Good News: Christians Dig Horror
Filed under: Horror, Deals, Mystery & Suspense, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand
While I am in no way looking to get into any sort of religious debate here, I would like to note that I can't help but find this story slightly amusing. Variety reports faith-based media company Good News Holdings is partnering up with Tyndale House Publishers (known for publishing the bestselling Holy Bible) on a brand-new horror franchise based on a series of teen-oriented novels. Good News just recently smacked the stamp down on their first film deal, a Biblical epic based on a book written by gothic horror novelist Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire).
The partnership sure does sound interesting, however these teen-oriented novels haven't even been written yet. See, the goal here is to publish the books around the same time each film comes out, or at least that's the plan with the first one. Personally, wouldn't it be better to throw the books out there sooner and gain buzz for the film? Seriously, I assume they've heard of a little wizard kid named Harry Potter -- why not go that route?
The books, which are being written by Bodie Ingelvie, revolve around the mysterious town of Dudleytown, Connecticut. Following a series of disappearances and murders, the town was deserted for years until a private group bought 1,000 acres and put up "no trespassing" signs.Supposedly, this same area was used as inspiration for The Blair Witch Project. Series will begin with the book, Dudleytown: Voice, and will be written from the perspective of a 17-year-old. Right now, the book and film plan to debut sometime in 2007.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
7-07-2006 @ 8:35PM
Laurie said...
Let's remember, Anne Rice has turned her back on her gothic horror days and has accepted Christ as her Savior (amen!)...don't be too amused...have you read the Bible lately? Some of those OT stories are a tad hairaising if you think of them as they really happened. Let me just say, I would in NO WAY have wanted to own property in Sodom as Lot was high-tailing it out of there.
I would say these films will be great, just not the "horror" you think they will be. Perhaps, however, with the Message you NEED to see.
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7-10-2006 @ 11:22AM
tim said...
I agree with Laurie. People like to tell David and Goliath, but there are some truly interesting stories out there. I'd go see a well done Samson movie 3 times. Studios need to jump on it.
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7-14-2006 @ 6:29AM
ladycatherine said...
Holy Scripture has its own horror stories in it. Corpses being dragged through the street. Dogs lapping up the blood of a corpse. Predictions of women being raped, disemboweled. Words of children being made to "walk through the fire": children being sacrificed to the God Moloch. Some of it is description of events,as simple as what I wrote above. These things exist in Scripture. With Holy Scripture, as with any other story, reading the story is one thing ( as, for example, "Narnia"). Translating it or any other story into the big screen so that we can view how someone else perceived the nightmare is entirely different. To watch a horror story is to watch another's perception of the nightmare. I don't know about most people, but I don't like reliving my OWN nightmares, nor recalling them.
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7-14-2006 @ 6:39AM
cherry said...
The Bible is jam-packed with thrillers, love stories, drama, sex.... you name it, it's got it. And i agree with Tim, the motion picture industry should jump on it providing they do it "by the book" sales should be immense. Face it, the market is wide open and with todays technology, the films should make a killing at the box office and then viewing in churches & teen ministries would promote them for home purchase viewing as well. The storylines are endlessly compacted in one great book... the Bible. They just need to stick to the "script" as written...dictated by God, ya cant get better than that!
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7-14-2006 @ 6:59AM
Frank said...
This demonstrates another truth about Christians: they are in the religion for the thrill of it. They love the stories of incest, murder, witchcraft, and other naughties in the bible. They paid big bucks to see their guy get beaten to a pulp in the passion movie from Mel Gibson, and they can be expected to pay again, especially if the movies contain some juicy scenes of sex and violence and supernatural bad guys.
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7-14-2006 @ 7:45AM
Cat said...
Can you imagine the story of Daniel or Shadrach,Meshach,and Abendego? Way more thrilling than "Gladiator" or "Troy" Maybe they can get Dougray Scott to play Shadrach.
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7-14-2006 @ 7:46AM
DI said...
AMEN TO THAT! BUT WITH THE SHAPE THE WORLD'S IN TODAY, WILL MONEY TALK? USUALLY IT DOES & GOD'S WORD & WILL IS IGNORED. THAT'S WHY THE WOLRD IS IN THE SHAPE IT IS, THE END IS COMING SOONER THAN YOU THINK, I, FOR ONE, AM TRYING TO CLEAN UP MY HOUSE SO THAT CHRIST WON'T HAVE TO BE ASHAMED OF ME IN FRONT OF HIS FATHER! THANKS FOR LETTING ME EXPRESS WHAT I FEEL!
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7-14-2006 @ 8:03AM
Tammy said...
I agree with Cherry and Tim...think about the detail and intensity given to Lord of The Rings and apply that to Revelations...Blockbuster...but keep it to script, Hollywood could never write it as well or as horrifying as GOD has written it...all the details not given in Revelations should be left as the cliff hangers and thought provoking writings that they are intended to be....Mel Gibson got it right...scripturally told and what a movie it turned out to be. There are many stories in both, the Old Testament and the New Testament that would cause true shivers up the spine of horror movie goers!!!
I would pay to go and then buy it too, if done properly...unlike the Left Behind series that was somehow butchered in production...sorry Kirk, I love ya but those were a disappointment compared to the reading...besides the true story of Revelations is far better by script and need not be hypothetically filled in on areas not made clear to us...God's purpose for that is to instill seeking HIM for the answers (In His Word, daily on our own). Can't wait to see one of those that can do a really good job on it...do so!
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7-14-2006 @ 8:50AM
FRANK BLACK said...
first of all- the Bible as we know it is NOT Gods whole hearted word- it has been changed so many times throughout history to fit the times and to meet what man has to say! Hence the confusion in the church (back biting christians ,different factions that just cant agree on the smallest of issues.YES- I am a Christian who attends a traditional church weekly and sometimes more!). Gods word has been changed to fit man- God I am sure is not happy with that aspect due to that is not what He intended. Also- I agree that the Good Book has a lot of great stories- some that could fascinate the reader and watcher alike- but we must remember- what happens when we push religion to hard- push Christ to hard- we look like idiots- we must be gentle and acaring ,not condeming, so to play it by the Book may be to abrupt for some- but nothing like a "Friendly Persuausion" ( a great movie with great Quaker ideas, yes I am a Quaker!) . We must be tactful. Narnia was great on tact , great obvious but yet not abusivein its rights to preach! Lets hope for the best in this aspect of the industry (film) .
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7-14-2006 @ 9:01AM
Howard said...
Fox has a department that makes faith based films. I just saw The Visitation by Frank Peritti. The film was not as good as the book but it wasn't too bad.
Speaking of biblical horror stories, what about the bible story where King Saul having the witch summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel? That could make for a pretty creepy story.
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7-14-2006 @ 9:02AM
Dahart said...
I have to agree with all of the above. Look at what THE Passion brought in as well as the Left behind series movies done by cloud Ten pictures. I think that Hollywood would do well to look for MORE Christian books (frank perretti,etc etc) to make a movie out of along with the Bible.
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7-14-2006 @ 9:28AM
Kelly Reinlasoder said...
Isn't almost every movie a norror movie to so called christians. I have been a Christian all of my life but I have no time or patience for these so-called "true Christians" who Christianity a bad name.
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7-14-2006 @ 9:33AM
Kelly said...
What about the way these so-called christians try to read messages into the movies that are being or have been made. I have heard some of them comparing the new Superman movie with Jesus and the giving of God's only Son to save Earth. I remember a girl that I had a thing for about 20 some years ago that raved on about E.T. and it's so-called connection to the Bible and Jesus. Give me a break already!
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7-14-2006 @ 9:35AM
Carolyn said...
Hmmmmm Movies about the a Best Selling book like the Bible. Now can you Imagine that ? Seems like a no brainier to me. Tell me were I can buy my ticket early. Will not miss a one. Please Keep it true to what God has written. The Truth Will Set you Free!Glad to hear about Anne Rice has Accepted Christ. Which now makes the story Less amazing now that she is a Christian. Which was the point of the writer of the article. Guess you forgot to mention that one!
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7-14-2006 @ 9:37AM
Chan said...
Do any of you know Frank Peretti? Dean Koontz? One is a Christian quazi-horror fiction novelist (Peretti) and Koontz is a horror novelist.
Peretti's novels and teen/children's mystery books evoke quite a thrill, and I can safely compare styles with Koontz. Koontz' novels are not faith-based, but have a lot of religious undertones... He almost always has a church or minister as a sub-character. His plots always have some sort of sinister twist, and he uses the cliche "Good vs. Evil" in most of his stories. However, they are written so well, you forget the cliche. Koontz has had a few movies made; i.e. "Hideaway", "Phntoms" and "Intensity" to name a few. The ones I saw were not, as usual, as good as the stories.
Perietti's novels can be compared to Koontz' by way of splendid writing (very detailed, but not drawn out) and suspense. Peretti has had 2 of his books become film ("Hangman's Curse" and "The Visitation"), with him working closely on them. "Hangman's Curse" was a teen-book and the film version seemed as well as could be expected. I never read the book, so I couldn't verify acuracy. However, "The Visitation" (my first Peretti novel) was so well done, it was as if I were reading it again. And, it was incredibly suspenseful. Not quite the "horror" tone in a sense of modern-day horrors. But, still a good flick.
If the film industry wants to stock up on faith-based horror, they need to make Peretti's "Darkness"* series into movies. Or, better yet, use a story from the best source, the Bible, and make a to-the-text film of Job. That would be horror!
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7-14-2006 @ 9:42AM
TeknoPagan said...
Christians loving a good slaughter? WOW, now there’s a news worthy story if I have ever heard one. Gee, who would have thought that with pro-life, but pro-death penalty, and allegiance to an American regime that embraces fear tactics and war mongering that a good scare would be on their minds.
Seeing as Christianity is based upon fear, and control I guess it only makes sense that it's followers would love this idea... Hell, even my 70yr old Southern Baptist conservative grandmother loves all the Stephen King stories she can get her hands on...
Hypocrisy is the true horror of Christianity. It seems that when their Impaled Messiah comes back he will not be the "Prince of Peace", but the "Prince of Pieces".
Speaking as a former devout Christian who turned his back on the structure, but not the values... YOU ALL MAKE ME WANT TO VOMIT.
Next time you are wanting to ponder something, ask yourself this: WWJB?.... that is “Who Would Jesus Bomb?”
If you have an answer other than no one, see you in Hell.
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7-14-2006 @ 10:12AM
jeff said...
anne rice did not turn her back on us "older goths"
she is goin in a diff direction
her beloved stan died
she was faced with several health issues and lived to tell about it
and she said a long time ago she was done with the vamps and wanted lestat to move on
considering stan was her muse for lestat
when he died lestat went on the shelf
her new venture is a take on jesus real life
i personnly have not gotten into it
but im sure she wanted to do ohter things
long live anne
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7-14-2006 @ 10:26AM
BETTY FLETCHER said...
the Bible has enough material to keep the movie business going for a long time. It must be pretty interesting it is the best selling book in the world.peoploe read it over and over.
Frank Perritte, has some great books, for grown ups and children. stephen king is no better than perretti.
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7-14-2006 @ 10:27AM
Chris Phillips said...
Some Christian movies and novels are considered horror because they deal with the supernatural and the afterlife. Everyone likes a well-told story about good verses evil and about the hero beating incredible odds. For those of you familiar with Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, you may be interested to know that two movies are in the making -- one based on the Dekker novel "Three" (a psycological thriller), and one based on a Dekker/Peretti collaberation titled "House". If you love a great story, check out these two authors and look for the movies.
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7-14-2006 @ 10:45AM
Diana said...
It really makes perfect sense. After all, our definitions of horror, our beliefs about what is frightening and unacceptable and our values regarding cruelty, evil, etc. are ultimately based upon the one true enemy, Satan. Wouldn't movies like these open up communication lines between Christians and non-Christians regarding what is really horrific in our world and WHY? Check out movies like "Escape From Hell" and "The End of the Spear," (not to mention "Narnia") which are sold in Christian book stores and see if there is any doubt about who is indeed the "father of lies" and horror. In fact, check out "The Omen" and many other violent (Satanic!)mainstream flicks -- who is the bad guy in these? Wake up world! Satan controls the media as it is, and it's time to take control back -- or at least pursue a new way to communicate with his unwitting followers.
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