|
|
#
?
May 2, 2014 15:42
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 22:37 |
|
|
Conal Cochran posted:This thread seems redundant. We already have a thread dedicated to Christian movies, which this has already become, since less than half of the posts are about this film specifically. I had the same thought, and then decided I didn't really care. The Christian movie thread is pretty dead anyway, and this one will die off soon too. We wind up having this conversation across multiple threads every few months anyway. The only way I think a Christian movie megathread would ever really be sustainable is if someone took the time to routinel update it with upcoming movies or reviews of existing ones, like the Who Greenlighted thread. And even then, lot of these movies get posted in that thread anyway.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2014 17:03
|
|
|
Not really a christian movie thing but god drat I love reading christian film reviews of mainstream cinema. It depends a lot on the site and the reviewer. Sometimes it's relatively normal criticism with some caveats that say "you might want to watch out for this content", some times it's full blown persecution complex. Whats always, ALWAYS golden though, is the comments. Particularly the comments on Harmless kids fare. People walking out of everything. Walking out out of Frozen because it disrepected men. Walking out of Toy Story 3 because of the violence, Walking out of Brave because of it's salacious content. Also good, reviews of Watchmen unsure whether to be more offended of Dr Manhattans god powers or Dr Manhattans god dong.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2014 17:21
|
|
|
I haven't consulted them in a long time so I don't know what they look like now, but Christianity Today used to be one of the better review outlets out there, because they were one of the few review sites that really conducted any kind of in-depth analysis and talked about themes and subtext.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2014 18:21
|
|
|
Last Temptation of Christ is an excellent movie that's literally about Jesus
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2014 19:15
|
|
|
Passion of the Christ taught me Jews killed Jesus, didn't know that prior to watching it, really made me think.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 00:17
|
|
|
Vargo posted:I haven't consulted them in a long time so I don't know what they look like now, but Christianity Today used to be one of the better review outlets out there, because they were one of the few review sites that really conducted any kind of in-depth analysis and talked about themes and subtext. At least "CAPalert" know what they're doing; they have a section on their website where they explicitly explain that they ignore themes and subtext because they're meaningless and the excuses of the devil. 
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 00:43
|
|
|
Anyone have a link to that fake twitter that was making the rounds? I don't remember where I saw it but it was supposed to be the kid that this story happened to, who is now a teenager. It was full of tweets saying dark poo poo like "I have walked with the father. Why did he cast me out" and poo poo and was so fuckin funny.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 03:50
|
|
|
The front page review mentions that this film leaves out some of the more wacky crazy poo poo that the kid says he saw in heaven, could anyone sum up those?
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 03:58
|
|
|
Vargo posted:I haven't consulted them in a long time so I don't know what they look like now, but Christianity Today used to be one of the better review outlets out there, because they were one of the few review sites that really conducted any kind of in-depth analysis and talked about themes and subtext. This is a good reminder that, unlike right-wing evangelicalism/fundamentalism's circle-jerkery, mainstream Christianity in the US has no problem with secular music/books/movies.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 04:23
|
|
|
Nemesis Of Moles posted:The front page review mentions that this film leaves out some of the more wacky crazy poo poo that the kid says he saw in heaven, could anyone sum up those? Jesus rides a rainbow horse. It's an eyewitness account of how God manifests himself that gets cut because it's "too silly" (alt: "too gay"). Apparently, there's also some vague apocalyptic images? I didn't read the book, but I am still disappointed by the lack of Jesus on a rainbow horse.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 04:26
|
|
|
Rough Lobster posted:Anyone have a link to that fake twitter that was making the rounds? I don't remember where I saw it but it was supposed to be the kid that this story happened to, who is now a teenager. It was full of tweets saying dark poo poo like "I have walked with the father. Why did he cast me out" and poo poo and was so fuckin funny. It got shut down.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 04:29
|
|
|
FreudianSlippers posted:Good movies about Jesus: Any Andrei Tarkovsky movie, but principally Andrei Rublev.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2014 05:04
|
|
|
LaughMyselfTo posted:At least "CAPalert" know what they're doing; they have a section on their website where they explicitly explain that they ignore themes and subtext because they're meaningless and the excuses of the devil. His reviews were pure gold anyway though, since even in his brief comments he would struggle to dismiss any enjoyment or deep thought the movies might have provoked in him as he watched them. I remember that he was always conflicted about his love for Star Trek, since the movies were full of blasphemy and some killing. It was kind of like he was becoming desensitized before our very eyes the more secular culture he exposed himself to, in a way validating his theory completely.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2014 05:04
|
|
|
raditts posted:It got shut down. After three days, it was resurrected. http://www.twitter.com/boltoncurpo
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2014 08:46
|
|
|
Party Boat posted:After three days, it was resurrected. Ahahahahhaha yessssss "Jesus had eyeballs in his wounds. They looked scared." "In heaven I saw people in cages but Jesus told me not to worry about it."
|
|
#
?
May 5, 2014 18:16
|
|
|
"I screamed and screamed but my family couldn't hear me." I love all the ones about all the profits going to charity. That might be the darkest joke on there.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 01:41
|
|
|
Party Boat posted:After three days, it was resurrected. 
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 02:57
|
|
|
I just got back from visiting home, and my parents had me watch a really poo poo movie called Faith Like Potatoes. It didn't have quite the strawmen that other ones of these apparently love so much, but it was inarguably the worst sort of drek I've ever seen. It got me thinking, do other religions make films like these? It seems to me that e.g. the Jewish community probably wouldn't react well to a movie which claimed the greatest persecution one can face is the quasi-imagined slight of people believing different things, but if it exists I would love to watch it. fake edit I guess Ong-Bak had that villain who literally said "I have no respect for religion" and smashed Buddha statues, but the true plot of Ong-Bak was "Tony Jaa kickboxes the poo poo out of guys" so I don't know if that counts.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 19:31
|
|
|
Dopilsya posted:I just got back from visiting home, and my parents had me watch a really poo poo movie called Faith Like Potatoes. It didn't have quite the strawmen that other ones of these apparently love so much, but it was inarguably the worst sort of drek I've ever seen. I've been thinking about this a lot lately too, and I think what it comes down to is that one of Evangelical Christianity's basic tenants is "go out and convert as many people as you possibly can", whereas Judaism I believe is not. So these films are seen as conversion tools. The only religion which would come close to that in terms of conversion needs is Islam, and I don't think we'll see an Islamic propaganda film recieve wide release here in the US anytime soon.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 19:35
|
|
|
Noah is the Jewish version of The Passion of the Christ.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 19:51
|
|
|
Vargo posted:I've been thinking about this a lot lately too, and I think what it comes down to is that one of Evangelical Christianity's basic tenants is "go out and convert as many people as you possibly can", whereas Judaism I believe is not. So these films are seen as conversion tools. The only religion which would come close to that in terms of conversion needs is Islam, and I don't think we'll see an Islamic propaganda film recieve wide release here in the US anytime soon. I see your point on that, but do Muslims in Muslim countries make movies like these? Like, I can imagine films based around being a conversion tool, but it's hard for me to imagine that they would make them based around plots that are so....so loving trite. Which is something else that astounds me about these films--we live in a world where there are places that Christians are actually persecuted, but I've never heard of an American Christian movie where the plot centers around churches getting shut down in China or something, instead its always crying about how a professor persecuted me and took away my rights by telling me that evolution is a fact when everyone knows it's only a theory! 
Dopilsya fucked around with this message at 20:27 on May 6, 2014 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 20:24
|
|
|
AYC posted:I don't understand where this trope of colleges as atheist havens that persecute god-fearing Christians came from. There's approximately one atheist/agnostic student association on my campus and approximately 10 million Christian ones. And I live in one of the most liberal towns in California. You're pretty much right. Active belief in many Christian religions means that you don't understand critical thinking or utilize it on the religion itself (being in the religion just as a community thing or an non active belief is a bit different). Many college level courses lead to critical thought and logic (delving in math, social sciences, and programming all demand it from different angles for instance). That's the antithesis to active Christian belief since it's all based on -feeling- and has no proof, which goes against that critical thought, which results in a lot of Christians not actively believing any more when they're done. So they preach against evil colleges. This is more the case with the more extreme sects and Bible literalists since they have the most incompatible belief since they take huge amounts of cognitive dissonance to even work, as compared to more liberal Christianity, which can actually be a bit more compatible since it teaches so much as metaphor as compared to fact. Which is why they so often basically speak against colleges. Taking Jehovah's Witnesses as example - they speak against colleges, softly in print, strongly in sermon or just via repetition to the point where it's taboo to take secondary education within the religion. To tie it into the thread, THEY'VE started making moves as well, which are actually surprisingly okay acted given where it's coming from, but filled with some of the worst messages ever. For instance, The Prodigal Son Returns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0S7E8wie5w (I think this is the actual account, so it's ok to link) Ugh.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2014 20:45
|
|
|
I think persecution is a large part of what defines Christianity, especially Evangelical offshoots. Unfortunately for them, there's not a lot of actual persecution of Christians in the western world, and most especially not in the United States. As a result, they have to imagine persecution where there is none, and since a lot of people come out of college with a lack of faith for reasons already discussed, they imagine this narrative of the college professor preying on incoming Christians. Though it's obviously a fiction, it's at least a story they can relate to. They're familiar with the characters. You would never see a movie about the persecution of Christians in North Korea or communist China because the audience wouldn't be able to sympathize in the same way they do with the current brand of Christian films. They can watch a movie like Heave is For Real and say, "Yes, this would convert ME to Christianity!" and so they assume it must work on everyone who sees it.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 09:59
|
|
|
Dopilsya posted:I see your point on that, but do Muslims in Muslim countries make movies like these? Like, I can imagine films based around being a conversion tool, but it's hard for me to imagine that they would make them based around plots that are so....so loving trite. Which is something else that astounds me about these films--we live in a world where there are places that Christians are actually persecuted, but I've never heard of an American Christian movie where the plot centers around churches getting shut down in China or something, instead its always crying about how a professor persecuted me and took away my rights by telling me that evolution is a fact when everyone knows it's only a theory! There was a movie where heroic Muslim commandos fought the evil madman Salman Rushdie and eventually killed him. So yes, Muslims have these stupid movies too.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 16:44
|
|
|
Mister Mind posted:This is a good reminder that, unlike right-wing evangelicalism/fundamentalism's circle-jerkery, mainstream Christianity in the US has no problem with secular music/books/movies. I'm reading a book of analysis of the films of Terence Fisher written from a Christian perspective by a Lutheran minister. All the movies are loaded with blood and scantily clad women. It's a dope book.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 18:38
|
|
|
Take Shelter is the best faith-based movie to come out in the past decade.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 18:49
|
|
|
Frackie Robinson posted:Take Shelter is the best faith-based movie to come out in the past decade. Take Shelter's good but I feel like A Serious Man blows it away.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 18:50
|
|
|
Uncle Boogeyman posted:Take Shelter's good but I feel like A Serious Man blows it away. I agree with you on that point.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 20:16
|
|
|
Uncle Boogeyman posted:Take Shelter's good but I feel like A Serious Man blows it away. I was really disappointed that Noah was not more like Take Shelter. I didn't realize that I had this expectation until I got out of the theater after watching Noah.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 20:46
|
|
|
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 21:06
|
|
|
Hang on, isn't the entire point of the nun fetish the nun outfit? When you remove the clothing, what's the loving point?
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 21:19
|
|
|
BioEnchanted posted:Hang on, isn't the entire point of the nun fetish the nun outfit? When you remove the clothing, what's the loving point? They leave on the veil/nun-hat. Boo. Yah.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 21:37
|
|
|
Has "nun" been a fetish since the 19th century?
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 21:38
|
|
|
HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Has "nun" been a fetish since the 19th century? Frackie Robinson posted:Take Shelter is the best faith-based movie to come out in the past decade.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 23:00
|
|
|
Yeah, i suppose Italy or Spain would be the places that would be a thing.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 23:05
|
|
|
BioEnchanted posted:Hang on, isn't the entire point of the nun fetish the nun outfit? When you remove the clothing, what's the loving point? The point of a nun fetish is cuckolding Jesus.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2014 23:10
|
|
|
The Nativity is one of the better explicitly religious films I've seen lately - mainly because it just focuses on the story itself and telling it in an interesting visual way. It assumes the people who are watching it are a) already Christians or b) know what they're getting into anyway so it doesn't focus on "converting" or arguing anything or spoon-feeding the aspects or symbols of the story. Just telling an interesting story with some visual panache (and a clever Christmas-song-sampling score). There has to be a weird balance about portraying positive, explicitly religious characters or themes in movies because there's the "conversion" aspect. There's the insincerity that comes from a film that's trying to argue something religious, instead of just show something religious. So in these uber-christian movies, the positive portrayal of Christianity comes from tearing down others - atheists, people of other religious etc - rather than just telling an interesting story about people and their faiths. However, appropriating the darker, negative aspects of Judeo-Christian belief is a relatively easy thing. Look at horror movies - Satan's all up in that poo poo. Satan, demons, hell, evil spirits, vampires, all that jazz - and while they can be occasionally repulsed by a crucifix or driven out by the odd priest, there often isn't a "positive" religious balance to it. You don't often have horror movies where angels show up to help, for instance. The first movie that comes to mind that has a Christian God actively taking part in a horror movie was Hilary Swank's "The Reaping." And most fantasies that use explicitly religious mythologies (like Constantine, Legion, or the television show Supernatural) work with the world with a divine creator in it, but keep Him ambiguous or absent, and use it to bring up arguments regarding free will, etc. Honestly, I've found that TV has had an easier time with religious themes. Oz had some excellent themes and characters in that regard, as did Battlestar Gallactica. Amazing Grace was a loving fantastic show. While Joss Whedon's an atheist, lots of religious people find interesting themes and symbols littered through Buffy (my fave interpretation being Buffy = Jesus, Xander = Saint Peter).
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2014 00:31
|
|
|
Dopilsya posted:It got me thinking, do other religions make films like these? It seems to me that e.g. the Jewish community probably wouldn't react well to a movie which claimed the greatest persecution one can face is the quasi-imagined slight of people believing different things, but if it exists I would love to watch it. I think a big defining part about some forms of Christianity is this idea that God is going to take care of you. So if you're good, everything is good! There's no room for internal conflict in these stories, since basically, all the problems come from disobeying God, and once you get back with God, everything comes back around. So where do the problems have to come from? An outside source that's leading you away from God! The problems are all external, and thus easily dealt with. And if there are personal problems, they can all be sourced from one thing, like porn. Get rid of the porn, and everything is good. These stories need to tie themselves up nicely in order to fit into their worldview, so of course, things can't get too hosed up. You just got to come under the wing of God and everything is fine!
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2014 01:12
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 22:37 |
|
|
Cemetry Gator posted:I think a big defining part about some forms of Christianity is this idea that God is going to take care of you. So if you're good, everything is good! There's no room for internal conflict in these stories, since basically, all the problems come from disobeying God, and once you get back with God, everything comes back around. So where do the problems have to come from? An outside source that's leading you away from God! The problems are all external, and thus easily dealt with. And if there are personal problems, they can all be sourced from one thing, like porn. Get rid of the porn, and everything is good. Nikos Kazantzakis posted:My prayer is not the whimpering of a beggar nor a confession of love. Nor is it the petty reckoning of a small tradesman: Give me and I shall give you. The movie is alright although I think Dafoe was a poor choice. I'd love someone to take another shot at it. It's a really weird and rich book.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2014 01:50
|
|
