From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #635 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, March 6 2002 Volume 01 : Number 635 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 15:37:41 -0700 From: "Clark Goble" Subject: RE: [AML] Finnish Saunas ___ Robert ___ | The D&C states that "the BODY and the spirit is the soul of man." | In light of this and the blessings given in the Temple, I find | it very funny that so many Saints are such prudes. ___ Actually I think that explains why so many are prudes. (Putting on my literary cap and about to wax pretentious again) Think about the semiotics of silence and how a silencing of discourse about an act or thing affects the meaning of that thing. This is the semiotics of silence and I think you'll find that "being a prude" intrinsically relates to the structures that deny speech to a given topic. Yet, what is the semiotic function of the temple? What can you say about what goes on? How, structurally, does that function? When is the silence broken? What does that say about the context in which the speakable changes? I think you'll find that body and temple are related as a fairly similar sign in Mormonism. ___ Robert ___ | I wonder how many of the faithful can relate to John Ashcroft's | recent decision to drape (HIDE) the beautiful, classical-style | statue of Justice, before which he conducts press conferences, | because her breasts are exposed. ___ I don't know the thinking of Ashcroft here, so I hope that this is something he said and not an idea we attribute to him. I mean he might just want a decorum that has few distractions and chose curtains. That is more an aesthetic judgment rather than a question of breasts, per se. (i.e. he may have done the same even if the breasts weren't exposed) Further you seem to assume that this kind of decision, if made, was wrong. Would you think it appropriate to have Rodin's Balzac behind the President during the State of the Union Speech? Why, or why not? Saying something is beautiful is not to say that it is always appropriate. For instance I think it acceptable to wear shorts. (I'm wearing them right now as I plan to shortly go to the gym) Yet I'd not wear them to sacrament meeting. Why? The issue is one of appropriateness. ___ Robert ___ | She suggested that because the body is holy, modesty should be a | top priority. ( "Don't cast your pearls before swine.") But if | that is a top priority, wouldn't we be heading in the direction | of a Fundamentalist Islamic society wherein it could be argued | that ALL of the body (especially the body of a woman) should be | completely covered because it is so holy? ___ That is what is known as the slippery slope fallacy. Further you equate modesty with maximizing covering. I'm not sure that is accurate. I think that modesty is itself made in reference to a culture. Further I think that it is tied to the linguistic aspect of the body and not merely covering the body. Once again I think there is a connection to the temple here, if you think about what is worn and partially why. ___ Robert ___ | So, the beauty and holiness of man's body in art is not to be | hidden because of the potential sinfulness of others. ___ I don't think that follows logically, but I won't pursue that aspect of things. Let me just suggest that perhaps the connection to potential sinfulness is due to an intermediary step you've left out. In that I am not saying that what is key is this connection to sin. Far from it. Rather the sin is connected to this intermediary step. This intermediary step is the body as language - how it operates as a sign. - -- Clark Goble --- clark@lextek.com ----------------------------- - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 18:00:49 -0800 (PST) From: "R.W. Rasband" Subject: Re: [AML] _Angels in America_ on HBO? As Rob Lauer pointed out in his post, Kushner is a self-confessed Marxist (still, even after the political earthquakes of 1989-91.) His goal in "Angels in America" is to take two epoch-making concepts--American exceptionalism (as symbolized by Mormonism) and the world-wide collapse of socialism (the "perestroika" referred to in the title of the play)--and stand them on their heads. His new millenium will be one of renewed left-wing triumph, in spite of and in defiance of the tides of history that have become self-evident over the last decade. It's an audacious project; that level of denial is truly something to see. ===== R.W. Rasband Heber City, UT rrasband@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 21:54:14 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] Educating an Audience Darlene, your point is so well taken! I've printed this off. I think we should have more discussion on it. Thanks. Marilyn Brown - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2002 19:52:13 -0700 From: BJ Rowley Subject: [AML] re: Educating an Audience Darlene Young wrote: > These people need to be educated that >there IS LDS fiction out there that would be >satisfying and rewarding to them. The burden of this >kind of education must fall to the publishers, I'm >afraid. It's a marketing problem. > I, too, thoroughly enjoyed this session at the AML conference. But the more I think about this whole issue of educating the LDS market, the more I think that what's really needed here is VALIDATION -- not marketing. Nearly everyone on this list can quote the now-famous articles by Pres. Kimball and Elder Maxwell, which have given us all, as artists, our lofty goals and aspirations, and our personal vindication. But how many of the overall Mormon population know or remember those same articles? By and large, the Mormon market is still very much in the "scriptures only" mode, when it comes to LDS material. I don't think it's an Education or Marketing issue that publishers alone are ever going to conquer. I worked for nine years in a large, "Dilbert-style" office building, with somewhere around 500 employees -- the majority of them LDS. Due to the nature of the company, a good percentage of us spent a fair amount of time traveling around the U.S. The common practice was for a traveler to make a stop at the bookstore before the trip, to stock up on reading material -- either the nearest Borders or B&N, or if time was tight, the airport newsstands. And for those who just couldn't afford that kind of weekly expense, there were always plenty of books around that could be borrowed. But VERY rarely did I ever see LDS fiction going on the planes. LDS fiction is just not something that the majority of the members look for, or even know about. Can we educate them? I don't think so. Not without some big-time help. What I would very much like to see, and what we really need, is for a General Authority, in General Conference, to get up and remind the church membership of the articles by Pres. Kimball and Elder Maxwell. I'd like to see someone at the top give all of us struggling and hardworking artist some validation. It seems to me that plenty of airtime (and Ensign space) is devoted to the subject of avoiding the degrading material that's out there -- be it R-rated movies, sexually explicit fiction, internet pornography, etc. But I don't see them giving the members much in the way of viable alternatives. Why can't the leaders encourage the members to support their own? Wouldn't it be wonderful if they would just point in our general direction and say, "Look, there IS worthwhile stuff out there. Clean, wholesome, uplifting, enlightening, satisfying, and rewarding. And some of it actually very well written." I've even considered writing to the handful of GAs with which I'm personally acquainted, but no matter how I phrase it, it would always come out looking very self-promoting and self-serving. If any of the LDS publishers wrote a similar request, it would look the same. So I'm wondering -- what if a prestigious and respected non-profit organization like AML were to send a request to church headquarters asking for some public validation for LDS artists? Would that appear self-serving? And even if it does, shouldn't we, as church members, be supporting each other and lifting each other up? I'm not implying that they should say, "Go to Deseret Book or Seagull and buy some LDS fiction." But something more along the lines of, "Many good LDS artists, authors, composers, and playwrights have committed themselves and dedicated their lives to the developing of the remarkable talents that God has given them. And many of those faithful members have also consecrated those talents and abilities to the building of the kingdom in various ways, at great sacrifice to themselves. Doesn't it behoove us as fellow saints to be the willing and eager recipients of those talents, gifts, and abilities?" It's a matter of Supply and Demand. The supply is already there ... maybe not in great abundance, when compared to the "Gentile" works that are out there, but in a greater abundance than there is demand. If those 500 fellow employees of mine were to hear some form of official Validation from a General Authority from the pulpit of the Conference Center, I can't help thinking that more LDS works would be finding their way aboard airplanes, buses, cruise ships, etc., and ultimately into LDS homes -- in place of the Gentile stuff. The demand would grow. And an increasing demand for LDS works would also automatically create an increased demand for EXCELLENT LDS works. Quality, as well as quantity, would increase, I'm certain. What say ye, fellow AMLers? Is this something that we, the LDS artisans, should and could pursue? I'd very much like to hear what others have to say on this subject. BJ Rowley Orem, Utah - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 21:57:06 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] AML Conference - ---Original Message From: Darlene Young > What a fabulous conference! As usual, I left feeling > rejuvenated and just so happy to have found such a group of > friends. I couldn't agree more. I was very grateful to be there. It was a *great* birthday present from my mother-in-law to enable me to be there. > I especially enjoyed John-Charles Duffy's paper > about "Brigham City," Yuck. Couldn't disagree more with you here. John-Charles' essay was a dry academic piece with little relationship to the actual movie. In fact, his whole paper could be boiled down to "Dutcher had the gall to make it different than how *I* would have made it." No discussion of audience, acceptance, or trade-offs, just blind comparison to some ephemeral ideal. John-Charles assumes that Dutcher not only *should* show us that Mormons can be as evil as anybody else, but goes further to make the assumption that Brigham City *is* an attempt to show that--it just does it badly. He castigates Brigham City because evil comes from outside the believing community and that Mormons should learn to forgive people who do wrong. In making his comparisons, John-Charles suffers a further weakness when he assumes that all the characters in the movie must be circumscribed into one great message--i.e. the characters are a tool to show a unified message and don't exist in any other roles (like to further plot, or to show quirks and individual inconsistencies that lend verisimilitude to the film). I really hate the commonly held belief that our artists exist to show the seamy underside that must permeate Mormonism. John-Charles gave the example that he wished that the member with the pornography problem had been a mainstream member and that the fact he wasn't means that Dutcher is scared to do so. The underlying assumption here is that *of* *course* Dutcher would have preferred the porn addict to be more mainstream and that he was unjustifiably *scared* to do it--and that he deserves criticism for giving in to his fear. There are a lot of problems with this stance, most notably that John-Charles didn't do anything to back up his assumptions about Dutcher's intent. And even if he *is* right about Dutcher's motivation and that Dutcher was wrong to make the choice he did, a film has a lot of concerns to juggle and a lot of trade-offs to make. John-Charles never examined those trade-offs, never examined what *else* might have happened if the porn-addict looked just like everybody else. How much audience would he lose when members conclude that Dutcher is deliberately, directly attacking them? How much good-will will Dutcher lose if he becomes associated with those who wish to show every flaw in our culture? And how will that change affect other characters and relationship dynamics? Oh, I personally know of members who have problems with pornography who are active and fit all the membership appearance assumptions. Sure, such things exist. But do they have to be shown in *every* *one* of our works? I seriously doubt that *every* ward has a High Councilman with a secret vice. And I wonder why Dutcher should be *expected* to make the red-herring porn-addict be a member just like everyone else (in appearance) and why he deserves criticism because he doesn't? Finally, John-Charles has a problem with the sheriff having the same urges as the murderer but having no sympathy for him. John-Charles seems to think that we like and have sympathy for people based on how similar they are to us. Further, John-Charles seems to think that we should not differentiate between urges and action--that the sheriff should show mercy because of how similar they are "deep down" disregarding the simple fact that the sheriff doesn't kill people for fun. He misses the importance of how our actions change us and how some actions require reaction and externally applied discipline. Frankly, I don't think there is anything sinister or any hidden meaning in the fact that the murderer isn't *really* what he seems--that he stole his current identity. John-Charles uses this as a further attempt by Dutcher to show that evil comes from outside the community. Personally, I would assume that such a twist is just a way to put a murder mystery together in keeping with the norms and expectations of the genre. John-Charles did not satisfactorily show why it should be different, nor did he explore the meaning of the changes he proposed. He simply illustrated some personal ideal and criticized Dutcher for not rising to it. > Gideon Burton's thoughts on > establishing a Mormon film criticism, Absolutely. A great presentation, including suggestions for criticism and the good sense suggestion that our literature will be affected by our film, that this can be a good thing, and that we should be prepared for it. Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 22:46:23 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] Educating an Audience - ---Original Message From: Darlene Young > A variation of this group is those who want to make > sure that the book is reliable as far as testimony and > faith/hope go. They may be tolerant of language, violence > and sexuality if they know they don't have to worry that the > general theme of the book will not be one of a loss of > testimony. But again, they might need some guidance. ("The > Backslider," for example, might make them uncomfortable at > first but when they realize that it is about a man who learns > more about the nature of Christ and redemption, they are OK with > it.) These are the people who won't subscribe to > _Dialogue_ and _Sunstone_ not because they are > incapable of enjoying more complex works (and they > actually do enjoy the vast majority of what is printed > in these magazines) but because they hate to waste > their time on something that MIGHT turn out to be > negative about the church or a hope-destroyer. An > example of this kind of reader (and I hope I don't > offend anyone here) is Jacob Proffit, whose opinion of > Irreantum's fiction offerings was permanently damaged because > of the faithlessness he felt he found in one story, "Faith of > Our Fathers." Many of my friends fall into this category. =20 No argument from me. I *do* hate it when there is no hope in supposedly "LDS" fiction. But you missed a category. You missed those who read with the desire to see the darkest LDS flaws and hypocrisy exposed. I'm afraid that a lot of my sensitivity to hopeless literature comes because I know that there are those who glory in the fall of the righteous. There are readers (and writers) who want to see our flaws exposed so that they can tear us down to a more comfortable level. I dislike the oh-so-modern assumption that there is nobody to look up to, that people cannot overcome their baser instincts, that we are slaves to our desires, and anything that shows differently must be a lie. Just because I struggle with my carnal nature, doesn't mean that I will forever. Nor does it mean that others haven't overcome those same struggles. There *are* altruistic, good, faithful, wise, intelligent people out there and I resent the implication that they cannot exist in literature or in life. > Any conversation about whether the LDS audience needs > to be educated must take into account all of these > different kinds of readers. I don't have an answer to > the question posed in this panel discussion. I think > it's worth discussing on the list, as long as we keep > in mind the subsets of readers in the LDS audience. Okay. We ask the question of whether the LDS audience needs to be educated, but all the conversations I've seen move from that question to how can we educate our audience. It seems that we are paying mere lip-service to the question and I think it deserves real consideration. *Does* the LDS audience need to be educated? Really? Why? Maybe we can start with what gives us the right to take on that responsibility in the first place? It smacks of hubris and condescension. And if we don't have respect for our audiences, why should we expect them to listen to anything we have to say? We *are* given the command to help and assist others and education certainly plays a role there. The question I have is what makes us so sure that we have a better way? And what about that word "need"? Do others "need" to be educated? How do you know what they need (I think this is the heart of Darlene Young's audience segregation and an important start)? A better question is do people *want* to be educated? Are we wannabe cultural imperialists because we want others to be like us with the conviction that they would be so much better off if they were? Or are we merely burying our own hurt that we are different from so many of our fellow saints and trying to arrange definitions so that we are better than they are? I think that if we *do* decide to undertake the education of others, that we would do well to bear in mind that people don't so much need to be buried under the full ideal of the desired end result as they need to be introduced to the next logical step from where they currently stand. In my opinion, the true brilliance of Richard Dutcher is that he has respect for his audience and is willing to give them a ripping good story while showing them the thrill of the next step as he perceives it--i.e. a realistic, nuanced portrayal of our people with their strengths, weaknesses, and the power of their faith. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Too often, we get bogged down in describing the beauty of the thousand-mile-distant destination and neglect to point out the simplicity and importance of that single step. The destination might be all we claim it is, but there's a lot more benefit in knowing that next step. Jacob Proffitt Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 01:30:30 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN Utah Musicians Featured on 'Sweet Songs of Liberty' CD to Benefit Sept. 11 Disaster Victims: Mov'n Pictures, Inc. 2Mar02 US UT SLC A2 Utah Musicians Featured on 'Sweet Songs of Liberty' CD to Benefit Sept. 11 Disaster Victims SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- "Sweet Songs of Liberty," a CD produced from a concert held in late September to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 disaster, is now on sale through the website, http://www.movnpictures.com . Cost for the CD is $9.99 plus shipping, and all proceeds will be given to disaster victims. The CD includes performances by Utah artists including the Salt Lake Children's Choir, Johanne Perry, Cherie Call, Sterling Singers, Bryce Neubert, Brett Raymond, Utah Valley Mass Choir, Tir na n'Og, Diana Walker and Dallyn Vail Bayles. "Amazing Grace/O Happy Day," "God Bless America," "Going Home" and "The Star Spangled Banner" are among the songs on the CD. The concert and the CD were produced and sponsored by Utah-based film and video company, Mov'n Pictures. Mov'n Pictures President Jon Pierre Francia said, "Shortly after the disaster occurred, my wife, Carrie, said, 'I've got to do something to help the people in New York, and I want to put on a benefit concert.' So she and a friend, Tara Starling, started making calls, and by the first afternoon, they had so much support from so many tremendous Utah artists, that my organization jumped in with our professional contacts and technical personnel to donate our time in this very gratifying project." In addition to Mov'n Pictures, such organizations as Solarium Recording Studios, Webb Audio Visual Services, Poll Sound, Kingsbury Hall, All Terrain Media, Baldassin Performance Piano, KTVX and KISN 97FM donated time or services to produce the event and the recording. Mov'n Pictures specializes in high-end film, video, and 3-D animation and motion graphics work. The company has produced commercials, marketing videos and high-energy trade show pieces for a variety of local and national clients like Sun Microsystems, Intel, Novell, Smartforce and Excite.com. Francia incorporated Mov'n Pictures in 1999. Source: Utah Musicians Featured on 'Sweet Songs of Liberty' CD to Benefit Sept. 11 Disaster Victims Mov'n Pictures, Inc. 19Feb02 A2 >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 16:11:35 -0800 (PST) From: William Morris Subject: [AML] Deseret Book: Mormon Artists? Deseret Book has a new magazine style Web site called "Mormon Life" (that looks like a combination of Meridian Magazine and Beliefnet). One of their features includes user comments on the question "Is there such a thing as a Mormon artist?" You can find the responses at: http://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/entertainment/one-article?article_id=978 ~~William Morris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 01:32:44 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN News Briefs: Brown Siblings Fill Temple Square Assembly Hall Brown Siblings Fill Temple Square Assembly Hall SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- The five Brown siblings, all students at the famed Juliard School in New York City, wowed a capacity crowd at the LDS Church's Assembly Hall on Temple Square February 22nd, according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune. The siblings were led by sisters Desirae, 22, and Deondra, 21, who writer Jeff Manookian says are "destined for international stardom." They were followed by brother Gregory, 19, who "unearthed a poignant pathos" playing Chopin's "Nocturne No. 13." Sister Melody, 17, and sixteen-year-old brother Ryan also performed in the concert. Source: Brown Siblings Rivet Crowd, Assembly Hall filled to capacity as 5 pianists perform classics Salt Lake Tribune 25Feb02 A2 http://www.sltrib.com/02252002/utah/714476.htm \ By Jeff Manookian: Special to the Tribune >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 01:30:55 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN True to Life Pioneer Biography Released: USU News Release 27Feb02 US UT Logn A2 True to Life Pioneer Biography Released LOGAN, UTAH -- There are many recordings about grueling journey of the Latter-day Saint Pioneers to Utah, but none so true to the life of the everyday pioneer as "One Side By Himself; The Life and Times of Lewis Barney." This newly released biography from Utah State University Press contains "innumerable gems of wondrous information about Mormon and Utah history," according to Gene A. Sessions, author of "Mormon Thunder: A Documentary History of Jedediah Morgan Grant." Written by Ronald O. Barney, "One Side by Himself" details the life of a less-celebrated pioneer man and his family. Will Bagley, editor of the series "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier," says the work "provides a participant's view of Mormonism's first six decades of controversy, hardship and triumph, viewed from the bottom of the social heap... Lewis Barney was a worker in the Mormon vineyard, not one of the princes of the Kingdom of God whose lives have been so exhaustively celebrated." This description of the everyday pioneer reveals a vital part of the legendary journey that is so often overlooked. "One Side by Himself" shows that it is the ordinary, unknown men and women Latter-day Saints who leave the rich, historical legacy of the trek west. Source: True to Life Pioneer Biography Released USU News Release 27Feb02 A2 http://www.usu.edu/about/news/news@usu/archive/02-27-02.htm#target4 >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ Send join and remove commands to: majordomo@MormonsToday.com Put one of the following commands in body of the message: To join: subscribe mormon-news To leave: unsubscribe mormon-news To join digest: subscribe mormon-news-digest - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 23:21:36 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] Finnish Saunas - ---Original Message From: D. Michael Martindale > It made plenty enough sense. The important point in it, in my > opinion, is the above excerpt: debunking the myth that nudity > will always be titillating or lascivious. This myth is > unsupportable, simply because so many people like Paris have > proven otherwise from personal experience. In fact, it's my > conviction that nudity is inherently not sexual, unless we > choose to make it so. We are simply brainwashed our whole > lives to make it so, because opportunities to experience > nonsexual nudity are so rare in our society (artificially so) > that we can't conceive otherwise. It doesn't take long for > someone who experiences nudity in a nonsexual situation, as > Paris learned, to discover "nude = sexual" is not a law of > the universe. Michael, you are setting up a straw-man in order to debunk it. I haven't heard anyone say that nudity is always titillating or lascivious. Anyone who has visited the parks or beaches of Europe knows that not all nudity is sexual. In one apartment in Berlin, I had to bike through Tiergarten to get to church on Sunday. This was in the summer. The alternative was to bike *around* Tiergarten--not an option. Many of the sun bathers I saw there were definitely *not* going to evoke thoughts of sex. Many were just thoughts of ick. But your conclusion that nudity is inherently nonsexual just makes no sense. I'm not saying that nude = sexual, but you need to remember some very important things when you discuss nudity. First off, sexual *does* equal nudity. You just can't have sex unless certain key parts of you are bare. As a result, there will be *some* sexuality associated with nudity no matter how much you try to build some mythic ideal where this is not so. Second, there are *very* *few* situations where nudity simplifies activity. Massage is one. Sauna is another. *Maybe* watersports, although modern swim suits have important stream-lining qualities. There just aren't many more. In fact, there are a *lot* of activities that are made more difficult by nudity. Any winter activity for one. And don't get me started on the impracticalities of nudity for women. I don't think it is due to some naturally prude feminine instinct that I hear most about the desirability of nudity from men. Clothing makes too much sense. Clothing allows each individual to determine their own climate control in relation to an accepted norm (I can wear less if I find I am often too warm, or more if I find I am often too cold). Clothing allows us to control our appearance and to exhibit important social registers. Clothing helps us determine when nudity *is* sexual so that we avoid mistakes and can judge when behavior *is* inappropriately lascivious. Because nude *can* equal sex, it is important that we establish effective cultural queues that regulate our nudity. It is important that we wear modest clothes so that we send the right messages. You can argue that those messages are cultural constructs, but while that may very well be true, they are important constructs that should be learned and followed. Degrading those constructs will lead to increased sexual permissiveness and dangerous mis-communications. Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 01:27:51 -0600 From: "Kumiko" Subject: [AML] LDS Box Office Report March 1 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of March 1, 2002 For the first time since "Ocean's Eleven" debuted on 7 December 2001, it slipped below 1st place on THIS list of films made by LDS filmmakers or featuring LDS characters. After nearly 3 months in release, "Oceans" was ranked 36th on this week's nationwide box office list, one place behind the venerable "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure." The IMAX movie about the Antarctic explorer was first released over a year ago, and is only playing in 19 theaters, yet it is once again the top film on this list. Latter-day Saints who worked on "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure" include producer Scott Swofford, cinematographer Reed Smoot, and composer Sam Cardon. As for LDS-themed films, "The Other Side of Heaven" and "The Singles Ward" continued to do well. Last week "Singles Ward" was one spot ahead of "Heaven" in the national box office rankings. This week "Heaven" is one spot ahead of "Singles Ward." The two films were ranked 57th and 58th. Of course, "Heaven" has been playing 50 days longer, so although its per-screen average is over $1,000 lower, its continued ability to draw audiences is impressive. "The Singles Ward" opened in additional Utah theaters this week, and is now showing at 11 locations. HEAVEN COMING TO ARIZONA: According to its official website, "The Other Side of Heaven" is opening ALL OVER ARIZONA March. Already the movie is playing in Showlow. On March 8th it is scheduled to open in 20 more Arizona theaters. WAITING FOR DUTCHMAN: Nathan Smith Jones has announced a feature-length "mockumentary" (fictitious documentary) about the birth Mormon cinema. Four young filmmakers race to become the "Mormon Spielberg." Richard Dutcher is consulting on the script, and will star in the movie. The budget is currently slated at $103,600, and the film is due to be released in September 2002. IMAX THUMBS UP: The Big Movie Zone (IMAX website) has posted Ross Anthony's review by of "Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West." The reviewer gives this documentary a "strong B+." The movie, which will premier in April in Nebraska, had many Latter-day Saints in key roles, including director Bruce Neibaur, composer Sam Cardon, and cinematographer T.C. Christensen. It was produced by Lisa Truitt and Jeff T. Miller. THe review can be found at: http://www.bigmoviezone.com/filmsearch/movies/movie_reviews//bmz_reviews.htm l?uniq=72 Another IMAX film, "Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa," opens in six theaters in March, featuring a musical score by Latter-day Saint composer Alan Williams. So if you're in Fort Worth, Houston, Boston, Kansas City MO, Atlanta or Indianapolis, you'll have a chance to see it soon! ENDER'S NEGOTIATIONS: Orson Scott Card's site has posted news about recent negotiations pertaining to an "Ender's Game" movie: "In February, Chartoff Productions Inc. and Fresco Pictures LLC received notice of serious interest from a major studio in making a live-action feature film of "Ender's Game," with Orson Scott Card to write the first draft (at least) of the screenplay. Nothing is signed; no money has changed hands; and if a deal is actually made, the studio will be issuing the official press release." Scott is not expected to be cast as "Ender." More information is listed on Card's site: http://www.frescopictures.com/movies/ender/endersgame_update.html SURVIVOR: Neleh Dennis (Layton, Utah) survived her first week on "Survivor" (Thursday, February 28, 2002). Viewers have two main questions about Neleh: How long will she last? Will she be in Kurt Hale's next movie? AML: The Association for Mormon Letters held their annual conference this week, and announced the 2001 AML Awards. For 15 years the AML has singled out works of literature that have advanced the cause of Mormon Letters. Last year the AML presented an Award for Film for the first time, to Richard Dutcher's "God's Army." Although some (me, at least) speculated that the AML would continue to present a Film Award on a yearly basis, no film was given an AML Award for calender year 2001. It may be noted that, although Richard Dutcher's sophomore effort, "Brigham City," received considerable critical acclaim, including enthusiastic commentary by AML-List members, current AML Award rules prevent the same author from receiving an AML award in the same category two year in a row. Hence, "Brigham City" was not considered. The only other major feature LDS-themed film of the year was "The Other Side of Heaven." This year's AML Award for novel is of interest to film fans. _The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint_, by BYU grad Brady Udall, was singled out as the recipient of the AML Award for Novel, from among a considerable number of distinguished novels published during the year. What makes this interesting is that Udall's book has already been optioned for film treatment by Michael Stipes, with Michael Cuesta scheduled to direct. Many AML Award winners have had their writing made into films or videos, including Judith Freeman, Herbert Harker, Kenny Kemp, Neil LaBute, Carol Lynn Pearson, Anne Perry, Tim Slover, Douglas H. Thayer, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, and Jack Weyland. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's non-fiction biography _A Midwife's Tale_ received an AML Award and was also made into a documentary. LaBute's play "In the Company of Men" received an AML Award for drama and was later turned into an award-winning feature film. But if _The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint_ is actually turned into a movie, it will the first AML Award-winning NOVEL to be filmed. [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 - --- ----------------------------- ----------- ----- ---- 35 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 156,045 19 388 Scott Swofford (producer) 8,282,348 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) Sam Cardon (composer) 36 Ocean's Eleven $145,623 123 87 LDS characters: Malloy twins 181,856,578 41 Behind Enemy Lines 86,021 184 94 David Veloz (screenwriter) 58,686,050 49 Mulholland Drive 50,625 45 147 Joyce Eliason (producer/writer) 6,945,418 57 The Other Side of Heaven 31,098 19 80 Mitch Davis (writer/director) 1,549,094 John H. Groberg (author/character) Gerald Molen, John Garbett (producers) 58 The Singles Ward 30,827 11 31 Kurt Hale (writer/director) 240,045 John E. Moyer (writer) Dave Hunter (producer) Cody Hale (composer) Ryan Little (cinematographer) Actors: Will Swenson, Connie Young Daryn Tufts, Kirby Heyborne Michael Birkeland, Robert Swenson Lincoln Hoppe, Tarance Edwards Michelle Ainge, Gretchen Whalley Sedra Santos, etc. 75 Galapagos 10,449 3 857 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 12,370,407 85 China: The Panda Adventure 6,355 5 220 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 1,969,898 99 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3,595 2 668 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 13,094,989 104 Island of the Sharks 3,088 2 1039 Alan Williams (composer) 10,644,236 105 Mark Twain's America 3D 2,254 1 1340 Alan Williams (composer) 2,165,275 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #635 ******************************