by Fred Jackson
(AgapePress) – The producer of the current Left Behind movie says a lawsuit involving his production company and one of the authors of the book series is hurting the entire Christian community.
Author Tim LaHaye has filed a lawsuit naming Cloud Ten Productions, the Canadian company run by brothers Peter and Paul Lalonde that was hired by Namesake Entertainment to make the movie. LaHaye's co-author, Jerry Jenkins, has not been part of the action but was recently enjoined in the case by a U.S. district judge.
According to published reports, central to LaHaye's lawsuit is the question of the rights to the Left Behind: The Kids spin-offs. Charisma quotes a Publishers' Weekly story which says deposition papers filed include a letter from LaHaye in which he says that the Lalondes “think they have found a gold mine” in the children's videos and “obviously intend to dig all the gold they can from our terrible mistake … on an all-inclusive contract.”
The report says the quality of the move is also a sore point with LaHaye.
Producer Peter Lalonde says he is saddened by the lawsuit and that the negative publicity damages the entire Christian community. The legal battle could also jeopardize the second movie in the series, Tribulation Force, which is scheduled for release next year.
Howard Stern Fines Lifted
The head of a Michigan pro-family group that has led a campaign to have Howard Stern taken off the air says the FCC has decided the “shock jock” and his employer will not have to pay any of the fines levied against Stern.
American Decency Association President Bill Johnson has led the fight to remove Stern from the airwaves, and monitors the radio show. Johnson says it is “incredible” that the FCC has decided to drop the fines against Stern and Infinity Broadcasting. He calls the FCC “an agency out of control” and says he wonders if it is corruption that keeps the FCC from doing the job Americans have believed it has been commissioned to do.
Eminem Wins Three Grammys
The music industry handed controversial rap artist Eminem three Grammy awards last night. The awards came despite complaints from many who say his music celebrates violence.
Those who have criticized Eminem include Vice President Dick Cheney’s wife, Lynn. During a television interview a few days ago, she said Eminem is the “most extreme example of rock lyrics used to demean women, and advocate violence against homosexuals.” Cheney also complained that the Parental Advisory label put on Eminem’s albums by the Record Industry are not useful because they do not keep retailers from selling the music to children.
New Gallery Painting Causes Uproar
In Schaumburg, Illinois, a painting on display at a local private gallery is causing a bit of an uproar. Called “The Last Pancake Breakfast,” Dick Detzner’s painting is a parody of the Last Supper that features advertising characters as Jesus and his disciples.
Modeled after da Vinci’s Last Supper, Detzner’s painting shows Mrs. Butterworth in the role of Jesus, and characters like Tony the Tiger and Captain Crunch as disciples. It’s part of a 13-work exhibit that Detzner calls “corporate sacrilege.” Those who oppose it call it blasphemous. A local Roman Catholic group is demanding the gallery remove the painting, saying it ridicules a sacred event.
New Bill Protects Children from Violent TV
A U.S. representative from Mississippi has introduced legislation to help keep children from seeing violent television programming.
Democratic Congressman Ronnie Shows has introduced a bill that would require the FCC to evaluate the effectiveness of the V Chip and the TV ratings system in limiting exposure to violence. Should the Commission determine that the system does not work, then it would have to establish a time frame to exclude violent programming.
Representative Shows said he does not believe a 1996 law requiring V-Chips and ratings is working. Studies have shown that the average American child will view 100,000 acts of televised violence, including 8,000 depictions of murder by the time he or she finishes sixth grade.
(This update courtesy of Agape Press.)
