Your opinion on Christian movies.

[ClaecElric4God]

Seconding Amazing Grace. That one was very well done. Also, End of the Spear is another one that comes to mind.

ClaecElric4God has nothing meaningful to add to the actual discussion. *wanders off*

[dragonzatch]

The only good Christian movie I've seen is A Charlie Brown Christmas. The rest of them are way too pushy on their message and typically contain corny acting and dialogue to an extreme. Even if they have good intentions, bad cinema is bad cinema.

[jlfranklin]

Wow! Its so interesting this is being discussed; I've been thinking a lot about Christian movies lately.

Now, my opinion about Christian movies is--to be completely, totally and 100% honest with you--is a highly negative one. Most of them are, shall we say, totally cheesy, lame, boring and unrealistic. We have (artistically) isolated ourselves. decades discussing what we hoped the world was like rather than dealing with how things are.

Our isolation bred well-intentioned but poorly trained artists. Instead of playing with the big boys, Christian filmmakers remained in the minor leagues.

Christian audiences learned to accept substandard artists who make substandard works. We no longer have any expectations of quality; we get so excited about a “safe, redeeming, faith-based message,” even at the expense of great art, that we don’t demand higher artistic standards.

Now, because Christian films are message driven they--like many message driven films, Christian or otherwise-- the film comes off as "preachy". Rather than developing organically, the average Christian film is more pushy and sanctimonious than the global-warming agenda movies. Violence is almost non-existent, salty language never happens, unmarried people never struggle with lust and evil is never very bad, because showing various forms of sin is not allowed. By movie’s end, everyone is converted with no residual issues. Life is reduced to an after-school special with prayer thrown in for good measure.

To sum this all up and close (because I'm really starting to get on my soapbox!), I think its wrong to blame Christian artist for crappy Christian art. like being mad at a chef for offering no variety after demanding she serve nothing but macaroni and cheese. Once we start demanding great art, artists can start creating great art.

Culture is like a garden. You must keep it healthy and growing or the weeds take over. It is not the artist who is the gardener, it is the audience. We are responsible for which artists take root and grow, and which ones die on the vine. With work, we can cultivate a healthy culture that will flower and bear fruit.

We must maintain a need for a moral and just culture.

We must demand quality.

this may sound crazy and I m listening to the comments but the fact is were the ones putting down christian movies have you ever heard the phrase dont judge a book by it cover same should be applied to christian movies. If the movies (God not dead, Left behind) above does not convince you in Christians nothing will. That harsh I know but this could be the very reality why dont have good christian films. Like an old saying if you dont like it make something out of it. Thanks all for answers still trying to get a grip why christian movies have had a bad rap.

You bring up a very good point! I think we can be part of the problem as to why Christian films are so bad. We cry and complain about having bad Christian films, but we keep on demanding, bad Christian films. Its like being mad a chef for not having variety, after we've asked her to cook nothing but mac'n'cheese.

Once we start demanding great art (because Christian artist have isolated themselves artisticly), we can start getting great art. In fact, instead of talking about how bad Christian films are (because let's face it, its already been established the Christian films aren't all that great), let's make really good Christian films!

Let's get real writers (and not just a pastor, or a neighborhood...that' doesn't count......) behind the project! Let's get people who have solid acting experience (playing Brutus from Julius Caesar in Mrs. Hernandez third grade class doesn't count either....) and try and make something worth watching!

[Bobtheduck]

Seen a lot of them over time. End of the Spear was pretty awesome. Fireproof was decent (in a TV movie kind of way). To End All Wars (not the director's cut version they have on Netflix) was amazing and in my top 3 movies. Other than that, they have been pretty cheesy.

Movies are waning in general, so maybe it's time to make a good Christian TV show instead of a movie.

[Zeke365]

okay I was driving home one day when it occurred to me there are these standards that every christian movie must have. Now these standards cant be found online or anything, it based on observation I made.

1.Christian movie must contain no violent. mature content (not to say this a bad things there plenty clean ways to say it), foul language, and must ALWAYS be family friendly.
2.A church is supposed to be be perfect without any flaws
3.A message must be with in the sermon of the church and should get other to join in a church as sort of( advertising for more people to come to church)
4.The only exception to the rule is for end times movies the violence can be justified (why is beyond me.)

This is not how a christian movie should be because it gives this false fantasy that Christians are all perfect and if we break any of these rules it not really christian. This sort of the standard we live in makes sense to.

Here my opinion don't use use the church as crutch for your movie, instead use it minimally, be creative in how you deliver the message without being to preachy, think both as a non believer and believer in Christ and how would each person react, remember the movie is only shot deal so make sure you get message across, it does not have to be sermon or anything like that, just be creative on how you deliver it and you dont have to have use scriptures if you dont want to but make sure God and Jesus is used but not much give it some mystery, and dont be afraid to explore sin deeper and why we are saved and what makes us different.

These are some options for those wanting to making movies and there plenty of software out there to make a good quality movie. what are your thoughts?

[shooraijin]

there plenty of software out there to make a good quality movie.

Well, let's strike "good quality" and put in "of sufficient production values." No amount of software fixes a crummy script or overly hammy drama.