What Is Missing In Films Today

What's Missing

"What's missing in movies today that movies in the past possessed in spades is charm, which is one of the qualities that endears an audience to a film and gives it longevity. Special effects have mowed down all other qualities in film, and it's time to get back to what made films in the past great. Only an empty-headed, technology-crazed society would think that special effects are enough. Charm is a quality that both characters and story need if a film is to become a classic and survive from generation to generation. It is a quality that a society needs if it is to survive. Charm is the quality that marks all Pixar pictures. What better endorsement do you need than that?

Another quality that is missing from most films today is grace. Fortunately, it does appear occasionally, as it did this year in The Blind Side. When a film has grace, audiences love it and realize there is something different about that film. It's a quality that you can't get enough of, and it makes you want what the characters in the film have. It's God's fingerprint on a film.

Another missing quality is discretion, which is the better part of valor. Directors today want to show everything. They don't leave anything to the imagination. That is not good artistry, nor is it good humanity...By showing everything, directors today are raising an ante that future directors cannot possibly meet. There will eventually be a point at which a director will not be able to show any more nudity, any more violence, any more realism. At that point, movies will degenerate into something more perverse, or disintegrate entirely. It's time to get back to discretion in film, and life.

Do you realize that while the Motion Picture Production Code was in effect, which was from 1934 to 1968, the greatest films that have ever been made - the films we today call "classics" - were produced? 1939, the year when the Code was at its height, has been called the greatest year of cinema. More classic films were produced that year than in any year since. Today, there is no Code. Producers can make anything they like, and they are churning out the trash as fast as they can... and people are buying it.

There's something to be said for discipline. Having restraint makes one more creative. If you can do anything, you will, and it will be the same old anything that everyone else is doing. I'd like to see us get back to a Production Code in this country. I think it would give us better films. But it will take the American public demanding it of our government. It was the threat of government intervention that got the Motion Picture Association of America to come up with the Code the first time. It can happen again if we make it happen." ~Waitsel Smith

Excerpted from "Waitsel's Best Movies of 2009." Text © 2010 Waitsel Smith.

Clash Entertainment

CLASH Entertainment Targets Teens and Tweens With Wholesome, Fun Website

New Website Releases Contest to Reach Young People and Award an iPod Touch

Albuquerque, NM (January 18, 2009) – A new website seeks to speak to young people, ages 11-19, in their language. CLASHEntertainment.com presents teens and tweens with a variety of entertainment-themed articles, opportunities for interaction on the website and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and online contests.

CLASH Entertainment President Ken Raney says, “ClashEntertainment.com is an entertainment/portal web site designed to be so rich and deep with entertaining media, that teens will want to visit and stay for sustained periods of time. The site is updated daily with fresh content that includes news, reviews, interviews, comics, music, videos, games, career information and more.”

CLASH is currently running its first online contest through February 14, 2010. Teens and tweens are invited to upload a short video to Facebook, sharing their favorite thing from CLASHEntertainment.com. The winner of the contest will receive an iPod Touch. The contest is intended to expand the CLASH network on Facebook and draw more young people to the resources on CLASHEntertainment.com.

For Complete Contest Rules and Entry Details: CLASHEntertainment.com/Contests

For More Information:

CLASH Entertainment Official Website: CLASHEntertainment.com

CLASH Entertainment on Facebook: Facebook.com/CLASHEntertainment

CLASH Entertainment on Twitter: Twitter.com/CLASH4teens

Film Review: Avatar

"James Cameron has many political axes to grind in this very beautiful film, and no matter how awe-inspiring the scenery and action gets, there’s always an obtrusively highlighted moralistic footnote to distract the viewer. That said, the visuals are undeniably amazing. From the opening scenes on board spaceship to when the crippled marine named Jake first takes control of his genetically engineered avatar body, the sets and gadgets are incredible.""With Avatar’s budget, Cameron has dwarfed the cost of Titanic, and with a new line of toys, games, and books for all ages, has an reasonable chance of attaining similar returns. It seems that Cameron’s sanctimonious hatred of corporate development and capitalism is as inconsistently applied as the existential pantheism of Pandora. This film cannot be recommended for humans." ~Isaac Botkin

You can read Isaac's full review here. I found it to be a very insightful artical covering topics of 3D, 2D, budget, worldview, and story-arc. Highly recommended!

The Bravehearted Gospel

SYNOPSIS: The manly stuff is missing from modern day Christianity and this book is aimed at injecting it straight into the bloodstream of the believing life. With typical Eric Ludy candor and passion, this book will ignite your soul with the desire to fight for all that is sacred and all that is true. The Bravehearted Gospel is a field manual for everyone interested in upholding the integrity of the Word of God and the moorings of the ancient faith in these confusing times of post-modern emergence.

I got this book for Christmas and it has proven to be one of the best books that I've ever read. It addresses issues of post-modernism, the emergent church, the solidity of truth, and being willing to take world-shaking steps of faith. I like to call it, "the martyr's handbook." There is an abundance of truth and wisdom wrapped up in every chapter...every paragraph. If I took a highlighter to the book, about 3/4 or more would end up highlighted yellow! Bottom line, the book is highly recommended, if not a MUST read!

In my opinion this is the "Do Hard Things" book but for older ages.

"[A] reluctance to acknowledge truth to be truth and facts to be factual in no way alters the truth or the facts. But it does completely alter the way you interact with them, and therefore, the way you live your life." ~Eric Ludy

If you have any sense of the dire need for the Church to get back to the truth of the Gospel and show the world the Truth, Light and Power of Jesus Christ, this book is for you! It is convicting, it's humorous, but most importantly it has the guts to speak truth when most Christian writers won't.

Click Here for more information.

TONIGHT: The Mysterious Islands Premiere in Dallas, Texas!

The Mysterious Islands Road Trip Concludes With Tonight's Premiere in Dallas, Texas!The screening will be held on Wednesday, 16th at theLakewood Theater Door opens at 6:30 p.m., and the 100-minute film will start at 7:00. Following the screening, there will be a short Q and A with filmmakers and crew, along with a poster and picture signing with the cast and crew.

The cost of the evening's premiere is $10 per family, or $5 for individuals. Space is limited. You must R.S.V.P. to reserve your seats.

Click Here to reserve your seats and view directions.
Share

"It's Time To Answer The Call of Manhood"

In a day and age where men are being turned into feminine sissies, I was very encouraged to read this bold yet true "call to manhood" from Dockers. I highly recommend that you take a minute to read the full "man-ifesto." Click Here
Share

Watch Mysterious Islands FREE

You can watch the film FREE tonight!

Tonight, at 7:05 p.m. Central time, gather your family and tune in to American Family Association's special online presentation, "Deserting Darwin: The Galapagos Re-Discovered."

Join "Nothing But Truth" host Crane Durham and in-studio guest Doug Phillips, executive producer of "The Mysterious Islands," as they talk with experts in science, law and apologetics. Then keep watching to enjoy "The Mysterious Islands" in its entirety--for free!

To learn more about the film, click here!
Share

How Twilight is Re-Vamping Romance

The popularity of this teen vampire series is simply astounding: "In 2008, the four books of the series claimed the top four spots on USA Today's year-end bestseller list, making Meyer the first author to ever achieve this feat.^[27] The series then won the 2009 Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Book, where it competed against the Harry Potter series.^[2] - In an interview with USA Today, US president Barack Obama said that he and his ten-year-old daughter, Malia, often bond over the Twilight books,^[50]" -Wiki

Recently I came across this article from a perspective that I found to be a breath of fresh air considering the apparent wholesale acceptance of these books and films. They also address the question that I've been asking, "How is this storyline capturing so many hearts, minds and box office dollars?"

"Twilight proved its mighty cultural force when the second film in the series, New Moon, broke all-time opening-day box office records, beating out Titanic and Dark Knight. [2] Since the release of the first Twilight book in 2005, 85 million subsequent books in the series have been sold. Twilight’s cultural conquest is phenomenal. But how did this averagely-written, clichéd storyline capture so many hearts, minds and imaginations (not to mention over one billion dollars in book, DVD and ticket sales)?

Though Stephanie Meyer is not a brilliant author, she knows how to make an illicit romance with a vampire look like a clean, pro-abstinence story of unconditional love and good vs. evil (and convince even Christians.) [3]"

Read the full article here.

Share

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, it's a joke.
(click on it for a larger view)

This Thanksgiving let's not forget to give thanks for our TRUE heritage and the abundant blessings of God!
Share

"Who Is This Jesus?"

"The resurrection of Jesus Christ is intellectually credible and existentially satisfying. These are the two tests of any valid worldview, philosophy, or religion." ~Tim Keller

This is the best sermon I've heard outlining the claims of Christ and challenging people to know where they stand. Could you prove to someone that Christianity is true? I highly recommend listening to and studying this message. (Run Time: 40 min)

If the audio file doesn't show up for some reason you can listen to the sermon here.
You can listen to more sermons by Tim Keller on his website.
Share