Ever since I heard that "Left Behind" was being rebooted and that Nicolas Cage was starring in it, I hoped that it was one big April Fool's joke. It wasn't.
The first two "Left Behind" books were made into three movies from 2000-2005 by Cloud Ten Productions. They were terrible (but not as terrible as the new one). They were so terrible that book series co-author Tim LaHaye sued to get the movie rights back. After a lengthy court battle, he won in 2008. Unfortunately, the deal said that he had a few years to make his own movie and he was not able to, so the original producers got the movie rights back. So they decided to make another "Left Behind" movie, a reboot that made "The Amazing Spider-Man" look like a good idea.
The "Left Behind" movies Cloud Ten previously made starred teen heart-throb turned evangelist Kirk Cameron. Other movies made by the company have starred Gary Busey and Mr. T. But with the new "Left Behind" movie, they decided they were ready for the big league and nabbed Nicolas Cage - the actor who never turns down a role. (Actually, he dropped out of "Expendables 3" in order to star in "Left Behind".)
As a big fan of the books, I felt like I was being pranked as every new detail came out about the new movie. When production didn't start as scheduled in spring 2013, I hoped that it wouldn't be made. Filming was pushed to late summer. When it got to be one month before the scheduled June 20, 2014 release and there still wasn't a trailer, I hoped that the movie wouldn't be released. The release was rescheduled for October.
I looked forward to the movie as much as the average "Star Wars" fan would look forward to George Lucas writing and directing a JarJar Binks movie (which would be a better movie than the new "Left Behind" movie). I started watching it knowing that it was going to be horrible. It was worse. I can't even mention everything that movie made me feel. Just know that as bad as it was for you to watch it, it was an even worse for a fan of the books.
To quote one movie review, "Cloud Ten was sued for making a bad Left Behind movie. The newest rendition of Left Behind is not just bad. It’s act of vengeance on Tim LaHaye for the years of courtroom battles." And now he and co-author Jerry Jenkins are forced to break the ninth commandment and say that the movie is really good and that they enjoyed it.
And so I am, and probably everybody who watched the new "Left Behind" movie are, waiting for an apology from producer Paul Lalonde. Expect another bad movie before the apology comes. Or maybe even the Rapture.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
My Anticipated Movies in 2015, Part One
There are a lot of movies coming out in 2015, and I have divided up the list into three sections. In Part 1 are the movies that I am looking forward to the most.
Tak3n - January 9
"Taken 2" was silly and disappointing, but "Taken 3" looks like it will be the best one of the trilogy. We've seen what Bryan Mills is capable of when his loved ones are in danger. But now we'll get to see him on the run. And the irony that he is now the one to say, "Good luck."
Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus - January 19
Forget Ridley Scott's inaccurate drama, "Patterns of Evidence" is a documentary that examines the historical evidence of the biblical Exodus.
Audacity - TBA
From the producers of the controversial documentaries "180: Changing Hearts and Minds About Abortion", "Genius", "Evolution vs. God", and "Noah and the Last Days" comes their first scripted drama dealing with homosexuality and how Christians should respond to it. The movie will be released for free online, and I will post it to this blog when it is available.
Furious 7 - April 3
I just watched the "Fast & Furious" franchise early in 2014. In fact, I bought the first five movies at Walmart's Black Friday kick-off Thanksgiving evening - two days before Paul Walker died. I am looking forward to "Furious 7" because 5 & 6 were so great, as well as the morbid curiosity about what they are going to do with the character of Brian O'Conner.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 - April 17
Overall, I am not a Kevin James fan. But there are a few movies he's in that I really enjoy, and one is "Paul Blart: Mall Cop". Now a sequel is coming out, and the trailer is really good, so I am really looking forward to seeing this movie.
Hank the Cowdog: The Movie - TBA
I have been waiting for a "Hank the Cowdog" movie for almost 20 years now, since I first checked out a "Hank" book from my school's library in first grade. I've always known that a movie based on the series would have to be an original story instead of based on one or more book, so as long as the movie sticks to the spirit of the stories I should not be disappointed by it. The movie is still tentatively set for Easter 2015, so I hope that it will actually be released by then.
Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1
If I were to rank these movies according to how excited I am for them, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" would be at #2, but only slightly. "The Avengers" is now one of my all-time favorite movies, a movie I can watch over and over and over and still enjoy it the same way I did the first time I saw it. I don't know how the sequel is going to top it, but I can tell from the three teaser trailers that it is going to be an amazing movie.
Inside Out - June 19
The first of two Pixar movies coming out in 2015. I have only been disappointed with one Pixar movie ("WALL-E"), so I can't wait for the two movies this year. As the teaser trailer shows, Pixar movies feature all the emotions, so why not an emotional movie about emotions?
Minions - July 10
The minions are the best part of the "Despicable Me" movies, so why not give them their own movie? The three minute trailer is so great, so if they manage to expand that into a 90-minute movie, it should be nearly as good as a Pixar movie!
Ant-Man - July 17
I am only looking forward to "Ant-Man" because it is a MCU movie. I am not sure how this will work as a movie, but I am trusting Marvel the way that I trusted them with "Guardians of the Galaxy".
Untitled Kendrick Brothers movie - TBA
I don't know how the Kendrick brothers will be able to top their last movie, "Courageous", but they have a new movie coming out this year about the topic of prayer. This still untitled movie was made without the association of Sherwood Baptist Church, and it will be their first movie not set in Albany, Georgia. Still, their first four movies have been great, so I don't see why this one won't be great too.
The Peanuts Movie - November 6
In a world where Seth MacFarlane nearly rebooted "The Flintstones", the idea of a modern "Peanuts" movie made me apprehensive. Then I saw the trailer, and learned that the story was written by Charles Schulz's son Craig, and the screenplay was written by Craig's son Bryan. Even though "Peanuts" is being updated for the 21st Century, it is still going to be a faithful adaptation that could have worked 65 years ago.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 - November 20
The conclusion to "The Hunger Games" saga, "Mockingjay, Part 2" is the final battle between the rebels and the government of Panem. As such, it is a very brutal ending and I suspect that the movie is going to end up with an R-rating if it sticks closely to the source material.
The Good Dinosaur - November 25
2015 is the first year that has two Pixar movies coming to theaters. After a movie about emotions, the next Disney-Pixar movie to come out is an alternate history where the dinosaurs never went extinct. It will be interesting to see how this fits into the Pixar Theory.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - December 18
I have been anticipating the sequel to "Return of the Jedi" since I was playing with my Star Wars Legos when I was 9 years old and imagining different scenarios. Even though "The Phantom Menace" had come out that year, it wasn't out on home video yet, so the only Star Wars movies I could watch over and over were the Original Trilogy. At that time "RotJ" was my favorite movie and I really wanted to know what happened next. I had no idea about the Expanded Universe, but I later found out that some of my imaginings were close to the "official" story.
Tak3n - January 9
"Taken 2" was silly and disappointing, but "Taken 3" looks like it will be the best one of the trilogy. We've seen what Bryan Mills is capable of when his loved ones are in danger. But now we'll get to see him on the run. And the irony that he is now the one to say, "Good luck."
Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus - January 19
Forget Ridley Scott's inaccurate drama, "Patterns of Evidence" is a documentary that examines the historical evidence of the biblical Exodus.
Audacity - TBA
From the producers of the controversial documentaries "180: Changing Hearts and Minds About Abortion", "Genius", "Evolution vs. God", and "Noah and the Last Days" comes their first scripted drama dealing with homosexuality and how Christians should respond to it. The movie will be released for free online, and I will post it to this blog when it is available.
Furious 7 - April 3
I just watched the "Fast & Furious" franchise early in 2014. In fact, I bought the first five movies at Walmart's Black Friday kick-off Thanksgiving evening - two days before Paul Walker died. I am looking forward to "Furious 7" because 5 & 6 were so great, as well as the morbid curiosity about what they are going to do with the character of Brian O'Conner.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 - April 17
Overall, I am not a Kevin James fan. But there are a few movies he's in that I really enjoy, and one is "Paul Blart: Mall Cop". Now a sequel is coming out, and the trailer is really good, so I am really looking forward to seeing this movie.
Hank the Cowdog: The Movie - TBA
I have been waiting for a "Hank the Cowdog" movie for almost 20 years now, since I first checked out a "Hank" book from my school's library in first grade. I've always known that a movie based on the series would have to be an original story instead of based on one or more book, so as long as the movie sticks to the spirit of the stories I should not be disappointed by it. The movie is still tentatively set for Easter 2015, so I hope that it will actually be released by then.
Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1
If I were to rank these movies according to how excited I am for them, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" would be at #2, but only slightly. "The Avengers" is now one of my all-time favorite movies, a movie I can watch over and over and over and still enjoy it the same way I did the first time I saw it. I don't know how the sequel is going to top it, but I can tell from the three teaser trailers that it is going to be an amazing movie.
Inside Out - June 19
The first of two Pixar movies coming out in 2015. I have only been disappointed with one Pixar movie ("WALL-E"), so I can't wait for the two movies this year. As the teaser trailer shows, Pixar movies feature all the emotions, so why not an emotional movie about emotions?
Minions - July 10
The minions are the best part of the "Despicable Me" movies, so why not give them their own movie? The three minute trailer is so great, so if they manage to expand that into a 90-minute movie, it should be nearly as good as a Pixar movie!
Ant-Man - July 17
I am only looking forward to "Ant-Man" because it is a MCU movie. I am not sure how this will work as a movie, but I am trusting Marvel the way that I trusted them with "Guardians of the Galaxy".
Untitled Kendrick Brothers movie - TBA
I don't know how the Kendrick brothers will be able to top their last movie, "Courageous", but they have a new movie coming out this year about the topic of prayer. This still untitled movie was made without the association of Sherwood Baptist Church, and it will be their first movie not set in Albany, Georgia. Still, their first four movies have been great, so I don't see why this one won't be great too.
The Peanuts Movie - November 6
In a world where Seth MacFarlane nearly rebooted "The Flintstones", the idea of a modern "Peanuts" movie made me apprehensive. Then I saw the trailer, and learned that the story was written by Charles Schulz's son Craig, and the screenplay was written by Craig's son Bryan. Even though "Peanuts" is being updated for the 21st Century, it is still going to be a faithful adaptation that could have worked 65 years ago.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 - November 20
The conclusion to "The Hunger Games" saga, "Mockingjay, Part 2" is the final battle between the rebels and the government of Panem. As such, it is a very brutal ending and I suspect that the movie is going to end up with an R-rating if it sticks closely to the source material.
The Good Dinosaur - November 25
2015 is the first year that has two Pixar movies coming to theaters. After a movie about emotions, the next Disney-Pixar movie to come out is an alternate history where the dinosaurs never went extinct. It will be interesting to see how this fits into the Pixar Theory.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - December 18
I have been anticipating the sequel to "Return of the Jedi" since I was playing with my Star Wars Legos when I was 9 years old and imagining different scenarios. Even though "The Phantom Menace" had come out that year, it wasn't out on home video yet, so the only Star Wars movies I could watch over and over were the Original Trilogy. At that time "RotJ" was my favorite movie and I really wanted to know what happened next. I had no idea about the Expanded Universe, but I later found out that some of my imaginings were close to the "official" story.
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