Boys' Bible Study

Wim Wenders's intriguing and often baffling sequel to WINGS OF DESIRE reunites several actors from the original but places them in a shifting narrative that can be difficult to follow. At times FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! even transforms into a straight mafia crime thriller, a tonal detour that feels sudden and disorienting. In many ways it is clearly a sequel, tying off threads from the first film and expanding its angel mythology in ways that feel almost like fan service. We revisit Damiel, the former angel now living as a human with his trapeze artist wife Marion, happily running a pizza place called Angel's House. The film even repeats the musical cameo idea from the original. Where Nick Cave performed live in WINGS OF DESIRE, here we get a performance from Lou Reed. But other additions feel like they belong to a completely different cosmology. Willem Dafoe plays Emit Flesti, whose name reversed reveals his nature as "Time Itself." The character functions almost like a demon, tormenting angels who have fallen to the human world. These ideas add intriguing layers to Wenders's angel lore, but they also make the mythology far more complicated than the elegant framework established in WINGS OF DESIRE. That earlier film's bold choices, like casting Peter Falk as himself but secretly a former angel, ultimately reinforced its central themes. FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! often feels both too close and too far from its source. The film's ending highlights the tension. Cassiel is killed during an elaborate plot involving a hijacked barge, only for the tragedy to turn into relief when he is restored to angelhood. It raises an odd implication. If fallen angels can simply become angels again after death, the sacrifice at the heart of WINGS OF DESIRE begins to lose its weight. Still, this is not to say we did not enjoy watching FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! It is a fascinating and often strange expansion from one of cinema's most distinctive filmmakers, even if its ambitious ideas occasionally threaten the elegant foundation of the original. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Sensationalist Christian filmmaker Danny Carrales has a talent for conveying the urgency of Jesus's teachings. It's one thing to hear the words that those who don't accept God's grace will be doomed to a life of eternal torture; it's another thing to actually see this happen to a guy who seemed like a pretty decent person but unfortunately dropped dead before he decided to accept Jesus. In an instant, he's floating above his body, traveling through a pillar of light, until the direction suddenly switches and he screams in terror as the sky around him turns to fire. This is an example of the high drama level of ESCAPE FROM HELL, cowritten by Danny Carrales and Michael Martin, the team who gave us the high-octane rapture movie THE GATHERING and also HEAVEN'S WAR, a CGI-heavy story of the eternal spiritual struggle unseen to humans. ESCAPE FROM HELL inhabits a couple of well-traveled Christian movie tropes. It takes place in a hospital, a frequent setting for faith-based movies, since it's a hub for souls entering and leaving Earth. Also, similar to Australian thriller TABERNACLE 101, the film's action largely concerns a scientifically minded explorer inducing a near-death experience in himself to prove the idea of life beyond death. Both films are like FLATLINERS for Christians, and both show that taking such a risk costs opening the door between worlds in very uncomfortable ways. ESCAPE FROM HELL is probably the more successful of the two for its tight structure, extremely laid-on-thick melodrama of family members crying while their loved ones' souls are experiencing eternal damnation, and weird, campy experimental techniques, like putting a sign saying "Ducks Be Not Proud" on the hospital roof so dying souls can read it before getting to heaven. Every collector of Christian films should have a copy of this VHS on their Bible study shelf, along with THE GATHERING and FINAL EXIT, the Carrales film we plan to watch next. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy  

Did Wim Wenders's WINGS OF DESIRE give a generation of angel films their wings? The seminal German film certainly inspired one major American box office hit: Brad Silberling's CITY OF ANGELS, a loose remake cleverly relocated to Los Angeles. Recently Boys' Bible Study has moved into full-time analysis of the Y2K angel boom in American cinema, and CITY OF ANGELS may be the most essential film of that wave, spawning countless imitations. One of the movie's main draws is its A-list cast. Nicolas Cage plays Seth, an angel stationed at an LA hospital, where he becomes unprofessionally enamored with heart surgeon Dr. Maggie Rice, played by Meg Ryan. Dennis Franz, fresh off his fame from NYPD BLUE, co-stars as Nathaniel Messenger, a hedonistic patient of Dr. Rice who is later revealed to be an angel who chose to "take the fall" and live as a mortal. The idea of angels longing to inhabit the world of flesh is a key trope pioneered by WINGS OF DESIRE, where the fallen angel was portrayed by American actor Peter Falk playing himself. CITY OF ANGELS expands on this idea by making the fallen angel a physically weak, unremarkable everyman, offering Seth a grim preview of the fate that may await him if he gives up eternity for love. After an emotionally intense courtship that unfolds across planes of existence, Maggie and Seth commit to each other, and Seth rejects immortality in order to experience human love and sex. He gets to do this exactly once before a cruel twist of fate, seemingly engineered by a mischievous God, befalls the newly mortal couple. CITY OF ANGELS lays its melodrama on thick and can feel like a tedious watch more than 25 years later, but it remains a well-made artifact of an era when nondenominational angels dominated the airwaves and lived vividly in the public imagination. Humans live briefly, angels live forever, and movies exist somewhere in between. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy The urge to self-categorize as either a jock or a nerd seems inherent to human nature, even though those labels are relatively recent inventions. Today's looksmaxxing culture all over social media is really just a jargon-heavy reskin of those same old tribal attachments, complete with terms like "chad," "stacy," and "subhuman." The TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL episode "Most Likely to Succeed" does a great job showing how everyone still feels trapped by their high school caste, because even if you reinvent yourself, that nostalgic self-identification can be a prison. Case in point, Dennis Loggins was a total nerd in high school, complete with thick glasses and a precocious interest in computers. He was clearly in love with cheerleader Melissa, who treated him with sincere kindness, but her boyfriend, football star Ricky Jessup, made Dennis's life a living hell through cruel bullying. Flash forward ten years and Dennis is now a multimillionaire tech entrepreneur taking meetings with Bill Gates, yet he still harbors intense feelings for Melissa and deep resentment toward Ricky. He plans revenge at their ten year reunion by buying Ricky's football team and kicking him off the starting lineup to intentionally destroy his career. This is where the angels come in. Gloria, played by Valerie Bertanelli, is newly created by God and unfamiliar with the human world, and she poses as Dennis's assistant to earn his trust and convince him to forgive Ricky instead of staying trapped in the past. TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL remains one of our favorite pieces of faith-based media, a campy drama that constantly switches from absurd to melodramatic. The show is often at its best when it feels unconcerned with lore continuity, because it is funnier that way. Plus, the "revenge of the nerds" plot feels especially timely alongside the rise of looksmaxxing streamer Clavicular and his quest to mog the world. We highly recommend "Most Likely to Succeed," and if you watch, stick around for a jaw-dropping musical guest performance that comes out of nowhere and is guaranteed to make you smile. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Powerhouse faith-based production company Angel Studios takes a break from raising awareness of human trafficking to bring us a heartwarming tale from the gridiron. THE SENIOR is an inspiring sports drama about a man willing to do whatever it takes to reclaim his former glory. Haunted by regret, 59 year old strength coach Mike Flynt takes the incredible step of rejoining his former college football team, becoming, at the time, the oldest man to play in NCAA Division III. THE SENIOR is based on Flynt's life, though major liberties are taken to make the story more watchable. In reality, Flynt is a bodybuilder and gym equipment entrepreneur who likely rejoined a college team as a kind of brand building publicity stunt. In the film, however, Mike is reimagined as an out of shape construction worker who grinds his way back to a 21 year old's level of athleticism through sheer willpower. It feels more authentic to watch a man pining over his glory days than to imagine him pulling a cynical stunt. THE SENIOR even shows Mike contemplating three football jerseys on the wall, missing a fourth. But why would a man with a career and family harbor regret for decades over a missed opportunity from when he was barely old enough to drink? THE SENIOR tugs the heartstrings in the predictable way most inspirational sports movies do, but it falters when it comes to showing Mike Flynt learning real adult lessons about moving on from regret. Sometimes the man giving the pep talks is the one who needs a pep talk the most. Our special guest this week is Nathan Faustyn (@loosenate) of the Loose Lips by @loosemeat.biz podcast, back on Boys' Bible Study as a dear friend of the show and our go-to sports movie correspondent. Listen to Nathan's podcast Loose Lips: https://looselipsbyloosemeat.libsyn.com  Subscribe to Nathan's podcast Loose Lips on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/LooseLips/  View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy This week we continue our education on the mysterious ways of angels and what they're supposedly up to on Earth, this time by checking out a classic from one of the great film masters, Wim Wenders. What quickly becomes clear is that nearly everything we think we know about angels, whether in highbrow film or lowbrow TV, somehow circles back to TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, the definitive compilation of contemporary angel lore. WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) is contemporary but predates TBAA, yet it's remarkable how many similarities these works share despite occupying different cultural zones. For all the ways storytellers have tried to mix angels and humans, modern takes tend to rely on the same handful of ideas, treating them like biblical canon even though they're mostly invented. It's fascinating how much angel mythology comes from movies and TV rather than ancient texts, even when it feels old and authoritative. WINGS OF DESIRE is a gorgeously shot film that looks beautiful both in black and white, representing a guardian angel's professional distance, and in color, representing the human world. Its images of angels silently hovering around their charges feel like both a love letter to Berlin and a meditation on angels. The film centers on two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, who independently long for the authenticity of human experience as an escape from their impartial immortality. That longing deepens for Damiel when he falls in love with a mortal circus performer named Marion. An unlikely bridge between worlds appears in Peter Falk, playing himself in an inventive twist on the angel myth. A former angel who gave up immortality to become an actor, Falk communicates with Damiel and Cassiel about mortal life. Will they follow his lead? At Boys' Bible Study, we appreciate the film's inventive addition to the trope: former angels living extraordinary lives on Earth. Using a recognizable name like Peter Falk makes the idea land harder for a celebrity-obsessed audience, pushing the fantasy of angels longing for humanity even further. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Can you love a bad man? Can an angel be born yesterday? Can a dog be a Kat? These are the questions that have haunted us for six years of Boys' Bible Study, questions we haven't been able to answer until now. Six is a very powerful number. Put a lot of sixes together and that's the devil. But just one more is seven. And when those two numbers sit next to each other, it's the most evil and powerful force unleashed on mankind, greater than God and greater than Satan. On our anniversary, we like to do a yearly recap episode celebrating the film, TV, and other Christian media that was new to us this past year and that we reviewed on the show. We also commemorate the best of the best with our trademark Golden Calf Awards, honoring creators of outsider media we feel are underrecognized by the lamestream. Some major themes from Boys' Bible Study this year include a deep investigation of angels in media, especially 1990s television, the crowning achievement of which is obviously TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. We became even more immersed in Christian and inspirational television with WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, and the more contemporary SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, while continuing our passion for uncovering faith-based film auteurs. Our favorite discovery of the year was probably the father and son team Jeff and Caleb Johnson. Even more exciting, we acted in one of the films we reviewed. Our brief foray into stardom as cast members of CHI ANN BLAZE OF FURY by 3 ANGELS POWER will be an angel encounter we treasure forever. Some biblical wisdom for our sixth year: And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." You don't want that to happen, right? So stick tight to your angels and try not to be intoxicated by the evil urges of 666 years of Boys' Bible Study. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

By watching TIME COLLECTORS we have now "collected" reviews of all three feature films written by Jeff Johnson and directed by Caleb Johnson. We've realized that the father and son team specialize in extremely convoluted plots involving double lives and criminal intrigue, usually with storylines tying together in a manner far more ambitious than your average DIY filmmaker. For instance, 2 TO TANGLE (2013) is about twins who were separated at birth and have never met each other, and all the confusion that could arise from that. ECHO RHYME (2016) involves faked deaths, revenge plots, and a gang of high level jewel thieves. While it's admirable that the Johnsons strive for such vivid storytelling, sometimes it's tedious to watch their films because the details get in the way of the entertainment. Fortunately, TIME COLLECTORS is probably the easiest to follow of the Johnson films, all the more impressive because it was their first major work and director Caleb Johnson was only 17 years old when it was released. TIME COLLECTORS is the story of Sam, a rich and influential Christian paleontologist, who dies in the film's first act and leaves property to his grandson Brad. While executing Sam's will, Brad realizes that Sam has left him clues hinting at an archaeological discovery so big that it could rock scientists' understanding of geological history, specifically that it would prove young earth creationism, the conservative Christian belief that the earth is only 6,000 years old based on certain biblical interpretations, is true and backed by scientific evidence. It turns out that Sam is in possession of the skeletons of human giants, which blows the lid off a massive conspiracy to cover up biblical truths in the academy. A gang of criminal toughs will stop at nothing to prevent this discovery from reaching the public. This entertaining Christian film is worth a watch for its explanation of the Christian myth of the giant Nephilim, but it also shows a common yearning we see in the genre for matters of faith to be proven without a doubt by science, something that seems contrary to what "faith" means. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy In the past, natural occurrences such as sunsets and eclipses were thought to be miracles. Now, human reason has solved many mysteries, yet occurrences still happen that boggle the mind and make us wonder if there is still angelic influence on Earth. In the mid-90s, a TV series documented these freak happenings. COULD IT BE A MIRACLE? is an entertaining anthology of documented miracles retold with dramatic reenactments, and it also represents the non-denominational love of angels that permeated 1990s American media. We at Boys' Bible Study have examined this phenomenon previously by covering TV and film such as TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL and MICHAEL (1996), where ordinary people who are not devout Christians call upon angels in their lives without referencing Jesus or God specifically. COULD IT BE A MIRACLE? aids this worldview by presenting pulp authors of books about angels as expert witnesses and retelling stories of guardian angels and messenger spirits. In one example, a "tall, elegant nurse" rescues a hospitalized child from the brink of death by injecting him with "angel power." In another, a man is warned against boarding a train doomed to crash by the spirit of his identical twin brother who died as a baby. Expert witness Eileen Freeman claims angels are a different species, neither divine nor human, so apparitions of dead loved ones are not true "angel sightings," since the spirits of the dead are only "messengers." This idea is not backed up by biblical theology, but it feels nice, so most people were happy to let figures like Freeman make a lot of stuff up back in the 90s. Now that people experiencing religious psychosis get all their energy out by having frantic conversations with ChatGPT, is there any room for angels in big 2026? Angel sightings may have gone down, but one thing is true: TV "angelslop" like COULD IT BE A MIRACLE? is higher quality than the AI YouTube brainrot slop of our contemporary age. With lovingly composed music and graphic design, even a stupid program like this one feels like a miracle compared to what we have now. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

This notorious VHS tape has taken on a second life on the Internet as a treasured relic of found footage. Recorded live at First Baptist Church in Perrine, Florida (year unknown), LIL MARKIE LIVE IN MIAMI is a rare chance to see Christian entertainer Mark Fox fully embody his iconic Lil Markie character in the flesh. Lil Markie is basically Mr. Fox doing a cartoonish child's voice, which in practice sounds like a combination of TV characters Elmo from Sesame Street and Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. As Lil Markie, Mark Fox recorded multiple albums. He is perhaps most known for "Diary of an Unborn Child," a spoken word monologue recorded over jazz piano in which Fox uses the Lil Markie voice to narrate what an unborn child might say to his mommy in the womb before his untimely abortion. But Fox mostly inhabits Lil Markie as an unelected spokesperson for real, living children. In his live special, he takes aim at selfish adult actions that make children sad, mainly divorce, moms going to work, and dads watching too much TV. He advocates for daddies to "date" their daughters and for divorce to be outlawed. He also finds time to monologue extensively about his favorite show Alvin and the Chipmunks, and to sing a song about loving the world in which each verse is a crude racist stereotype of a different race. Ultimately LIL MARKIE LIVE IN MIAMI feels too dark for kids and too uncanny for adults, a perfectly useless piece of family entertainment that alienates Christians of all ages. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy This brand new installment in the HANK'S CHRISTMAS WISH series was released just a few weeks ago and adds a key legendary figure to the Hankiverse Christmas pantheon: Elvis. Directed by West Virginia's finest filmmaker, Jason Campbell, the yearly updates to the HANK'S CHRISTMAS WISH saga show the series becoming increasingly meta and disjointed. Although it's clear the HANK films are meant to be lighthearted, silly romps, as Campbell fanatics we found ourselves distracted by the confusing lore updates in this entry. For instance, is the titular character Hank actually an elf, or just a human who transracially identifies as one? The series long implied he had magical abilities, but HANK 3 reveals that Hank was a human orphan rescued by Santa as a boy. This unfortunately undercuts the entire plot of HANK 2, which focused heavily on racial tensions between elves and snowmen, a conflict that feels pointless if Hank is the Rachel Dolezal of elfdom. Elvis's relationship with Santa is even more bewildering. Flashbacks show Elvis living at the North Pole as the "third" of Santa and Mrs. Claus, yet when he appears in the present he is described as "a ghost." If ELVIS LIVES, as the title proudly announces, why would he be a ghost? Alive or dead, we're at least lucky Elvis is able to save Christmas. The central conflict involves a biker gang hired to bring "edge" to the town Christmas parade, who secretly plan to sabotage it by burning the tree and tearing down decorations. Gang leaders Slider and Onyx kidnap Hank, but Elvis appears to Slider and convinces him not to commit kristallnacht against Christians. This resolves the plot in roughly 25 minutes, leaving the rest of the film as random and inconsequential meditations on Christmas. Ultimately, HANK'S CHRISTMAS WISH 3 is refreshing because it is a Christian film more interested in having fun than evangelizing, but the confusing writing fries the brain instead of warming the heart. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Just when you thought you had meditated enough on the true meaning of Christmas, Santa's favorite aged former elf reminds you that you still have so much to learn. Hank returns in the sequel to the popular, at least to us, HANK'S CHRISTMAS WISH, directed by West Virginia film icon Jason Campbell, bringing back many of the familiar faces from the first film for another round of holiday magic. Remember Tippee and Toes, the elves? No? You don't? Well, too bad, because they're back. Bella has been recast and is largely absent, as she and her husband Kevin are away on a mission trip to Africa, but her brother Liam is still working in Hank's independently contracted toy workshop. Mayor Dean, played by actor and ICE agent Dean Cain, continues his agreeable stewardship of the town's Christmas festivities. Now openly known as a real elf and former custodian of Santa, Hank has more influence than before and uses it to push for a town production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by local dance teacher Heather. Mayor Dean quickly agrees, motivated by the fact that Heather is single and he is looking for love. The holiday peace is disrupted by Frosty, a Christmas comedian hired by the town council whose jealousy over The Nutcracker leads him to spread the common cold throughout the town. Frosty is revealed to be the son of Jack Frost, a former North Pole intern alienated by the elves, a grudge he still holds. It's a creative and contemporary take on familiar Christmas cultural tropes, and Jason Campbell succeeds at what seems to be his goal of making a family-friendly Christmas film that pays lip service to Jesus without hitting you over the head with religious themes, allowing you to relax and enjoy your hot cocoa. It's honestly refreshing that the film isn't so serious, though its greatest flaw may be its characterization of Frosty, who is a genuinely annoying screen presence largely because his entire thing is being the brunt of fat jokes. Lesson learned: never hire a Christmas comedian to do an elf's job! View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Is a heart transplant also a soul transplant? A real-life news story from 2008 concerns Sonny Graham, a heart transplant recipient who married his donor's wife and ultimately committed suicide in the exact same method as his donor. Likely inspired by this bizarre event is ECHO RHYME, a Christian thriller with far too many plot points, but mostly about a career criminal who receives a Christian's heart transplant and gets saved. ECHO RHYME is by director Caleb Johnson and his son and frequent writing collaborator Jeff Johnson, who also made 2 TO TANGLE, a film we absolutely love that is also about shared souls and tangled identity, in this case involving the lives of two identical twins separated at birth. The Johnsons have clearly built up their skill set for the ambitious ECHO RHYME, but in growing have bitten off more than they can chew with the film's concept. ECHO RHYME protagonist Frank is a gallery artist and jewel thief who practices martial arts, but when he does a hit on a devout Christian man on behalf of his jealous ex–business partner, he sets off a chain of events that leads to him inheriting the heart. Confused yet? It does not stop there, as the heart begins influencing his own Christian thought, inspiring a mission trip to Central America, where another rival gang targets him and he learns a secret that links every character in the movie in a bizarre web. It is too much to handle, and the first 20 minutes of the movie's exposition are impossible to parse on first watch. The artistic spirit of the genuinely talented Johnson family comes through in this enthusiastic feature, but ultimately ECHO RHYME would have been stronger with some serious editing. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

This shocking Christian film about the power of forgiveness at all costs will stun you with its gripping plot twists and the hilarious Stephen Baldwin reveal (in prison at the 30min mark, covered in drawn-on white supremacist tattoos). LOVING THE BAD MAN is by director, producer, and writer Péter Engart, an extremely competent filmmaker with a few features under his belt, each featuring a faith-based celebrity cameo. Stephen Baldwin is a recurring presence in this genre, and he is extremely entertaining here as "the ethical Nazi" who leads a white gang in prison. But the real star is Cree Kelly as Julie, a beautiful and humble Christian girl who missions to juvenile delinquents while working at a grocery store. When her car breaks down late at night outside a dive bar, she goes inside for help and is raped by Mike Connor, a mechanic with rage issues. Julie's rape becomes an unexpected miracle when she becomes pregnant and decides to keep the baby, much to her family's chagrin as they beg her to end the pregnancy. She then commits to the ultimate Christian project of "loving the bad man," taking her baby to the prison for daily visits with her rapist so he can be part of his son's life. Mike is bewildered and angry at first, but Julie's persistent kindness slowly brings him to Christ, although violent racial tensions between black, white, and latino gangs threaten his newfound inner peace. LOVING THE BAD MAN works because the actors give their performances total commitment. The film stays surprisingly believable despite a plot that would feel unrealistic to most viewers, including many Christians. It often reads like a male fantasy of how an ideal Christian woman should respond to tragedy, rather than a sympathetic portrait of a woman's strength. Its approach to race relations also has to be seen to be believed. Overall, LOVING THE BAD MAN is one of the most entertaining films we have ever watched for this podcast, thanks to its fascinating and deeply insensitive portrayals of some of the darkest corners of human behavior. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

"In 1994, at age 40, Pastor Richard Gazowsky saw his first movie. Later that year, he received a vision from God." So begins the saga of AUDIENCE OF ONE, a brilliant documentary that serves as a cultural Rosetta stone for our podcast, an intimate portrait of where faith in God meets faith in movies. It's both a monument to the power of belief and a sobering testimony of how unchecked pride can poison spiritual authority. Director Michael Jacobs was given deep access to Gazowsky, his family, and his church (Voice of Pentecost, San Francisco). The film opens as the congregation-turned-film crew prepares their first feature. Having felt "called" by God to make a movie, Gazowsky appoints himself director and enlists family, parishioners, and a few hired outsiders despite no one having experience. Their ambitious project, GRAVITY: THE SHADOW OF JOSEPH, reimagines the biblical story of Joseph as a futuristic, Star Wars-inspired epic to be shot in Italy. Funded through church offerings, the production quickly spirals. Gazowsky secures favors and finances he can't repay, including a $17,000-per-month studio he's eventually evicted from. His leadership is strikingly confident, and he makes quick decisions and commands authority, but many are disastrous. He insists the film be shot on 70mm at 60 frames per second, a technically absurd and prohibitively expensive choice. In Italy, the crew manages to film only two incomplete, soundless scenes before the production collapses. Yet Gazowsky remains undeterred. In the film's haunting conclusion, he preaches that his next plan is to create a company producing 47 films a year, alongside resorts, airlines, and a space program. Gazowsky's faith seems consumed by ambition, though his audacity occasionally borders on genius. Still, his willingness to endanger and exploit his congregation, including children on unsafe sets, feels reckless and cruel. AUDIENCE OF ONE is an extreme but eye-opening look at faith-based film, where the movie is a powerful totem that allows the filmmaker to create an idol to both himself and God. In a roundabout way, it is an inspiring tale of faith, art, and the creative spirit. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Christian imagery and biblical references abound in this violent early 1990s crime thriller, tonally similar to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS is a lesser-known entry in the 1990s serial killer canon. Instead of a theatrical run, it premiered on HBO in 1993, which may have contributed to its obscurity. That's unfortunate, because the movie takes creative risks and deserves to be reevaluated as a cult classic. The film stars Scott Glenn as FBI Special Agent Stephen Broderick, a family man whose crime scene experience makes him a natural choice to investigate the Provo Canyon Massacre, a brutal child murder committed by someone calling himself "God." A man awaits execution for the crime, but Broderick believes the real killer is still at large. His son Jesse, played by Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus (the real-life son of director James Glickenhaus), is a precocious 10-year-old computer whiz whose tech skills help his dad link the massacre to a recent abduction in the same Utah area. Jesse's inclusion is one of the film's funniest choices—it's bizarre to see a cheerful 10-year-old browsing crime scene photos and discussing grisly details of child violence. For us at Boys' Bible Study, SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS stands out for its Christian imagery. The "God" killer, Mordecai Booth (Zitto Kazann), is consumed by a biblical obsession so intense he even steals two giraffes from a zoo to honor Noah's Ark. The title itself comes from the biblical story of King Herod slaughtering infants to prevent Jesus's rise. The final scene is so strange and powerful that we won't spoil it, but it perfectly captures what we love to see as a Christian film review podcast. Though this is a secular movie, it features two actors familiar from faith-based cinema: Kevin Sorbo as FBI agent John Willison and Michael D. Weatherred (of THE BUTTERCREAM GANG) in a small role. We love when secular films engage with biblical imagery, even when it borders on blasphemy. The aura Christian symbolism lends to a story—its power to evoke awe, fear, and moral imagination—shows religion's lasting influence on culture's darkest corners. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

One of the most dramatic and exciting entries in David A.R. White's filmography is this tense, gritty end-times drama set in a world where monogamy is outlawed and bisexuality is encouraged (which is a bad thing, by the way). SIX: THE MARK UNLEASHED is a who's who of faith-based cinema, featuring Pure Flix kingpin David A.R. White, his prolific collaborator Kevin Downes, DIY acting mercenary Eric Roberts, pretty-boy Stephen Baldwin, and future WALKING DEAD star Jeffrey Dean Morgan. White and Downes play Brody and Jerry, two unchipped men scraping by through smuggling cars and "white hat hacking" in a society where every respectable citizen bears "the mark of the Beast" in the form of a computer chip implanted in the neck that makes its wearer beholden to a mysterious governing force known as The Community. Always hunted by The Community's law enforcement, Brody and Jerry struggle to stay off the grid. Meanwhile, another unchipped man, former cop Tom (Morgan), is captured and tortured until he agrees to go undercover to betray the renegades. Misadventures soon land all three men in prison, where they encounter charismatic convict-preacher Luke (Baldwin) and hear the teachings of Jesus Christ. They also learn of a mysterious figure, Elijah Cohen, who seems to be a "Jesus 2.0," wandering the fallen world and performing angelic miracles. The Community is determined to crush both Cohen and the Prodigal City settlement of Christians who refuse the chip and compulsory bisexuality. Will Brody and Jerry take the easy way out by surrendering to The Community's demands, or will they heed Luke's words and embrace Christ, even if it means execution by beheading? SIX stands out among rapture films for the brutal specificity with which it depicts the suffering of those who love God in a secular world. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy In 2020, a time of deep uncertainty for film releases as quarantine disrupted theatrical schedules, a certain comedy arrived lampooning the kinds of films we love here at Boys' Bible Study, and out of fear of being owned by its cutting satire we only decided to watch it now in 2025. FAITH BASED is a slacker comedy evoking the post-2000s wave of comedies such as ANCHORMAN and GET SMART, both of which co-star veteran comic actor David Koechner, who also makes a cameo in FAITH BASED. The real stars are Luke Barnett and Tanner Thomason, playing underachieving roommates in Reseda, Los Angeles, desperate for money and relevance. They discover how much certain Christian films make, referencing (in the film's fictional world) actual titles we've covered on Boys' Bible Study such as GOD'S NOT DEAD and WAR ROOM. Kevin Sorbo is singled out as a "D-list actor" whose attachment to low-budget Christian movies helps them reach a sheep-like audience eager for anything with a godly message. Armed with a perfect scam, Luke and Tanner set out to make a movie despite zero experience, immersing themselves in Luke's father's church to seem more legit. The plan unravels when Tanner falls for a hot Christian woman and begins embracing religion to impress her, threatening their bromance. Trouble also brews when aging exploitation star Butch Savage (Koechner) never responds to their casting offer, putting the project at risk. FAITH BASED sounds like a premise rich enough to mine for comedy, but we found the filmmakers' shallow research into Christian cinema leaves many joke opportunities on the table. The script leans on obvious critiques and swings wildly in tone, making it hard to tell whether the film aims to be cutting or heartwarming. We invite any future filmmakers critiquing Christian movies to hire Boys' Bible Study to "punch up" your scripts for a very modest consulting fee, most of which we promise to tithe! View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

This new offering from perpetually busy Christian film auteur David A.R. White continues his "single dad action hero" era that began with 2020's BECKMAN. BECKMAN, LOVE ON THE ROCK (2021), and now A LINE OF FIRE are just a few of the many films White has made since the COVID era reshaped DIY filmmaking. Together, they show a man striking out on his own and reinventing himself, possibly influenced by his personal life, including a public divorce from actress Andrea Logan. Logan was a frequent artistic collaborator and business partner, and the two co-founded Pure Flix, the family-oriented streaming service intended as a wholesome competitor to Netflix. As prolific as he is, White inevitably draws inspiration from his own life, and it's no surprise that many of his recent films, including A LINE OF FIRE, portray him as a single dad juggling work responsibilities while navigating new love for the first time in years. In this film, former FBI agent Cash (played by White) is called back into service after his late wife's sister, also an agent, is assassinated by a crime boss's thugs. Supporting characters are played by notable celebrities such as Cuba Gooding Jr., whose recent fall from grace seems to have led him to the low-budget circuit, and Scott Baio, who alternately help and betray Cash. This repeated cycle of trust and mistrust becomes a tedious plot device, culminating in the reveal that one of White's own allies, Joan (a puzzling performance by Eve Richards), is a double agent operating under the name "Mr. X." A LINE OF FIRE is slickly produced and competently shot, with bursts of gory action that push the boundaries of wholesomeness, yet its plot is ultimately forgettable. Still, it's hard to fault White, who seems to be having a blast making five movies a year and rediscovering himself in the process. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Another entry in the noble genre of "Christian one-man show," ST. JOHN IN EXILE stars career stage and screen actor Dean Jones as the exiled saint on the island of Patmos. We were excited to review this filmed stage production, since we're huge fans of other one-man pieces of Bible fanfiction and inspirational slop—like Curt Cloninger's WITNESSES (a true VHS classic) and Mike Adkins's A MAN CALLED NORMAN, a beloved sermon distributed by Focus on the Family. Both of those productions feature their leads absolutely killing it and drawing heavy laughter and applause from captive audiences. ST. JOHN IN EXILE is no exception. The late Dean Jones was clearly a trained actor, with a film career dating back to the late 1950s, including many classic family films such as THAT DARN CAT and THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES. He kept acting well into his golden years, with his final performance in the 2009 Christian movie GOD PROVIDES. For the math-challenged, that's over 50 years of regular acting work, much of it devoted to uplifting the Word of God or making wholesome entertainment for families. These decades of experience pay off in a captivating performance as St. John. Jones is a huge asset to the material, which would be extremely boring without his investment in the role. Unfortunately, the script in ST. JOHN IN EXILE is a little too straight-laced to match the wild, wonderful turns of WITNESSES, which we love for its constantly shifting perspective and Curt Cloninger's 10+ voices and personalities. Still, the film raises some interesting questions about biblical history—insisting that the same St. John authored both the Gospel of John and Revelation, a belief once common but now challenged by contemporary scholarship. We only wish ST. JOHN IN EXILE had leaned into some insane end-times visionary type shit. Regardless, Dean Jones's performance and the film's enduring place in the Christian media video world make it a must-have for collectors and completists of the faith-based film genre. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy