Movies

Mass Media Manifesto

The problem of our culture is "if it isn't on TV it isn't real."

TV is not made for truth; it is made for stirring up emotions.

The makers of media must make money. They must play to the mob. And most people are dominated by concupiscence. Therefore, our media are dominated by concupiscence.

Sin photographs beautifully. Most acts of virtue are interior and leave the virtuous characters looking as though they aren't doing anything. At best, the camera shows lots of anguish in order to represent the interior struggle (Frodo, Harry Potter). It's not great theater.

Moviemakers have found that tales of superheroes sell well. So do ancient Greek myths. So why not exploit the stories of the Bible? Telling a Bible story, complete with God's action in it, does not imply any commitment to the reality of God, any more than the movie Thor implies a commitment to the Gods of Greece. It's just a good story, with interesting characters, beautiful costumes, exotic settings, and lots of action.

B

The Bible

"The Bible" TV miniseries

LightWorkers Media

D

Day of War

About soldiers in David's army.

The cinematic action movie is based upon the biblical characters of King David and his elite warriors known as the Mighty Men. This is a live action, in your face, gritty, major motion picture. David and Goliath, one of the most well-known stories in all of history will be presented to the big screen like never before, according to those behind the film.

"Day of War, author Cliff Graham's first novel, has earned him a film option for the entire book series---Lion of War---from director David L. Cunningham (Path to 9/11) and producer Grant Curtis (Spider-Man films). In ancient Israel, at the crossroads of the great trading routes, a man named Benaiah is searching for a fresh start in life. He has joined a band of soldiers led by a warlord named David, seeking to bury the past that refuses to leave him. Their ragged army is disgruntled and full of reckless men. Some are loyal to David, but others are only with him for the promise of captured wealth. While the ruthless and increasingly mad King Saul marches hopelessly against the powerful Philistines, loyal son Jonathan in tow, the land of the Hebrew tribes has never been more despondent---and more in need of rescue. Over the course of ten days, from snowy mountain passes to sword-wracked battlefields, Benaiah and his fellow mercenaries must call upon every skill they have to survive and establish the throne for David---if they don't kill each other first."

Dogma

Bleaugh.

E

Exodus

IMDB: "Exodus" (a.k.a. "Moses")

Christian Bale

In an interview with Esquire magazine, [the directory] Ridley Scott called religion "the biggest source of evil", explaining, "Everyone is tearing each other apart in the name of their personal god. And the irony is, by definition, they're probably worshiping the same god".

It is further rumored to be more in the vein of "300" than "The Ten Commandments."

G

Give Me Shelter

"Give Me Shelter."

Documentary about saving animal species.

pro-life?

H

Heaven is For Real

Little boy, near death experience

"Heaven is For Real" website.

J

"Joseph, King of Dreams"

Dreamworks

Prologue: "While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide."

Judah treated as more important than Reuben.

"Half-brother." -- Four wives.

"I am a Miracle Child": "I am special, I am smart, any rules don't apply, for I am set apart."

Greydanus: B.

"Movie Review / Joseph: King of Dreams."

• Potiphar learns that his wife alleges she is pursued by Joseph. When he asks Joseph about this in front of her, he denies it. When Potiphar looks at his wife h e understands that she was lying and throws Joseph in jail.
• Potiphar later releases Joseph from jail and reconciles with him.
• Joseph gets married and has two kids before his brothers ever come to Egypt.
• Joseph has to learn to forgive his brothers and how to control the anger he had toward them for trying to kill him.
• His brothers reassure Joseph that God had intended what happened for the purpose of saving many people! Talk about backwards!

K

Korean Drama

"Korean Drama: A Refreshing Entertainment Alternative."

L

The Last Song

• "The Last Song: Book and Film Review."
• "Nicholas Sparks: The Spark Behind The Last Song."

N

The Nativity Story

IMDB: The Nativity Story

Noah

Survivalist take. If you build an ark, a lot of undeserving people will try to get on it.

From a person who saw the preview: "Told in a fantasy type of way a la Lord of the Rings."

Lots of CGI. Ever since "Independence Day," moviemakers have thoroughly enjoyed destroying the whole earth.

IMDB.

Rediscover the epic story of one man and the most remarkable event in our history.

The end of the world ... is just the beginning.

Russell Crowe, Emma Watson

"With a $125 million budget, the film is said to be more of an edgy action epic that depicts a man who fights off his enemies as he prepares for a coming apocalypse, rather than a story of a 'preacher of righteousness' who calls the world to repentance from sin."

"A number of battle scenes are said to fill the film, which in some aspects are reminiscent of Gladiator. Six-armed angels, known as Watchers, are also introduced, 'who came down from Heaven to help fallen humanity by granting them wonders of knowledge from magic to science to stars, metal, and fire.'" <YUCK!>

O

October Baby

• "Harvesting the Fruits of Contemplation," a review of October Baby.
• "October Baby: A Professionally Produced Pro-Life Film."

P

Passion of the Christ

"The Passion of the Christ."

Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is the ultimate example of the style which Giotto began. It is also the ultimate in our great contemporary tradition of victim chic. Gibson’s Jesus (James Caviezel) is presented not as godhead but as victimhood incarnate. Nobody — not Marlon Brando in The Chase, not Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, not Denzel Washington in Glory, not even Mel himself in Braveheart is going to take a more impressive beating than Jim’s Jesus does. But without any more of a context than they are given here, his sufferings are merely bewildering, sickening. Surely, whatever other heterodoxy he may be guilty of, Mel cannot believe that pity is the same thing as piety? ...

Mel Gibson must have known that, in taking torture and brutality as his subject in preference to more traditionally spiritual considerations, he ensured that not only those who were implicated in such a crime but also those with a history of being unfairly implicated in it would feel themselves aggrieved. My guess is that he’s not sorry to have stirred up this hornet’s nest. ...

All of which is simply to say that The Passion of the Christ is like every other Mel Gibson picture in being ridiculously overproduced. As the British would say, he has once again over-egged the pudding. The new age music with pan pipes and wordless choruses, the swelling orchestral sounds at moments of significance, the flashbacks cross cut with the main action so as to produce heavy-handed ironies — all these things take us annoyingly out of the period and plonk us down jarringly in the entertainment culture of the present day.

"Prince of Egypt"

Dreamworks

Prologue: "While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide."

The murder is accidental. Softens the Biblical account: "Ex 2:12 He looked all around, and when he didn’t see anyone, he beat the Egyptian to death and hid the body in the sand."

Moses doesn't stutter.

Greydanus: A+

Irreverrent followup--The Road to El Dorado.

Zipporah replaces Aaron as Moses' sidekick before the Pharaoh.

"No Kingdom should be built on the backs of slaves."

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
Its hard to kill
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

S

Son of God

Visually beautiful: casting, costumes, cityscapes, and landscapes.

Contemporary dialogue. Instead of saying, "I will make you a fisher of men," Jesus invites Peter to come "change the world."

Theological, historical, and scriptural problem: "Son of God" does not mean "God the Son."

"Son of God" (History Channel)

Based on "The Bible" mini-series.

LightWorkers Media

Dialogue from the trailer: "Are you the Son of God?" "I am." "Blasphemer!"

The blasphemy is in the next part of the verse, not in the claim to be "Son of God": "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Mk 14:62).

R

"Religulous"

Bill Maher

"Lord of the Rings" vs. Godless worldviews

The existence of God is powerfully asserted in The Lord of the Rings, though, if I remember correctly, the word "God" does not appear in The Hobbit or the Trilogy.

I loved the spirituality of "Star Wars" episodes 4-6. There seemed to be room in the theology of the Force to understand it in monotheistic terms. Episode 1 made that charitable interpretation untenable. The Force is a byproduct of symbiosis between midichlorians and humans.

The "Harry Potter" series is also a Godless universe. Christmas is celebrated, but there is no Christian content. It is simply the winter holiday.

Miscellaneous Movies

• Godspel
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Passion of the Christ
• Veggie Tales

Links

• Barbara Nicolosi, "A “Christian” Cinema? An interview with Av Venire."
• Steven D. Greydanus, "Decent Films Guide."