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Book Review: Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film and Culture
by Other critiques of the entertainment industry produced by Christians have long focussed on the negatives In the nineties, a series of video documentaries called Unholy Hollywood were produced. For its time, this series did make some valid points about the state of the entertainment industry.Yet, today, there is a lot of mainstream entertainment that endorses values derived from Christianity, instead of mocking them. Box office figures show that audiences are flocking to see many positive, family friendly movies. This book is a collection of essays written by Christians working in the American film and television industry. These people have been involved in making films like X-Men, and television programs like Home Improvement, That 70s Show, and Joan of Arcadia. Among the standout contributions to this book is Thomas Parham's essay, Why do Heathens make the best Christian films? Parham mentions films like Chariots of Fire, Bruce Almighty and The Lord of the Rings trilogy that had strong Christian themes, and compares them to Christian - made films like The Omega Code, and the film adaptations of the Left Behind series of fiction novels. I approached this book as a keen student of the media who also happens to be a Christian. I was impressed with how well argued the essays in this book were, and encouraged to learn that there are people in Hollywood who want to tell stories that are meaningful and worthwhile, and make a difference. It has become a part of my home reference library. Scott McPhee holds a BA in Politics and a Graduate Certificate in Journalism from La Trobe University. He has volunteered as a DJ on Plenty Valley FM, having co-hosted a Christian music show called 'The Pulse'. He currently co-produces a weekly community news bulletin. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |