Conservative Christian billionaire gets into movie biz big time.(my title)

(Denver) Westword ^ | April 18, 02 | Bill Gallo

[Mahone]

Thanks for such good news, hope they'll add some of Horton Foote's gems to the line-up.

[Cicero]

To be honest, this business about Joshuah makes me a bit nervous. Messing around with Jesus, even with the best of intentions, is somewhat risky. The rest of it sounds great. I've seen a number of movies over the past decade that were pretty good but were dragged down by Hollywood's need to put an R-rated scene in them whether it fits or not. It would be wonderful just to have some good movies where the director had some basic moral sense and the producer didn't insist on working in sex scenes just because that is now the Hollywood tribal custom.

[elephantlips]

I have for years felt that Christians put out what can best be described as "oncologically" based media. Nearly every announcer on Christian radio sounds as if he is in the terminally ill ward of a hospital waiting for the demise of the patient. Interviews with individuals are tear-jerkers that concentrate on empathizing with them to no one's benefit. Christian movies leave much to be desired. (How disappointing was the movie version of "Left Behind?") What is the common element in all of this that makes it so? Christians have no "edge." We don't need to be like the world but we do need to show our enthusiasm and joy and competitiveness and strength and, yes, compassion but compassion with backbone not our usual "slug-like," non-vertibrate imitation of the world's image of what we are. And that is the problem! We are NOT what the world views Christian's as being but we spend a lot of time trying to be that. Jesus as meek and mild is only one aspect of His personality. Conquering King, ruler of all His Father gave Him is more like it. When we next see Him, that's how it will be.

[libertylass]

Thank God! I belong to Steve Allen's group (I know he's deceased now) that monitors TV shows for parents, so this is a big, wonderful thing for us parents.

I have a hard time trying to figure out if a PG13 movie is going to be too "R" for my 14 year old son. I'm currently trying to decide if "The Scorpion King" will be too risque. I believe it is. So, we will see "The Rookie" instead.

[shekkian]

It's good to see someone with money do something honorable with it, not like Ted Turner or Andrew McKelvey.

[shekkian]

I'd like to see Clive Cussler's books made into movies. Of course, Dirk Pitt is as much a ladies man as James Bond, so I wonder how they're going to handle that.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

More power to 'im.

Maybe we can hope he follows Bill Simon's footsteps. Simon, of course, was the lead investor who made PAX-TV the success it is, and is now leading in the race for governor of California. Besides creating jobs, Simon determined there was a need for nonviolent, un-smutty entertainment and did something about it. Contrast that with the DemocRats' cozy ties with the most amoral elements of Hollywood (Larry Flynt, anyone?) and you will energize a substantial base of formerly disaffected voters-- the ones who have felt no urge to go to the polls in recent years because "all politicians are alike". About time.

[shekkian]

The only Cusller movie I'm aware of was Raise the Titanic, and it was so long ago I only vaugely remember it. I haven't seen Meggido.

[wardaddy]

As importantly if not more so is that Anschutz use his studio to make more Conservative viewpoint films. That can easily be done. Think of the flip side of The Contender or American Beauty. Films where RKBA supporters are not always loonies, Christians are not always child abusing nutcases, and Southerners are not always buttwhacking rednecks loonies ala Deliverance. THAT would be refreshing.

[Antoninus]

Movieguide, a conservative reviewing magazine, recently reported to movie-industry executives that films "with a very strong Christian worldview" earned nearly twice as much in 2001 as movies it categorized as "humanist, pagan, Romantic, Communist, feminist, occult, homosexual or anti-patriotic."

The next time someone liberal wag tells you that Hollywood doesn't have an agenda and that it's all about big money, cite this stat.

What fantastic news! If I were Mr. Anschutz, I'd get myself a troupe of highly-skilled body guards. This is exactly the kind of enterprise the commie-libs can't tolerate. May Almighty God watch over and protect him.

[Lord_Baltar]

LG, did you see the first 2 movies of the Mummy series? They were the inspiration for this one. As far as being "risque", my guess is probably not, although it may be a bit violent, if that bugs you.

Hope that helps.

[Lord_Baltar]

As importantly if not more so is that Anschutz use his studio to make more Conservative viewpoint films. That can easily be done. Think of the flip side of The Contender or American Beauty. Films where RKBA supporters are not always loonies, Christians are not always child abusing nutcases, and Southerners are not always buttwhacking rednecks loonies ala Deliverance. THAT would be refreshing.

Easily done? I'm sorry but history doesn't support your claim regarding the ease. However, that's not to say it cannot be done. I've always been of the belief that too many people like to complain about movies and TV, and not enough willing to stick their necks out and actually try and make the kinds of movies and tv shows they'd like to see.

The problem is, and this is a cross ideology problem, if you try to hard to force your particular political/Sociological bent into your script, the movie/tv show looks too forced, and ends up flopping. Also, Conservative/Christian programming does have to compete with other movies/TV programs, both in themes, as well as visually. The production values have to be at least as high as the level of competition. Too many times that just hasn't been the case. Let's face it, Left Behind failed because it just looked dated by the visual standards of today's current movie releases. You cannot expect to compete with inferior product, regardless of how much you believe in the storylines.

I'm glad to see someone has finally gotten the stones enough to pick up the challenge I regularly tossed at folks who complain "If you don't like it, go do it yourself, and show them how you think it ought to be done"

BTW, if you want a great example of excellent production values, good performance levels, and the audience approval that backs up what I'm suggesting here, look at "Touched By An Angel". It proves a very old Theory of mind, People aren't opposed to watching shows with God in the story, as long as the Producers aren't reaching out from the TV set and bashing them over the heads with their Bibles.

[Lord_Baltar]

True! As I mentioned before, if Left Behind had the Production values of "The Gladiator" or "Star Wars" it would have been a major blockbuster. Unfortunetly, the Producers felt that their Ideology was more important that was producing a movie that could compete. Sad too, because had the movie been as visual as the book, it might have been pretty cool.

[Exnihilo]

"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus Christ

[PrairieDawg]

libertylass wrote:

I have a hard time trying to figure out if a PG13 movie is going to be too "R" for my 14 year old son. I'm currently trying to decide if "The Scorpion King" will be too risque. I believe it is. So, we will see "The Rookie" instead.

The wife and kids saw The Rookie and loved it. Just FWIW.

Regards,
PrairieDawg