I was done with “Jesus movies” a long time ago, and broke the rule only to watch The Passion, with which I was deeply disappointed (lots of comments about why on another thread).
One problem is that I don’t like the concept of adding any details that are not in the bible. By “any”, what I actually mean is, “ANY”. Be they events or words.
But movies that abide by my rule don’t have a lot to work with. I remember one movie where the crowd was yelling, but you could tell they were not saying any real words. It just sounded weird.
And ALL movies are someone’s interpretation of what happened. I’m fine with bible studies on specific issues and the bible itself, both heavily salted with prayer. I go to movies to watch bad guys get their butts kicked or nice couple’s fall in love. I go to the Bible for truth.
John the Baptist as a shapeshifter? No bias there, eh?
If Turner had half a brain, he would read FR and know not to see the trash that passes for film production today.
Plenty of FR threads have pointed to the only Jesus movie worth watching.
http://gloria.tv/?media=512696
And there are three more parts that will need to be found on the same website.
I saw the Ten Commandments back in around 1972 as a kid. I didn’t think that was lame. A bit corny by today’s CGI standards but it worked for the time.
Its probably impossible to get Jesus right in such a one dimensional medium as a movie.
Call me cranky, but I’m saying - IF this Cranky Critic already knew it was going to be lame, why bother seeing it? And furthermore, why bother reviewing it in a negative way?
Can we not just celebrate that this movie was made at all and opened all over the US? That there was enough money available that it could be made? That someone had the vision and the fortitude to push through that vision to a finished product? That many people worked and got paid making it? Are these not amazing in their own right? But no, the Christians must tear it apart. “The doctrine is not perfect, it’s lame, it doesn’t xx, it includes xx.”
I look forward to the day when Christians can unify as a subset within a dark culture, represent Christ to our lost brethren, and simply celebrate amazing attempts to bring Light to this dark world.
I enjoy some of the oldies, I believe they were reverent:
Movies like “The Greatest Story ever Told”, 1965. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059245/
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/372307/redeemed-end-katherine-connell
That's kind of how I feel about so many of these "Bible" movies, as I've mentioned to you. With the exception of the “Ten Commandments” and maybe “The Passion of the Christ”, they’re generally so easily forgotten. Why are the characters always so wooden and lines so stilted? Nobody acts and talks like that. What does it take to get a down-to-earth "Jaws"-type production that compels and entertains the average Joe with real live characters who he identifies with while holding him in awe of the events taking place? Dunno. Hopefully we'll find out.
God willing I'm going to write an end times book. Afterwards, I hope to use it as the basis for a screenplay of a movie. I picture a well-done, thriller with down-to-earth believable characters the audience connects with and cares about - maybe a fictional love story framed by the Biblical end times events with a compelling, redemptive message.
People deep down want more “Fire and Brimstone, turn the tables and whip the corruption out of the temple” and less “Hippie feel good smoke up their rears”.
Why expect moviemakers to excel at telling God's words and works? It should be enough to appreciate their best efforts even when those efforts fall far short of the New Testament books about Jesus.
I can't imagine how finite humans would go about apprehending the mind of an infinite God but I can appreciate their best efforts.
If you wish to amuse God, tell him of your plans.
Turner’s review is a condescensnarkmeow!
Greatest story Ever Told was memorable. The upper balcony, a hot girl and making out right through Lazarus rising from the dead. I was one happy 10th grader!
Criticism aside, in this world of terrible movies and messages, isn't it better to have a movie that tells the story of Christ? Isn't it better to have people interested in seeing this movie rather than brokeback mountain?
This is my biggest turn off to these movies. I give Gibson credit for at least using Aramaic and other period languages in his movie.
Some of it could also be the familiarity with the story. My kids go to Catholic school and they put on a passion play every year. It reminds me of the time one of the parish priests got to the play late, and the teachers said to him "it's too bad you missed half the play" and he replied "that's OK, I read the book"...
Jesus movies are always lame because they are an idol of The Real One.
Point taken, so the author of the Yahoo article would also take objection to portrayals of Jesus among African people as being black or among Asian people as having features like theirs as well.
I'm glad the author is so theologically informed to insinuate Our Lord, God has limits.
who is this Roma person?
At least for the Bible series and Son of God seems to have grown out of that, here are some of the advisors at least stated in the wikipedia article:
“Burnett and Downey consulted “a wide range of pastors and academics,” including their friend Joel Osteen, Joshua Garroway (a rabbi from Hebrew Union College), and a Catholic cardinal.[1] Geoff Tunnicliffe of the World Evangelical Alliance, read each episode’s script and visited the set in Morocco: he “wanted to be sure that the final edits would hold together as a singular thematic message throughout the entire series” and “was not disappointed.”[18] Another consultant, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, applauded the couple’s courage for making the series: “Let’s face it, it takes some moxie to lift up the Bible in the middle of Hollywood. In fact, when they first proposed the project they were told to try and tell the story without mentioning Jesus. They refused.”[19]
Other project advisors included:[20]
Rick Warren (pastor, Saddleback Church)
Erwin McManus (pastor, Mosaic)
Sam Rodriguez (National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference)
Paul Eshleman (Campus Crusade for Christ)
Bobby Gruenewald (YouVersion Bible)
Brad Lomenick (Catalyst)
Leith Anderson (president, National Association of Evangelicals)
Frank Wright (president, National Religious Broadcasters)
Tom Peterson (Catholics Come Home)
Gabe Lyons (founder of the Fermi Project)
Luis Palau (Christian evangelist)
George Wood (General Superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America)
Craig Groeschel (Life Church)
Denny Rydberg (Young Life)
Andrew Benton (president, Pepperdine University)”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_%28TV_miniseries%29
Did this non-Christian, Baptist raised leftist expect a movie to convert him when the Word straight from the Bible didn’t reach him?
Kicking dust from sandals...