Why Christian Movies Continue To Crush It At The Box Office

[FarCenter]

Over the (last) weekend, the religious film "Heaven is for Real" performed extremely well at the box office, earning $22.5 million. It's the largest Easter opening for a faith-based film, blowing past Johnny Depp's "Transcendence."

It's also the fourth recent Christian film that has taken off at theaters, following "Son of God," "God's Not Dead," and Darren Aronofsky's "Noah."

The success of the genre has spurred discussions about a Bible boom at the box office and whether 2014 is the year of the Christian film.

But BoxOffice.com chief analyst Phil Contrino tells us we shouldn't be surprised by how well these movies are performing.

"Religious crowds are underserved, and they have been for a while now," Contrino tells Business Insider. "What you're seeing is a big section of the population that wants movies that speak directly to them with themes they can relate to. So there's no surprise that's there's this rush out."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-faith-based-movies-are-doing-well-at-box-office-2014-4

No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the record for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. -- H L Mencken

[eShirl]

1. I hadn't realized "Noah" was a Christian Movie. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

5. It's not, it's made by an atheist and until it was needed as part of the list Christians

hated it.

[stopbush]

16. I think he meant that Noah is an OT story, not a NT story.

[eShirl]

83. it's counted as one of 4 recent Christian movies

[lame54]

115. it shouldn't be

[villager]

159. It's a Jewish story, made by a Jewish director, that used lots of Midrash

...which is to say, canonical and non-canonical story material outside of the Bible (the "NT," or Jewish scripture, in this case) that is really pretty exclusive to Jewish traditions (i.e., the "giants" in the film, the Og character, etc.)

Not something a "Christian" filmmaker would do, in terms of sensibility.

[lame54]

160. I think the point is...

that the story takes place long before Jesus arrives on the scene

Like The Ten Commandments

[villager]

161. Well, but the material Aronofsky used is part of the point, too. "Midrash" is not part of

...conservative Christian tradition, nor is it for anyone who is a literalist.

[Scootaloo]

82. Well, to be fair to the christians...

It's hard to like a movie starring Russel Crowe.

[demosincebirth]

138. So true. I didn't think the intelligentsia here on DU were so misinformed

[rrneck]

2. People will always pay to be told what they want to hear. nt

[951-Riverside]

3. Because movie theaters are dying so they're turning to the church to keep them afloat

Quite a few theaters around the country have begun to host church events on Sundays.

The churches need to keep their sheeple entertained and the theaters need money

[ejpoeta]

84. that's funny..... there was an old movie theater in town

that closed down and now has a church there. The marquee sign has their religious stuff on it now. I walk by it on the way to the eye place.

[phil89]

4. It all started with the torture porn known as The Passion

What kind of sicko is ok with watching such garbage?

[Big Blue Marble]

35. It really started with

"Ben Hur," "The Silver Chalice." "The Robe." and "The Ten Commandments."

[Jenoch]

45. "The Ten Commandments" 1923.

[Big Blue Marble]

49. I have seen it too!

[Jenoch]

62. I've wondered something about the 1956 film.

ABC broadcasts The Ten Commandments every year on the weemend of Passover.

I wish, just once, they would show Ben Hur. Of course I don't know who currently owns that film.

[Bluenorthwest]

93. Ben Hur is from 1959, currently owned by Turner, but MGM who made the 59 version

and the silent predecessor is about to make a new Ben Hur film, as the book is public domain.
http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/new-ben-hur-movie-remake-reboot-mgm-lew-wallace-novel/

[MADem]

102. 10 Commandments! Edward G. Robinson...."Nyah, nyah...where's yer messiah NOW????"

Unintentionally HILARIOUS.

Billy Crystal breaks it down:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

146. Wierdest.Casting.Ever. (nt)

[MADem]

153. I kept expecting him to come out sneering and saying things like

"Ya see, Moses? Ya SEE? Huh?" It was damn close to that, his performance in that film!

[lame54]

116. right here...

that was a great movie

[Orrex]

6. "crush it" is an overstatement

Heaven is for Real cost $12M and (so far) has brought $38M. For a non-Christian-pandering film, that would be considered a moderate success.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier cost $170M and has so far brought in $645M. Frozen cost $150M and brought in $1.1B.

At best, Heaven is for Real is a footnote. And Noah sure as hell ain't a "Christian film," at least not according to all of the Christians who've been blasting it as "against bible."

[msongs]

14. and here I thought Noah was jewish lol nt

[stopbush]

17. So was Jesus...but don't tell the Christians!

[Half-Century Man]

27. Noah predates Abraham

Noah is part of the pre-jewish section of the Books of Moses. Abraham is the first Jewish patriarch.

[Harry_Scrote]

33. Yep.

Abraham became Jewish, but was not born such. But he is the original Jewish patriarch.

[Dawson Leery]

31. "Heaven is for Real" is a perverted fantasy aimed at Pentecostals/Charismatics

and tongue speaking freaks.

[AnalystInParadise]

76. Huh so us plain old Christians

should not like it? Weird....I, my wife and my two adult children loved it. Weird.

[Bluenorthwest]

94. I agree with you. Noah, which was soundly crticized as trief by Christians is lumped

in with the others because it made actual money. The article vastly overstates the 'crushing' going on,

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

148. It's doing pretty well...

Box Office Mojo has Heaven at $52m after two weeks in release....That's more than four times the cost of production in what could be called "limited release" (2700 screens vs. 3600 for Captain America). I suspect that with DVD release, Heaven will break $100m.

That's enough to guarantee that even the most jaded producer will be scanning the Old Testament for scripts...

[Union Scribe]

7. What is it to any of you?

I don't like all the deluge of superhero movies the last few years, so I don't go to them. Seething about other people watching movies you don't like and attacking their intelligence for it is a strange way to waste your time.

[mmonk]

8. Valid point if the people that flock to these

weren't affecting policies that affect all.

[Union Scribe]

13. So what way does "Heaven is Real" force people to vote?

Yours sounds like a watery excuse to judge people for how they choose to spend two hours. And even if they were movies full of politics, what do you want? Take their voting rights away for seeing prohibited movies?

[840high]

51. ...^ that

[phil89]

11. People don't think superhero stories are real.

Many people do think the myths in the bible happened. These films just push people deeper into the intellectual abyss. Overall, it's not a good thing. It's bad to reinforce peoples beliefs in an ancient book of torture and oppression. It affects the world I live in and I don't see it as a waste to pay attention to the world I live in.

[AnalystInParadise]

77. So.....

I am well educated, with a Master's Degree (working on my Ph.D) I work in a facts ad science based field, and yet I find some of the Bible to be true. How exactly am I being pushed into an intellectual abyss. For me the more I learn about the universe, the more my education increases, I am left with no other belief other than there is a God that created the universe. At this point, a polite, civil person would just agree to disagree with me. I suspect you are neither polite nor civil.

[phil89]

107. If all of your education has simply led you to an argument from ignorance fallacy

I don't know what to tell you. And why is it a god you think created the universe as opposed to a group of gods or a magic leprechaun? There's no more evidence for one than the other.

[joeglow3]

120. You just proved his assumption

[phil89]

124. By correctly pointing out a logical fallacy?

I'm not sure what you mean.

[AnalystInParadise]

128. LOL of course not

the closed minded often are incapable of seeing nuance.

[phil89]

167. I'm very open minded, in fact. Please provide evidence of your god claim and I'll believe.

Pretty simple, huh?

[Gravitycollapse]

133. Faith is not a logical fallacy. It exists outside the bounds of logic.

[AnalystInParadise]

135. Interesting

Guess we have the same affliction then since it takes faith for either of our beliefs. My faith leads me to believe God exists, your faith leads you to say he doesn't. The truth will be revealed at death.

[Gravitycollapse]

137. I would never say God doesn't exist.

I would simply say "I don't know if God exists."

[ProfessorGAC]

157. You Sure You Know What Faith Means?

One cannot have faith is the lack of something. That would be an assumption, but not faith. Faith can certainly be a driver of assumption, but is not required to make an assumption.
Why? Because an assumption can be a logical extension of available information without having to include faith in anything.

[phil89]

165. I do not have faith.

Atheism is a non belief. Please try to get the basics right. And I never said faith is a logical fallacy. I pointed out an argument from ignorance fallacy.

[AnalystInParadise]

129. There is no

evidence of God's existence or lack of existence. That's where faith comes in. We both have faith, just in opposite things.

[phil89]

166. Please don't misunderstand. Atheism does not require faith.

It is lack of belief in a god. Nothing more. No faith required.

[Gravitycollapse]

131. Truth and faith are much weaker concepts than most, including you, want to admit...

Trying to make faith truth or truth faith is not a pulling of one up to or down to the other but a pulling of the two towards each other inside of an arbitrarily bounded conception of meaningfulness.

[AnalystInParadise]

132. Is Tautology 101 in session?

I did enjoy the nonsensical post though.

[Gravitycollapse]

136. Ask an astrophysicist if the universe is bounded and they will give you a similar explanation.

What constitutes the boundary is a sort of contradiction. A boundary naturally implies some sort of meaningful delineation between what is inside and outside the bound. To even say something is inside is to constitute the outside as possessing realness.

But the structure of much physical theory is the Universe ends AND there is nothing beyond it. That nothing is not something. It is nothing; a concept that is either partially or totally impossible to actually understand. When constructed inside of logic it becomes circular, and recurs infinitely, making its confines ultimately meaningless.

There is no ultimate form BUT forms must resolve. Inside of this exists faith and truth. Neither are the ultimate form but are bounded eternally by greater forms of themselves.

The universe is expanding but not into anything. This, ultimately, doesn't make any sense and it doesn't seem like it ever will. Consider this all as analogous to a mobius strip.

Tautology itself is merely a symbol of what may constitute ultimate form. As the Tao says, the Tao that can be said is not the eternal Tao.

[cherokeeprogressive]

12. DU Cred... Must. Hate. Faith.

And belittle the faithful.

Very important.

[Union Scribe]

15. Yep.

Coming soon to GD: "OMG, I passed through the greeting card aisle and did you guys know that there are religious cards? And some were missing! People bought them! I rushed right home to post this."

[Nevernose]

21. "Faith" is very much a George W. Bush term

In the late 90s, when "religion" and "religious" began polling poorly, the right wing -- led by Karl Rove and friends -- consciously switched to "faith" and "faithful" as a means of sticking religion into secular places it doesn't belong.

It's also a meaningless term. Everyone has faith, even atheists, but not everyone has a religion.

[Lex]

43. Good points. Thanks.

Tiresome to hear religious folks whining constantly. Must be a part of the whole deal.

[alp227]

38. Can you explain what's wrong with "hating faith"?

And where "belittling the faithful" comes from?

[el_bryanto]

41. Well yeah - there's nothing wrong with hating people because they think

differently than you. Everybody knows that. This is America - hating people who are different than you is a way of life.

Bryant

[840high]

56. ...^ that

[Arugula Latte]

100. I'd offer that people here don't hate people who are different than them

but many of us have problems with many of the numerous real-world effects of "faith" and magical thinking and the terrible agendas and public policy that result from them. It's not unlike people hating the effects of Republicanism, which is also a chosen belief system. And, yes, I know that there are liberal religious people doing good things, etc. etc. But overwhelmingly the religious belief that is pushed on people in this country has very bad consequences -- misogynistic, homophobic, anti-science, anti-intellectual, etc. etc.

[Phlem]

103. ^^ this ^^

[840high]

55. Yes. Gets tiresome.

[Jesus Malverde]

60. Only some faiths....NT

[LeftyMom]

66. Get off the cross, we need the wood.

[AnalystInParadise]

78. Why do you need the wood?

n/t?

[LeftyMom]

99. No reason. (hides matches behind back.)

[AnalystInParadise]

125. Oh

I was hoping for an Ostara celebration. Even an evangelical Christian like myself enjoys a good pagan nature festival. (That is not a joke, I have been attending Pagan ceremonies off and on for ten years) I find that Wicca dovetails quite nicely with my Dominionist views.

[AnalystInParadise]

74. LMFAO

+1 I am always amazed at the hostility from the so called "open minded" to people of faith.

[11 Bravo]

92. Yup, to be considered a member of the DU uber-hip necessitates regular mention of an ...

"imaginary sky daddy" and frequent references to "myths", "make-believe", and "magical thinking".
They're all just so ... edgy!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

147. Helps it you're sporting a "soul patch"

Which is just plain ironic...

[Puddy]

150. It's called "tolerance" ;-)

[Orrex]

20. Superhero movies don't generally encourage a belief in real-world magical thinking

I doubt that a lot of people rationalize their condemnation of others on the basis of The Incredible Hulk, whereas a great many bigots use the bible to justify their bigotry. Any film that fosters uncritical belief in that bronze-age list of stories is pandering to a dangerous common denominator.

So the film is a nice tale about people who believe that a boy has been to heaven. If they accept it as a fiction, then no problem. If they believe that it's true, then we are justified in questioning the agenda of the film makers and its promoters.

[white_wolf]

25. The fact that the book was listed as "non-fiction" scares me.

I find it very disturbing that we have adults who actually believe some kid's story of going to heaven. It's utterly ridiculous.

[Orrex]

26. I agree, and I feel the same way about tales of "reincarnated" children

There are people who actually believe that children don't make up fantastical tales.

Such people can't possibly have spent more than five minutes with a child!

[snooper2]

29. That really isn't a strange waste of time, it can be productive

Someone might think, wow, I have been wasting every Sunday going to mythical school!

We opened two eyes!


Now, if you really want to see a strange way to waste your time, watch this!

[ChisolmTrailDem]

34. So you beilieve that that child actually visited Heaven? As in non-fiction level

visited Heaven?

Really?

[AnalystInParadise]

75. Possibly

neither you nor I can prove or disprove it. Those with faith will believe it did happen, those who are not religious will not believe it. Either side could be right or wrong.

[Silent3]

91. As soon as someone rolls out "you can't prove or disprove it!"...

...as if that were some kind of crucial point to make, you can pretty much conclude they don't have much depth of consideration to offer on a given subject.

[AnalystInParadise]

127. Charming

Ironic that you are as closed minded as you claim people with faith are.

[Silent3]

130. Please explain how criticism of a tired, hackneyed

...non-argument makes someone "closed minded"? A more open mind would happily swallow these banalities and treat them as great wisdom?

[AnalystInParadise]

134. I have an open mind

that God may or may not exist. It is ironic that you are the supposed rational and enlightened one. I am more than willing to say God may or may not exist, there is not enough evidence for either. When we die either nothing happens or everything happens. You the so called "open minded" person cannot admit that God may exist. In that sense you just the mirror image of the worst fundamentalists out there. Fortunately many religious people are open minded and seek the truth. Interesting that for you the so called open minded person, anyone who actually has an open mind is someone believing in banalities. Ironic indeed given that hostility towards religion is the original banality. But hey keep at it, your hostility and closed mindedness may convince a few people.

[Silent3]

144. When did I ever say that a god or gods can't possibly exist?

Please do point that out.

You're not even discussing what I'm talking about. What you've apparently done is you decided that only a certain kind of person would say what I said, you've decided what that kind of person believes, and you're arguing against that.

Please address the literal, actual issue of the first post of mine that you responded to, if you can figure out how to do that, instead of further engaging in a failed attempt to read between the lines.

Saying the trite words "you can't prove or disprove it" is not a badge that demonstrates that you're open minded. You might think those words accomplish that, but they don't. You might think criticizing those words is somehow a criticism of being open minded, but it isn't.

[Logical]

44. LOL, sensitive? Look up "Discussion Board" and quit whining! nt

[wheniwasincongress]

9. I would imagine

that churche$ buy tickets for their people and have big outings to the films

[jmowreader]

81. Exactly...

Let's talk about "God's Not Dead."

I know of at least two theaters (Moses Lake, WA's Fairchild Cinema and Ponderay, ID's Bonner Mall Cinema) who wouldn't rent the movie until churches in their area pre-purchased enough tickets to fill 75 percent of the theater for each screening they wanted. There are no shortage of fundies in either town so you'd think it would be a natural choice...but it didn't work out that way. (The town I live in is different: there's a 14-screen cinema with Noah, God's Not Dead and Heaven Is For Real, and a six-screen second-run cinema with Son of Man and Different Drummers.)

[monmouth3]

10. I saw "Heaven Is For Real" Wednesday and must say I enjoyed it very much. The actors were

wonderful and the story was great. I can't say much more because of spoilers but as one who is not crazy about religion in my face, I chose to see this film and was impressed. It was not a waste of time as some of the ridiculous crap that's is out there right now.

[840high]

54. Saw it with my family - we

loved it.

[kwassa]

18. Truth be told, most movies are stupid.

and I'm saying this as someone who used to work in the industry.

If there are ten films in a year that are worth seeing, that is a big year.

[el_bryanto]

42. Ten Mainstream films or ten films in general? nt

[kwassa]

46. ten films of any kind.

I would point out that, outside major metropolitan centers, many smaller or foreign films are never available.

[el_bryanto]

47. That's not accurate

Given digital distribution for small indepdent works, Netflix and other systems, you can get most movies eventually. And at any rate, if a quality movie is made and doesn't get a wide release that doesn't mean it's not a quality movie.

Bryant

[lame54]

117. 90% of everything is crap...

it's the 10% we live for

[Redford]

19. I think it is refreshing

Considering all the crap Hollywood puts out. People vote with their pocketbook too.

[99Forever]

22. $22.5 million is "Crush(ing) It At The Box Office?

[Brother Buzz]

24. It's the largest Easter opening for a faith-based film

[99Forever]

40. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

$483,189,427

That's "crushing it."

[Gore1FL]

63. Harry Potter was comparatively fact-based. n/t

[stopbush]

23. Good marketing? These films were released during the Lent/Easter season,

when Xians are particularly focussed on their religious fantasies. "Noah" also benefitted from the controversy that swirled around it - ie: there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Had these films been released in August they probably wouldn't have done as well as they did.

[LeftyMom]

70. Times them about right for a DVD release for Christmas Shopping Season too.

Just wait until these people read that book about the table flipping guy who whipped people making a profit off of religion. They're going to shit themselves.

[blueamy66]

86. Also, alot of kids were on Spring Break...

I'm sure many parents took their kids to see movies that week.

[Dawson Leery]

28. "Heaven is for Real" is is bibically inacurate, more so than Noah.

Yet the fundies rushed to see Heaven Is For Real because it re-enforced their perverted view of the Bible..

With that said, Captain America and Noah (which is not that religious) crushed the fundie movies at the box office.

[840high]

57. I'm not a fundie - enjoyed

it very much.

[LeftyMom]

30. Because churches will market them cheaply

and the parishioners accept terrible quality as long as there's not a hint of sex.

[LittleBlue]

32. Are you implying that people who watch religious-themed movies are stupid?

Hell, what about The Ten Commandments? That was a very well done movie.

I recently bought the Les Miserables film adaptation, which has Christian themes everywhere.

What about other forms of religious art? Sculptures? Paintings? The people who enjoy those aren't stupid.

[FarCenter]

37. Yes, since generally they are falling for the life after death scam

Something which is thoroughly implausible.

[840high]

53. How would you know?

[FarCenter]

58. You don't expect your software to continue running after you unplug your PC and remove the battery

So once your brain ceases its electrochemical functioning, your mind ceases to exist.

[bananas]

65. You think software is a "mind"?

And turning your computer on, or installing your software on a new computer, must be reincarnation!

Congratulations - you proved reincarnation!

[FarCenter]

97. Incarnation doesn't work because there is no mechanism for transfer

There is no way to transfer the patterns of neural interconnections and electrochemical states of one brain into another. If there were, you could move a mind from one body to another, which would be equivalent to incarnation if it were from an old dying person to a newborn baby.

[joeglow3]

122. There is also no way to create something from nothing

There are a lot of questions that are unanswerable.

[KittyWampus]

88. You don't die when you reach your destination and get out of your car. Your problem is you confuse

Your problem, and those close minded like you, confuse your conscious mind (self) with your body (vehicle),\.

It's a result of the materialist world view that permeates and sickens our society.

[FarCenter]

98. I'm not confusing the mind with the brain

The mind is the software that is running in the brain. The software is not the material of the computer. It is the information that causes the computer to operate in a specific way.

If you sort a deck of cards into a specific order, e.g. ace, one, ..., king by suit, the information embodied in the ordering of the cards is not the material of the card deck.

Similarly, the mind is the information embodied in the structure, organization, and electrochemical properties of the brain, but it is not the material of the brain. When the mind is engaged in various tasks, active MRI can be used to identify which parts of the brain are processing the information.

[LanternWaste]

108. As are imaginary red and blue lines we often fight over, for and behind...

"Something which is thoroughly implausible..."

As are imaginary red and blue lines we often fight over, for and behind. Or groupings of people predicating on nothing more than imaginary politics.

However, I do realize we often hold some wholly imaginary things to higher standards than other wholly imaginary things-- labeling the former 'scams'; and do our best to rationalize the imaginary things we do in fact base our daily lives on (e.g., politics, economics, etc) as something other than imaginary.

[Mariana]

68. I would imply that anyone who says

that a movie that earned $22.5 million is "crushing it at the box office" is stupid.

[GeorgeGist]

36. Free tickets, paid for by PACs ...

move along nothing to see here.

[Vashta Nerada]

39. If I feel like watching bad movies, I'd watch Michael Bay films.

I wouldn't waste a dime on christian movies, even if one of them isn't really christian and made by an atheist.

[KurtNYC]

48. E.T is actually the Christ story redone

He comes from the heavens
has a band of followers who believe in him
heals
is persecuted by the State
dies, comes back to life leaves and says he will return some day.

Box office gold.

[Gore1FL]

64. And the Atari Video game is Christianity!

It's actually all starting to make sense.

[Mariana]

69. But no one pretends that E.T. isn't fiction

unlike the Christ story. But you're right, it's a great story no matter how you rewrite the characters.

[Xyzse]

110. Holy S... I never thought of it that way.

Wow... ET as JC...
I think I just found a new messiah.

[Rosco T.]

50. Friend of mine calls them a new movie genre...

"Science-less Fiction"

[840high]

52. I happen to love

Christian movies - if you don't like them - don't go.

[hobbit709]

59. The statement about candy, birth, and time still holds true.

[Initech]

61. Well Cartman proved that it's easier to make a Christian rock album.

Guess that proves true for movies as well!.

[Jenoch]

67. What I find interesting is that on DU it seems to be a sport

to bash Christianity while other religions seem to be off limits.

[AnalystInParadise]

79. Let's test this.....I agree BTW

Islamic films with male/female casts are terrible. Oh wait, they can't have mixed genders on the film set..............Wokka Wokka Wokka.............

[cordelia]

87. A quick read of the comment you've responded to does not

limit Christian bashing to films only.

So, I guess you failed your little test.

Wokka, etc.

[Arugula Latte]

101. That's because Christianity is the dominant religion in the culture and the one

that is having the most immediate negative effects on people as they try to carry on in a supposedly secular society that is awash in Christian imagery, power, and agenda.

[Jenoch]

112. What makes you think we are supposed to live in a secular society?

[Arugula Latte]

113. Uh, the U.S. Constitution?

[Jenoch]

114. Where in the constitution does it say that?

[Arugula Latte]

118. There is no government establishment of religion. This is not a theocracy -- or at least it's not

supposed to be. Thus, it's a secular society. And I was explaining why Christianity gets the majority of negativity here on DU -- It's because Christianity in the biggest, most annoying, and most persistent buttinsky magical-thinking sect in this society. A lot of us are fed up with the nonstop and unavoidable barrage of Christianity and its agendas in our lives, thus the antipathy towards that particular religion here on the ol' DU.

[Jenoch]

121. "There is no government establishment of religion."

Of course your first sentence is correct, but that is not a reflection on our society.

Last week I saw two Muslim women kneeling on a hunk of cardboard at Costco, using their smartphone GPS to point east and were praying. Is that a representation of a secular society?

There is nothing in the constitution that says the U.S. is supposed to have a secular society.

[kcr]

140. Yes, that is a representation of a secular society.

That's exactly why freedom of religion was established. The intent was to form a secular society. A secular society doesn't mean it is completely free of religion or spirituality.

[Jenoch]

141. A 'secular' society means a society completely free from religion.

[kcr]

142. Wrong n/t

[Jenoch]

143. 'Secular'

denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.

[kcr]

145. Yes. A definition of the word secular. Good for you! You know how to use google.

But you're still wrong about what a secular society means.

[truebrit71]

149. I bash all religions because they require belief in the non-sensical and illogical...

...it's just the xtian's that seem to have the thinnest skin about it...

[Jenoch]

152. Bullshit.

When did a group of Christians ever get together and fly airliners into tall buildings in Riyadh?

[truebrit71]

154. That's got nothing to do with what I said...

...but could you remind me again of the faith of Timothy McVeigh, or the murderer of Dr. Tiller?

Oh, and whilst we're talking about body counts, ever heard of The Crusades or The Inquisition?

[Jenoch]

156. There are nuts of all and no faiths.

The crusades and inqusition? Have you got anything that occurred within the last 700 years?

[truebrit71]

158. Yes. Take a look at what happens across the planet in the name of the supreme cloud being...

...in all of its various alleged forms...how about the anti-gay stuff going on in various African nations right now, sponsored by xtians from right here in the US of A...One could argue that the MILLIONS that died of AIDS in African countries would not have done so had the xtian Pope not warned against the use of condoms...

Oh, and please don't try the old "atheists do it too" bullshit...

[Jenoch]

162. Way to move the goalpost. The topic was Christianity.

[truebrit71]

163. Wait, you think the anti-gay legislation in Uganda is being sponsored by Hindus?

No. It's being backed by "xtians" from the good ole U S of A...

Or that the anti-condom Pope was Muslim?

???

[Jenoch]

164. "Take a look at what happens across the planet in the name of the supreme cloud being...

...in all of its various alleged forms..."

[yuiyoshida]

71. NOT FOR LONG...GODZILLA WILL STOMP THEM ALL...

I am hoping... at least

[Initech]

72. Only if Blue Oyster Cult is involved!

[Skip Intro]

73. The "plain people?" n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

80. Noah != "Christian". Jewish, maybe.

[djean111]

85. Christian movies are not "crushing" anything.

And people are commenting on that, not "seething". Sheesh. Holy manufactured poutrage, Batman!

[Bluenorthwest]

96. The article is not even accurate about the actual numbers, finals put Divergent above

Heaven Is Real, Divergent earned $7,380,460 in that weekend, placing at #6 while Heaven earned $5,540,678 placing it at #7, on far fewer screens and with a slightly higher per screen number.
The top film, Rio 2 earned $39,327,869 and did in fact, 'crush it'.

http://www.deadline.com/box-office-results/#domestic

[KittyWampus]

89. #1. "Spiritual" or even "Religious" might be more accurate than "Christian".

And anyway, aren't the movies referred to even better described as exploring Archetypes?


#2. as many here have already said- the money hasn't crushed anything.

[Marrah_G]

95. Interesting note

When I went the movies a month ago and saw a preview for the heaven one, at the top of the screen was a number to call for group rates. To me that said they are hoping to get church groups to come.

[Niceguy1]

119. the ad for group rates . is for

All movies in my area.

[Lint Head]

105. You know. If you don't go see a Christian movie you'll go to Hell.

[Savannahmann]

106. I really don't care

First, I never go to the movies, I am boycotting all movies and anything else that can be avoided from the State of California. Yes, I am literally boycotting all things California. I don't care what movies are made, I won't pay to see them.

The why should be obvious. A majority of Californians voted for Prop 8. That tells me that a majority of California voters are Homophobic. Because the state AG made the right decision and decided not to defend this unconstitutional crap does not relieve the voters in California of the stigma of homophobia. They made their choice, and I have made mine. I wish it was possible to avoid all California based products, and I do try. However since all the tech pretty much comes from the Silicon Valley, or other California based companies, I grit my teeth when I must buy something.

So people going to religious movies doesn't offend me any more than people going to any other movie.

[librechik]

109. adorable, kid with dimples versus Jonny Depp disintegrating into computer?

no contest. Even tho we've seen both before.

[nyquil_man]

111. Religious films have been decent box office for a long time.

Cecil B. de Mille was packin' 'em in with his combination of piety and prurience nine decades ago.

I think the reason there was a lull for a few decades is because they cost so much to make and it was almost impossible to turn a profit. CGI's made it a little easier.

[dembotoz]

123. friend of mine say the heaven movie last friday -i made a joke about it to her and she got offended.

i guess it is because no movies out there are showing 2 hrs of kittens.....

from what she said i can see it being big with the anti abortion bunch--kid meets his miscarried sister or some such dribble--all kinds of concern because the kid did not have a name.......my friend is usually rational and tilts to cynical almost as much as i do.

this movies does not tug at the heart strings--it yanks them hard

and for a movie like this to be labeled as the truth makes it a danger

[notadmblnd]

126. I'm certain it had nothing to do with April and Easter

[Starry Messenger]

139. The book it is based on was "co-written" by Sarah Palin's biographer.

So it's got that going for it.

[Warpy]

151. They're doing OK and making money, but I'd hardly call it a CRUSH

"Frozen" is generating far more money for studios as is "Captain America."

However, the bible movies will generate DVD income and perhaps royalties from megachurches when the preacher's got a sore throat on Sunday.

[Blue_Adept]

155. Also worth noting

is that movies like Frozen and Cap will generate significant revenue outside of the theatrical and the home video release with all sorts of merchandise. That obviously isn't included in the box office, but it makes an impact. With Heaven is for Real, it basically just has itself to sell and the potential home video, broadcast, etc. There's not a lot of merchandising to work with there.