MovieChat Forums > Saving Christmas (2014) Discussion > When can we get a good Christian Film?

When can we get a good Christian Film?

posted 9 years ago by comrade-newski
154 replies | jump to latest

Between this, Left Behind, God's Not Dead, Heaven is for Real, Son of God, and the Christian Mingle film, I think it's time to demand a higher calibre of Religious films.

Enough circle jerk films for people who will see anything and praise any movie they believe supports their world view, regardless of quality. Time to start making GOOD films for a Christian Audience. Films that actually have something to say.

I mean, that's how these films remain profitable. They convince the audience that these films are "Oh so special" to them and that they need to support Christian films, not realizing that they are being pretty much sold low budget, low quality trash and profiting off of the fact that the built in market is happy just to see their ideology on screen. No concern for quality or content.

Son of God is probably the worst offender, being little more than a recut of a TV show marketed to people who the producers figured simply wouldn't notice. Producers who probably don't give two craps about Christianity outside of the fact that Christian Films make bank.

Come on, people, demand better than this nonsense.

[–] boojitsu 9 years ago

I normally feel the same way about Christian music, but if you dig hard enough you find that some of the people / artists you already love are actually Christian, they just aren't following the cookie cutter method to making art (be it music, movies, or other avenues)... at least that's what I found for myself.

For example, Narnia is very clearly a Christian themed movie based on the books by C.S. Lewis. It may not be the best adaptation or film ever created, but it's a cut above many of the made-for-tv quality "Christian" movies being rolled out for the masses.

[–] justin-tierney 9 years ago

There is a version of Narnia done in the 70's or 80's that I watched on PBS that was most excellent. Narnia is a rip off of the Jesus theme though.

[–] damienoujia 9 years ago

Yeah, what's up with Christian themed movies ripping off themes from the Bible and all? Cheap. Try to come up with something original.

[–] DougDumbrille 9 years ago

What's up with the Bible ripping of 'themes' from other religions and cultures?

[–] ftremblay379 9 years ago

And the Jesus story is a rip-off of most religions that came before. Who cares.

[–] ZAROVE 9 years ago

ftremblay379 » -

And the Jesus story is a rip-off of most religions that came before. Who cares.

No its not.

And pelase dotn hamd me rubbish abitu a Virgin Born Saviour named Horus who managed ot ger Crucified and rose fomt he Dead, as Wgyptian Myhtology doens't contian that stry about Horus. It was mad eup in the 19th Centiry.

The idea that Jeus's Life sotry was taken from earlier pagan sorues is pretty well just a bad joke at this point.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Clusium 9 years ago

Were you having a seizure while you wrote that?
Are you special?

Don't be so rude & sarcastic. If you bothered to read any further posts of Zarove's, you would find that he has explained numerous times, why its so difficult for him to type: He has dyslexia.

However, in spite of his dyslexia, he has made strong arguments on these message forums. Show him some respect!!

Totus Tuus O Maria!!! Totus Tuus O Jesu!!!!

[–] Insomniatic102 9 years ago

Not likely, these things are made with the purpose of making money. That's it, really, the Christian angle is just how some choose to make that happen. Anyone truly Christian trying to spread the message wouldn't be doing it like this

[–] PenguinCat 9 years ago

Anyone truly Christian trying to spread the message wouldn't be doing it like this

I believe Kirk is a true Christian. I think he is just trying to appeal to different audiences and get them saved.. He failed with this one apparently.

[–] comrade-newski 9 years ago

Oh, wonderful. Anti-Semetism.

See, this is why we can't have nice things.

[–] lmtopeka 9 years ago

If you can't make good movies that make money then make a crappy "Christian" movie and watch the suckers pay money to see your garbage. Then when someone says you suck wait for your Christian fans to claim it's because you are anti-Christian and not because you are a total freaking hack. It's really funny to see people defend movies like this or Fire Proof or Courageous which look as though they are made by film school rejects.

[–] comrade-newski 9 years ago

I find it's the same with most movies made for a certain audience. Christians will support Christian films, but Christian Extremists will do it as extremists do; most Christians are happy with a "Chronicles of Narnia" and accept that this is kinda trash.

And filmmakers thrive on knowing these extremists will see the film regardless of quality, and support it to the bitter end....

Same thing with people who will give their undying support for the Atlas Shrugged films and claim that the reason they are "cheap" is because "liberal Hollywood" doesn't want them to succeed, despite the fact that Miramax almost dumped 100minto Atlas Shrugged.

Of course, it also happens with films like "Fanboys". The nerd crowd was enraged that people dared criticize the film.

[–] lmtopeka 9 years ago

I agree it's not just Christians who do this. Take Tyler Perry movies. They are all garbage and if you call them garbage most of his fans want to say you are racist because they don't want to intellectually defend his terrible movies. People like Kirk Cameron and Tyler Perry are really what you would call exploitation filmmakers because they don't really care about making something of quality they just want to exploit their subject matter to market what would normally be considered a horrible film with terrible production values.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Doc80 9 years ago

Here's the key, Chronicles of Narnia, while a Christian allegory, is not, I repeat not, a "Christian" film. Christian films bash you over the head with their message that anyone who isn't a believer is going to roll their eyes at it because it is so forced. I mean you can make a story about Christian values without bashing people over the head with it

[–] FairlyAnonymous 7 years ago

The movie may not be as much, but if you have ever read the books it is pretty obvious.

[–] marxdudek 9 years ago

If you can't make good movies that make money then make a crappy "Christian" movie and watch the suckers pay money to see your garbage.

DING DING DING DING. This, right here.

I'm an atheist, and I'd watch a good, complex, Christian film with real depth and genuine conflict and character development. These are just cynical attempts to cash in on a subculture that doesn't mind being pandered to blatantly, provided that they get a 'reward-pellet' of confirmation-bias reinforcement. I try to watch every single one of them, mocking them and hoping that they are truly wretched. I'm seldom let down.

[–] JohnMcSame 9 years ago

If you are open to something legit, you can't go wrong with 1977's Jesus of Nazareth. Doesn't get more Christian than that.

[–] PenguinCat 9 years ago

If you can't make good movies that make money then make a crappy "Christian" movie and watch the suckers pay money to see your garbage. Then when someone says you suck wait for your Christian fans to claim it's because you are anti-Christian and not because you are a total freaking hack. It's really funny to see people defend movies like this or Fire Proof or Courageous which look as though they are made by film school rejects.

What is the reason you went to see it?

[–] culwin 9 years ago

Hey guys am I too late for the meeting?
I brought my robe and wizard hat!

--
^Signature is below here
Americans have the right to burn the flag. 🔥🇺🇸🔥

[–] zellybeanie 9 years ago

Bahaha! I'm dying over here!

[–] comrade-newski 9 years ago

I work in Hollywood. While there are a lot of Jewish people in the industry, and in Hollywood in general, they hardly make up a majority nor do they wield nearly as much influence as paranoid racist idiots think they do.

[–] Nyuterra 9 years ago

And besides which, most of these Christian films are independent.

[–] Doc80 9 years ago

All I know is, whether controlled by Jews or not, making movies is a business and if they knew they could make a lot of money off of Christian movies, they would. The truth is that while they make a lot of money compared to what they cost, they really don't make a lot of money. I mean the most successful Christian film of all time, Courageous, only make 35 million and when it's adjusted for increased ticket prices probably isn't as much as Fireproof which made 33 million.

[–] PenguinCat 9 years ago

I work in Hollywood. While there are a lot of Jewish people in the industry, and in Hollywood in general, they hardly make up a majority nor do they wield nearly as much influence as paranoid racist idiots think they do.

True. Jewish people made all the old Classic Hollywood Christian/Catholic films.

They believe in the same God as Christians. They just don't believe Jesus is the Son of that God or the savior. Believe it or not they love Christians. I have many Jewish friends and they think we are cute with our Catholic School uniforms etc. There is no hate from Jewish People.

It's the non believers who dislike Christians or those that have a different God than that of the Bible we and the Jewish people use..

[–] BertramWilberforceWooster 9 years ago

There are a handful out there that aren't completely abysmal. Unfortunately, most of them are older films (Ben-Hur springs immediately to mind as a good film EVERYONE can enjoy). For the religious of the three Abrahamic religions, there's The Ten Commandments, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the cartoon Prince of Egypt (I've not watched it, but I've heard from others that it's decent). Even the non-religious can enjoy those movies for the effects and stories.

Today, however, religious films, in general, seem to be aimed entirely at their most devout. They can make a money for cheap, and in the long-run, they'll still make a profit.

--
Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb.
http://tinyurl.com/obmt7tw

[–] TimmyElkinson 9 years ago

A good Christian film would have to be honest and would entail the writer and director to point out the flaws in the religion, while still celebrating it's strengths. You have to humanize to get people, outside your faith, interested. But, since every Christian filmmaker wants to pander to the extremists, you will never see that.

"That's the karma again, I didn't help Kenny so she beat me up with a telephone"

[–] comrade-newski 9 years ago

Prince of Egypt is a masterpiece, and I think it's vastly superior to "The Ten Commandments", which was the 1950s equivalent to a movie that's all effects and no character. Nobody has any depth at all.

The Prince of Egypt smartly remembers that Moses and Ramses are still brothers. Moses may have been born a Jew, but he was still raised as his brother, which means there is this whole new level of conflict; he has to turn his back on the family he loves to be able to do the right thing. He's also a man who is not unaware of the cost that comes with freeing his people. He doesn't warn Ramses about the plagues, he pleas with him, hoping to not only save the Jewish people but to keep the Egyptians from the suffering that will come.

This is far more complex that Charlton Heston saying "Let my people go" and proceeding to kick the crap out Egypt through the power of God.

In the Ten Commandments, Moses just does things in order to move the plot forward while people in the audience are wowed by the then-impressive effects. Prince of Egypt has a much more complex character who is both human and heroic.

[–] Doc80 9 years ago

Those aren't religious films though. They are historic films from a religious angle. They are no different than making the Lord of the Rings. Just stories from a book without bashing the viewer over the head with a religious message.

[–] BertramWilberforceWooster 9 years ago

Except they are. The Ten Commandments/Prince of Egypt focus on a character from The Bible and Q'uran. For the Religious, they can experience a story they are familiar with in a different fashion. For instance, I watch the film The Ten Commandments during the Passover Seder. Others may watch it for the story and effects. And Ben-Hur? The subtitle is "A Tale of the Christ". Aside from the opening of the film which depicts the Nativity, it also is able to tell a story of revenge and forgiveness.

--
Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb.
http://tinyurl.com/obmt7tw

[–] blindvias-071407 9 years ago

Whether or not it makes bank, I have 3 words....
Stink, stank, stunk.

[–] s-emhecht 9 years ago

Noah was pretty good?

[–] theunopeneddoor-697-442391 9 years ago

Noah was made by an atheist.

Joseph Chastainme
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marks-the-series/806493646056177

[–] ZAROVE 9 years ago

theunopeneddoor-697-442391 » -

Noah was made by an atheist.

Noah was also awful.

I don't say that because it was made by an Atheist, but simply becae it was awful as a film.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ZAROVE 9 years ago

I doubt Christuans woudkbe embarrassed to csl themselves CHristian due to this film. They'd just be embarrassed by the Film itself.