Emo Phillips tells a story about being in a movie theater. A man comes up to him and asks, "Is this seat saved?" Emo responds, "Well if Aquinas argued that animals do not have souls, how much less chance does an inanimate object like this chair have of obtaining salvation?"
People like to debate whether films can be Christian or not. Given Emo's logic above, the answer would clearly be no. But that doesn't mean a film can't convey a Christian message. The question then becomes, how best to deliver that message? Do we work it into a watered down family drama with heavy-handed dialogue that acts as mini-sermons throughout the picture? or can story alone communicate the gospel truth?
I think Christian filmmakers undervalue the power of story. They don't trust their skills (wisely, perhaps) as story tellers to deliver a message for them, so they cheat by the use of their mini-sermons and in-film altar calls.
I appreciate their desire to make sure the message gets through, but the end result is bad art that no one wants to watch.
It's ironic, because we have decades of bad art that is not only watchable, but just as full of the gospel truth as any sappy modern day Christian drama. I'm speaking of films with things like monsters and ghouls and aliens and zombies. I'm talking bad acting, low production values, poor camera work, shoddy editing, and terrible dialogue. These were not films with a mission. These were films made to make a few bucks, and as bad as they are, there's a certain charm to them that you simply can't manufacture.
These are the B-movies, the sci-fi and horror films of the 50's, 60's, and beyond. And they have just as much - if not more - to say about Christianity than anything being produced by evangelism-minded Christian filmmakers of today.
We Are Not Alone. Whether it's aliens from above, creatures from below, or vampires in the night, B-movies reflect our innate understanding that we are not alone. There is something other-worldly or supernatural in or around the world. These films are all about putting a face - good or bad - on that unknown, and probing the question of what we would do if we were to encounter this supernatural entity in the living (or undead) flesh.
Something is wrong... and it's probably our fault. Godzilla was the result of the atomic bomb. Klaatu and Gort came in response to our war-like nature. In fact, our "st-yoopid minds" were the reason the aliens in Ed Wood's epic decided to go with Plan 9. And how many times has a science lab accidentally doomed us all by creating the zombie virus? The cause of our woes isn't always known. It certainly was a mystery on the Night of the Living Dead. But most times, when given the chance to probe a little deeper, we find the blame lies solely with us.
There are consequences for our actions. B-movies often feature people trying to play God with science, grab power, or simply get laid. Such actions - which Christians would refer to as "sin" - are never without consequence. Dr. Frankenstein and many of his off-spring were destroyed by their own creations. And how many horny teenagers died because they were in the woods having sex instead of home in bed?
We cannot save ourselves. We're powerless against alien invaders. There's no resisting or turning back the invading hordes who, I might add, are often not truly evil vessels, but faceless, mindless executioners merely carrying out the sentence that men, women, and naughty teenagers have brought upon themselves. It is not evil destroying man because it is evil, but simply the carrying out of the death sentence. The wages of sin is death, and the wages must be paid.
Someone is coming (or has come) to save us. For every alien come to destroy us, there's always one coming to save us, usually at a great personal sacrifice. This hero's story almost invariable follows the classic hero's journey as laid out by Joseph Campbell - a journey that Christians would see as a Christ allegory. We see it on our planet, and others. Klaatu and Gort. Flash Gordon. Even Mom and Dad once saved the world in a strangely Messianic way. (Seriously, go back and watch it, if you can take the bad humor.)
There is hope. There's always a chance for the world to be saved. If we put down our guns, if we stop trying to play God in the science labs, if we put our differences aside. But that can only happen if we make a choice.
We must choose. Klaatu left us the choice, whether we would learn to live in peace or be destroyed. Criswell left us with a chilling warning not to dismiss his tale of the aliens and Plan 9. We can ignore the signs and go on with our lives, but we may do so at our own peril.
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