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End of the Spear (2005) TEASER Nov 20, 2022

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We celebrate Thanksgiving weekend by investigating a Christian film with a "wacky" clash of cultures between white, first world Christians and the indigenous peoples that fascinate them. In this case, END OF THE SPEAR is based on the true story of American missionary Nate Saint (yes, that's his name) and his crew trying to teach the uncontacted Waodani tribe about Jesus by flying a plane to the jungles of Ecuador in 1956. Their first attempt does not go well. To be frank, the five men get their entire shit absolutely speared within minutes of setting foot on the Ecuadorian beach. But this story doesn't end here — the missionaries' wives, and young Steve Saint (son of Nate Saint) return to forgive the Waodani for their rash actions and save the tribe from a polio epidemic. The movie ends with the civilized Waodani dressed in what looks like JCPenney basics, begging the missionaries to stay, much like the story of the first Thanksgiving. Using this movie as a jumping-off point, we ponder: is Christian missionary work noble or savage?

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Bibleman feat. Harleigh Ellsworth Nov 13, 2022

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We are finally covering one of the most beloved and well-known pieces of Christian children's entertainment — BIBLEMAN — and we have a special guest to help us. Harleigh Ellsworth is not only the star of the 2001 BIBLEMAN episode "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION", but she is also the daughter of Willie Aames (who plays the titular BIBLEMAN in addition to writing, directing, and editing the original series) and Maylo McCaslin (who voices BIBLEMAN's trusty computer U.N.I.C.E.) Harleigh tells us how the BIBLEMAN franchise was almost fully a family production, since her father Willie Aames was so hands on in all aspects of the show, including spending nearly 9 months per year touring as a part of the elaborate Bibleman live show that drew crowds of kids all over the United States. The episode we focus on today is truly a family affair, since mom, dad, and daughter all appear in the cast. In LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION (2001), Harleigh plays Riley, a newly converted Christian 12-year-old who is tempted to rejoin her old friend group, who are bad influences on her and would not be beneficial to her on her spiritual path. Parallel to this Christian moral quandary is a storyline about an evil, hypnotic website called www.HackEmUp.com that recurring BIBLEMAN villain Luxor Spawndroth uses to tempt insecure Christians and lead them back to their sinful past lives. Can BIBLEMAN and his hacker protege Cypher stop Riley from throwing her faith away? It was a pleasure to get such an intimate, inside look at the media we cover from someone who was there to see it all happen, so we can't thank Harleigh enough for spending the time to share her family's unique story with us. Also, shoutouts to our friend Dana for assisting us with the research for this.

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Georgia Rule (2007) TEASER Nov 06, 2022

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Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, and Jane Fonda star as three generations of a dysfunctional Idaho family in GEORGIA RULE, a decidedly secular and genuinely bizarre film that uses Mormon social culture as a backdrop for a fish-out-of-water story where a troubled city girl named Rachel (portrayed by Lohan) is sent to live with her country grandmother for the summer. Rachel feels like an outsider in her new town, and her attempts at being extremely sexually forward with any of the men who are nice to her earns her an army of slut-shaming haters who watch her every move on binoculars, or following her with their cars. But this sexually precocious behavior from a seventeen-year-old character is clearly coming from a traumatized place. When Rachel confesses to the town veterinarian about her repeated childhood rapes by her stepfather, the vet dutifully informs Rachel's family, but drama starts when Rachel repeatedly takes back the accusations, and then takes her denial back again multiple times so viewers are in a constant state of suspense about who the monster is in this movie. Although there is something that seems very real about the character of Rachel constantly flip-flopping on how to cope with her own rape, this constant giving and taking back of very serious allegations is an unparalleled act of psychic terrorism to the first-time viewer trying to keep up with the story. This juxtaposition of the horrifying plot with the idyllic, quirky small-town setting adds to the level of surrealness that makes GEORGIA RULE a harrowing watch that could at first glance be mistaken for a fluffy "Hallmark"-type movie. This quality, plus the film's fair and balanced meditation on Mormon cultural values, make GEORGIA RULE a film we've been looking forward to talking about on the show for ages.

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Spirits Among Us (2009) Oct 30, 2022

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A key to understanding Christian horror films is to remember that the demonic possessions and devilish hauntings the films depict could actually happen to you and your family. SPIRITS AMONG US is a delightful low-budget flick from one-time director Ray Jenkins which shows that even demons you yourself didn't summon can still impact your life. In the film, a Christian family moves into a home that they didn't realize was formerly the site of satanic rituals. Although Mark, Janice and their daughter Julie are devout Christians with a perfect, loving family dynamic, the residual effects of these terrible ceremonies are ruining their lives. Poltergeist activity starts to develop, centering on a creepy ventriloquist dummy that Mark owns for some reason. In the end, it's only consulting with a pastor that cleanses the family of their previous tenants' sins. Fortunately for us, the pastor character gives us a step by step guide for how to rid our own homes of evil. Remember, these demons are just like those you might battle in real life as a Christian, so pay attention! And thank you for spending your Halloween season with us instead of out there "trick or treating" with fallen souls in this dark, secular world.

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The Exorcism in Amarillo (2020) TEASER Oct 23, 2022

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It all started when Ashley Hays Wright accidentally brought an occult book into her home that was somehow mixed in a box of Christian books she bought on Craigslist. In doing so, she opened a "doorway" for demonic influence in her life that went as far as to possess her eldest daughter. Fortunately, the Hays Wright family lived to tell the tale, now immortalized in their feature film THE EXORCISM IN AMARILLO, in which the family portrays themselves as they reenact this dark period in their lives. With a massive body of work spanning at least 10 features and just as many short films, TV specials, and documentaries, the Hays Wrights have proven themselves to be the hardest working family in Christian showbiz. They are also a unique voice in Christian film because they are unafraid to tackle supernatural and horror elements in their work, making them perfect to spotlight for our October rundown of Christian thrillers. But in all of their prolific filmography, THE EXORCISM IN AMARILLO stands out as one of their creepiest statements. Why? Because it proves that Christian horror can hit close to home when you let the wrong art into your life.

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Cigarette Burns (2005) Oct 16, 2022

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We apply our Protestant work ethic to our jobs as semi-Christian film critics whose task this week is to investigate the religious themes of John Carpenter's brilliant CIGARETTE BURNS, an hour-long piece Carpenter created for the MASTERS OF HORROR anthology TV series in the mid-2000s. In the film, struggling independent movie theater owner Kirby (Norman Reedus) is tasked by an eccentric film collector to track down LA FIN ABSOLUE DU MONDE. This film-within-a-film is the most rare, dark and transgressive piece of media ever made — it depicts the torture and dismemberment of a real angel. To desecrate something so holy is the ultimate sin, and to capture such a sin on film is to create a moving image so powerful that even simply pursuing a copy of the film causes Kirby to suffer terrifying hallucinations. Anyone who actually watches LA FIN rarely survives, but if Kirby can retrieve the only copy of the film, he'll make enough money to pay off all of his earthly debts. John Carpenter builds this story about a Faustian bargain to an absolutely terrifying payoff. CIGARETTE BURNS is both a love letter to transgressive cinema and an inventive remix of Christian cosmology, so obviously it's one of our pet favorite films and something we've been looking forward to covering during our month-long look at Christian horror. We discuss spiritual trauma, our personal experiences being deflowered by shock cinema, and "the coming attractions of the soul".

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The Visitation (2006) TEASER Oct 09, 2022

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This October, we once again strive to guide you down the righteous path by exposing you to wholesome media that still satisfies the natural human fascination with the macabre. First up? Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, Detroit Rock City, etc.) stars in the film adaptation of THE VISITATION, a book by preeminent Christian supernatural fiction author Frank Peretti. Any appreciator of Christian pop culture should know about Peretti, whose thrillers have lined the shelves of many a church library from the 80s onward. It's obvious that Peretti sees his work as cinematic, since he takes a great interest in film adaptations of his books. He's co-produced, co-written, and even acted in films such as HANGMAN'S CURSE (2004), another Peretti-sourced story which we've previously covered on our show. THE VISITATION takes advantage of Edward Furlong's charmingly creepy drawl by casting him as a mysterious small town stranger named Brandon who stuns the community by performing Christlike signs and miracles. But as Dark Brandon's disturbing motivations unfold, it becomes clear that his power comes not from God — but from a force far, far more sinister.

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Screened In (2021) Oct 02, 2022

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Are we addicted to our freaking telephones? This cautionary thriller from director Lauren Havel and her co-writer Jennifer Havel dares to finally ask this question in the year of our Lord 2021. Fortunately for us, SCREENED IN's tired critique of contemporary life is dressed up with absolutely insane sequences and creative decisions that kept us on the edge of our seats. When a teenage girl named Peyton starts to notice that she and her friends' lives are far too focused on what's happening on screens, she challenges them to a week-long "digital detox", where they'll attempt to go "off the grid" with zero electronics to interfere with their concentration. Somehow, despite their good intentions, this ignites a week of their lives with constant drama. Relationships are ruined, family secrets are uncovered, and a shocking plot twist involving a toddler's medical emergency threatens to change the course of Peyton's life forever. Is the demonic spirit of the smartphone punishing its teen captors for trying to free themselves from its grasp? In the end, only their own tenacity — and the power of prayer — will allow them to log off.

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The Pro Bono Watchman (2022) TEASER Sep 25, 2022

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Genuinely accomplished actor/stuntman Mike Gassaway stars in this suburban thriller about a retired lawyer who is elected to be the monitor (the "pro bono watchman", if you will) for the child visitations of an ex-convict dad seemingly trying to right his wrongs and gain partial custody of his 6-year-old daughter. Gassaway's character Hank is the model of the "perfect man" or "Bob Revere" trope that we've identified as a common thread between the Christian/conservative media that we cover. He can do no wrong, and despite his intense demeanor (demonstrated by the way he pulls a gun on neighbors who are playing their rock music too loud), it's clear that the film intends to portray him as the doting husband of his terminally ill, cancer-stricken wife, and an all-around good citizen who is deeply concerned with law and order. THE PRO BONO WATCHMAN does not deal with explicitly Christian themes beyond depicting multiple characters praying, and the film is not overtly political, but its insistence that a suburban white senior citizen is the last thread holding aloft the morality of the United States fits right in with our usual canon. But the real draw of THE PRO BONO WATCHMAN is something we won't mention in this summary — it contains one of the most shocking mid-movie twists we've experienced since 2017's LET THERE BE LIGHT (dir. Kevin Sorbo). We spoil the twist on this episode, but we're warning you now to give you the option of hearing it from us or streaming the film for free on Tubi first to uncover a jaw-dropping plot detail that turns the drama of THE PRO BONO WATCHMAN up to 100%.

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Genius (2012) Sep 18, 2022

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Ray Comfort is a prolific and singular auteur. His guerrilla proselytizing and DIY filmmaking techniques have turned him into a youtube phenomenon with tens of millions of views on hundreds of videos. We spotlight our fourth (!) Ray Comfort film to appear on this podcast, GENIUS — a documentary where Ray uses the life and career of John Lennon to create a conversation starter that allows Ray to lure unsuspecting members of the public into spiritually transformative discussions. We're obsessed as usual with Ray's bizarre, fast-paced style of speaking, and his obtuse hypotheticals. Questions about The Beatles suddenly devolve into — what would you do if you found a secret vault filled with money, and knew you could steal $2 million without being caught? Would you murder a woman's husband if she told you he was "a rat"? Ray uses these queries as springboards to introduce his cattle-like public to concepts such as universal morality and false confessions. He films the whole thing for us — every frantic filibuster, or every debate that turns into Ray and some mentally ill person screaming at each other about evolution, is captured for us in crisp digital. Join us Bible Boys as we are once again astonished by Ray's beautiful mind and frightening perseverance. Ray knows all the right questions to ask, but he left out an important one — how are we going to get the Beatles off the roof?

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