Christian movies among those not screened for critics

Can you spot Bob the Tomato in that picture? I think he's lurking in the back, but as usual, he is notably absent from recent VeggieTales productions. I remember when he was all over them, talking about God and the Bible and such all the time.

It is usually a bad sign when movies don't screen for critics. Typically it means that the studio believes that reviews could only hurt a film, so they just skip the whole process.

Unfortunately, Universal has decided to go that route with the latest VeggieTales movie, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, as the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Now, this might mean that Universal is enlightened enough to be looking ahead to a time when preview screenings aren't given to an elitist group of critics who then filter out what people actually watch(sarcasm intended), but given the other movies that other movies not screened include the latest Uwe Boll videogame epic, the latest spoof from the creators of the awful Epic Movie, the latest in a long line of awful American remakes of mediocre Japanese horror films and the latest of Sylvester Stallone's 20 Years After-style sequels.

Come to think of it, I actually really want to see Stallone's latest Rambo film. It features him rescuing Christian missionaries, so maybe we could squeeze it in somehow. You think Christianity Today will do a cover story on it to legitimize it for Christian audiences?

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Advent Film Group's Come What May

Christian News Wire has a story about a new Christian film, entitled Come What May.

You can check out the film's homepage and watch a trailer there.

The film is produced by Advent Film Group(AFG), which describes itself as a Christian film school.

The article features some interesting comments by George Escobar, a producer at AFG, who says that big-budget Christian films that don't have Christian directors are examples of a broken system. He names The Chronicles of Narnia and Amazing Grace as examples of films that should, in his opinion, been directed by Christians.

An interesting position, but in our experience here Christian filmmakers who make bigger budget Christian movies often end up making really bad movies, such as Evan Almighty, while the non-Christians(or at least, the one who don't advertise their faith), make some of the better films, like Beyond the Gates(aka Shooting Dogs).

My co-host Don was excited to see that the film features a soundtrack by The Emmons Sisters and The Ivy Street Band. If you've never heard of them, join the club. (edit - I'm in the club too. Jon mistook my sarcasm for excitement. - Don)

Anyway, the film is about a high school student who must win his moot court competition in order for his parents to pay for his school of choice. The only problem is that he has to argue against Roe vs. Wade, no exceptions.

The film looks interesting, and as you know we love independent cinema here at SuperCandid, so we're hoping to see it soon. Right now they are doing re-shoots, but it sounds like the film is almost finished. Save This Page

The Worst Best Of 2007

Favorite films of 2007:

Don:

1. The Host
2. There were others?

Favorite albums of 2007:

Don:

1. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
3. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
4. The Changes - Today is Tonight (2006)
5. Metric - Grow Up and Blow Away
6. Surrogate - Love is for the Rich
7. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
8. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
9. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
10. El Ten Eleven - Every Direction is North (and s/t)

Becca:

Marie Antoinette soundtrack
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Radiohead - In Rainbows
The National - Boxer
Blonde Redhead
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Rob Crow
Patrick Wolf
Junior Boys
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
** honorary mention: Hot Chip ... wasn't released in 2007, but definitely my top most listened-to record of 2007

Jon's Movies, no order but The Host is the best movie of the year:
Juno 300 Transformers Superbad Enchanted The Host Across the Universe Shoot em' Up Hot Fuzz Volver

Jon's Music:
A Fine Frenzy - A Fine Frenzy
Across the Universe Soundtrack
Brandi Carlile - The Story
Plain White T's - "Hey There Delilah"
Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
Paprika Soundtrack
NIN - Year Zero
Carly Binding - "So Radiate"
This will Destory you - "I Believe in your victory"
Mexico "Through the Sparks" -
The Great Spy Experiment - "Class A love Affair"
The Isles - "Eve of the Battle"
The Ark - "One of Us is Going to Die Young"
Skye - "Love Show"
Say Hi To your Mom - "These Fangs"
moi Caprice - "moi Caprice"
Iamx - "Spit it Out"
Goelm - "Warsaw is Khelm"

The first song I bought in 2007 was "Stay With Me" from The Fountain Soundtrack, and the last song was "Public Pervert (remix)" by Interpol. -jon


(ed note: I added in album titles for the ones I knew off the top of my head for Becca's list, as she didn't mention any specific titles. - Don)

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Jerry B. Jenkin's Riven

TitleTrakk.com Book News: Jerry Jenkins' next novel Riven story details. In an interview with him and his son, Dallas Jenkins, Jenkins the elder drops some details about his next book. Entitled Riven, it will be the story of a man who wants his execution to be a recreation of the crucifixion of Christ. Not sure how the mechanics of this will work out, given that the US has pretty strict laws about what can and can't be done in executions, but it sounds interesting, an unusual story at least. Given that most of Jenkin's popular books have been, or are being, made into movies, this one sounds like a likely candidate. Maybe Mel Gibson can direct? The interview also talks a bit about Midnight Clear, the film we reported on a few days ago. Save This Page

Episode Twenty - Flywheel

The SuperCandid Podcast returns in rare form today with a review of Flywheel, the first film from the Kendrick Brothers and Sherwood Pictures. Will it hold up against their second film, Facing the Giants, which was the best selling independent Christian DVD of all time? Or was Facing the Giants just a big sell-out? Tune in to find out as Jon(that's me) and Don(the other guy) discuss the film, some upcoming Christian movie news, and review our favorite films of the past year.

The only real link that we need to post is a link to TitleTrakk.com, a site we just discovered that has Christian movie, book and music news. A good site to check out!

EDIT:

More links/notes:

The camera 'thing' I was trying to think of is explained here, in this excerpt from Wikipedia: Flywheel was mainly shot with one digital video camera (Canon XL1s) and a homemade dolly and jib crane."

Intro:


Outro:


Oh, and I wanted to post a link to the new track from Sia, who's album I raved about wanting to get this Tuesday! Go to Wired.com to listen to her single, Electric Bird.


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Thinking about Facing the Giants

You might recall our first episode, a review of Facing the Giants. Well, our next episode, which we just got in the bag, is a review of Flywheel, the first film from the Kendrick brothers and Sherwood Pictures. In preparation of the episode, which should be posted within the next couple days, I wanted to link to an article about Facing the Giants. The article mentions several of the criticisms that I complained about when we first reviewed the film, but it also tempers that with the author's own comments from viewing the film for themselves. I have to say that I might have been too harsh on Facing the Giants, if only because I hadn't seen the true spectrum of Christian Cinema when I saw it. I still have a lot of problems with it, but only because I can see that the Kendrick brothers have more talent between them than most of the rest of the Christian film industry combined, and I'd like to see them use to its best potential. Here's hoping that Fireproof is another step in the right direction! Save This Page

Jerry B. Jenkin's Midnight Clear

411mania.com has an interview with Dallas Jenkins, the director of the 2006 film Midnight Clear, which has recently come out on DVD. The film is based upon a short story by Dallas Jenkins' father, Jerry B. Jenkins, better known for his work as the co-author of many books, including the Left Behind series. This sounds like a good one for us to review, since the interviewer gives what might be the highest praise that a Christian filmmaker can get:

"If I watched your film and had no idea you were a Christian, I would never guess or assume it was a Christian movie. I think that's a sign that you've done your job."

Now, I say that is high praise, but it also could be criticism. I would say that had I not known that Michael Landon Jr. was a Christian, I would have guessed that The Last Sin Eater was made by someone who learned about Christianity by reading the back of a Bible-box.

EDIT: I forgot to post the image. D'oh!
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The New Year brings New Posts

Welcome back to the (3rd) re-launch of the SuperCandid Podcast. This may seem like we are lazy or something, but keep in mind that both of us have full time jobs and families, and that we lose money on this little venture month after month. A labor of love it is! So, if you have any complaints, feel free to comment or email, and we will happily engage! Complaints are the most interesting form of correspondence!

The plan is to record a new episode of the podcast this Friday and have it up by the weekend, so we'll see. Anyway, lets get straight to the meat of this post!

Pure Flix, the company that released Christmas Memroies, The Cross and the Towers and Jesus: The Lost Years, has a new flick coming out soon. If you're lucky, a church near you might have chosen to screen it, because otherwise you're going to have to wait until Spring 2008 to get it on DVD.

Titled, The Wager, it stars Randy Travis and Candice Cameron Brue(of Full House fame). Travis is a Hollywood superstar who must endure a Job-like test of faith as everything he holds dear is taken away because of his Christian beliefs. Will he endure? I'm hoping to review this movie soon, but Christanity Today has beaten us to the punch and posted their review a little while back, which gives it high marks for effort but low overall. I think that one thing Don & I have learned from watching Christian movies is to put our expectations on the level. We're not expecting Hollywood blockbusters, and no one should. I hope that CT Movies is wrong on this one and the film turns out to be great.

Also, I would be remiss to leave out that Guillermo Del Toro's second favorite guy in a suit, Doug Jones(Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Hellboy 2) has a role, in which the only suit he wears is that of a reporter.

The other Pure Flix movie that is coming out in Spring 2008 is even more interesting. Called Hidden Secrets, it is a family drama about the revelations that come out during a funeral. Kind of like Elizabethtown, or any of a million other "funeral/wedding brings out dark secrets and quirky characters" movies. But, the trailer specifically mentions stem cell research, so I'm hoping for an interesting take on that sort of hot button issue. This one is also is slated for a Spring 2008 release.




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NoNoelle

Awesome... I just wrote up a post, and seconds before posting it, FireFox crashed. Thanks Blogger and it's autosave system, for not actually working.

Anyway.

Gener8xion Entertainment (the people who produced 'One Night with the King') have announced their latest feature film, Noelle. It stars Robert Redford circa 1967 as a CHURCH HITMAN, a priest who shuts down non-profitable churches. In this instance, he's shutting one down during the holidays, and naturally the locals are fighting back (judging by the gash on his cheek in the trailer, they are physically fighting back). Anyway, the trailer looks pretty decent! The music really adds something, and any film starring SNOW can't look bad. It hits theaters tomorrow, I'm guessing YMMV, so if anyone catches it, let us know what you think! The reviews provided by the site are fairly positive, but then again, even 'The Room' won best film at some podunk film festival.


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Backstreets Back

Yeah, yeah, yeah... No posts in like... a month. I'm sorry. It's my fault almost as much as it's the fault of the US Government for blocking our site so that Jon can't update it. I've landed a new job and have been working crazy long hours. For me anyway. You kids might be used to 12 hour days, seven days a week, but us old folks can't hang.

Anyway, Jon gets back in about two weeks and I'm sure he'll be ready to publically shame me for my lack of posting.

So what's been going on? Christians hate 'The Golden Compass' (it started it though), MercyMe released a new record and it didn't go gangbusters like Casting Crowns did earlier this year (I think it debuted in the teen though), um..., Yeah. See? You didn't miss much.



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