Read NY Times Op-Ed Columnist Ross Douthat here. He opens up the cancerous body of work and operates from head to toe, noting that Brown isn’t just your run of the mill anti-Catholic bigot, but an avant garde DIY hater of organized religion in general:

“Piggybacking on the fascination with lost gospels and alternative Christianities, he serves up a Jesus who’s a thoroughly modern sort of messiah — sexy, worldly, and Goddess-worshiping, with a wife and kids, a house in the Galilean suburbs, and no delusions about his own divinity.

But the success of this message — which also shows up in the work of Brown’s many thriller-writing imitators — can’t be separated from its dishonesty.”

That’s right folks. Douthat’s calling him a liar. In the NY Times. Sweet.

As a side note, I went to this Theology on Tap last week that, contrary to its description, was a thorough treatment of the book and movie, “Angels and Demons,” along with a fantastic overview of the Church’s teaching on art and film. Dr. Daniel VanSlyke, Associate Professor of Church History at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, was great, if not an eensy weensy bit long-winded. I’ll post the audio when I get it.

I was just looking for jobs online, and found a submission opportunity for all you filmographers and small government fans. I normally don’t get too political here, but I think the Galen Institute has got some really good criticisms of the current administration’s line of thought on health care reform.

Their web site is a really decent resource for information on the contra-bama movement, and even takes a moment to talk Hollywood-meets-tragedy-of-socialized-health-care genre, commenting on the tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson, wife of Liam Neeson.

For more information on the video contest, which offers a winner’s prize of $3,000, see the Galen Institute web site.

Catholic movie producers wanted.

SYNOPSIS
In the twilight of the Aztec culture, indigenous Cuauhtlatoatzin witnesses the fall of the Aztec world led by Conquistador Hernán Cortés and is faced with an uncertain future. Baptized by the first Franciscan missionaries, ‘Juan Diego’ experiences an apparition of a woman clothed in light, resembling an Aztec princess. Moved by the power of her message Diego realizes that it is the Virgin Mary and struggles to convince church authorities who will not be moved until they witness for themselves the greatest sign
of all (Copyright Mosaiah Entertainment).

REQUIREMENTS:
–Dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic about making films.
–Knowledge of the film industry preferred.
–Strong written/oral communication skills.
–A proactive, rather than reactive “wait and see” attitude to achieve the specific production goals necessary to complete the film.
–A “CDA” (Can Do Attitude).

SKILLS:
So what does a producer do? Typically your average Hollywood producer does the following:
–Reads, researches and assesses ideas and finished scripts
–Commissions writers
–Secures the rights to novels, plays or screenplays
–Builds and develops a network of contacts
–Serves as a liaison and discusses projects with financial backers
–Uses computer software packages for screenwriting, budgeting and scheduling
–Hires key staff, including the director and a crew.
–Controls the budget and allocates resources
–Helps to pull together all the strands of the creative and practical talent involved on a project
–Organizes the shooting schedule
–Troubleshoots issues with various department headson the shoot
–Supervises the progress of the project from production to post production
–Brings the finished production in on time and under
budget

For more info on TEPEYAC HILL please visit: http://www.mosaiah.com/tepeyac/

Send resumes or inquiries to: films@mosaiah.com

(Act One trains and mentors Christians of all denominations for careers in mainstream film and television. We prepare our students to produce film and TV projects that combine mastery of craft with great depth and meaning. As a non-profit organization, we are wholly devoted to the professional and spiritual development of our students.)

This is all fanfare to say that Grassroots Films just was awarded the Best Documentary Feature at the Maui Film Festival, an “Audience Award.” Having seen this very good feature myself in Madison (or at least a version of it) last November, it’s not so surprising that it’s becoming recognized. It is surprising, though to see the mission statement of the Maui Film Fest. It’s kind of spiritual, actually.

It all seems very lovely and inspirational. Get this. This mission is

The Maui Film Festival is built on the belief that great filmmaking is pure alchemy. When filmmakers choose to tell compassionate life-affirming stories, they can change darkness into light. It is this belief in the power of creativity to enlighten, as well as entertain, that is the guiding principal that gives the Maui Film Festival its character, its energy and its soul.

You can be as inspirational as you want but you can’t have a good film festival without funding, and you can’t get funding without sponsorship, and you can’t get sponsor ship without starpower, or in this case “luminarypower.”

A-LIST ‘LUMINARIES’
Since the inaugural Maui Film Festival at Wailea, the Festival has chosen an ‘ohana’ (family) of honorees that it prefers to call luminaries, rather than merely celebrities. As the Festival defines it, a luminary is a film artist whose overall body of work sheds as much light as heat and whose talent and work ethic place them in a category that transcends mere celebrity. A luminary is the real deal.

The list includes: Joan Allen (Galaxy Award), Angela Bassett (Pathfinder Award), Jessica Biel (Shining Star Award),Adrien Brody (Friend of the Festival),Tim Burton (Silversword Award), Patricia Clarkson (Pathfinder Award), Claire Danes (Nova Award), Geena Davis (Stella Award), Clint Eastwood (Silversword Award), Jake Gyllenhaal (Shining Star Award), Laird Hamilton & Dave Kalama (Beacon Award),Woody Harrelson (Navigator Award),Ted Hope (Trailblazer Award),Anthony Hopkins (Silversword Award), Helen Hunt (Stella Award),William Hurt (Navigator Award), Greg Kinnear (Navigator Award), William H. Macy (Rainmaker Award), Bill Maher (Maverick Award), Mike Myers (Silversword Award), John C. Reilly (Navigator Award), Rob Reiner (Lights! Camera! Passion! Award), and Owen & Luke Wilson (Shooting Star Award).

It’s all very fancy and certainly hopeful in a world growing darker by the day. Congratulations, Grassroots!

The Sixteen Martyrs of Compiegne did just that in 1794, and the terror of the French Revolution ended ten days later. Behold the revolution of contemplation.

 And Act One’s Barbara Nicolosi breaks the good news that Origin Entertainment has optioned for the rights to the martyrs’ tale in To Quell the Terror by William Bush:

I’m excited. I just got a message from my business partners at Origin that the paperwork has gone through, and we officially have to option on this book:

The title there is To Quell the Terror: The Mystery of the Vocation of the Sixteen Carmelites of Compiegne. Set during the darkest days of the French Revolution, this story is about sixteen women ages 27 to 78 who brought about the end of the Great Terror by an offering themselves body and soul to save the people of France.

The nuns’ story was fictionalized in a book called The Song at the Scaffold, by Gertrud von LeFort, and then turned into a beautiful opera called The Dialogues of the Carmelites. But the real story – which is kind of The Mission meets Amadeus – uh, with women – has never been dramatized.

I will be writing the screenplay while Origin puts the project in development (ie. looks for financing). And we can brood and pull our hair out over the financing tomorrow. Today, I am really, really happy and honored that I have the grace to work on this project.

I saw the Dialogues a couple years ago, and the opera–even on DVD–was profoundly striking, and more than any artistic piece I can think of taught me the power of the sign of the cross. You have to see it to know precisely what I’m talking about. Stay tuned here for updates on the Screenwriting of a story of women whose inaction brought death to the French devolution and Life might shine in a land soiled with the blood of martyrs.

What’s the fruit of that abandonment? Her first feature length documentary, The Fair Trade. See the teaser, and wonder the worth of life, death, love and commerce. Would you you like to see a film like this in the Madison area? Email me and we’ll start the conversation. (ruahfellowship@gmail.com)

Blessings to you this Christmas!

Will it be good? Will Hollywood get history wrong as usual? Come and find out. 

Time: 6:30 drinks and snacks; 7:00pm movie

Place: Ruah House (111 S. 6th Street, Mt. Horeb)

BYOWhatever

Read a review here.

Thanks to everyone who made the Human Experience Madison PreScreening a success! Whilst a few connections were missed, I was late in getting the registration list to my volunteers, etc. etc., it was overwhelmingly very fruitful. Joe Campo and Michael Campo loved Madison, enjoyed the screening and valued tremendously the feedback.

There were so many people who helped–you know who you are–but some people who really bent over backwards include my main financial benefactors Fr. Eric Nielsen, the Diocese of Madison’s Office of Evangelizaton & Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach and Kay Schacte. I’m grateful also for the fantastic volunteer efforts of Lisa Scheubel, Tira Jackson (artist who did the posters), Audrey Klingel, Leah Stader, Nan Delaney, Kay Schacte, Jennifer Wagner, Tim Huegerich, Beth Ptak and the St. Ambrose youth, Brad Frias and gang. Thanks so much, guys!

Stay tuned for Human Experience follow up and feedback. I know it was a powerful experience for many, and I’d love to brainstorm over ways to support Grassroots Films and respond to this artistic Molotov cocktail of a film.