"Why are they making this Biblical stuff?" Topic

First it was "Noah" now its "Exodus: Gods and Kings" why is the movie industry trying to hang some kind of historical meme on stuff that I wouldn't cross the street to watch?

Because lots of other people would?

Because "Passion of the Christ" was a huge hit that Hollywood didn't see coming and now they reckon there's money to be made out of biblical films.

The "acting " still consists of shouting and whispering. Boo.
Can't beat the old Cecil B deMille classics.

As the OFM keeps pointing out, BTW , Hollywood does not have atheistic Wargamers in mind as it's target audience.
It's cyclic. Some religious themed movies made a bundle from the normally non movie going religious audience. A VERY large audience btw.
So the hacks in Horrywood see dollar signs. Interestingly enough the directors of both flicks are atheists. Go figure.

So just watch it for the chariot stuff and ignore the God stuff. It's like ignoring Wrong Tanks.

Because they don't have to pay for the rights.

There's a Noah's Ark theme park being built for crying out loud. People who think the world's 6000 years old are a big enough market segment to be worth catering to. Ain't life grand…?

People who think the world's 6000 years old are a big enough market segment to be worth catering to. Ain't life grand…?

~1.2B Mulsims, ~19M Jews, ~2.1B Christians = ~3.3+B of ~7.2B people total. About 45% of Earth hold Exodus as part of their cultural heritage. And most of them think its cute that you think that they think the world is 6K years old.

I wouldn't cross the street to watch "Dumb and Dumberer" either, and they still make that crap. So what's your point?

The Vatican has commented favorably on Evolution for decades.
God works in mysterious ways, and "day" is not to be taken literally to mean 24 hours.

Of course, the Vatican had Jewish cardinals during the Renaissance, and allegedly used to have the world's largest collection of pornography, so…

Basically…
If you don't like the premise of a movie, don't go to see it. That has saved me tons of money in the past, and will serve me well in the future.
I will probably never see Brokeback Mountain, but will always watch The Godfather whenever it's on… "Leave the gun. Take the cannolis."

If you're going to the movies for a religious experience, I think that's a little odd.

I go to the movies for fun & church for religion.

~1.2B Mulsims, ~19M Jews, ~2.1B Christians = ~3.3+B of ~7.2B people total. About 45% of Earth hold Exodus as part of their cultural heritage. And most of them think its cute that you think that they think the world is 6K years old.

- For most of them I don't oddly enough – I'm not quite so confused as you make me out. I thought I was pretty clear that I think the primary market for this recent development is specifically biblical literalists.

Not the 3 billion followers of the Abrahamic faiths (a number that for decades included me….) who've been for the most part happily not watching religious movies for several decades, but a distinct subset which has become more visible in recent years, and is entering the cultural mainstream of late by, for example, opening museums and a theme park, and turning out in large numbers for the revived biblical epic genre. If that 3.3 billion was really a thriving market for biblical epics, the genre wouldn't have largely died out for 50 years.

Considering that movies today mostly ridicule those with ANY religious faith, perhaps they think "Finally! Something that does not make fun of me!"
Then they become the equivalent of Wrong Tank fundamentalists on TMP and bitch about the sandals that Lot wore.

Yep, I think there's a strong element of that OFM – if a group feels marginalised by the way the mainstream's going, the likelihood is that they'll damned well support anyone who comes along with something that better fits their worldview, and that means voting with their feet, and their wallets.

When is the last time a movie or holiday special on TV that lectured about "The TRUE meaning of Christmas" had anything to do with Jesus, let alone mentioned Him?

Hollywood makes movies that make money. In theory, That is their ONLY requirement, to satisfy investors.
It's really surprising that they would choose to deliberately alienate 20% of the population.
There is a thriving subculture that makes movies that DO cater to religious people.
Google Kevin Sorbo, who made a good living doing sword and sandal Conan style movies and now does Faith based movies. He is not the only one. Roma Downey, Kirk Cameron, etc.

There is a market for everything. God knows there is a market for filth. Why not Biblical epics? They made a fortune in the 50s and 60s.

Not to mention Battlestar Galactica in both incarnations being heavily Mormon inspired.

Last time I looked it was to try to make LOADS of money

The genre has hardly been dead. Prince of Egypt made quite a bit of money for Dreamworks about 15 years ago. The Passion of the Christ has already been mentioned. I think The Life of Brian counts, in a left-handed way. The Narnia movies are not Biblical, but are Christian themed. Far from dead.

None of the late "Biblical" movies has been any more Biblical than "I, Robot" was taken from the actual book.

"Noah" was a CGI fantasy loosely (and I mean loosely) based on the couple of paragraphs in the OT. I'm sure lots of folks went to see it the action film it was (smile) with rock monsters.

This new one will be vaguely based on the OT also, have lots of action and CGI and make lots of money.

Dan

I think the Exodus movie looks cool. I've only seen one trailer but I think it looks like a great movie.

I don't think I'm anywhere close to the subset that Dom Skelton is talking about though.

None of the late "Biblical" movies has been any more Biblical than "I, Robot" was taken from the actual book.

"Noah" was a CGI fantasy loosely (and I mean loosely) based on the couple of paragraphs in the OT. I'm sure lots of folks went to see it the action film it was (smile) with rock monsters.

Well that's a good summary of what I was thinking.

I don't want to bash anyone's beliefs and I'm aware there are people who take the OT literally.

So Studios picking stories and then inventing everything apart from the names, which they did in Noah, along with a whole mess of stuff in Exodus seems to get things off track in both directions.

Because they don't have to pay for the rights

Now that's funny.

For the record my favourite themed movie is "Dogma" but you may have guessed that!

Hollywood loves a movie with a built-in audience.

Too bad they can't stop themselves from trying to betterify the original by adding a bunch of inane pseudo-philisophical contrivancies, "relevant modern themes" and making everything "dark, gritty and grounded in reality"

Trajanus, loved Dogma, one of the most poignant films about religion ever made.

As to the why of biblical films…as stated, to make money. The studio producing the film does not have to worry about copyright issues as this is material clearly in the public domain. That alone saved the studio a ton in legal fees. From my point of view it is all mythology anyway. So why not make an epic film that will attract one segment of the population because of their beliefs and another segment that is there because of the sound and fury, and other segments will be there for the specific actors and the respective cheesecake and beefcake. Sounds like capitalism and marketing at it finest to me. Pass me the popcorn please.

Because they see a market for Biblical movies.

Then, because they are imbeciles, they try to file the religious serial numbers off the stories and make them allegories for whatever trendy Progressive issues the local Hollywood types like, and they bomb, big-time.

Hollywood people have a big blind spot; they think everyone who is not just like them is stupid, and easy to trick.
-Kle.

"Considering that movies today mostly ridicule those with ANY religious faith, perhaps they think "Finally! Something that does not make fun of me!""

Can you name any recent movies that ridicule Islam?

I think Klebert has it right. Passion was inspirational to those of us who are Christians and made a ton of money. The Bible on The History <sic> Channel had massive ratings. So the Hollywood types thought they could slap anything together with a religious veneer and we'd all go watch it. They were wrong about Noah…we'll see about Exodus.

I'd rather stay home and watch Heston's Ten Commandments or Ben-Hur, and Liz Taylor's Cleopatra.

And, if I want a comedic break, Monty Python's Wholly Moses or Life of Brian. Or even a full length version of this:

YouTube link

Dan

Personally, I'm disappointed in Ridley Scott. Now that will worry him! :o)

I thought he took a stand in "The Kingdom of Heaven" by showing zealots on both sides pushing conflict for their for their own ends – which didn't necessarily chime with the basis of their respective religions.

This time round he is willing to push historical fantasy wrapped around religious belief in a move which appears to be pure box office!

TMP 12:15: And LO! there was much harrumphing from the usual parties!

Why has no one pointed out the obviously wrong chariots yet?

Probably because 1) the Bible is the bestselling book in human history, and 2) Hollywood doesn't have to pay anyone the rights to it!

Yep. Brought to you by the same kind of person that turned the "the meaning of Christmas" into shopping and more shopping. They find a gullible market (us Christians in this case) and run with it, exploiting it to the max.

And the less and less that Christians actually read the Bible, the easier it is to sell them anything. Just stick a label with the words For Christmas on the movie, album or book and voila.

You should hear those who, when asked about the turtle and the hare story will say that it is an illustration from the Bible.

Dan

Because the last round of huge "Cast of Thousands" epics is getting stale?

I'm Spartacus!

Because Ben Hur, the Ten Commandments, El Cid, and Spartacus were such terrible movies? 2.1 Billion Christians worldwide?

I'm not a religious man, but this anti-christian whining is so pathetic.

Epic battle scenes with chariots ? I'd go to see that, and I'm not religious either.

It's a big story, and just like The Hobbit we all know how it ends – but the special effects look to be pretty good in both.

The only religious films I like are 'Pi' and 'The Boondock Saints'.
Hollywood needs another Charlton Heston.

Spacey should do 'House of Cardinals'.

When's the last time anyone saw a good Mohammed movie?

When's the last time anyone saw a good Mohammed movie?

Do biographies count?

When's the last time anyone saw a good Mohammed movie?

The irony of this (probably intentional) is that Islam specifically prohibits creating any image of Mohammed for any reason. So a "good Mohammed movie" can't be made without offending Muslims!

I'm not religious, and I am no fan to organized religion, but I groove on those Bible movies. I don't know why. I just like them. My wife hates them.

Cecil DeMille also personally narrarated at least two. "Samson And Delilah"(ca. late 1940's) and "The Ten Commandments'(1956 v.).

"Moses, Moooooseees"….

[qoute]There's a Noah's Ark theme park being built for crying out loud. People who think the world's 6000 years old are a big enough market segment to be worth catering to. Ain't life grand…?

And it's failing, the anwsers in genesis people(creationist people) that are bulding it is going down, loosing money left and right, backers pull out, and they also aplied for state money to buildt the ark thingy of theres.

But they didn't get it for 2 reasons

1. they made it clear they were gonna discriminate in hiering,(so basicly only creationists gets the job) and I assume only christian creationists at that, I doubt jewish and muslim creationists gets the jobs.

2. State can not give money to a project that is about prostelitising one religion(early when they applied for the money, they sold them self as an amusment park) Not creationist brainwashing facility.

I don't have any philosofical problem with hollywood making bible moives. I just feel it's bad movemaking, some stuff needs to be left in the 1950s and with a young Charlton Heston.

Just stick a label with the words For Christmas on the movie, album or book and voila.

Kind of like any type of gear painted black is referred to as "tactical" these days…

I just feel it's bad movemaking, some stuff needs to be left in the 1950s and with a young Charlton Heston.

Godt sagt!

I believe it was Cracked that had an article talking about how non-religious film makers tend to make the best religious movies, probably because they have a bit more distance to the topic.

It's like how a passionate fan of a hobby can absolutely kill it for anyone listening in, because he/she has no idea how to relate it to the norms any more.

Probably just a cyclical thing. You get Wetserns, then Roman stuff, then Superheroes.

Biblical is simply the genre du jour.

But if it has big battle scenes, or simply lots of chariots then I'll probably watch.

I don't think it's really a religion thing.

The recent "Noah" movie portrayed him as a homicidal maniac with giant Flintstones-style transformers as his muscle. Not exactly the most accurate biblical film I've ever seen.

The concept of the Earth being 6,000 years old does not appear anywhere in the bible. That figure was arrived at long ago when a biblical scholar commissioned by a pope added up all of the "and Esoph begot Jeseph" type passages and arrived at the number.

Any conversation about "The Ten Commandments" would also have to include praise for Yul Brynner's performance as Pharaoh. Ironically, Moses was played by a Gentile (Heston) and Pharaoh was played by a Jew. (Brynner)

Also, let's not forget another one of my favorite Jewish actors, Edward G. Robinson, who played the part of Dathan.

One could ask why several religious-themed films are being released right now, but the popularity of some genres has been even more pronounced in the past. For example, in the late 1950's there were often more than 16 syndicated Westerns on TV in any given week.