Ben Stein's "Expelled" will not be screened in advance for critics.

[Pale Blue Dot]

Occasionally, film studios know that their movie has no redeeming qualities, so they will skip the traditional pre-screening for critics in advance of the film's release. This happens most often with films teenager like; namely, bad horror films and lowest common denominator comedies. I've been a film buff for 30 years, and I've never seen this happen with a documentary. In fact, usually the only chance that a documentary has for success is to be championed by critics first and then steadily build word of month. The studio releasing Expelled knows they have a turkey on their hands, and they are hoping that enough fundy morons go to see it before word gets out so that they can recoup their investment.

I predict that this film will win no new converts to ID and in a month will be completely forgotten by everyone except creationists.

This post was inspired by the following article in The Salt Lake Tribune:

http://www.sltrib.com/features/ci_8903065?source=email

[salvorhardin]

1. I saw that review too and said the same thing.

Expelled is a non-starter.

[moggie]

5. It bothers me a little that people are saying things like this

Turkey, flop, non-starter... doubtless this is true, if you measure the film's success in conventional terms. It won't do great box office (and they're bribing people to watch it), and anyone who's even halfway informed on the issues will regard it as a bad joke. But I don't think it was ever intended to reach and convince an audience of millions, anyway. A film such as this doesn't need commercial success to have its effect, it just needs to reach the right people. Here's an example:

TALLAHASSEE — Actor and social activist Ben Stein visited Florida's capitol today, urging lawmakers to pass an "academic freedom" bill that would protect teachers and students from questioning evolution under newly adopted science curriculum standards.

Stein also joined John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family Policy Council, and Casey Luskin, a lawyer from the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, in defending a private screening of Stein's new film that has been arranged tonight for legislators. They showed a brief preview of the film, in which Stein recounts his meetings with teachers and scientists who have been shunned for questioning evolutionary theory.

Screening of the film "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" was arranged for legislators, spouses and staff members at the IMAX theater of the Challenger Learning Center a block from the Capitol tonight. The House general counsel said the showing does not fall under the state's gift-ban law, because the film company does not lobby the Legislature, nor under Florida's open-meeting law -- as long as legislators don't discuss pending legislation.
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Two bills by Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, would forbid school districts or state authorities to punish teachers or students in any way for raising questions about evolution. Stemberger said the new law is needed because of "dogmatic" new science standards adopted by the State Board of Education last month, which allow teaching of evolution as "a theory."

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/NEWS0120/80312057/1006/NEWS0104

As well as the private screenings for influential wingnuts, the public screenings will show to busloads of church sheep, many of them parents who will be energised to cause trouble for their kids' schools, some of them school board members.

Yes, the film will continue to be laughed at or ignored by the reality-based community, but there are a lot of nuts who will lap it up, and some of them have power.

[salvorhardin]

6. Oh sure

But we see that with every piece of tripe out there. How many Congresspeople were influenced by The Bell Curve? I know, that's different because we didn't have a well-funded group lobbying on behalf of the crap ideas in The Bell Curve, but the ID/Creationism crowd is going to continue to do its thing regardless of Expelled. Expelled is merely the latest front in the manufactuversy. That's where the fight is and it will be fought. I'm not saying to totally ignore the film. Crap like this has to be countered. I just don't think it's as big a deal as it appears.

[realisticphish]

2. the thing is

the whole fucking claim by ID people is that science is stifling their equally (or more) valid theory. Yet they are terrified to put their "equally valid" theory up against movie critics, let alone scientists. This whole publicity process has been filled with rhetoric about "intellectual freedom," and they still manage to wrap themselves in the warm cocoon of fellow believers, just like every other critic of evolution.

[TZ]

3. Did you see the story about them barring PZ Meyers out of a screening

Only to have his wife go in with RICHARD DAWKINS?! Freaking hilarious!:rofl:

[realisticphish]

4. oh, of course

to add to that saga, the producers of expelled recently had a teleconference for reporters. At one point, they mentioned PZ, and then started to move onto a different topic. Then, a voice says, "actually that's not entirely true," or something to that effect. After an awkward pause, the producer says, "who's talking?" And the voice says "This is PZ Meyers." :D

Before the teleconference began, he had called in, and had happened to overhear the tech crew bandying about the passcode to be able to talk during the conference. So, he sat there until he couldn't take it anymore, then chimed in. Juvenile? Perhaps. But fucking hilarious. Skepchick.org has the audio, as Rebecca Watson was recording the teleconference. He goes on to talk for a while, before hanging up

[PVnRT]

7. Saw a commercial for it on TV last night...

Even from the clips I saw, it looks idiotic.