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Can Christians change the culture by going to the movies?
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| November 5, 2005
| Gene Edward Veith
Posted on 10/28/2005 9:51:06 AM PDT by Caleb1411
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1
posted on
10/28/2005 9:51:06 AM PDT
by
Caleb1411
To: Caleb1411
2
posted on
10/28/2005 9:51:54 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: Caleb1411
Give me a movie worth viewing and I will go.
Paying $12 when I can wait for the $3 DVD is a better deal. The popcorn is better too.
3
posted on
10/28/2005 9:53:26 AM PDT
by
llevrok
(Drink your beer, damnit! There are sober people in Africa !)
To: Caleb1411
t'ain't the fault of christians that the movie biz sucks.
4
posted on
10/28/2005 9:54:18 AM PDT
by
camle
(keep your mind open and somebody will fill it full of something for you.)
To: Caleb1411
Oddly enough, most of the people going to the movies on Saturday ARE Christians, if the statistics on Christianity in the USA are correct.
Or does this article refer to some "special" Christians or something?
5
posted on
10/28/2005 9:55:18 AM PDT
by
MineralMan
(godless atheist)
To: MineralMan
Problem is that if you read a site like 'Christian Spotlight on the Movie'...the criteria they use aren't conducive to aesthetics. They complain about any depiction of sin regardless of context. One reader warned people to be wary of anything written by Shakespeare as it requires 'discernment'.
6
posted on
10/28/2005 10:00:59 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: MineralMan
The Christian argument is a little narrow. All we really want is what most parents want; good, clean, fun films that don't embarrass us in front of our children or require we answer questions on mature issues later.
Hollywood knows but refuses to admit that family films, when done well and with respect, are box-office draws. "The Incredibles," "Chicken Run," "Finding Nemo," and "The Lion King" are all prime examples. Theatres are going to make a bigger profit on a family of four than a couple of two.
7
posted on
10/28/2005 10:01:46 AM PDT
by
Kieri
To: Caleb1411
I'm only going to movies if they are good. I'm not going to go to a bad movie to make a political point.
8
posted on
10/28/2005 10:02:23 AM PDT
by
gondramB
To: Caleb1411
If people need movies to reinforce their identity as a Christian they have bigger problems than Hollywood.
Besides, The Passion of the Christ was not the brainchild of mainstream Hollywood anyway.
9
posted on
10/28/2005 10:04:38 AM PDT
by
SQUID
To: Caleb1411
Eisner may have said that he was in it for Disney to make money, but in Medved's book several years ago he specifically asked Hollywood producers if the financial successes of G and PG rated films would inspire them to make more such movies. The answer was "(*$^#! No!" and that they would never consider making money a priority over making propaganda to effect viewers (for the worse).
10
posted on
10/28/2005 10:05:26 AM PDT
by
ZGuy
To: camle
Gotta blame someone. Can't be the political and social messages that are common in most movies these days. /sarc
Also, note to Hollywood -- if you make a movie that has religious content, don't patronize. Be sincere.
11
posted on
10/28/2005 10:06:30 AM PDT
by
dhs12345
(w)
To: Borges
Aw...man...
Why don't they just buy a theater and run continuous loops of "Crusader Rabbit" and "Gumby" shows? That should be satisfactory to everyone. Then whoever wanted to cast a Christian vote for the movie business could go to that theater and sit there for two hours.
My point is that Christians are already choosing movies. I'm pretty certain that the crowds I see at the megaplex on Saturday aren't all atheists. They don't look like Muslims, either. Looks to me like the same folks who are going to church on Sunday...well...some Sundays, anyhow.
That's why this plan will fail. If they choose good movies to support, then nobody will notice, since they'll be popular anyhow. If they choose bad movies with acceptable content, nobody will notice either. Or, if they do, they'll think, "Heck, I'm not going to a crummy movie like that," and ignore the group.
If America is overwhelmingly Christian, as I keep hearing, then it is Christians attending the movies. It's already there.
12
posted on
10/28/2005 10:08:08 AM PDT
by
MineralMan
(godless atheist)
To: Caleb1411
This sounds like a good idea but how is anyone to know what is a good movie? My wife, a big fan of Tom Hanks, found "Ladykillers" and looked forward to another excellent Hanks movie. She was assaulted by language she never expected in a Hanks movie and although she fought her way through that offensive part, the same language was present through the entire movie. Who would have expected that in a Tom Hanks film? If we found that after we had bought our ticket, it would still be counted as a box office success. Nobody counts the number of people who walk out.
13
posted on
10/28/2005 10:10:15 AM PDT
by
OldYank1
To: MineralMan
Or does this article refer to some "special" Christians or something?
In todays world the term Christian has very little meaning. If you did a survey asking "Do you consider yourself a Christian." more than likely 70% or so in the country would say yes. Generally it would mean that you are not and atheist, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, etc.
You probably would find at least half of them surfing the porn sites, etc.
The article I believe is targeting those who claim to be followers of Christ AND who practice a Biblical based morality system.
Personally, I would like to see "the call" a bit more broad based.
Cordially,
GE
To: Kieri
"All we really want is what most parents want; good, clean, fun films that don't embarrass us in front of our children or require we answer questions on mature issues later.
Hollywood knows but refuses to admit that family films, when done well and with respect, are box-office draws. "The Incredibles," "Chicken Run," "Finding Nemo," and "The Lion King" are all prime examples."
Actually, Hollywood does know that. That's why they keep producing films like that. They come out all the time...along with a lot of other films, for various audiences.
What is really being said here is that some folks want ALL films from Hollywood to be Christian films. That is not going to happen.
What works is for folks to choose the films they and their family view carefully. Not every film pleases every moviegoer.
Hollywood will continue to produce a wide variety of films. Some you'll enjoy; many you won't. There it is. Go to the ones you like, and I'll go to the ones I like, which happen to include most of the ones you listed. So I might see you at the movies.
15
posted on
10/28/2005 10:12:28 AM PDT
by
MineralMan
(godless atheist)
To: camle
Sixty years ago they made movies for "everyone." Then TV came along and the market shrank. So they began to make movies for that segment that stayed with them.
16
posted on
10/28/2005 10:14:05 AM PDT
by
RobbyS
( CHIRHO)
To: GrandEagle
"The article I believe is targeting those who claim to be followers of Christ AND who practice a Biblical based morality system."
You mean people who REALLY practice a Biblical-based morality system?
From what I've seen, you'll have a hard time making much of an impact on the film industry with that group.
17
posted on
10/28/2005 10:14:38 AM PDT
by
MineralMan
(godless atheist)
To: Caleb1411
Frankly, I'd like to see the exact opposite happen; Christians stop going to movies for three months. That would force Hollywood to stop producing all this gratuitous sex, anti-Christian, pro-homosexual, bloody murder, vile language dung they pass off as 'movies'. The silver screen has become the sewer screen, and most of it is pointless, voyeuristic garbage that doesn't contain a crumb of intellectual edification or underlying moral.
18
posted on
10/28/2005 10:18:15 AM PDT
by
TheCrusader
("The frenzy of the Mohammedans has devastated the churches of God" -Pope Urban II, 1097AD)
To: MineralMan
From what I've seen, you'll have a hard time making much of an impact on the film industry with that group.
Unfortunately you are correct.
That is why I'd like a bit more broader invitation!
Cordually
GE
P.S. Good to see you around again.
To: Caleb1411
"If Christians would go as a demographic bloc to a movie on opening weekend, we could make that movie a hit. And the studios would make more films just like it"
Um, anyone seen "The Passion II?"
Me neither.
20
posted on
10/28/2005 10:23:05 AM PDT
by
trubluolyguy
(I am Lord of the Sea People! Ruler of their under water universe!)
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