Thanks for the list. My wife and I lament what is for us a barren wasteland of unwatchable movies. You gave me some titles to try. Never have I had greater access to more movies with fewer worth watching.
The best movie I watched all year was probably 10 years ago.
Brett McCracken at The Gospel Coalition keeps pretty good running lists of things to check out, so I've dipped into those over the years. And then my friend Bethany is Indian-American and just happened to recommend Homebound (she's in the comments--hi Bethany!)
I have tried hard to think of movies I've really enjoyed in the past decade or so. It's hard. The ones I can think of immediately as being exceptional are movies made for pay-per-view rather than theater. "The Outfit" and "Peanut Butter Falcon" come immediately to mind.
I have yet (as far as I can recall) to view an overtly Christian film that I liked. I've read countless thoughts on the pros and cons of those attempts. I get it. It's hard. For the same reason that "Christian" has no specific meaning these days, nevertheless, everyone who thinks of him/herself as a "Christian" gets very offended at the way other "Christians" portray the God they presumably share (hint: we don't share the same God).
No. It made me contemplate the incarnation in a way I never had before. I'm not saying it was a great movie, but it was powerful in its own little B-movie way.
I have a friend who, like me (at the time), was making a living with her art. I asked her, “Do you listen to your daughter’s music? …or she, yours?”
Suddenly she got a very knowing look on her face.
It’s a discussion that, as someone interested in human behavior, fascinates me. And as someone trying to make a living doing something creative, it interests AND confounds me.
One might be able to find exceptions, but as a rule it's improbable as an artist to appeal to a generation other than one's own.
I don't know if it's hormonal or experiential. But it's true.
And since the market is the demographic most likely to spend money on the creative efforts, it becomes an almost impossible task to find enough market in a demographic that has moved on. The low hanging fruit is only available to the young.
There was a band or a songwriter (I don't remember the details as well as I remember the story) in Europe that, realizing this reality, hired a front band so they could continue to sell their music. If that effort was successful, at least it would indicate a hope for a possibility that the artistic product CAN, in fact, be successfully divorced from the producer for the purposes of marketing.
"The Life of Chuck" has a fascinating, unique tone that reminded me of "Amélie" and "Joe vs. the Volcano." Based on a Stephen King novella—King can be as sentimental as scary—the story is told in three chapters in reverse chronological order, from deathbed to childhood, and the viewer is welcome to see everything that happens as metaphor, dream, or memory. The highlight is an exhilarating dance scene in the middle section featuring Tom Hiddleston, who plays the adult Chuck.
I did think about seeing that one because I love Hiddleston, but one critic I follow didn't think the movie worked as a whole. I'll probably still see it just for Hiddleston. :)
Thanks, got a couple to add to my watchlist now. Warfare is IMO more geared toward veteran dads. Its no-frills, hyper realism without the typical buddy stories and music make it a bit too sparse maybe for guys who wouldn’t identify experientially with infantry small unit warfare. But I won’t presume that someone without that background wouldn’t enjoy it. But anyone who does have that military experience will strongly identify with how South a mission can go real fast. Honestly it hit hard for me how the family who owned the house just really got crapped on for something they had no warning about or asked for.
“Hey, we’re gonna appropriate your house, now we’re gonna have to have a couple Bradleys blow the roof off. Sorry for the dust and blood on the floor. Thanks bye.”
I did like Sinners in that it was shot, well, like a film. But, even more interesting SEEMED to be the idea that Sinners pushed about Christianity: that it was the white man’s religion foisted upon African slaves. Thoughts?
I'd thought it was mainly a story about cultural appropriation through music (Irish vampires etc.) but didn't read about that element. Sounds even worse than I thought, in that case!
Thanks for the list. My wife and I lament what is for us a barren wasteland of unwatchable movies. You gave me some titles to try. Never have I had greater access to more movies with fewer worth watching.
The best movie I watched all year was probably 10 years ago.
That makes me sound like an old man. ouch. I am.
Brett McCracken at The Gospel Coalition keeps pretty good running lists of things to check out, so I've dipped into those over the years. And then my friend Bethany is Indian-American and just happened to recommend Homebound (she's in the comments--hi Bethany!)
I have tried hard to think of movies I've really enjoyed in the past decade or so. It's hard. The ones I can think of immediately as being exceptional are movies made for pay-per-view rather than theater. "The Outfit" and "Peanut Butter Falcon" come immediately to mind.
I have yet (as far as I can recall) to view an overtly Christian film that I liked. I've read countless thoughts on the pros and cons of those attempts. I get it. It's hard. For the same reason that "Christian" has no specific meaning these days, nevertheless, everyone who thinks of him/herself as a "Christian" gets very offended at the way other "Christians" portray the God they presumably share (hint: we don't share the same God).
The movie that changed my thinking as a Christian was a B movie -- Phenomenon -- starring John Travolta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenon_(film)
"You have GOT to be kidding?!" right?
No. It made me contemplate the incarnation in a way I never had before. I'm not saying it was a great movie, but it was powerful in its own little B-movie way.
I have a friend who, like me (at the time), was making a living with her art. I asked her, “Do you listen to your daughter’s music? …or she, yours?”
Suddenly she got a very knowing look on her face.
It’s a discussion that, as someone interested in human behavior, fascinates me. And as someone trying to make a living doing something creative, it interests AND confounds me.
One might be able to find exceptions, but as a rule it's improbable as an artist to appeal to a generation other than one's own.
I don't know if it's hormonal or experiential. But it's true.
And since the market is the demographic most likely to spend money on the creative efforts, it becomes an almost impossible task to find enough market in a demographic that has moved on. The low hanging fruit is only available to the young.
There was a band or a songwriter (I don't remember the details as well as I remember the story) in Europe that, realizing this reality, hired a front band so they could continue to sell their music. If that effort was successful, at least it would indicate a hope for a possibility that the artistic product CAN, in fact, be successfully divorced from the producer for the purposes of marketing.
I think I have aged out of the current art world.
"The Life of Chuck" has a fascinating, unique tone that reminded me of "Amélie" and "Joe vs. the Volcano." Based on a Stephen King novella—King can be as sentimental as scary—the story is told in three chapters in reverse chronological order, from deathbed to childhood, and the viewer is welcome to see everything that happens as metaphor, dream, or memory. The highlight is an exhilarating dance scene in the middle section featuring Tom Hiddleston, who plays the adult Chuck.
I did think about seeing that one because I love Hiddleston, but one critic I follow didn't think the movie worked as a whole. I'll probably still see it just for Hiddleston. :)
Yaaaay Homebound mentioned
Yessss!
Thanks, got a couple to add to my watchlist now. Warfare is IMO more geared toward veteran dads. Its no-frills, hyper realism without the typical buddy stories and music make it a bit too sparse maybe for guys who wouldn’t identify experientially with infantry small unit warfare. But I won’t presume that someone without that background wouldn’t enjoy it. But anyone who does have that military experience will strongly identify with how South a mission can go real fast. Honestly it hit hard for me how the family who owned the house just really got crapped on for something they had no warning about or asked for.
“Hey, we’re gonna appropriate your house, now we’re gonna have to have a couple Bradleys blow the roof off. Sorry for the dust and blood on the floor. Thanks bye.”
Makes me grateful for the 3rd amendment.
You've never especially liked Neil Diamond?? How can this be.
I did like Sinners in that it was shot, well, like a film. But, even more interesting SEEMED to be the idea that Sinners pushed about Christianity: that it was the white man’s religion foisted upon African slaves. Thoughts?
I'd thought it was mainly a story about cultural appropriation through music (Irish vampires etc.) but didn't read about that element. Sounds even worse than I thought, in that case!
It was an idea that came up a couple times during the film.
I wouldn’t say it was the primary point of the story but something that got my attention.