The power of prayer has failed to save The Christmas Candle, the new release from Rick Santorum’s faith based film studio, EchoLight.
The Christmas Candle, set in the fictional English village of Gladbury and billed as “a timeless holiday film for the entire family”, attracted widespread critical scorn as well as dismal box-office results, having grossed just over $1.6m after two weeks on release.
The bad reviews were perhaps predictable, with the New York Daily News saying: “This odd Dickens-meets-Sunday-school movie is as artless as the setup is muddled”, while the New York Post judged: “This throwback, made-for-TV-style film takes the easy way out in a cheesy climax, but its resolute quaintness may appeal to the kind of viewers who regard electricity as disturbingly newfangled.” The Arizona Republic called it “resolutely stiff and hollow”.
Former presidential candidate Santorum, who took to the media shortly before the film’s release to lambast Hollywood as “the devil’s playground” will presumably find it easy to shrug off critical brickbats; less easy to swallow will be the ignominious box office results. Its opening weekend, on a small “platform” release on just 5 screens, took a respectable $68,000; but in its second week, when it expanded to over 390, it took less than $1m. The crucial screen average was an extremely moderate $2,500, putting it below the likes of The Best Man Holiday, Narco Cultura, and bodybuilding doco Generation Iron – and far beneath Catching Fire and Philomena.
When will these idiots realize that we like Christmas just the way it is, and will not allow them to turn it into some hyper religious, overly preachy holiday, that celebrates events that most intelligent people have a healthy skepticism ever took place?
We like Santa Claus, and mistletoe, and eggnog, and presents. We don't like guilt, intolerance, and having to listen to boring sermons.
So stop trying to screw it all up for everybody!
"So stop trying to screw it all up for everybody!"
ReplyDeleteYou KNOW they WON'T stop, Gryphen. These idiots refuse to acknowledge that THEIR idea of christmas NEVER existed and that this country is secular, NOT CHRISTIAN!
Even when you prove to these assholes that for the first 86 years of this country even Congress worked on Christmas day, they refuse to acknowledge it.
These are the types of people who are only happy when they have made EVERYBODY miserable.
Their distorted image of christmas is a despicable outrage to those who truly believe and don't accept the painfully unjesus-like philosophy of the extreme right.
I will applaud the day they are forced to leave the stage. It will be a difficult fight because those who believe they can buy their way into heaven (Cock brothers anyone?) will continue to pour tons of money into the "fight".
Christmas? To them it is "Bah! Humbug! But it's a good way to gain power!"
Even as an atheist, I admire those who truly believe and actually LIVE by the philosophy Jesus tried to bring to the world, instead of mouthing off and laughing all the way to the bank. (SP anyone?)
But these fools are blind to the beauty of those teachings and the true intent inherent in them. And would probably gag if they had to actually live by them!
In short, it's their hypocrisy.
DeleteSecond all that
DeleteGuilt, intolerance and having to listen to boring sermons is EXACTLY how our Puritan Founding Fathers would have "celebrated" Christmas (spoiler: it was against the law). On the other hand, Santa Claus, mistletoe, eggnog & presents is HUGE in Japan--a decidedly non-Christian nation. Go figure...
ReplyDeleteNo man has ever been made happy whose dream of contentment is founded on demonizing others and keeping a foot on their necks. That Rick is clueless to that even at 55 is tragic. In fact, there's been more than a few successful movies that have laid out exactly that point, but I guess Rick never saw them.
ReplyDeleteI live in New Hampshire. When Santorum was in my town during the 2012 primaries, we was on local radio, preaching about how birth control is "contrary to the way things ought to be"
ReplyDeleteSeveral local callers to that show confronted him on the facts about birth control pills, in that women take them for many other reasons besides avoiding pregnancy.
Santorum's response was basically "I don't believe you".
The man is truly dense, and as ignorant as Sarah Palin
He refuses to acknowledge scientific facts about the role that the Pill can play in helping women
http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/features/other-reasons-to-take-the-pill
Santorum is the very worst type of ignorant and condescending bigot, with his preachy attitudes about any social issue that he disapproves of.
The man is despicable.
Hope his wife never experiences the weeks of heavy bleeding to the point I needed transfusions, that I did prior to the hysterectomy I had for uterine cancer. My doctor prescribed birth control pills to try to control the bleeding. Oh, I was almost 60.
DeleteHe's also a slut. You could how many children he's made his wife have?
DeleteThat movie is playing in my town. I saw it in the advertisement, but had no idea it was Santorum's latest attempt to fleece tha masses while preaching. We are taking the grandkids to "Frozen" tomorrow. I'll stay far away from the "Christmas Candle," and hope it burns out soon.
ReplyDelete"...and hope it burns out soon."
DeletePersonally, I am hoping it is BLOWN out soon!
I'm certain that's where Sarah will post her next Fb screed from on Xmas day, instead of a Bible-Based Church and whatnot.
DeleteLast evening we received an email from an old friend and former neighbor which included a YouTube video by a group called something like the American Christian United Choir in which they sang a ditty. It went something like this: If the store windows don't say Merry Christmas then we won't shop in the store . . . blah blah blah . . . because it's all about the little Baby Jesus . . . . Now, i love Christmas - both the secular part and the religious part - but I found this email and its message truly offensive. Boycotting stores that do not ooze pseudo-Christian fundamentalist garbage during the holiday season is not a very Christmas-y thing to do. (I zapped the email before my husband could see it. I feel kind of sorry for the sender. She has had a very narrow life. My husband is much less sympathetic.)
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
I'm with your husband. I would have (politely, if you chose to) send her aan email as to WHY you don't agree. She started the bullcrap and everytime someone doesn't pushback, it encourages them.
DeleteIt helps to hold up a mirror to such folks sometimes, they think they are doing you (and their group) favors.
DeleteBeaglemom - The video link you received was a parody, somewhat like "The Onion" in musical form. It's hilarious, but for those poor, downtrodden angry Christians, it is a rallying call. It's parody, but so well done it can be taken as "real".
DeleteI did some sleuthing on Google and this dreadful song, choir, and organization behind it all are not a parody. At first I thought so as the initials are: ACLU. No, it appears to be a true Teabagger site as this song is linked to every right wing bagger place you can think of. If you are brave here is the link. Remember you were warned: http://www.saymerrychristmas.net/
DeletePersonally, the ideal holiday movie is Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story".
ReplyDelete"I triple dog dare you!"
"The Christmas noose was tightening."
"You'll shoot your eye out!"
And who could forget the Aunt Clara's bunny suit and the "fra-gee-lee" leg lamp?
Exactly. I also liked The Family Stone. Of course the hard right does not appreciate a movie like A Christmas Story. No religion mentioned at all.
DeleteSarah's only trying to put money in her pocket because Jesus is the reason for the shopping season and she hasn't celebrated his birth in any church anywhere in years. Sarah is too busy for church, Bristol said so herself in 2011 when she was trying to get publicity for her book about lying to her parents and getting wasted and having underage sex.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where I read it, but a review said that the only people who may like this movie are those who think that electricity is some "wacky" new invention.
ReplyDeleteTry paragraph three in the article posted above, which comes from the New York Post.
DeleteI find Santorum to be nothing more than creepy since he first came on the national scene. An over the top Catholic!!! Way over!
ReplyDeleteGuess it is going to take a house to fall on the likes of Santorum and Palin before they wake up and realize THEY are in the minority and do nothing but turn people away from religion. Despite having similar goals, the two couldn't be any different. Santorum's just a victim of excessive repression in his upbringing but Palin is trying to cover up all her life's mistakes and excesses by feigning an interest in religion.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this is about people rejecting the sacred component of Christmas, it's about really crappy film making. You know, many people get very positive messages from their religion, messages about love and compassion and courage. This is what your typical Jesus person focuses on at Christmas time, and I think it's nice. There, I've said it, I enjoy those classic Christmas quality films full of sentimental traditional Judea-christian messages, and I'm an atheist. For most people Jesus is about more than hating teh gays.
ReplyDeleteThis movie disaster was reported on one of my favourite blogs under the heading: Frothy Flick Flops
ReplyDeleteDo a Google search for "Santorum" in case you need a reason for Frothy being in the headline.
It is too bad The "Frothy One" could not get together with the Grifter on her book tour and do a double header. I mean after all they are both going after the same dim audience.
At my company Christmas dinner, we sat next to a couple that turned out to be fundamentalist. As we were conversing, my wife tried to break the ice by saying "What is Santa bringing your kids this Christmas?" Their response was that they don't tolerate Santa and gift giving in their house. Needless to say, the conversation dropped dead.
ReplyDeletegiven that Christianity is supposed to be uplifting and spiritual, most fundamentalists I meet are judgmental, condescending, uptight assholes.
I have a phrase for Sarah and Rick that comes from one of my favorite movies....
"Lighten up, Francis!"
Wonder how devote catholic Santorum is reconciling his particular brand of bigotry and hatred with the words of his new Pope?
ReplyDeleteReconcile?
DeleteDoesn't work like that for folks like Santorum. These are the same types that conduct inquisitions.
I have my favorite Christmas spirit flick already: A Christmas Carol, the one with Alistair Sim. Dickens nailed it over a hundred years ago, santorum.
ReplyDeleteM from md
I watched an interview with Santorum, in which he is explaining his stand against contraception.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to be a psychologist, to read into his ramblings, that what he is REALLY against, is anyone having sex.
What a pitiful human being.
HA HA HA That photo looks like he just filled his depends. Perhaps a better, more catchy title, would be "Frothy the Snowman".
ReplyDeleteThe market;s Flooded with Christmas books by politicians. Newtie and Calista were on "The View" pushing her children's book and his newest tome. Babs inserted herself between the two and Whoopie. Whoopie was giving them the "evil" eye, and they knew it!