The unassailable paragon of morality known as the Catholic Church is officially adding to the chorus of complaints about The Golden Compass with a long editorial in the Vatican newspaper l'Osservatore Romano. They're upset because it "promotes a cold and hopeless world without God." (Their displeasure with New Line's fiscal profligacy is unstated but implied. They also thought it was too long.)
As Hollywood tries to shake off another lackluster set of box office performances and limps towards a more promising frame, praying that some animated chipmunks and Will Smith will save the studios from this malaise before Christmas arrives, have a look at the weekend's disappointing numbers:
With nothing more than some savvy wardrobe choices, a few thousands strokes of a hairbrush, and enough Botox to magically vanish the laugh-lines of the craggiest of Hogwarts headmasters, The Golden Compass's stylists were successful in transforming Nicole Kidman into a villain every bit as terrifyingly handsome as the most feared dandy wizard in the Ministry of Magic. [Manolo the Shoeblogger]
·The future of online entertainment is now, and Forest Whitaker is stepping boldly into the brave, new world of selling out interactively: the Oscar winner is teaming with Pepsi for a web-based fantasy game called Dewmocracy, in which players will ultimately help create a new, totally extreme flavor of The Dew . [Variety]
· In belt-tightening measures meant to help them survive the strike, agencies are cutting back on overtime, travel, expenses, and baby consumption. With the vast majority of their revenue tied to TV and film, a prolonged work stoppage could mean that chop-shops like CAA would no longer be able to afford the freshest, straight-from-the-nursery infants they're accustomed to gobbling, and may have to temporarily switch to cheaper, lower-quality frozen toddlers until business returns to normal levels. [Variety]
