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Jedi To Jesus: The Making of a Christian Filmmaker Now available at Amazon.com
#4
Posted 16 September 2005 - 01:29 PM
QUOTE (Otal Nimrodi @ Sep 15 2005, 04:36 PM)
Who would buy THAT?
Christians, I suppose. I certainly wouldn't pay $35 for it.
#7
Posted 17 September 2005 - 11:07 AM
Might be interesting to see his point of view, but then "Christian movies" tend to just suck, period. About the only religious movies that do well are the "Jesus" movies (the Passion of the Christ being the most recent example). The era of the Cecil B. Demille Biblical Epics is long over, unfortunately. But those movies had appeal beyond one denomination.
Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe looks like it could be big, but the point is, the low budget evangelical movies tend to do poorly, because they're targetted at evangelical churches (shown for free at "revivals" or rather the churches that can afford the setup) and tend to be really cheesy "end of the world" movies or straight preaching with little plot.
I've heard the point of such movies is supposed to be to win converts, but typically I think they play as if they're preaching to the choir. I certainly was never convinced to change my religion based on seeing one. Rather it convinced me that these guys were just looking for attention (I am religious, but I'm not an evangelical protestant or fundamentalist).
For examples, check out the Left Behind movies, The Omega Code movies, Time Changer, etc.
Some of them are fun to watch as late night tv flicks, but that's about it. Would I pay actual money to see them in the theater? Probably not.
That doesn't mean that good "worship films" (as he calls them) couldn't be made, it's just that that niche industry is stuck in a rut.
It sounds like he's making a dichotomy between Star Wars and Christianity, as if the two are mutally exclusive (if that's the case, he should read "Christan Wisdom of the Jedi Masters" which, although apparently written for a demographic of teenage fans, at least makes the point that you can be a fan of science fiction and still be a faithful, whatever).
On the other hand if this is the story about how he was a totally obsessed Star Wars Geek (to the point of it being unhealthy or something) and then he decided to move onto something more serious and grow up, that's fine. But it sounds to me like he still fancies himself a filmmaker (SW fan film to evangelical film?) and not a successful one at that. Oh well!
In any case, it could just be his bio as an indie filmmaker, but that still. I picture it being more of a preachy thing, showing how his way is the "right way." I hate to say that since I haven't seen it, but I just get that vibe!
Like the films his niche industry makes, I'd probably rent this one from the library out of curiosity. I wouldn't spend $35 on it!
Hey, at least he's not the guy who wrote the book about clenching your anus 100 times per day for good health!
Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe looks like it could be big, but the point is, the low budget evangelical movies tend to do poorly, because they're targetted at evangelical churches (shown for free at "revivals" or rather the churches that can afford the setup) and tend to be really cheesy "end of the world" movies or straight preaching with little plot.
I've heard the point of such movies is supposed to be to win converts, but typically I think they play as if they're preaching to the choir. I certainly was never convinced to change my religion based on seeing one. Rather it convinced me that these guys were just looking for attention (I am religious, but I'm not an evangelical protestant or fundamentalist).
For examples, check out the Left Behind movies, The Omega Code movies, Time Changer, etc.
Some of them are fun to watch as late night tv flicks, but that's about it. Would I pay actual money to see them in the theater? Probably not.
That doesn't mean that good "worship films" (as he calls them) couldn't be made, it's just that that niche industry is stuck in a rut.
It sounds like he's making a dichotomy between Star Wars and Christianity, as if the two are mutally exclusive (if that's the case, he should read "Christan Wisdom of the Jedi Masters" which, although apparently written for a demographic of teenage fans, at least makes the point that you can be a fan of science fiction and still be a faithful, whatever).
On the other hand if this is the story about how he was a totally obsessed Star Wars Geek (to the point of it being unhealthy or something) and then he decided to move onto something more serious and grow up, that's fine. But it sounds to me like he still fancies himself a filmmaker (SW fan film to evangelical film?) and not a successful one at that. Oh well!
In any case, it could just be his bio as an indie filmmaker, but that still. I picture it being more of a preachy thing, showing how his way is the "right way." I hate to say that since I haven't seen it, but I just get that vibe!
Like the films his niche industry makes, I'd probably rent this one from the library out of curiosity. I wouldn't spend $35 on it!
Hey, at least he's not the guy who wrote the book about clenching your anus 100 times per day for good health!
This post has been edited by KurganX: 17 September 2005 - 11:12 AM
#8
Posted 21 September 2005 - 07:00 PM
It's a stupid DVD for two reasons
1) It's a highly specific topic, where 1 in every 100,000 people could relate.
2) Christian film is not a market in demand, or so I think. The film industry is tough as is, try limitiing your skills to one kind of movie.
1) It's a highly specific topic, where 1 in every 100,000 people could relate.
2) Christian film is not a market in demand, or so I think. The film industry is tough as is, try limitiing your skills to one kind of movie.
This post has been edited by Jordan: 21 September 2005 - 07:02 PM
Oh SMEG. What the smeggity smegs has smeggins done? He smeggin killed me. - Lister of Smeg, space bum
#9
Posted 23 September 2005 - 10:51 PM
Christian filmmaker Cory Parella went from having an unhealthy obsession with George Lucas' "Star Wars" to a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ.
WTF??? People like Cory dilute all the positive aspects of Christianity (or whatever other religion they represent) and do more harm than good. This screams "look at me! I found God and I crave attention!" Makes you want to take up Travolta's Scientology, who only hurt themselves financially and with repeated viewings of Battlefield Earth.
Guess the "unhealthy" aspect and hold on his life SW had involved him, the slave Leia figure, and mom walking into his room without knocking.
WTF??? People like Cory dilute all the positive aspects of Christianity (or whatever other religion they represent) and do more harm than good. This screams "look at me! I found God and I crave attention!" Makes you want to take up Travolta's Scientology, who only hurt themselves financially and with repeated viewings of Battlefield Earth.
Guess the "unhealthy" aspect and hold on his life SW had involved him, the slave Leia figure, and mom walking into his room without knocking.
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