'Angels & Demons' director says Vatican interfered with filming

[RamboLiberal]

Source: USA Today

ROME — Director Ron Howard claimed Sunday that the Vatican interfered with efforts to get permits to shoot certain scenes of his Angels & Demons religious thriller in Rome — a charge the Vatican said was purely a publicity stunt.

The film, which stars Tom Hanks and is based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, has its world premiere Monday in Rome.

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At a press conference Sunday, Howard said he hadn't sought cooperation from the Vatican based on the opposition he encountered filming The Da Vinci Code, another Brown novel that angered many Catholic leaders.

But he said the Vatican nevertheless exerted influence regarding his filming permits, and he was told it would not be possible even to shoot scenes in Rome that had churches in the background.

"When you come to film in Rome, the official statement to you is that the Vatican has no influence," he said. "Everything progressed very smoothly, but unofficially a couple of days before we were to start filming in several of our locations, it was explained to us that through back channels and so forth that the Vatican had exerted some influence."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-05-03-howard-vatican_N.htm

[IndianaGreen]

1. Who is more credible, Ron Howard or the Nazi Pope?

Not even close!

[ZombieHorde]

2. I vote Ron Howard, but to be fair,

the Pope was a Nazi as a child, opposing Hitler was not a job for children. I am not a fan of the Pope, but we shouldn't hold the Nazi thing over him.

[Bobbieo]

3. I'm currently reading that book..

[Born Free]

17. Angels & Demons is better than the Da Vinci code

I read both books and Angels & Demons is better, not as believable, but better. Deception Point is another good book by Dan Brown and much like the Da Vinci code, he mixes enough reality to make it seem possible. On the other hand, I did not think the movie did justice to the the Da Vinci Code, but I still liked it.

[MaineDem]

18. I totally agree that A&D is a better story

I thought the DaVinci Code movie was horrible. I hope this one is better.

[verges]

12. Opie wouldn't lie!!

Neither would Richie Cunningham!

[saigon68]

19. His immediate Predecessor wasn't much better

[Olney Blue]

4. those movies must strike a nerve with the pope

[HereSince1628]

5. Oh, Ratz!

The descriptions of the architecture was what made the book for me.

I hope they were able to pull it all off for the movie.

[WriteDown]

6. Its funny that these kinds of announcements always come

out the week the movie is opening.

[emilyg]

14. I noticed.

[NYMountaineer]

7. I'm waiting for the Ron Paul crowd to chime in on this picture.

Not just the regular liberatarian freeper types, but the 9/11 truthers/nibiru/operation Bluebeam types.

"OMGZ, I told yew teh Illumonazis was reel! Wayk up, sheapull! Spitt out teh kule-ayd!"

I've already seen a few calling it Illuminati propaganda because it would somehow make the Illuminati look fictional...people will say "oh, that was just a Tom Hanks movie" or whatever the deal is. That's their case. Craziness...

[nyy1998]

8. lmao

:D

[defendandprotect]

9. I'm sure the Vatican is cranky about the spotlights Dan Brown has been throwing on them . ..

However, Opie and Tom Hanks were poor choices for "The Da Vinci Code" --
that movie did seem to have been sabotaged --
Finally, Opie made a car chase movie for 11 year olds--!

[Gamey]

10. Big whoop...they need each other

to sell their products

One a movie, the other religion

[santamargarita]

11. The Da Vinci Code was an excellent film, can't wait to see this one

~

[paulsby]

15. the only movie

i have ever fallen asleep during.

in my entire life.

[Retrograde]

23. even the shots of Paris couldn't keep my interest

and I'll watch just about anything set there.

[madmom]

13. They are so caught up in their own myths, they don't know what

"fiction novel" means.

[Number_Six]

16. The house built upon the pasteboard trembles...

Albeit the DaVinci code, etc aren't that credible, it still looks like criticism, and anything....anything....that even loosely resembles criticism of one of man's longest running cons....ain't good for those in control of it, mmmm?

Shit, Ron, what about CGI? DOH!

[mikelgb]

20. I agree with other Angels and Demons better than Da Vinci Code

interestingly I read A&D during the last selection of the pope so A&D was extremely informative to me and a fascinating read

[AngryOldDem]

21. Heard gasbag Bill Donohue talk about this.

Jeezus. Talk about revisionist history. He was giving the Catholic Church credit for scientific advancement (among other things) back in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Psst, Bill. One word: Galileo. It only took the Church 500 or so years to finally acknowledge that he was right. And even then the apology seemed to be grudging.

He also said he wanted to "punch in the face" those who were spreading such disinformation about the Church. Very Christlike and Christian behavior.

[RomanHoliday]

22. Angels and Demons > DaVinci Code

I liked the love interest in A&D better too. I hope Dan Brown brings her back for his new book.

[Retrograde]

24. "We're filming a movie about how evil you are. Do you mind..."

"Hi! We're making a movie about how evil your entire organization is, and how you are determined to manipulate history to your own ends, and your general nefarious doings. Can we shoot in your buildings?"

Why am I not surprised he didn't get much co-operation. (BTW, it's a toss-up as to which book has the dumber plot.)

From the article:
""There is not a regular cobblestone, there is not a straight step, there is not an easy way to cross any street in all of the Eternal City," he said. "Essentially death traps and twisted ankles await you any time you try to go out for a slow stroll. How we did not come out with shin splints and ace bandages around our limbs I will never ever know."

The pavements in Rome aren't that bad, especially in the tourist areas (the drivers, OTOH, are homicidal). Given this exaggeration, I'm taking the "interference" with a large helping of salt: maybe the Vatican just didn't hand everything to Howard on a silver platter like he expected.