Expelled—Ben Stein's new Intelligent Design documentary—continues to generate controversy, on several different levels.

There is, of course, the obvious issue of science and religion—a subject that, according to Farmington, New Mexico's Daily Times, the movie attacks head-on. According to the article, the film's central question is whether humans were created in the image of God, or were born out of the Big Bang, and the tension between creationism and Darwinian evolution is at the fore.

But there have also been legal entanglements involving the film. According to a press release, the film's studio, Premise Media, is filing a lawsuit to combat false charges of copyright infringement, and to combat other "efforts to suppress free speech." According to the press release, "Premise Media has also learned of grass root efforts that are underway to try to influence the ranking of internet searches regarding Expelled by those wanting to learn about the film. Their stated goal is an attempt to counter-site those searchers to other websites that criticize the themes in the movie."

Meanwhile, lawyers for Yoko Ono say they are "exploring options" with regard to the use of John Lennon's song "Imagine" in the movie—which, they say, was unlicensed and therefore illegal.

The movie is even drawing criticisms for the refusal of the studio to screen the movie for critics in advance. The Salt Lake Tribune's Sean P. Means asks the question, "What, pray tell, are Stein and the Expelled producers hiding? And what are they afraid of?" Though there were several screenings to build grassroots support for the film, none were open to critics.

But perhaps the early reviews the film has received make the producers' choice seem reasonable. The Star-Tribune, for example, calls the movie "a hard-core, fundamentalist bit of right-wing propaganda."

Taking a more positive approach, the Christian Post offers tips for using the movie to share one's faith.

In other movie news:

del Torro provides Hobbit update (Coming Soon)
Says "great progress" is being made on the film

Von Trier's Antichrist to start filming this summer (Variety)
Movie based on theory that Satan, not God, created the world

X-Files sequel gets a title (Associated Press)
Movie now known as X-Files: I Want to Believe

Christian films in the post-Passion age (Heeb)
Analysis quotes Peter T. Chattaway of CT Movies

All God's Children premiers at Sarasota fest (indieWIRE)
Doc explores child abuse at school for Christian MKs

Ford, Lucas, Spielberg discuss new Indy movie (Cinematical)
Star actor does not rule out a fifth film in the series

Brett Ratner to direct Incredible Shrinking Man (Hollywood Reporter)
Eddie Murphy attached to star in sci-fi/comedy remake

The tension between old and new film journalism (indieWIRE)
Can old-school critics adapt to the new age of the blogosphere?

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