The musings of Sean Paul Murphy: Editor, Producer, Screenwriter, Author. Or, Hollywood -- and beyond -- as seen from an odd little corner of northeast Baltimore, Maryland.
Seventeen years ago I married the lovely Miss Deborah Lynn Crum of Youngstown, Ohio. I would say that it was the happiest day of my life, but it wasn't! Many even happier days followed! Below you will find a video our wedding ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada. (We had a second ceremony at our church in Baltimore a week later.)
Below you will find a little sneak peek of Andy, a graphic novel I am working on with Jim Proimos based on my screenplay Life-Like. Jim is a very well-known illustrator and the author of children and young adult books. He even did a book, Year of the Jungle, with best-selling Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins. He is very optimistic we will be able to develop the book into a movie or television series.
I am equally optimistic. Here is a taste of the responses I got when I first sent the script around Hollywood: "What the script has going for it most is its genuinely unique, high-concept premise -- as opposed to most other comedies, the material does not seem the least bit derivative." "A wonderful premise and unique to boot." "The material should be applauded for its quality characterizations." "Realistic and sharp dialogue." "The dialogue is endearing." "Strong character development." "It's entire third act stands out as the most invigorating part of the script." "A pretty funny and surprisingly emotional story about closure." "It's a fun and exciting read with a captivating plot and a happy ending!" "This project's prospects are rather bright." "Sure to get industry attention." I can't wait to see the rest.
Speaking of books, let me plug my memoir of first faith and first love and how the two became almost fatally intertwined.
Yours truly still waiting for his star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Unlike most people in the movie and/or television industry, I never had a great desire to appear before the camera. I do remember trying to get in a talent show in grade school. My friend Bob Burgess and I were big Laurel and Hardy fans, and he wrote a sketch in their vein. I played Hardy to his Laurel. We tried out for the talent show, but we lost to people lip syncing to records. (Yes, I'm still bitter about that!) I never tried out for plays in high school. I rarely attended them either, despite the fact that I started writing them myself.
Once I started attending casting sessions as a producer at Smith Burke & Azzam, I saw just how hard how it was to be a good actor. Not only did you have to deliver the lines convincingly, you also had to know how to handle your entire body in the process. Especially the hands. When I would try acting, I always found myself worrying about my hands. They seemed to have a mind of their own.
Still, despite my wayward appendages, there was a time when my friends would often put me in commercials. Not surprisingly, considering my build and personality, I was usually cast as the jovial, heavyset guy. The commercials came at a rather fortuitous time in my life. Most of my commercial work was done at the dawn of the Age of Internet Dating. A couple of these long-airing spots gave the online girls a chance to see me in action on television. That was essential since the first picture I would send them of myself was the one below. (I felt if they would still go out with me after that, I had it made.)
My Internet dating photo. To quote Charlie Sheen: "Winning!"
I didn't take my acting career seriously enough to even keep copies of all of my spots, but here are a few that I managed to find. The first one is a promo from WBFF Channel 45 in Baltimore. The spot, directed by my friend Chuck Regner, was a spoof of a popular radio station commercial which was syndicated all around the country. He needed a heavyset guy who could dance, but he settled for me. (My dancing days were ahead of me. That's how I met my lovely wife Deborah.)
This next commercial for Towson Towson Center, directed by David Butler and written by John Patterson, actually gave me a line. I'm the guy who says, "You should see this place." By the way, this spot is a good example of that hands thing I was talking about.
Director David Butler also gave me a starring role in this spot for the Adventist Healthcare System. They didn't have a harness for me to swing upside down in, so they just tied a rope to my leg. I didn't enjoy that part, but I got to keep the boots.
John Patterson wrote this spot for the Baltimore Zoo during his tenure at W.B. Doner. This time I got to push a big ball of yarn for the big cats.
My commercial acting career ultimately petered out after I was cast in a national spot for Waccamaw stores by my friend Pam Poertner. I was my third Taft Hartley spot and I would have to join the Screen Actors Guild in order to appear in another one. I opted against joining the union. I didn't feel I could recoup the union fee without actually soliciting work, and I was too busy as a writer and editor to do that. Of course had I known the union card could get you in the movies for free during Oscar season, I would have done it....
BTW, you don't have to be a member of SAG to read my tale of first faith and first love and how the two became almost fatally intertwined:
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Those words can come to you in many ways: in an email, on the phone or even face-to-face as the budding producer or director assures you that the film financing is already in place. All he needs is a script.
If you haven't met that guy yet, you might have met his equally-dangerous brother who knows someone who is ready to green-light the project as soon as he gets the script.
They call Hollywood the Dream Factory. Sadly, too many people in Hollywood are willing to profit from your dreams. There is no shortage of producers and directors who will gladly steal your time and talent by letting you work for free for them. Some of these folks are simply naive. They might actually believe that the production company executive they cornered in a restaurant restroom was completely sincere when he said he liked their idea and wanted to read the script. However, some of these folks are just sharks who want to exploit your talent. Let me give you two examples of people who recently wanted me to work for free and why I refused.
The Shark
I got a phone call from a Hollywood producer who wanted to work with me. I was in a restaurant with my wife and I couldn't talk to him at the moment. I got his number and said I would call him back. Before I did, I researched him on the internet. He had no produced credits. However, he had numerous six-figures sales recorded on Done Deal. Needless to say, I decided to call him back.
He found me on InkTip. He liked one of my posted scripts and my resume. He told me he wasn't interested in any of my scripts. He liked to partner with writers to develop his own ideas. He said he had a pile of B+ scripts he needed to turn into A+ scripts. I was cool with that. I am always happy to work on assignment.
I asked him about the scripts. He rattled off about ten log lines. Three of them sounded intriguing. He emailed me the scripts. I read them overnight and called him back the next day. I told him I would be happy to work on one of them. He said good. Then he said there would be no upfront money. Instead, we would split the money fifty/fifty after the sale. Realizing I wasn't the first writer on the project, I asked what the original writer would get. He said, "Don't worry, he'll take whatever I give him."
In other words, not only was this guy not willing to pay me any money upfront for my labor, he was also probably going to cheat the original writer. I'm sure that writer originally had a fifty/fifty contract as well. Despite the fact that this guy had made some serious sales, I walked away. If there's one thing Hollywood has taught me, it's that a producer who is willing to cheat someone else will eventually cheat you, too. You're either honest or you're not. He wasn't, and I didn't want to be in business with him.
The Dreamer
I was contacted by another producer who read some of my work on InkTip. He was a former photojournalist who spent time in Iraq, Russia and China. He said he had Chinese money in place to produce a film. He already had a first draft of a script he had written himself but he knew it wasn't good enough. I asked him to send it to me.
I read it, and he was right: It wasn't good enough. However, it was a good story. I gave him my analysis about what was right and what was wrong with it. He agreed completely and asked if I could re-write it. I said sure and started discussing compensation. That's when he said he didn't actually have the money in hand now. The Chinese production company was going to give it to him when he gave them the script. I suggested that if they liked the story that much, he could sell them an option on it and use that amount as seed money to pay me. He said they wouldn't do it.
That means, despite his wishful thinking, the money really wasn't in place. Plus, if the production company wasn't willing to option the story, they weren't really in love with it. So I asked him if he could pay me some upfront seed money to work on the project out of his pocket. He said he didn't have it.
Now think about that: If you knew you could invest five or ten thousand dollars now and get twenty million dollars in return a couple of months later, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. If I didn't have the cash I would sell my car or house to get it. He wouldn't do it. Obviously, his head was telling him something different than his heart.
I liked the guy. I really did. I don't think he was trying to deceive me. I believe he thought he had a real deal. He was caught up in the same dream as so many people in the film business. As it was, I gave him periodic script advice as he worked through the re-write himself. I haven't heard from him in a while. I don't think the film has been made.
It's Really Not About The Money
I know I continually hit the theme that you shouldn't work for free in this blog. However, it's really not about the money at all. Payment is simply a way of sorting out who is real and who isn't. To me, time is more important than money. It should be your most treasured commodity, and I wasted a lot time on other people's vain dreams. People like this nearly derailed my career.
Back in the nineties, I was on a winning streak. I left my job at an advertising agency to pursue my career as a screenwriter, while working as a freelance editor to pay the bills. I took the leap because I knew I was producing good work. Creative Artists Agency was interested in repping my horror script Then The Judgement. Stu Robinson, of Robinson Weintraub and Gross (later Paradigm) wanted to rep my dramedy The Long Drive. I really liked Stu. I had read interviews with him in screenwriting books. He had a reputation for nurturing and developing new writers. So I put Then The Judgement on the shelf and let him handle The Long Drive.
He didn't sell The Long Drive, but it proved an excellent calling card. I got great reviews and people seemed anxious to read my next script. That script was another dramedy called The Fourth Mrs. Jones. It did even better. More great reviews. More importantly, it came really close to being sold for a then life-changing amount of money.
I immediately hurried out a drama about the reunion of a rock band called The Stray Characters. Stu didn't like it. He felt it needed more work, and he was right. I had sent him something that was essentially a first draft. But I never sent him the rewrite. In fact, I didn't send him another script for nearly four years. Why? Because I got hooked into one project after another that supposedly already had the money in place.
All of these scripts were for people I knew and liked, but none of the projects were as a real as the producers imagined. During those years, I wrote five scripts on assignment: House of Sadism, The Delicate Dependency, Roses In June, Jenny and Time. None of the films got made, although one of them did actually get me out to Hollywood for a meeting. What did I end up with in return for those lost years? Nothing. All of the work was based on other people's ideas so I didn't even end up owning the fruit of my labor. The worst part, however, was the fact that I had destroyed the forward momentum of my career in the process.
Did I mention any of these projects to my agent Stu? No, of course not. I knew he would have advised me against them. Now I am advising you against getting entangled in projects like that. If you must work for free, work on a spec script that you love and believe in that will make YOUR dreams come true.
Remember, there are thousands of people in Hollywood and elsewhere who believe they have funding in place or a solid green light. The easiest way to figure who really does and who really doesn't is to ask for upfront money.
My great-grandmother Assunta Mastracci Protani was born on August 15, 1886 in the village of Arnara in the Italian province of Frosinone. She was the daughter of Michele Mastracci and Maria Katerina Fiori. Her future husband, Vincenzo Protani, was born in the same village on December 23, 1873. After many reputed adventures, Vincenzo came to America to make his fortune in 1903. I do not know whether the sixteen-year-old Assunta and the thirty-year-old Vincenzo had any kind of romantic relationship prior to his departure. However, Vincenzo returned to the little village to make Assunta his bride in 1907. Her family did not approve of the union. I do not know whether their disapproval stemmed from a fear that Vincenzo would take their daughter away from them forever, or simply because of his reputation as a tough guy. Regardless, Vincenzo refused to take no for an answer. According to my great-aunt Mary Protani Maccubbin, Vincenzo eventually kidnapped Assunta and spirited her away on horseback to the Vatican, where they were married. She arrived in New York City with him in February 1907. After a brief stay in New York, they permanently settled in Baltimore, Maryland.
Assunta with my uncle Tony.
Vincenzo and Assunta lived first on Stiles Street in Little Italy before moving to Montford Avenue just above Patterson Park. They had eleven children and a horde of grandchildren. Assunta loved her family. Sadly, because of my grandparents' divorce, our family slowly drifted away from the greater Protani family. I only met Assunta once. I have a vague memory of being taken to see her when I was a small child. At the time I didn't know my grandmother had been previously married, so I assumed I was seeing her second husband's mother. Later, when I discussed the memory, I was told it was Assunta.
When I began my journey into genealogy was sadden to discover that Assunta lived until August 24, 1980. Had I known more about the Protani branch of my family, I would have sought her out. I would have loved to have met her as an adult, and I'm sure she would have been happy to meet me.
Assunta with part of her family on her 50th wedding
anniversary in 1957.
My great-grandmother may be gone, but I can still get a taste of the life she lived. My great-aunt Elsie Protani shared Assunta's homemade spaghetti sauce recipe with me. Here it is, as filtered through Aunt Elise:
Ingredients:
Fat Back
Garlic
Meat
Tomato Paste
Peeled Tomatoes
Basil
Oregano
Assunta cooked in fat back. She would render it down to liquid, add chopped garlic, then put it in a can and keep it in the refrigerator for cooking purposes. When she wanted to make sauce, she would put some fat back at the bottom of the pot. Then she would add some kind of meat. She would brown the meat and add salt or pepper as desired. Then, she would add tomato paste.She would let that cook for a while before adding the peeled tomatoes. If she used two cans of paste, she would add two cans of peeled tomatoes. Three cans of paste, three cans of tomatoes, etc. For every can of paste, she would add one paste can of water. You can add more or less water depending how thick you want the sauce to be. She would next add basil and oregano.* How much? Who knows? It was never written down. This is more a "pinch of this, a pinch of that" recipe. Then she'd let it simmer for a couple of hours.
The key to the recipe is the fat back and meat. That's what gives the sauce its taste.
I personally found it interesting that she never added onions, then I remembered my cousin Carmen Falstaffi's spaghetti sauce recipe. She made it for us some while visiting Baltimore and she didn't add onions. She said she used either onions or garlic but never both at the same time since she felt the tastes fought each other. Personally, I like both, but I will remain true to the cooking traditions of my ancestral village of Arnara!
Assunta last visited her hometown of Arnara in 1948 while arranging the marriage of one of her daughters. I went to Arnara in 2000 to meet the family. Here's a little film about it:
*Aunt Elsie always adds some cinnamon at this point. It cuts back on the acidity.
Be sure to check out my novel Chapel Street. It tells the story of a young man straddling the line between sanity and madness while battling a demonic entity that has driven his family members to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting my family experienced.
You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Very early in my career as a writer of faith-based films, I read an interview with Christian filmmaker Rich Christiano where he proudly proclaimed, "It's not my job to entertain Christians."
I understood what he meant. He felt Christian films should have a ministry purpose. That they should be vehicles to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Still, I resented his comment. Despite the fact that I believed my films had a ministry purpose, I thought "Why shouldn't Christians have their own entertainment? What's wrong with that?"
Plenty, I have come to believe.
The turning point came to me a few years ago at a Movieguide event on the East Coast hosted by its founder Ted Baehr. For those unfamiliar with the organization, Movieguide's mission is to "redeem the values of the entertainment industry, according to biblical principles, by influencing executives and artists." Basically, they try to prove that it is in the best interests of Hollywood to produce films with wholesome and redemptive themes. Every year they produce a report to Hollywood which illustrates how much more money family-oriented films make on average than the the darker fare the industry celebrates. There is no disputing the numbers.
I became associated with Movieguide when it awarded my spec script "I, John" with the Kairos Prize at its annual Hollywood gala. (2nd runner-up) I was very honored and enriched. When I was later invited to a fundraiser at a private home in Northern Virginia a few years ago, I happily attended. While there, I pulled Ted aside and told him that my latest faith-based film, Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End, was wrapping up production. I thought he would be pleased that I was still making Christian films. His response surprised me. He just rolled his eyes and said, "Sean, you've got to stop making those films."
Whoa! Waz up with dat? Is Ted Baehr suddenly a hater? An enemy of Christian films?
No. Not at all. He simply has his eyes on a bigger prize. He believes that "he who controls the media controls the culture."
That made me think. What is the place of Christian films in our culture, and, more importantly, the Kingdom of God? The answer is complicated. And I suspect my answer will anger some of my fellow filmmakers.
The independent Christian film business is growing by leaps and bounds. In many ways, I think the aforementioned Rich Christiano is the father of the modern movement. Starting in the early-90s, he made a series of low-budget evangelical films and developed a workable release model. PureFlix honcho David A.R. White got his first taste of Christian cinema by appearing in Christiano's Second Glance while he was on break from his steady work on the Burt Reynolds sitcom Evening Shade. Producer Paul LaLonde and director Andre van Heerden further upped the ante by adding thriller aspects and recognizable movie stars, to their low-budget faith-based and end times films. Still, Hollywood didn't really start to take notice until the release of 1999's The Omega Code. The $12,000,000 domestic box office was surprising, but it was nothing compared to the $600,000,000+ generated by Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
I happily waded into the faith-based world in 2005 by co-writing Hidden Secrets, the first film produced, but not released, the current industry leader PureFlix Entertainment. At that time, the independent faith-based film market was still small. There was only a couple rows of DVDs at my local Christian bookstores, and most of those videos were concerts by Christian recording artists. A new narrative film was released straight to video every couple months. I didn't necessarily see every film, but I was aware of them all.
We have turned from a novelty to a genuine genre. My question is: Is that a good thing?
Years ago, I would have said yes, but now I am not so sure. I think ultimately it comes down to Matthew 5:15: "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house." By creating our own genre, for ourselves, by ourselves, I believe we are effectively placing our light under a bushel.
When I began making Christian films, everyone at least gave lip service to the concept that we were trying to reach people for the Lord. You'd see the producers, directors and stars on the Christian cable shows and hear them on radio broadcasts saying how their films were going to reach the lost. They'd all say if only one person came to the Lord after seeing the film it would be worth it. Some of those folks were completely sincere, others, well, not so much. To many, the faith-based film industry was simply a business. The reality is that, before the market gradually shifted from DVD to streaming, a reasonably budgeted faith-based film with some recognizable talent could expect to make a profit regardless of quality. The films were a safe bet with a small but dependable audience. But the environment has changed.
Recently a friend contacted me and asked me if I wanted to pitch a series with him to a faith-based streaming service. I said okay. He asked what we should pitch. My response was: "First we have to establish a genuine evangelical need ." (When I use the word evangelical, I am using it in the more traditional missional definition. I am not using it in its now almost inescapable political sense.)
As soon as those words left my mouth, I realized how absurd my comment was. We didn't have to worry about any evangelical need because only Christians would ever see the series. No unbeliever was going to plunk down his credit card and subscribe to the service. There was absolutely no missionary purpose at all. Period. We would be strictly in the business of entertaining Christians. And what is true of an internet web series is also true of independent theatrical faith-based films. You might be able to generate sixty million dollars in box office by getting hundreds of churches to buy up theater seats, but you're still hiding your light under a bushel unless the lost are seeing your film.
If you ever hear a Christian producer or entertainer tell you the purpose of his film or web series is to reach people for the Lord, then puts it behind a Christian paywall, rest assured he is not being truthful.
So what are the options for independent Christian filmmakers? I see three choices.
1). EVANGELISM
You can make faith-based films aimed at bringing the non-believers to the Lord. This is a tough to do successfully. Why? Because if you want to successfully reach non-believers, you have to do as Jesus did and step into their world and meet people where they are now. Unfortunately, if you do that in your films, you risk losing the base Christian audience. The rule of thumb I was taught was that we shouldn't show anything in a film that a pastor wouldn't feel comfortable showing in his sanctuary. That's exactly why our films seem phony and unbelievable to non-believers. If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times: If the world we present doesn't seem real, then our solution won't seem real either.
Case in point. I was approached by some filmmakers to write a script. It was a true story about a woman who left the world of drug addiction after coming to the Lord. The woman herself gave her testimony on numerous Christian talk shows. Very compelling stuff. The filmmakers said they really wanted to make a film that would reach drug addicts. I said if that was their goal they had to really show the temptations and dangers of that world. You have to understand someone, and what brought them to that place, in order to reach them. The filmmakers agreed. Then I said, if they did that, the film would never get past the Christian gatekeepers who rate films solely on the number of bad words and bad things depicted regardless of the message. Without the support of the gatekeepers, the film would never reach the church audience. Even if the film got to the church audience, they would reject it because of the content. Without the church audience, they could never hope to recoup their investment. The film has yet to be made.
Here's a film of mine that fits well into the first category. It was also viewed by a number of non-believers because of its high rating on Netflix, and a description that didn't completely pigeon-hole it as a faith-based film. It just looked like a cool, supernatural mystery.
Sadly, I doubt the film is having the same impact since it is no longer streaming on Netflix or playing on television. Now, if an unbeliever wants to see it, he has to buy the DVD or subscribe to a Christian streaming service. Both are unlikely.
2). ENTERTAINMENT
Make films for the Christian audience. At a Christian film festival, I had a long talk with the head of a Christian streaming service. When he started his company, he envisioned a Christian HBO, where people could watch films suited to their tastes and values. I have no problem with that. However, if that is your goal, there is no need to continue making the "sinner comes to Christ" story. Granted, it's a great story with many variations, but it's not the end of the story. Trying to live the Christian life itself is fraught with drama.
If you're honest with yourself and your audience is entirely Christian, then you should create stories that deal with living the Christian life. Instead of pointing the mirror toward the world, I believe we should point the mirror at the church. There's a certain smugness in far too many of our films that reminds me of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11, who proudly points out that he is not like those sinners, We have plenty of work to do in our own backyard, too. Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America. Where are our films about race relations within the church? Where are the films addressing judgement in the church when grace is needed? Where are the films bridging denominational hatred and suspicion? A few people have tried, but the films weren't successful. It seems that Christian film goers only want films that make them feel good about themselves, not films that challenge them. (Then again, it might not be the film goers. I think they are more tolerant and interested than the gatekeepers.)
My first produced faith-based film, Hidden Secrets, falls easily into this category. Although we present an atheist character being subjected to evangelization, both directly and indirectly, the main focus remains the relationship between the believers. Rhonda, the graceless Christian, is more of a villain than the atheist. I know her character has sparked many soul-searching conversations.
That film was about the closest I ever came to addressing troublesome issues within the church. In fact, I received an edict soon afterwards not to give the Christian characters in our films any flaws! (I was told that the Kendrick Brothers films made more money than ours because their Christian characters didn't have any flaws.) I confess that I, and the other writers, tried to include some jokes about the excesses of televangelism in the made-for-cable film Brother White, but they were all removed. Most of my faith-based films were, despite claims to the contrary, simple entertainments. For example, don't expect any altar calls or coherent theology from the Revelation Road trilogy, but, hey, why can't Christians have their own Road Warrior film?
Once again, I have no problem with Christian entertainment and there is certainly a place for it. I just think we have to be honest in our intentions. Don't call it evangelism when ninety-nine-percent of the people who see your film are already Christians.
3). MAINSTREAMING
The third option is to ignore the Christian film genre entirely and simply enter the mainstream media instead. Many believers are dismayed at the sudden changes in our culture. While the media tends to reflect rather than influence the culture, a lot of these recent changes have been accelerated because of conscious decisions within the media to promote new viewpoints. The traditional Judaeo-Christian viewpoint was, unsurprisingly, ignored. Why? In part, because there are so few believers sitting at the tables where these decisions are made. Our worldview is not proportionally represented at the highest levels within the industry.
Some of that is strictly our own fault. Many religious leaders have so demonized the film and television industry that they have consciously or unconsciously dissuaded their followers from entering the business. The only time most studio or network heads hear from a Christian is when someone is threatening a boycott over the outrage of moment. Even when mainstream Hollywood attempts to tell a Biblical or faith-friendly story, they are viciously attacked for what they got wrong rather than applauded for what they got right. (See my earlier blog: Enter The Haters.)
Now, if you have the talent and ambition to move into the mainstream, will all of your movies or shows end with an altar call? No, probably none of them will. The mainstream media is not a place for weighty theological discussions, however there is definitely room in the market for graceful redemptive stories that reflect our values. One of the problems with faith-based films is that the audience wants the films to present the entire gospel in such a matter that it compels the viewer to accept Christ during the credits. I think that is symptomatic of a problem of the American church in general. We have become lazy. We leave the work of evangelism to the professionals: priests, ministers, television evangelists and now also faith-based filmmakers. That is an abrogation of personal responsibility. We're all supposed to be working in the field. To me, the role of the filmmaker is simply to start the discussion for you. The films themselves don't have to be explicitly Christian. Many completely secular films are great conversation starters. They include A Clockwork Orange to Wings of Desire to The Book of Eli to This Is The End to the HBO series The Leftovers. All of those films have elements many Christians will find objectionable, but they ask the world questions we can answer.
Here's the trailer to my first film, an edgy, mainstream whodunit:
Many Christian filmmakers have approached me and asked whether I thought they were selling out if they made secular films. I tell them no. From the dawn of my writing career, I have told both spiritual and mainstream stories. However, my moral worldview always remains consistent whether I am writing a faith-based film or a true crime docudrama for the FBI. I am who I am. I believe they can remain true to themselves, too.
Here's a trailer to one of my Emmy-award-winning films for the FBI:
I do not judge any of my fellow filmmakers. If you feel lead to make strictly evangelical films, go for it. If you want to make Christian entertainment, have at it. If you want to make mainstream films, you have my blessing. I just recommend that you take a step back and consider what you are trying to accomplish. Ask yourself: What is my goal? Who am I trying to reach?
I believe what is true of Christian filmmakers is also true of African-American and other minority filmmakers. After the #OscarSoWhite controversy at the Academy Awards two years ago, many commentators recommended that minority filmmakers should make their own films for themselves. As you may suspect, I disagree. If your desire is to share your culture and beliefs with the rest of the world in order to bring about understanding, you need to do it in the mainstream film business. Otherwise, like so many Christian filmmakers, you'll only end up preaching to the choir.
If you liked any of my films, you'll love my novel Chapel Street, which is now available on Amazon HERE. You can also get the hardcover from Barnes & Noble HERE.
My previous blog about Seven Guy Films inspired my niece Marion Coe to share her own genre of films she calls "Uncle" movies. I will let her define the genre and give her examples. However, as one of her uncles, I will offer my opinion on the individual films. Here she goes (with the assistance of her husband Josh):
Uncle
Movies: A genre defined as a movie that the general uncle-figure likes. An
uncle is someone who’s not your dad: he may be regarded as the “cool guy” who
is ok to share with you his taste in low-brow comedy, or at least laugh at it
around you, and is happy to corrupt you. Find one of these playing on basic
cable, even if it’s already halfway through, and he’s happy. These movies were
created in the VHS-era, between the late 1970s-mid 1990s. Although movies which fit
the standards of the genre continue to be produced, there is a decline in
popularity.
The movies
generally encompass the misadventures of: Outsider white male losers, who are
usually immature, and under-appreciated by the mainstream, their bosses, and
women. Female characters, if they occur, are sex-objects, nagging wives, or
bitches. Other
themes include: Raunchy or low-brow humor; mainstream irreverence; “leaving a
safe zone” in the military, or on camping, fishing, or road trips; ragtag
groups of men; white-trash and dummies; slapstick; and the enemy is the “mainstream”,
often manifested as preppies. They often but not always include the “Irishman
and the Jew,” “Odd Couple,” and “Salt and Pepper” comedy tropes.
Proto-Uncle:
Blazing Saddles (1974) I saw this film upon its initial release with a friend of mine and his mother. She squirmed in embarrassment throughout. I recently showed my 16mm print in my backyard one summer night, and I was the one squirming this time. Not for our politically correct times.
Prime-Uncle Era:
Slapshot (1977) Perhaps the best sports film ever made. I might have to write an appreciation.
Animal House (1978) Definitely the iconic comedy of its time, and the comedy works better than the plot.
The Jerk (1979) I remember loving this film upon its release. I don't think I would feel the same way now. It is best that I do not revisit it.
Meatballs (1979) A slight film with an amiable performance by Bill Murray.
The Villain (1979) Not familiar with it.
Caddyshack (1980) Every frame of Rodney Dangerfield in the film is worth watching.
Blues Brothers (1980) In the early 'eighties, my friends and I spoke in our own shorthand of movie quotes from Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes and this one. Now I find the film more interesting for the musical guests.
Airplane (1980) Come on, this is hilarious.
Porky’s (1981) Saw a sneak preview of this film on a double date. Our girlfriends were appalled and made us leave less than halfway through. My friend and I snuck back later to see it. Typical for the genre. A big hit at the time.
Cannonball Run (1981) Harmless and forgettable.
Stripes (1981) My favorite of the early Bill Murray films. Some great one-liners. Saw it repeatedly in the theater. I think it still holds up.
Strange Brew (1983) Never saw it.
National Lampoon’s Vacation
(1983) I originally saw this back when I still liked Chevy Chase. I like it less now since I don't care for him.
Police Academy franchise (1984
– infinity) Upon this rock, Steve Guttenberg was built. The first one was okay, but the sequels....
Beverly Hills Cop (1984) This film and 48 Hours essentially defined the buddy cop film for the next fifteen years. I liked it, but I thought 48 Hours was better.
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Hey, what can I say? I identified with it.
Ghostbusters (1984) I saw this film with some folks from the Towson Film Lab. We were all bowled over by it. That said, it hasn't aged well. The special effects are hard to watch, and the humor rests mainly on some one-liners. All of the sequels are skippable.
Top Secret! (1984) Not as good as Airplane! but it has its moments.
National Lampoon’s European
Vacation (1985) Not fond of this one.
Better off Dead (1985) Early John Cusack. Liked The Sure Thing much better.
Spies Like Us (1985) I was pretty much through with Chevy Chase and John Landis by now. As for Dan Aykroyd... This is one of the films that hurried him toward supporting roles. (You didn't mention Doctor Detroit or Nothing But Trouble, then again, who would ever recommend them?)
Back to School (1986) Pure Rodney Dangerfield. Still works. If I didn't show you this one, I failed as an uncle.
3 Amigos (1986) Stopped seeing Chevy Chase films in the theater by now.
Spaceballs (1987) The end of Mel Brooks. I bet this script read funny, but it did not play.
Lethal Weapon all (1987) A franchise that outlived its welcome. Liked the first one, but the quality of the sequels dropped off considerably. Wanna bet someone remakes it?
Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) No, no, no, no, no.
The Naked Gun (1988) Not as funny as Airplane! but funny nonetheless. That was a simpler time, when we all still loved O.J.
The Great Outdoors (1988) Subpar John Hughes script. Forgettable.
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) (See Ernest Goes To Camp.)
Uncle Buck (1989) The normally supporting John Candy gets the lead, but I found it disappointing, especially compared to Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Let it Ride (1989) Saw it in the theaters, but didn't think much of it.
National Lampoon’s Christmas
Vacation (1989) The best of the Vacation sequels. Overlooked my distaste for Chevy Chase to see it. (Worst Chevy Chase film: Cops and Robertsons.)
Major League (1989) Shot in Baltimore. Had some laughs, but it was no Slap Shot. Have a hard time watching Charlie Sheen anymore.
Tremors (1990) Great horror comedy. I was very much in my Fred Ward period at the time. (We nearly got him for 21 Eyes.) I hope, as your uncle, I forced you to watch this one.
Kindergarten Cop (1990) I can remember the time when America was still buying into the whole Arnold Schwarzenegger thing. He could do it all. Action... Comedy... Politics?... But Last Action Hero was on the horizon....
Hudson Hawk (1991) ABruce Willis ego trip. Not a pretty sight.
The Last Boy Scout (1991) Saw it in the theaters. Had forgotten it by the time I got to my car.
Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) (See Ernest Goes To Camp.)
Encino Man (1992) This was the first film where I noticed Pauley Shore. Sadly, he would prove difficult to ignore in 1990s.
Captain Ron (1992) Liked it at the time.
Out on a Limb (1992) Didn't see this one. I must have thought it was an adaptation of the Shirley MacLaine book.
Son in Law (1993) Yes, I paid to see it. It taught me a valuable lesson: Don't pay to see Pauley Shore films.
Dumb and Dumber (1994) Actually one of the funnier goofball films of the 1990s, but, as this list shows, it didn't have much competition.
In the Army Now (1994) Skipped it. Still haven't seen it.
Ace Ventura movies
(1994-1995) By now, the whole Jim Carrey thing was wearing thin, but I still laughed at the first one.
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995) Didn't see it, but it was probably better than the Pauley Shore movies....
Major Payne (1995) Man, this list is making it looked like the 1990s sucked.
Billy Madison (1995) Okay, okay, I saw it.
Canadian Bacon (1995) Didn't see it. Proud of the fact.
Down Periscope (1996) Saw it, but I have no memory of it.
Bio-Dome (1996) The only reason I saw this was because I had a pass to a theater chain and I saw everything.
Happy Gilmore (1996) The pinnacle of Adam Sandler's career. It was all downhill after this...
Rocket Man (1997) Remember when Hollywood tried to make a star out of Harlan Williams and America collectively said NO!
Neo-Uncle:
The Big Lebowski (1999) I was actually cold to this film when I first saw it in the theaters. However, I have grown to appreciate it. I like it more each time I see it. Now I believe that the Dude truly abides...
Post-Uncle:
Deuce Bigelow Male Gigolo (1999) Rob Schneider tries to fill the slot left by Pauley Shore.
Joe Dirt (2001) David Spade is a supporting actor at best....
Superbad (2007) Seemed fresh and funny at the time.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) Didn't like it. Small screen success doesn't automatically transfer to the big screen.
Grown Ups (2010) Let me get this straight... Kevin James thought teaming up with Adam Sandler would boost his career..
The Ridiculous 6 (2015) The controversy about Native America stereotypes almost got me to watch this one, but fortunately I remembered it was an Adam Sandler movie.
