Documentary on now: Christianity + Hollywood

[Northern Ireland Hibby]

Documentary on now called 'The Passion' which looks at the relationship between Christian groups and the movie industry in America.

Has an interesting section which shows how The Passion of the Christ pratically guaranteed a good box office by agressively testing the film on huge Christian focus groups.

The doco also explains how Christian focus groups are used more often by those marketing family movies.

Of concern, maybe, is that the group Focus On The Family (who say they have a mailing list of 2.5m people worldwide) has some influence in Hollywood.

I've heard some of Focus on the Family's radio shows and, while it's very wholesome stuff, it's extremely conservative and inevitably right-wing.

[Burbank Lilywhite]

The only "Jesus" in working in Hollywood is the gardener for industry executives and he's from El Salvador not Bethlehem.

It's actually bizzare, to ousiders of the industry it seems to be either a godless industry hell bent on destroying any moral fabric in which immoral people have all the control. Or the influence of family oriented groups and their slant on things.

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

Of concern, maybe, is that the group Focus On The Family (who say they have a mailing list of 2.5m people worldwide) has some influence in Hollywood

The only people who have any influence are the bankers. If you can make money with a project no matter how bad or good it is it will get done.

Mel Gibson spent his own money for the Passion and that's what got it done. Nothing else really, no matter what any focus group thought, no one (other than Mel himself) was going to lose money so it got nothing but green lights.

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

The doco also explains how Christian focus groups are used more often by those marketing family movies.

This is the biggest demographic in terms of monies spent per ticket for both the film and cinema owners. They are also the group most likely to purchase the dvd for future home viewing. They need to get this group into the cinema's. It is also the demographic most likely to use the services offered by their cable companies (movies on demand, renting a dvd, or using tivo) to stay away. Without this demographic most films will not make money. The Christian family groups are better organised in terms of providing numbers for screenings than other family groups so they get the lion's share of input regarding a films content.

Having been to a few screenings and being asked for input, what you are asked for is do you like the story, if so what did you like, if not what didn't you like. What about the characters appealed to you. In terms of being able to influence whether a project sees daylight they don't have that much power unless there is such a negative reaction to a film. And trust me there are tonnes of films on shelves that will never see daylight viewed by focus groups outside of the Christian family set.

[Northern Ireland Hibby]

It's actually bizzare, to ousiders of the industry it seems to be either a godless industry hell bent on destroying any moral fabric in which immoral people have all the control. Or the influence of family oriented groups and their slant on things.

I reckon Christian groups are developing an increasing seige and (here I go again...) victim mentality.

I have heard conservative Christians moan about politcial correctness in the workplace, 'rap' music, movies etc etc etc. Surely their own bluring of the lines between conservative thought and Christianity (and imposing unnecessary rules on their flock as a result) has emptied churches: not fecking Eminem.

Anyway, I'm ranting. Tired and emotional again
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[Burbank Lilywhite]

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

I reckon Christian groups are developing an increasing seige and (here I go again...) victim mentality.

It's not just them, for example in last season's network tv schedule it was estimated 10% of the reoccuring characters in prime time programmes where homosexual which represented a fairly large number of these characters. To hear the gay and lesbian support groups, one would believe there were no gay or lesbian characters on television. Should the numbers be higher to reflect actual demographics, yes. But then so should the number of minorities as well. Every group has a victim mentality when it comes to the entertainment industry.

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

I have heard conservative Christians moan about politcial correctness in the workplace, 'rap' music, movies etc etc etc. Surely their own bluring of the lines between conservative thought and Christianity (and imposing unnecessary rules on their flock as a result) has emptied churches: not fecking Eminem.

Well that and taking the donated money and building a water slide park in their Florida mansion.

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

Tired and emotional again
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What sectarian group is he the spokesman for?
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[Pilrig]

Apparently the right-wing Jesus botherers in the states have leant on Sony to try and dilute the central thesis of the Da Vinci Code movie.

[Burbank Lilywhite]

Originally Posted by Pilrig

Apparently the right-wing Jesus botherers in the states have leant on Sony to try and dilute the central thesis of the Da Vinci Code movie.

Given that Michael Jackson and Spike Lee have told everyone the industry is run by mean spirited Jews fat chance of that happening.

[Pilrig]

Originally Posted by Burbank Lilywhite

Given that Michael Jackson and Spike Lee have told everyone the industry is run by mean spirited Jews fat chance of that happening.

Well the proof of the pudding will be on May 19th. Then we'll all be able to see how maleable Sony and their employee Mr Howard are.

[egb_hibs]

honestly connor - what's the point here?

any power that these tambourine wavers have as a lobby is way behind other interest groups. any 'right wing' influence is small compared to the clout of liberal hollywood values.

seems like a non-issue to me, other than for inquistors who would eradicate any non-compliant views or imfuences from the world.

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Pilrig

Apparently the right-wing Jesus botherers in the states have leant on Sony to try and dilute the central thesis of the Da Vinci Code movie.

have you stopped to think about this?

how could you 'dilute' the dvc to come up something that pleased 'right wing jesus botherers'?

[Northern Ireland Hibby]

[quote=egb_hibs]honestly connor - what's the point here?

any power that these tambourine wavers have as a lobby is way behind other interest groups. any 'right wing' influence is small compared to the clout of liberal hollywood values.

seems like a non-issue to me, other than for inquistors who would eradicate any non-compliant views or imfuences from the world.

TBH, there was no grand point: I just thought it was interesting that the likes of Focus on the Family (admittedly, an organisation that isn't really scarey but is a bit, well, creepy) were being asked by film-makers for their view.

It was a new one on me.

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

TBH, there was no grand point: I just thought it was interesting that the likes of Focus on the Family (admittedly, an organisation that isn't really scarey but is a bit, well, creepy) were being asked by film-makers for their view.

It was a new one on me.

Any creepier than revenue streams shaping editorial decisions, or george clooney using films as a channel for his political views?

[Northern Ireland Hibby]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

Any creepier than revenue streams shaping editorial decisions, or george clooney using films as a channel for his political views?

On paper, no: but it's all the cashmere jumpers, chinos, big grins and 'family-focused' political ideas that freak me out. And I'm a Christian FFS.

It's a personal thing.

[Colr]

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

Documentary on now called 'The Passion' which looks at the relationship between Christian groups and the movie industry in America.

Has an interesting section which shows how The Passion of the Christ pratically guaranteed a good box office by agressively testing the film on huge Christian focus groups.

The doco also explains how Christian focus groups are used more often by those marketing family movies.

Of concern, maybe, is that the group Focus On The Family (who say they have a mailing list of 2.5m people worldwide) has some influence in Hollywood.

I've heard some of Focus on the Family's radio shows and, while it's very wholesome stuff, it's extremely conservative and inevitably right-wing.

Is that why half the movies coming out of the USA feature a divorced father conconsiling with his children and wife? (e.g. the sub-plot on War of the Worlds)

[Northern Ireland Hibby]

Originally Posted by Colr

Is that why half the movies coming out of the USA feature a divorced father conconsiling with his children and wife? (e.g. the sub-plot on War of the Worlds)

I wasn't claiming that Christian groups have a huge influence, I was just raising something I wasn't aware of before seeing the programme.

[Pilrig]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

have you stopped to think about this?

how could you 'dilute' the dvc to come up something that pleased 'right wing jesus botherers'?

Yep, but I'm a suspicious tnuc.

It was reported in the Scotland on Sunday a while back that Sony had consulted Christian media pundits about the content of the DVC movie. Sony, like all capitalists want to make dosh naturally, and saw how Mel Gibson's Christ film had done very well at the box office and identified the Christian fundies as a vital profitable audience.
Now the message the Christian lobbyists came back to Sony with was that the faithful cinemagoers wouldn't be chuffed with the Christ-Magdalene scenario of the DVC film. Going by the noises made by the Sony bigwigs was that they'd like a film which was a fast-action thriller (which it will be) and less focus on the religious/heretical content.
I have to have a wee laugh at Sony's dilemma - on the one hand they don't want to upset Mel's legions but at the same time, the millions of Dan Brown afficianados will be less than pleased if the content of the novel is buggered up too much.
Anywa from what I've seen of the trailers, it looks like Ron Howard is staying true to the novel. Happy Days indeed !

[Colr]

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

I wasn't claiming that Christian groups have a huge influence, I was just raising something I wasn't aware of before seeing the programme.

No. It's just something I've noticed as a recurring theme.

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Northern Ireland Hibby

On paper, no: but it's all the cashmere jumpers, chinos, big grins and 'family-focused' political ideas that freak me out. And I'm a Christian FFS.

It's a personal thing.

I know you are dude, and fair enough. I wasnt meaning to have a pop btw, it just always amazes me when the relatively small influence these chavs have comes under so much scrutiny, when other influential factors go unremarked.

they're not my cup of tea and never will be but if you want to talk creepy or disturbing then, to mix my beverages, they're small beer.