@@EvilXtianity who's teaching you people that? Only internet graduated atheists think Jesus didn't exist. I wonder which echo chamber it's coming from. And it's not my responsibility to educate the uniformed. But I will answer your question on one person in history who witnessed the Messiah, Pontius Pilate.
@@EvilXtianity You say none of the Gospel writers witnessed Jesus. That implies that you either 1. Know who the Gospel writers were and they weren’t the people who’s names are on them, particularly Matthew and John, but possibly Mark, or you’re reading different Gospels. The apostles Matthew and John say Jesus, according to the Gospels.
The best religious film I can think of is The Prince of Egypt. It truly finds the humanity and the family dynamics in the story of Moses. It's not preachy or pretentious.
@@thebluedragon07 What, they're gonna nitpick at every plot detail they find? "If he knew who the father was... why didn't he just tell him?" "I know, right? He should've just told him." "What a terrible uncle, man. He should have told him his father was Hitle-"
I wish Somebody started making films showing the horrors of Atheism like the League of Militant Godless in Soviet union. There are hundreds of films showing the bad things done by the Church but never a film about the horrors by Atheists.
Have you checked out the relatively recent film about Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand during their time in the Gulag or the 1990s Cambodia film? I do agree however that more media should be produced to show the horrors wrought by antitheism, I'd be very interested in a Vendee film or what's going on with the Uighurs in China today.
If you detail the horror of communism, it necessarily entails naming those that committed the evil. Check who the leaders and advocates for communism were, then check the over-represented racial group in a place like Hollywood or banking. The SOS is still playing their evil game after all this time.
Fantastic-so many great points. And though its not a movie, the series “The Chosen” @thechosen is amazing for its storytelling, detail, and performances-which is tough when dealing with the most known stories in history. Thanks for this video, may those in power heed your words!
Another problem with Christian movies is that their messages are not always theologically correct. "Selfie Dad" starring Michael Jr. has a character who described a childhood moment when he stole an ipod from yhe store, his dad caught him but lovingly talked with him about his crime and how it hurts the store and God, and then his dad bought the ipod for him, which the character said represented gods grace and goodness to humanity. I paused the movie and explained to my Christian roommates how bad this message is, because since the character didn't mention whether his dad made him confess and apologize to the store, it seemed to communicate that a Christian can expect God to not require taking responsibility for their actions and doing the hard work to reconcile with those they wrong. It's important to be careful, because just because it is a "Christian" movie does not automatically mean it communicates biblical ethics fully or responsibly.
The problem is in the expression "christian film" itself. Christianity is true and authentic. This is why "christian movie" feels ankward. Producer are limited in their approach because, you just can't invent truth. So christian movie ends up falling into these categories: - historical movie - a sermon disguised as a movie The easiest solution would be to make movie with christian values and themes like Narnia or LoR. It can be applied to art made by christians in general.
You can go the Flannery O’Connor route and show the messiness of the human condition, and what happens to that condition when God’s offer of grace is either accepted or rejected.
This was very helpful. I'm an aspiring writer and hope to publish a novel at some point. I've always wondered how to incorporate my faith into something without turning off a secular audience. This has really given me something to think about in terms of not just what to convey, but also how to convey it.
What's fascinating is that this philosophy doesn't extend just to films, but also to video games. It's much rarer to see a video game with Christian themes, but one of my absolute favorites is Chrono Trigger for the SNES. In a nutshell (without spoilers), the plot has to do with saving the world from a future apocalypse through time travel across various periods of history, and even has strong theme of self-sacrifice, heroism, courage, loving your enemies, etc. Almost all of the different characters and groups in the narrative have both virtues and vices, so it never feels like it demeans any particular group. Because of the time travel shenanigans, it represents all sorts of groups across history metaphorically, like early humans, the ancient Israelites, the Christians and Muslims during the Crusades, modern Christians and Muslims, and future humans during a dark apocalypse. There's even one part near the end of the game where everyone sits down around a campfire and discusses their perspective on the adventure and has a deep, philosophical conversation about memories and an Entity which inspired it all. It's truly incredible. Back in the day, Game Theory actually did a video explaining some of these connections, and although he misses out on some of the moral messages, he understands a lot of the narrative elements: th-cam.com/video/x-Sp62q2FAY/w-d-xo.html I'd recommend watching Chuggaconroy's Let's Play is you want to see footage of the whole game and all of the narrative themes put together; he covers it pretty in-depth: th-cam.com/play/PL_sYhAj0WXROBlFPHkRJ2-AgOq8ndsPJK.html
That's part of why I'm watching this. I was getting into game development (starting with visual novels) and wanted to think about what morals and themes my games would have. It's cool to find like-minded people.
I took a two year film/media course in school, and by the end of it I lost faith in my ability to do anything good in it. Seeing you be so genuine about how most Christian filmmaking IS and what it needs to change, it gives me great hope. Thank you 🕊️
Hopefully u can make a film in the future ... I wasn't aware that u had a degree in visual media! That's great .. that's explains the good quality of ur videos ... Thank u Jones
When thinking about Christian films, I am thinking about some secular films by Frank Capra; especially “Meet John Doe” or “Its a Wonderful Life.” I like these movies because the characters are not interested in punishing the villains or getting revenge. In both of the movies I mentioned above, the villains are not punished. Instead, the heroes of these two movies is on being better people or loving your neighbor. I think Christian movies should imitate this idea
One of the best pieces of Christianized media I ever read was the "Lucifer" series by Mike Carey. I expected it to be blatantly anti-christian. Instead, it was good. Very good. VERY innovative. I had to wonder "who is this author? Who is this Mike Carey guy?" Then I looked it up. Turns out Mike Carey is an Oxford Alumni. The very same Oxford responsible for Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I strongly encourage you to give it a read IP.
I have heard the films from the 50's and early 60's were good like Ben Hur as you mention also 10 commandments another classic. You should check out The Prince of Egypt a great animated story adaptation of the 10 commandments.
I loved the recent Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio", even though he is an atheist and lapsed Catholic, his version of Pinnochio was perhaps the most Biblical and Christian-themed film I have seen in a while, as well as one of the most authentic films I have seen too. Both the Woodsprite and Death both have massive Seraphim angel vibes (especially the Woodsprite). The place where Pinnochio appears after dying a couple of times in the film very much resembles Purgatory. Going to Church is very important for Geppetto, even after losing Carlo, his biological son. And he eventually finishes the giant wooden Crucifix that had been bombed in WWI (which also killed his aforementioned son. And Pinnochio is excited about going to Church (even defying Geppetto's command not to go). The priest character, while being depicted as being somewhat in bed with the 1930s Italian fascist state, is doing it more out of "go along to get along" and is for the most part depicted as a kind and helpful man. Unlike the depiction of the evil priest in the dinner scene of "Pan's Labyrinth" (another Guillermo del Toro film), who is very enthusiastic about the Falangist regime killing the opponents of the Francoist state...
It’s sad that an atheist is able to make a better Christian film than most Christians 😭 (Though there are some philosophical differences I might have with this specific depiction in regard to its attitude towards eternity and lying)
@@crazyalarmstudios2012 I agree. The style was cool. But the story was actually quite a mess, in meaning as well as in story-principles. I didnt mind at all that “being merely honest” is replaced with “blind obedience” vs “honorable defiance”. But the movie didnt make the point well - as a point of morality or as a compelling happening in the film. Pleasure Island being replaced by a fascist-youth training camp playing capture the flag was particularly dull, lifeless and less impactful. And the villain randomly showing up after Pinocchio is exploded out the camp and lands by the rocks was completely coincidental nonsense. It was also far more pagan than christian. Pinocchio even refers to Jesus being like him: a wooden idol. Its also particularly sad because the story could have been great. He was not a real boy, yet eternal. He could “live forever” but never live for real. His choice never was to give up a false immortality to risk a mortal life where his afterlife was actually of consequence - rather than a waiting room… and life precious rather than a video game with endless 1ups.
A recent movie that I think has a lot of Christian themes is Puss in Boots: The last wish. Basically it's about learning to appreciate and value life, your friends, and about learning not to fear death
I don't think a good Christian film is just limited to American made films either. My favorite movie "A Slient Voice" a Japanese animation screams Christian values such as redemption, forgiveness, and sacrifice. I truly believe because God is the creator of the universe and so entwined with it, when we create something ourselves we can't help but introduce the same ideas and values God has put in His own creation.
Have you watched the anime Vatican Miracle Examiners? It's most certainly out there considering Japan doesnt really "get" Christianity nonetheless the most interesting episode was episode 5
Now that I think about it, the secular film Sister Act does carry a Christian message, that change is possible for one who turns to Jesus Christ even if one has to deal with their past as a Christian
When it comes to movies with somewhat of a christian message/values; I really like Sam Ramis spider man trilogy. Aunt May portrays christianity in a very good way I think. Also captain america the first avenger, bridge of spies, forest gump, shooting dogs (about Rhwandian genocide) and the lives of others (das Leben der Anderen) are worth mentioning. Also, neighbours (Nachbarn) by mano khalil is very worth seeing, touching story about friendship, staying to ones morals and caring for neighbours even in hard times and confusion. A man called Ove also has a nice message about (spoilet alert) caring for each other, especially grumpy old people that have lost all their loved ones.
every christian should go watch A Hidden Life by Terrence Malick. It's a slow film but the most impactful, beautiful, raw, vulnerable, God-honoring christian film i've ever seen, even if it doesnt label itself christian
The scarcity of good Christian films more than any other factor is because of the gate-keeps in Hollywood, for two generations now, barring Christian creators from access to the industry. Christians now self-select away from the film-making field, and those who do not don't have access to the money and capital needed to succeed.
In my opinion, Christian content should ALWAYS be better than the world's content. They should be more creative, funnier, better looking, and wholesome.
@@thebluedragon07 I did not say that Christian content was better, I said it "should ALWAYS be better", which acknowledges that there are certain things that need to improve. With respect, your comment isn't necessary, and also holds the connotation that it is being communicated in an bad faith.
Really appreciate this breakdown. As a big fan of horror movies, I often make the case that horror can be one of the most Christian-themed genres out there. It treats things like demons and evil as objectively real, which they are. So many other genres are currently into subjectivity and everything being deconstructed into shades of gray. Even the latest Superman movies portray him, formerly the ideal of perfect goodness, as having a dark side. But horror doesn't work without the certainty of that which terrifies us. It hits our carnal flesh in a visceral way.
I'm going to push back a little bit. People don't mind preaching if it is well integrated with the plot. (Note: I am not a fan of the Christian films you ding, and I'm more of a reader, so I am going to reference books more than movies.) The Chronicles of Narnia contradict you somewhat. They don't have a sinner's prayer, but the good guys ultimately ally with Aslan, and the bad guys don't. Aslan's death and resurrection are also somewhat on the nose. Also, the Left Behind books sold well (eschatology generally does, even/especially when specious), and the book The Shack sold very well--I haven't checked to see how successful the film was. Both were preachy. Avatar 2 is doing pretty well, and it's rather preachy, though it's mercifully not Woke and portrays Dad Power positively, which may help. I think the use of stereotypes over actual characters and they tendency to lecture (not just preach) are the major problems. You've got to do better, writers!
As a Christian all literature gives us an opportunity to reflect on ourselves, others, and our relationship to our Lord as everything/everyone serves as an example for us to learn from. They're just not all good examples. As all of us have come short of his glory all are in need of his grace just in different ways. As we're all human there are lessons to learn from each other.
Bruce Almighty has a lot of Christian references. Morgan Freeman calls himself Alpha and Omega. He references a lot of Bible sayings. Also, when Bruce meets "God" (Morgan Freeman) he is the janitor, the electrician and the boss.....Trinity. lol.
I'd go so far as to say Dragonheart is a christian film, though correct me if I'm wrong. Just hear me out. Many of the themes include friendship, redemption, sacrifice, and acceptance of death. Draco (Sean Connery) is stricken with guilt over the fact he gave half his heart to Einon (David Thewlis) , who grew to be an evil tyrant like his father. Bowen (Dennis Quaid) is riddled with grief and grown cynical to the world because he believes it's Draco's fault. Yet inadvertently, the two grow to be friends and Bowen realizes the truth. It's not until Draco brings him to Avalon and he experiences a vision from King Arthur to remind him of the code he swore to as a knight. And in the end Draco sacrifices himself to free the kingdom from Einon's tyranny. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone.
Fantastic video as always IP. I've seen others mention how this can go along with video games as well, and i think a very good series that needs more appreciation is Kingdom Hearts. The themes in the stories are phenomenal; sacrifice, redemption, light and darkness, love, there's so many Christian themes that a series on just this series could be made.
Good presentation. What I really wanna know is when does the content itself (not the message) become anti-Christian? For example, you could make a film about the dangers of promiscuity / adultery that is in line with Biblical doctrine, but if you show a lot of sex / nudity, I would ASSUME you've crossed a line...? I like to make horror films with Christian themes and I do my best to not show any content that would be considered anti-Christian, but it's hard to define what that is or when you've crossed that line...
I guess it’s a bit dependent on our individual comfort levels with stuff like that. Personally, I wouldn’t show all that in any movie I would make, but those things in themselves aren’t bad. It all depends on context.
I liked the movie Risen, taken from a Roman point of view of Jesus's resurrection, it has a mystery about it and kind of like a detective finding answers. I thought it was well made.
Disney's Hunchback of notre dame is also a good example, Frollo is an active member of the church, yet he let his perverted lust for Esmeralda to lead his way, Esmeralda though being a gypsy is a very kind woman, she understands how hard it is for Quasimodo to be humiliated because she was in the same status as him though in a different way. It's like the good Samaritan in a way.
I have to agree. I have always personally found it interesting how much the difference between Esmeralda's prayer in "God help the outcasts" and Frollo's prayer in "Hellfire" reminds me of the parable about the prayers of a pharisee and tax collector. In both the movie and the parable, the person who you would expect to be closer to God has a prayer that is self-glorifying and prideful, where as the person who on the surface seems further from God gives a more genuine, humble and heartfelt prayer. I find both of these songs to be interesting to view from a Christian understanding, as I feel as though they can teach us about how to best pray, and what to avoid when it comes to prayer.
Just a lil request, could you cover the atheist/cessationist/whatever else objection “Why doesn’t God heal Amputees?” I would really appreciate it, it is a question I am seeing be raised more and more.
Here is an example : Cessationism. Dr MacArthur, who is a Preacher/Pastor, is a cessationist, holding that the "sign gifts" (such as prophecy) described in the Bible were temporarily granted to the apostles to authenticate the origin and truth of the scriptures, and that at the close of the Apostolic Age these gifts had served their purpose and ceased to be granted. Also, here is a good article to read......
@@maxkosterlitzky6597 Is this a real atheist argument? There are stories of God healing amputees. I don't understand how God healing amputees is somehow more believable than other illnesses
The passion of the Christ and The case for Christ are probably my only favorite christian movies. Hacksaw Ridge might be my third but i'm still thinking about it
Hacksaw Ridge is extremely strong. (spoiler alert for ppl who dont know the plot - you can't "spoil" history) The actual court process was a lot easier for Doss because you could register as a "conscientious objector" to serving with firearms, which meant he legally was very much allowed to go into battle without a gun. But not only did Doss treat the wounds of his enemies, resist bullying, and endure WW2, he also managed to save 75 men in a danger zone with multiple wounds of his own. His plea every single time - "Lord, help me get one more." And no, he wasn't done. After getting wounded himself, he gave his own place on a stretcher to someone else and crawled to safety some ridiculous distance I don't have a number for. In the movie Doss manages fifty men. The movie dulls down the miracle to make it believable because the real event was an act of God. That IS my go-to Christian movie.
@@kaeljadondavis2779 I agree. I read that in real life Dawson did A LOT more amazing things and the movie didn't put them in, Gibson said "if he did add them in than people wouldn't believe it was real". That's why it's maybe my third
Pixar films aren’t perfect. Wall-E was fairly political-contained at least one transparent anti George W Bush jab, as well as what comes off as preachy rhetoric against those who live sedentary lifestyles. Those elements just dated it and made it incapable of being a classic. Just imagine if Wizard of Oz contained anti-FDR rhetoric, or if Back to the Future lampooned Ronald Reagan in earnest rather than in jest-neither of those films might be the classics that they are.
I will like to argue that SnyderVerse DC films are pretty much Christian films too (Man Of Steel, Batman V Superman, Zack Snyder's Justice League) Superman is clearly a Christ-Like Figure, Bruce Wayne represents Paul before converting to Christianity (trying to kill Superman) but later on he realizes his mistake and Recruits the JL (just like the apostles) and Superman Comes back. It's not on the nose but you get the core Christian values from those movies.
Good work Brother Mike this could easily be in a film class (particularly at a christian school). Regardless, Christians films to me are kind of like sports or dance movies they often try to make the audience feel good and follow a particular formula. However, said formula can sometimes come off as cheesy or not be executed well. The film God's Not Dead is a good example of one that I think had potential but the execution was off and it was formulaic in places. Had they cut some of side stories there, and humanized the atheists character and not give him cartoonishly villainous moments, we could have had a better film as opposedto an ok one. Nevertheless, I haven't seen the purefilx films that are considered fairly decent like Breakthrough or I Can Only Imagine (and I'm sure they are), but it seems like those films also fall into some cheesy traps from what I've heard. Lastly, I get that people who casually watch movies may enjoy some of these christian films based on the message in it or how it speaks to them (which again is similar to sports movies or any film with an inspiring message), but there can be some wiggle room to tell interesting stories in christian films whether they are overtly christian or not.
Miyazaki came from a very different viewpoint than Christian. I think this is the confusing conundrum with making something Christian-compatible vs from a Christian world view. If broadened too far you merely end up with secular films that example decent morality and values. Broad themes are more a tool for corruption and confusion than truth. The serpent used themes close-enough as well. Christs parables were to reveal truths, not to mix vague themes with worldly values. Stranger Things. Praise the Christian themes? while it normalizes and glorifies homosexuality. Again: this is a tool for corruption not revelation. Christians do need to make better films. But if we get Christian values from animated films steeped in Shinto beliefs…. why make Christian films at all? We can appreciate these films. We can understand themes and appreciate broad ethics. And we can study secular and non-Christian films to learn what makes solid stories. I myself have attended Robert McKee seminars, among other story-telling training. But as Christians, are we trying to blend in? Or make better films that are distinct, different, and do indeed glorify God?
Chronicles of Heaven unshackled is a good book (that's free and can easily be found online) that observes several Christian authors such as Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in looking at why Christian fiction stories are so rare as well as some of the cons of writing them. I recommend checking it out. I consider the two biggest hurdles about creating Christian media that isn't Biblical or based on someone's life are that our unspiritual human sides include non-Christian elements and the difficulty of showing God's place in the story. There are several places in the Lord of the Rings where you can tell Tolkien's Norse side is speaking more than his Christian one. Having God involved in a fictional story can also be tricky, as it runs of the risk of being a dues ex machina if He is too present, but if He's barely involved than there's little difference between a Christian story and secular fantasy. A problem with some of the movie examples you included is that while they include "Christian" themes, not all of them were made by Christians. The lessons may be good, but they're typically shallow or surface level. The importance of forgiveness and repentance is great, yes, but Christianity can take they lessons much further and deeper and that aspect rarely shows up in films. Finally, I've noticed when talking to a lot of fellow Christians that when discussing theology and/or how to apply the lessons in daily life, a lot of people would rather go to the Bible itself or true stories than talk about the latest Christian movie or fiction book. It can be a springboard for discussion, but it always centers back to God and the Word. As impactful as movies can be, I don't think they're the best avenue for discussing Christianity.
It was also interesting that eleven, when she was bound by Vecna in the upside down, was trying to appeal to Vecna's conscience by emphasizing how papa treated him badly. She mistakenly thought Vecna did what he did because he felt wronged when in reality he only wanted to be God and Creator. By the way Michael, I thought it was interesting to hear you talk about Christianity being interwoven into our culture. It just goes to show how important religious identities are for human psychology. If you try to root Christianity out of your conscious identity, it will only live on in your subconscious identity. But no one should want that, cause it would only cause a gap in your conscious identity.
One of the most underrated film with Christian themes is, in my oppinion, K-pax from 2001 with Kevin Spacey. One of my favourite films ever. Highly recommend.
This is something I realized even as an agnostic, and one of my missions in life is to write a novel (whether it's ever translated to visual media, only God knows) to fulfill this gaping void in Christian evangelism. Please pray for me.
There are so many films that need to be made The Confessions Paradise Lost Alfred the Great Aquinas Nicea Faust Constantine St Cuthbert Our Christian heritage is rich with stories. All could do with making in a modern way yet remain faithful. Without the ripped sheets for clothes!!!
The answer is simple. Make Christians actually read fiction, mainly older works when culture was still decently Christian influenced. Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Flannery O’Connor. Most of the time, it feels like modern Christian directors have a shallow understanding of the classics, and instead just make Christian lifetime movies. Honestly, it’s the reason most movies in general suck. Only homaging, only referencing what’s currently popular. No understanding of the roots of why that’s popular, or any classic works. Christian directors feel the need to reinvent the wheel. Like they’re the first ones to make Christian works of cinema. There have already been tons of incredible directors who were Christian, very traditional conservative ones at that, Rohmer, Tarkovsky. Even Golden age classic directors. Cecile b Demille, Frank Capra, they were very devout. Christians have such a wonderful and beautiful legacy of art. God Himself is an artist. We need to embrace it.
Have you seen the series The Chosen? If so, any thoughts? I think it so fresh and different from other Christian projects that are out there. The characters are complex and multilayered. The portrayal of Jesus is different in that the writers are showing his humanity. Can Jesus tell jokes? Can Jesus play sports? It is fiction but still Biblical. And I never feel I'm being "preached to".
Great video! But Alan Moore is very much against Christianity and organised religion in general so I’d be interested how he’d feel about your Watchmen comparison.
If you havent seen The Nativity (2005) starring Oscar Isaacs and some other bigger name actors you are missing out. Its so well done and it's super faithful to the scriptures
Go ahead and tell us, who knows you might just need a little advice in order to tweek your character, I'm also creating a story that has a main character who's a practicing Christian.
@@pariahpariah70481. My main character's name is, David Anthonis who was born December 30th, 1991, in Staten island New York. 2. His father (Alejandro Anthonis) was a paraguayan construction worker, and his mother (Maria Anthonis) died shortly after child birth, due to an infection she caught during the C section that had to be performed on her, leading David to be raised only by his father. 3. Alejandro Anthonis tried to be a good a good father, and for the most part seemed successful, as David was well mannered as a little boy, who got along with his cousins, as well as, Luna, who was the daughter of his deceased mother's friend, but David liked to regard her a part of the family. David also had a deep fascination with technology and science, However his grades weren't doing so hot, as they were pretty low in math, and David had developed somewhat of a temper due to the bullies in his early life. For the most part though, David seemed happy. 4. David's relationship with God was pretty mixed, because on one hand, the idea of God seemed so beautiful, while on the other, why would God allow suffering in the world, and hasn't evolution disproven God? 5. When David was ten years old, his father discovered some apologetics books, and told him to read them. They had answered a lot of his his questions, and he asked for more, as they answered questions he didn't even consider, and they got him into the ancient histories of Rome, Greece, and Egypt, thus David became a staunch Christian, at a young age. 6. As time went by, David's grades in math began to slowly improve in middle school, and in high school they just got better. The 2000's were when his early years peaked. He met many friends, hung out a lot with his cousins, and even managed to go to South Dakota to see his fun Uncle (Herman), he even got piano lessons by Luna, who by this point was taking piano class. Eventually he got into Manhattan University, and all the great things in his life, were things he attributed to God. 7. Aged 21, David graduated with an honors in Mechatronics engineering, and a bachelor's in art, as his double major, and his family decided to celebrate at his cousin's (Greg's) house, but his father had to work late.
@@arielriquelme913 I like what you've written so far, you've pretty much fleshed out David's home situation succinctly, you've created great supporting characters. On that front it's all good, I do acknowledge that you're yet to write out a little bit more but I like what you've written so far. In terms of advice I still need to hear what powers David eventually gets or is he born with them, what is the inciting incident that leads him to become a hero, does he have an uncle Ben or Bruce Wayne's parents situation to spur him to action as in his father being his only surviving parent eventually going missing for example? Maybe you could start the story by having David actually have left the faith a while ago due to his father not accompanying him because of work and perhaps you could expand on why David eventually comes to rediscover his faith, not just through apologetics but perhaps with an old mentor character who's seen stuff, maybe a lonely veteran who tries to correct David's path in life as his father is too busy and eventually invites him to church where he makes positive friendships and an environment which stimulates David's curiosity(academically, he leans that being a Christian doesn't mean you stop asking questions about the universe) and leads to him finding solace in his faith, maybe old timer loses his life and David becomes a hero because of him. You could create antagonists who directly oppose him because of his faith, you could thematically tie this conflict into his faith or better yet even have David have an ally of another faith who he disagrees with but deeply values their opinions nonetheless and who can teach David about nonChristians. I love coming up with villains btw, if you're interested I could whip you up something. Are you planning on drawing the story in comic form or just writing it as a novel? You've given me a lot of biography and have definitely placed David's faith as an important part of his character (as you should) but you need to now flesh out his other supporting cast and how he is to interact with the world, for instance does he go through realistic crisis of faith when he feels God hasn't answered his prayer because he fails to save some people or perhaps he has to learn that not everyone will believe what he believes but while he shoud respect others that doesn't mean he has to put down his own beliefs to placate them etc. You've gotta now create 'problems' for your character so that once he falls we the readers can enjoy watching how you pick him up. Check out Castlevania Lords of Shadow 1 cutscenes on TH-cam, see how Gabriel remains faithful and trusts the Lord to the end even under terrible circumstances same with Marvel's daredevim, try to incorporate the same themes just spice it up a little bit. One thing I can say we as viewers are tied of cynical 'deconstructions' of beloved heroes, perhaps creating a genuinely wholesome character, one who's not necessarily a square but is firm yet kind will be refreshing. I guess that's as much advice I can provide at the moment, will definitely be looking forward to hearing from you in the future. Plug your social media so I can follow you why don't you.
In my opinion, being a Christian, I would love a Christian movie that recounts the life of Jesus, there are already many like that, but I would love for this one to have a different style, have you seen the movie Loving Vincent? This film tells the life of van Gogh with an artistic and drawn style similar to the works he has done, well, taking as an example, I always imagined and would love a film about the life of Jesus, his apostles, apocalypse where he has the artistic style that has been represented in the famous paintings of various artists, drawn each part and animated as his birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, when he gives the sermon, when he heals people and gives his wisdom, his crucifixion and death, I would love a movie like that
I am planning on doing several animated Bible films, among which is a trilogy of movies based on the life of Jesus Christ. I already have the character designs and overall feel in mind. I hope I get to make these movies someday soon.
Paused at 9:52 to write this comment. Silence by Shusaku Endo made me feel uncomfortable. And that's a beautiful thing. It made me think about how to find God in all things despite all the pain and suffering in the world.
I loved the book! Read also The Samurai by him, it's the companion book to Silence, with the story of a Japanese envoy to Europe and the priest who accompanies this group of diplomats to the court of the Spanish king and then back to Japan.
Y’all need to make one I’ll definitely pay for it if I have to and so will for my friends and everyone I come across too but it has to be the most authentic film there is or at least a series ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have an idea for a Christian horror thriller movie, and this movie is dark, gory and disturbing; almost on the level of Saw or Martyrs: There was a 17 year old girl named Maya who lives in a rural village located deep within the forests. Maya was extremely beautiful and attractive; everyone who saw her lusted upon her, from little boys to old men with gray hairs and beards, and, there was also a great, powerful and mighty kingdom known as Aretz-Ra. Aretz-Ra has a king named Abbahosek, and Abbahosek was a wicked and evil king, who was also great, powerful and mighty; the whole world he conquered, women he made widows and children he made fatherless, principalities and powers he defeated, large cities he massacred, kings and emperors he put to death, and whole armies he annihilated, and Abbahosek also has the desire to become immortal and to live forever. So then, one day, when Abbahosek and his men went hunting, Abbahosek spotted Maya's village, which he had not conquered yet. So, Abbahosek and his men went up to Maya's village, and as his eyes were casted upon Maya's beautiful body, lust entered Abbahosek's mind and heart, and he had the desire to kidnap, rape and torture Maya; for he is wicked and sadistic, and the reason why Abbahosek wants to torture Maya is because, Maya is actually immortal, and Abbahosek wants to torture her so that when she feels pain, her body would produce Adrenochrome, which when injected to someone's body, the person will get stronger and have a longer lifespan. So then, at night time, Abbahosek gathered his army and his horses and his charriots, and they raided and attacked the village; they brutally killed all the villagers by chopping their heads off, slicing their stomachs open until their intestines spilled out, and the village was now a gory mess with blood, guts, dismemebered body parts everywhere, and the cries of women and children filled the air. Abbahosek then killed both of Maya's parents and kidnapped Maya, and Maya was brought to his carriage and was brought to his castle which is in Aretz-Ra, Abbahosek's kingdom. In Abbahosek's castle, Abbahosek appointed 2 demons to torture and torment Maya; the first demon is a mutated abomination with the genitals of both males and females sticking out all over his body, and tentacles were also in the first demon's body. The first demon is named Ragag. The second demon has 3 heads; the head of a mouse, monkey and also a rat, oh yeah, and Maya was also knocked unconscious, the second demon is named Kirios. Upon waking up from her deep slumber, Maya woke up in a dirty cell. She then got up and she realized that there were large metal bars that guarded the cell. Maya was scared and horrified and she screamed and tried to escape from the cell. But then, Maya realized that the 2 demons were also in the cell with her. As Maya stared at the 2 demons, she could feel the wickedness, the evil, and the hatred in the eyes of the 2 demons, and the 2 demons were also armed with cat-o-nine tails, and the cat-o-nine tails had sharp bones and sharp hooks woven onto each string. In the cell, Maya's arms were also restrained using chains, making her unable to escape. The 2 demons then raised their whips, and they brutally scourged Maya over and over again. As she was scourged, her flesh was torn and cut, her skin was ripped off, and blood flowed and spurted out of her naked body, and she screamed and cried loudly. After multiple lashes, Maya lost a lot of blood, and the claws in the strings of the whips ripped large chunks of her flesh off; revealing her backbone, and as the demons were scourging and torturing her, they were laughing sadistically. After the demons scourged Maya, blood does not stop flowing from her damaged body, and Maya then cried and cried and cried, and she felt hopeless and depressed, as if hopelessness and depression left her body, and Maya was half-unconscious bc of the torture. After that, the 2 Ragag approached Maya, and he proceeds to rape Maya by penetrating her using his tentacles, and Maya then screamed and moaned in pain. Every day, the 2 demons would torture and rape her, but she would keep regenerating and would never die, and after torturing her, they would always take her blood and deliver them to Abbahosek. But then, one night, as Maya was sleeping in her cell, she had a dream. In the dream, Maya was taken up to a very beautiful garden, and in the garden, she saw a creature in front of her. The creature has 3 heads; the head of a man, the head of a lamb, and the head of a lion. The creature represents the Son of Man; the head of a man represents His identity as a man, the head of a lion represents His power and authority as a king, and the head of a lamb represents his humility and sacrifice that He will make for the whole world. As Maya kept staring at the creature, she felt a bit of hope and a bit of joy in her, and after the dream was over, she had even more weird, prophetic dreams about Jesus, and she had a feeling that someone would one day come and rescue her from the wicked kingdom of Aretz-Ra.
Plz do a video on Judaism's rejection of Jesus, and why jews don't believe Jesus was the Messiah, what should be done about this, how should they be convinced?
About your note on Tolkien's question about what Galadriel meant by "passing the test" . . . If anyone here hasn't read Stephen King's Dark Tower series, there is some wild stuff in there. King seems to have a similar relationship with his characters; they almost unfold before him and tell him what they're doing.
My favorite Christian movie is The Apostle. Robert Duvall was nominated for an Oscar for it. He preaches a lot in the movie but it's not preaching to the audience. He's also flawed with a bad temper and he sometimes swears. But he's a good man who converts a racist and changes a community after a tragic mistake. Roger Ebert gave it 4/4 stars by the way. It's a great movie. :)
Make a good film with craft and care and it can be about anything. Don’t put d-list has beens in it. Don’t pimp it out on Trinity Broadcasting Network. Don’t cudgel people with sermons. Don’t shy away from the R-rating. The Bible is not rated PG. It’s gritty. I think a series about the monarchy of Israel and Judah or the period of Judges would be awesome but it wouldn’t be for kids.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 89 | คู่เอก "ยอดไอคิว vs คิริลล์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z3vYkHJ_5Ig/mqdefault.jpg)
It’d be nice to have a historically accurate biblical film that captures the feel of the ancient near East.
I thought that good king David film was pretty good, British accents aside 😂
@@EvilXtianity the search engine is your friend use it
@@EvilXtianity You're making an assumption and that's bad even if you don't believe in Jesus.
@@EvilXtianity who's teaching you people that? Only internet graduated atheists think Jesus didn't exist. I wonder which echo chamber it's coming from. And it's not my responsibility to educate the uniformed. But I will answer your question on one person in history who witnessed the Messiah, Pontius Pilate.
@@EvilXtianity You say none of the Gospel writers witnessed Jesus. That implies that you either 1. Know who the Gospel writers were and they weren’t the people who’s names are on them, particularly Matthew and John, but possibly Mark, or you’re reading different Gospels. The apostles Matthew and John say Jesus, according to the Gospels.
The best religious film I can think of is The Prince of Egypt. It truly finds the humanity and the family dynamics in the story of Moses. It's not preachy or pretentious.
As an aspiring writer, this is something I've always wanted to do. I promise you guys, creating Christian content will be my life mission. 🙌
Keep us updated!
Love it. I’ll be praying for you
Perhaps we can work together sometime
I look forward in seeing it get review on God Awful Movies channel.
@@thebluedragon07 What, they're gonna nitpick at every plot detail they find?
"If he knew who the father was... why didn't he just tell him?"
"I know, right? He should've just told him."
"What a terrible uncle, man. He should have told him his father was Hitle-"
I wish Somebody started making films showing the horrors of Atheism like the League of Militant Godless in Soviet union. There are hundreds of films showing the bad things done by the Church but never a film about the horrors by Atheists.
Have you checked out the relatively recent film about Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand during their time in the Gulag or the 1990s Cambodia film? I do agree however that more media should be produced to show the horrors wrought by antitheism, I'd be very interested in a Vendee film or what's going on with the Uighurs in China today.
If you detail the horror of communism, it necessarily entails naming those that committed the evil. Check who the leaders and advocates for communism were, then check the over-represented racial group in a place like Hollywood or banking. The SOS is still playing their evil game after all this time.
Atheist here.
The horrors of it exist only in your mind.
Fantastic-so many great points. And though its not a movie, the series “The Chosen” @thechosen is amazing for its storytelling, detail, and performances-which is tough when dealing with the most known stories in history. Thanks for this video, may those in power heed your words!
The chosen is the best example of a good Christian show . Its not cringe or preachy it is a story told in a different authentic way
Another problem with Christian movies is that their messages are not always theologically correct. "Selfie Dad" starring Michael Jr. has a character who described a childhood moment when he stole an ipod from yhe store, his dad caught him but lovingly talked with him about his crime and how it hurts the store and God, and then his dad bought the ipod for him, which the character said represented gods grace and goodness to humanity. I paused the movie and explained to my Christian roommates how bad this message is, because since the character didn't mention whether his dad made him confess and apologize to the store, it seemed to communicate that a Christian can expect God to not require taking responsibility for their actions and doing the hard work to reconcile with those they wrong. It's important to be careful, because just because it is a "Christian" movie does not automatically mean it communicates biblical ethics fully or responsibly.
True dat
And also in Noah's movie, the Wachters helped him!!! Oh my God.
Or you could just accept that modern Christianity is completely false and accept true monotheism
@@Saber23 false dat
@@I9s7lam5is-S3tu1pid what does that even mean?
I think hacksaw ridge is one of the best movie that incorporates Christian themes alongside Martin Scorsese film Silence
Terrence Malik's film A Hidden Life is also great.
@@matthewmusgrave6673 might need to check it out then
@@matthewmusgrave6673thanks I’ll check it out thanks
Great call
The problem is in the expression "christian film" itself. Christianity is true and authentic. This is why "christian movie" feels ankward. Producer are limited in their approach because, you just can't invent truth. So christian movie ends up falling into these categories:
- historical movie
- a sermon disguised as a movie
The easiest solution would be to make movie with christian values and themes like Narnia or LoR. It can be applied to art made by christians in general.
Christianity has never been shown to be true and authentic... at all.
Please give me the evidence behind a single supernatural claim of the bible.
You can go the Flannery O’Connor route and show the messiness of the human condition, and what happens to that condition when God’s offer of grace is either accepted or rejected.
The movie Man of God about a fairly recent Orthodox Saint is AWESOME. Worth a blu ray purchase for sure.
Yes. Beautiful film.
This was very helpful. I'm an aspiring writer and hope to publish a novel at some point. I've always wondered how to incorporate my faith into something without turning off a secular audience. This has really given me something to think about in terms of not just what to convey, but also how to convey it.
Silence from Martin scorsese was really good
Good and bad are RELATIVE. 😉
Scorsese's film is actually a remake of a much-better film made in 1971 by Masahiro Shinoda.
What's fascinating is that this philosophy doesn't extend just to films, but also to video games. It's much rarer to see a video game with Christian themes, but one of my absolute favorites is Chrono Trigger for the SNES. In a nutshell (without spoilers), the plot has to do with saving the world from a future apocalypse through time travel across various periods of history, and even has strong theme of self-sacrifice, heroism, courage, loving your enemies, etc. Almost all of the different characters and groups in the narrative have both virtues and vices, so it never feels like it demeans any particular group. Because of the time travel shenanigans, it represents all sorts of groups across history metaphorically, like early humans, the ancient Israelites, the Christians and Muslims during the Crusades, modern Christians and Muslims, and future humans during a dark apocalypse. There's even one part near the end of the game where everyone sits down around a campfire and discusses their perspective on the adventure and has a deep, philosophical conversation about memories and an Entity which inspired it all. It's truly incredible.
Back in the day, Game Theory actually did a video explaining some of these connections, and although he misses out on some of the moral messages, he understands a lot of the narrative elements: th-cam.com/video/x-Sp62q2FAY/w-d-xo.html
I'd recommend watching Chuggaconroy's Let's Play is you want to see footage of the whole game and all of the narrative themes put together; he covers it pretty in-depth: th-cam.com/play/PL_sYhAj0WXROBlFPHkRJ2-AgOq8ndsPJK.html
That's part of why I'm watching this. I was getting into game development (starting with visual novels) and wanted to think about what morals and themes my games would have. It's cool to find like-minded people.
I took a two year film/media course in school, and by the end of it I lost faith in my ability to do anything good in it. Seeing you be so genuine about how most Christian filmmaking IS and what it needs to change, it gives me great hope. Thank you 🕊️
Hopefully u can make a film in the future ... I wasn't aware that u had a degree in visual media! That's great .. that's explains the good quality of ur videos ... Thank u Jones
Thank you for the donation!
When thinking about Christian films, I am thinking about some secular films by Frank Capra; especially “Meet John Doe” or “Its a Wonderful Life.” I like these movies because the characters are not interested in punishing the villains or getting revenge. In both of the movies I mentioned above, the villains are not punished. Instead, the heroes of these two movies is on being better people or loving your neighbor. I think Christian movies should imitate this idea
they tried this and it they come out short and bland where there's no evolving for any of the characters.
One of the best pieces of Christianized media I ever read was the "Lucifer" series by Mike Carey. I expected it to be blatantly anti-christian. Instead, it was good. Very good. VERY innovative. I had to wonder "who is this author? Who is this Mike Carey guy?"
Then I looked it up.
Turns out Mike Carey is an Oxford Alumni. The very same Oxford responsible for Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
I strongly encourage you to give it a read IP.
That prodigal son parable has a new angle for me. I didn't think about how it ended on a cliffhanger. Very interesting!
I have heard the films from the 50's and early 60's were good like Ben Hur as you mention also 10 commandments another classic. You should check out The Prince of Egypt a great animated story adaptation of the 10 commandments.
I loved the recent Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio", even though he is an atheist and lapsed Catholic, his version of Pinnochio was perhaps the most Biblical and Christian-themed film I have seen in a while, as well as one of the most authentic films I have seen too. Both the Woodsprite and Death both have massive Seraphim angel vibes (especially the Woodsprite). The place where Pinnochio appears after dying a couple of times in the film very much resembles Purgatory. Going to Church is very important for Geppetto, even after losing Carlo, his biological son. And he eventually finishes the giant wooden Crucifix that had been bombed in WWI (which also killed his aforementioned son. And Pinnochio is excited about going to Church (even defying Geppetto's command not to go).
The priest character, while being depicted as being somewhat in bed with the 1930s Italian fascist state, is doing it more out of "go along to get along" and is for the most part depicted as a kind and helpful man. Unlike the depiction of the evil priest in the dinner scene of "Pan's Labyrinth" (another Guillermo del Toro film), who is very enthusiastic about the Falangist regime killing the opponents of the Francoist state...
It’s sad that an atheist is able to make a better Christian film than most Christians 😭
(Though there are some philosophical differences I might have with this specific depiction in regard to its attitude towards eternity and lying)
@@crazyalarmstudios2012 I agree. The style was cool. But the story was actually quite a mess, in meaning as well as in story-principles. I didnt mind at all that “being merely honest” is replaced with “blind obedience” vs “honorable defiance”.
But the movie didnt make the point well - as a point of morality or as a compelling happening in the film.
Pleasure Island being replaced by a fascist-youth training camp playing capture the flag was particularly dull, lifeless and less impactful.
And the villain randomly showing up after Pinocchio is exploded out the camp and lands by the rocks was completely coincidental nonsense.
It was also far more pagan than christian.
Pinocchio even refers to Jesus being like him: a wooden idol.
Its also particularly sad because the story could have been great. He was not a real boy, yet eternal. He could “live forever” but never live for real.
His choice never was to give up a false immortality to risk a mortal life where his afterlife was actually of consequence - rather than a waiting room… and life precious rather than a video game with endless 1ups.
Also the cherubim shows up too
Love that man so talented
A recent movie that I think has a lot of Christian themes is Puss in Boots: The last wish.
Basically it's about learning to appreciate and value life, your friends, and about learning not to fear death
I loved that film, and I was not expecting to.
“The Iron Giant” is so overlooked.
That animated movie is one of my favourite.
I don't think a good Christian film is just limited to American made films either. My favorite movie "A Slient Voice" a Japanese animation screams Christian values such as redemption, forgiveness, and sacrifice. I truly believe because God is the creator of the universe and so entwined with it, when we create something ourselves we can't help but introduce the same ideas and values God has put in His own creation.
Have you watched the anime Vatican Miracle Examiners? It's most certainly out there considering Japan doesnt really "get" Christianity nonetheless the most interesting episode was episode 5
@@pariahpariah7048 sounds interesting, I'll definitely give it a try.
@@th3secretpro365 Again it's out there because it's Japan and Christianity but that episode was alright imo👍
Ew, I cant stand that japanese trash.
I always point to Lord of the Rings as the greatest Christian film/book ever written
Just watched this again. Very fascinating. It’s making me think a lot. Excellent thoughts here. Thanks, Michael!
Thank you so much IP! I love writing stories, and this has helped me a lot. Another thing, let us write to the glory of God.
VINLAND SAGA is all about true, unconditional love for your enemies!
Now that I think about it, the secular film Sister Act does carry a Christian message, that change is possible for one who turns to Jesus Christ even if one has to deal with their past as a Christian
And _The Prince of Egypt_
When it comes to movies with somewhat of a christian message/values; I really like Sam Ramis spider man trilogy. Aunt May portrays christianity in a very good way I think. Also captain america the first avenger, bridge of spies, forest gump, shooting dogs (about Rhwandian genocide) and the lives of others (das Leben der Anderen) are worth mentioning. Also, neighbours (Nachbarn) by mano khalil is very worth seeing, touching story about friendship, staying to ones morals and caring for neighbours even in hard times and confusion. A man called Ove also has a nice message about (spoilet alert) caring for each other, especially grumpy old people that have lost all their loved ones.
I agree with all the points you raised , much of what you said can be applied to Christian music too.
every christian should go watch A Hidden Life by Terrence Malick. It's a slow film but the most impactful, beautiful, raw, vulnerable, God-honoring christian film i've ever seen, even if it doesnt label itself christian
@@augustine.c8204 facts
The Ransom Trilogy so has to be made into a film series (finally). But it would have to be done right for sure. A very fine line there.
West World is one of my favourite shows of all time, and I also appreciated the Christian archetypes, particularly Bernhard.
The scarcity of good Christian films more than any other factor is because of the gate-keeps in Hollywood, for two generations now, barring Christian creators from access to the industry. Christians now self-select away from the film-making field, and those who do not don't have access to the money and capital needed to succeed.
In my opinion, Christian content should ALWAYS be better than the world's content. They should be more creative, funnier, better looking, and wholesome.
well thats a laugh, for I find them to be boring and static for a lot of Christian content have very little to offer.
@@thebluedragon07 I did not say that Christian content was better, I said it "should ALWAYS be better", which acknowledges that there are certain things that need to improve. With respect, your comment isn't necessary, and also holds the connotation that it is being communicated in an bad faith.
This was really helpful.. keep doing what you do. Weldone!
Really appreciate this breakdown. As a big fan of horror movies, I often make the case that horror can be one of the most Christian-themed genres out there. It treats things like demons and evil as objectively real, which they are.
So many other genres are currently into subjectivity and everything being deconstructed into shades of gray. Even the latest Superman movies portray him, formerly the ideal of perfect goodness, as having a dark side. But horror doesn't work without the certainty of that which terrifies us. It hits our carnal flesh in a visceral way.
I'm going to push back a little bit. People don't mind preaching if it is well integrated with the plot. (Note: I am not a fan of the Christian films you ding, and I'm more of a reader, so I am going to reference books more than movies.) The Chronicles of Narnia contradict you somewhat. They don't have a sinner's prayer, but the good guys ultimately ally with Aslan, and the bad guys don't. Aslan's death and resurrection are also somewhat on the nose. Also, the Left Behind books sold well (eschatology generally does, even/especially when specious), and the book The Shack sold very well--I haven't checked to see how successful the film was. Both were preachy. Avatar 2 is doing pretty well, and it's rather preachy, though it's mercifully not Woke and portrays Dad Power positively, which may help.
I think the use of stereotypes over actual characters and they tendency to lecture (not just preach) are the major problems. You've got to do better, writers!
As a Christian all literature gives us an opportunity to reflect on ourselves, others, and our relationship to our Lord as everything/everyone serves as an example for us to learn from. They're just not all good examples. As all of us have come short of his glory all are in need of his grace just in different ways. As we're all human there are lessons to learn from each other.
The original TRON : A user (and programmer) becomes a program, but has to sacrifice himself to save the entire network from Master Control.
@@frederickherrmann9719 wow I never realized it from that perspective
One of the best, I still love to this day, is !!!! Hero The Rock Opera It has a message, a story, acting, singing, and Opera ...lol
Bruce Almighty has a lot of Christian references. Morgan Freeman calls himself Alpha and Omega. He references a lot of Bible sayings. Also, when Bruce meets "God" (Morgan Freeman) he is the janitor, the electrician and the boss.....Trinity. lol.
’The Shawshank Redemption‘ is a great Christian movie.
Yeah. Logos Made Flesh did a good review of it.
I'd go so far as to say Dragonheart is a christian film, though correct me if I'm wrong. Just hear me out. Many of the themes include friendship, redemption, sacrifice, and acceptance of death. Draco (Sean Connery) is stricken with guilt over the fact he gave half his heart to Einon (David Thewlis) , who grew to be an evil tyrant like his father. Bowen (Dennis Quaid) is riddled with grief and grown cynical to the world because he believes it's Draco's fault. Yet inadvertently, the two grow to be friends and Bowen realizes the truth. It's not until Draco brings him to Avalon and he experiences a vision from King Arthur to remind him of the code he swore to as a knight. And in the end Draco sacrifices himself to free the kingdom from Einon's tyranny. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone.
Fantastic video as always IP. I've seen others mention how this can go along with video games as well, and i think a very good series that needs more appreciation is Kingdom Hearts. The themes in the stories are phenomenal; sacrifice, redemption, light and darkness, love, there's so many Christian themes that a series on just this series could be made.
Good presentation. What I really wanna know is when does the content itself (not the message) become anti-Christian? For example, you could make a film about the dangers of promiscuity / adultery that is in line with Biblical doctrine, but if you show a lot of sex / nudity, I would ASSUME you've crossed a line...? I like to make horror films with Christian themes and I do my best to not show any content that would be considered anti-Christian, but it's hard to define what that is or when you've crossed that line...
I guess it’s a bit dependent on our individual comfort levels with stuff like that. Personally, I wouldn’t show all that in any movie I would make, but those things in themselves aren’t bad. It all depends on context.
I liked the movie Risen, taken from a Roman point of view of Jesus's resurrection, it has a mystery about it and kind of like a detective finding answers. I thought it was well made.
Watched it not too long ago, and I agree: it is a well done movie.
Disney's Hunchback of notre dame is also a good example, Frollo is an active member of the church, yet he let his perverted lust for Esmeralda to lead his way, Esmeralda though being a gypsy is a very kind woman, she understands how hard it is for Quasimodo to be humiliated because she was in the same status as him though in a different way. It's like the good Samaritan in a way.
I have to agree. I have always personally found it interesting how much the difference between Esmeralda's prayer in "God help the outcasts" and Frollo's prayer in "Hellfire" reminds me of the parable about the prayers of a pharisee and tax collector. In both the movie and the parable, the person who you would expect to be closer to God has a prayer that is self-glorifying and prideful, where as the person who on the surface seems further from God gives a more genuine, humble and heartfelt prayer. I find both of these songs to be interesting to view from a Christian understanding, as I feel as though they can teach us about how to best pray, and what to avoid when it comes to prayer.
One of my favorite movies is the Shawshank redemption which has a lot of Christian themes and has always resonated with me
Hope you talk about christian videogames one day.
What is a "Christian game"?
We need those.
@Polimuni Doom.
Just a lil request, could you cover the atheist/cessationist/whatever else objection “Why doesn’t God heal Amputees?”
I would really appreciate it, it is a question I am seeing be raised more and more.
Are you a THEIST? 🤔
If so, what are the reasons for your BELIEF in God? 🤓
Here is an example : Cessationism. Dr MacArthur, who is a Preacher/Pastor, is a cessationist, holding that the "sign gifts" (such as prophecy) described in the Bible were temporarily granted to the apostles to authenticate the origin and truth of the scriptures, and that at the close of the Apostolic Age these gifts had served their purpose and ceased to be granted.
Also, here is a good article to read......
@@terrygerlarneau2783 could I get the article?
@@TheWorldTeacher are you unironically asking? Because I can pull out the list
@@maxkosterlitzky6597 Is this a real atheist argument? There are stories of God healing amputees. I don't understand how God healing amputees is somehow more believable than other illnesses
The passion of the Christ and The case for Christ are probably my only favorite christian movies. Hacksaw Ridge might be my third but i'm still thinking about it
Hacksaw Ridge is extremely strong. (spoiler alert for ppl who dont know the plot - you can't "spoil" history)
The actual court process was a lot easier for Doss because you could register as a "conscientious objector" to serving with firearms, which meant he legally was very much allowed to go into battle without a gun. But not only did Doss treat the wounds of his enemies, resist bullying, and endure WW2, he also managed to save 75 men in a danger zone with multiple wounds of his own. His plea every single time -
"Lord, help me get one more."
And no, he wasn't done. After getting wounded himself, he gave his own place on a stretcher to someone else and crawled to safety some ridiculous distance I don't have a number for. In the movie Doss manages fifty men.
The movie dulls down the miracle to make it believable because the real event was an act of God. That IS my go-to Christian movie.
@@kaeljadondavis2779 I agree. I read that in real life Dawson did A LOT more amazing things and the movie didn't put them in, Gibson said "if he did add them in than people wouldn't believe it was real". That's why it's maybe my third
Thank you IP.
Pixar films aren’t perfect. Wall-E was fairly political-contained at least one transparent anti George W Bush jab, as well as what comes off as preachy rhetoric against those who live sedentary lifestyles. Those elements just dated it and made it incapable of being a classic. Just imagine if Wizard of Oz contained anti-FDR rhetoric, or if Back to the Future lampooned Ronald Reagan in earnest rather than in jest-neither of those films might be the classics that they are.
:/ sedentary lifestyles are bad. this principle transcends time. they are always bad.
Thank you for everything you do brother.
I will like to argue that SnyderVerse DC films are pretty much Christian films too (Man Of Steel, Batman V Superman, Zack Snyder's Justice League)
Superman is clearly a Christ-Like Figure, Bruce Wayne represents Paul before converting to Christianity (trying to kill Superman) but later on he realizes his mistake and Recruits the JL (just like the apostles) and Superman Comes back.
It's not on the nose but you get the core Christian values from those movies.
Great video. Please, consider making a video about the hypothesis about Moses being Akhenaten.
Good work Brother Mike this could easily be in a film class (particularly at a christian school).
Regardless, Christians films to me are kind of like sports or dance movies they often try to make the audience feel good and follow a particular formula. However, said formula can sometimes come off as cheesy or not be executed well. The film God's Not Dead is a good example of one that I think had potential but the execution was off and it was formulaic in places. Had they cut some of side stories there, and humanized the atheists character and not give him cartoonishly villainous moments, we could have had a better film as opposedto an ok one.
Nevertheless, I haven't seen the purefilx films that are considered fairly decent like Breakthrough or I Can Only Imagine (and I'm sure they are), but it seems like those films also fall into some cheesy traps from what I've heard.
Lastly, I get that people who casually watch movies may enjoy some of these christian films based on the message in it or how it speaks to them (which again is similar to sports movies or any film with an inspiring message), but there can be some wiggle room to tell interesting stories in christian films whether they are overtly christian or not.
All of Miyazaki’s films have beautiful Christian themes!
Miyazaki came from a very different viewpoint than Christian. I think this is the confusing conundrum with making something Christian-compatible vs from a Christian world view. If broadened too far you merely end up with secular films that example decent morality and values. Broad themes are more a tool for corruption and confusion than truth. The serpent used themes close-enough as well. Christs parables were to reveal truths, not to mix vague themes with worldly values.
Stranger Things. Praise the Christian themes? while it normalizes and glorifies homosexuality. Again: this is a tool for corruption not revelation.
Christians do need to make better films. But if we get Christian values from animated films steeped in Shinto beliefs…. why make Christian films at all?
We can appreciate these films. We can understand themes and appreciate broad ethics. And we can study secular and non-Christian films to learn what makes solid stories. I myself have attended Robert McKee seminars, among other story-telling training.
But as Christians, are we trying to blend in? Or make better films that are distinct, different, and do indeed glorify God?
I love LORD of the Ring 💍 😍 and Narnia ✍️
Chronicles of Heaven unshackled is a good book (that's free and can easily be found online) that observes several Christian authors such as Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in looking at why Christian fiction stories are so rare as well as some of the cons of writing them. I recommend checking it out.
I consider the two biggest hurdles about creating Christian media that isn't Biblical or based on someone's life are that our unspiritual human sides include non-Christian elements and the difficulty of showing God's place in the story. There are several places in the Lord of the Rings where you can tell Tolkien's Norse side is speaking more than his Christian one. Having God involved in a fictional story can also be tricky, as it runs of the risk of being a dues ex machina if He is too present, but if He's barely involved than there's little difference between a Christian story and secular fantasy.
A problem with some of the movie examples you included is that while they include "Christian" themes, not all of them were made by Christians. The lessons may be good, but they're typically shallow or surface level. The importance of forgiveness and repentance is great, yes, but Christianity can take they lessons much further and deeper and that aspect rarely shows up in films.
Finally, I've noticed when talking to a lot of fellow Christians that when discussing theology and/or how to apply the lessons in daily life, a lot of people would rather go to the Bible itself or true stories than talk about the latest Christian movie or fiction book. It can be a springboard for discussion, but it always centers back to God and the Word. As impactful as movies can be, I don't think they're the best avenue for discussing Christianity.
I love it when Jones starts ranting
This is such a great analysis. Especially about stranger things wow. Christians need to do better I’ll deffo pray for us 😭
How would you define a “Christian” movie?
"Groundhog Day"
"About a Boy"
Man on Fire...Creasy is the chist-figure. It's fairly thinly veiled. Great film!
It was also interesting that eleven, when she was bound by Vecna in the upside down, was trying to appeal to Vecna's conscience by emphasizing how papa treated him badly. She mistakenly thought Vecna did what he did because he felt wronged when in reality he only wanted to be God and Creator.
By the way Michael, I thought it was interesting to hear you talk about Christianity being interwoven into our culture. It just goes to show how important religious identities are for human psychology. If you try to root Christianity out of your conscious identity, it will only live on in your subconscious identity. But no one should want that, cause it would only cause a gap in your conscious identity.
This was fun! Wish you'd do how to make a good rapture film.
One of the most underrated film with Christian themes is, in my oppinion, K-pax from 2001 with Kevin Spacey. One of my favourite films ever. Highly recommend.
One of my favorite Christian movies is The Remaining. it was pretty scary, the ending was a little off but it was dope still
This is something I realized even as an agnostic, and one of my missions in life is to write a novel (whether it's ever translated to visual media, only God knows) to fulfill this gaping void in Christian evangelism. Please pray for me.
There are so many films that need to be made
The Confessions
Paradise Lost
Alfred the Great
Aquinas
Nicea
Faust
Constantine
St Cuthbert
Our Christian heritage is rich with stories.
All could do with making in a modern way yet remain faithful.
Without the ripped sheets for clothes!!!
The answer is simple. Make Christians actually read fiction, mainly older works when culture was still decently Christian influenced. Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Flannery O’Connor. Most of the time, it feels like modern Christian directors have a shallow understanding of the classics, and instead just make Christian lifetime movies.
Honestly, it’s the reason most movies in general suck. Only homaging, only referencing what’s currently popular. No understanding of the roots of why that’s popular, or any classic works.
Christian directors feel the need to reinvent the wheel. Like they’re the first ones to make Christian works of cinema. There have already been tons of incredible directors who were Christian, very traditional conservative ones at that, Rohmer, Tarkovsky.
Even Golden age classic directors. Cecile b Demille, Frank Capra, they were very devout.
Christians have such a wonderful and beautiful legacy of art. God Himself is an artist. We need to embrace it.
Have you seen the series The Chosen? If so, any thoughts? I think it so fresh and different from other Christian projects that are out there. The characters are complex and multilayered. The portrayal of Jesus is different in that the writers are showing his humanity. Can Jesus tell jokes? Can Jesus play sports? It is fiction but still Biblical. And I never feel I'm being "preached to".
Would you consider reviewing the trailer for nefarious? Movie comes out April 14, made by Believe entertainment. It looks really cool.
Great video! But Alan Moore is very much against Christianity and organised religion in general so I’d be interested how he’d feel about your Watchmen comparison.
Bruce Almighty is a great Christian film too. that movie brought me to tears the first time I saw it.
it's a fun comedy movie but i am not sure if it can be considered a good Christian movie.
My favorite is The Life of Jesus (formerly called The Gospel According to John).
Just FYI: Christian horror movie coming out in a few weeks: "Nefarious"
I hope to hear your opinion
I saw it and it was good.
If you havent seen The Nativity (2005) starring Oscar Isaacs and some other bigger name actors you are missing out. Its so well done and it's super faithful to the scriptures
I'm thinking of making a christian superhero, but I'm worried it's gonna be bad. Reply if you wanna hear about it, and tell me what I can do better.
Go ahead and tell us, who knows you might just need a little advice in order to tweek your character, I'm also creating a story that has a main character who's a practicing Christian.
@@pariahpariah7048 it's pretty long, so just wait a little while.
@@pariahpariah70481. My main character's name is, David Anthonis who was born December 30th, 1991, in Staten island New York.
2. His father (Alejandro Anthonis) was a paraguayan construction worker, and his mother (Maria Anthonis) died shortly after child birth, due to an infection she caught during the C section that had to be performed on her, leading David to be raised only by his father.
3. Alejandro Anthonis tried to be a good a good father, and for the most part seemed successful, as David was well mannered as a little boy, who got along with his cousins, as well as, Luna, who was the daughter of his deceased mother's friend, but David liked to regard her a part of the family. David also had a deep fascination with technology and science, However his grades weren't doing so hot, as they were pretty low in math, and David had developed somewhat of a temper due to the bullies in his early life. For the most part though, David seemed happy.
4. David's relationship with God was pretty mixed, because on one hand, the idea of God seemed so beautiful, while on the other, why would God allow suffering in the world, and hasn't evolution disproven God?
5. When David was ten years old, his father discovered some apologetics books, and told him to read them. They had answered a lot of his his questions, and he asked for more, as they answered questions he didn't even consider, and they got him into the ancient histories of Rome, Greece, and Egypt, thus David became a staunch Christian, at a young age.
6. As time went by, David's grades in math began to slowly improve in middle school, and in high school they just got better. The 2000's were when his early years peaked. He met many friends, hung out a lot with his cousins, and even managed to go to South Dakota to see his fun Uncle (Herman), he even got piano lessons by Luna, who by this point was taking piano class. Eventually he got into Manhattan University, and all the great things in his life, were things he attributed to God.
7. Aged 21, David graduated with an honors in Mechatronics engineering, and a bachelor's in art, as his double major, and his family decided to celebrate at his cousin's (Greg's) house, but his father had to work late.
@@pariahpariah7048 I'm gonna be typing up the rest soon. Just give me a break, but so far, what do you think?
@@arielriquelme913 I like what you've written so far, you've pretty much fleshed out David's home situation succinctly, you've created great supporting characters. On that front it's all good, I do acknowledge that you're yet to write out a little bit more but I like what you've written so far. In terms of advice I still need to hear what powers David eventually gets or is he born with them, what is the inciting incident that leads him to become a hero, does he have an uncle Ben or Bruce Wayne's parents situation to spur him to action as in his father being his only surviving parent eventually going missing for example? Maybe you could start the story by having David actually have left the faith a while ago due to his father not accompanying him because of work and perhaps you could expand on why David eventually comes to rediscover his faith, not just through apologetics but perhaps with an old mentor character who's seen stuff, maybe a lonely veteran who tries to correct David's path in life as his father is too busy and eventually invites him to church where he makes positive friendships and an environment which stimulates David's curiosity(academically, he leans that being a Christian doesn't mean you stop asking questions about the universe) and leads to him finding solace in his faith, maybe old timer loses his life and David becomes a hero because of him. You could create antagonists who directly oppose him because of his faith, you could thematically tie this conflict into his faith or better yet even have David have an ally of another faith who he disagrees with but deeply values their opinions nonetheless and who can teach David about nonChristians. I love coming up with villains btw, if you're interested I could whip you up something. Are you planning on drawing the story in comic form or just writing it as a novel? You've given me a lot of biography and have definitely placed David's faith as an important part of his character (as you should) but you need to now flesh out his other supporting cast and how he is to interact with the world, for instance does he go through realistic crisis of faith when he feels God hasn't answered his prayer because he fails to save some people or perhaps he has to learn that not everyone will believe what he believes but while he shoud respect others that doesn't mean he has to put down his own beliefs to placate them etc. You've gotta now create 'problems' for your character so that once he falls we the readers can enjoy watching how you pick him up. Check out Castlevania Lords of Shadow 1 cutscenes on TH-cam, see how Gabriel remains faithful and trusts the Lord to the end even under terrible circumstances same with Marvel's daredevim, try to incorporate the same themes just spice it up a little bit. One thing I can say we as viewers are tied of cynical 'deconstructions' of beloved heroes, perhaps creating a genuinely wholesome character, one who's not necessarily a square but is firm yet kind will be refreshing. I guess that's as much advice I can provide at the moment, will definitely be looking forward to hearing from you in the future. Plug your social media so I can follow you why don't you.
In my opinion, being a Christian, I would love a Christian movie that recounts the life of Jesus, there are already many like that, but I would love for this one to have a different style, have you seen the movie Loving Vincent? This film tells the life of van Gogh with an artistic and drawn style similar to the works he has done, well, taking as an example, I always imagined and would love a film about the life of Jesus, his apostles, apocalypse where he has the artistic style that has been represented in the famous paintings of various artists, drawn each part and animated as his birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, when he gives the sermon, when he heals people and gives his wisdom, his crucifixion and death, I would love a movie like that
I saw some of it. It was indeed a beautiful film!
I am planning on doing several animated Bible films, among which is a trilogy of movies based on the life of Jesus Christ. I already have the character designs and overall feel in mind. I hope I get to make these movies someday soon.
The Matrix series can be used for quite a lot of Christian parallels.
Thoughts?
The opposite: The Matrix is antithetical to Christianity in it's promotion Gnostic ideologies.
@@SteliosMusic Are you sure? Check out Sentinel Apologetics Matrix series.
Tree of Life is a must see for ALL people to understand the Christian worldview
Pure brilliance here
Paused at 9:52 to write this comment. Silence by Shusaku Endo made me feel uncomfortable. And that's a beautiful thing. It made me think about how to find God in all things despite all the pain and suffering in the world.
I loved the book! Read also The Samurai by him, it's the companion book to Silence, with the story of a Japanese envoy to Europe and the priest who accompanies this group of diplomats to the court of the Spanish king and then back to Japan.
One Christian film j enjoyed was called “The Encounter” starring Bruce Marchiano
This may seem silly but I would love your take on the new I am Jesus Christ game haha.
I personally enjoyed father stu
Les Mise is my favorite pice of Christian work!
So... will we get another video on how to make a Christian video game?
Y’all need to make one I’ll definitely pay for it if I have to and so will for my friends and everyone I come across too but it has to be the most authentic film there is or at least a series ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have an idea for a Christian horror thriller movie, and this movie is dark, gory and disturbing; almost on the level of Saw or Martyrs:
There was a 17 year old girl named Maya who lives in a rural village located deep within the forests. Maya was extremely beautiful and attractive; everyone who saw her lusted upon her, from little boys to old men with gray hairs and beards, and, there was also a great, powerful and mighty kingdom known as Aretz-Ra. Aretz-Ra has a king named Abbahosek, and Abbahosek was a wicked and evil king, who was also great, powerful and mighty; the whole world he conquered, women he made widows and children he made fatherless, principalities and powers he defeated, large cities he massacred, kings and emperors he put to death, and whole armies he annihilated, and Abbahosek also has the desire to become immortal and to live forever. So then, one day, when Abbahosek and his men went hunting, Abbahosek spotted Maya's village, which he had not conquered yet. So, Abbahosek and his men went up to Maya's village, and as his eyes were casted upon Maya's beautiful body, lust entered Abbahosek's mind and heart, and he had the desire to kidnap, rape and torture Maya; for he is wicked and sadistic, and the reason why Abbahosek wants to torture Maya is because, Maya is actually immortal, and Abbahosek wants to torture her so that when she feels pain, her body would produce Adrenochrome, which when injected to someone's body, the person will get stronger and have a longer lifespan. So then, at night time, Abbahosek gathered his army and his horses and his charriots, and they raided and attacked the village; they brutally killed all the villagers by chopping their heads off, slicing their stomachs open until their intestines spilled out, and the village was now a gory mess with blood, guts, dismemebered body parts everywhere, and the cries of women and children filled the air. Abbahosek then killed both of Maya's parents and kidnapped Maya, and Maya was brought to his carriage and was brought to his castle which is in Aretz-Ra, Abbahosek's kingdom.
In Abbahosek's castle, Abbahosek appointed 2 demons to torture and torment Maya; the first demon is a mutated abomination with the genitals of both males and females sticking out all over his body, and tentacles were also in the first demon's body. The first demon is named Ragag. The second demon has 3 heads; the head of a mouse, monkey and also a rat, oh yeah, and Maya was also knocked unconscious, the second demon is named Kirios.
Upon waking up from her deep slumber, Maya woke up in a dirty cell. She then got up and she realized that there were large metal bars that guarded the cell. Maya was scared and horrified and she screamed and tried to escape from the cell. But then, Maya realized that the 2 demons were also in the cell with her. As Maya stared at the 2 demons, she could feel the wickedness, the evil, and the hatred in the eyes of the 2 demons, and the 2 demons were also armed with cat-o-nine tails, and the cat-o-nine tails had sharp bones and sharp hooks woven onto each string. In the cell, Maya's arms were also restrained using chains, making her unable to escape. The 2 demons then raised their whips, and they brutally scourged Maya over and over again. As she was scourged, her flesh was torn and cut, her skin was ripped off, and blood flowed and spurted out of her naked body, and she screamed and cried loudly. After multiple lashes, Maya lost a lot of blood, and the claws in the strings of the whips ripped large chunks of her flesh off; revealing her backbone, and as the demons were scourging and torturing her, they were laughing sadistically. After the demons scourged Maya, blood does not stop flowing from her damaged body, and Maya then cried and cried and cried, and she felt hopeless and depressed, as if hopelessness and depression left her body, and Maya was half-unconscious bc of the torture. After that, the 2 Ragag approached Maya, and he proceeds to rape Maya by penetrating her using his tentacles, and Maya then screamed and moaned in pain.
Every day, the 2 demons would torture and rape her, but she would keep regenerating and would never die, and after torturing her, they would always take her blood and deliver them to Abbahosek. But then, one night, as Maya was sleeping in her cell, she had a dream. In the dream, Maya was taken up to a very beautiful garden, and in the garden, she saw a creature in front of her. The creature has 3 heads; the head of a man, the head of a lamb, and the head of a lion. The creature represents the Son of Man; the head of a man represents His identity as a man, the head of a lion represents His power and authority as a king, and the head of a lamb represents his humility and sacrifice that He will make for the whole world. As Maya kept staring at the creature, she felt a bit of hope and a bit of joy in her, and after the dream was over, she had even more weird, prophetic dreams about Jesus, and she had a feeling that someone would one day come and rescue her from the wicked kingdom of Aretz-Ra.
Plz do a video on Judaism's rejection of Jesus, and why jews don't believe Jesus was the Messiah, what should be done about this, how should they be convinced?
About your note on Tolkien's question about what Galadriel meant by "passing the test" . . . If anyone here hasn't read Stephen King's Dark Tower series, there is some wild stuff in there. King seems to have a similar relationship with his characters; they almost unfold before him and tell him what they're doing.
_Les Mis_ is up there too.
My favorite Christian movie is The Apostle. Robert Duvall was nominated for an Oscar for it.
He preaches a lot in the movie but it's not preaching to the audience. He's also flawed with a bad temper and he sometimes swears. But he's a good man who converts a racist and changes a community after a tragic mistake.
Roger Ebert gave it 4/4 stars by the way. It's a great movie. :)
Make a good film with craft and care and it can be about anything. Don’t put d-list has beens in it. Don’t pimp it out on Trinity Broadcasting Network. Don’t cudgel people with sermons. Don’t shy away from the R-rating. The Bible is not rated PG. It’s gritty. I think a series about the monarchy of Israel and Judah or the period of Judges would be awesome but it wouldn’t be for kids.
Watch THE CHOSEN.