a refund for a product I bought in a Salt Lake City department store. Writing a letter to the production company may be slightly more effective, but I doubt the actual producer of the movie would ever read it (or care that someone didn't like his movie.)