Wild Faith (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

After the Civil War, Emmett returned to his hometown to take care of the widow of one of his fellow troops in order to fulfill a promise he made.  Emmett and his son live with the African-American widow and her daughter, which causes them extra scrutiny in the corrupt small town they live near.  Emmett’s father-in-law, the local pastor, is against him, as are several other colorful characters.  Everything comes to a head one day when the circus train breaks down in the forest and unwittingly releases wild beasts into the woods.  The children are caught in the middle of the animal escape and a kidnapping plot aimed at hurting Emmett, and it will take wild faith to overcome to dark night before them.

 

Production Quality (2.5 points)

For years, DJ Perry, Shane Hagedorn, and their team have struggled with poor production quality and overly artistic attempts.  However, while the artistry is still present in Wild Faith, a higher production level has finally been achieved.  This is evidenced by great camera work and video quality even in the realistic and complex war scenes.  There are great action shots, as well as historically authentic sets, props, and locations.  Audio quality is also great, and the soundtrack is creative.  The only nitpick to raise here relates to some slightly confusing editing, but this is a small issue compared to the great improvement that has been shown here.  Perry and Hagedorn have proven that never giving up and working to improve pays off in the end.

Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)

Though the beginning of this plot is a bit disorienting at first, if you stick with it, things begin to make more sense.  Where the characters are a bit raw at first, they become more realistic as time progresses with the exception of the cheesy villains.  Some of the dialogue is a bit vague at times, but there are also some good conversations throughout that reveal character motive, which is a rarity to find in Christian film.  The overall plot structure of this film is fairly unique and creative as it effectively uses flashbacks and other psychological elements to keep things interesting.  This story is a great attempt to be different rather than the typical inspirational fodder, but there are some opportunities for improvement especially in the areas of character refinement and storyline organization.  Some of the dialogue is a bit obvious at times, but Wild Faith takes an honest look at corrupt small town Christianity and the pain of racism after the Civil War.  Overall, this film shows a lot of potential in this team.

Acting Quality (1.5 points)

Surprisingly, the acting of this movie is also fairly good.  This DJ Perry character is likely his best performance to date.  Shane Hagedorn starts out a bit rough at first, but his character is a slow burn and begins to refine as it goes on.  The villain cast members are fairly poor and drag down this score, and there are a few overdone emotional moments, but on the whole, this is a good acting performance that caps off a suprisingly enjoyable film.

Conclusion

We always look for improvement across films, and we are always glad when Christian film makers don’t give up and continue to try things.  Experience is hopefully going to lead to improvement, as is listening to constructive criticism.  The Perry and Hagedorn team has wandered in the film wilderness for a few years now, from Ashes of Eden to 40 Nights and Chasing the Star.  To be honest, I did not have high hopes for Wild Faith when it was first sent to me, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Whether or not this film becomes a series, it is clear that this creative team has a lot of potential in front of them, so it will be interesting to see what they produce next.

 

Final Rating: 5.5 out of 10 points

 

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May 14, 2018December 31, 2018 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Action Adventure, Movie Reviews, Psychological, Suspense, WesternTags: 2018, 5.5 points, Abigail Mason, Action Adventure, Anthony Hornus, Austin Two Feathers, Chris Kotcher, Christine Marie, Collective Development, Curran Jacobs, Daniel G. Chapman, Darby Hinton, David Gries, Dean Teaster, Dennis Therrian, DJ Perry, Fritz Wahlfield Jr., Greg Mason, Ian Griffin, Jack Michael Findley, Jeff DeLongchamp, Jesse Low, Jimmy Doom, Joe Anderson, Joe Cipriano, John DeMarco, John Mashni, Johnny DeMarco, Lana Wood, Lauren LaStrada, Lightworx Entertainment, Martez Moore, Melissa Anschutz, Michael Rene Walton, Nathan K. Robertson, Psychological, Shane Hagedorn, Shelley Perry, Suspense, Western, Xylia Jenkins 2 Comments

Rachel (status unknown)

Status currently unknown

Writer(s): Kerry Chestnut

Director(s): Juan Pablo Reinoso

Producer(s): Ray Nikolaison, DJ Perry

Starring: Ray Nikolaison, DJ Perry, Sherry Morris, Carman, James Van Patten, Lana Wood

Plot Synopsis:

Basically the same cast from The Book of Ruth makes The Book of Rachel because they needed to make another Bible film.

May 23, 2017January 27, 2021 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Upcoming Movies and SeriesTags: Carman, DJ Perry, James Van Patten, Juan Pablo Reinoso, Kerry Chestnut, Lana Wood, PureFlix, Ray Nikolaison, Reel Frog Entertainment, Sherry Morris, Upcoming Movies and Series 7 Comments

The Book of Ruth: A Journey of Faith (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

A grieving widow at risk of losing more family members, Naomi is confused and disillusioned to her Jewish faith as she resides in a pagan country.  When her two sons die, Naomi makes up her mind to return to her homeland in disgrace.  One daughter-in-law, Orpah, turns away and goes back to her idols, but Naomi’s other daughter-in-law, Ruth, insists on going to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law to further adapt the Jewish faith and to take care of Naomi.  Together, they are uncertain of the path ahead of them but they forge forward, clinging to some hope that Yahweh will look upon them with favor.

 

Production Quality (.5 point)

Besides clear video quality, there is nothing positive to mention regarding The Book of Ruth’s production.  This film commits every cardinal sin of Bible movies: cheap sets and locations, ridiculous costuming and props, inconsistent sound quality, and choppy editing.  To top things off, a lot of scenes are overshadowed by annoying background music, making it hard to focus on what’s actually going on in the story.  Sometimes the music even covers up dialogue.  There is really little to make this movie worth watching.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

The story of Ruth can and should be adapted to film, but this particular adaptation is just C-grade.  Beginning with Oded telling the story to a young David, this tale portrays Biblical characters in an unrealistic light.  It is usually difficult to understand what the characters are supposed to be doing in this movie, whether they are staring at flowers or rubbing random pieces of wood together.  It doesn’t even seem like this plot was meant to be a movie, more like a church play, as we have often mentioned in the past regarding PureFlix Scriptural storylines.  Any potentially good dialogue is eclipsed by odd monologues about Moabite gods and inventive cultural customs.  As previously mentioned, a lot of the dialogue and plot is covered up by loud background music.  In short, there is very little ability to comprehend the actual Biblical message here.

Acting Quality (0 points)

In this film, the actors and actresses stand awkwardly and recite overly practiced lines.  No believable emotion is exhibited and line delivery is amateurishly theatrical.  The casting was poorly executed, as they are too modern in look and not coached at all.  There is too much makeup and manicures, like middle class Americans wrapped in cheap church play costumes.  Once again, we could find nothing positive here.

Conclusion

The Book of Ruth is one of those movies we wish never existed.  When a Biblical adaptation is this bad, it makes us severely embarrassed for both Christians and unbelievers alike who thought this movie would be good, only to later find that it was a DVD that should have been quietly forgotten about and later donated to the local thrift store.  A word of advice to those who are contemplating a Bible movie: learn from the mistakes of movies like The Book of Ruth and never, ever repeat them.  The Christian movie world cannot afford any more movies like this one.

 

Final Rating: .5 out of 10 points

February 21, 2016January 18, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Biblical, Comedy, Historical, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, RomanceTags: 1/2 point, 2009, Bible, Biblical, Carman, Christopher Flores, Dan Haggerty, Dennis Therrian, DJ Perry, Eleese Lester, Fred Griffith, Gretchen Becker, Historical, Inspirational, Kera O'Bryon, Lana Wood, Moabite Makeup, Nicholas X. Parsons, PureFlix, Ray Nikolaison, Rebecca Holden, Reel Frog Entertainment, Richard Raucci, Rick Chess, Robert Shepherd, Romance, Roy D. Hunter Jr., Russ Stine, Salvatore DiSalvatore, Sherry Morris, Stephen Patrick Walker, walking montages 1 Comment