2008 Articles |
 Directing "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who": Steve Martino
Steve Martino, who was art director for the animated film “Robots,” brought his imagination and artistic talent to his role as co-director of Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who.
This fanciful tale by Dr. Seuss is the third of his books to be adapted to screen, but the first fully animated with CGI (Computer Generated Images) technology. The DVD comes out on December 9, [also in Australia] and the limited edition includes games and screen tests with the animators.
Several critics said they thought Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who is one of the most faithful film adaptations of a Dr. Seuss book yet. What were some of the challenges you faced in doing the film?
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 Anatamony of a Christian Approach to Movies
If you ask American Christians in general, it looks startlingly like a strictly American approach to movies… and the adjective “Christian” becomes just another synonym for “vanilla.” As George Barna famously reported in 1998, “Of born-again Christians, 30% reported that they watched an R-rated movie in the past week, compared to 40% of non-Christians.” And the numbers reportedly haven’t gotten any better since then.
If you ask Christian radio station programmers, the Christian approach is roughly equivalent to “family-friendly,” which means avoiding mention of anything R-rated or above… unless, of course, it’s The Passion of the Christ. As a pastor and student of theology, though, I don’t find the Bible “family-friendly”—particularly those passages about gang-rape, sodomy, incest, and genocide. But we don’t steer our children away from the Bible, oddly enough, though we water it down for them pretty well through our teaching. |
 Producer Ralph Winter: From the "X-Men" to "House"
Ralph Winter produced a series of Hollywood mega-blockbusters, including the “X-Men” films, “Fantastic Four” series, s“The Planet of the Apes,” and “Star Trek III, IV, V and VI.” He has also been involved in the production of some horror/suspense films based on books by Christian authors Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker (Thr3e, The Visitation, and most recently, House).
A member of the Directors’ Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he speaks to groups around the country about faith and filmmaking. Married to wife Judy for more than 30 years, Ralph makes his home in Southern California while not on location in places like British Columbia, Australia, Poland, or Visalia, California.
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 How Bob Dylan found Christ
After studying at theological seminary, he became an ordained Southern Baptist pastor, and then started a weekly Bible study in his home where he would teach with his two Oscars on the piano.
Kasha said that one of the regulars at his Bible study in 1979 was Bob Dylan and at the recent 10th Annual Media Fellowship International Praise Brunch at the Beverly Hill Hotel in Beverly Hills, he agreed to talk about what happened to Dylan for an interview I was doing for Safe World's IPTV and ANS.
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 Ronald Reagan’s Adopted Son Talks About The Great Communicator
The last time Michael Reagan, adopted son of the late President Ronald Reagan, spoke at the Media Fellowship International (MFI) Media Breakfast three years ago, he talked about his relationship with America's 40th President.
Reagan mentioned the fact that he'd been molested as a boy, and also talked about the difficult relationship he had with Ronald Reagan.
At this year's MFI event in Beverly Hills, Dan Wooding of SafeWorlds IPTV asked Reagan if in the end the relationship with The Great Communicator ever got resolved?
Reagan responded: "Well, I think in the end, yes. I gave the eulogy for my father in 2004 and you know I think the relationship really was good at the end. I wish it'd been a great relationship through all the years, but you know there's a lot of reasons why it wasn't. Hollywood being part of it. |
 Fireproof, The Interviews: Up Close and Personal with Kirk Cameron
As a teen idol in the 1980s, Kirk Cameron starred in the sitcom “Growing Pains.” During that time, he met his wife Chelsea Noble and began a relationship with Christ. After the show ended, Kirk had roles in other films, including the Left Behind movie series.
His passion for evangelism also led him to a friendship with Ray Comfort and work on “The Way of the Master” radio and television programs. He and Chelsea live with their six children, four of whom are adopted. The family vehicle of choice? A 15-passenger van, with a Volvo as a back-up.
While Kirk was working on the new Sherwood Films’ movie Fireproof he was in the final stages of publishing his personal memoir Still Growing. |
 Christians in Cinema: John Schneider
Look up John Schneider on the Internet Movie Databae (imdb.com) and you’ll find a list of credits all the way back to the mid-1970s, beginning with “The Dukes of Hazzard.” After that show catapulted him to fame as a television icon, he turned to country music and found success in a second career.
While living with Johnny and June Carter Cash, John was introduced to Christianity and became a believer. He makes no apologies for his faith, and believes in living it out in the middle of Hollywood, Broadway, or wherever his career takes him. On a busy morning before going to a costume fitting for a new movie, he made time to talk about his latest film Hidden Secrets.
Hidden Secrets stands out from other “Christian” films that have been released lately. When you received the script, why were you interested in doing the movie?
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Christians in Cinema: Mark Cowart and Ryan Smith
Son of Christian music’s Michael W. Smith, Ryan Smith is setting his own course in the entertainment field. Ryan founded Seabourne Pictures with producing partner Mark Cowart with the objective of creating thought-provoking and engaging feature films.
Since the beginning of the company in 2005, Seabourne has produced various music videos and short films, while developing several feature film projects. On a busy summer afternoon, we had a conversation with Ryan and Mark about starting a film company, being the son of a music legend, and where the name “Seabourne Pictures” came from. |
 Christians in Cinema: Brieanne Jansen
Eleven-year-old Brieanne Jansen surprised her whole family when she decided to audition for the film. Ever since she was taken hostage with her family in their home seven years ago, she’s lived in what she describes as a shell, afraid to come out.
But Brieanne is a huge fan of American Girl dolls, and checks out their website every day. When she saw the producers were looking for kids to be in the movie, she begged her parents for a chance to give it a try.
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 Christians in Cinema: Erwin McManus
A gifted and passionate communicator, Erwin McManus is the lead pastor for Mosaic, a community for people of faith in Los Angeles. Two weeks after encountering Christ through his family and people surrounding him, he threw himself wholeheartedly into sharing this Jesus he knew with his friends by organizing outreaches.
From the beginning of Mosaic, he has intertwined the arts with his storytelling. For several years, he and his staff created films for their own use, and have recently produced DVDs for wider distribution. In love with the city of Los Angeles and its inhabitants, he believes the world can be reached and changed from Hollywood if we can reach out and love Hollywood just as it is, and love those who call it home.
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 Jesus Goes Anime
It's time for an upgrade to the Jesus Film. How do you translate it for the 15 - 30-year-old generation? Anime! After being translated into over 1000 languages and being seen by over a billion people, the project team has its sights set on bring a fresh new look to the beloved classic.
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Hollywood Productions Friendly to People of Faith
Hollywood takes a lot of hits for being prejudiced toward people of faith, especially Christians. Coral Ridge Ministries' 2008 Annual State of the Nation survey reported that 89% of the Christians surveyed believe that Hollywood is "very" dangerous to our nation's spiritual well-being. Actor Kirk Cameron, in his recently released autobiography "Still Growing" mentions that offers for roles decreased when he went public with his faith.
Still, Hollywood does accommodate people of faith in various ways. Thanks to union contracts, court decisions, labor laws and an increasing interest in spirituality, making room for religious practices on-set and behind the scenes has become routine.
According to Variety.com, very few, if any, conflicts arise over working on the Sabbath (Saturday or Sunday), observing religious holidays, or keeping things kosher. Virtually all studios allow time for prayer groups and affinity gatherings, and these disruptions are minimal, considering they only take a few moments out of a shooting day.
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Here I Am to Worship
Tim Hughes explains how he came to write this well-known worship song
You can hardly visit a church around the world without hearing the congregation sing the beautiful song, Here I Am to Worship
It was written by Tim Hughes, the current Director of Worship at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in central London, and I recently got to talk with Tim, who was born on July 23, 1978, and grew up in the Midlands city of Birmingham, and asked him how he came to write this classic.
“I was studying history at Sheffield University and I had been reading through the book of Philippians and I am across that passage that talks about imitating Christ’s humility; how he came and gave up everything he had in heaven, walked on earth, and was obedient to death even death on a cross,” he said during the interview he did for my Front Page Radio program on KWVE 107.9 in Southern California. |
 Christians in Cinema: Anita Renfroe
Last Mother's Day, at the urging of her kids, Anita posted a video of "Total Momsense," (based on the William Tell Overture) on YouTube. Thinking maybe 1000 people would see it, no one was more shocked than Anita when it "went viral." In the year since, it has been seen by more than 8 million people, is now available on iTunes, and led to a recurring guest spot on ABC's "Good Morning America." I got to talk with Anita before this whirlwind hit, and learn about the woman that has made every mom stand up and cheer.
Catching up with Anita Renfroe is no easy task. When we did, she was s on vacation in Florida. Taking a break from sunning herself on the beach, Anita talked with us about the whirlwind that has been her life for the past 4 years... |
 Christian TV producer says Hollywood can be redeemed
Karen Covell, Hollywood producer and founder of Hollywood Prayer Network, says that Hollywood is more like Nineveh than Sodom or Gomorrah.
In an interview with ASSIST News following an informational breakfast held by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Hollywood Prayer Network in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Covell said: "I believe that we can’t think that Hollywood is hopeless, and I want people to see that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but God sent a prophet into Nineveh and He redeemed the land. That’s what I think will happen in Hollywood. God is sending prophets into Hollywood, sending His people in to say 'Let’s not give up, the giants aren’t too big, we will redeem the land.'"
Covell also said that we need more Christians in Hollywood, not necessarily more Christian films.
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Don’t Be a Sucker for Smoke & Mirrors
Intelligence is not your smarts, as they say in New York, but knowing everything you can about the target territory, such as where the weapons of mass destruction are buried.
MOVIEGUIDE® always has urged people of faith and values to get into the entertainment industry. At the same time, we have warned people about the pitfalls and tried to educate people and equip them to deal with the unique situation of show business. In this regard, the Los Angeles Times has published a series of articles on all the brilliant outsiders like Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst (to invoke some ancient examples that are common knowledge) who came to Hollywood and got fleeced. The Los Angeles Times article on how Kirk Kirkorian bought MGM twice and had the same group of insiders pull the rug out from under him both times. |
 The Good Dr. Seuss
“I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.” --Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991)
On March 14 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! was released in [US] theaters. Test your knowledge of some of the biblical parallels found in Dr. Seuss’ books.
“There are a number of very, very popular Dr. Seuss books…that have great moral lessons in them that children probably don't understand fully when they read Dr. Seuss, but they resonate throughout the child's lifetime, and by the time the child is an adult, the moral lessons are perfectly obvious.” --Thomas Fensch, editor of Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss (1997)
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Featured Filmmaker: Dolph Lundgren
Actor, producer, director and writer Dolph Lundgren is probably best known for his role opposite Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky IV." Since then, he's been part of over 30 films and videos. Most of his roles have been in action films, so playing a barbarian warrior in The Final Inquiry wasn't too much of a stretch for him.
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 Faith Keeps "Hannah Montana" Grounded
The 15-year-old singer and actress told TV presenter Barbara Walters during an Oscar night celebrity special that aired last Sunday that family and faith are more important than materialism and partying.
“Some people don’t have a family to fall back on, like I have, and that’s when something greater than even that comes in – and that’s faith and that’s what I have for me,” Cyrus told Walters, according to ABC News. “That’s what keeps me strong.”
The teen sensation explained that many young stars turn to drugs or alcohol because they’re trusting the wrong people and losing touch with God.
"I think a lot of these people do have Christian families but they're not seeing that they're so much greater than the materialistic things right now – like parties,” she said.
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Academy Award Winner, Lou Gossett Jr., becomes a friendly 'drill sergeant' for the young
The towering figure of Lou Gossett Jr. remains one of the most sought after and busiest veteran actors in the film and television industry today. His unique talent for portraying powerful and charismatic characters has charmed audiences worldwide, resulting in an impressive amount of coveted awards, including an Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe.
Gossett first gained recognition in the New York theatre scene, where at
the age of 16, he won a Donaldson award for "Best Newcomer," beating out a young James Dean. Soon he was offered a prestigious Broadway role opposite Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun and he went on to star in the film version, paving the way for a long and rewarding career.
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 Media expert with a theology degree helps Christians share their faith more effectively
According to former CNN journalist Paula Zahn, filmmaker and media activist Phil Cooke is a rare individual -- he's a working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D. in Theology. ChristianityTodayMovies.com has called him a "media guru" and his blog at www.philcooke.com is considered one of the most insightful resources on the web on issues of faith, culture, and media.
International journalist and broadcaster Dan Wooding caught up with Phil at the recent Rethink Media Conference at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.
Cooke explained that the event was a re-thinking conference at which he was invited to speak about how, as Christians, we need to re-think the media, how we use it and its influence in our lives. |
Should We Offend?
In recent months, both Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times have reported the Christian faith is taking a beating. I grew up as a pastor's kid in the South, so I've seen every gimmick churches use to reach the public. As a Christian community we've tried entertainment, political power, criticism and boycotts, and yet we find that today, the perception of Christianity is at an all time low. The problem is we live in a media-driven culture, and most pastors and ministry leaders have no idea how to share their message in that sea of competition.
In my new book, "Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Non-Profits Impact Culture and Others Don't" I explain that "Branding" is essentially a compelling story that surrounds a product or company, and corporate giants like Apple, Nike, and Starbucks have built powerful brands that tell persuasive stories about their products. But the truth is, it was Christianity that invented the principles we now call branding. But today, Christians are rapidly losing our ability to share their story in a compelling way. As a result, the church continues to slide into cultural irrelevance.
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 Sack Sex, Veto Violence, the Secret to Silver Screen Success
Hollywood is beginning to understand what movies Americans want to see. They want to see good conquer evil, truth triumph over lies and justice prevail over injustice," says Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission and publisher of Movieguide.org.
They would also like to take their whole family, including their grandparents, to the movies more often, says Dr. Baehr.
For years, Hollywood and advertising executives have told themselves, that sex and violence sell. However, 2007 box office returns tell a different story from the conventional wisdom that mass media and advertising gurus have been spouting.
Even after a 2.3 percent increase in ticket sales, North American moviegoers purchased 410 million more tickets, setting new records in domestic and overseas box-office sales.
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