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| If you were at the crucifixion would you see nudity or would you see Jesus? Would you count Roman cursings or would you hear the words of Jesus? |
MORALISTIC -NOT
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Why Hollywood Jesus is
Christ-centered and not moralistic.
By David Bruce |
To be moralistic, or to not to be.
That is the question! |
"WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT SEX,
VIOLENCE AND SLEAZE?"
This is a question I get asked often. Here is my response in the form of letters, reviews and articles.
Hollywood Jesus was not set up as a moral watch dog. Nor, as a "Christian" rating service. It is first and foremost spiritual and Christ centered. I have been impressed by how few "Christian" sites review films from a spiritual or even Christ centered point of view. Christians should be moral, but morality does not equal Christianity. There seems to be some confusion.
I do like morality or family rating sites, however. They help parents decide which films to take thier kids to. The motion picture rating system is not enough. And, I think that morality based sites keep Hollywood on its toes. They are good things.
But, if a review says that it has "family ratings" I like that. But, if it says "Christian review" and then contains family ratings with little or no spiritual insight I feel cheated.
This, then, is not a morality review site. Hollywood Jesus serves another purpose. It gives indepth spiritual analyze of popular culture and especially blockbuster hits.
The times they are a changin'. These days there is more spirituality being expressed in films than ever before. Its amazing to me. Hollywood Jesus is dedicated to this current trend. |
HERE ARE SOME GREAT
CHRISTIAN FILM REVIEW SITES.
GENERATION X, Y, AND Z
Highly recommended.
Movie Reviews and Discussion Guides for Christian youth groups. Graeme Codrington has done an excellent job in his reviews. He is profoundly biblical and very connected to the current generation. His reviews have feeling and passion. I hope Graeme does more. You'll also find some Hollywood Jesus reviews here too.
THE MOVIE REVIEW PAGE
Highly recommended.
By Rev. John Schuurman who has some of his reviews in Hollywood Jesus. Not too many reviews in his site but well thought out and intelligent. I like the way he thinks. He has promised to do more, but has not delivered, yet. Please encourage him. Biblically centered.
WORLD VILLAGE REVIEWS
Highly recommended.
I like this little site. Delightful. Family oriented with a positive point of view. Reviews have spiritual and biblical insights. I would love to post some of their reviews in Hollywood Jesus. They need to do more recent films. Encourage them.
A CHRISTIAN SPOTLIGHT ON THE MOVIES
A mixed bag.
A very commercial site that invites reviews from it's viewers. Some biblical insight.
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MORALISTIC CHRISTIAN
WATCH DOG SITES
PREVIEW ON-LINE
A watch dog site with some insight.
Mini moralistic reviews available free. Longer moralistic reviews require a minimal subscription. Not very Christ centered, but some biblical insight. But, you'll certainly find out where all the sex and violence is when you want that sort of thing (or, need to avoid it). A well done commercial site. |
| IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT GLASSES YOU WEAR AND HOW YOU LOOK AT THINGS. "WE WOULD SEE JESUS." |
Actually this positive trend in Hollywood has been going on for some time. Here is a reprint of an 1996 article.
Hope for Hollywood?
By Neil Earl
from The Plain Truth Magazine
used by permission
Entertainment critic Michael Medved is happier these days. At last, he told The Plain Truth, Hollywood is beginning to notice how religious America is. The current national debate over values is not just a passing fad.
"Of the top eight films of 1995, not one was rated R," he said during an interview. "There's been a change in Hollywood generally." The year 1995, he feels, was a banner year for family style movies.
But Medved is no Pollyanna. The entertainment industry still has a long way to go. And something else. More wholesome family fare such as Babe, Indian in the Cupboard, It Takes Two, Apollo 13 and Pocahontas, claims Medved, reflects Hollywood's "enlightened greed." The movie industry has finally noticed that the box office responds better to films rated G and PG.
Medved's passion is genuine. As a devoted family man, he earnestly seeks to protect his children and others from what he calls "the poisons of the popular culture."
In the preface to the paperback edition of Hollywood vs. America, Medved writes with hopeful optimism of a "refreshing new attitude" on the part of the movie industry.
The dream makers of Tinseltown have pledged--at long last, many will say--to begin to clean up their act.
Ron Austin, filmmaker and scriptwriter and former colleague of Charlie Chaplin, is a member of Hollywood's Christian community. "The false gods of Hollywood--politics, sex and drugs--have failed," he comments. "Hollywood is now interested in religion, in the lives of people."
Many of the cutting-edge film producers are now fathers and mothers. "Nothing changes you more than taking your 6-year-old to a movie and being appalled at a movie your company made," says Austin.
Something is happening. When the chairman of Columbia Pictures calls for more PG films and Jack Valenti of the Motion Picture Association of America urges colleagues to "start pictures with less violence, less sensuality, and less raunchy language," it appears clear that we are in the midst of a newsworthy phenomenon.
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| IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT GLASSES YOU WEAR AND HOW YOU LOOK AT THINGS. "WE WOULD SEE JESUS." |
Beyond Sleaze and Gore
Sex, violence and sleaze.
By Neil Earl
from The Plain Truth Magazine
used by permission
The easy formula that has led to mainstream America's disenchantment with Hollywood has begun to backfire. A supreme irony is that the entertainment industry's obsession with the dark impulses of human nature may have hurt its profits. The media titans were out of touch with their audiences.
Rumblings out of Hollywood provoke some good questions for all of us. Questions such as: What is the role of the popular arts in a responsible society? Do the words Christian and moviegoer have to starkly contradict?
For some in the Christian community, movie theaters are still the devil's darkened playground--Christians have no business going to the movies, period!
On the other hand, many Christians see movies as a powerful art form that isn't about to go away. Scriptwriter and critic K.L. Billingsley argues, "Those who stay away testify by their behavior that films matter a great deal indeed" (The Seductive Image).
Christians, Billingsley claims, are committed to reaching the world. Overly hasty negative reactions to the entire realm of popular culture smack of an unrealistic approach to the people we are trying to evangelize. He might have added that it also runs the risk of alienating our youth.
"I believe there is no religious case against the movies," Billingsley argues, "only against the abuse and misuse of them."
Scott Young, campus minister at the University of California, Los Angeles and coordinator of the annual City of Angels Film Festival, agrees: "Movies ask profound moral questions, but indirectly. They create a setting, a context in which important questions are raised about society. Ideally, they create a psychic distance to allow us to reflect back on ourselves: What does it mean to be human? Some movies affirm our values, others want to probe our culture."
Austin adds: "The kind of truth that art presents is a form of beauty that is one of the faces of God."
Students of Scripture know well that the God of the Bible was and is a superb artist. "There is only one true Creator," comments Billingsley. "The rest of us just rearrange." Both Old and New Testaments reveal a God eager to exploit artistic elements of high drama in his communication to his creatures. |
| BULLETIN BOARD:
EDITED FEATURES
Hello David, Thanks for your great websites, and reflectively thoughtful content about movies as a believer, and pastor. I'm glad we can look into culture and know that many are useful parables to convey spiritual truths. My wife is from a more legalistic upbringing, and just more sensitive to offensive content of movies. We were wondering (don't know where to begin asking) if anyone puts out the movie videos that are shown on airplanes, with offensive/suggestive words and scenes edited out? Is there a potential market for this "edited version" of movies? Who might I ask to find out? Thanks!
DJ Chuang, executive pastor
Ambassador Bible Church
Falls Church, VA
My response: Thank you for your kind thoughts. I appreciate it. Like your wife, I used to preach against Hollywood. Then one day it occurred to be that I was going about it all wrong. We live in a media saturated culture. Everyone rents videos and watches television etc. Everyone! Nothing will change that so I thought of using the culture to communicate spiritual ideas and dialog. A teenage girl came up to me the other day and said Pastor David ever since you told me how movies use the Bible stories I always look for that when I go to the movies. WOW! Bingo! Also tell your wife that Hollywood is changing. Less nudity, sex and violence these days.
Item 2: No, the studios would have to produce edited versions. And they won't. No money in it. However there are 2 options. Record movies off network television that are "edited for television." Or, get the new device that connects to your TV. There is the V chip coming and a new product that removes all bad words. Check this product out at http://www.dove.org
Yours in Christ
David Bruce
RATE THE MOVIES
Hi, it would be good for you to include movie ratings on your reviews. Our family does not go to "R" rated movies at all. We have an obligation as Christians, to participate in the viewing of all entertainment as though Christ was sitting in that movie seat or couch right next to us. If a story line includes language or behavior or situations which we would not want Christ to see or be a part of, then we believe that it is not right for our family to be a part of!! We have never viewed the portrayal of sin for entertainment purposes as a healthy alternative for boredom! Thank you, Mrs. C
MY RESPONSE: Ouch! What a zinger! That hurt! But, good for you. Family is always first next to Christ. I thank God for your wonderful commitment. There is a lot of garbage out there. Why bring it into our homes? I agree to some extent with you. My purpose, however, is not to be family guide. There are web sites for that. I am surprised you evaluated all my hard work and study by that criteria. My purpose is to use the popular media to help people know the Lord. And, I do watch R rated movies with Christ sitting right there! Praise God. A real sinner, wine bibber and publican outreach opportunity! Jesus is pleased and smiles on me. Just as Jesus smiles on you in your excellent commitment as a loving and caring mother. May God bless you, my dear sister in Christ. David (by God's grace).
REPLY: Hi David, I did not mean to evaluate your hard work in any light, other than the fact that I spent a moment this morning on your website! When I noticed the lack of movie ratings, I wanted to bring it up to you- I CERTAINLY DID NOT MEAN TO ZING YOU OR TO OFFEND!! I apologize to you if I gave that impression! My husband and I do feel very strongly however, about the entertainment we participate in (he works in the industry) and we do share our views with others on a regular basis. I do appreciate the obvious hard work that you put forth on this website. Best of luck to you!
WHAT ABOUT LANGUAGE AND NUDITY?
David, I haven't had a chance to scope Hollywood Jesus all out yet, but I did notice that you accurately pointed out that when people die, according to the Bible, they do not become angels as Hollywood is so often presenting in their films. In looking over a few of the reviews, I thought it would be nice to have a little more information on the level of "language" and the like in the films. Some of the movies in the reviews we've seen and been a little disappointed to have some naked woman on the screen before you know it. Say, what is your impression about that kind of stuff and the Bible? It seems that there are some parallels between movie scripts and Bible themes, but what about all of the language violence and nudity? Just curious to see what you think about that. It seems that a lot of producers are anxious to get that kind of stuff in their movies for a rating instead of develop a cool story line. That would be some good info to include in your reviews :) I'll keep scoping your site out. Thanks for letting me know about it. Later bro. Chuck
MY RESPONSE: I do NOT like foul language and nudity for shock sake. There are several "Christian" movie review sites on the web that point such things out. Most seem to have a preoccupation with the exact number of profanities and bare female breasts. Perhaps this is necessary to keep the heat on Hollywood to clean up its act, but this is not the purpose of Hollywood Jesus. "We would see Jesus." In my second line I put "Christian" in quotes because I don't believe being moralistic is the same as being Christian. These moralistic reviews seem to have a obsession with the female anatomy and describe such scenes in graphic detail. It makes me wonder where these obviously male reviewers are coming from. If there are any Bible parallels in the movies they are generally blind to them. The truth is the film industry is not Christian and it is not moral by Church standards. But then it never claimed to be, or even wanted to be. And everyone knows this! If you watch Hollywood films you will see the glorification of violence and immorality. Hollywood Jesus is not judgmental, its about Jesus. Hollywood Jesus looks at our culture and points to those areas that intersect with God's story.
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More on Sex, Violence and Sleaze
Interview with Michael Madved
Good Art Lasts Longer
The Disney Boycott, Yes or No?
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