Boys' Bible Study - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Play the Flute (2019) Jun 26, 2022

Show notes

Fake sexual harassment allegations threaten to ruin a youth pastor's reputation in the newest feature length drama by Rich Christiano (1/2 of the famous Christiano brothers, and the director behind such classics as THE SECRETS OF JONATHAN SPERRY and TIME CHANGER). When Brandon, and his beautiful wife Lisa, make it their mission to change the lives of their church's indifferent youth group by inspiring vigorous devotion to the Bible, the couple don't realize the challenge they're facing. Through a series of passionate sermons, including hilariously direct reference to Christiano's previous films, Brandon causes one particularly delinquent boy named Squirrel to stop slacking off on the job and ripping off his boss (played by legendary character actor Clint Howard). But when spoiled rich girl Shannon tries to oust Brandon by falsely claiming that he "made a pass" at her, it takes a group gaslighting campaign to bring the rest of the teens together, finally united in Christ.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

Gone (2002) TEASER Jun 19, 2022

Show notes

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month!

www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Two stars of the original season of Survivor appear in this bizarre rapture film set in the Philippines. This is the fourth movie we've covered by director Tim Chey (THE GENIUS CLUB, SLAMMA JAMMA, SUING THE DEVIL). Chey has a truly unique voice in the Christian genre and a bizarre priority in his messaging. In at least three of his films, a character goes on a monologue where he or she claims that car alarms were invented by the devil. He's anti-evolution, anti-dog (?) and anti-lawsuit (despite making a film about suing the devil). It's so strange to see these messages coated in y2k "cool" film techniques, as in the case with Gone, which makes constant use of digital film grain effect and typewriter font. Picture a low-budget tropical remake of the Matrix where the water turns to blood and evolution is factually disproven — you've got GONE.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

Late One Night (2001) Jun 12, 2022

Show notes

From the sick and twisted mind of Dave Christiano (1/2 of the influential and accomplished Christiano Brothers) comes this late night thriller about a shocking debate that goes down in a 24 hour diner. Larry is an atheist with a dark past of childhood neglect and several stints in prison. In between working long hours at the milk factory, he expresses his inner torment by sexually harassing every woman he meets. He also loves owning Christians with logic and reason. But late one night, he meets his match. A clean cut stranger named Jesus stands up to Larry in the restaurant, endures his torments, and even pays his bill before leaving. Could this be…… an allegory?

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

Justin Flom TEASER Jun 05, 2022

Show notes

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month!

www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

The newest installment of Julian's ongoing series fixating on Christian magicians brings us to the work of Justin Flom, a slick and shiny illusionist with a Macklemore haircut and over 2 billion views on his Facebook and YouTube pages. His family friendly vibe and social media savvy make him the perfect entertainer for your megachurch or corporate events. His extensive resume includes appearances everywhere from Hillsong Church to the Ellen Show. But most importantly, he is not afraid to be an out and open man of God! His original sleight of hand tricks and bizarre food-related viral videos put a spotlight on God and country — he credits both God for his gift and America's armed forces for fighting for his freedom to practice it. Ash and Julian investigate how Justin managed to beat the algorithm. Is he a demon in youth pastor's clothing? Would you let him saw your newborn baby in half? Is he the only Christian artist with the capacity to truly penetrate the mainstream?

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

In the Blink of an Eye (2009) feat. Anthony Banua-Simon May 29, 2022

Show notes

Although our journey through Christian cinema has taken us many places, we always return home — the filmography of David A.R. White. He's the co-founder of Pure Flix, and the producer/actor/director behind so many of the most notable faith-based films. He defines the genre. The tones and themes that most people would associate with their conception of "Christian film" are inspired by David's body of work. But IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE is an odd one even among his diverse catalog. This Christian take on GROUNDHOG DAY stars David as an atheist cop whose attempt to solve a kidnapping mystery while on vacation with his wife takes an unexpected turn when the rapture happens and traps him in a never-ending time loop. Joining us for this episode is our friend Anthony Banua-Simon. Anthony returns to the show to discuss his acclaimed debut feature documentary CANE FIRE and to lend his knowledge of David A.R. White to our discussion. We originally met Anthony because of his short documentary PURE FLIX AND CHILL (2018), which uses found footage and supercuts to present a compelling biography of David A.R. White, and proves definitively that David is the kingpin of Christian cinema.

Check CANE FIRE screening dates and eventual streaming release

Watch PURE FLIX AND CHILL short documentary

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

Witnesses TEASER May 22, 2022

Show notes

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month!

www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

In this dazzling and sometimes intense one-man show by Curt Cloninger, people who personally knew Jesus come to life and share their stories with a (captive?) audience. Barabbas, now reformed after Jesus took his place on the Cross, reminisces about his days murdering dirty Gentiles. Lazarus speaks in a thick Italian accent as he describes what it was like to be dead. And an unnamed childhood friend of Jesus, who is portrayed as effeminate and possibly gay for some reason, remembers how the young Savior only treated him with kindness. It's a deeply ambitious project that could only have been achieved by an actor as talented and willing to fully immerse himself in his work as Curt Cloninger. This VHS has been a favorite of the Boys' long before we had a show, and we're delighted to finally share it with the world. It's available in full on YouTube — watch it and you'll understand why we love it so much.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

Tartarus (2005) May 15, 2022

Show notes

In which we speak in reverent tones about a no-budget contemporary classic piece of sci-fi we absolutely love that gets unfairly marginalized to the "so-bad-it's-good" canon. TARTARUS (dir. Dave Wascavage) is a deeply spiritual film with a complex cosmology that lends itself to a Christian interpretation. Its protagonist, John (played by Juan Fernandez) is a cruel and remorseless man abducted by an alien spaceship and tortured by an "eternal" in an extra-dimensional realm called Tartarus. As the film unfolds, we learn the John is dead and Tartarus is a zone of preparation for the true eternal punishment of damnation. John can free himself from the vicious cycle if he would only gain insight to how his actions affected others. We contrast this with the films of Estus Pirkle we've studied for the past two weeks, in which life on earth is the time limit for repenting and accepting Jesus, and there is no way out of the punishment that lays beyond. The afterlife proposed by TARTARUS is somehow a kinder and more merciful theory of hell that we personally believe is more in line with the attitude of a New Testament God. It's amazing that Dave Wascavage and crew were able to accomplish such a subtle and detailed story within a campy sci-fi flick that is infamous for its unique CGI effects.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

The Burning Hell (1974) TEASER May 08, 2022

Show notes

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month!

www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

We continue our investigation on Estus Pirkle — the Baptist preacher whose forays into film with collaborator Ron Ormond are among the most compelling Christian movies ever made due to their eager adoption of grindhouse aesthetics. The sequel to the cult classic IF FOOTMEN TIRE YOU, WHAT WILL HORSES DO? (which we covered last week) is called THE BURNING HELL. It's Pirkle's response to what he sees as an increasingly soft Christian culture that has abandoned teaching that hell is an eternal punishment for sinners and nonbelievers. Pirkle thinks hell is literally real, and that fear of hell is an appropriate tool for converting people to Christianity. In the film, Pirkle (playing himself) meets two tough guys who don't believe in hell. Before Pirkle can convince them otherwise, one of the men is decapitated in a grisly motorcycle accident. The survivor is now confronting the reality that his friend is covered in "tormenting worms" in hell for eternity, and Pirkle's ministering to him guides most of the action of the film. The film is very entertaining and atmospheric, but one can't help but recoil at the lack of compassion Pirkle and his congregation seem to have for the average person, although "compassion" is relative and it's clear Pirkle thinks he's doing the right thing by spreading this dire message. Ash and Scott discuss - is Hell real? Will there be worms there? Will there be movies? Will the movies be good? We also compare the work of Estus Pirkle and Ron Ormond to the era of Hong Kong black magic movies that emerged not long after the release of THE BURNING HELL.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971) May 01, 2022

Show notes

At the intersection of Christian propaganda and exploitation filmmaking sits IF FOOTMEN TIRE YOU, WHAT WILL HORSES DO? Director Ron Ormand made his career in action-packed B movies until he survived a plane crash that changed the course of his life and career. He found God and began making Christian films instead. He formed a creative partnership with Mississippi-based Baptist minister Estus Pirkle, and the two men co-created a trilogy of spiritual propaganda films that are beloved to this day for being some of the most dramatic, colorful, and lurid examples of Christian cinema ever made. Many Christian films want to use the language of cinema to show the horror of the sinful, secular world — few are actually directed by someone with the skill level to create a truly disturbing scene. This is used to great effect in FOOTMEN, set in a not-so-distant future, where Cuban Communists have killed the United States president and instilled their socialist agenda on once free American soil. The Communists are sadistic beasts who live to kill. They mass execute innocent churchgoers for fun, and in one particularly gruesome scene, they torture a young Christian boy by puncturing his eardrums with bamboo sticks while he vomits profusely. It's by far the most explicitly horrifying sequence we've encountered in a film that is unequivocally Christian in its scope. But the scariest part about FOOTMEN is, of course, that it could happen here! Estus Pirkle address the camera directly while he tells his viewers that the scenes depicted in the film are already happening presently in countries such as China, Russia, and Cuba. This exhilarating call to action, drenched in copious amounts of neon red blood, makes IF FOOTMEN TIRE YOU, WHAT WILL HORSES DO? one of the most memorable and genuinely entertaining examples of Christian propaganda ever made.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy

Slamma Jamma (2017) TEASER Apr 24, 2022

Show notes

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month!

www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

One for you sports fans! We celebrate the start of the NBA post-season with this Christian basketball movie by director Tim Chay, who is also responsible for two films we've covered before on the pod — SUING THE DEVIL and THE GENIUS CLUB. We're beginning to get a sense of Chay's signature style. He began his career making made-for-TV secular movies, so he definitely understands the craft. He also seems to have celebrity friends, or knows how to book them. He's worked with Christian movie faves Tom Sizemore and Stephen Baldwin multiple times. In SLAMMA JAMMA, former baseball power hitter Jose Conseco has a prominent cameo, as does former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, whose appearance is so crucial to the film it transcends cameo and could be considered more of a supporting role. SLAMMA JAMMA's star is Chris Staples, a professional dunker known for his appearances in international slam dunk competitions. He shows off his genuinely incredible skills in this film as he portrays a formerly promising basketball star whose career was interrupted by a prison sentence. Like Tim Chay's other films, SLAMMA JAMMA has extremely competent qualities but tries to do so much with the story that it falls apart into confusing and ridiculous scenarios. We got a kick out of the film's complicated relationship with materialism, and how mean all the other characters are to the protagonist.

View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com

Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe to our Twitch for monthly streams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy