Teen Musical: The Movie (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Dr. Alexandra Park just wants to run the community center for the kids, but an evil businessman with unlimited political power wants to tear the building down to build something really important. Dr. Park’s only option to save the center is to host a musical and make money off of the tickets. Thus, she forces the kids she knows to work for free in this show. Will they be able to pull off their scheme in time???

Production Quality (1 point)

There is much to be desired in this production. Between inconsistent camera work and video quality, the viewing experience is difficult. Audio quality is also poor, including background noises, echoes, and a cringeworthy singing soundtrack. Also, overdubs and lip syncing are very obvious, and sets, locations, and props are very cheap. Further, editing is choppy, and despite some improvement throughout, this section doesn’t break the average line.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

As this narrative jumps all over the place, the audience is assaulted with tons of empty characters and cardboard content. Plastic expository dialogue serves as a crutch to bridge the plot jumps. The villain character is totally ridiculous, and the out-of-left-field suspense elements that come with him are unrealistic. It’s too far-fetched to assume that the level of violence that is brought in by this absurd villain would actually occur in this situation. Besides this, the story is full of other cheesy clichés and constructs, such as the formulaic narrative structure of using a musical event to save a struggling organization. With so many things happening, all leading to a predictable conclusion, there’s no potential in this aspect of the film.

Acting Quality (1 point)

When you combine awkward acting with terrible singing in a musical, you have a disaster on your hands. Emotions are very manufactured throughout the movie, and the performances are overall too scripted and stiff. Despite slight improvement with time, this section doesn’t reach the average point.

Conclusion

This screenplay is just a mess, and this is exactly what we should not longer see in Christian entertainment. Teen Musical is nothing short of a disaster, which many musicals end up being. Hopefully, one day soon, we won’t have to keep wading through these murky waters.

Final Rating: 2 out of 10 points

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July 1, 2021 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2 points, 2020, Abigal Duhon, Aldrich Wilberg, Alexa Rose, Belle Tatum, Bridgestone Multimedia Group, Caroline Arrington, Chaislyn Jane King, Charis Gullage, Christian Smalley, Connor Murray, Daniel Wellmeier, Davis Cheramie, Drama, Ethan Miller, Hannah Daigle, Hannah Hope Holt, Holly Laviolette, Inspirational, Jake Landry, Jeremiah Mitchell, Joelle Marshall, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Justin Ebenhack, Kailei Hinton, Landry Rase, Lili-Kayy Park, Marc Mouton, Mike Rase, Musical, Noah Bartel, Paco Periago, Parker Marie, Paula Conti, Rodney Mouton, Roxanne Marchand Leave a comment

Sweet Sunshine (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

TJ Millhouse was a poor farmhand with a fleeting dream of being a recording artist. However, this dreams seemed to die along with his sister in a tragic car accident, but a local talent scout accidentally discovers TJ’s songs and brings him in to record some more. Before TJ knows it, he’s super famous, but this fame comes crashing down when he’s suddenly afflicted by an unknown medical condition that prevents him from singing. Will he ever be able to recover?

Production Quality (1 point)

In keeping with most Faith House/Inspiriter productions, Sweet Sunshine leaves something to be desired in this category. Though video quality and lighting are fine, there are too many background echoes and sounds. Camera work is acceptable, and the soundtrack is back and forth. Sets, locations, and props are passable but could be better. The worst element of all that drags down this section is the extremely choppy editing. Some scenes drag on for no reason while others are abruptly cut off. Thus, with little dynamic and too much negative, a low score is all that can be offered here.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

Despite some slight attempts to establish character motive in this plot, most of the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired. While one personal tragedy after another strikes in this narrative, some characters seem unaffected by these circumstances, which makes them feel like cardboard cutouts. Silly coincidences fuel the story’s progression as things unnaturally happen because the writers what them to. This shows just how weak the premise is. What’s more, incredibly disconnected subplots and wild time jumps leave the viewer very confused. Stupid and pointless scenes waste tons of time, and the screenplay can’t decide what it’s actually about. The Christian message is extremely vague, and there’s some bizarre edgy content that’s very unnecessary. It all concludes with a ridiculous ending that magically fixes the invented medical problems with no explanation. Basically, Sweet Sunshine is just another lame Faith House offering.

Acting Quality (1.5 points)

For the most part, the acting of this film is stock. Line delivery is acceptable although some lines are mumbled. Emotions are a bit blank, but it’s overall enough to produce an average score for this section. This rounds out an unacceptably low quality effort for 2020.

Conclusion

What’s with Faith House’s (now Inspiriter) weird obsessed with off-the-wall medical tragedies and concepts in their movies? Before All Others, Desert Redemption, A Calling of Courage, So Help Us God, and A Time for Heaven are examples of this. Now, Sweet Sunshine joins these ranks with a nondescript voice condition that can be magically healed for no reason. Inspiriter is wasting their good platform as a direct-to-Amazon-Prime independent creator. People are watching their offerings, but the films are only further contributing to the bad reputation that Christian entertainment has. Audiences want easy-to-access movies, but quality definitely matters.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 10 points

October 8, 2020October 10, 2020 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2.5 points, 2020, Bill Wetherill, Craig McMahon, Debra Ann Byrd, Drama, Faith House Pictures, Fit Via Vi Film Productions, Inspiriter Films, John Way, Julie Van Lith, Mackenzie Coffman, Musical, Rob Edwards, Savanah D. McMahon, Savannah Wix Leave a comment

Praise Band: The Movie (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

When a church feels like they can’t appeal to the young people, the lead pastor blames their faithful adherence to only singing songs from the hymnal. As a solution, the pastor decides that it’s time to start a controversial praise band by hiring a young whippersnapper to teach them the newfangled worship songs that the kids might like. Will they be able to use music to bring the youth back to the church before it’s too late?

Production Quality (.5 points)

Praise Band is a strange experience, beginning with the production, which included weirdly blurry video quality and even odd sepia-like tones. Loud background noises distract the viewer as the soundtrack sometimes overpowers audio. Tight camera shots focus on cheap sets, locations, and props while strange lighting provides an annoying backdrop. When it comes to editing, there’s unexplained sequences of dead time that are punctuated by awkward fadeouts. In the end, despite very slight improvement with this section over time, it’s not enough to warrant a higher score.

Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 points)

The entire premise of Praise Band is that all a church needs to do to grow its numbers, especially among younger populations, is change its music style. While this does reflect an idea that was popular among churches at the time, it’s still silly to base a movie off of it. What’s more, generic and pedestrian dialogue creates vanilla characters that can’t be easily related to. Despite some slight potential in a half-hearted comedic exploration of how much certain churches refuse to change, the robotic nature of the characters takes the wind out of the sails. The humor is also too muted even though there’s hardly any actually content in this narrative. It lacks a core purpose and a centralized direction as random things happened until a sudden conclusion comes about. Overall, this story just seems like one of those vague, unfinished concepts that was forced to be a film without much thought put into it.

Acting Quality (1 point)

Surprisingly, the acting is actually the strongest area of this screenplay although it doesn’t get past the halfway mark. It’s not all bad or all good, but at times, the lines and emotions seem overly practiced. There’s also not a lot of positive to make up for the vanilla nature of the casting. Therefore, this nature rounds out a very poor effort.

Conclusion

Early in the modern era of Christian entertainment, films like Praise Band were nearly all there was for faith-based audiences to watch. Thus, the good thing is that now, there are more options for viewers in this genre. Current and future creators can learn from the mistakes of the past as we look toward the future.

Final Rating: 2 out of 10 points

August 30, 2020 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2 points, 2008, Adam Melton, Ashley Bryan, Bonnie Johnson, Briana Crowder, Christina Cupo, Constance Collins, Dave Moody, Dave Moody Productions, Dave Yelverton, Drama, Elevating Entertainment, George Hamilton IV, Greg Robbins, Heather Lovette, Inspirational, James Dana Bryan, Jarina McLain, Jeff Luckadoo, Jerry Cashman, Josh Moody, Justin Ricketts, Kira Allison, Makenzie Marie, Moody Multimedia Group, Musical, Pam Bryan, PureFlix, Rebecca Moody, Tameka Thomas Leave a comment

Ruth: The Musical (Movie Review)

Just what you always wanted…a British musical rendition of Ruth!

Plot Summary

Imagine if Ruth was a British woman who liked to sing! What kinds of songs would she sing? What would other people around her sing about? Would they choreograph their lyrics and dances as if they had practiced them beforehand? Most importantly, would they be able to solve the age-old question of musicals: when a character is singing by themselves, are they really singing out loud, or are they just singing in their head?

Production Quality (-1 points)

The production of Ruth is among the worst, including very shaky camera work and inconsistent lighting. Despite acceptable video quality, the sets, locations, and props aren’t historically accurate if that’s what the creators were going for, which is highly unclear. If it matters, the music is out of place for the historical time period of the the real Ruth account. However, other aspects of audio contribute to the negativity, such as the loud background noises in outdoor locations, the invasive out-of-place nature of the soundtrack, the obvious lip-syncing, and the painful overdubs. The songs are just terrible, getting worse and worse as the experience drags on. Flashbacks have a blurry quality to them, and editing is a nightmare. In the end, there’s so much bad here that a negative score is warranted.

Plot and Storyline Quality (-1 points)

The fact that the time period that’s supposed to be portrayed here is unclear also impacts the plot, depending on whether the story is supposed to portray a modern-day version of Ruth or a historical one. If historical, why are there obviously modern objects present? If modern, why do the farms used antiquated equipment? Besides this total confusion, the songs are surprisingly and awkwardly inserted into the narrative, and the impromptu dance routines don’t fit the film’s tone. These asides waste time and gloss over actual conversations. This lack of dialogue creates empty characters who can’t be related to despite the inclusion of flashbacks. Although there are few tiny nuggets of potential in this screenplay, such as the themes of foreigners and low-income individuals being discriminated against, there are just too many unusual aspects of this section that warrant a negative rating.

Acting Quality (-1 points)

Again, is the costuming intended to reflect the modern day, or is it supposed to be set in a historical time period? This lack of clarity confuses a section’s score once again. Is the movie supposed to be a British rendition of the biblical account, or is this just another in a long line of BRITISH BIBLE productions? Despite the acting beginning in a slightly acceptable fashion, it actually devolves as time goes on, mostly due to the interruptive musical sequences. Thus, this puts the lid on a terrible creation.

Conclusion

Another day, another embarrassing piece of Christian entertainment that’s based on a Scriptural narrative. What are audiences supposed to do with this utter nonsense? Can we really expect people to like this sort of thing? The days of mindlessly accepting a film just because it’s labeled Christian are long gone. There are much higher standards in the current market, which are helping to bring it back from the terrible position it was once in. Therefore, the best we can do is look forward to what future creators have in store that can help us to forget debacles like Ruth: The Musical.

Final Rating: -3 out of 10 points

August 22, 2020 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Biblical, Drama, Historical, Inspirational, International, Movie Reviews, Musical, RomanceTags: 2019, Aja Dodd, Bible, Biblical, Daniel Bakken, Daniel Watson, David Aryn, Drama, Historical, Inspirational, International, Jay Moussa-Mann, Kevin Moussa-Mann, Lewis Southall, Lindsey Danvers, Moussa-Mann Productions, Musical, negative points, New Life Network, Rob Kirtley, Romance, Vision Video, William Carroll, William Curtis, Zoe Birkbeck Leave a comment

Runnin’ From My Roots (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

After country music star Faith Winters receives some bad publicity for a bad decision of hers, she’s obviously forced to return to her hometown, where she happens to reconnect with her high school sweetheart, also known as the local pastor. Coincidentally, the church is about to go under from lack of funds, so it’s possible Faith might be able to help there. However, she’s being stalked by her sort-of boyfriend and will have to rediscover the way she used to be in order to move forward or something.

Production Quality (1.5 points)

Runnin’ from My Roots has a mixed bag for a production, including very shaky camera work and inconsistent lighting. Some of the audio is fine, but some of it is quite over-driven, echoed, or too quiet. The soundtrack is also random and sometimes conflicts with itself, yet the sets, locations, and props are acceptable. Further, the editing leaves something to be desired as there are awkwardly abrupt cuts and transitions. Even still, there’s some slight improvement as the film goes on, which is enough to warrant an average score for this section.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

As if Runnin’ from My Roots wasn’t already basically the most typical plot ever, invasive narration interrupts whatever flow it could have had. Even still, since the storyline is so chock full of predictable small town stuff, stock dialogue, and generic stereotypes, it’s basically a fruitless effort. One random thing happens after another, and it all seems surprisingly disconnected from itself, such as the vague, unexplained conflicts and the very fast pace that the narrative moves at. Due to the speed, things are forced on the viewer without them naturally developing or having a basis for occurring. Besides this, there are too many confusing subplots that don’t fit together, and what the characters claim to experience doesn’t realistically translate to what the audience feels. Conversations are full of stupid one-liners and nonsensical big city/small town dichotomies, which makes the entire movie seem unserious and phoned in. In the end, without a little dose of save-the-church elements, this story really has something for everything in the category of lame screenplays and nothing for points that matter.

Acting Quality (1 point)

Though there are times when the acting of Runnin’ from My Roots is average, a lot of the time, it’s quite forceful. An example of this is the myriad of fake accents and overdone makeup work. Also, some cast members try to draw a lot of attention to themselves with over-the-top drama and pageantry. Elsewhere, line delivery and emotions are too deliberate and pronounced. While it’s not all bad, this section rounds out a very low-quality effort.

Conclusion

There’s no longer a place in the market for films like Runnin’ from My Roots. Run-of-the-mill, half-baked offerings like this one are unacceptable and easily forgotten. It’s an unfortunate waste of resources, and hopefully, Christian audiences will continue to ignore movies like this so that they are no longer made.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 10 points

June 3, 2020 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, Musical, RomanceTags: 2.5 points, 2018, Aaron OConnell, Amy Dionne, Bozana Cavar, Brandon Galatz, Dallas Lovato, David Allen Norton, Deana Carter, Drama, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, Edmund Lupinski, Edward P. Blinn, Eileen Roberts, Gabrielle Evans, Halasius Bradford, Heather Williams, Herman Beeftink, Inspirational, James D. Fields, Janelle Arthur, Janine Turner, Jason Usry, Joel Rush, Jules Hartley, Kandra King, Kathryn Dahlstrom, Keira Valdez, Kenneth Lemm, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Mary Farrar, Mia Fernald, Musical, Nancy Criss, Nandar Home Entertainment, Neal McCoy, Nia Sioux, Patrick Muldoon, Philippe Katz, Roberta Geremicca Galatz, Romance, Sean Fernald, Silver Lining Pictures, Stephanie Gastley, Stephen Bentley, Storme Warren, Teri Lee, Vincent De Paul Leave a comment

I Still Believe [2020] (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Jeremy Camp didn’t grow up with much, but he always had the love of his family, which is why they supported him in his dream to pursue a music career. When he attended a Christian college to fulfill this goal, Jeremy unexpectedly met Melissa Henning, who he quickly fell in love with. However, as Jeremy and Melissa grew closer together, they embarked on a harrowing and arduous journey into the unknown as Melissa battled cancer. Through the twists and turns, they discovered that God is always present in the midst of suffering and that there’s always a purpose to pain.

Production Quality (3 points)

It’s no surprise that, after the success of I Can Only Imagine, the Erwin brothers and their team have crafted yet another perfect production. I Still Believe hits all the right notes in every aspect of production, including video quality, camera work, audio quality, sets, locations, and props. Many camera angles are creatively artistic, and the soundtrack is a huge plus as it enhances the audience experience in all portions of the film and seamlessly integrates Camp’s music without turning it into a product placement. Further, the editing professional handles a story that is obviously difficult to properly present due to its scope. In short, there is nothing negative to note in this section.

Plot and Storyline Quality (3 points)

The Erwin Brothers, along with Jon Gunn, have no doubt mastered the art of the biopic as they have wisely chosen to focus their movie-making efforts on adapting real life stories into feature films. Though I Still Believe is a slight departure from the traditional Erwin brand since it zeroes in on a very small collection of characters, there are still no concerns with this storytelling adjustment. This narrative may signal a new era of Erwin creations, but it’s still another installment in their history of reliably quality offerings. In many ways, I Still Believe is almost two different movies as the first and second halves are quite different in tone, but these talented screenwriters correctly applied their God-given skills to weave the source material into a life-changing plot that will resound with many viewers from diverse backgrounds. Based off of real people, the characters therein are very poignant and relatable via realistic and profound dialogue that brings the story to life. Musical montages are responsibly used and don’t encroach upon important conversations that build characters; similarly, creative overlays effectively aid the complex plot presentation. Further, there are clear themes that are used throughout the film and serve to tie the major points together. Essentially, there are no issues to note in this section either.

Acting Quality (2 points)

Once again, in I Still Believe, the Erwin collective proves that they take great care in their casting and acting coaching work. Even though some of the cast members don’t entirely represent the real people they are portraying (which is one of the movie’s only flaws), every performance is professional. Line delivery and emotional delivery are very good as the audience is able to easily experience the characters’ feelings. Though this is a relatively small cast compared to previous Erwin projects and could have been a bit more dynamic, it still shines nonetheless and rounds out another blockbuster hit for the brothers.

Conclusion

Jeremy Camp’s compelling backstory was absolutely worth bringing to the big screen and will no doubt lead to further success for Kingdom Story Company. Despite some slight acting missteps, many viewers will enjoy this film, and it’s likely to leave lasting impact on the Christian entertainment market. However, no matter what, we still highly recommend this film for all Christians and always look forward to future Erwin productions.

Final Rating: 8 out of 10 points

March 9, 2020February 1, 2021 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, Musical, RomanceTags: 2020, 8 points, Abigail Cowen, Andrew Erwin, Anjelah Johnson, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Britt Robertson, Cameron Arnett, D. Scott Lumpkin, Drama, Erwin Brothers, Gary Sinise, GEM Entertainment, Gregory Hobson, Hali Everette, Inspirational, John Debney, Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn, K.J. Apa, Katie Anne Moy, Kevin Downes, Kevin Downes Productions, Kingdom Story Company, Liam Kelly, Lionsgate, Melissa Roxburgh, Musical, Nathan Parsons, Nicolas Bechtel, Patricia Marion, Reuben Dodd, Romance, Sahjanan Nasser, Shania Twain, Tanya Christiansen 2 Comments

The Golden Voices (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Terrell Christian College is in trouble, but if they can assemble a choir for the Golden Voices singing competition, which they are hosting this year, they might have a chance to stay alive. That’s why Georgia, the head of the music department, enlists her granddaughter, Sidney, to help her when Georgia has a back injury. Sidney only takes the temporary job since she’s in need of some extra cash, but little does she know that this experience, along with an unexpected run-in with a local celebrity, will change her life forever.

Production Quality (1.5 points)

As a whole, the production for The Golden Voices is average with some positives and some negatives. While the video quality is clear and the camera work is fine, there are one too many outside scenes that have noticeable background sounds and some that are filmed on the side of busy streets. The indoor sets are better, however, and the props are acceptable. Audio quality is a mixed bag due to some background echoes at times and a generic soundtrack that sometimes interferes with spoken lines. There are also some cheesy special effects and some unnecessary aspect ratio changes at random moments. Further, the editing is okay although it has some very quick cuts and transitions. Thus, in the end, this is a run-of-the-mill effort.

Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)

It’s clear, however, that there were a lot of honest efforts made in the writing of this plot. The dialogue therein is not all that bad and is even sometimes funny; the characters are also on the right track as they are non-typical and feel more authentic than not. Even though the narrative basically boils down to being a save-the-school-by-winning-a-singing-competition-plot, the conversations among characters are actually pretty well-constructed. Nonetheless, it’s a shame that a lot of time is spent on musical montages rather than deeper character development that could have kept this storyline from being as basic as it is. This would have also helped to soften the basically predictable ending, but as a whole, the messaging in this film is quite good, and the movie in general avoids stereotypes that come with musical productions. It would have been good, however, to see a little more effort put forth to keep this plot from being too basic.

Acting Quality (2 points)

Despite some very obviously poor makeup work, most of the cast members assume their roles quite well. Some tend to overplay their performances, but most of them come off as quite genuine, and many of them improve as the film progress. Throughout the movie, emotions are believable, and this collective effort is enough to warrant an above-average score.

Conclusion

Over the years, Poorchild Films has tried several different ideas (Hiding in Plain Sight, Steps of Faith, A Man Called Jon), but The Golden Voices seems like their most honest creation yet. They keep trying and are getting closer to the mark with each effort. However, most of the time, collaboration is the only way forward, so it may be time for this creative team to reach out and work with someone else both for financial and productive reasons. When this begins happening on a more regular basis on Christian entertainment, we will finally be putting the older days behind us.

Final Rating: 4 out of 10 points

January 29, 2020 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2018, 4 points, Ashley Burks, Brian J. Hubbard, Drama, Eric King, Greg Ellis, Inspirational, Irma P. Hall, John Wayne Owens, Kelly Gray, M. Legend Brown, Mario Mims, Mathew Greer, Micheal D. Brown, Musical, Nadine Marissa, Nikki Dixon, Poorchild Films, Rachael Webb, Reda Jo Films, Rodney Louis Dean, Sauna Kelsaw Parker, Tonea Stewart, Vanessa Givands, William Brown 1 Comment

Ragamuffin [2014] (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Rich Mullins never fit in as a kid, especially when it came to his father’s lofty expectations for him.  As a young boy, his father usually criticized him for not being the boy he wanted him to be since Rich much preferred the piano over the tractor.  Thus, when Rich had a chance to strike out on his own, he took it and sought to express his artistry wherever he went.  However, when his music became famous virtually overnight, he wasn’t able to handle the success.  In the end, he had to discover Who God really is in order to free from the past.

Production Quality (2 points)

As a whole, this is a respectable, above-average production, starting with the artistic camera work that serves to enhance the overall experience.  Although scenes are sometimes unnecessarily dark, as well as black and white, this isn’t too big of an issue since the video quality is overall clear.  The audio quality is also a plus, and the soundtrack is okay even though it could have been better due to this film being about Rick Mullins.  For the most part, the sets, locations, and props are well-constructed and well-utilized such that the story feels real.  Further, there are a few awkward cuts, but the editing is overall fine considering the large amount of content covered in this movie.  In the end, this is an acceptable production, especially for the time period, yet it could have done a little but more.  Even still, it does enough to make the film enjoyable.

Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)

The life of Rich Mullins was definitely worth portraying in the context of film, and you could say this film was made before I Can Only Imagine started a new trend of Christian artist biopics.  Within Ragamuffin, there is an excellent exploration of real family of origin problems that exist in small town America as well as the emotional struggles of a performer while traveling on the road.  Thus, the plot contains great life philosophies and an artistic look at things, yet it’s bogged down with early and intermediate narration that tells us things without showing them.  Sometimes, expository dialogue is also used to save time due to the large amount of content that’s covered in this story, but there’s still a great exploration of relevant, authentic issues that many people struggle with.  Hence, the characters are raw and good even if they could have been better without so much narration, exposition, and time jumps that only allow a cursory glance at elements that need more focus.  Although some of the scenes could have been used better, Ragamuffin is still a believable journey of mental health, substance abuse, and relationship issues that come as a result of toxic family messages.  There’s also an honest portrayal of church problems in the 1990s that confused a lot of Christians, and the good parts of the dialogue are very worthwhile.  Near the end, there’s a collection of exquisite psychological sequences that make the entire film worth your time, but it would have been better to see substantial build-up to these.  In the end, this is a great film because of the topic it’s based on; there are plenty of opportunities for improvement, but it’s still enjoyable as it is.

Acting Quality (2 points)

Like other portions of the movie, the acting of Ragamuffin could be a bit better than it is, mostly by being more dynamic and less static.  There are some sequences of blank emotions, but on the whole, emotional experience is adequate.  The lead actor takes on the role of Rich Mullins quite well, and other cast members assume their respective roles with ease.  In summary, this film had a lot going for it that helped it rack up plenty of good marks, but there’s still more that could have been done here.

Conclusion

Basically, Ragamuffin is in desperate need of a remake because it was made before Christians were beginning to learn how to tell stories well in movies.  It’s a face value, here-are-the-plain-facts approach to things, but modern Christian entertainment demands more.  We can tell stories better than this; even so, Ragamuffin was ahead of its time for taking on an unpopular topic in Christianity in a time when everything was assumed to be fine, so for this reason alone, it’s worth your time.  We’d like to see the creators of this film collaborate with a good team because they could do great things together.

Final Rating: 6 out of 10 points

July 10, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Historical, Inspirational, Movie ReviewsTags: 2014, Amy Schultz, Ashleigh Philips, Bill Clem, Brad Binkley, Cameron Goodman, Carson Aune, Charles Lawlor, Christie Brooke, Clark Mahaffey, Color Green Films, Dale Tino, Dave Mullins, David Holechek, David Leo Schultz, Debi Kimsey, Don Stallings, Duality Filmworks, Eddie Speir, Edward Paul Fry, Elizabeth Roberts, Elle Bodie, Epic, Ethan Bodie, Gabe Martinez, Gloria Webber, Glynn Praesel, Historical, Inspirational, J.B. Waggoner, James Duke, James Kyson, John Curran, John Grow, John Hudson Messerall, Jon Mullins, Kacie Mullins, Liam Matthews, Luke Williams, Mel Fair, Michael Kock, Michele Keller, Musical, Paul Gibbons, Randall Wheeler, Rich Mullins, Ryan Bodie, Sam Howard, Sam Stewart, Steven Puente, Taylor St. Clair, Tony Leon, William Colquitt, William Neenan, Wolfgang Bodison Leave a comment

The Identical (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Ryan Wade has always known the church life because he was raised by a pastor and his wife, whom he believed to be his real parents.  However, as he grew older, he did not feel the call to ministry that his father was impressing upon him.  Instead, he wanted to pursue a musical future.  However, when he got caught by the authorities doing ‘wrong things,’ Ryan’s father sent him to the military to ‘get fixed,’ with the expectation that Ryan would enter seminary afterward.  However, the military did not dampen Ryan’s musical dreams, and once he was out, he encountered a life-changing revelation: he is the twin brother of musical sensation Drexel Hemsley, which raises many questions about Ryan’s true heritage.  Will the answers he wants give him peace or more turmoil?

 

Production Quality (2.5 points)

It’s clear that The Identical is a well-funded production with a well-allocated budget.  Video quality, camera work, and audio quality are all what they should be.  The original soundtrack is creative, even if there is some obvious lip-syncing.  The production’s biggest strengths relate to the great 
attention to historical detail, which is evident in the well-constructed and well-utilized sets, locations, and props that reflect correct time period and culture.  The only drawback to this production is the somewhat choppy editing that is a byproduct of the plot presentation, but on the whole, this is a very good and professional production.

Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)

Though this story concept is a bit off-the-wall as the twin brother characters bear a strangely similar resemblance to Elvis Presley (not really sure why this character concept was chosen), there are some interesting messages to explore in The Identical.  For example, the story provides a realistic portrayal of historical issues of the time period, such as churches suppressing certain types of ideas, hiding issues, and expecting men to be fixed by the military.  However, besides the somewhat out-of-left-field story concept, there is way too much narration and expository dialogue to fill time gaps, which obviously stunts character growth and short-circuits the dialogue potential.  It would have been better to just let the story unfold naturally and to let the characters reach their full potential through meaningful dialogue that builds their personalities and motives.  Besides this obvious misstep, the story is based on too many coincidences and things that happen because the plot demands it.  However, despite these issues and despite the odd premise, there is lots of potential in this story–enough to warrant a remake–and many audiences will still find it to be a fine movie.

Acting Quality (2 points)

The Identical has surprisingly professional casting and acting.  Several cast members, such as Ray Liota, do a great job playing multiple ages.  Some emotions tend to be overdone, however, especially from Erin Cottrell.  However, line delivery is almost always on point, and the costuming is historically accurate and realistic.  This rounds out a slightly above average movie effort.

 

Conclusion

It’s great for Christian films to come up with creative movie concepts that are outside of the norm and to make films that are good because they are good without being Christian-ized.  The idea behind The Identical is one of those you don’t think of every day, so the creatively must be commended.  However, while a lot of the attention this movie received centered around the central concept, there were other pitfalls that kept it from being all that it could be.  Even still, there is plenty of positive here to build on, and there are some great cues for other films to model after.  It will be interesting to see if this creative team does anything else in the future.

 

Final Rating: 5.5 out of 10 points

September 12, 2018December 31, 2018 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Historical, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2014, 5.5 points, Adam McCants, Amanda Crew, Ashley Judd, Blake Rayne, Brad Jones, Brian Geraghty, Caylin Cervetti, Chris Mulkey, Chris Scruggs, Christopher Carmichael, Clio Tegel, Coke Sams, Colin Cary, Dan Merrell, Danny Woodburn, Don Noes, Dustin Marcellino, Erin Cottrell, Gary Beaty, Historical, Howard Klausner, Ian Mitchell, Inspirational, J. Clarke Gallivan, J. Karen Thomas, Jacqueline Steele, Jeremy Walker, Jerry Marcellino. Jordan Marcellino, Joe McDougall, Joe Pantoliano, John Newburg, John Nolan, Josh Diamond, Kelly L. Frey Sr., Klaus Badelt, Lisa Seals, Lisa Stewart, Mark G. Mathis, Matt Russell, Michael Edious Johnson, Michael Joiner, Musical, Noah Urrea, Ray Liota, Sarah Ruccio, Seth Green, Waylon Payne, Yochanan Marcellino Leave a comment

I Can Only Imagine (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Bart Millard always loved to sing, but he grew up in a broken home.  His mother left while he was young, and his father beat him and told him he would never amount to much.  When Bart failed high school football due to injuries, he and his father spent as little time around each other as possible.  Out of this, Bart began singing in high school plays and was told that he had a special talent for the stage.  This led Bart to pursue a career in Christian music, but life on the road was hard.  When he was forced to make a pivotal decision at a crossroads in his career, Bart was finally faced with having to go back to reconcile with the person he came to hate the most: his father.

Production Quality (3 points)

What else can be said about the talent of the Erwin Brothers at this point?  They have clearly mastered production quality, especially when it comes to historical epics.  The attention to detail in I Can Only Imagine is exquisite.  Video quality, camera work, and audio quality are flawless.  With Brent McCorkle involved, the soundtrack is always going to be a hit.  Sets, locations, and props in I Can Only Imagine are excellent and demonstrate wonderful historical authenticity.  This content-packed epic is edited nearly to perfection.  In short, it’s rare to have a perfect production, but the Erwin Brothers are still schooling the industry in how it’s done.

Plot and Storyline Quality (3 points)

Naturally following their epic film Woodlawn, the Erwin Brothers seem to have found a niche in biopics.  The story of Bart Millard is one that is absolutely worth being told, especially since so many people are familiar with MercyMe and their original breakout hit single, which is the title of this film.  What some audiences may not expect is the profound and timely message this film has to offer.  This film is more than just another inspirational film to grab cash from a willing audience.  In typical Erwin fashion, I Can Only Imagine is the film the western church needs now.  Besides this, the characters are very realistic, authentic, and easy to access via believable dialogue and back stories.  Each character is flawed and gray rather than black and white.  There are really no errors to point out here as the Erwins have masterfully captured another poignant true story in the context of film.

Acting Quality (3 points)

The Masters of Casting did their homework once again in crafting a cast that was true-to-life to the real people behind the story.  Each actor and actress is cast appropriately and assume their roles very well.  Costuming is excellent and correct for the time period.  Dennis Quaid likely posts one of the performances of the year as a very complex three-part role.  In the end, there are little to no errors to raise about this film, which has become the norm of the Erwin brand.

Conclusion

I Can Only Imagine receives an x-factor point for presenting an extremely important issue in a realistic way.  Audiences will flock to this film on the basis of its title recognition alone, but many will receive a message they least expected, yet one that the church as a whole desperately needs.  Many, many Christians and those associated with the church are running from parts of their lives that are broken and are not always their fault because they do not know how to deal with them.  I Can Only Imagine brings this paradigm to front and center at a time when the message of redemption for broken families needs to be heard.  Also, in keeping with their perfect record, the Erwins have notched another one on the Hall of Fame and have possibly taken the top spot of Christian film.

Final Rating: 10 out of 10 points

March 15, 2018January 1, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Hall of Fame, Historical, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, RomanceTags: 10 points, 2018, Alexander Dominguez, Amy Grant, Andrew Erwin, Bart Millard, Brent McCorkle, Brent Ryan Green, Cindy Bond, City on a Hill Productions, Cloris Leachman, Cole Marcus, Daryl C. Lefever, Daryl Lefever, David Norana, David Norona, Dennis Quaid, Epic, Erik Ashlock, Erwin Brothers, Gary Wallace, Gianna Simone, Historical, Holley Ellis, Imagine Rights, Inspirational, J. Michael Finney, J.R. Cacia, Jake B. Miller, Jason Burkey, Joe Knopp, Jon Erwin, Josh Walsh, Kevin Downes, Kevin Downes Productions, LD Entertainment, Madeline Carroll, Maria Hurdle, Mark Furze, Mark Robert Ellis, Micheal Flaherty, Mickey Liddell, Mission Pictures International, Musical, Nicole DuPort, Pete Shilaimon, Priscilla Shirer, Randy McDowell, Rhoda Griffis, Rhonda Griffis, Samuel Sadovnik, Scott Brickell, Scott Ellis, Simon Swart, Taegen Burns, Tanya Clarke, Tony Young, Toy Gun Films, Trace Adkins, Travis Mann 8 Comments

Freedom [2015] (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

When Samuel Woodward and his family escape a cruel Virginia plantation one night, they are aided by Christians on the Underground Railroad.  However, they are also pursued by cruel slave bounty hunters.  When Samuel wants to give up on his faith because of what they are going through, his mother tells him the story of his great grandfather, who was a boy on board one of John Newton’s slave ships.  The two lives parallel as they each face their own struggle for freedom and discover faith in God.

 

Production Quality (2.5 points)

With a hefty budget and cable television backing, Freedom had many positives going for it from the get go.  For the most part, the money is well-spent, including great video quality, camera work, and audio quality.  Obviously, the standout feature of this film is supposed to be its historical live soundtrack sung by the characters like a musical, but this is an area that needs some further refinement.  There are also some lingering small issues in this production pertaining to some fake backgrounds and some slightly rushed editing, yet on the whole, this is a very respectable production that was helped by the money behind it.  The one caveat to point out is that with this kind of money, Freedom *should* have been flawless and likely would have been in the right hands.

Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)

Freedom is an attempt at a historical musical epic, and it succeeds on some fronts, even though it fails on other fronts.  For one, there is a lot of unnecessary narration throughout that hurts natural character growth.  Characters are also not helped out by the fact that there are so many of them.  Also, the parallel subplots from two different historical time periods is an interesting touch, yet it is not handled very well as time tends to jump all around.  The sheet amount of content that is being handled here may just be too much for one film, and the dialogue is not substantial enough for the epic style this movie is trying to adopt.  However, this is a mostly realistic and touching story that has a lot of historical backing and interest.  It is extremely important for more Christian movies to be made about history, especially the Underground Railroad.  However, Timothy Chey makes a mistake in portraying most, if not all, the pro-slavery characters as atheists, which is not entirely accurate.  Nonetheless, the second half of Freedom does show improvement, even if the better parts tend to be squeezed out by the wasted time at the beginning.  In summary, Freedom is a good film, but it is frustrating to see the higher potential that it did not reach.

Acting Quality (2.5 points)

With professional cast members and fairly good coaching, Freedom had a successful acting run.  Line delivery is on point, and emotions are effective, except for some minor moments of unnecessary drama.  Also, the costuming is very authentic and historically accurate.  There is some odd makeup work in some parts, but as a whole, this is a job well done.

Conclusion

As a side note, John Newton died almost 70 years before the hymn “It is Well” was ever written, so there’s no way his fiancée was able to sing it in church.  Also, it’s also highly unlikely John Newton sang “Amazing Grace” at his own wedding since he wrote it almost 15 years after he got married.  This isn’t the first time Timothy Chey has disregarded historical facts in his films, but his ambition to create a Christian historical epic\musical is noted, even if it is misguided in the beginning.  Nonetheless, there are a lot of positive elements in this film, likely because Chey had assistance from other sources.  However, there were definitely areas it could have been improved in, especially since this was a rare chance for a film with a Christian worldview to show that it was a great historical epic on a cable television channel apart from it being a Christian movie.  There was so much going for this film, especially the budget, so it really should have achieved a higher rating.  Even so, many audiences will still find enjoyment and meaning in it.

 

Final Rating: 6 out of 10 points

 

January 5, 2018January 2, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Historical, International, Movie Reviews, SuspenseTags: 2015, 6 points, A. Christopher Purdy, Aaron Bantum, Anna Sims, Bart Shatto, Ben Thompson, Bernhard Forcher, Byron Utley, Clemmie Evans, Cuba Gooding Jr., Daisy Cousens, Daniel Gerroll, Dara Coleman, David Rasche, Diane Salinger, Epic, Gregory Russell Cook, Heritage Films International, Historical, Hunter Perry, James Lavino, John Keating, John Senczuk, John Thomas Waite, Jubilant Sykes, Michael Goodin, Michael Goodwin, Michael Tisdale, Musical, Peter Cousens, Phyllis Bash, Production One, River Rain Productions, Robert Carne, Sharon Leal, Sheila Rabizadeh, Susan F. Chey, Suspense, Terrence Manns, Timothy A. Chey, Tony Sheldon, Travaris Spears, William Sadler Leave a comment

Sidewalk Singer (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Kris Kivi lost everything when his family was taken in a drunk driving wreck.  Then he lost everything again when he makes a bad investment that leaves him homeless.  But while he is not liked for his homeless status, he decides to continue doing what he does best—singing.  He performs gospel songs on the side of the road for money and food.  But then he is faced with the ultimate test and he will have to decide what he will do.

 

Production Quality (1 point)

It’s clear that Sidewalk Singer has quite a limited budget.  Though video quality and camera work are fine, audio quality is a bit inconsistent at times.  The original soundtrack is unfortunately fairly annoying.  Sets, locations, and props are understandably limited.  Also, editing is quite bad as it is choppy and hard to follow.  These sorts of productions are difficult since they are so low-budget, but it seems like it would have been prudent to either wait for a bigger budget or just make a short film with what they had.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

This is a very low-energy plot, which even more begs the need for it to be a short film.  The story is very boring and drab, mostly because it is a character-driven plot that contains dry and empty characters.  This is due to very uninspiring and vanilla dialogue and due to the fact that there is barely enough content here to sustain a feature-length film.  As it is, this story is very vague and hard to understand; it’s a never-ending slow full of wasted time and lacking a central purpose and point.  It’s very difficult to justify this as a full-length movie.

Acting Quality (1 point)

Though there are some good spots here, the cast is mostly overly practiced in their line delivery and unnatural in their emotional delivery.  However, the cast members probably mean well in what they do.  Yet they would have likely benefitted from acting coaching in order to deepen their performances.

Conclusion

The unfortunate thing about films like this is that, no matter if the creators meant well or not, there is basically no impact from a film like this.  It is too forgettable and too bland to be of interest, which really calls into question its necessity.  It is better to make a less-expensive short film to practice your movie making skills rather than to continually clutter the market with thrift store fodder.  Please learn this lesson in the future if you are an aspiring film maker.

 

Final Rating: 2 out of 10 points

 

October 24, 2017January 4, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2 points, 2013, Alan Maki, Ann Briggs, Ari Rufino, Brenda Vessels, Brian Van Camp, Caren Rienstra, Charles Wesley, Coco Lurz, Darlene Frederick, Elaina June, Gary Jenkins, Haleem Rasul, Inspirational, Jason Carter, Jeff Thomas, Joshua Haze, Kent Marcum, Kevin Toqe, Madison McComas, Mark Maki, Melissa Thomas, Mikah Scott Carter, Musical, Nick Campbell, Nigel Vessels, Panting Deer Productions, Scott Campbell, Shaun Maki, Stuart Grant Walker, Tommy Willis Leave a comment

Faith’s Song (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Faith and her parents love each other, and they all knows that Faith has a gift for singing, which uses in her local church.  However, one tragic evening, on their anniversary, Faith’s parents are suddenly killed in a car accident, thus leaving Faith an orphan.  As her life is turned upside down, she will have to do some soul searching to see what she really believes.  Will she be able to pick the pieces back up and start again?

 

Production Quality (1 point)

Even though this is a 2017 film with a modest budget, it is still quite underwhelming.  Video quality and camera work are fine, but audio quality is laughable.  The film is dominated by a cringeworthy homemade soundtrack which is unfortunately very memorable.  Sets, locations, and props are okay, but they are somewhat limited.  Finally, there isn’t really any editing present in this film.  In short, this is a disappointing production not only because it’s so new but also because it has a decent enough budget that many people would love to have.  A better allocation of resources is definitely in order.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

Unfortunately, there is no real guiding purpose to this plot.  It is way too aimless and melodramatic while at the same time being very surface and plastic.  The struggles of the characters cannot be appreciated because dialogue does nothing to build them up, thus leaving them as cardboard people.  Lack of plot content is filled in with a lot of sermon exposition, not to mention the cringing ‘original’ soundtrack.  Any attempts to develop subplots are disjointed and confusing.  Finally, the portrayal of Christians and Christianity is too goody-two-shoes to be realistic.  Overall, this story needed a serious rethink before this film went into production.

Acting Quality (1 point)

This cast is obviously amateurish, yet they are not all bad.  However, a lot of their performances are forceful and overly practiced, thus making them seem unnatural.  Emotions don’t seem very honest.  In the end, this tops off a disappointing effort.

Conclusion

With films like this, it’s likely that money was raised before a plot was even written.  This church decided they needed to make a film and went into the process half-cocked and aimlessly.  This always shows up in the final product.  It’s very prudent to receive consultation and advice when undertaking such a difficult venture as making a feature-length film.  It always pays off to not rush into things but to take time to make a quality film.  We hope that future film makers begin adopting this practice more and more.

 

Final Rating: 2 out of 10 points

 

August 22, 2017January 7, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2 points, 2017, Addison Terry, Amy R. Swaim, Ashelyn McCoy, Cathy Carter Scott, David Crocker, Denise Bolin, Derek Liuzzo, Dustin Weible, Frank Hutto, Fred Story, George Dinsmore, Gracie Bowers, Hayden Grace McCoy, Inspirational, Isaac Crawford, Jacob Maresh, James Huey, Joshua Talton, Kevin McIver, Marcus Lattimore, Matthew Branham, Meghan Crumpton, Mickey Bollenberg, Musical, Northface Christian Films, Northface Studio, Phillip Bolin, Rachel Rizutti, Sabri Irizarry, Samuel Bolin, Shelby Christine Freeman, Sheridan Swails, Tabitha Tavelle, Tara Lynn Stewart, Tiffany Blackwell, Todd Shevchik Leave a comment

Sunday School Musical (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Two choirs have a shot at winning the all-important Christian choir competition of some sort, but one of them is motivated to save their school, of course.  But with their lead singer and leader moving away, will their group be able to put on an award-winning performance?  As the competition heats up, the participants will have to learn more about themselves and about their faith in order to succeed.

Production Quality (.5 point)

The ‘success’ of this film is that it was shot in roughly two weeks, but I’m not convinced this is something to celebrate.  The final result is random, all over the place camera work, even though the video quality is fine.  However, sets, locations, and props are below standard.  The most notable standout in this production is the amateur laughable soundtrack that includes constant ‘original’ songs and overdubs.  The editing is also very choppy and downright dizzying, thus reflecting what quick post-production job actually produces.  Basically, this is one of those Christian films that’s so bad it draws mockery from non-Christian sources.

Plot and Storyline Quality (-1.5 points)

With nearly every line sang by the characters like a blockbuster Hollywood musical about France that actually features tons of British people, Sunday School Musical is an unmitigated disaster.  Not only is the idea of a misfit singing group using their talent to save something copied from other quasi-inspirational films featuring Dolly Parton or Reba, but the way it’s gone about is so laughable that one has to wonder if it’s a satire.  Let’s go on the record by saying that singing dialogue and songs intended to be dialogue are never good ideas, EVER, to use in films.  Elsewhere, there is no real plot in this film and the characters feel like they stepped right out of a bad cartoon.  Needless to say, Sunday School Musical is an utter train wreck that should never be repeated in any fashion.

Acting Quality (0 points)

As if the rest of the film wasn’t bad enough, this cast is among the worst.  They are either unsure, juvenile, or way overplaying in some kind of attempt to get attention.  Of course, trying to singing most of the lines never works, even for professional actors and actresses (see Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, etc., etc., etc…).  In the end, this film was probably doomed from the start.

Conclusion

Sunday School Musical has the rare privilege of not only joining the ranks of Christian films to be made punch lines by mainstream reviewers (along with Saving Christmas and the new Left Behind), but it also has the opportunity to be classified among our negatively-rated movies.  These films find new and creative ways to be horrible and\or offensive, thus achieving this distinct status.  The only thing we can further say is that we hope more negative films (and films containing singing dialogue) are never made again in Christian circles.

Final Rating: -1 out of 10 points

August 3, 2017August 25, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Comedy, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2008, Amy Ganser, Ashley Holloway, bad singing, Brian Brinkman, Candise Lakota, Cecile del Rosario, Chris Chatman, Cliff Tan, Comedy, Daniel J. Roberts, David Michael Latt, David Rimawi, Debra Lynn Hull, Don Raymond, Dustin Fitzsimons, Faith Films, Justin Spanko, Kesha Ealy, Krystle Connor, Mark Hengst, Millena Gay, Musical, negative points, Parody, Paul Bales, Rachel Goldenberg, Rae Silva, Robert Acinapura, Shane Carther Thomas, Sharon Stockbridge, The Asylum, Walter J. Harris Leave a comment

Something to Sing About [2000] (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Tommy has a gift for singing, but his past criminal record is holding him back from getting a good job that he desperately needs.  When he is tempted to go back to his old life to make some extra cash, suddenly an elderly woman steps into his life and offers him a helping hand.  She helps him find a job and gives him a whole new outlook on life by taking him to church and introducing him to the choir.  But when faced with new opportunities and when his past comes calling again, Tommy will have to make a decision that will impact his life forever.

 

Production Quality (2 points)

In keeping with the usual practices of Worldwide Pictures, Something to Sing About is a quite respectable production, even though it is difficult to attempt a musical, regardless of the genre.  The opening sequence of this movie is interesting, as is the original soundtrack.  Camera work, video quality, and audio quality are all on par with what they need to be.  Sets, locations, and props also meet industry standards.  Really the only downside to this production is its musical structure that sometimes hampers with the continuity of the editing.  As previously mentioned, it is difficult to craft this type of production properly, yet Something to Sing About is overall above average and puts many productions to shame.

Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)

Besides being a creative urban musical, this story depicts the realistic struggles of believable characters that are built on good dialogue.  The Christian message is very accessible, even if the content tries a little too hard not to be edgy and the plot is a little simplistic.  There are some slight cultural stereotypes and cheesy villains, but for the most part, this is not noticeable.  The biggest things that hold his plot back from being all it could be are some silly coincidences, too many musical montages that cause some subplots to be underdeveloped, and large time jumps that hurt this story’s natural progression.  There is also an amateurish climax scene that would not have been missed.  Overall, this was a difficult effort to pull off, yet it has been done in a commendable way—we just feel that it could have been better.  But then again, no one has.

Acting Quality (2.5 points)

This cast is highly professional and each member fits their character perfectly.  There are little to no emotional or line delivery errors.  It is rare to find a cast for a musical that can actually sing.  There are a few cheesy performances, especially from the villain characters, but they are not enough to detract from this high score.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to pull off any musical, so this team must be commended for reaching a score this high, because it could have easily gone awry in the wrong hands.  But we can’t help but feel Something to Sing About leaves too much on the field, especially with regard character development and complex subplots.  This film could have been epic but instead is average, which is not all that bad when you look at the field.  We would like to see a remake of this film, or at least a similar one that builds on this idea and makes it better.  However, we caution the creation of musicals because they are very hard to create and can easily become an embarrassment.  Make sure you have your ducks in a row before doing this and use this film as a blueprint.

 

Final Rating: 5.5 out of 10 points

 

May 15, 2017January 9, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2000, 5.5 points, Anna Berger, Billy Graham, Bob Nellis, Brian White, Charlie Jordan, Clarence Major, Darius McCrary, Dave Ross, Dean River Pictures, Dean River Productions, Devika Parikh, Gordon Druvenga, Grant Goodeve, Granville Emerson, Inspirational, Irma P. Hall, Jack Axelrod, James Covell, Jeff Durham, John R. Corts, John Schmidt, John Shepherd, Jules Douglas, Kenny Long, Kirk Franklin, Lance Nichols, Lobo Sebastian, Musical, Peter Parros, Rashaan Nall, Rick Garside, Steffiana De La Cruz, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Worldwide Pictures Leave a comment

The Imposter [2008] (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Johnny C is a wildly successful Christian rock star with a dark past.  He knows how to entertain Christian crowds and how to say the right things, but he still struggles with the demons inside him.  He has had a secret addiction that he constantly lies about and consistently has struggles in his topsy-turvy marriage.  When he finally can’t hold it all together and his world comes crashing down all around him, he has no one to turn to except for God.  Left with virtually nothing, will Johnny be able to pick up the pieces and start over for real?

 

Production Quality (.5 point)

As an early 2000s production, The Imposter seems like a film searching for identity.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t really find it.  In attempts to be artistic and ‘creative’, strange production conventions are embraced, such as shaky camera work and very dizzying special effects.  Audio quality is fine, and the original soundtrack is intriguing, but there are too many songs, musical montages, and confusing music videos.  Lighting is also inconsistent, especially in some outside scenes, which are too bright.  Furthermore, editing is choppy and makes the story hard to follow.  In the end, while there was adequate money spent on this production, it is mostly wasted and disappointing.

Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)

Though The Imposter is not afraid to deal with difficult yet realistic issues and to take an honest look at Christian ‘stars’, it’s just not enough.  The constant narration stunts character development.  They need to be deepened through improved dialogue because it’s difficult to understand why they do what they do—the characters seem to be too swept along by circumstances.  Unfortunately, some of the Christian characters are portrayed as too high and mighty.  Also, too much of the messaging is heavy-handed as the story jumps all around and is somewhat hard to follow.  The story seems too aimless and sometimes lacks purpose and even hope.  However, the ending is interesting and realistic, although it lacks proper buildup and leaves something to be desired.  In summary, The Imposter is an honest look at life, but at the same time, it lacks the true authenticity that is required to properly deal with the issues dealt with here.

Acting Quality (1 point)

Though this is a ‘popular’ Christian cast, they are fairly unconvincing and sometimes appear to be phoning in their performances.  Emotions are too unrealistic and all over the place.  Sometimes the performances are fine, but on the whole, these cast members are without direction and need better coaching in order to reach their full potential.

Conclusion

Movies like The Imposter start with good intentions but without a real focus on where they are going, their plots wander aimlessly and try to use Christian ‘celebrities’ as crutches for their mistakes.  There are some poignant issues portrayed in this film that need to be discussed in the context of Christian entertainment, but as this movie is, it just comes off as unserious and sometimes unprofessional.  You need more than a base idea and some ‘big name’ cast members to make a good film.

 

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 10 points

 

May 6, 2017January 9, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Inspirational, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 2.5 points, 2008, Arianne Martin, Bradly Prakope, Brandon Baker, Chris Burnett, Courtney Ware, Dan Palmer, Daniel Millican, David Del Gardo, Doug Williams, Emma Nicolas, Erin Hermosa, Frank Olsen, Gregg Hedtke, Inspirational, Jackson Doyle, Jeff Deyo, Jeff Rodgers, Josh Goode, Kerry Livgren, Kevin Max, Lisa Palmer, Louisa Shimamoto, Meredith Mauldin, Mike Harville, Mike Riggins, Musical, Nicole Leigh, PureFlix, Russ Pond, Serendipitous Films, Stewart Young, the Oprah lantern, the radiation, Tim Grace, Tom Wright, Troy Baker Leave a comment

Divine Will [2016] (Movie Review)

Plot Summary

Will Blessing got in too much trouble in the city, so his uncle, the famous rock star Dave Blessing, decides to take a job as a music minister in a church in the small town of Punkyville.  So along with Dave’s eccentric sister Jenny, Will and his uncle pack up and go to the weirdly eccentric, self-parody town of Punkyville and meet all sorts of zany off-the-wall characters that promise to make their life interesting.  Will’s also got this gift of fixing people’s problems or something.  So If you’re looking for a comedic musical sure to entertain, this is the film for you.

 

Production Quality (1.5 points)

The one thing we can say for this diatribe is that they at least attempted an average production quality.  Video quality, audio quality, and camera work are on par.  However, the soundtrack obnoxious as characters randomly burst into song when they feel like it.  The sets and locations are also cheap looking and there are some cheesy special effects.  There is really no editing in this film as it seems like every possible stupid amount of content was included.  Basically, while some money was spent in this production, we have no idea why.

Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)

What is this?  Seriously, what is this?  What do the writers take us for?  Is this film geared toward children?  Trust me, we tried to find some clarity, but found none.  Between the impromptu musicals, the zany characters, the bizarre dialogue, and generally random things just happening for no reason, there is no way to follow this madness.  It jumps from one thing to the next and has the feel of a cheap cable television show on a family-friendly channel.  There is no real plot to speak of and nothing to be gained from these empty-headed characters.  A lot of it is seemingly silly for the sake of silliness and sometimes seems to make fun of disabled people.  In short, there is no purpose to this story except for laughs.

Acting Quality (0 points)

Needless to say, this is not the way to cast a film.  While there was really nothing for these actors and actresses to work with, one has to wonder what exactly is going on here.  Do these people like to be portrayed in this way?  Do they watch themselves?  We really can’t say much beyond this, except that you have to watch it to understand what we’re talking about.

Conclusion

So you have some money for a film and you decide to not only rip off a worn out plot concept parodying a small town, but you do so in such an astronomically ridiculous fashion, that it makes Tommy Blaze look smart.  We even considered putting this film in the special category with The Rev; that’s how ridiculous it is.  Sigh.  There is nothing much left to do but finish another review for another stupidly embarrassing Christian movie and wonder what exactly it is that PureFlix turns away.

 

Final Rating: 1.5 out 10 points

 

 

Full disclosure: We were provided by the creator with a copy of this film in exchange for a fair and honest review

 

February 15, 2017January 11, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Comedy, Movie Reviews, MusicalTags: 1.5 points, 2016, Aaron Hunt, Austin Livingood, bad church musicals, Brent Reed, Charlie Clark, Christine Jones, Comedy, Dain Paige, Deana Tully, Haley Jones, Jake Rye, Jamey Strawn, Janette Bruce, Jolynn Johnston, Kalie Kaimann, Kat Moser, Kathleen McEntee, Kathryn Boswell, Ken Early, Ken Jones, Lee Roessler, Liz Comstock, Mark Riddle, Matthew Collins, McKynleigh Abraham, Musical, Nathan Tubbs, PureFlix, Rachel Perin, Roderick Justice, Sandra Forman, Sandy Davis, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Table For Five Productions, Ugo Gramegna, Victoria McDevitt, Warren Bryson, Zack Wilhelm 7 Comments