The Avengers!

[AncientPaths]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

I would not characterize not wanting to watch people sinning as 'set to spiritual at all times'.

Think about what you are saying. Some man and some woman who are real people, but that WORK as actors, in real life are married to other real people...following so far?... Go to work and take of most of their clothes and rub their real bodies all over and swap spit with someone who is not their spouse for money...and that money comes from people who pay to watch them via paying for movie tickets, DVDs, etc.

Lets translate that into any other occupation. I am a nurse. I take care of peoples physical bodies. So if some old lecherous pervert patient offers me a huge pile of money to take off my shirt and rub up against him because it will make him feel better, even if there is no real 'sex', is that OK? How do you think my husband would like helping me spend money made this way? Would it be OK if YOUR spouse was earning money for doing something like that? Would you watch? Would you want your kids to watch? Would you want others to pay to watch?

And this kind of thing is now PG13 along with the F word (the one which if I typed it on this forum would probably get me banned). It can be used a maximum of three times in non-sexual, strictly exclamatory ways in PG-13 movies... And it's OK to 'overlook' that so we can be entertained? Really?

We are desensitized to the sin that is Hollywood and we have let it almost totally destroy our society. I was raised in Los Angeles very up close and personal with the movie industry... These are people you would not want to even know in real life let alone help make rich or idolize.

There are some good movies out there we just need to be selective. Whether or not someone likes it we are 'spiritual' all the time if the Holy Spirit lives in us... and God sees us all the time. Making fun of people who are trying to be selective about what they let into their spirits via entertainment is not cute, funny, witty or a sign of higher intelligence or enlightenment. So let's not pretend that it is.

Who's been making fun? I didn't see any of that. Sounds like you're projecting a bit. Yes, yes - Hollywood is ruining the country.

I like good characters and good writing. The genre doesn't matter to me as much. Personally, I think tv dramas are where the talent is these days. Breaking Bad, Homeland, etc. Great, complex shows.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

Who's been making fun? I didn't see any of that. Sounds like you're projecting a bit. Yes, yes - Hollywood is ruining the country.

I like good characters and good writing. The genre doesn't matter to me as much. Personally, I think tv dramas are where the talent is these days. Breaking Bad, Homeland, etc. Great, complex shows.

I think your right about some TV programming. My current favorite is Burn Notice, White Collar, Psyched (note that all three are on the USA Network), followed by Fringe and The Mentalist (which can be a bit outlandish sometimes as well as often being able to spot the killer based on how much airtime the character gets in the first 15 minutes of the episode).

[AncientPaths]

Yeah, USA has some good shows. A friend of mine just licensed one of his band's songs to Burn Notice. Network TV is generally pretty lousy with a few exceptions like The Good Wife and Parenthood.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

Who's been making fun? I didn't see any of that. Sounds like you're projecting a bit. Yes, yes - Hollywood is ruining the country.

I like good characters and good writing. The genre doesn't matter to me as much. Personally, I think tv dramas are where the talent is these days. Breaking Bad, Homeland, etc. Great, complex shows.

Can't speak to the other shows but I have seen an episode of Breaking Bad and it typifies EXACTLY what I think is wrong with television. How many GD's does one need to hear... Would you invite a person that talks like that into your home? Would you let someone make out in your living room? Shoot dope?

Maybe I am over sensitive because I have seen those things in real life. My only sibling is currently awaiting trial for capital murder, two counts of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assualt- all related to being a Methamphitamine cook. I find people wanting to experience that vicariously just sick.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

Yeah, USA has some good shows. A friend of mine just licensed one of his band's songs to Burn Notice. Network TV is generally pretty lousy with a few exceptions like The Good Wife and Parenthood.

We almost never watch any network stations other than The Mentalist and the occasional episode of The Office, and of course any NFL games that are not being shown on the DirecTV Sunday Ticket.

[Aquila]

For me it's just acting and story telling.

Think about the Bible. What if it were turned into a motion picture without pulling punches? It would be rated R at the very least.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Aquila

For me it's just acting and story telling.

Think about the Bible. What if it were turned into a motion picture without pulling punches? It would be rated R at the very least.

IF it was done right, it would make Quentin Tarantino proud.

[llambert]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

Can't speak to the other shows but I have seen an episode of Breaking Bad and it typifies EXACTLY what I think is wrong with television. How many GD's does one need to hear... Would you invite a person that talks like that into your home? Would you let someone make out in your living room? Shoot dope?

Maybe I am over sensitive because I have seen those things in real life. My only sibling is currently awaiting trial for capital murder, two counts of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assualt- all related to being a Methamphitamine cook. I find people wanting to experience that vicariously just sick.

I kind of feel the same way. I remember when Denzel Washington's film American Gangster was out about 3-4 years back. People (esp. people in the black community) were raving about how good it was and how great an actor Denzel is, and I just have no desire to watch a movie that to me glorifies a criminal.

Honestly, a lot of the entertainment and the books that come out of not just Hollywood, but the publishing industry are counter-Christian- characters who are deeply disturbed are presented in these shows, or the characters are good at their jobs, but emotionally or socially screwed up (ex: House, Damages). Honestly, I think that some of the topics dealt with in these shows and movies would be handled better if people with a Christian worldview wrote and made the films and shows. A lot of the time, I'll watch or read something because I'm interested in the topics presented in the story and basically have to tolerate the anti-Christian stuff that's in it.

I recall that when Kirk Cameron became a Christian, it caused a stir on this old tv show, Growing Pains, because he expressed that he wasn't comfortable with some of the scripts and some of what his character was being asked to do. I read somewhere that it caused animosity on the set and his co-stars told him, "Look, Kirk, if you don't like the scripts, why don't you start your own Christian production company- you can be the first, but this show is what it is, so don't screw it up for the rest of us who need to earn a living."

For my two cents, I think that the Christian schools need to be training people to really do creative writing and publish real stories- stories that are well-written and compelling, but come from a contemporary Christian perspective. Some stories that could be sold and then adapted into films. Forget about the secular universities encouraging people to do this kind of writing- they can't and won't do it.

Yes, I think it's important for Christian schools to train pastors and counselors and teach people about creatiionism and bible doctrine and how to have a business, but if so many people are investing $$$ in books and films and TV shows, why aren't there more Christian based stories being told. Again, forget about waiting for Hollywood to do or fund these stories- we should be doing them.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by llambert

I kind of feel the same way. I remember when Denzel Washington's film American Gangster was out about 3-4 years back. People (esp. people in the black community) were raving about how good it was and how great an actor Denzel is, and I just have no desire to watch a movie that to me glorifies a criminal.

Honestly, a lot of the entertainment and the books that come out of not just Hollywood, but the publishing industry are counter-Christian- characters who are deeply disturbed are presented in these shows, or the characters are good at their jobs, but emotionally or socially screwed up (ex: House, Damages). Honestly, I think that some of the topics dealt with in these shows and movies would be handled better if people with a Christian worldview wrote and made the films and shows. A lot of the time, I'll watch or read something because I'm interested in the topics presented in the story and basically have to tolerate the anti-Christian stuff that's in it.

I recall that when Kirk Cameron became a Christian, it caused a stir on this old tv show, Growing Pains, because he expressed that he wasn't comfortable with some of the scripts and some of what his character was being asked to do. I read somewhere that it caused animosity on the set and his co-stars told him, "Look, Kirk, if you don't like the scripts, why don't you start your own Christian production company- you can be the first, but this show is what it is, so don't screw it up for the rest of us who need to earn a living."

For my two cents, I think that the Christian schools need to be training people to really do creative writing and publish real stories- stories that are well-written and compelling, but come from a contemporary Christian perspective. Some stories that could be sold and then adapted into films. Forget about the secular universities encouraging people to do this kind of writing- they can't and won't do it.

Yes, I think it's important for Christian schools to train pastors and counselors and teach people about creatiionism and bible doctrine and how to have a business, but if so many people are investing $$$ in books and films and TV shows, why aren't there more Christian based stories being told. Again, forget about waiting for Hollywood to do or fund these stories- we should be doing them.

While I can't out and out disagree with the idea of Christian schools teaching film making more often than not when explicitly Christian movies have come out I have usually been embarrassed (The Passion being a rare exception). In fact when anyone tries to make a Christian version of anything it always reminds me of the "low fat" version of some favorite dish -it sorta/kinda resembles it but most of the flavor is gone. A big reason for this is that Christian studios don't hold to the same production standards that many big studios do (and I know the big studios come out with a bunch of junk as well, all it takes is a few viewings of Mystery Science Theater to see that).

Now there ARE a few examples of movies where a good number of the actors AND producers just happened to be Christians and the final product was excellent! One example is the film Deja Vu starring Denzel Washingtong and Jim Caviezel. Another is The Book of Eli, also starring Denzel. These are not "Christian" movies in that they don't recycle a well known bible story or even star Kirk Cameron, but they are the type of films that Christians SHOULD be making, quality wise. "What ever your hands find to do, do it with all your might!" And yes, both stories are told from a Christian world view.

[llambert]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

While I can't out and out disagree with the idea of Christian schools teaching film making more often than not when explicitly Christian movies have come out I have usually been embarrassed (The Passion being a rare exception). In fact when anyone tries to make a Christian version of anything it always reminds me of the "low fat" version of some favorite dish -it sorta/kinda resembles it but most of the flavor is gone. A big reason for this is that Christian studios don't hold to the same production standards that many big studios do (and I know the big studios come out with a bunch of junk as well, all it takes is a few viewings of Mystery Science Theater to see that).

Now there ARE a few examples of movies where a good number of the actors AND producers just happened to be Christians and the final product was excellent! One example is the film Deja Vu starring Denzel Washingtong and Jim Caviezel. Another is The Book of Eli, also starring Denzel. These are not "Christian" movies in that they don't recycle a well known bible story or even star Kirk Cameron, but they are the type of films that Christians SHOULD be making, quality wise. "What ever your hands find to do, do it with all your might!" And yes, both stories are told from a Christian world view.

I say it starts with the stroytelling. It takes real $$$ to make a high quality film with special effects. If you start with a really well written story- not a retelling of a bible narrative, but some story about people's lives- I really think it would get the attention of people with the $$$ to back it and turn it into a film or tv show. It might be a hard sell though because a lot of us are complacent. We'd rather watch the Hollywood stuff and complain.

Some of the films that are overtly Christian are low caliber or stereotypical.

Example:

Tyler Perry's films and tv programs- just about all of them- they are full of cliches, stererotypes- loud buffoonish black characters - yet he's making money hand over fist because his stuff mixes in Christian themes of redemption - or at the very least church culture- that isn't shown very much at all in other films and shows, so the churchgoing people are very devoted to his work. They're eating it up.

I've seen a lot of Christian films. Honestly, I don't remember the names of most them- which in and of itself says something. One I recall is The Grace Card

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvbwb87FDic

and I read what people have to say about them on imdb and other places and yeah, some people trash the films because they hate the Christian message, but sometimes the way the story is presented is mediocre to poor.

At church for awhile we had movie night and we watched Christian based films. Some of them, I knew within the first 5 minutes how it was going to turn out, some I remarked, "Why are all the people in these films white to the point of being Aryan? Why is the main character's buddy the only black person in the movie? Why is the dialogue so corny and earnest?"

I think that there needs to be more dialogue about stuff like this in churches. Ironically, the few Chrisitans I know that are discussing the arts are staunch trinitarians. Oneness people have a strange tendency to be stuck on core issues of the one God doctrine, what constitutes the new birth and other foundational stuff. It's very strange.