Six Days in August D.O.A.?

[Fence Sitter]

Six Days in August did not, I readily admit, do anywhere near as well at the box office as we had hoped and expected it to do. We’re still trying to understand why that was so.

I have heard from reliable sources that he expects that upcoming release for the VCR to do much better.

[I Have Questions]

Dan has just released the eulogy for the film, praising the work they have done and saying the team is looking for a scapegoat to pin the poor performance on.

Dan has ruled out the mediocre plot, the 2 dimensional characters, and the boring subject matter. A more palatable explanation would be a sign that cinema as a whole is dead.

https://web.archive.org/web/20241204210 ... ss-on.html

Six Days in August did not, I readily admit, do anywhere near as well at the box office as we had hoped and expected it to do. We’re still trying to understand why that was so. And we’re not the only people who are wondering about where theatrical movie-going stands right now. Here’s a quintet of relevant links:

Forbes: “Is The Death Of Movie Theaters Upon Us?”

He’s citing an article from June 2024. Well before he released his film to the movie theatres. He could have read the article and amended his distribution plan to one that didn’t include theatres. Another of his links is for an article written in January 2024, which concluded:

Americans have changed how they watch movies. They watch more than ever, but at home.

https://wolfstreet.com/2024/01/22/us-mo ... -meltdown/

Did he not research the viability of releasing a niche movie into theatres before he made the decision to do just that? He’s basically admitting he, and his team, didn’t know what they were doing.

[drumdude]

I am pleased to report that Six Days is holding on in Kaysville. The Kaysville Theater/Theatre will be showing the film nightly on December 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11.

If you go, be sure to remain in the theater for the credits, which are accompanied by Rob Gardner’s exquisite and aching arrangement of John Taylor’s soul-destroying hymn about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, “O Give Me Back My Prophet Dear.” The hymn is one of the most passionate, pulverizing, rapturous, ineffable, spellbinding, unearthly, ethereal, excruciating, atomizing, delicious, tormenting, euphoric, mesmerizing, decimating, hypnotic, entrancing, harrowing, intoxicating, torturous, captivating, exhilarating, agonizing, and heavenly pieces of music I’ve ever had the pleasure and pain of experiencing. In short, if hearing the hymn doesn’t lay you out cold on the sticky Kaysville Theater/Theatre floor in a veritable three-day coma like Alma the Younger, you’re a soulless plebe. Here are the lyrics in English:

O give me back my Prophet dear,
And Patriarch, O give them back;
The Saints of latter days to cheer,
And lead them in the gospel track.
But ah! they’re gone from my embrace,
From earthly scenes their spirits fled;
Those two, the best of Adam’s race,
Now lie entombed among the dead.

Ye men of wisdom tell me why,
When guilt nor crime in them were found,
Why now their blood doth loudly cry,
From prison walls, and Carthage ground
Your tongues are mute, but pray attend,
The secret I will now relate,
Why those whom God to earth did lend,
Have met the suffering martyr’s fate.

It is because they strove to gain,
Beyond the grave a heaven of bliss;
Because they made the gospel plain,
And led the Saints in righteousness.
It is because God called them forth,
And led them by his own right hand
Christ’s coming to proclaim on earth,
And gather Israel to their land.

It is because the priests of Baal
Were desperate their craft to save;
And when they saw it doomed to fail,
They sent the Prophets to the grave.
Like scenes the ancient Prophets saw,
Like these, the ancient Prophets fell;
And till the resurrection dawn,
Prophet and Patriarch-Fare thee well.

And—dare I say—the majesty of these words does not begin to approximate the sheer beauty of the text in Scottish Gaelic (Google translation):

O thoir dhomh air ais m' Fhàidh ghràdhach,
Agus a Phatriarch, O thoir air ais iad;
Na naoimh anns na làithibh deireannach ri gàirdeachas,
Agus stiùir iad ann an slighe an t-soisgeil.
Ach ah! dh'fhalbh iad o m' chulaidh,
Bho sheallaidhean talmhaidh theich an spioradan;
An dithis sin, a' chuid a's fearr de shliochd Adhaimh,
A‑nis laighidh am measg nam marbh.

A dhaoine glice innis dhomh carson,
'N uair fhuaradh ciont no eucoir annta,
Carson a nis tha am fuil ag èigheach gu h-ard,
Bho bhallachan a 'phrìosain, agus talamh Carthage
Tha do theangaidh balbh, ach deanaibh urnuigh,
An diomhaireachd a dh' innseas mi nis,
Carson a thug d i a air iasad don talamh,
Tha iad air coinneachadh ri na thachair don mhartarach a bha a’ fulang.

Is ann a chionn gu'n d' rinn iad strì ri buannachadh,
Thar na h-uaighe tha nèamh de shòlas ;
Oir rinn iad an soisgeul soilleir,
Agus threòraich e na naoimh ann am fìreantachd.
Is ann a chionn gu'n do ghairm D i a a mach iad,
Agus threòraich e iad le a làimh dheis fhèin
teachd Chriosd a shearmonachadh air thalamh,
Agus cruinnich Israel gu an tìr.

Is ann a chionn gu robh sagartan Bhàail
B' èiginn an ceird a shàbhaladh ;
Agus an uair a chunnaic iad gu'n do dh'fhailnich e,
Chuir iad na fàidhean chun na h-uaighe.
Mar seallaidhean a chunnaic na seann fhàidhean,
Mar iad so, thuit na seann Fhàidhean ;
'S gus an èirich an aiseirigh,
Fhaidh agus a Phatriarch—Go maith dhuit.

I shall never forget—even if I abide in this terrestrial realm for a thousand years—the first time I heard the hymn sung in Scottish Gaelic. I was attending a sacrament meeting on a chilly and windswept evening in Glendale, Utah, on Sunday, December 23, 1973. The ward—filled with Saints of Scottish heritage—was in a celebratory mood, marking the 168th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith with talks and song (and birthday cake afterwards). It was a night to remember forever.

Merry Smithmas!

ETA: for some bizarre reason, this board insists on changing the perfectly valid word "D i a" (spaces inserted to avoid the issue) to read "Denver International Airport." I am fairly certain that Elder Taylor never dreamed of such a place.

I wonder if DCP was referring to you in this:

Over at the Peterson Obsession Board, at least one of the stalwarts is now mocking my sharing, here, of Christmas music that I find especially meaningful. And thus my hypothesis seems to be gaining support in the data: Sneering, when indulged in over a lengthy period of time, can eventually become a fixed, permanent rictus. But I’ll let them be them. And, via these musical selections, I’ll continue to try to say Merry Christmas to all.

For the life of me I can’t find the post he is talking about.

His clueless fans are loving it:

Avatar
Seatimer
2 hours ago
It is a pretty sad commentary when even Christmas carols are panned. Who doesn't love a classic Christmas carol? And if sharing a favorite Christmas carol is such a horrible thing, then I really hate to think about the sad, little, paltry lives of these ignominious men.

If in 100 years, nay 50, nay 10, nay 1, ---oh how about just tomorrow-- if by tomorrow, the only thing remembered about a person is that they were virulent anti-(read anything here: it could be religion, it could be nationality, it could be politics, it could be race, it could be color) then that's a pretty sad life.

Let me repeat, if the greatest thing you're remembered for, is that you were anti-something, then that is a sad, sad life indeed.
2
Reply
−
Avatar
DanielPeterson Seatimer
2 hours ago
Seatimer: "It is a pretty sad commentary when even Christmas carols are panned."

Indeed. But then, it's a pretty sad place..

Maybe next he can convince them we eat babies, too.

[Tom]

Sometimes I simply can’t resist the temptation to have a little fun at the Proprietor’s expense. For which I offer my apologies.

It’s entirely untrue, of course, that I panned any Christmas carols. But I have no doubt, though, that the Proprietor won’t correct ST’s remark.

Incidentally, didn’t the Proprietor accept a generous donation to the Interpreter Foundation in exchange for not speaking disparagingly about this board and agreeing to dissuade SeN visitors from disparaging this board?

[I Have Questions]

This board lives rent-free in Peterson's head. His blog and comments section has become an almost constant stream of replies to discussions taking place on this board. He's obsessed with DiscussMormonism.com

[Rivendale]

This board lives rent-free in Peterson's head. His blog and comments section has become an almost constant stream of replies to discussions taking place on this board. He's obsessed with DiscussMormonism.com

I think Hitchens and Gemli are roommates in DCP'S duplex.

[Doctor Scratch]

It's hard to understate the absurdity of the comparisons he's making--as if Six Days in August is somehow on a par in any way with films like Blade Runner 2049 or Citizen Kane. I mean, he himself admits that it was a small, independent movie aimed at a very "niche" audience. So the better comparison would be with something like one of the Kirk Cameron vehicles, such as Left Behind (a box office bomb) or Fireproof (which did surprisingly well at the box office, pulling in ~$30 million against a $500,000 budget), or maybe even Battleship Earth. The Afore writes that "I do expect that it will continue for years to come to entertain and instruct Latter-day Saint audiences and to stimulate conversations." Maybe it would be worth it for him to examine how those K. Cameron films have fared amongst EV audiences.

[I Have Questions]

It's hard to understate the absurdity of the comparisons he's making--as if Six Days in August is somehow on a par in any way with films like Blade Runner 2049 or Citizen Kane. I mean, he himself admits that it was a small, independent movie aimed at a very "niche" audience. So the better comparison would be with something like one of the Kirk Cameron vehicles, such as Left Behind (a box office bomb) or Fireproof (which did surprisingly well at the box office, pulling in ~$30 million against a $500,000 budget), or maybe even Battleship Earth. The Afore writes that "I do expect that it will continue for years to come to entertain and instruct Latter-day Saint audiences and to stimulate conversations." Maybe it would be worth it for him to examine how those K. Cameron films have fared amongst EV audiences.

How is Witnesses faring in regards to "I do expect that it will continue for years to come to entertain and instruct Latter-day Saint audiences and to stimulate conversations." I wonder?

[Tom]

I am pleased to report that Six Days is continuing its impressive run in Kaysville. The Kaysville Theater/Theatre will be showing the film nightly on December 13, 14, 16, and 19. With some luck, it may even play on Smithmas.

[Philo Sofee]

I am pleased to report that Six Days is holding on in Kaysville. The Kaysville Theater/Theatre will be showing the film nightly on December 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11.

If you go, be sure to remain in the theater for the credits, which are accompanied by Rob Gardner’s exquisite and aching arrangement of John Taylor’s soul-destroying hymn about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, “O Give Me Back My Prophet Dear.” The hymn is one of the most passionate, pulverizing, rapturous, ineffable, spellbinding, unearthly, ethereal, excruciating, atomizing, delicious, tormenting, euphoric, mesmerizing, decimating, hypnotic, entrancing, harrowing, intoxicating, torturous, captivating, exhilarating, agonizing, and heavenly pieces of music I’ve ever had the pleasure and pain of experiencing. In short, if hearing the hymn doesn’t lay you out cold on the sticky Kaysville Theater/Theatre floor in a veritable three-day coma like Alma the Younger, you’re a soulless plebe. Here are the lyrics in English:

O give me back my Prophet dear,
And Patriarch, O give them back;
The Saints of latter days to cheer,
And lead them in the gospel track.
But ah! they’re gone from my embrace,
From earthly scenes their spirits fled;
Those two, the best of Adam’s race,
Now lie entombed among the dead.

Ye men of wisdom tell me why,
When guilt nor crime in them were found,
Why now their blood doth loudly cry,
From prison walls, and Carthage ground
Your tongues are mute, but pray attend,
The secret I will now relate,
Why those whom God to earth did lend,
Have met the suffering martyr’s fate.

It is because they strove to gain,
Beyond the grave a heaven of bliss;
Because they made the gospel plain,
And led the Saints in righteousness.
It is because God called them forth,
And led them by his own right hand
Christ’s coming to proclaim on earth,
And gather Israel to their land.

It is because the priests of Baal
Were desperate their craft to save;
And when they saw it doomed to fail,
They sent the Prophets to the grave.
Like scenes the ancient Prophets saw,
Like these, the ancient Prophets fell;
And till the resurrection dawn,
Prophet and Patriarch-Fare thee well.

And—dare I say—the majesty of these words does not begin to approximate the sheer beauty of the text in Scottish Gaelic (Google translation):

O thoir dhomh air ais m' Fhàidh ghràdhach,
Agus a Phatriarch, O thoir air ais iad;
Na naoimh anns na làithibh deireannach ri gàirdeachas,
Agus stiùir iad ann an slighe an t-soisgeil.
Ach ah! dh'fhalbh iad o m' chulaidh,
Bho sheallaidhean talmhaidh theich an spioradan;
An dithis sin, a' chuid a's fearr de shliochd Adhaimh,
A‑nis laighidh am measg nam marbh.

A dhaoine glice innis dhomh carson,
'N uair fhuaradh ciont no eucoir annta,
Carson a nis tha am fuil ag èigheach gu h-ard,
Bho bhallachan a 'phrìosain, agus talamh Carthage
Tha do theangaidh balbh, ach deanaibh urnuigh,
An diomhaireachd a dh' innseas mi nis,
Carson a thug d i a air iasad don talamh,
Tha iad air coinneachadh ri na thachair don mhartarach a bha a’ fulang.

Is ann a chionn gu'n d' rinn iad strì ri buannachadh,
Thar na h-uaighe tha nèamh de shòlas ;
Oir rinn iad an soisgeul soilleir,
Agus threòraich e na naoimh ann am fìreantachd.
Is ann a chionn gu'n do ghairm D i a a mach iad,
Agus threòraich e iad le a làimh dheis fhèin
teachd Chriosd a shearmonachadh air thalamh,
Agus cruinnich Israel gu an tìr.

Is ann a chionn gu robh sagartan Bhàail
B' èiginn an ceird a shàbhaladh ;
Agus an uair a chunnaic iad gu'n do dh'fhailnich e,
Chuir iad na fàidhean chun na h-uaighe.
Mar seallaidhean a chunnaic na seann fhàidhean,
Mar iad so, thuit na seann Fhàidhean ;
'S gus an èirich an aiseirigh,
Fhaidh agus a Phatriarch—Go maith dhuit.

I shall never forget—even if I abide in this terrestrial realm for a thousand years—the first time I heard the hymn sung in Scottish Gaelic. I was attending a sacrament meeting on a chilly and windswept evening in Glendale, Utah, on Sunday, December 23, 1973. The ward—filled with Saints of Scottish heritage—was in a celebratory mood, marking the 168th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith with talks and song (and birthday cake afterwards). It was a night to remember forever.

Merry Smithmas!

ETA: for some bizarre reason, this board insists on changing the perfectly valid word "D i a" (spaces inserted to avoid the issue) to read "Denver International Airport." I am fairly certain that Elder Taylor never dreamed of such a place.

I wonder if DCP was referring to you in this:

Over at the Peterson Obsession Board, at least one of the stalwarts is now mocking my sharing, here, of Christmas music that I find especially meaningful. And thus my hypothesis seems to be gaining support in the data: Sneering, when indulged in over a lengthy period of time, can eventually become a fixed, permanent rictus. But I’ll let them be them. And, via these musical selections, I’ll continue to try to say Merry Christmas to all.

For the life of me I can’t find the post he is talking about.

His clueless fans are loving it:

Avatar
Seatimer
2 hours ago
It is a pretty sad commentary when even Christmas carols are panned. Who doesn't love a classic Christmas carol? And if sharing a favorite Christmas carol is such a horrible thing, then I really hate to think about the sad, little, paltry lives of these ignominious men.

If in 100 years, nay 50, nay 10, nay 1, ---oh how about just tomorrow-- if by tomorrow, the only thing remembered about a person is that they were virulent anti-(read anything here: it could be religion, it could be nationality, it could be politics, it could be race, it could be color) then that's a pretty sad life.

Let me repeat, if the greatest thing you're remembered for, is that you were anti-something, then that is a sad, sad life indeed.
2
Reply
−
Avatar
DanielPeterson Seatimer
2 hours ago
Seatimer: "It is a pretty sad commentary when even Christmas carols are panned."

Indeed. But then, it's a pretty sad place..

Maybe next he can convince them we eat babies, too.

I like mine with whip cream......