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What If... (2010) Aug 20, 2023

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Join us live in Los Angeles as Boys' Bible Study and American Cinematheque present... LET THERE BE LIGHT (2017) on Sun., Aug 27 at 10pm. Advance tickets on sale now!

Every so often, God calls upon you to watch a movie that makes you reexamine the big milestones of decision-making in your life, such as, "What if… I never hosted a Christian film podcast?" WHAT IF… is a Christian romantic drama about guardian angels and alternate timelines that would feel right at home in the 1990s trend of secular/faith-based crossover media such as TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. However, WHAT IF… was made two decades after this angelic era, and by a very consequential team of directors, writers and producers who would soon go on to achieve great success in the faith-based film genre. Director Dallas Jenkins (son of LEFT BEHIND co-creator Jerry B. Jenkins) would go on to direct THE CHOSEN, the hugely popular contemporary Christian TV series about the ministry of Jesus. Writers Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon would go on to create the consequential GOD'S NOT DEAD series just a few years after the release of WHAT IF…. Finally, WHAT IF… co-producer David A.R. White (already a famous name in the genre) and star Kevin Sorbo would soon be the lead actors in GOD'S NOT DEAD, cementing their respective statuses as the contemporary titans of Christian film. WHAT IF… stars Kevin Sorbo perfectly in his favorite typecast role of a ruthless, worldly atheist. In this case, his character Ben Walker leaves his relationship with his devoutly Christian high school sweetheart Wendy (Kristy Swanson) to start a new life in the big city as a rich and successful investment banker. Sounds great, but something must be missing… right? Right? Right!? Guardian angel "Mike the Angel" (John Ratzenberger) is sent by God to dispatch Ben to a more wholesome realm, where he never left Wendy and he gets to experience the richness of family life. Through Ben's eyes, we learn that love is more important than money… but money definitely helps a lot!

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Gwen Shamblin: Starving For Salvation (2023) TEASER Aug 13, 2023

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It's been about two years since the bizarre death of Gwen Shamblin Lara and her husband Joe Lara in a private plane crash in June 2021, but media coverage of the two charismatic Christians is only just now coming to a climax with the release of dueling films profiling the pair. HBO has a new documentary, but we focus on Lifetime's GWEN SHAMBLIN: STARVING FOR SALVATION, which stars Jennifer Grey (DIRTY DANCING, FERRIS BUELER'S DAY OFF) in the lead role as Gwen, covering her life's journey from housewife to cult leader. We at Boys' Bible Study previously covered Gwen ourselves back in 2021, learning about her extensive and specific theories on how you can replace gluttonous urges with prayer. Her most famous theory is that one must wait for "The Growl", a stomach growl which sometimes requires fasting as long as 36 hours at a time to truly experience. STARVING FOR SALVATION doesn't get too deeply into the content of Gwen's teachings, but the film is impressively researched and entertaining as it recreates the harrowing atmosphere of a southern belle cult leader who exerts total control over the dogma (and diets) of her congregation. Watch as Gwen and Joe go shopping for a private plane to add to their tacky, opulent estate — the same plane that would later come crashing down in a Tennessee lake, bringing an abrupt end to Gwen's reign over Remnant Fellowship. The Church lives on, and has even issued a harsh press statement denouncing Lifetime's biopic, but they should be grateful! GWEN SHAMBLIN: STARVING FOR SALVATION is not a flattering portrait, but we think Gwen would enjoy seeing her legacy live on in such an entertaining and, dare we say, "iconic" way.

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Event Announcment! Boys' Bible Study Presents LET THERE BE LIGHT (2017) at American Cinematheque in Los Angeles Aug 10, 2023

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Buy advance tickets here: https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/boys-bible-study-presents-let-there-be-light-8-27-23/

Boys' Bible Study podcast presents LET THERE BE LIGHT (2017, dir. Kevin Sorbo) with in-person introduction by Ash and Julian and remote introduction by Scott. Los Feliz 3 theater in Los Angeles. Sunday, Aug. 27 at 10pm, as a part of American Cinematheque's FRIEND OF THE FEST 2023.

We're thrilled to present a very rare repertory screening of a faith-based film and LET THERE BE LIGHT will be an amazing one to watch with a crowd. We hope to see you there!

A Thief in the Night (1972) feat. Wormy Aug 06, 2023

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This grim yet colorful gem from the prolific Mark IV Pictures is one of the most revered and feared Christian movies of all time, for good reason. For many millennials who grew up Christian, A THIEF IN THE NIGHT was a foundational movie shown in church that introduced them to the terrifying immediacy of the apocalypse. Its snappy vignettes and powerful messaging that targets children left a strong impression and a sense of impending doom in young viewers. A THIEF IN THE NIGHT opens with a scene of a worship band covering the famous Larry Norman song "I Wish We'd All Been Ready", taken from Norman's 1969 album Upon This Rock, which is often credited as being the first Christian rock album of all time. "Children died, the days grew cold/A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold" the band sings, viewed by our teen protagonists, who take its message with varying levels of seriousness or bored amusement. As the film unfolds, the teens who don't take this message seriously are faced with the scariest punishment available to a wannabe Christian — they are "left behind" in the rapture as America descends into a fascist state run by the antichrist. A THIEF IN THE NIGHT's message is clear: doing good works is not enough to save you. A truly good Christian believes the apocalypse is deadly serious and coming soon, and deviance from this worldview is a mortal sin. Joining us on the pod today is our friend Wormy, aka Jacob, who we met online through doing the show and has provided some key research that built up a few of our episodes over the past few months. He joins us today using his past as a student of Biblical Studies to fill in some key details about the history of dispensationalism in American Christianity. Wormy has his own show of pop cultural history and criticism on YouTube as Sludge Surfer. Check it out! And look forward to a special Boys' Bible Study live event announcement dropping tomorrow morning.

Watch Sludge Surfer's videos on YouTube

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All the King's Horses (1977) TEASER Jul 30, 2023

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Good Christian girl Sandy falls in love with Jack, an atheist "motorcycle freak", after Jack intentionally lets the air out of Sandy's car tires in order to start a conversation with her. This is the beginning of a tumultuous relationship that leads to an "unequally yoked" marriage, where Jack pretends to be saved by Christ in order to convince Sandy to tie the knot. It doesn't take long before the couple are screaming, fighting, and neglecting their kids. Jack flees the house by entering motorcycle competitions around the country, and Sandy pops sleeping pills like candy. Can God bless this nightmare relationship with a fairytale ending? From the makers of the legendary A THIEF IN THE NIGHT comes ALL THE KING'S HORSES, a classic of 1970s Christian cinema about how divorce is simply not an option, even in instances of physical and mental abuse. The couple consults a series of pastors, family members, and even a divorce attorney, who mysteriously all oppose the dissolution of this sacred vow made before God. Shockingly, Sandy's own mother encourages her daughter to adjust her attitude, even as Sandy is standing before her with a black eye. But ALL THE KING'S HORSES is not merely a depressing relationship drama — prepare to be delighted by multiple musical numbers sung by the fabulous Lowell Lundstrom and his band, and enjoy a compelling performance by lead actress Dee Wallace, who would go on to star in Hollywood blockbusters such as E.T., CUJO, THE HOWLING, and more. To all the young lovers out there: marriage is the greatest decision you'll ever make, divorce is the worst, and watching ALL THE KING'S HORSES is somewhere in between.

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Mel Gibson the 1998 Full Interview Exposing the True Evils of Hollywood #2023 #melgibson #hollywood Jul 23, 2023

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Hollywood is a vortex of evil, depravity, and abuse. Actors are not who they say they are — except of course for certain actors, who say the things I want to hear, so they are exactly who they say they are. A certain 1998 interview clip with Mel Gibson has been viral recently, with commenters breathlessly lauding the actor for revealing disturbing truths about the inner workings of Hollywood. Gibson's word choice is certainly provocative, using language from horror films to illustrate his point of the film industry's weird vibes. He alludes to "heathens" and people in basements with "devil horns". Ash and Julian expected to be shocked by his revelations — instead, we immediately concluded them to be obvious metaphors delivered by a man with higher charisma than normal. What is the psychological profile of a conspiracy theorist who thinks all Hollywood players are sexual abusers, yet still desperately wants an actor to worship and believe in? Ash and Julian examine this question in their ongoing series about contemporary satanic panic while also covering Christopher Lee's 1975 interview about the occult, and Julian's trip to theaters to see the new buzzed about thriller SOUND OF FREEDOM.

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Reconciled Through the Christ (2004) TEASER Jul 16, 2023

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From the twisted mind of shot on video (SOV) horror filmmaker Tim Ritter comes… an explicitly Christian film? Yes — the writer and director behind such SOV horror classics as TRUTH OR DARE and CREEP made a film with unironically Christian messaging, including allusions to Bible verses and reenactments of Bible stories, all delivered with the drama you'd expect of a low budget slasher film. In the film, Paul is a devout Christian plagued with recurring nightmares oF dragons destroying churches. He's also busy trying to convince his comatose brother, Franklin, to renounce his sinful ways and accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Meanwhile, in Franklin's inner world, we relive his memories of pounding bottles of Goldschläger as he drives up dirt roads, pursuing his ex-wife with the plan of murdering her. A mysterious hitchhiker befriends Franklin and joins his adventure, but it soon becomes clear that this man is no mere mortal. He knows all of Franklin's secrets and he is capable of magical feats, such as immortality and the manifestation of biblical plagues. The charm of RECONCILED THROUGH THE CHRIST is its reframing of Christian stories through a horror lens. The Bible is full of themes of violence, body horror, and pestilence that would be right at home in gothic imagery. RECONCILED THROUGH THE CHRIST doesn't editorialize these stories — it takes them at face value, allowing viewers an intimate, visceral view of the Bible with all the gooey special effects it deserves. Despite being an undeniably campy film, RECONCILED THROUGH THE CHRIST is artistically powerful enough to jumpscare the fear of God directly into your heart.

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The Day of the Beast (1995) feat. Brewce Longo Jul 09, 2023

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Merry Christmas in July! What if the most effective way to serve God was to do as much evil as possible? From accomplished Spanish writer/director Álex de la Iglesia comes THE DAY OF THE BEAST (EL DÍA DE LA BESTIA) which finds a protagonist in priest Ángel (portrayed by prolific actor Álex Angulo) who believes he has cracked the cryptogram that holds together the entire biblical book of Revelations. It's not just a book about the end of the world — it actually reveals the time the antichrist will be born, which is (of course) on Christmas Eve, in a perfect demonic parody of the birth of Christ. Ángel desires direct contact with the devil in order to ask him the location of the antichrist, so Ángel can kill him. To do so, he enlists the help of metalhead burnout record store clerk Jose María and famous television psychic Professor Cavan, who teach Ángel the ways of the occult as the trio becomes our "three wise men" in a perverted, slapstick hunt for the antichrist in the dark streets of Madrid. THE DAY OF THE BEAST is a fantastic warp of Christian cosmology that feels simultaneously reverent and irreverent. It couldn't have been made without the perspective of a writer/director obviously deeply immersed in Christianity, even as it evokes the music and aesthetics of a satanic metal underground to poke fun at cliché Christian moralizing. To analyze this week's film, we were excited to invite shot-on-video (SOV) filmmaker Brewce Longo, whose most recent film A CORPSE FOR CHRISTMAS (2022) also contains a unique fusion of Christmas, metal music, horror, and anarchic aesthetics. Brewce unpacks this unique horror comedy with us, gives us an insider look at his process as an up-and-coming SOV director, and recommends us his favorite SOV underground classics with explicitly Christian themes.

Buy Bloodsick Productions films and follow their screening tour: https://linktr.ee/bloodsickpsychosis

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To Die For (2022) TEASER Jul 02, 2023

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Accomplished television actor John Schneider (most famously Bo Duke in DUKES OF HAZZARD) also has a contemporary career as a conservative, faith-based film auteur. His most recent opus is the gritty, psychedelic patriot drama TO DIE FOR, where he portrays Quint North, a disabled veteran on a mission to protect the American flag from unsavory elements that would like to see it disrespected. Enemies of the flag include the local high school's star quarterback, who has drawn media attention by taking a knee while the national anthem plays at his games. Quint also contends with his neighbor, a Native American man who doesn't see the symbol of the flag with the same degree of pride as Quint, igniting racial tension between the two men. But the most crushing blow to Quint's daily life comes when his own daughter files a restraining order against him to prevent him from driving too close to the local school while displaying an American flag, because today's politically correct standards render the flag an offensive symbol. John Schneider uses a bizarre combination of on-location filming mixed with green screen effects, frequently on very different perspectives of size and scale, which create a disorienting visual environment that perfectly complements his character Quint's descent into madness as he is pushed to the limit for the simple crime of being a proud American. Quint's genuinely troubling depiction of alcohol use, and his untreated PTSD go completely unremarked on throughout the film. Could these medical issues explain why Quint's relationships are so unsuccessful? This 4th of July, the fireworks aren't just a boisterous celebration of American strength — they're also a cry for help.

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War Room (2015) Jun 25, 2023

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The Kendrick brothers are proven moneymakers. Their films are notable in the Christian media industry for turning an extremely high profit given their budgets, and WAR ROOM is the Kendricks' most impressive entry. Entertainment Weekly cites WAR ROOM as the fourth highest grossing Christian film of all time. The film even finished first in the North American box office in its 2nd week of theatrical release — impressive considering its meager $3 million budget. What's in the Kendricks' secret sauce that makes them outperform most of their competition? Our theory (other than lowering production costs by using free church labor) is that they aim for the gut with their films' subject matters, which tend to center on Christian marriages that look perfect on the outside, but are broken within. In WAR ROOM, real estate agent Elizabeth (Priscilla Shirer) is frustrated in her failing marriage with her successful pharmaceutical dealer husband Tony (T.C. Stallings) until she receives sage advice from an elderly woman (Karen Abercrombie) who teaches Elizabeth that marriage is a war, and prayer is the battlefield upon which it is fought. Elizabeth makes a "war room" in her walk in closet, where she performs spiritual warfare on the devil until Tony shapes up and starts happily doing elaborate double dutch routines with their daughter. The Kendrick brothers know the formula — hit their audience at home, where it hurts most, and sell them an idealized but plausible-seeming Christian solution that will turn their lives around. Frequently, they release a tie-in self-help book based on their current film, a strategic maneuver that would impress even the most seasoned combat general of the spiritual war. In the battle for the Christian audience's hearts and minds, the Kendrick brothers win every time.

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