Sunday, April 16, 2006
Opus Dei Asks for ‘Da Vinci’ Disclaimer
Opus Dei Asks for ‘Da Vinci’ Disclaimer
By FRANCES D’EMILIO, Associated Press Writer
Sat Apr 15, 7:13 PM ET
The conservative religious group Opus Dei has asked for a disclaimer on the upcoming film based on the best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code.”
Opus Dei, portrayed as a murderous, power-hungry sect in the novel by Dan Brown, wrote in an April 6 letter to Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). that a disclaimer would show respect to Jesus and to the Catholic Church.
“Any such decision by Sony would be a gesture of respect toward the figure of Jesus, to the history of the Church and to the religious beliefs of viewers,” Opus Dei wrote in the letter, which was posted on its Italian Web site.
“The Da Vinci Code” contends that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants, and that Opus Dei and the Catholic Church were at the center of a cover up.
A spokesman for Sony Pictures Entertainment declined to say whether the film would bear a disclaimer.
“We have no plans to reveal any details regarding what is or isn’t in the film until the release,” the spokesman, Jim Kennedy, said in a statement. Kennedy’s statement said the film was “a work of fiction, and at its heart, it’s a thriller, not a religious tract.”
The film starring Tom Hanks is slated for release next month.
Opus Dei, which has close ties to the Vatican, has described “The Da Vinci Code” as offering a deformed image of the Catholic Church.
On Friday, the priest who preaches before the pope in Advent and Lent denounced what he called works that slander the church for profit.
“Christ is still sold, but not any more for 30 coins,” the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in his Good Friday homily before Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica, referring to Jesus’ betrayal by the Apostle Judas before his crucifixion, “but to publishers and booksellers for billions of coins.”
___
Associated Press writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Opus Dei Asks for ‘Da Vinci’ Disclaimer
Opus Dei Asks for ‘Da Vinci’ Disclaimer
By FRANCES D’EMILIO, Associated Press Writer
Sat Apr 15, 7:13 PM ET
The conservative religious group Opus Dei has asked for a disclaimer on the upcoming film based on the best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code.”
Opus Dei, portrayed as a murderous, power-hungry sect in the novel by Dan Brown, wrote in an April 6 letter to Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). that a disclaimer would show respect to Jesus and to the Catholic Church.
“Any such decision by Sony would be a gesture of respect toward the figure of Jesus, to the history of the Church and to the religious beliefs of viewers,” Opus Dei wrote in the letter, which was posted on its Italian Web site.
“The Da Vinci Code” contends that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants, and that Opus Dei and the Catholic Church were at the center of a cover up.
A spokesman for Sony Pictures Entertainment declined to say whether the film would bear a disclaimer.
“We have no plans to reveal any details regarding what is or isn’t in the film until the release,” the spokesman, Jim Kennedy, said in a statement. Kennedy’s statement said the film was “a work of fiction, and at its heart, it’s a thriller, not a religious tract.”
The film starring Tom Hanks is slated for release next month.
Opus Dei, which has close ties to the Vatican, has described “The Da Vinci Code” as offering a deformed image of the Catholic Church.
On Friday, the priest who preaches before the pope in Advent and Lent denounced what he called works that slander the church for profit.
“Christ is still sold, but not any more for 30 coins,” the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in his Good Friday homily before Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica, referring to Jesus’ betrayal by the Apostle Judas before his crucifixion, “but to publishers and booksellers for billions of coins.”
___
Associated Press writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Join Da Vinci Code Quest (and win stuff)
http://flash.sonypictures.com/movies/davincicodequest/us/index.html
Join Da Vinci Code Quest (and win stuff)
http://flash.sonypictures.com/movies/davincicodequest/us/index.html
Da Vinci Scissored Where It Hurts
Da Vinci scissored where it hurts
Da Vinci Code merch reduces the Vitruvian Man to a Ken doll
Apr. 16, 2006. 08:09 AM
RAJU MUDHAR
STAFF REPORTER
It is one of the best-known pieces of art, but in the world of film merchandising, it’s considered too X-rated to appear intact on a T-shirt.
The Da Vinci Code movie is set to hit theatres on May 19 and like any blockbuster, there will be marketing tie-ins galore. Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sketch Vitruvian Man — which features a naked man superimposed with an extra set of arms and legs in a square and circle to illustrate proportion — is one of the central images being used on shirts, hats and other merchandise.
However, in the licensed version, he seems to be missing something, his — ahem — manhood.
In Canada, Gem-sen has exclusive rights to market Da Vinci Code apparel and accessories. The Concord, Ont.-based company handles licensed products for the likes of The Simpsons, The Sopranos, Playboy and many other entities. For The Da Vinci Code, the company is making hats, T-shirts, keychains and other items, many of which are decorated with a stylized “DV” logo and the neutered Vitruvian Man.
When asked about the tampering with a master’s sketch, Gem-sen president Sal Riina was surprised.
“The truth is, you’re the first person who even noticed that,” he said. “We didn’t realize it here until (an employee) came in my office saying, `Sal, did you realize that we altered the logo?’ It was all news to me ...
“All of the artwork and style guides came directly from Sony Pictures. We decided to use what was best for our customer base. From our perspective, it’s one thing to appreciate a piece of art in a gallery, but it’s something else to have it on a piece of clothing.”
According to an email from Jim Kennedy in corporate communications at Sony Pictures, scissoring da Vinci was a business decision.
“The art was G-rated for products so they’d be accessible worldwide. Those interested in the unrated version can find it in the Da Vinci gallery of our movie website.”
It’s certainly not the first time that people have been testy about testicles in art. Michelangelo’s David has been the centre of many controversies; a bronze replica of the sculpture at Forest Lawn Memorial Park near Long Beach, Calif., was adorned with a strategically placed fig leaf for 30 years until 1969.
What is interesting about Vitruvian Man is that the sketch is so ubiquitous; it’s among the art world’s most reproduced works. The drawing is often used in both science and art textbooks and even appears on the Italian version of the one-euro coin.
Changing such a hallowed sketch — even for a T-shirt — doesn’t sit well with one curator.
“If Vitruvian Man is perfect and harmonious because of the relationship between all of his parts, he’s no longer perfect without his genitalia. He’ll just look weird, like a Ken doll,” says Pamela Meredith, interim curator at The Power Plant gallery.
“They should have left it alone ... I highly doubt it would have offended anyone. It’s da Vinci, for goodness sake!”
Such criticism aside, Riina has high hopes for a long sales run for the Da Vinci Code merchandise.
“It’s a tough call. From our perspective, we hope it’s a wonderful property, but the problem with this kind of property is that it tends to be a very short-lived affair.
“We’re introducing product just before the film hits the streets, then we’ll have a second launch of products around the holidays, in time for the DVD release. Then (movie merchandise sales) tend to dip off. From a licensing perspective, at a retail level, we would love to see numbers of $1 million plus.”
However, considering Leonardo da Vinci’s popularity and how many copies the Dan Brown book sold, there’s always a chance the sales chart has a longer life.
“If the da Vinci artwork catches on, it could have some legs,” says Riina.
Legs, perhaps, but not what lies in between.
Da Vinci Scissored Where It Hurts
Da Vinci scissored where it hurts
Da Vinci Code merch reduces the Vitruvian Man to a Ken doll
Apr. 16, 2006. 08:09 AM
RAJU MUDHAR
STAFF REPORTER
It is one of the best-known pieces of art, but in the world of film merchandising, it’s considered too X-rated to appear intact on a T-shirt.
The Da Vinci Code movie is set to hit theatres on May 19 and like any blockbuster, there will be marketing tie-ins galore. Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sketch Vitruvian Man — which features a naked man superimposed with an extra set of arms and legs in a square and circle to illustrate proportion — is one of the central images being used on shirts, hats and other merchandise.
However, in the licensed version, he seems to be missing something, his — ahem — manhood.
In Canada, Gem-sen has exclusive rights to market Da Vinci Code apparel and accessories. The Concord, Ont.-based company handles licensed products for the likes of The Simpsons, The Sopranos, Playboy and many other entities. For The Da Vinci Code, the company is making hats, T-shirts, keychains and other items, many of which are decorated with a stylized “DV” logo and the neutered Vitruvian Man.
When asked about the tampering with a master’s sketch, Gem-sen president Sal Riina was surprised.
“The truth is, you’re the first person who even noticed that,” he said. “We didn’t realize it here until (an employee) came in my office saying, `Sal, did you realize that we altered the logo?’ It was all news to me ...
“All of the artwork and style guides came directly from Sony Pictures. We decided to use what was best for our customer base. From our perspective, it’s one thing to appreciate a piece of art in a gallery, but it’s something else to have it on a piece of clothing.”
According to an email from Jim Kennedy in corporate communications at Sony Pictures, scissoring da Vinci was a business decision.
“The art was G-rated for products so they’d be accessible worldwide. Those interested in the unrated version can find it in the Da Vinci gallery of our movie website.”
It’s certainly not the first time that people have been testy about testicles in art. Michelangelo’s David has been the centre of many controversies; a bronze replica of the sculpture at Forest Lawn Memorial Park near Long Beach, Calif., was adorned with a strategically placed fig leaf for 30 years until 1969.
What is interesting about Vitruvian Man is that the sketch is so ubiquitous; it’s among the art world’s most reproduced works. The drawing is often used in both science and art textbooks and even appears on the Italian version of the one-euro coin.
Changing such a hallowed sketch — even for a T-shirt — doesn’t sit well with one curator.
“If Vitruvian Man is perfect and harmonious because of the relationship between all of his parts, he’s no longer perfect without his genitalia. He’ll just look weird, like a Ken doll,” says Pamela Meredith, interim curator at The Power Plant gallery.
“They should have left it alone ... I highly doubt it would have offended anyone. It’s da Vinci, for goodness sake!”
Such criticism aside, Riina has high hopes for a long sales run for the Da Vinci Code merchandise.
“It’s a tough call. From our perspective, we hope it’s a wonderful property, but the problem with this kind of property is that it tends to be a very short-lived affair.
“We’re introducing product just before the film hits the streets, then we’ll have a second launch of products around the holidays, in time for the DVD release. Then (movie merchandise sales) tend to dip off. From a licensing perspective, at a retail level, we would love to see numbers of $1 million plus.”
However, considering Leonardo da Vinci’s popularity and how many copies the Dan Brown book sold, there’s always a chance the sales chart has a longer life.
“If the da Vinci artwork catches on, it could have some legs,” says Riina.
Legs, perhaps, but not what lies in between.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
DA VINCI CODE PRICE-TAG REACHES $4,000 FOR SIGNED COPY
PRESS RELEASE For immediate release
DA VINCI CODE PRICE-TAG REACHES $4,000 FOR SIGNED COPY
(Victoria, BC – 12 April 2006) Check out that copy of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code on your bookshelf. First edition first printings are being offered for up to (US) $600 at Abebooks.com along with a handful of signed versions priced from $1,000 to $4,000.
With the movie adaptation - starring Tom Hanks - to be premiered next month, original printings of the bestseller, recently released in paperback, are in demand. Originally sold for $24.95, a $600 copy of The Da Vinci Code represents a massive increase in value of 2300 per cent in just three years.
More than 13,500 professional independent booksellers list their inventories on Abebooks.com - the world’s largest online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books – and many first printings of The Da Vinci Code are priced between $200 and $600 depending on condition. The book is now in its 104th printing.
The most expensive Da Vinci Code listing is a pristine unread first printing signed and dated by Brown. It is being offered by Pages of Boston for $4,000 and includes a promotional postcard depicting the book cover. The second most expensive copy is being offered by Books Tell You Why in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, for $3,900.
One factor in defining collectible status is scarcity but, according to the publisher Random House, the book’s original print run for the 18 March 2003 first printing was 260,000. These first printings are the primary targets for collectors, but even later printings can command prices around $200 if they are signed or in exceptional condition.
Da Vinci Code fans can expect to pay more for signed editions - Abebooks.com offers 9 signed copies priced at over $1000. Brown is not expected to conduct further book signing tours because the public demand would be overwhelming and this will maintain high prices for autographed versions.
“Anyone who bought a first printing for just $24.95 made a very sound investment,” said Lisa Stevens, VP of marketing at Abebooks.com. “We suspect the forthcoming movie will create another wave of buyers looking for collectible copies so the demand could push prices higher.”
First editions of Brown’s earlier pre-Da Vinci Code books, Digital Fortress and Angels and Demons, are also being offered for four-figure prices at Abebooks.com. Published before Brown found worldwide fame, their small print runs greatly enhance their collectible status.
Abebooks.com has sold more copies of The Da Vinci Code than any other title since March 2003. Aside from collectible versions, there has been strong demand for cheaper used ‘reading’ copies because the soft-cover version was delayed for three years and only issued last month.
Abebooks.com is the world’s largest online marketplace for books, with over 80 million new, used, rare, and out-of-print titles listed for sale by more than 13,500 independent booksellers from around the world. Abebooks has millions of customers who purchase up to 25,000 books a day from its 5 global websites. A true internet success story, Abebooks has been selling books online since 1996, and is a private company based in Victoria, BC Canada, with offices in Germany and Spain. Internet Retailer magazine ranked Abebooks at No. 58 among North American online retailers in June 2005.
DA VINCI CODE PRICE-TAG REACHES $4,000 FOR SIGNED COPY
PRESS RELEASE For immediate release
DA VINCI CODE PRICE-TAG REACHES $4,000 FOR SIGNED COPY
(Victoria, BC – 12 April 2006) Check out that copy of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code on your bookshelf. First edition first printings are being offered for up to (US) $600 at Abebooks.com along with a handful of signed versions priced from $1,000 to $4,000.
With the movie adaptation - starring Tom Hanks - to be premiered next month, original printings of the bestseller, recently released in paperback, are in demand. Originally sold for $24.95, a $600 copy of The Da Vinci Code represents a massive increase in value of 2300 per cent in just three years.
More than 13,500 professional independent booksellers list their inventories on Abebooks.com - the world’s largest online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books – and many first printings of The Da Vinci Code are priced between $200 and $600 depending on condition. The book is now in its 104th printing.
The most expensive Da Vinci Code listing is a pristine unread first printing signed and dated by Brown. It is being offered by Pages of Boston for $4,000 and includes a promotional postcard depicting the book cover. The second most expensive copy is being offered by Books Tell You Why in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, for $3,900.
One factor in defining collectible status is scarcity but, according to the publisher Random House, the book’s original print run for the 18 March 2003 first printing was 260,000. These first printings are the primary targets for collectors, but even later printings can command prices around $200 if they are signed or in exceptional condition.
Da Vinci Code fans can expect to pay more for signed editions - Abebooks.com offers 9 signed copies priced at over $1000. Brown is not expected to conduct further book signing tours because the public demand would be overwhelming and this will maintain high prices for autographed versions.
“Anyone who bought a first printing for just $24.95 made a very sound investment,” said Lisa Stevens, VP of marketing at Abebooks.com. “We suspect the forthcoming movie will create another wave of buyers looking for collectible copies so the demand could push prices higher.”
First editions of Brown’s earlier pre-Da Vinci Code books, Digital Fortress and Angels and Demons, are also being offered for four-figure prices at Abebooks.com. Published before Brown found worldwide fame, their small print runs greatly enhance their collectible status.
Abebooks.com has sold more copies of The Da Vinci Code than any other title since March 2003. Aside from collectible versions, there has been strong demand for cheaper used ‘reading’ copies because the soft-cover version was delayed for three years and only issued last month.
Abebooks.com is the world’s largest online marketplace for books, with over 80 million new, used, rare, and out-of-print titles listed for sale by more than 13,500 independent booksellers from around the world. Abebooks has millions of customers who purchase up to 25,000 books a day from its 5 global websites. A true internet success story, Abebooks has been selling books online since 1996, and is a private company based in Victoria, BC Canada, with offices in Germany and Spain. Internet Retailer magazine ranked Abebooks at No. 58 among North American online retailers in June 2005.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Russian art historian accuses Dan Brown of plagiarism
Now Russian sues Brown over his Da Vinski Code
From Jeremy Page in Moscow
A RUSSIAN art historian has accused Dan Brown of plagiarism in The Da Vinci Code, just four days after a British Court rejected a similar claim.
Mikhail Anikin, a Leonardo da Vinci expert in the Hermitage museum’s Western European art department, said he would give Mr Brown one month to apologise and give up half his revenues from the book or he would take him to court in Russia and the US to seek all his earnings from the novel.
“When I read the book, I was shocked at its poor quality and because it used my ideas,” Dr Anikin said. “This book tells lies about the Church which upset me morally.”
Dr Anikin said he had written a book called Leonardo da Vinci: Theology In Paint in 2000, in which he argued that the Mona Lisa was an allegory for the Christian Church.
Two years ealier, he said, he had shared his views on the painting with some visiting specialists from the Menil Collection of Houston, Texas, who helped to organise an exhibition at the Hermitage. One, he said, had asked if could pass on the ideas to Brown, describing him as “a friend who wrote detective novels”.
Dr Anikin said that he agreed and even gave his theory the name, The Da Vinci Code, but insisted that he should be credited in any book.He never heard back, he said.
The Da Vinci Code was published in 2003 and soon became a global blockbuster.
On Friday, the High Court in London rejected a claim that Brown had plagiarised the 1982 book Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh. Dr Anikin said he had heard about that result, but was nonetheless confident of his case. He said he had not spoken out earlier because he had an agreement with a Russian magazine giving it exclusive rights to his story.
Clare Harrington, a spokeswoman for Random House, which published The Da Vinci Code, said the company did not want to comment on “unsubstantiated threats”.
“We would suggest that anyone making claims with regard to The Da Vinci Code reads the judgement following the trial at the High Court,” she added.
There was no response from Brown.
The Da Vinci Code has sold more than 40 million copies and been translated into 44 languages
Another 5 million copies have been printed in the US in preparation for the film version, which will premiere at Cannes next month
Forbes magazine ranked Brown as the world’s sixth best-paid celebrity, earning $76.5 million (£43.8 m) between June 2004 and June 2005
When the book was first published The Times described it as “littered with misconceptions, howlers and location descriptions straight out of tourist guide books”.
Russian art historian accuses Dan Brown of plagiarism
Now Russian sues Brown over his Da Vinski Code
From Jeremy Page in Moscow
A RUSSIAN art historian has accused Dan Brown of plagiarism in The Da Vinci Code, just four days after a British Court rejected a similar claim.
Mikhail Anikin, a Leonardo da Vinci expert in the Hermitage museum’s Western European art department, said he would give Mr Brown one month to apologise and give up half his revenues from the book or he would take him to court in Russia and the US to seek all his earnings from the novel.
“When I read the book, I was shocked at its poor quality and because it used my ideas,” Dr Anikin said. “This book tells lies about the Church which upset me morally.”
Dr Anikin said he had written a book called Leonardo da Vinci: Theology In Paint in 2000, in which he argued that the Mona Lisa was an allegory for the Christian Church.
Two years ealier, he said, he had shared his views on the painting with some visiting specialists from the Menil Collection of Houston, Texas, who helped to organise an exhibition at the Hermitage. One, he said, had asked if could pass on the ideas to Brown, describing him as “a friend who wrote detective novels”.
Dr Anikin said that he agreed and even gave his theory the name, The Da Vinci Code, but insisted that he should be credited in any book.He never heard back, he said.
The Da Vinci Code was published in 2003 and soon became a global blockbuster.
On Friday, the High Court in London rejected a claim that Brown had plagiarised the 1982 book Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh. Dr Anikin said he had heard about that result, but was nonetheless confident of his case. He said he had not spoken out earlier because he had an agreement with a Russian magazine giving it exclusive rights to his story.
Clare Harrington, a spokeswoman for Random House, which published The Da Vinci Code, said the company did not want to comment on “unsubstantiated threats”.
“We would suggest that anyone making claims with regard to The Da Vinci Code reads the judgement following the trial at the High Court,” she added.
There was no response from Brown.
The Da Vinci Code has sold more than 40 million copies and been translated into 44 languages
Another 5 million copies have been printed in the US in preparation for the film version, which will premiere at Cannes next month
Forbes magazine ranked Brown as the world’s sixth best-paid celebrity, earning $76.5 million (£43.8 m) between June 2004 and June 2005
When the book was first published The Times described it as “littered with misconceptions, howlers and location descriptions straight out of tourist guide books”.
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Welcome to Cult of Dan Brown, a website for discussion of books by Dan Brown, and topics relating to the themes explored in Dan Brown's books. Our site features news and reviews, contests, and a very knowledgeable message board community. We welcome all types of friendly, on-topic discussion. Have a look around our site, forums and gallery if you haven't already done so. And, enjoy your stay!
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Most recent entries
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