The Trailer for Every Christian Movie Ever

[Four80VaultFilms]

Ha, ha...nice work! If you inserted another minute you might have been able to squeeze in a Third Day and/or Casting Crowns song underneath someone pedantically covering the ABC's of salvation. The beauty of subtlety...not often a hallmark of faith based films.

[StarWoid1]

Controversial accusing comment challenging religion made just for the sake of enraging the devout and because I have nothing better to do and am obvious troll. But it's too late because now the whole board will explode in a multitude of religious debates with no peaceful resolution in sight.

[Hrairoo53]

"Can God work using a badly-made movie? Sure he can -- but he's also worked using a donkey before, and that's no reason to put donkeys in pulpits." -Revelife(dot)com

[daveinsandy]

Tastefully done, I'm glad we can point out our short comings in film. Some very good issues you raised. Thanks

[theintersect629]

Yeah film majors! :D I totally agree with this "trailer's" statement. As a film student myself, I also desire to make films with a Christian message, but not overtly preachy or cheesily acted or written. God can do the impossible and change a person's life even if the film is not as heavy on trying to give a sermon to the audience. We can use this art form in so many amazing ways to serve our Heavenly Father! :) thank u Biola film majors for making this!!

[BOAFpictures]

That's so awesome! Nailed it and with good cinematography and acting, too.

[berryamusing]

...The other issue that concerns me is that we have a generation of young people who have developed very high, multi-million dollar media tastes. Compared to the lastes multi-million dollar movie, a film produced by a local church with hundreds of volunteers will no doubt seem corny. But should we be training our kids to "expect the best" from their entertainers or look for the glory of God, the image of God and the Gospel? Thoughts?

[rhindonwielder]

@berryamusing I agree, that films such as "Fireproof" have their niche. Some may be critical of "preaching to the choir" but we as Christians are definitely not without sin and there are awesome messages to be found in films such as Courageous, Fireproof, etc. that we NEED to hear. This film is just to bring to light the criticism I have noticed and experienced from friends, Christian and non-Christian, and to give us all something to laugh about.

[berryamusing]

@rhindonwielder Thanks for your reply. I like a good laugh as much as the next person. Seen in a certain light, your movie is no different than a spoof on your typical teen movie formula or sports movie forumula. I have friends who are film makers who have some of the same observations about a lot of Christian films. And I do hope that we get better and better at displaying the glory of God in film....see next

[berryamusing]

....My comments come from my observations as a pastor and a dad. I see young people in the church who have been "discipled" by corporate hollywood to be very discriminating connoisseurs. Only the best will do. If there is the slightest hint of less-than-profressional acting or CGI/special effects not backed by Hollywoods corporate millions, its corny. It's the "god of cool." ...see next

[berryamusing]

...So kids flock to see Xmen, Transformers or Twilight but scoff when their parents want to take them to see Courageous (fortunately, my kids are too young to have such highly developed media tastes...yet...they still like corny Christian movies, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Lord of the Rings, etc.).

[berryamusing]

....I'm probably being overly critical in saying that I fear that your movie reinforces these propensities toward the "god of cool." What I'd love to see is a Christian film-maker do a documentary on what qualifies as cool and corny... and why. What is our "theology of cool"? Thanks for your time.

[rhindonwielder]

@berryamusing @berryamusing I completely agree with everything you've said. Films like Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Cinderella Man were not made by Christians and yet their themes bring me to my knees in adoration of our God! Obviously authors like Tolkien and Lewis were Christian and deliberately put those themes in their stories, but all the secular filmmakers saw when adapting them for the screen were stories that would "sell".

[rhindonwielder]

Obviously there is an overlap between what people want to see/hear and what people should see/hear... and coincidently those films are usually the highest grossing and acclaimed! Every once in a while, Hollywood gets it right and I am so encouraged. My hope is that we will hone in on that overlap and return to the art of good storytelling.

[RedeemedByGodsLove]

@rhindonwielder

Actually when creating the LOTR Peter Jackson was approaching it in certain ways because he absolutely LOVED the books and thought they were fantastic stories. With the last Narnia film, it was more about what would sell, but with LOTR, it was more about story than money.

[rhindonwielder]

@berryamusing Obviously there is an overlap between what people want to see/hear and what people should see/hear... and coincidently those films are usually the highest grossing and acclaimed! Every once in a while, Hollywood gets it right and I am so encouraged. My hope is that we will hone in on that overlap and return to the art of good storytelling.

[RedeemedByGodsLove]

@berryamusing

It's not necessarily wanting the muli-million dollar media films. I've seen some horrible high budget movies and some excellent low budget movies. It's more about HOW Christian films are told. The message is generally elevated above the actual story and then it becomes way overdone to the point where it can be laughable and not relatable (to be relatable there needs to be good story and character development). 

[RedeemedByGodsLove]

@berryamusing

God created beauty. To reflect that beauty, even in a small way, is to give HIM glory because HE is the one who made beauty. We are telling the audience something about God when we portray beauty. If I look like my mom, I am giving glory to her because I inherited her looks. In a similar way, we were created in God's image and to make something beautiful is giving glory to God, who is the ultimate maker of beauty.

[RedeemedByGodsLove]

@berryamusing

Therefore, when we as Christian filmmakers make a film that is beautiful (regardless of whether there was an alter call or not), we are giving glory to God. We are telling our audience something about our LORD and pointing to HIM.

[berryamusing]

...However, we have to remember to interpret and create art from a Christian worldview, which is going to seem corny to some. If people think our artistic expression is foolish and preachy, guess what, we have good company (1 Cor. 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.)...next post...

[RedeemedByGodsLove]

@berryamusing Film is an art. It should be treated as such, but many Christian films of the past are lacking the artistry that should be present in every film. It's more of a sermon. There's a time and a place for sermons, but it's not film. In film, you "preach" differently...in a much more subtle way. Many Christian films lack the subtly that makes for a great film. They lack the beauty and creativity of film--they lack what makes film...well...film.

[RedeemedByGodsLove]

@berryamusing

It's not that the message is "foolish" in Christian films, but they WAY the message is told is foolish. Every filmmaker interprets art from his or her worldview--it's something that comes naturally. Most Christian films don't have much artistic expression to begin with--they are approached as sermons and not a work of art. There's SO much beauty one can show in a film, and yet Christian films of the past reveal almost no beauty.

[berryamusing]

I just rewatched "Fireproof" with my kids tonight and, I have to say, that I am very thankful for films like "Fireproof" that may seem corny and preachy to others. When is the last time anything came out from Hollywood dealing with pornography addiction and related marriage issues head on.  I do sympathize with Christian artists who want to see Christians produce better, more God glorifying art. I don't think that every artistic expression has to be as straight forward as the other..see next..

[ballinanime33]

i see where your comin from,but at the same time the over preachy movies is what brought me to become a christain, so it makes me think that it is pointed more towards people who arnt sure or just dont ever think about it and not the mature christains. Probably because they fill that they are all ready living it so they are past that stage? idk just my opinion

[HappyWanderer77]

So true. I hope you do better. Instead of making a story for film, someone should try just try telling a story with film. There are some great stories out there. Blind side was good. I'm still waiting for someone to film Diane Diebler Rose's story as portrayed in her autobiography, Evidence Not Seen." It's an amazing story. So much action packd in a few pages.

[rhindonwielder]

So glad you all agree and totally get the point we are trying to make! Please share with your friends and family so we can get more people thinking...

[excaliber009]

@rhindonwielder My friends were just talking tonight about how too many Christian stories (books movies etc) are so preachy that the story loses so much.

[Aljeron100]

Very interesting... I recently made a speech about the state of the Christian film industry. Little to be said, Christian filmmakers have failed to SHOW rather than PREACH. It's a pity too. Christian films have such great potential. :-]

[excaliber009]

Good point, makes me want to see a Christian film that can break from the stereotypes, and bring a message with enough power to shake mature Christians, to change lives beyond the same old messages.

[maggery]

You forgot the 5-minutes-of-mortal-peril segment, where he saves his girlfriends puppy from a burning building and revives it with CPR (and prayer) ... XP I kinda am loving the biola film major right now ...

[DarkLordofDebate]

Love it. All of this is so true! Right down to the obligatory use of Switchfoot's "Dare You to Move"--the most generic and overused Christian motivational song ever.

[judexcellentbookworm]

Better done than a Christian movie. I can't wait to see what kind of productions you guys will have in the future.

[ElSteve1982]

I can't decide if the trailer, or the disclaimer, is more entertaining!

[51georg]

I went to a private Christian college and loved my experience, but I have to say, the super corney, albeit terrible movies that are "faith-inspired" are embarassing.

Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof are good examples. Cinematically, corney and poorly made. And honestly for a person with a mature faith, they were motivationally sterile. I understand where movies like these can help some, but for the most part they are rather lame. Nice video, I appreciate your sense of humor.