A new documentary, The Unbelievers, has just debuted at the Hot Docs festival in Canada, featuring Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss in what could be described as a New Atheist version of Gimme Shelter.
Here's the trailer and here are Dawkins and Krauss discussing the film on Canadian TV.
Now, I think there are two way to look at this: On the one hand here's two of the great atheist communicators, on a global quest to promote reason and science, cheered on by some of the big hitters in the godless firmament. It should at the very least be a useful weapon in the battle against religion and it could prove a vital tool in promoting the values of our side – it has the chance to go big in the cinema and online, and persuade thousands to use their cognitive functions and think themselves beyond god. What's not to like?
On the other hand, whether or not you believe in god, who wants to see two well-fed Western male academics of a certain age agreeing with each other that they are a lot smarter than almost everyone else, while a parade of smitten slebs and "cultural icons" uncritically celebrate their self-declared triumph over a straw-man adversary? It feels Smug and complacent. Not my idea of a good night at the movies!
I haven't seen it, nor have most of you, but hey, this is the internet when did we ever let ignorance stop us from voicing a strident opinion?
Judged by what you can see, the trailer, the website, what do you think? Will you be booking tickets?
Please tell us below. (Oh and if you have seen it, please tell us what you thought)
