Christian Movies: An Interview with Critic Brian Skutle

Christian film has gotten a bad rap. Too often do we overlook the quality of faith-based films. I’m just kidding. This isn’t that kind of show.

This week we are joined by Brian Skutle, a film critic at Sonic Cinema, and we talk through all of the ways that Christian films suck. These films make the critical mistake of putting the message over the medium as they sermonize their way through the celluloid. It's not about engaging with faith and culture in real, honest and authentic ways. That would actually be refreshing.

This industry is more about finding new ways to be as irrelevant as possible within the context of common culture. They're hoping to present Christ-centered messages in the hopes of reaching the lost. But let's be honest, the people this genre is trying to reach has no interest in these films.

If that's true, then who are Christian films trying to reach? Their main audiences are the faithful Christians who need to have their worldview constantly massaged and confirmed in unrealistic and cheesy manners. It's all about preaching to the choir, but when does the choir ever learn anything new? It's quite the conundrum that we'll gladfully exploit for laughs.

We'll also talk about Kirk Cameron, Kevin Sorbo and other D-list actors that have found renewed success by stumbling into this genre, and before you think they are just trying to do God's work, just remember that it's also about finding new ways to get money from the Christian masses. Join us as we snark our way through why the term "film" should be used lightly when describing Christian cinema. Is there a better way that faith should interact with art? Of course, there is. This just isn't the answer.

You can find out more about Brian and read his film reviews here: www.sonic-cinema.com and www.patreon.com/soniccinema.

You should also check out my talk on the Sonic Cinema podcast here: http://www.sonic-cinema.com/2018/03/12/sonic-cinema-podcast-episode-29/

Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world.

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