Christian Horror Film? Well I guess so! I can fully see how some horror films can be spiritual in nature… good vs. evil, man vs. monster, so why not? Well Cloud Ten Pictures put a new horror film out there for people that are not so much into evil part of horror… ok then! Read more about it below…
Even with the box office success of Passion of the Christ and Fireproof, Christian films still conjure thoughts of bad acting, flat storylines and syrupy Sunday school lessons. But the producers of a new Christian horror film say they have created an atypical thriller that is genuinely scary.
Dangerous Calling will be screened in churches this weekend as an alternative to traditional Halloween events.
The film centers on a new pastor who faces dire opposition from his leadership as he attempts to make changes to their small-town church. Although it lacks the gory scenes often seen in films of this genre, the movie is sure to hold the attention of young people, the film’s distributor says.
“Because there are so many occultish or dangerous films we wanted to provide churches an alternate,” said Andre van Heerdan, CEO of Cloud Ten Pictures, the film’s distribution house. “Dangerous Calling delivers in a big way and is genuinely watch-through-your-fingers scary in a number of spots.”
I am a Christian, and a film-lover, which means that most times, I too am appalled by the lack of plot, acting, or simply the over-the-top preaching that goes into many of these “Christian” films. Which is why, I took a look at this, when the filmmakers caught me ranting on Twitter and told me their film was different.
While I’m not a horror (read: slasher or gore-porn) fan (although I really like thrillers and scary films…one of my favorites is Event Horizon), I found this movie to be actually fun to watch. Sure there are some not-so-great actors (although again, the horror genre isn’t exactly known for its Oscar-winners either, typically), but it was a good plot, and it was creepy at times.
It wasn’t preachy, but it wasn’t betraying its makers beliefs, which is cool. It simply presented some good Christian values in the protagonists. It totally showed Christianity in a good light (and a creepy light for the people who were antagonists in the plot). I thought it was totally worth watching. I’d be interested in hearing what horror fans say, but again, recognizing that it’s highly unlikely for Christian filmmakers to present something super gory or sexually-charged, it was really good. I hope you guys follow up after viewing it, because I’d love to hear what you thought.
Also, you can read my review of the film here:
https://otakudad.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/film-review-dangerous-calling/