... to the Coded Craziness.
• From the legal world:
Lawyers believe the verdict will have a major impact on other potential claims. One partner close to the case told Legal Week: "This is a landmark case, whichever way it goes, it will probably set the scene for some time to come."
Reynolds Porter Chamberlain publishing specialist David Hooper said: "Lawyers always said in the pop music world, 'where there's a hit, there's a writ', and it could be that books are heading that way."
The impression of Opus Dei conveyed in Dan Brown's novel, "The Da Vinci Code," is "the complete opposite of what Opus Dei is about," said Brian Finnerty, U.S. spokesman for the international Catholic organization.
• From the producer of the Cinematic Code:
The producer of "The Da Vinci Code" movie says a flap with some Catholics over the upcoming film has been a blessing.
Brian Grazer says that's because it's sparking debate about religion, faith and belief. He talked about the movie on N-B-C's "Today" show.Some Catholic groups consider the movie insulting to their faith and want a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie stating it's a work of fiction. The film is to be released in May.
Grazer calls the movie "informed fiction" with "symbols that lead to certain clues that in some cases can be proved to be fact." But he says it's not a historic tale.
[Question: If "sparking debate about religion, faith, and belief" is so great, does Grazer support, say, cartoons that mock certain religions? Or is he only for making movies that misrepresent Christianity?]
• From Catholics near and in Boston:
No surprise that the Vatican has denounced the novel. [Actually, that is a surprise since it didn't happen. Yes, Cardinal Bertone has strongly criticized the novel. No, Cardinal Bertone is not "the Vatican." Newsflash to MSM: Just because a Cardinal in Rome says something, it doesn't mean "the Vatican" is behind it.]
Or that members of the Catholic clergy find it offensive.
“I’m not going to read something that’s a bunch of crap,” said the Rev. Bob Carr, of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville. “People are reading it and I don’t encourage it. It reflects an ignorance of everything that people have known about who Jesus is for the past 2,000 years.”
But what do parishioners think? In an unscientific sampling, most Boston-area Catholics looked at “The Da Vinci Code” as nothing more than a work of the imagination, and nothing to get upset about. [Well, yeah. But I bet a lot of Catholics in Boston (and here in Oregon, for that matter) feel the same way about Catholic doctrine: nothing more than a work of the imagination. But they do tend to get upset about it.]
• From Evangelical Protestants:
The impending release of a movie version of the blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code is stirring debate in Christian circles. To many, the release represents an attack on the Christian faith. Many others also see in it a door opener for sharing the gospel. The resulting impact will depend on how prepared Christians are to respond effectively. [I see it as both: an attack and an opportunity. After all, when attacked, a good defense does more than defend -- it reveals the weaknesses of the enemy and opens up avenues for invading his territory (keeping with the warfare theme). Why portray it as one or the other? It's both.]
• From angry albinos. Really. No kidding:
The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentationare is launching a campaign against the Tom Hanks film of "The Da Vinci Code."
NOAH had unsuccessfully asked film director Ron Howard to change author Dan Brown's "hulking albino" character Silas, The New York Post reported Sunday.
A California teacher who is albino wrote to Brown in 2003 voicing her concern over the "hateful" stereotypes assigned to albinos in literature and film, the newspaper said.
• From art historians.
• From angry Catholic women.
• And, of course, from us. Right here. On the Da Vinci Hoax blog.
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