Waco Tribune: Review: Baylor officials among those demonized in 'Expelled'

Posted 19 April 2008 by PvM

From Dembski's 'backyard' comes a review by the Waco Tribune of "Expelled"

Though Stein presents himself as a man of rational logic, his film’s arguments are a rhetorical mishmash of straw men, red herrings, guilt by association, quote harvesting, gotcha interviews and post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this) associations that may cause your head to pop. It’s a propaganda form highly polished by director/activist Michael Moore on the other end of the political spectrum.
— Carl Hoover

Not bad for starters. Perhaps there is some redeeming quality for Christian viewers?

Those coming to Expelled hoping to learn something about any research behind ID, a fair appraisal of weaknesses in evolutionary theories or — perhaps the film’s most glaring and telling omission — how Christian evolutionists reconcile faith and science will leave sorely disappointed. The latter is quickly dismissed by a chain of quotes that brand them as liberal Christians and duped by militant atheists in their efforts to get religion out of the classroom.

Nope

It’s smoke, mirrors, a lot of heat and little light — although the hand of a creator is clearly in its design.

12 Comments

Pleco · 19 April 2008

Wow, who would of thunk that the vast majority of movie critics were actually Evilutionists in league with the Darwinian "Big Science"?

Aagcobb · 19 April 2008

I wonder if Michael Medved has reviewed it yet? I would guess he will tag it as an early favorite for "Best Documentary" at the Oscars!

Dan McKinley · 19 April 2008

I find it disappointing that every reviewer mentioning "post hoc ergo propter hoc" has so far felt compelled to explain the phrase in a parenthetical. I guess it's possible that I'm expecting too much from the entertainment pages.

Rrr · 19 April 2008

Dan McKinley: I find it disappointing that every reviewer mentioning "post hoc ergo propter hoc" has so far felt compelled to explain the phrase in a parenthetical. I guess it's possible that I'm expecting too much from the entertainment pages.

Yes, maybe you are, if you expect them to be like simply additional learned journals discourse. Isn't it actually good practise to include definitions of terminology used? And is not one of the more deadly critisisms of various proponents of ID etc that they never stoop to positively define what they are talking about, and rather harp on endlessly in negative terms? It irritates me no end, for example, when the sports pages take for granted that all readers know what they are on about and not even tell us whether the featured team of an article practises bowling, basket or bandy.

Duvenoy · 19 April 2008

I've seen so many in-the-dumpster reviews of this stinker in such a short time that it's come to the point of ad nauseum. Doesn't anyone aside from the usual suspects have [i]anything[/i] good to say about it?

C'mon, anything. Anything at all. Who'll break the chain?

doov

Rrr · 19 April 2008

O brother where art thou?

Inoculated Mind · 19 April 2008

Medved has been quoted as supporting the film, or liking it or something like that. Probably has seen it - he's a Disco 'Tute Furrow now!

Seriously, I second Duvenoy's sentiment - no one outside of religious 'news' sources or known wackos has given this movie anything more approving than polite scorn. Sooner or later they're going to realize that their movie truly is stupid.

James F · 19 April 2008

IM, is he still a DI fellow? I know he was appointed in Nov '07, and I saw his name on the web site, but now he's gone.

John Kwok · 19 April 2008

I guess my "buddy" Bill Dembski probably feels betrayed by all of the negative Texas newspaper reviews hostile to "Expelled". But it serves him right, since he was probably the one responsible for allowing Premise Media to have access to that XVIVO/Harvard University cell animation video.

Here in New York City, I stopped by a local theater - one of two actually screening "Expelled" here - and heard that 21 suckers were willing to give Ben Stein their money for the 2:30 PM screening (That's approximately $10 per ticket per person.).

Cheers,

John

Torbjörn Larsson, OM · 19 April 2008

[i]anything[/i] good to say

It will likely screen a very short time.

Reginald Selkirk · 19 April 2008

PZ gatecrashes the review, but gets his name spelled as "Meyers."

Nigel D · 21 April 2008

Torbjörn Larsson, OM:
[i]anything[/i] good to say
It will likely screen a very short time.

LOL!