God On My Side ... the Devil behind my back
October 30th 2006 00:15
I watched the remake of The Omen (2006) last night. Why do they bother? Honestly; when almost everything about the original is superior. Reminded me of Gus Van Sant’s pointless remake of Psycho (1998).
The filmmakers chose to stick very closely to the original. Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles were okay as the troubled parents, but I couldn’t stop thinking of Gregory Peck and Lee Remick. The casting of the boy playing Damien, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick was wrong; he's simply not unsettling enough. And Mia Farrow wasn’t insidious enough as Mrs Baylock.
Pete Postlethwaite played the doomed priest and was suitably paranoid. David Thewlis played the doomed photographer (but looked as disinterested as he has done with everything since Naked). Intriguingly all the deaths were filmed in exactly the same way as the original except for the most infamous; the decapitation, which was given a bit of a twist.
As a glutton for punishment I’m now intrigued as to how Damien: Omen II (1978) will be re-made with all its elaborate deaths. They’d better get the casting right.
In God On My Side, Australian interviewer Andrew Denton has made a startling and compelling documentary on the fundamentalism that is born again Christianity; organized religion in America. I see it as a modern horror film. It’s strange and unsettling, worrisome, even frightening. The evangelists talk about the end of days, the second coming, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Armageddon is looming.
Of course, it’s not made as a sensationalist piece of propaganda, far from it. Andrew Denton in his usual sly and savvy way has made a thoroughly enlightening and wryly amusing document on the current state of the business of Christianity, the enormity of it, the motivations behind the practitioners; their driven, obsessive souls.
The entire doco takes place over a long weekend at the 63rd NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) Convention in Texas in February 2006, with Denton interviewing many folk at their respective booths on the exhibition floor and privately. The admissions and revelations Denton elicits, due to his own empathic interviewing technique, makes for some hard-hitting (often unintentionally funny) truths.
I don’t mean seeing the Way, the Truth and the Light. I mean understanding just how powerful the voices of the NRB are. They provide more the 40% of President Bush’s vote. They have an estimated audience of over 140 million Americans, and growing rapidly.
What does this mean? What’s the bigger picture? With access to clips from many of the NRB’s 350 television shows, it becomes clear that most Christian’s believe we are fast approaching the end of days. The planet is in strife; politically, socially, geographically, and of course, morally. Soon Christ will return and all the Christians will join him in the kingdom of heaven. The rest, as three Christian brothers answer Denton with a wigged-out smile, will miss heaven.
Perhaps then we should take a little heed – with a grain of salt - from the words of John 15:12 which Denton puts up on the screen at doco’s end: “This is my commandment: that ye love one another as I have loved you.”
As an atheist I interpret that as a call for world peace.
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia pages:
The Omen (2006, screen shot) and Christian cross
Pete Postlethwaite played the doomed priest and was suitably paranoid. David Thewlis played the doomed photographer (but looked as disinterested as he has done with everything since Naked). Intriguingly all the deaths were filmed in exactly the same way as the original except for the most infamous; the decapitation, which was given a bit of a twist.
As a glutton for punishment I’m now intrigued as to how Damien: Omen II (1978) will be re-made with all its elaborate deaths. They’d better get the casting right.
Of course, it’s not made as a sensationalist piece of propaganda, far from it. Andrew Denton in his usual sly and savvy way has made a thoroughly enlightening and wryly amusing document on the current state of the business of Christianity, the enormity of it, the motivations behind the practitioners; their driven, obsessive souls.
The entire doco takes place over a long weekend at the 63rd NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) Convention in Texas in February 2006, with Denton interviewing many folk at their respective booths on the exhibition floor and privately. The admissions and revelations Denton elicits, due to his own empathic interviewing technique, makes for some hard-hitting (often unintentionally funny) truths.
I don’t mean seeing the Way, the Truth and the Light. I mean understanding just how powerful the voices of the NRB are. They provide more the 40% of President Bush’s vote. They have an estimated audience of over 140 million Americans, and growing rapidly.
What does this mean? What’s the bigger picture? With access to clips from many of the NRB’s 350 television shows, it becomes clear that most Christian’s believe we are fast approaching the end of days. The planet is in strife; politically, socially, geographically, and of course, morally. Soon Christ will return and all the Christians will join him in the kingdom of heaven. The rest, as three Christian brothers answer Denton with a wigged-out smile, will miss heaven.
Perhaps then we should take a little heed – with a grain of salt - from the words of John 15:12 which Denton puts up on the screen at doco’s end: “This is my commandment: that ye love one another as I have loved you.”
As an atheist I interpret that as a call for world peace.
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia pages:
The Omen (2006, screen shot) and Christian cross
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Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
For you normal mainstream religion the Bible thumping fundamentalist is like a football yobbo. Sure they know the words to the teams song and can list all the player past present and future but they have little self control. They'll be the one sledging the umpire and the other teams when everyone else is trying to be ecumenical. They are also the ones most like to start a new team and try to poach the best players. Failing that they get the worst and then call them better.
Some of them would prefer that Bible came with handles so that they could get a better grip when they are using it to thump someone.
Comment by suitably*wounded
Eternal Days; Author: Illness, M.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Haven't heard too much on Hell House ...
Former fundamentalist, huh? Bet you got some stories to tell ....
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
I know that there are some amazingly freaky christians out there. I also think it is unfortunate that most of the time, people remember these ones rather than the ones that aren't that freaky, or at least, can keep their personal freakiness under control.
And I agree with you, world peace is something christians ought to be striving for. Among other things.