Category Archives: Reviews

Review of Movies, TV shows, and presentations in other media

Nefarious – Movie Review

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Nefarious - 2023 movie

Are demons real? Is demonic possession possible? Are the actions of this serial killer the actions of someone experiencing a dissociative disorder (split personality), or can it really be a case of demonic possession as he claims?

These are the questions presented to the protagonist Dr James Martin, a brilliant psychiatrist in the 2023 movie “Nefarious.” Dr Martin, both a valedictorian and salutatorian in his school career,  has been tasked with determining whether a serial killer is sane and therefore can be  cleared to suffer his court decreed penalty: death; or whether he is insane and must therefore be remanded in custody until it can be determined he is sane. The movie follows Dr Martin’s investigation, and in so doing presents the above questions and many other Biblical and moral questions to the audience in a manner reminiscent of one of CS Lewis’ masterpieces, The Screwtape Letters. Continue Reading

Correcting “The Origins of Young Earth Creation” Video

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Old Earth Bias; Young Earth Fact

Michael Jones of InspiringPhilosophy has put out a cleverly deceptive video ostensibly on, as the title puts it “The Origins of Young Earth Creationism.” In actuality, it’s a hit piece designed to undermine both young earth beliefs and Young Earth Creation (YEC) as a movement in general. Continue Reading

Review: “Unplanned” movie

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Abby Johnson sees abortion for the first time.

Abby Johnson sees an abortion for the first time.

Unplanned [1] tells the story of Abby Johnson, who almost on a lark volunteers to help Planned Parenthood’s supposed mission to reduce abortions and rises to become the director of a Planned Parenthood (PP) clinic. She’s a rising star at PP until she’s confronted with the truth of what abortion actually does.

Perhaps what this movie does best is expose all the lies Planned Parenthood promotes from the “we’re primarily a women’s healthcare facility” to what Abby initially foolishly believes – that the mission of PP is to reduce abortions.  The abortion industry is full of lies of both commission and omission.  This movie does a good job of exposing them all. Continue Reading

Review: Paul, Apostle of Christ

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It’s AD 67,  some 34 to 37 years after the crucifixion of Christ. Nero, emperor of Rome has recently burned half the city in order to rebuild it according to his tastes. To cover his crime Nero scapegoats all Christians, and as the historian Tacitus tells us, Nero arrests, tries and convicts them not of arson, but of “hatred of the human race,” and puts them to death by “methods calculated to provide lurid entertainment for the public.”[1] Paul, the apostle of Christ is a key figure in the Christian faith and community. As such, Nero holds the Apostle Paul directly responsible for the fire, considering him the “chief enemy of Rome.”

Consequently when the movie opens we find the Apostle in prison awaiting his fate.  Luke, the physician and writer of the Gospel of the same name, and the Acts of the Apostles (commonly known as Acts) arrives in the city with a mission to save and retrieve the last of the writings of the apostle, determined that such important words not be lost. Continue Reading

Taking Pride in Creation: Genesis: Paradise Lost | Movie Review

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Genesis: Paradise Lost movie

Since the limited run  of  Genesis: Paradise Lost is almost over (there’s a final encore on December 11, 2017), you may be wondering why another review. We’ll get to that in a moment. But first let me note that a number of even handed reviews have already been written. Here are 3 of them: Continue Reading

Disney, Beauty and the Beast, and Boycotts

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Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in Beauty and the Beast (2017)

With Disney’s increasing support of the gay agenda (“Gay Days” at it’s theme parks, increasing exposure of gay scenes in its films aimed at kids) and now with a “gay moment” overshadowing Disney’s new live action version of its classic “Beauty and the Beauty” it has some wondering out loud, “Is it Time to Kiss Disney Goodbye.” [1] Sadly, I have to say “yes” as I note in this tweet. And to further note my opposition to Disney’s move toward encouraging the gay agenda, I encouraged others to boycott Disney’s new Beauty and the Beast film: Continue Reading

“Silence” – A Review of Scorsese’s latest attack on the faith

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A scene from Scorsese's

A scene from Scorsese’s “Silence”

Most Christians should skip Scorsese’s “Silence”

 

 

 

 

If you were expecting an uplifting  film for Christians from Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” you will be sorely disappointed. Because this film is neither made for Christians nor uplifting. To clarify my point, let me define my terms.

As a Christian, I expect a film made for Christians to:

  • Be supportive of the Christian faith
  • Proclaim the gospel; or at minimum Biblical principles
  • Show the benefits of faithfulness and the punishments or pains for  rebelliousness
  • Show the ultimate triumph of the gospel, Christ, and of the Christian living faithfully
  • Not recommend anti-Biblical actions
  • Not put anti-Biblical words in the mouth of  God the Father or Christ

Silence fails on all counts save for some small support of the first item by showing a number of poor Japanese peasants, who are believers and are martyred for their faith – preferring death over denying their Lord and God Jesus by “apostatizing” – a formal denial of their faith done in this case by trampling on a plaque with an raised relief image of Jesus. Continue Reading

Review: The Atheist Delusion

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In his latest evangelistic movie “The Atheist Delusion – Why Millions Deny the Obvious” Ray Comfort is once again out among atheists in what I’d like to say is his inimitable style – but that would be a very inaccurate description. Because it is clear that Comfort has developed an easy to use approach that he’d like every Christian to use when confronted with atheist claims of “there’s no evidence of God”. Continue Reading

Review: “Audacity – Love can’t stay Silent”

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Audacity Movie  “Audacity – Love can’t stay silent“ Ray Comfort delivers a winsome defense of traditional marriage while making a persuasive gospel presentation in his new movie “Audacity.”

“For some, the legalization of gay marriage is good news. While others find it difficult to grasp. Regardless of what anyone thinks about the issue, gay marriage has become a present day reality that is spreading across America. Soon, to one degree or another each of us will have to respond in our own way to this current cultural revolution.”

With these words, a newscaster frames a question for both the main character – Peter, a young man, young in the faith;  and the audience. The real question: how can a Christian lovingly and appropriately proclaim the truth of the faith while still witnessing with love?

That question is gently and deftly answered as the movie unfolds.  As expected,  “Audacity” author and evangelist Ray Comfort adapts and applies his “Way of the Master” evangelism questions and techniques to the timely topic of so called “gay  marriage.” At about 50 minutes, the movie is a bit of a “tweener”: quite a bit longer and more involved than a simple youtube type gospel presentation, yet quite a bit shorter than the average movie which typically runs 90 -120 minutes.

But Comfort manages to pack in everything that you would expect of a movie from a Christian evangelist: characters with struggles (both Christian and non-Christian),  a story with a plot line – complete with twists; a number of clear and persuasive presentations of the gospel, a refutation of negative Christian stereotypes,  identification of unfounded hostility toward Christians from those who are supposed to be enlightened and tolerate; and of course a clear unequivocal stand for traditional, one man one woman marriage and a re-enforcement of the Christian message that we can both stand for the truth of the Bible and present it in a clear, loving and winsome manner.

Comfort simultaneously defends two main themes through the use of plot devices that act as illustrations for his two main points: Continue Reading

AD Apologetics – Part 2: Jesus’ Triumphant Resurrection

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A light shines during the resurrection of Jesus while Guards at the tomb are unaware.

A light shines during the resurrection of Jesus while Guards at the tomb are unaware. (AD The Bible Continues)

 The series “AD – The Bible Continues” presents a strong case for the resurrection of Jesus.

In  part 1, Jesus’ death and the empty Tomb, the uniqueness of Christianity was examined through  a consideration of the following questions:

Why believe in Christianity?
What makes Christianity different from any other religion?
Why not believe in other religions?
What makes Jesus different from the founder of other religions?
How do you know Christianity is true?
Why should I believe in Jesus?

The answer to all those questions is resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – it is the answer to each question, and what makes Christianity unique. Furthermore, Christianity is the only religion which provides hope for us mortal men and women through a savior who has demonstrated mastery over death by himself rising from the dead. And that savior offers the same resurrection to all who believe in him.

That claim – resurrection from the dead –  is so startling, so bold, so beyond common experience that some people refuse to even consider it as a possibility. Such doubt has been expressed by the well known liberal scholar,  the late Rudolph Bultmann who in his disbelief writes,

Continue Reading