Tuesday, August 21, 2007

What are you doing Friday? See "September Dawn"!

First, let me just quickly say that I have to admit I admire you folks who do this blog thing. When I started blogging, I thought I would write twice a week. Yeah, right. So then I thought, "Well maybe I'll try once a week until I get going and then move up to twice a week." I'm still struggling to get even that much done amidst all the other stuff I have going. But I'll keep trying...

Now, I had planned to tell you more about Act One, but something really exciting has come up that I'm dying to tell you about --and letting you know about it before the weekend is really important. So let me do that today and I'll (try to!) tell you about Act One later this week.

One thing I have learned from the folks at Act One is that it is really, really important for a movie's success to have good ticket sales the first weekend it releases. Those are the only numbers that really count -- how much a film makes in its first weekend. Therefore, if you want to show Hollywood that you support Christian films, it's really, really important that you go see that movie in the first weekend it comes out.

So...what are you doing Friday? Have you heard of the new movie September Dawn? This is a film that deserves our support.

Christian author, Kathi Macias (http://www.kathimacias.com/), had the awesome opportunity to be involved with the writing of this movie*. The film is controversial, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) has been trying to stop its release. According to Kathi, the movie is the true story of "the massacre of almost an entire wagon train of settlers (mostly Christians) by Mormons on September 11 (9-11!) 1857."

In a recent e-mail from Kathi, she said, "Ladies and gentlemen, barring a successful last-ditch attempt by the LDS Church, 'September Dawn,' starring Jon Voigt, will finally release nationwide..." on Friday, August 24th. Kathi also said, "please leave the kids at home. It's a violent movie, simply because it's based on a violent act of history."

Looking on to future opportunities, Kathi's e-mail said, "The success of this movie will open so many doors for future movie/book projects ('Pirate Queen' and 'Queen of Sheba' being the next two on the drawing-board), and I will have a much bigger part in the ones to come."

If you wish to help this movie succeed, the best thing you can do is see it this weekend. My husband has checked online and, while it is not showing in our town, it will be at Tinsel Town in Colorado Springs and my husband and I are planning to drive up for a Friday night date.

Invite your friends to join you! Take a crowd. Or let your friends and church know about it. Send them an e-mail and, if you wish, point them to this blog for more information.

Hope to see you at the movies this Friday! Enjoy the popcorn.

I'll try to write again...soon!

* 8/29/07: I erroneously wrote that Kathi Macias helped write the movie. Ms. Macias was the editor of the book, September Dawn (AuthorHouse, June 2007), by Carole Whang Schutter, the same writer who wrote the screenplay.

6 comments:

Kathi Macias said...

Hey, Dianne, thanks for the promo on our movie! Hope you all go see it and let us know what you think.

Blessings!
Kathi Macias

BHodges said...

"The film is controversial, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) has been trying to stop its release."

What has the Church done to try and stop the release?

Kathi's email seems to blame the pushing back of the movie release on the LDS Church, but gives no information on how the Church has tried to prevent its release.

Most movies, if expected to garner little interest, or receive poor reviews, as Sept. Dawn has (see rottentomatos.com) usually get release dates pushed back to August.

I would like to see some proof the LDS Church tried to somehow supress this film.

I do know the Anti-Defamation League has spoken out against the film, however.

BHodges said...

Feel free to respond on my own blog if you'd like.

BHodges said...

Here's an egregious blunder in an interview by the director, Mr. Cain. Hugh Hewitt interviewed he and Jon Voight yesterday. The transcript is here:
http://tinyurl.com/yvo4z8

In this interview he asserts a letter written by Brigham Young before the massacre demanding the militia leave the immigrant party alone has been lost. The letter exhonnerates Brigham Young, and Cain claims it can't be found. This is an outrageous misrepresentation of truth. The letter not only exists, but is available in the Church archives:
Brigham Young to Isaac C. Haight, Sept. 10, 1857, Letterpress Copybook 3:827–28, Brigham Young Office Files, Church Archives.

See article here:
http://tinyurl.com/3x4t24

Jan Verhoeff said...

Your very own little controversy has started right here, Dianne! Way to blog, girlfriend.

I've always thought the most effective means of gleaning publicity is probably to stir up a controversy, however... it might not be the most productive use of time.

I've heard of Kathi's work on this movie (we must run in the same circle of folks). It's quite a feat she's managed to accomplish, just getting to participate on the movie. I'm planning to attend and I'll be posting on my blog tomorrow about the movie (and the controversy over here on your blog).

You can visit my blog at http://janverhoeffonline.wordpress.com

BHodges said...

How is it a little controversy? Cain is demonstratably incorrect. Whether he is lying or just ignorant, that's anyone's guess.