Field of Dreams - MOVIE REVIEW

I generally try to avoid posting movie reviews that would tear down a film, but in this case I'm making an exception. Something bad about Field of Dreams...really?

First of all I want to say that most of this film is about the beauty of small towns in America, the tranquility of baseball, and the film encourages sons to have good relationships with their fathers. I like those messages, and I would agree with those things :)

However there are many worldview and theological elements that I disagree with in the movie, but for the sake of this article I am going to focus on just one. My primary frustration is with the scene at the school where the parents are wanting to ban some books in the school, especially the ones by Terrance Mann which were described as "Godless, filthy, pornographic, and encouraging disrespect to high ranking officers of the United States Army."

The concerned parents don't think that kind of material is appropriate for the school to endorse or have in the library...regardless of the fact that the author of the books is a Pulitzer Prize Winner, and I would agree with the parents. But then we have the heroe's wife get up and she re-describes the author's material as "love, peace, and understanding," and goes on to blatantly call the woman (who is heading up the censorship appeal) a "Fascist," and "A book-burner, you Nazi cow." (just to clarify, I don't agree with either woman's use of hateful name calling...there were faults on both sides in the scene)

She proceeds to bring the issue to a vote and equals throwing out the despicable literature to "spitting on the Constitution of the United States." She proceeds to spout that what the parents are trying to do is equal to "the kind of censorship that they had under Stalin." This is a film made by liberal Hollywood so of course all the parents raise their hands in agreement with the Heroine of Free Speech.

But as you can probably guess, I don't agree. I don't believe those statements to be true and I disagree that Freedom is "allowing anything and everything instead of being careful to discard bad material when selecting what is used to teach and educate children." Now I do understand that as children get older they must learn to think for themselves...I'm not endorsing that parents micro-manage every level of their child's life until they hit 21. ;) But to define freedom the way that she did is anti-American, is harmful to society, is not consistent with what the founding fathers wrote in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and last but definitely not least it doesn't match the Biblical definition of Freedom.

Navigating History: Egypt

Western Conservatory is pleased to announce the Navigating History Project, a video series designed to teach history, geography, and current affairs to a young Christian audience. In order to maximize the teaching power of the series, the video episodes will be streamed live as they are produced to viewers who will have the ability to interact with the filmmakers as they travel to remote locations around the world. This “hands on” approach to the subject matter will provide viewers with as much of the unfiltered perspective of global travel as possible from the comfort of their own homes.

To accomplish this, small teams of young filmmakers will travel to those countries that are the best examples of cultural and historic influence to create short video episodes on a tight deadline. Unlike television shows where hosts are shot and edited by invisible camera teams, every aspect of production and travel will be visible to those watching from home, as every member of the team serves both on-camera and as production staff.

This first season of Navigating History will begin broadcasting from Egypt on the 1st of December, 2010. Egypt is an ideal location for the first season, since it has such a rich history and pivotal position in Middle Eastern politics. The wide array of topics that Egypt presents and the stunning visual backdrop that it provides makes it a perfect starting point, and it is likely that no other destination best encapsulates the vision for the project as a whole. More about the Egypt expedition.

Navigating History: EGYPT - WEBSITE

San Antonio Independent Christian Film Academy (SAICFA)

Wow, what an incredibly encouraging week! I've attended every SAICFA-Festival event since 2005 and I've enjoyed it every time! Just a quick note here for those unfamiliar with all this...you can register for the Academy and Festival seperately if you wish to attend only one event but they have always been held during the same week so it just kinda makes sense to go to both. (Academy is held the first half of the week, and the Festival is held the last half)

Highlights for me at this years Academy were the lectures by Kirk Cameron "Acting" - Steven Kendrick "Directing Actors" and "Behind the Scenes of Courageous" - Geoff Botkin "Story Structure" - Isaac Botkin "Christopher Nolan vs. Steven Speilberg" -  Doug Phillips "Radioactive" where he critiques Food, Inc., Avatar, The Cove, 2012, the Al Gore documentary, and more.

"[the Academy] included messages on Epistemology for Filmmakers, comparison of the acting styles of Marlon Brando with Jimmy Stewart, an amazing Christ-exalting dialogue with Kirk Cameron that ranks as one of the most inspirational messages in the history of any Vision Forum event, discussions on managing sets, unions, and a rousing, hilarious and very practical session on screen tests and acting."

-Doug Phillips

KIRK CAMERON

STEVEN KENDRICK

"Stephen took us on a first look at his latest film “Courageous,” but the substance was a no-holds bar homage to absolute duty of the Christian filmmaker to make hard choices that honor Christ, and the blessings which come from it...The maturity and excellence of the story-line, production values, acting and structure of “Courageous” was so significant, that those of us who had the privilege to be present knew we were watching the birth of something that promises to make headline news as it blazes across the nation blessing millions and changing lives for Christ."

-Doug Phillips

At the 2010 Christian Filmmaker's Academy, Stephen Kendrick (the Producer of "Flywheel", "Facing the Giants", and "Fireproof") presented a keynote message entitled " 'Courageous'-The Vision, The Story, The Lessons." Here's a snippet.

We also got to see several rough clips from their upcoming film Courageous. Let me tell ya...it's going to be REALLY good!! - Movie Website

GEOFF BOTKIN

"Geoff Botkin Wows Us With a Brilliant Discussion on Structure, Story Arc and Beats of a Well-Drafted Script."

DOUG PHILLIPS

"[Avatar] is definitely anti-coporate...it's a very personal film in the sense that when I was a kid...in high school it was the start of the environmental movement, and I made a film in high school about pollution...In the years since, trying to get documentaries funded about the environment - you can't raise any money to do that. Nobody wants to buy that stuff. So I thought if i make a big, spectacular ation science fiction film, I can embed these themes in a movie that people are going to see for other reasons. It's absolutely subversive."

-James Cameron interview on "The View", Feb. 17, 2010

"...the effectiveness of Hollywood pantheists and environmentalists to subvert culture through media, and, second, the absence of a thoughtful response in film from the Christian community because we have abandoned the dominion mandate, and failed to mount an army to take the field." Watch the clips.

I found this bag sitting on a table, and in light of the "Radioactive" lecture...I took a picture of it ;) Now don't get me wrong, I do believe it is important to take of this wonderful world God has given us, but I also believe that there is balance. Taking care of the earth shouldn't be more important than people.

OTHER LECTURES

Isaac Botkin gave a very interesting lecture comparing two very successful directors!

"The Art of Scoring Films," with Oscar-winning composer Bruce Broughton.

A lecture by the young men behind the new EffectsForge company.

David Cook talks about his new film Seven Days In Utopia starring Robert Duvall. Movie Website

- stay tuned for a review of this year's festival!

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Lots of pictures and video used from "Doug's Blog"

SAICFF WINNERS

BEST OF FESTIVAL
Agenda

BEST FEATURE FILM
The Penny

AUDIENCE CHOICE
Runner From Ravenshead

The Mysterious Islands DVD

SYNOPSIS:
"This beautiful ninety-minute documentary takes viewers deep beneath the ocean waves among hundreds of white-tip sharks, into volcanic craters with giant lizards, and to the unusual habitat of the blue-footed booby. Featuring a Christian team of scientists and investigators to shoot a documentary on the Galapagos in 2009—Darwin's anniversary year—The Mysterious Islands brings a fresh perspective on the Theory of Evolution and presents sweeping cinematography of one of the most remote, desolate, and fascinating locations in the world."

It was several months ago when I watched this film, and I really enjoyed it! I found this film to be visually stunning, Biblically sound, and the storyline informative. A great movie for the whole family!

Learn more by clicking the banner below

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in advertising.

The No Labor Day: Why Christians Should Be Thankful for Unions

Article By Nathaniel Darnell

Ever wonder why most folks take off from work on Labor Day? Doesn’t it seem like Labor Day would be the one day in the year that people would labor?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “[t]he first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.” U.S. Department of Labor, The History of Labor Day (2007). Not until 1894, however, did Congress make Labor Day a national holiday. Id.

I’m not a fan of unions, which have a nack for increasing worker inefficiency, hiking prices, and creating arbitrary rules that hinder achievement. Here are some interesting facts relating to unions in the film industry:

• George Lucas received a fine from the Screen Actor’s Guild union for not have credits at beginning of his movie The Empire Strikes Back. As anyone who is familiar with the Star Wars movies knows, the films begin with scrolling text in space introducing the story. The feel created by this effect would have been totally ruined by having credits at the beginning of the movie, but SAG didn’t care. Lucas was so outraged by the fine that he dropped out the guild and has never returned.

• Peter Jackson was able to make The Lord of the Rings movies for a fraction of the price he would have paid in the United States because there are no film unions in New Zealand. He was also able to get more flexible labor hours from his crew due to the lack of unions.

• Laos, Nigeria has become a booming movie-production town for Africa, releasing over 2,500 movies in 2004 alone. Nigeria employs some 200,000 film crew workers, none of which belong to a union. The films are popular with Africans and they are making money. Isaac Botkin, Outside Hollywood 213 (Vision Forum, 2007).

Interestingly enough, American unions may literally be a God-send for up-and-coming Christian filmmakers eager to create a replacement industry. By offering flexible work hours, lower costs, and a positive team spirit, independent Christian filmmakers have the potential of out-producing Hollywood. So perhaps we should be thankful for Labor Day and the American unions who brought it about.
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Source Article

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Hollywood's Most Despised Villain
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Can the Western be Saved From the Hollywood Marxists?
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Walt Disney: A Christian Critique
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- Click Here to view the full line-up of available resources! -

College Revolutionized

"College; it has become what many would deem the culmination of youth and an experience that will last a lifetime. Despite the fact that many institutions across America have rejected the Bible as the foundation of all sound knowledge, have become places where crime and immorality flow free, and where academic standards are plummeting at an alarming, constant rate; sadly, many Christians have been persuaded that they also must “join the ranks” in attaining a traditional higher education.

Why do Christians continue to attend and support these institutions, accumulating debt and acquiring false doctrine? As followers of Christ, what should our response be to the question of higher education? Do we continue to merge with the status quo? In this fascinating documentary, Joshua Hedrick takes you right to the battle zone of some of the greatest cultural wars in our nation, attempting to change the way we view college education. This is college, revolutionized!"

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Source Article

Early-Bird Registration Ends July 1st!

Early Bird registration for the Vision Forum Festival and Academy ends on July 1st! If you are considering attending this year, I'd recommend signing up early because the price goes up an extra $200 for regular admission. Sign up here!

Some pics from last year...

Fathers for Life

GARRETT HUBBARD: "My hope is to use my gifts & skills to communicate God's heart for justice, the lonely, and the suffering through a medium that can touch, startle, and even grab our hearts. I hope that as people encounter my work they would share in an experience that would lead them to act and also on a journey that leads them to love the way Christ loves. I am a staff Photojournalist capturing photography & documentary movie stories at USA TODAY.

"This is likely the most important story I've had the opportunity to tell with USA TODAY. I am so thankful that John Walton from Awana told me about the Returning Hearts Celebration while we were at the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in March of this year. As soon as he started telling me about the transformation in the lives of the inmates I was hooked. I came back to USA TODAY and pitched the story to the paper and I was able to spend three days at Angola prison in Louisiana and witness the reunion of these men with their children. Many many thanks to Lyndon Azcuna and the whole team at Awana for helping me meet such strong men of faith and conviction. I am so thankful to Randy, Keith, Kyle, and Edward for sharing their story of how their lives were changed by knowing Jesus. Most importantly I want to thank my father, who loved me, guided me, and set a great example for me by living a life of integrity."

- You can view more stories and get more information on Garrett's Blog.