Sunday, April 29, 2007

Movies and Music


Watched two good movies this weekend, Taladega Nights and Perfume. I enjoyed them both loads. I am not really a big film critic, some I like some I don’t. I went to watch 300 with my dad, we thought it was so crap we got up and walked out half way through.

My favourite film of all time is “The Godfather” it’s a powerful movie. The end of the Godfather 1 is like the beginning of 1 Kings in the Bible. Solomon wreaks revenge on all those who have been conspiring against him and establishes his throne, just like Michael Corleone.

8 mile is another great film, I love the end, the intensity……

Has anyone ever seen the movie “King David” with Richard Gere, it’s pretty rubbish. Why aren’t there any good biblical films out there, The Passion was okay.

I have in my time seen some “Christian” movies, that is films made by Christians for Christians, they are normally pretty pants, a bit like most Christian music. Do those two words really go together “Christian Music” .

There is only really: good music and bad music. Some Christian music I have listened to leaves me cold. Although saying that I often get very moved listening to worship songs. I like “Worship music” it communicates truth and gives me a voice to express my feelings to God, but normally it doesn’t really hold up as just good music. I have used The Rolling Stones in a worship context, now thats good music. But thats my own taste, I think it's very hard to have a debate about christian music just like it is very difficult to decide good and bad movies. We all know what we like.

Worship like movie watching is a very personal experience and we all know what we prefer.

What am I saying? I like worship music but don’t actually think it’s very good musically! but thats my viewpoint.

We all have our own preferences.

11 comments:

Gary said...

I've seen the Richard Gere film 'King David'. And I totally agree. It was woeful! We had to watch it as part of our Old Testament 'Critical Methods' course... along with a couple of dodgy black and white versions of the David story.

Anonymous said...

Re: family photo - all you need are cool shades to BE the Godfather and Sons!!

Anonymous said...

my favourite movie of all time is nacho libre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dratt said...

Watched Mr Bean's Holiday last week. Made me laugh 'til I cried... so funny..

Tanya Heasley said...

Thanks for saying your opinion on 300, I don't think I'll watch it now (didn't really want to anyway).

Also, before I became a Christian I kinda liked most love songs. Depending on my circumstance at the time, I would listen to the words of a song and think about a perticular person/people.

Since becoming a Christian, most love songs become worship songs for me because they remind me of Jesus.

Maybe songs with a love message could be worship/Christian music.

shawnman said...

one time at a Bible study i went to they did the one Tom Petty song "Ain't No Easy Way Out" (or whatever the title is, not a big classics fan). in any case, i enjoyed the song somewhat b/c they were using it in a certain context. thats one of the things that counts: what is the context of how your using the movie/song etc. i know one of my friends is going to school to make wholesome movies. his goal is to make movies that eventually take you to the Cross of Christ.

Passion of Christ... saw it, liked it. but it was some intense depiction of what the crucifixion might have been like.

i recommend "To End All Wars" by David Cunningham. he's the son of Loren Cunningham from YWAM. some intense lessons to it and some violent scenes (but at least no sex scenes... PTL!

and i stick to worship music for the most part. even CCM music gets to me to quickly. when i hear from reliable sources that they're not living it out behind closed doors... forget it. that and it doesn't really sound much different than worldly music.

in any case, life is interesting.

J-Mac said...

I find it hard to say I like 'Christian' music (worship or contemporary) even though it's not very good.

Surely we shouldn't just accept how crap the Christian music scene is. We worship the God of all creation and yet offer him back a cheap imitation of the 'worlds' music.

The world has a celebrity scene so we try and recreate it by making worship leaders into celebrities. These guys release album after album with one good song and a lot of filler and call it a 'sacrifice' of praise.

It's the same in the CCM scene where pretty boys and girls release vacuous, soulless music and make a killing because of the big market.

This filters down into our churches so people go to the place that has the best lights, visuals and the tightest band.

Anyway rant over, I'm off down the town to get a Hillsongs haircut!

Mimosa said...

I disagree slightly with J-Mac. What is soulless to one, might not be that for someone else. But of course we all have a right to our opinion =) My interest is: what is then the solution, what would be better then? What is so horribly wrong? As christians, are we not allowed to look good? Are we not allowed to have Hillsong's type of worship in case we like it? Not everyone does though. (and that is why we have different kind of churches) To some, God might actually be speaking through it. But yes, you are right, as people in the church we are still very human and people tend to put others on pedestal, I have seen that too, and it's sad.

(I posted this reply bcos I have noticed a slight anti-Hillsong mentality in NI and was interested in that, like why etc..And just to make clear: I've been to NI and LOVED it! Didn't mean that as a criticism that is..Just interested.)

But yeah, I guess what I'm trying to say is that some people actually enjoy and feel close to God through something that is soulless pop to others. Like one of my friends loves house/techno sort of stuff and I absolutely hate it, heh! So, agree Brian, we all definetily have our preferences.. We're all unique.

Brian in NC said...

Brian heard the film Amazing Grace about Wilberforce was well....amazing :) I have drawn alot of inspiration from the music of U2 and Coldplay over the years...

J-Mac said...

Mimo, my comment above was a bit of a rant. I didn't chose the words carefully. The sentiment is entirely my opinion.

My own anti-Hillsong mentality comes from going to a church in South Africa, the continent where most forms of music began, and they were singing Hillsongs! Instead of using their amazing creativity and rhythm they were doing Hillsongs badly.

There are plenty of Christian artists with soul but I have found most of them to be in the 'secular' field...Sufjen Stevens, Duke Special, Bruce Springsteen (?), Dylan and of course those boys from Dublin!

Mimosa said...

Ahh J-Mac I totally get what you mean! Thanks for sharing. (Sorry Brian I have moved to the comment-field of your blog! Hehe!)