After the long week of launching Marla’s ebook, The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky, she took the kids up to hang out with her family yesterday. And me, I got to enjoy 27 holes of disc golf and supper at Buffalo Wild Wings with Kary Oberbrunner and friends, then head over to Easton to watch Super 8 on IMAX.

I had heard some decent review about the movie, and with it being produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by J.J. Abrams, I was guessing that it had to be a quality flick. I’m not sure why, but the older I get, the more Hollywood confuses the heck out of me. These writers and creatives spend loads of hours creating something that was nothing more than visually appealing (and only accomplishing that for a few scenes).

The stories these days are more and more about the paranormal, aliens, and stretching ideas to a point where it’s pointless for us to even want to understand it. I could list at least 5-10 recent shows or movies that rake in so much money and attention, when I guess it just doesn’t make sense to me.

Being a person of faith does impact how I perceive this stuff too. Why would someone that’s so talented want to be know for being able to make up stories that would never happen in the life of one person in the universe? It confuses me even more seeing Christians chasing after these losers in Hollywood. Wanting to make the stages and screens of churches or faith communities appear like they were created by the likes of Spielberg. I’m sick of the church blasting itself for not being relevant, when I don’t really think that should be our goal. God never suggests that we conform, I know that much.

For my creative church friends out there, I think movies like this show that we need to start speaking and living out our faith rather than spinning our tires trying to look as good as Hollywood does. Not going to bother giving this movie a thumbs up or star rating. It accomplished one thing for me, forcing me to be even more leery of spending $14 on the next free Friday evening I get!

The story God’s given us to share does have the power to change lives all by itself. Spielberg’s apparently don’t.

“Look at yourselves. Unplug from your chairs. Get up and look in the mirror. What you see is how God made you. We’re not meant to experience the world through a machine.” – Ving Rhames opening quote in Surrogates (now available on DVD / Blu-Ray).

A surrogate is defined as an arrangement for a woman to carry and give birth to a child who will be raised by others. Might seem like an odd start to a post on a blog that usually is focused on the relationship between a Christian faith in God and the use of technology, but I think it will make lots of sense in a few seconds!

Without ruining the movie for you, it basically illustrates how people will be able to stay in their homes in the future, sit in a chair, and control an artificial intelligent (AI) version of themselves. The “computer you” would look just like you. It would go to work, parties, drive, etc. Might sound a bit crazy, but who knows if it really will end up playing out in reality in the years to come.

My point? I believe, even though our surrogates aren’t out walking around today, that many of us are living our lives with that mentality already today. We get our thrills off of being known as someone out in cyberspace, possibly someone that is who we dream of being in person. A few points from the movie labeled this mentality / reality as an invasion of being human. Opening up the possibility of achieving all of your dreams, but not REALLY. A virtual Bucket List I guess?

Are there times when you pour too much effort into your online identity / relationships? Are real-life relationships less of a focus than they need to be? Do you find yourself struggling to focus on serving / listening to / growing with others (and closer to God as a result?

The film and Christian cultures are at a crossroads. Hollywood is struggling (like politics) these days by venturing so far left of the cross, and Christian films struggle by not moving from the far right. Denzel Washington, a devout Christian and very successful actor, produced the first movie that actually encompassed both sides of the cross (and stuck to the central point too). Many, including myself, probably weren’t aware that he is the son of Denzel Washington Sr., a preacher for over 60 years. So how was he able to co-produce a film like this in today’s culture? That’s the question that many in the Christian film industry have to be asking.

Most of those films don’t offer the expertise of Hollywood (with this movie being delivered by Alcon Entertainment / directed by The Hughes Brothers). More details on the film here. For some reason conservative Christians might think of that as “being of this world” (John 15:19)? This film contained a unique mix of intense violence, gore and profanity, while Eli (played by Denzel) kept a clean mouth and shared many direct Biblical truths throughout it. As a co-producer of the film, I would love to hear what Denzel’s thoughts are on creating a story that made the truths of God extremely clear to the eyes of a majority of our country that don’t call Him their Father. Something Christian films fall very short of.

And for Christians. What would conservative Christian institutions have to say to me if they knew I was a fan of this “R rated movie”? I know the high school I attended sure would have given me the boot. Is our faith not strong enough to be in community with violence or vulgarity? Does just being among that kind of a lifestyle mean that you will fall into it? I guess I would much rather our faith (like Denzel’s) actually be seen and heard by those who might have never given it much thought than to rest on the ears of those who have heard it thousands of times and whose lives aren’t changed by it.

To end the review, I’d strongly recommend you go see the movie. You won’t be the same. I’m really glad and shocked that I didn’t share much of the storyline – it’s incredible! Here is a link to the official movie website.

I’ll give Bill Maher some credit. Knowing it wouldn’t be a hit, he took his religious (or agnostic) views and made them as public and available as possible on this DVD. Most Christians wouldn’t touch a movie that ridiculed the one thing in life they hold most dear, the God and Creator that they love. I knew what kind of film I was going to be watching once I saw on the cover that the director was also a part of Borat (one of the less intelligent movies I’ve ever seen) and that the company who helped create the film, Lionsgate, made very clear that the views expressed on the film weren’t theirs.

Bill, if you’re unfamiliar with him, is the prime example for your children if you’d like them (and their mouth) to stay 13 for the rest of their lives. Speaking of 13. That’s when Bill was dumped by his girlfriend and left the church, hinting that the catholic church wasn’t a fan of masturbation (which he enjoyed) and that the God they worshiped should have been “working for Bill” for the relationship to work out. Throughout the film he attempts to prove that he understands God, but obviously that’s already thrown out the door after the first few minutes.

He went about the film in the usual God-bashing way that most do, sticking to these lame arguments that have gone around the block and back:

• Suggests that Christianity is all about being good (apparently doesn’t listen to those of us that admit we’re sinners)
• Pushed the spotlight onto Catholic priests and televangelists (mainly because they fail publicly)
• Blasts Christians for “hating homosexuals”, but didn’t attempt to understand what sin really is
• Hinted that Christ found Catholicism – wrong for many reasons, for another post!
• Believes that a monotheistic God is immoral, and shouldn’t be jealous
• Pointed the finger at Christians and how they judge people by suggesting they need Christ

I’ll do Bill a big favor and let him on a tip that would have made this movie worth watching, maybe even bring in a decent profit or be a hit. When blasting a specific religion, go to the current leaders that are most respected, rather than dropping bombs on a Trucker’s Chapel or book store owner. Might have been more respectable if he started a dialogue with James MacDonald, John Piper or Mark Driscoll? A shining example of this is when Ben Stein went for the jugular with evolution in the Expelled movie. He went straight to the most respected leader of the day, Richard Dawkins, and made his point extremely clear. No reviews needed, and those who opposed him were in an uproar. If Bill’s film would have been worth his time, I (a devout Christian) would be furious and asking people not to watch it. Instead, I urge you to check it out. Thanks for the laugh Bill! I thought for sure I’d be laughing at your humor and not the result of all of the time you put into this film with your thoughts and direction.

PRAYING that God will connect Bill with those who actually understand Christianity sometime soon. PRAISING God for never changing, and being the answer for every curious life.