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Natl Film Title Weekend Gross % B.O. Theatrs
Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Star Total Gross Change $/Thtr Days
--- --------------------------- ----------- ------ ------- ----
26 S.W.A.T. 168,472 -26.6% 197 73
LDS character 116,357,927 $855
49 The Book of Mormon Movie Vol. 1 54,823 + 9.0% 25 38
Gary Rogers 739,172 $2,193
(writer/producer/director)
Craig Clyde (screenplay)
David Hales (co-producer, editor)
Ira Baker (editor)
Robert C. Bowden (composer)
Actors: Bryce Chamberlain,
Mark Gollaher, Jan Broberg Felt,
Cragun Foulger, Jacque Gray,
Kirby Heyborne, Michael Flynn
58 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 30,138 +85.9% 7 983
Scott Swofford (producer) 15,356,728 $4,305
Reed Smoot (cinematographer)
Sam Cardon (composer)
Stephen L. Johnson (editor)
63 The Legend of Johnny Lingo 20,434 +20.4% 17 52
Gerald Molen (producer) 499,149 $1,202
John Garbett (producer)
68 Le Divorce 9,788 -43.6% 14 73
Matthew Modine (actor) 9,058,314 $699
69 Galapagos 9,732 +42.9% 5 1452
Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 14,152,961 $1,946
90 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3,909 - 6.7% 2 1256
Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 15,564,344 $1,954
95 China: The Panda Adventure 2,238 + 2.9% 2 815
Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 3,529,773 $1,119
96 Cremaster 3 2,211 -40.0% 3 178
Mathew Barney 475,906 $737
(writer/producer/director/actor)
SPEAKING OF "CHARLY" - "The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey" is set to pass "Charly's" box office total and may do so sometime this week. So far, "The Book of Mormon Movie" has grossed $739,172 in theaters (after only 38 days) and needs to gross less than $80,000 to pass "Charly's" final box office total of $813,685. In the last 7 days, the film grossed $100,983, so reaching that mark during the next seven seems likely. It will probably take another week or two before "The Book of Mormon Movie" passes the next film in the rankings, "Brigham City", which grossed just over $905,000 during its theatrical run.
Amazingly, "The Book of Mormon Movie" actually had a higher grossing weekend this weekend than last weekend, experiencing a 9% increase in the weekend box office, although the film is playing in 4 fewer theaters. The film is currently playing in theaters in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Georgia and Hawaii, with openings scheduled in Arizona beginning October 24th and North Carolina on November 7th. The film's unique distribution plan is already having some interesting results, as very few LDS Cinema films have ever made it to Georgia or North Carolina, yet these are among the first states to see "The Book of Mormon Movie" - before California even.
OUR REPORT ON THE "GOD'S ARMY 2"/"THE PROPHET" PRESS CONFERENCE - Here we present more details about the press conference than you can get anywhere else (except Meridian Magazine, which posted the same report, by LDSfilm.com co-webmaster Thomas C. Baggaley, who also reviews films for Meridian - you can see that version at: http://www.ldsmag.com/arts/031020godsarmy2.html):
Filmmaker Richard Dutcher and Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller announced at a press conference on Thursday, October 16th, that production on God's Army 2: States of Grace will begin in Los Angeles this January. Miller will be a "significant investor" in the God's Army sequel, although he will not be the sole investor. They also reaffirmed Miller's financial support for The Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith.
GOD'S ARMY 2: STATES OF GRACE
God's Army 2 will focus on the character of Elder Sandoval - a supporting character in the first God's Army - with the role reprised by Luis Robledo. Other casting details were not released, although it is possible that other actors may reprise their God's Army roles. In the sequel, Elder Sandoval gets unavoidably pulled into a gang incident, although Dutcher politely refused to give out any further details about the plot. "I told my wife the story and she said, 'Wow!'" said Dutcher, mentioning that several others privy to the story had also responded similary but stating that audiences would just have to wait until the film is released to find out what those "wows" were all about.
Dutcher did indicate, however, that other faiths besides the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be represented in the film and represented very positively. "We are reaching out and trying to extend our audience. I think this film will appeal to religious people of other faiths. I think it's going to be a powerful film."
No release date for God's Army 2 has yet been scheduled, although the film will be distributed by Excel Entertainment Group, represented at the press conference by the company's president, Jeff Simpson. Neither Dutcher nor Miller would comment on the production budget for the film except to say that it's "under $100 million" and that Miller's involvement in "God's Army 2" is "somewhat less than 'The Work and the Glory' and you can capitalize the S in somewhat."
Pressed further, Dutcher said he feels there has been too much of a focus on budgets for LDS Cinema films and not enough attention on the stories. He recalled an early press conference where he said that he felt that there was a market for these kinds of films and that Latter-day Saints have some amazing stories to tell, saying that at times it seems to him as if everyone heard him talk about the market and no one paid attention to the part about the stories. "We really do have some wonderful, powerful stories to tell," he insisted. "I don't think audiences care what a film costs."
He admitted that because film is such an expensive art form, it is also, by necessity, a business, but insisted that while filmmakers and investors should pay attention to such details, those numbers were not so important for the general public. "Our budgets are not so big as to be impressive. We're not spending $200 million to make Titanic or anything like that." At the same time, budgets are not so small as to be remarkable either. "We can't point at our films and say, 'Look what I was able to do with just $7,000.'"
THE PROPHET: THE STORY OF JOSEPH SMITH
Even with Miller's renewed support, The Prophet is still not completely funded, but Dutcher said that he will have a team continuing to work on funding for the film while he works on God's Army 2 with the goal of beginning production on that film in the summer, hopefully with a release date during 2005. He noted that a 2005 release date would be appropriate, since it would be 200 years after the birth of Joseph Smith. "[It would be] kind of my birthday present to him," he said. Dutcher also confirmed that both F. Murray Abraham and Val Kilmer have expressed an interest in portraying the roles of Governor Ford and Joseph Smith, Jr., respectively. However, no contracts have been signed yet and these actors may not actually end up in the film. There are still some details to iron out, and lot depends on the actors' schedules - if they are available when it comes time for production.
Dutcher is eager for the project to go forward. "It's a great story," he said. "We have a good deal of funding for The Prophet, but not all that I need." In the meantime, he has had time to sharpen a script which he says has been finished for some time. Lately, the changes have been minor - changing a word or taking out a line here and there - while waiting for the funds to commit it to celluloid. "It's going to cross over in a big way," Dutcher claimed. "Interest may be greater outside the church than within it because it's a story they haven't heard before."
Dutcher said that people who read the script ask him all the time if those events really happened. He said that he feels that because of the subject matter, the film needs to be historically accurate - more accurate than most films - while still telling a compelling story. "I want to tell a powerful, amazing story in as close to two hours as I can. [Joseph Smith] was an exciting and charismatic man with an exciting and violent life, and I haven't seen that portrayed anywhere. I want to give this story the treatment it deserves."
Miller said that another reason the press conference was being held was to allow him to correct some erroneous statements that he had made about his support of The Prophet at a press conference a week ago. That press conference had been held to announce Miller's support of another LDS Cinema film, The Work and the Glory. At the Work and the Glory press conference, Miller had said that he was surprised when a press conference he attended in 2001 turned out to be about The Prophet instead of Dutcher's Brigham City - which is another film Miller had invested in. He had also said that he had never received any detailed information from Dutcher about The Prophet.
However, upon checking his notes it became apparent that his impressions about what happened were incorrect. Miller noted that as he has gone back to look at his calendar from that time period, he found that he had specifically written "Joseph Smith movie press conference" on the date in question. He said that the sense of surprise he remembered having must have been because The Prophet was moving forward on a quicker schedule than he had originally expected, and not because the subject of the press conference was a surprise itself. Miller had felt uncomfortable with this advanced production schedule at the time, because he had first wanted to see how Brigham City performed, since it was his first investment in film production. He also clarified that Dutcher actually had sent him a significant information packet, but because he had turned Dutcher's project over to someone else in his organization to handle at that time, he had not been aware of it.
Miller also said that he had inadvertently hurt Dutcher's ability to raise money for The Prophet. Whenever Dutcher approached potential investors, they wanted to know why Miller had pulled out. "Why did Larry Miller pull out? The answer is Larry Miller didn't pull out," he said as he announced his renewed financial support for the film. "I've committed a significant amount to The Prophet - more than for God's Army 2 - but then it has a bigger budget."
Dutcher praised Miller for his handling of the situation. "He didn't have to do this. It takes some real character for Larry to say he's made mistakes. I always used to say Larry's my hero. Last week I wasn't so sure he was my hero or not. But this week, with the way he has handled this, sitting down man to man to make it right -- he's my hero again."
Miller admitted he is still learning about the filmmaking business. From an investor's standpoint, he had been disappointed in the performance of Brigham City in the box office. But at the same time, the film is still the most critically acclaimed of all the LDS Cinema films to date, so he's been trying to figure out the relationship between a film's critical reception and its financial success.
While Brigham City has not been profitable yet, Dutcher insists that films have a long shelf life and that eventually it will be profitable. In the meantime, Miller has shown that he is still willing to support selected film projects, having announced his support for three such projects in a little over a week. At the same time, he is being selective about the projects he funds, having said no to other films in the past.
Miller, who owns a multiplex movie theater in Sandy, Utah, said that he isn't worried about a possible glut of LDS-market films in theaters. Although there have been as many as four these films playing in his theaters at the same time this fall, he said, "I think it's still an expanding market. As an exhibitor, we've seen no indication of it slowing down. To me, each [film's] got to stand on its own."
Dutcher, on the other hand, is just excited to be once again making a film. It has been two-and-a-half years since Brigham City was released, and he has often been bombarded with questions about when the next film will be coming out. Last year, Dutcher was 7 weeks from production on The Prophet before having to back off on his plans. He feels it will be good to be able to focus on production again. There was a smile of excitement and relief on his face as he said, "We're funded [for God's Army 2] and ready to go."
OKAY, NOW YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE ELSE, HERE'S WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT IT:
- Carol Mikita, KSL: see http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=53513
- Dennis Lythgoe, Deseret Morning News: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,515039324,00.html
- Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Oct/10172003/friday/102682.asp
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR "ELEVENTH HOUR LABORERS"? - It's still on... Dutcher has already conducted numerous interviews for the film, with such people as Darius Gray, long-time president of the Church-sponsored Genesis Group for African-American Latter-day Saints, as well as with Martin Luther King III, the son of the late Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
The co-writer of the documentary is Margaret Blair Young, who was Darius Gray's co-writer for the "Standing on the Promises" series, a trilogy of historical novels which recount the history of African-American Latter-day Saints from pioneer days up through the present day. Sister Young, an award-winning writer, is making her first venture into film with this documentary. Her previous novels include "Salvador." She also teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. In addition to writing interview questions and doing research on interview subjects, Young is writing the text of the documentary's narration and bridging material. She is an acknowledged expert on the history of blacks in the Church, and has lectured widely on the subject.
Opportunities are still available for interested people to provide financial support to this project. The official website is at: http://www.the11thhourlaborers.org
Wayne Lee, the producer of of "The Eleventh Hour Laborers" is also the founder and president of the Gloria Film Festival, which everyone within driving distance of West Valley City should have attended.
SEAN MEANS ASKS: COULD LARRY H. MILLER BECOME LDS CINEMA'S LOUIS B. MAYER? See: http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Oct/10192003/arts/103086.asp
WE TOLD YOU WE'D KEEP A WATCH ON OTHER CHRISTIAN-THEMED FILMS - Here's how Christian market feature films add up currently, ranked by U.S. Box Office Gross Ticket Sales.
Note 3 movies currently rising noticably on this chart: "The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey" (directed by Gary Rogers) and the $30 mil. production "Luther" (which WAS funded by and made by Lutherans), and the $10 mil. production "The Gospel of John" - the movies we are keeping tabs on because these are larger budget films with recognizable actors treating religious themes. The current top-grossing movie on the chart, interestingly enough, is the only animated movie on the chart: "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie."
Two of the Top 10 on the Christian chart are LDS-made films: The Other Side of Heaven and God's Army. CAPITALIZED titles indicate movies which are currently in theaters.
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie 2002 25,571,351 The Omega Code 1999 12,614,346 Megiddo: Omega Code 2 2001 6,047,691 The Other Side of Heaven 2001 4,720,371 Left Behind 2000 4,224,065 China Cry: A True Story 1990 4,212,828 LUTHER 2003 3,731,329 The Judas Project 1993 2,850,135 God's Army 2000 2,628,829 Carman: The Champion 2001 1,765,751 Joshua 2002 1,374,143 Time Changer 2002 1,283,925 The Singles Ward 2002 1,250,798 The R.M. 2003 1,111,615 Extreme Days 2001 1,047,553 Brigham City 2001 905,073 Jack Weyland's Charly 2002 813,685 THE BOOK OF MORMON MOVIE,V1 2003 739,172 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2003 511,730 Manna from Heaven 2002 442,216 Road to Redemption 2001 236,823 Revelation 1999 206,755 Mercy Streets 2000 173,599 Hangman's Curse 2003 136,812 Handcart 2002 98,666 The Ride 1997 86,307 Out of Step 2002 80,000 The Work and the Story 2003 4,642Full data set, including production budgets: http://www.adherents.com/movies/christian_box.html
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE TRAILER NOW IN THEATERS - The trailer for the upcoming LDS Cinema movie "Pride and Prejudice" (based on the novel by Jane Austen) is now in theaters, and audiences' collective jaws are dropping in awe just at this hint of the film. Scottish Latter-day Saint director Andrew Black, best known until now for the award-winning short "The Snell Show," helmed the contemporary adaptation, which will be distributed by industry leader Excel Entertainment. The full-featured official website will be online within the next few days... The site now at http://www.prideprejudice.com only has a link to the online trailer, the poster credits, and a links to a couple articles. A highly placed insider has revealed that the full website is simply awesome, one of the best LDS Cinema websites ever made. We'll keep you posted.
"SAINTS AND SOLDIERS" BOOK NOW IN STORES - 'Saints and Soldiers," the novelization of the hit LDS Cinema movie directed by Ryan Little, is now in stores. The novel was written by Jeffrey Scott. Jeffrey Scott is a graduate of Brigham Young University law School and is a practicing attorney in the area of entertainment law. While raised on both coasts, his love of the mountains compelled him to choose Utah to make his home where he spends his free time training and competing in endurance sports. He is currently working on two additional novels and a collection of short stories. Saints and Soldiers is his first publication. "Saints and Soldiers" was published by Thomson Productions, Inc. The cover proclaims that the move will be in theaters "Winter 2004." 267 pages.
"SAINTS AND SOLDIERS" EXPLOSIVE; EXCEL TO DISTRIBUTE - LDSFilm.com co-webmaster Thomas C. Baggaley saw the new LDS Cinema movie "Saints and Soldiers" on Thursday at the Gloria Film Festival: "I saw Saints and Soldiers last night. It is a well-done film, and I enjoyed it very much." At the Gloria Film Festival it was announced that "Saints and Soldiers" will be distributed by Excel Entertainment. With this announcement, Excel further solidifies their position as the leading theatrical distributor for LDS Cinema. Excel previously distributed "God's Army", "Brigham City", "The Other Side of Heaven" and "Jack Weyland's Charly." They will soon distribute "Pride and Prejudice" theatrically. Rival LDS Cinema distributor HaleStone Distribution has distributed its in-house HaleStorm films "The Singles Ward" and "The R.M.", and will soon distribute the externally produced "The Best Two Years" and the HaleStorm film "The Home Teachers." No distribution deal has been announced for Vuissa's "Eat, Drink and Get Married," which is now in post-production. Film editor Krisi Church is among those working feverishly nearly every day until midnight to complete this masterpiece. Would we pay $7.50 to see a barehanded fist fight between Jeff Simpson and his friend Dave Hunter, with the prize being absolute hegemony over LDS Cinema distribution? Yes, yes we would. But as Larry H. Miller is unlikely to host such an event at Jordan Commons any time soon, we will have to be satisfied simply with watching the movies themselves.
GLORIA FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS - "Saints and Soldiers", the LDS-themed World War II movie directed by Canadian Latter-day Saint Ryan Little, was the big winner at the Gloria International Film Festival held last weekend in West Valley City. "Saints and Soldiers" won a total of four awards, including Best Picture, Audience Choice Award, Best of the Fest and Best Cinematography.
Little's previous work as a director includes the LDS Cinema movie "Out of Step" and short films such as "The Last Good War" and "Freedom on the Water." Little's previous work as cinematographer includes "The Singles Ward," "The R.M." and the upcoming "The Home Teachers."
The feature-length film "The Birthing of Iosepa" won as best documentary. This film was directed by Brazilian Latter-day Saint Daniel Skaf. It is about Polynesian Latter-day Saints and their creation of a traditional Hawaiian double-hulled canoe.
Other awards given at the festival include:
"Stealing Innocence" for Best Short Film and Best Sound
"Swing Vote" for Best Screenplay
Stuart Ball as Best Director for "It Just Is"
"Reading is Fundamental" for Best Student Film (directed by Latter-day Saint filmmaker Spencer Christensen). Director Erez Tadmor as Future Filmmaker for Moosh
OSCAR FOR "SNELL SHOW"? - "The Snell Show" is still doing the rounds. It'll be competing in the International Short Competition at AFI Fest in November. Also in November it has been invited to play on the closing night of MIFED in Milan. MIFED is one of the top three international film markets, along with AFM and Cannes. Lastly, it is currently being viewed by the Academy in consideration for a Live Action Short Academy Award nomination.
NUMEROUS LDS-MADE FILMS AT ECLIPSE FILM FESTIVAL - The Eclipse Film Festival is coming up in November. This is one of Utah's greatest film festivals. It was founded by Latter-day Saint filmmakers and features numerous films by Latter-day Saints and others from around the world.
The festival will screen short films, documentaries, animated films and student films. There are also 4 feature films being screened this year, including Latter-day Saint filmmaker John Lyde's stunning martial arts science fiction adventure film "The Collectors" (think "Kill Bill" for families). Two LDS-themed feature films are among those being screened: "Saints and Soldiers" directed by Ryan Little and "The Best Two Years" directed by Scott S. Anderson. Both "Saints and Soldiers" and "Best Two Years" star popular Latter-day Saint film star Kirby Heyborne. "Saints and Soldiers" also stars LDS actors Larry Bagby ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series; "Liken The Scriptures") and Corbin Allred ("Christmas Mission", "Diamonds", etc.). Allred is the biggest LDS movie star from the world of mainstream Hollywood film ever to "cross over" and appear in a lead or supporting role in an LDS Cinema movie.
Check out pictures from and synopses of all the competing films at: http://www.eclipsefilmfest.com/
HALESTORM PRESENTS "LATTER-DAY NIGHT LIVE!": Press Release:
HaleStorm Entertainment proudly presents its first live comedy feature, IT'S LATTER-DAY NIGHT!
IT'S LATTER-DAY NIGHT! is a hilarious feature-length production featuring five of the leading LDS stand-up comedians: MICHAEL B ("The Singles Ward"), JEFF BIRK ("The Home Teachers"), ADAM JOHNSON ("Charly"), SHAWN RAPIER and DAVE NIBLEY ("The Best Two Years")! Hosted by Jimmy Chunga with Kelly Chapman!
IT'S LATTER-DAY NIGHT! Is available Tuesday, November 11 at LDS bookstores everywhere! You can pre-order IT'S LATTER-DAY NIGHT! on DVD at www.HaleStore.com for the super low price of $14.95 -- that's 15% off the regular price! VHS is available for only $12.95! Hurry -- this exclusive offer expires November 10!
Technical Specifications:
- Full Frame 1.33:1
- Stereo
- Running Time: 81 Minutes
- Suitable for all ages
Special Features:
- "Commercials" for ATTACK OF THE HANDCART, MIME-BO and more
- "The Best Two Years" Theatrical Trailer
- "The Home Teachers" Sneak Peek
- "Fun With Chunga"
- Behind The Scenes Featurette
IT'S LATTER-DAY NIGHT is a great holiday gift idea at a great low price.
THREE COIN PRODUCTIONS DOES "LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES" DVD - Three Coin Productions has been pleased to work with Liken The Scriptures on the DVD and VHS release of "Liken the Scriptures, Vol 1: I will Go and Do." The DVD is complete with 3D motion menus, individual chapter selections, and some exciting bonus features. One bonus feature found only on the DVD, is a "Liken the Scriptures: Seeker Game," in which a pop-up appears on screen to challenge the viewer to find specific scripture references. Once all the references are found, the viewer can sign up online to the "Master Seekers List". Three Coin Productions worked with Liken the Scriptures' producers to develop content for the DVD and Video, as well as an Animated Motion Logo for the company. Recent Three Coin Productions DVD work includes the exciting and innovative DVD release of "The R.M." They have also done work for the great motivational speaker and organizational consultant Randy J. Gibbs (a resident of Orem, Utah).
THE PRIMARY COLORS ARE 1...2...3... - A new DVD -- "Colors Live" -- will be released by Excel Entertainment on November 18th. The DVD features the popular Latter-day Saint band "Colors." Colors was the subject of a previous documentary by celebrated LDS filmmaker Tucker T. Dansie, "Colors: Up Close & Personal", released in 1999 and sold at Deseret Book. This new DVD includes footage from that documentary, as well as all new material and Colors' final concert. This is an awesome DVD. We recommend buying 3 copies.
IDAHO STUDENT FILMMAKING ASSOCATION - The Idaho Student Filmmaking Association is a brand new society that is dedicated to learning the craft of positive filmmaking. Write for more info about the Association, or to inquire how you can support it, or if you are a filmmaker how you can schedule an appearance before this august and interested body.
DAILY UNIVERSE ARTICLE ABOUT "THE WORK AND THE GLORY", INCL. CASTING LOCALES, DATES - See: http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/46169
SLC WEEKLY REVIEW OF "DAY OF DEFENSE" - 1 star out of 4. See: http://www.slweekly.com/editorial/2003/clip_2003-10-16.cfm
ABOUT.COM REVIEWS CHRISTIAN VUISSA'S "UNFOLDING" - See: http://lds.about.com/cs/productreviews/gr/unfolding_video.htm
DUTCHER SPEAKS AT BYU - See the article at: http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/46229
LDS ACTRESS JAN BROBERG FELT: KIDNAPPED AS A CHILD - See: http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2003/10/19/news/local/news01.txt
BY THE WAY... JOHN BYTHEWAY ASKS "WHAT MOVIES SHOULD YOU WATCH?" - See article at: http://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/news/story?story_id=422
ELIZABETH SMART INTERVIEW WITH KATIE COURIC SUBJECT OF 1-HOUR TV SPECIAL - See: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,515039599,00.html
DONNY OSMOND SPEAKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AT JSB AUDITORIUM - See: http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/46086
MERIDIAN MAGAZINE CARRYING REDUCED VERSION OF THE LDSFILM.COM BOX OFFICE REPORT - Meridian Magazine now carrying LDSFilm.com's LDS Box Office Report. It's formatted slightly differently. But you've already received the same information if you are an LDSFilm.com mailing list subscriber. You also receive the FULL report from us, before it is slightly shortened for Meridian purposes. It is still unclear whether Meridian will post the box office report every week or not. LDSfilm.com co-webmaster Thomas C. Baggaley also reviews films for Meridian. See: http://www.ldsmag.com/arts/031017films.html
LDSFILM.COM WEBMASTERS WOULD PROBABLY DECLINE KILL BILL NOVELIZATION JOB - LDSFilm.com's webmasters have announced that, if asked to write the novelization for the the Quentin Tarantino movie "Kill Bill," they will decline unless certain conditions are met by Miramax. A spokesperson for the website indicated that their version would change Uma Thurman's character into a sister missionary and substitute violence for reasoned discussion of spirituality, positive ethics and the Scriptures. The nature of all of the other characters would remain the same. The storyline would remain unchanged as well, except that each conflict presented in the movie would be internalized in the book, with each character discussing matters of doctrine with The Sister, and wrestling with their own soul. Nobody would die physically, but many characters would be reborn.