Comments on: Movies and McMarketing http://www.theottery.com/2006/03/movies-and-mcmarketing/ "If an otter can't have fun doing something, it just simply won't do it." Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:55:04 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: theotter http://www.theottery.com/2006/03/movies-and-mcmarketing/comment-page-1/#comment-7 theotter Thu, 09 Mar 2006 15:12:25 +0000 http://www.theottery.com/2006/03/movies-and-mcmarketing/#comment-7 Yup, that's been my experience, too. I know The Passion of the Christ has been very moving for a lot of people, but it bored and, at times, disgusted me. I prefer Christ's story presented more obliquely (at least in movies and books), and particularly by people who don't know they're embodying Christ. That said, I absolutely hated Sideways. I found it very smug and male-centered. But that's one of the great things about Christ sneaking himself into movies--different people will find him in different films. Now you see him, now you don't, depending on where you're looking. Yup, that’s been my experience, too. I know The Passion of the Christ has been very moving for a lot of people, but it bored and, at times, disgusted me. I prefer Christ’s story presented more obliquely (at least in movies and books), and particularly by people who don’t know they’re embodying Christ.

That said, I absolutely hated Sideways. I found it very smug and male-centered.

But that’s one of the great things about Christ sneaking himself into movies–different people will find him in different films. Now you see him, now you don’t, depending on where you’re looking.

]]> By: icelimbo http://www.theottery.com/2006/03/movies-and-mcmarketing/comment-page-1/#comment-6 icelimbo Thu, 09 Mar 2006 06:00:21 +0000 http://www.theottery.com/2006/03/movies-and-mcmarketing/#comment-6 I haven't seen The McPassion, and I don't read Christianity Today. I am a Christian, though, and I have watched a lot of movies in my day. I tend to find that by and large the movies I've seen which have moved me the most in a Christian way have been made by non-Christians or nominal Christians, who are good storytellers and have keen insight into the human condition. The two most recent examples I have of this are not current films as of 2006 but are things I've seen for the first time in the past weeks: M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" and Alexander Payne's "Sideways." The first tells the story of a turn-of-the-century gated community and the creatures from the woods who threaten it. (It's not a horror movie, even though it was marketed as such. It's actually an all-surpassing love story.) The second tells of two friends on a week-long vacation visiting California vineyards before one of them gets married. They are both relative failures at life, and each is a small, scared, immature child in his own way, but both experience true grace in ways that only truly fallen people can. Doesn't mean it ends happily, only hopefully. Like life. Point being: in my experience, the movies that show the grace, love, and truth of Chris the most are always written, directed, and acted by people who would not call themselves Christians. I haven’t seen The McPassion, and I don’t read Christianity Today. I am a Christian, though, and I have watched a lot of movies in my day. I tend to find that by and large the movies I’ve seen which have moved me the most in a Christian way have been made by non-Christians or nominal Christians, who are good storytellers and have keen insight into the human condition. The two most recent examples I have of this are not current films as of 2006 but are things I’ve seen for the first time in the past weeks: M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” and Alexander Payne’s “Sideways.” The first tells the story of a turn-of-the-century gated community and the creatures from the woods who threaten it. (It’s not a horror movie, even though it was marketed as such. It’s actually an all-surpassing love story.) The second tells of two friends on a week-long vacation visiting California vineyards before one of them gets married. They are both relative failures at life, and each is a small, scared, immature child in his own way, but both experience true grace in ways that only truly fallen people can. Doesn’t mean it ends happily, only hopefully. Like life. Point being: in my experience, the movies that show the grace, love, and truth of Chris the most are always written, directed, and acted by people who would not call themselves Christians.

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