Miss the rapture? You've been Punk'd!
Posted on 10/27/2005 12:12:27 PM PDT by laney
LOS ANGELES -- The filmmakers of "Left Behind: World at War" figured a little preaching to the choir would help market the Christian-themed thriller.
They preceded the movie's DVD release Tuesday with screenings at about 3,200 churches across the United States and Canada, hoping to build word-of-mouth for the straight-to-video sequel in Kirk Cameron's series of films about Armageddon.
Cloud Ten Pictures, which produces the "Left Behind" movies, did not yet have attendance estimates on how many people caught "World at War" during the weekend screenings.
But the company went into the weekend projecting as many as 1.8 million people would attend the church viewings, a potential army of disciples who could help promote the DVD sales.
The company also had a "spiritual objective, which was to make this film accessible in an easy way to the Christian community," said Peter Lalonde, who co-founded Cloud Ten with his brother, Paul. "Instead of bringing Christians to the theaters, we brought the theaters to the Christians."
Adapted from the "Left Behind" book series, the movies star Cameron, best known for the TV sitcom "Growing Pains," as a reporter investigating the rise to power of an anti-Christ figure and the coming battle between good and evil prophesied in the Bible. The latest movie co-stars Lou Gossett Jr. as the U.S. president.
"World at War" is the third movie in the series, following 2000's "Left Behind" and 2002's "Left Behind II: Tribulation Force."
Cloud Ten provided churches with DVD copies of the new movie for license fees ranging from $69 to $199, depending on the congregation sizes. Churches were free to decide if they would charge admission, and those that did planned to use the money for their local ministries or such charities as soup kitchens and aid to hurricane victims, Lalonde said.
"Cloud Ten has really become expert at targeting the Christian community," said Suzanne White, vice president of marketing for Sony's home-entertainment division, which released the "Left Behind" DVD. "The way they handled the previous 'Left Behind' movies was very novel as well. They get a lot of publicity from just doing things differently."
In a reversal of the usual process, Cloud Ten Pictures released "Left Behind" to theaters in February 2001 after it debuted on home video the previous fall.
Sony had reports of as many as 1,000 people attending a single screening at a church in Anchorage, Alaska. New Life Christian Center, an interdenominational church in Stigler, Okla., had nearly 200 people at a free screening it held Friday night.
"When we got the opportunity to have a world premiere at our church, we thought it was a phenomenal cutting-edge way to bring the gospel to people in our community," said the Rev. Angela Stevens, co-pastor of the Oklahoma church with husband Rick.
If Christians turn out in force for such films, it encourages producers to tell more religious-themed stories, "so we're making our voices heard as far as the types of movies coming out," Stevens said
I just don't get the strange fixation with the end times on the part of folks.
They seem almost giddy at the prospect.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
I really did not know this movie was out and did see the last Kirk Cameron Picture.
I think you can buy the DVD on the Internet.
One for the REPL? Just for...well...general interest, I suppose. :-)
"In a reversal of the usual process, Cloud Ten Pictures released "Left Behind" to theaters in February 2001 after it debuted on home video the previous fall. "
Where it flopped horribly.
I put them in the "Be careful what you wish for" catagory.
Anyway, this article makes it sound like the movie producers have done something remarkable. They are merely following Mel Gibson's marketing plan, which makes sense. Why should they NOT first take this to churches??
I'm with you.
I don't know the exact wording either, but I find the mindset of 'a whole lot of trouble is coming, but I'll beok' to be very offputting from a personal standpoint.
Here's More
Left Behind: World at War
A year and a half has passed since hundreds of millions of people vanished from the face of the earth. But one man, Nicolae Carpathia, has stepped into the ensuing chaos and tamed it, bringing the world under his government.
Not everyone, however, trusts the supposedly peace-loving leader's intentions. Two underground—and unconnected—factions, a militia movement and a group of Christians, have organized a resistance. The Christians know Nicolae is anything but a Messiah. He is, in fact, the Antichrist prophesied in Revelation.
That small band of Christians is called the Tribulation Force (given lots of screen time in Left Behind II), and they're intent upon helping others meet Christ and escape Nicolae's deception. Cameron "Buck" Williams is a reporter with far-reaching media and government connections. His soon-to-be wife, Chloe Steele, is a key leader in the Tribulation Force's clandestine activities, such as reclaiming confiscated Bibles. Chloe's father, Rayford, is also a believer—and Nicolae's personal jet pilot.
Left Behind III's pivotal character, however, is the president of the United States, Gerald Fitzhugh. The president has surrendered the military might of the United States to Nicolae's one-world government—known as the Global Community—believing Nicolae alone has the power to promote lasting peace.
But that confidence is shaken by an explosive attempt on the president's life. More seeds of doubt sprout when a militia spy deep in Nicolae's organization helps Fitzhugh see for himself that the world leader is not who he pretends to be—and that he's on the brink of ordering an attack upon America.
Christians aren't giddy, they just where told not to worry.
I think the issue is that Christians (and I am one) are supposed to look forward to Christ's return. However, a lot of people have the sneaking suspicion that a lot of Christians just want to be able to say "see, I told you so" when it happens.
Is there a Matinee Salvation discount, and can I bring my own Milk Duds?
It's not either/or.
Many of them come across as giddy. They can be giddy and not worry - they are not mutually exclusive.
As a conservative and a Christian I have found the book series and the movie fairly entertaining. As Christian fiction goes it's at least "B" catergory.
A lot of folks come across to me as giddy at the prospect of global catastrophe, angst, etc. That Jesus shows up at the end is wonderful, but it doesn't make that giddyness excusable.
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