Christian horror movie??

[DeSica]

DeSica... Chill on some of your comments in here. From what I have seen glancing through this thread, you have made nothing but jokes and added not much (that I saw) of value to the original topic at hand. Trolling to start something in otherwords.

Sorry, dude, but you're way off on that trolling stuff...

Nothing but jokes? Like the one about my dead prof having directed a Christian thriller, or do you mean the post where I said I don't think I could be comfortable making money off of my own religious beliefs?

You're accusing me of trolling after having glanced at what I have written in here? I'm not questioning whether a Moderator should actually read posts before judging them....you guys can do as you please, but I'm just curious...

Exactly who would I be trying to start something with, and why? I sincerely hope nothing I did post in this thread offended anyone...

I'm sorry you feel that way, but I went back and re-read my posts, and I don't really see where you're coming from at all...was it post #61? #54?

Tell you what...since you feel I am 'trolling to start something,' and have said as much in a public forum, maybe you can re-read (or read, not glance, in other words) my handful of posts, and if you still feel that way, I'll take a powder.

I have no problems with that at all.

And for the record, without trying to offend anyone, I was serious....having just watched it last night , I did find Jesus Camp to be unsettling and scary.

Maybe that is the key to it all...a horroor film in this vein should be more psychological than gore and blood and guts....like Rosemary's Baby.

Anyway, keep up the good work.

 

[Jason Ramsey]

Dude. This thread was pm'd to me, so I took a look. It was late, and I skimmed. I saw a lot of off topic comments by several people, and the last couple of pages had some off topic comments that were kind of fanning the flames and not adding to the conversation.

Typically what I have seen in this thread is:

<insert personal opinion about some religious topic that has nothing to do with the topic from the original poster, and/or some comment about someone being an idiot or evil b/c of their religious belief's, or offhanded jokes, etc.>

followed by:

"Back to the original posters question...."

I wasn't trying to single you out personally and only, just what I saw and what I used as example to try to get the point across that has already been made.

These kinds of topics walk a fine line with the guidelines here, so don't encourage their closing by comments that push them over the edge (that's for everyone). That's fanning the flames in my eyes.

This topic has run for 11 pages, and you know it was on watchful eye from the get go. Sooo... just reinforcing the need to keep the <insert off-topic here> out of your posts (general "your") and keep it to the original topic at hand.

When I see comments like the ones below (one of these are not you) in the first three pages, which all strike me as unnecessary, and off-topic, but maybe that's just me:

Just make a movie where the atheists are proven right all along.

I get sick to my stomach when I see preachers on TV asking for money to spread the message while wearing tailor made $3000 suits and sitting on sets that must cost tens of thousands of dollars just for the decoration. It doesn't add up.

that is why I don't give the Catholic church any money, even though I am Catholic.

When I see them crying poor, yet the Pope wears a hat studded with rubies and emaralds, it offends me.

Perhaps check your local TBN. And wear protection.

The Inquisition is even worse. I think Cheney and Rumsfeld were running it at one point...

Followed by a page of on-topic, followed by about two pages of talking about people's individual views of what "Christian's" and "Christianity" are (none of that was too bad if kept in context and without some of the other unneeded stuff), and so on and so forth...

Ok? You've been around long enough to know these topics walk a fine line, so why post things that would likely influence their premature closing? That's the point. That's where the word trolling comes in. Yet this thread has remained open for 11 pages now, just for the record.

I also never stated that what you had posted was patently offensive to anyone. I stated more along the lines of off-topic and unnecessary. For your word that you chose to single out "glanced"... As I said, this topic was brought to my attention by another member, via pm. I have nothing to add to the actual topic. What I was doing was seeing what was in the thread that was causing me to start getting pm's from members. In my "glancing" I saw the above in the first three pages and other stuff that if I really wanted to get down to it, could have quoted as well. 'nuff said. Maybe next time I'll just close it.

For the sake of not crapping in this thread further, if you feel there is more to discuss about this, feel free to pm me.

Later,
Jason

 

[Nathyn]

There's something I've wondered for awhile...

As indie filmmakers, we all know that one of the easiest things to do if you want to make a movie that will sell is to make a horror movie. The horror genre is one of the easiest to break into without 'name' actors or big budgets. But as a Christian filmmaker, I don't want to make a horror movie -- at least, not a traditional 'blood and boobs' horror movie.

So I've wondered -- is it possible to make a Christian horror movie??

Well IMHO no. Because the concept of "Christian (add genre)" generally turns out to be silly. You can make a film that is either Action, Horror, Drama, Comedy, Romance or any mix of the above. Period. Christianity isn't a fun nor entertaining topic when people are going to have fun and be entertained. But Christian themes characters and even subject matter, when written well, can be very entertaining. Ever hear of a little known secular movie called "The Excorcist". I don't make Christian films but I always tend to gravitate toward Christian themes and openly Christian protagonist. (In my opinion it's simply not done often). And for me this is a very timely topic considering I'm selling my script on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...tem=160208857168&_trksid=p3984.cSELL.m315.lVI

-Nate

 

[Jared Meyer]

Hey Nathyn, I just saw the blog post they did about your script on Cinematical. Nice! :thumbsup:

 

[thematthewbone]

I could consider the book Quarantine by Jim Crace to be Christian-horror. Or definitely walking that line. I would also consider the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Or as was mentioned in the film discussion...The Screwtape Letters.

C.S. Lewis a very very devout man wrote the Screwtape Letters in first person letters from an elder demon to a novice one, explaining in painstaking detail the keys to tricking a man into damning his soul. Very original and very very scary.

 

[thematthewbone]

I also think it is funny we are talking about attempting not to "alienate" the audiences we are targeting. I honestly think any great horror films is going to alienate its audience at some point in some way. Its job is to rustle up those fears that never come to fruition, that may be the wrong word...the fears that are never fully realized in our day to day lives. To do that they have to rip and pick at our moralistic barriers. Different films do it different ways...but I think all the truly great horror films do it on some level.

Horror films also have to scare us by utilizing our weaknesses against us. Hostel and lust. Freddy Krueger and sleep. etc. etc. I think to succeed in crafting a Christian horror film that truly frightens its audience you may have to leave some disapproving. Maybe think about targeting it more at young Christians. There is an absolutely mass market of young Christians who you could appeal a project like this too but, just like traditional horror films never sit well with older "more mature audiences" I think they same holds true with a Christian horror film.

I apologize for the ranty nature of this post but it is 3 in the morning and I am having a hard time typing my thoughts.

 

[Nathyn]

Hey Nathyn, I just saw the blog post they did about your script on Cinematical. Nice! :thumbsup:

Thanks dude. Ironically I had to relist it because it didn't sale the first time. Now there's a little heat on it. ReelChicago.com was supposed to do a story about it. Ruth called me herself but I don't know what happened.

Horror films also have to scare us by utilizing our weaknesses against us. Hostel and lust. Freddy Krueger and sleep. etc. etc. I think to succeed in crafting a Christian horror film that truly frightens its audience you may have to leave some disapproving.

The answer is to NOT make a Christian horror film but make a horror film Christian can get something out of. You'll appeal to people who normally go to horror films (which include many Christians, even devout ones) and at the same time the general horror crowd is open to religious themes in horror.

Now days with people having their heads stuck so far up their a$$es it's harder when people work so hard to be offended by everything. There's no room for free thought. You have to let some people be angry. Half of the people will be mad because they didn't do it first and the other half will be mad because you did it too well. People are quick to even call classics like The Exorcist "Christian films" when they were made by secular Hwood studios but people simply had more reverence in those days and were more open to faith in films. The Bible predicted toward the end of time the hearts of man will wax cold and this is whats happening. Some people are more afraid of catching "Jesus" then catching Ebola.

On the flip side what amazes me, as a person that reads the Bible everyday, no one sees the lust, greed, sex and overt violence that takes place in many of the OT stories and even Jesus' parables many times ended with the badguys being killed, the parable of the King who rented his land out. When time came to collect The king sent servants to get his share and the tenants treated them bad and killed them. Then he sent his son. Once they killed his son. The king eventually kills them all and rents to new tenants. The King was God, the servants being the prophets and the son, of course, represented Jesus. The story isn't particularly about what happens but the themes and many times horror is the only place you can be openly Christian without too many people freaking out about it. Can you imagine that little girl from "The Ring" going up against a devout Christian. She would've gotten so freakin' owned.

-Nate

 

[Wild Imagination Films]

Chapel,
I think it's quite possible to make any type of "Horror" film. You have to ask yourself what you consider to be horror. Ask yourself also, how do my "Christian" values, ideas, beliefs factor into the "horror" aspect. Additionally, what do you want the viewer to leave with? Is this a morality play about how Christianity is "right" and scary monsters are "wrong?" Or is it a subtle story of how your personal faith can help overcome some horror?
Someone mentioned Constantine in an earlier post. I couldn't agree more. The underlying issue in this film is easily missed and stated in ONE LINE. It's quite easily one of the most twisted plots ever and it has elements of Christianity and horror. I would recommend giving it a watch if you haven't and please, let me know what you think. I'd love to see if you catch the issue I hinted at.
I think you should be more specific in the question you are asking yourself. Can you make a "Christian" Monster movie? A "Christian" slasher movie? You get the idea.
I made a short film in which the lead character sees dead people. Several of my
devout friends politely refused to watch it.
I began work on a horror short with a hint of "religious mockery" and members of my crew politely excused themselves from the project.
You'll likely face some hostility from conservatives, jeers from the "liberal secular" viewers, and who knows what else.
You have raised a very interesting question and I am going to be watching to see where this goes for you. Also, I'd be happy to help in any way I can.