Sept 1, 2008
Sorry Hollywood, No Bites This Time
The entertainment capital of the world, also know as Hollywood, has churned out another movie with indecent subject matter. With nearly all films produced today containing some morally questionable material, there would need to be something different about this flick to make it newsworthy. There is something very special about the film “Hamlet 2” that caught my attention.
The movie was written and directed by gay filmmaker Andrew Fleming. It is about a failed actor-turned-high-school-drama-teacher Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan). After bombing with a re-enactment of the film Erin Brockovich and learning that his department is about to be cut from the school's budget, Marschz decides to throw all caution to the wind and produce a sequel to Shakespeare’s drama, in which Jesus brings Hamlet back to life to perform in a musical.
"Hamlet 2" was a late comer to the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. This event is where small films get picked up for major release. After the movie’s screening, an all-night bidding war took place for the rights of distribution. Focus Features won for $10 million. The purchase amount of "Hamlet 2" nearly broke the Sundance Film Festival record set by "Little Miss Sunshine," which sold for $10.5 million in 2006.
Focus Features is the art house films division of NBC Universal's Universal Pictures. NBC is in turn 80 percent owned by General Electric, with Vivendi owning the remaining 20 percent stake.
When you add marketing costs, the break-even point is probably around $20 million. Considering the blasphemous nature of the movie, the folks at Focus Features would need a hefty compensation for having ensured their souls would spend eternity in a devil's hell. Since this film company is the one that released "Brokeback Mountain," I’m assuming those reservations have long been made.
It appears the reason for the bidding over this movie had a lot to do with the shock value it might contain. All the songs were clearly designed to be offensive. Controversy means news coverage, and when you get the media talking about your movie, it fills seats at the local movie house. The film's marketing played up a song called “Rock Me, Sexy Jesus.” The trailer for "Hamlet 2" is posted on whatwouldsexyjesusdo.com.
In a style that looks like a rip-off of "High School Musical," here are some of the lyrics from the song in question:
Rock me, rock me, rock me sexy Jesus
He died for our sins, you gotta believe us
Rock me, rock me, rock me sexy Jesus
all night long.
He's the son of God and I think that's cool
But he's got a swimmer's bod like nobody do.
Director Fleming, a self-proclaimed lover of musicals, co-wrote the movie script and its titillating tunes with "South Park" writer-producer Pam Brady. He offered this odd excuse for wickedness in one interview: "We didn't know you shouldn't write about the tasteless things going around in your head." Of course, that’s a big lie. We are all born with an ability to tell right from wrong. There is nothing innocent about having decided to ignore good sense and write down those "tasteless things."
At this point, it doesn't look like the offensive ploy worked. The movie has failed to generate any buzz. So far, box office receipts have been rather poor, with the film only making about $2 million.
I checked several news data bases, and apart from a few blogs, there was about zero reaction to this movie from the Christian community. The obvious verdict here is: “Sorry, Focus Features, You movie doesn’t mock our Lord and Savior quite enough to deserve our attention.”
If this was a time when Christians cared, there would be a massive public outcry. The film would get plenty of coverage, but it would be the kind that would not add to the financial bottom line.
I’ve always been fascinated by how our standards of morality have changed. My latest article, "Sin and My 86 Sunbird," details this transformation processes. Everything seems normal around us because we’ve reached a stage where almost nothing is taboo.
There was once a time when the image of a toilet and people sitting in a bathtub on an album cover would create controversy. In 1966, the singing group, The Mamas and the Papas, released an album that had three covers. The original and the second were considered too dirty, which led to a third. Here is a link to all three in their progressive order: Album Link
Today, the prudishness of 1960s sensors makes us look like barbarians. A rapper could release a CD with him sitting on a toilet with his pants around his ankles and nobody at the record company would think twice about it.
If a movie about portraying Jesus Christ as an object of sexual desirability fails to turn heads, we must have hit rock bottom. I think we are at the end of the road, and the tribulation hour must be very near. God is very patient, but I don’t see Him putting up with this type of trash for very much longer.
-- Todd
U.S. Still Treading Dangerously
The American administration continues to probe and push for a “compromise” in the Middle East peace process, according to reports covering U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in her latest trip to the region. The compromise, like all proposed compromises throughout the modern history of Mid-East peace efforts going back to the days of Henry Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy, has at its heart the idea that Israel give up its land. The latest such effort calls for poking God Almighty in the apple of His eye, a very dangerous matter.
One report sums up the pressure being applied.
“Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, completing a visit to the region today, has been pressing Israel to sign a document by the end of the year that would divide Jerusalem by offering the Palestinians a state in Israel's capital city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to top diplomatic sources involved in the talks…” (Aaron Klein, "Condi pulls a Solomon: Split Jerusalem in 2," 8/28/08, worldnetdaily.com).
The pressure is mounting to divide Jerusalem. And, there is no indication that anyone within the Bush Administration has a clue about God’s Word on those who tinker with this most important real estate on the planet.
“[WorldNetDaily] sources said the Palestinian team has been pushing to conclude a deal by January on all core issues, including Jerusalem, and has been petitioning the U.S. to pressure Israel into signing an agreement on paper that offers the Palestinians eastern Jerusalem. Rice, the sources said, has asked Israeli leaders to bend to what the U.S. refers to as a "compromise position," concluding an Israeli-Palestinian agreement by the end of the year that guarantees sections of Jerusalem to the Palestinians…” (Klein, "Condi pulls," 8/28/08).
God, through His prophets, makes unmistakable His opinion about those who interfere with His dealing with Israel, and Jerusalem in particular. Zechariah is one such prophet: “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye” (Zech. 2:8).
God terms Jerusalem and the Temple Mount “Zion.” He has much to say in stern forewarning about that real estate and about His great love for Zion. This is the center of the world, so far as the Creator of all things is concerned. Jerusalem--Mount Moriah--is the one geographical spot He chose to directly reach from heaven to earth, from His throne to humanity. When His Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross and completed the Father’s redemptive plan, the veil in the Temple ripped from top to bottom, indicating that man would from that moment have access directly to the throne through belief in the only begotten, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Dr. David Reagan offers pointed thought on the matter of Zion and its place in history yet future: “The Bible makes it clear that God himself is a Zionist. Psalm 132:13 proclaims that 'The Lord has chosen Zion' as His everlasting dwelling place. Psalm 87:2 says 'the Lord loves the gates of Zion.' In the Abrahamic Covenant, God promised to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse the Jews, and history is littered with the carcasses of nations who mistreated the Jews. We are commanded by the Lord 'to pray for the peace of Jerusalem' (Psalm 122:6)…” (David Reagan, "What is a Christian Zionist?" www.lamblion.com).
The Lord God of Israel need no human governmental agency or agencies to accomplish the peace of Jerusalem. He does not invite intervention in the matter of Israel and Jerusalem, except to deal kindly with His chosen. Again, Dr. Reagan correctly assesses God's directive for dealing with Israel and with Jerusalem, the nation and city in the headlines almost daily in these closing hours of the age.
"We are exhorted to comfort the Jewish people and to speak tenderly to them (Isaiah 4:1-2). We are commanded to speak out for Zion's sake and to be watchmen on the walls for Israel until the Lord "makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isaiah 62:1, 6-7). We are warned not to be arrogant toward the Jews (Romans 11:18). And we are reminded that due to our spiritual debt to them, we should minister to them in material things (Romans 15:27)" (Reagan).
America has been a comforter to Israel. This nation continues to be Israel’s staunchest ally-- just about her only nation-state friend. However, America is treading dangerously in the ongoing matter of trying to force God’s chosen people to give God’s chosen land to Israel’s blood-vowed enemies for a false peace that will bring on the great tribulation, and Armageddon.
--Terry
