The problem seems to be the haml choice. Same options, but with erb instead, work fine.

gistfile1.txt

[17:53:20] mark:code $ rails lark_template -m http://github.com/ffmike/BigOldRailsTemplate/raw/master/lark_template.rb
      create  
      create  app/controllers
      create  app/helpers
      create  app/models
      create  app/views/layouts
      create  config/environments
      create  config/initializers
      create  config/locales
      create  db
      create  doc
      create  lib
      create  lib/tasks
      create  log
      create  public/images
      create  public/javascripts
      create  public/stylesheets
      create  script/performance
      create  test/fixtures
      create  test/functional
      create  test/integration
      create  test/performance
      create  test/unit
      create  vendor
      create  vendor/plugins
      create  tmp/sessions
      create  tmp/sockets
      create  tmp/cache
      create  tmp/pids
      create  Rakefile
      create  README
      create  app/controllers/application_controller.rb
      create  app/helpers/application_helper.rb
      create  config/database.yml
      create  config/routes.rb
      create  config/locales/en.yml
      create  config/initializers/backtrace_silencers.rb
      create  config/initializers/inflections.rb
      create  config/initializers/mime_types.rb
      create  config/initializers/new_rails_defaults.rb
      create  config/initializers/session_store.rb
      create  config/environment.rb
      create  config/boot.rb
      create  config/environments/production.rb
      create  config/environments/development.rb
      create  config/environments/test.rb
      create  script/about
      create  script/console
      create  script/dbconsole
      create  script/destroy
      create  script/generate
      create  script/runner
      create  script/server
      create  script/plugin
      create  script/performance/benchmarker
      create  script/performance/profiler
      create  test/test_helper.rb
      create  test/performance/browsing_test.rb
      create  public/404.html
      create  public/422.html
      create  public/500.html
      create  public/index.html
      create  public/favicon.ico
      create  public/robots.txt
      create  public/images/rails.png
      create  public/javascripts/prototype.js
      create  public/javascripts/effects.js
      create  public/javascripts/dragdrop.js
      create  public/javascripts/controls.js
      create  public/javascripts/application.js
      create  doc/README_FOR_APP
      create  log/server.log
      create  log/production.log
      create  log/development.log
      create  log/test.log
    applying  template: http://github.com/ffmike/BigOldRailsTemplate/raw/master/lark_template.rb
              Which database? postgresql (default), mysql, sqlite
sqlite
              Which exception reporting? exceptional (default), hoptoad

              Which monitoring? new_relic (default), scout

              Which branch management? piston (default), braid, git, none
git
              Which Rails strategy? vendored (default), gem
gem
              Which IE 6 blocking? none, light (default), ie6nomore

              Which javascript library? prototype (default), jquery
jquery
              Which template engine? erb (default), haml
haml
              Which design? none (default), bluetrip, compass
bluetrip
              Which mocking library? rr, mocha (default)

   executing  rm README from /Users/mark/code/lark_template
   executing  rm public/index.html from /Users/mark/code/lark_template
   executing  rm public/favicon.ico from /Users/mark/code/lark_template
     running  git init
        file  .gitignore
        file  lib/tasks/git.rake
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'base application'
        rake  git:submodules:init
Missing the Rails 2.3.3 gem. Please `gem install -v=2.3.3 rails`, update your RAILS_GEM_VERSION setting in config/environment.rb for the Rails version you do have installed, or comment out RAILS_GEM_VERSION to use the latest version installed.
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'Added plugins and gems'
   executing  cp config/environments/production.rb config/environments/staging.rb from /Users/mark/code/lark_template
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'Set up staging environment and hooked up Rack::Bug'
        file  .ackrc
        rake  jrails:js:scrub
Missing the Rails 2.3.3 gem. Please `gem install -v=2.3.3 rails`, update your RAILS_GEM_VERSION setting in config/environment.rb for the Rails version you do have installed, or comment out RAILS_GEM_VERSION to use the latest version installed.
        rake  jrails:js:install
Missing the Rails 2.3.3 gem. Please `gem install -v=2.3.3 rails`, update your RAILS_GEM_VERSION setting in config/environment.rb for the Rails version you do have installed, or comment out RAILS_GEM_VERSION to use the latest version installed.
   executing  mkdir img from /Users/mark/code/lark_template/public
   executing  mkdir icons from /Users/mark/code/lark_template/public/img
        file  public/stylesheets/ie.css
        file  public/stylesheets/print.css
        file  public/stylesheets/screen.css
        file  public/stylesheets/style.css
        file  public/img/grid.png
        file  public/img/icons/cross.png
        file  public/img/icons/doc.png
        file  public/img/icons/email.png
        file  public/img/icons/external.png
        file  public/img/icons/feed.png
        file  public/img/icons/im.png
        file  public/img/icons/information.png
        file  public/img/icons/key.png
        file  public/img/icons/pdf.png
        file  public/img/icons/tick.png
        file  public/img/icons/visited.png
        file  public/img/icons/xls.png
   executing  haml --rails . from /Users/mark/code/lark_template
        file  app/views/layouts/_flashes.html.erb
        file  app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
    rakefile  mail.rake
        file  public/stylesheets/application.css
  generating  formtastic_stylesheets
Missing the Rails 2.3.3 gem. Please `gem install -v=2.3.3 rails`, update your RAILS_GEM_VERSION setting in config/environment.rb for the Rails version you do have installed, or comment out RAILS_GEM_VERSION to use the latest version installed.
        file  app/controllers/application_controller.rb
        file  app/helpers/application_helper.rb
        file  app/helpers/layout_helper.rb
 initializer  requires.rb
 initializer  admin_data.rb
 initializer  mail.rb
 initializer  date_time_formats.rb
 initializer  query_trace.rb
 initializer  backtrace_silencers.rb
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'application files and initializers'
   capifying  
        file  config/deploy.rb
        file  config/deploy/production.rb
        file  config/deploy/staging.rb
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'deployment files'
        file  config/database.yml
        file  db/populate/01_sample_seed.rb
        file  config/locales/en.yml
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'configuration files'
        file  test/exemplars/sample_exemplar.rb
        file  test/test_helper.rb
        file  test/unit/notifier_test.rb
        file  test/unit/user_test.rb
        file  test/shoulda_macros/authlogic.rb
        file  test/shoulda_macros/filter.rb
        file  test/shoulda_macros/helpers.rb
        file  test/exemplars/user_exemplar.rb
        file  test/unit/user_session_test.rb
        file  test/unit/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
        file  test/functional/accounts_controller_test.rb
        file  test/functional/application_controller_test.rb
        file  test/functional/users_controller_test.rb
        file  test/functional/user_sessions_controller_test.rb
        file  test/functional/pages_controller_test.rb
        file  test/functional/password_resets_controller_test.rb
        file  test/integration/new_user_can_register_test.rb
        file  test/integration/user_can_login_test.rb
        file  test/integration/user_can_logout_test.rb
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'basic tests'
        file  app/controllers/accounts_controller.rb
        file  app/controllers/password_resets_controller.rb
        file  app/controllers/user_sessions_controller.rb
        file  app/controllers/users_controller.rb
        file  app/models/notifier.rb
        file  app/models/user.rb
        file  app/models/user_session.rb
        file  app/views/notifier/password_reset_instructions.html.erb
        file  app/views/notifier/welcome_email.html.erb
        file  app/views/password_resets/edit.html.erb
        file  app/views/password_resets/new.html.erb
        file  app/views/user_sessions/new.html.erb
        file  app/views/users/index.html.erb
        file  app/views/users/_form.html.erb
        file  app/views/users/edit.html.erb
        file  app/views/users/new.html.erb
        file  app/views/users/show.html.erb
        file  db/migrate/01_create_users.rb
        file  db/migrate/02_create_sessions.rb
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'basic Authlogic setup'
        file  app/controllers/pages_controller.rb
        file  app/views/pages/home.html.erb
        file  app/views/pages/css_test.html.erb
        file  doc/README_FOR_APP
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'static pages'
        file  config/routes.rb
     running  git add .
     running  git commit -am 'routing'
   executing  html2haml -rx app/views/layouts/_flashes.html.erb app/views/layouts/_flashes.html.haml from /Users/mark/code/lark_template
The template [http://github.com/ffmike/BigOldRailsTemplate/raw/master/lark_template.rb] could not be loaded. Error: (eval):839:in `readlines': No such file or directory - app/views/layouts/_flashes.html.haml