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God's Not Dead (2014)

Directed by: Harold Cronk
Starring: Shane Harper, Kevin Sorbo, David A. R. White

God's Not Dead was nowhere near as painful to sit through as I assumed it would be, though that's not exactly high praise because I anticipated something that was nigh unwatchable. The visual quality of the film is actually quite good, since they seem to have been working with professional grade equipment at least. Unfortunately it is stylistically bland and uninspired, which now that I think about it, is probably an appropriate fit for its problematic script.

Luckily the film's content doesn't drop to the same level as Griffith's Birth of a Nation, but it's still evangelical propaganda through and through. It seems to think it's being clever, but all it's doing is reinforcing the stereotypes people already have about Christians regarding how they perceive themselves, people of different faiths, and non-believers. The film makers' lack of awareness is almost as insulting as its portrayal of well, basically everything.

The script feels like it was written by an old, out of touch white man. Whether the fault for that lies in the original book, or in those who adapted it, who knows. I'm willing to bet it's a bit of both though. I laughed out loud a couple of times, especially whenever Dean Cain had a line to say, but I was usually just shocked at how seriously it was expecting the audience to take these absolutely ridiculous characters. The fact that this trash has spawned multiple sequels is somehow not at all surprising, but it's still deeply depressing.


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The music is likable pop rock.
Some of the Christian rock in the film (especially in the final act) sounded really good
I think we have very different opinions on what qualifies as "likeable" and "good" music.

In the meantime, a young student,(Hadeel Sittu), is being taken to uni by her Muslim father Misrab (Marco Khan), and he's forcing her to wear her niqaab (in one of the film's more unintentionally funny moments, he even interjects to say she's not wearing it enough, even though it's on perfectly.)
What I found really weird about that scene was that the father is obsessed with that face covering, but somehow did not object to her skinny jeans and small, short-sleeved top.



I think we have very different opinions on what qualifies as "likeable" and "good" music.
Don't agree, but any negative opinion of my nomination is fine with me

FTR, I don't listen to Christian rock, but like country music, there's technically no reason why it can't be as great as any other genre of music. The lyrics to the songs in the final act weren't my jam, but the instrumentals sounded pretty good, so there's a that at least.
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The lyrics to the songs in the final act weren't my jam
My room mate was peering over my shoulder during the finale, and we both burst out laughing at the lyrics to that concert song.

Don't agree, but any negative opinion of my nomination is fine with me
Then you might be pleased to know that my room mates agreed that I clearly have too much time on my hands to be able to sit down and watch your nomination haha.



The script feels like it was written by an old, out of touch white man.
How dare you?! Didn't you notice that the youths were texting? Texting I tells you!

What I found really weird about that scene was that the father is obsessed with that face covering, but somehow did not object to her skinny jeans and small, short-sleeved top.
Or her attending a co-ed college.



Krampus: The Christmas Devil
Answers the age old question: "what if skinheads made a Christmas movie?
I kid, I kid!


This was not the worst, but it was tedious and terrible. I couldn't wait for it to end.

But let us not dwell on the negatives let us count the positives.

1) Santa Claus yelling "Merry Christmas" to the captives as the runaway was pretty funny.
I have a feeling the movie is supposed to be a comedy/thriller.
2) there was actual tension building when the little boy walks home from the little girls house. It was not the worst use of editing.
3) Acting burst out of nowhere when Bill Oberst Jr.shows up. Watch his face and you can see choices being made and menace and humor being used. Bill Oberst Jr. is an actual actor. He even won a Day time Emmy. Not for Krampus of course.

I think that covers the positives.
The negatives are to profuse for me to go into them. I will let others wax eloquently upon them.



I have a feeling the movie is supposed to be a comedy/thriller.
My genuine theory about this movie is that the people making it couldn't firmly commit to whether they were making an intentionally bad movie or if they were maybe actually trying to make something kind of good.

And I think it's this indecision that really sinks it. The opening sequence DOES have suspense. The sequences with the escaped killer are time wasters, but like you say they actually feature some good acting and attempts at genuine menace. So you have these gestures at a "real" horror movie floating in stuff that's really dumb.

I think you can sense that it doesn't know what it is and it has no coherent spirit.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I felt bad for watching the film at a slightly faster speed.....so I did the unthinkable.

YES. The unthinkable.

I REWATCHED THE DAMN MOVIE!!!!!!

I think I should receive a special reward for sitting through that twice!!!!!

It's even worse in regular speed!!!!
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Suspect's Reviews




Lust for Frankenstein (Jess Franco, 1998)

This really could have been the one film in this hall I ended up loving. Like, you can't convince me anything with the above shot is bad and if more than just the first half hour or so had that vibe this would have been fantastic. You still get that cool, extremely orange lighting/filter a few times after that point but all the really gnarly shit like the layering sadly doesn't stick around. I'm also a freak in that I actually dig on SOV aesthetics and the music here kind of rules and as an ace girl I'm also just immune to feeling any kind of way about the pornographic elements (though I would have preferred there not be a rape scene). idk I think has a lot of dope stuff but it progressively gets way less cool as it goes.
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Lust for Frankenstein (Jess Franco, 1998)

This really could have been the one film in this hall I ended up loving. Like, you can't convince me anything with the above shot is bad and if more than just the first half hour or so had that vibe this would have been fantastic. You still get that cool, extremely orange lighting/filter a few times after that point but all the really gnarly shit like the layering sadly doesn't stick around. I'm also a freak in that I actually dig on SOV aesthetics and the music here kind of rules and as an ace girl I'm also just immune to feeling any kind of way about the pornographic elements (though I would have preferred there not be a rape scene). idk I think has a lot of dope stuff but it progressively gets way less cool as it goes.
Yeah, the more I think about the movie, the more I think its aesthetics prevent it from being an abomination. I can imagine it being unwatchable for some, but I just can't see myself giving it something like a 1/10.



Like, you can't convince me anything with the above shot is bad
I literally just finished watching Lust for Frankenstein, and was considering using that same image as the header for my review (whenever I write it), precisely because I think it's horrible and one of the worst shots I've ever seen haha.



Yeah, the more I think about the movie, the more I think its aesthetics prevent it from being an abomination.
I am the opposite because I think the film's visuals make it even more of an abomination haha.



I literally just finished watching Lust for Frankenstein, and was considering using that same image as the header for my review (whenever I write it), precisely because I think it's horrible and one of the worst shots I've ever seen haha.
i am constantly looking for things that look exactly like that lmao. you can basically sum up my aesthetic taste with that shot alone.




Lust for Frankenstein (Jess Franco, 1998)

This really could have been the one film in this hall I ended up loving. Like, you can't convince me anything with the above shot is bad and if more than just the first half hour or so had that vibe this would have been fantastic. You still get that cool, extremely orange lighting/filter a few times after that point but all the really gnarly shit like the layering sadly doesn't stick around. I'm also a freak in that I actually dig on SOV aesthetics and the music here kind of rules and as an ace girl I'm also just immune to feeling any kind of way about the pornographic elements (though I would have preferred there not be a rape scene). idk I think has a lot of dope stuff but it progressively gets way less cool as it goes.
You liked those songs? Listen to ANYTHING involving Steve Albini and get back to me on that.



It's interesting how different out aesthetics tastes seem to be. I'll be curious to read all our reviews for the film by the end of this Hall.



Out of curiosity though, why did you guys dislike the shot posted above so strongly? Not a fan of layering or something? Because I think it's a cool design.



Out of curiosity though, why did you guys dislike the shot posted above so strongly? Not a fan of layering or something? because I think it's a cool design.

There was no real point to it. The whole movie had psychedelic effects just thrown in. Save them for music videos. And if it has to be in a movie, save them for something more on the surreal, Hitchcockian or Lynchian side. Or Ren and Stimpy.



Those songs on the movie barely even have anything on the worst of Refused. Hell this is better.

yeah this is probably better than the track that plays during the strip club scene but i maintain that the main song is a bit of a bop. i guess its also worth mentioning that its pretty rare for me to just outright dislike a song lol.