With glee I recently watched "The Golden Compass" movie at Bear Pause Theater in Hackensack. I think I will die if they ever close because I love movies and I especially love how clean and new the Bear Pause is. In college I once attended a movie in a southern Twin Cities' suburb where someone had evidently peed on the floor of the theater. Hopefully that was an isolated incident, otherwise I feel very sorry for theatergoers in the south metro.
The Golden Compass was really good. It had some criticism in certain circles for being atheistic, however, there is mention of souls and bodies returning to dust. And "from dust to dust," is a Biblical reference, too, so I'm not sure where the critics are coming from. I like fantasy movies and don't think people should take them so seriously.
I can't wait for the sequel to come out. I'm also eagerly awaiting the May release of "Sex and the City." I have the entire six seasons of the HBO phenomenon on DVD.
"The Golden Compass" was the
"The Golden Compass" was the first novel of a trilogy by Philip Pullman. It's a critique of institutionalized religion and dogmatism-- it's about killing God. It's a philosophical, spiritual book. Unfortunately New Line Cinema knew that if they were true to Pullman's ideologies, the film would not be financially viable. But some of the symbolism lives... The Magesterium is the church, of course... daemons embody human nature that the church tries to "cut away," and so on.
If you liked the movie, I really recommend reading the book to gain the full experience. It's fantastic.