![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/227\/2014\/03\/n-22364r.jpg\" "\\"NOAH\\"")
<\/a>First things first: the soundtrack<\/a> is out today. Buy it via iTunes<\/a> or Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\nNow: Is Noah<\/a><\/i> going to open in Egypt tomorrow? That still seems to be the plan, according to the studio\u2019s website<\/a>, but a few other predominantly Muslim countries have already banned the film, and the top Muslim authority in Egypt recommended banning it there<\/a>, too, a few weeks ago, so if a decision hasn\u2019t been made yet, it should be soon.<\/p>\n In any case, Indonesia \u2014 the most populous Muslim country of them all \u2014 has now joined the club and banned the film itself, partly because the visual depiction of a prophet is forbidden in some versions of Islam but also because the film doesn\u2019t follow the version of Noah\u2019s story that appears in the Koran.<\/p>\n The Hollywood Reporter<\/a><\/i> has some background info on the state of Indonesian moviegoing (\u201cjust one movie screen for every 357,000 people, compared with one screen for every 25,000 residents in nearby Singapore\u201d) and the possible role that an upcoming election might have played in the ban.<\/p>\n The Jakarta Globe<\/a><\/i> reports that local filmmaker Joko Anwar is openly criticizing the country\u2019s censorship board for its \u201cnarrow-minded\u201d decision. \u201cNowadays, with the easy access to YouTube, banning a movie is a waste of effort,\u201d he says. \u201cSecondly, if we are talking about film, we should see it as a work of art. Art is an interpretation of the filmmaker, so it should not be banned.\u201d<\/p>\n Time<\/a><\/i> rounds up some of the reactions to the Indonesian ban that have surfaced on Twitter, including Islamic scholar Mohamad Guntur Romli\u2019s claim that \u201cA film that is based on a biblical story can\u2019t be accused of violating, for example, Islamic doctrines.\u201d Well, that depends on how loose the adaptation is, I\u2019d argue \u2014 and besides, Islamic doctrines are ultimately based on the Koran, not the Bible, right?<\/p>\n One country that will<\/i> get the film, apparently, is Lebanon, where the censorship bureau has approved the film, albeit with \u201creservations<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n In other news\u2026<\/p>\n Did you know that the young version of Noah\u2019s son Ham is played in this film by the son of Craig Gross, pastor of XXXChurch.com? I did not, until I read this story<\/a>. Interesting. (The young actor\u2019s name is Nolan Gross.)<\/p>\n The Humane Society of the United States is supporting the film<\/a> because Aronofsky decided not to use any real animals<\/a> during the filmmaking.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t follow football at all, but a few websites seemed to think it was worth noting yesterday that someone named Drew Brees attended a screening of Noah<\/i> with his wife \u2014 in costume:<\/p>\n Saw @NoahMovie<\/a> the other night at Cinepolis. Opens 3\/28. Very intense! #thefloodiscoming<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/unqxZmzDku<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Drew Brees (@drewbrees) March 24, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n