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When a film is working, none of the individual elements stand out; that is, we are so caught by the complete work that we aren’t conscious of where the camera is positioned or what filters cover the lens or whether an actor is reciting a script or improvising. Such matters are for subsequent viewings; in…
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Film is one of the most powerful influences in society. If we see movies as either “harmless entertainment” or “completely corrupt,” we miss an opportunity. One view excludes a greater understanding of our culture. The other lets ungodly values become part of our society. “A film not made solely by or about Christians can still…
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Excerpts from Reviewing the Movies, Chapter 5 “The first rule in children and film is simple: Visual sophistication is the standard by which most young children evaluate what they watch. If a film is fresh and technically sophisticated, kids are more likely to find it entertaining. Practically speaking, this means that it may be hard to…
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For years, people in and out of Hollywood have argued whether films create cultural trends or simply mirror them. All such arguments tend to be rather simple-headed. Like the nature or nurture arguments of behavioral scientists, or the mind versus heart arguments of theologians, simple answers can only be drawn on paper. The realities are…
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Marketing films requires a lot of savvy. For one thing, the timing of a film–entertainers can have a short shelf life; what seems a sure hit because, say, Brittany Spears is available, can bomb because Brittany Spears is imploding. Likewise elements of the culture can change rapidly – events like 911 or Columbine turn the…
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Call Me Legion: Excerpt from Peter Fraser’s Analysis of Horror Cinema It would be conventional to say that some of us are simply more impressionable. And while that is certainly true, horror film surmises that the easiest victims of the diabolic are those who have no healthy fear and respect for the subject. The Church…
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Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ may turn out to be one of the more influential works of Christian art to come along in quite some time, and not only because of its staggering box office success. Gibson’s film has inclined the Christian community, and particularly the evangelical community, toward reconciliation with the film industry…
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Most of the animation students at my college prefer anime to “traditional,” Western animation—a puzzling phenomenon given the massive distribution of the Disney franchise, as well as Loony Tunes and its many spinoffs, but evident with only a cursory glance through senior portfolios and art projects. Then again, both my boys grew up trading Yugioh…
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One Man’s Vision Can Make A Difference Matthew Johnson developed a passion for urban kids in the early 90s. He believed that what prevents many minority kids from success is a lack of opportunity and encouragement. So, he developed the Strive Media Institute that allows high-risk kids the opportunity to develop marketable skills in the…
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The following excerpt is from Re-Viewing the Movies: a Christian Response to Contemporary Film by Peter Fraser and Vernon Neal, reprinted by permission of Crossway Books. The book is available through Christian bookstores, Internet booksellers, and direct from the publisher (1-800-635-7993). It is the first book in Crossway’s Focal Point series on Christianity and contemporary…
