An Introduction to Shout Out to the Silver Screen

Sunday, December 19, 2010

“To infinity and beyond!”

“If you build it, he will come.”

“I’ll be back.”

“Luke, I am your father.”

“My Precious!”

“Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?”

“You can’t handle the truth!”

Can you name what movie the above quotes are from without any hesitation? I bet most of you can. (For answers, see the end of this blog) These quotes are etched in our mind because of the power of movies. Today more than ever before, movies shape, redefine, and inspire our society. Why is this?  Why do we love movies so much in today’s culture? Depending on who you ask, you may end up with a large variety of answers. Some would answer they love the special effects, others the thrilling action scenes, and for some it’s the escape to a fantasy world. The quality, content, and storylines have changed drastically over the years in the movies from silent movies in the twenties, to cartoon animation classics of Disney, to the revolutionary special effects phenomenon of the late 70′s to early 80′s, to full-length animation films started by the legendary company of Pixar, to the present craze of movies in 3-D today. There are also a large growing variety of genres of movies: action, drama, comedy, animation, foreign, horror, musical, science fiction–the list keeps getting larger and larger. What’s stayed true over the course of the years is this: a movie’s worth isn’t the special effects, the action packed sequences, the budding romance, or the witty humor–it’s the story, the characters, and the message that resonates with us. This is the value of a movie and why movies stay with us throughout our lives.

A movie stands the test of time when it’s story can be related to and applied in our own lives. Some movies message is easily seen by the audiences of all ages; others have much more depth and richness than requires several watches to truly grasp all the messages that the writers, directors, and producers are trying to get across. This is why Shout Out to the Silver Screen was created. Simply put this ministry’s focus is to show how movies give us messages and lessons about life and by doing so we’re essentially breathing life into movies that we often times overlook what’s right in front of us. This isn’t to say that we don’t treasure watching movies; it’s just sometimes we treat watching movies as nothing but mindless entertainment that we partake in. This ministry will unveil why this assumption is often times incorrect.

Application is the heart of Shout It Ministries and Shout Out to the Silver Screen is no different.  This ministry’s goal is to help better illustrate spiritual truths and moral lessons into your everyday life. Most movies today are not based on a Christian worldview. Sin, immorality, and godliness is littered through the fabric of the movies today. With that being said, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any value in movies or we shouldn’t support them, valuing their worth. Discretion and caution of course always need to be taken in consideration with movie watching, but there are hidden spiritual truths, lessons, teachings, insights, and treasures to be uncovered as well. Again there an increasingly number of movies that under no circumstances that I condone watching such as crude “R” rated movies, violent, gory senseless horror flicks, or movies that show explicit sex.  None of these movies will be analyzed here under any circumstances. If there’s one thing I want to ask yourself of when it comes to movies is the following: Does watching this movie bring glory to God? Does this movie blaspheme Christianity? Does this movie explicitly promote sin and godliness? We all need to set guidelines and parameters on what we watch whether it be movies, television, or the internet. For more on what’s not going to be covered in this ministry visit: http://shoutitforlife.com/glee/shout-out-blueprint/

If you answered “Toy Story” as the answer to the first quote you would be correct. I put this quote at the very top because it’s the first movie series we will be covering. Why? For starters, the Toy Story series is still fresh in a lot of people’s minds as the trilogy is now complete and out on DVD. Also because it many ways Toy Story is one of the biggest landmark  movies to ever come out. Before Toy Story there were no computer animated full-length movies. It was the very first full-length computer animated film and started the revolution of computer animation seen.  It put cartoon animation in the dust so to speak. Another reason is because Toy Story has some of the strongest characters in movie history that we’ve grown up with and loved. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Jessie, Potato Head, Slink, and Ham are easily recognized by millions of children and adults today. Finally, because Toy Story is rich in spiritual themes that cut to the core of our existence such as the value of friendship, themes of love, belonging, loyalty, our purpose in life, and the importance of work. Toy Story was not meant to be a Christian allegory by no means, but there’s little debate that it can come across as one if you look closely enough.

Toy Story is just one of many movies/series of movies we will be covering. Along with movies we’ll  also from time to time look at television shows such as the very popular and controversial series, LOST. Some examples of movies/movie series we will look at are as follows: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Chariots of Fire, Wall-e, Glory Road, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, Fireproof, and Remember the Titians. This list is nowhere close to exhaustive–there are countless movies to pick from making this a ministry with  limitless possibilities!  Now that we have the “what” down, let’s take a closer look at the “when”…

Shout Out to the Silver Screen is set to launch in mid to late May of 2011(Update: May 28/29). From then on, every Mid-May to June and Mid-November through December of every year there will be a new movie/movie series/television series showcased. Why this time of the year? Logically because these two time periods are when the big blockbusters come out to theaters and are released to DVD. Also because there is a solid six month period between these two  periods giving me plenty of time to watch the content, gather the information, write and analyze about the movie(s), design the outlook, and put it all together. Simply put–it’s time consuming! Another important thing to keep in mind is that the information will not be presented all at once. On the contrary, it’ll be presented slowly over a weekly and sometimes daily basis giving you time to digest and take in the material. Also it’ll give you time to watch the content so that you can see these spiritual truths for yourself. Alright let’s get into the details!

What can you expect from this ministry? Depending on the length, depth, and amount of material to cover–a whole lot! Toy Story, for example, has an abundance of material and resources to cover which means plenty of goodies for you to discover! Here is a list of the main features that will be included in Shout Out to the Silver Screen:

• Taking Care of the Characters: It is here that the all the characters will be profiled. Their background, their strengths, weaknesses, personality, and relationships to the other characters will all be included.  
• The Real from the Reel: A series of blog entries that will cover different messages on life that can be taken away from the movie(s). Themes, spiritual values, life lessons will be analyzed and discussed in depth taking a deeper look into the story of the movie(s). This is the heart of the ministry.  
• Words with Wisdom and Wit: When we think of movies one of the first things we think of the dialogue. It firmly sticks in our minds–the witty, funny, thought-provoking quotes that stay with us throughout the course of our lives. In this section the most famous quotes will be included and who stated the quote.  
• Screen to Seen: Here your knowledge of the movies will be tested. See if you can answer tough questions on the movie and declare yourself a fan-addict. Some questions will be easy, others much harder.  
• Settling the Score: Imagine a movie without the score…Hard isn’t it? Without music a movie fails to give us emotion, depth, or inspiration that we come to expect. Often times the score is what gives a powerful scene it’s magical touch. This section will provide you with behind the scenes look at the score, providing sample clips/full clips, and its impact  in our culture today. 
• Examining Easter Eggs: This section will go beyond the surface of the movie and reveal some things that go easily unnoticed. This covers the movie, how the movie was made, and the features of the DVD(s) that you may want to check out. 
• Making Movies Magical: Those of you who love how movies are made, this section is especially for you. It is here we’re you’ll discover some of the facts behind the making of the movie, the graphics, score, sound effects, action sequences, etc. Of course, video clips will be in heavy use here to further illustrate the facts if and when possible— in other words, copyrights have to be considered.
• The Lens of the Legacy: Last but not least, this is where we’ll look at how a movie has impacted our culture and inspired us. The main question we’ll look at is this: How do we look at life differently now that we’ve seen this movie(s)? This will either kick-off a new series or conclude a series. In the case of Toy Story, it’ll lanuch the series.

What are some examples of things that will be discussed with the Toy Story Trilogy? An example would be the relationship between Woody and Buzz throughout the three films. Or the special bond between Woody and Andy that is evident from beginning to end. What spiritual lessons can we learn and how to apply it to our everyday lives is the heart of this ministry and you’ll read about it in the section called, The Real from the Reel.  Also countless references  to popular movies such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Superman, Alien, and so on in the Toy Story trilogy will be revealed in the section, Examining Easter Eggs as we uncover things you may have overlooked. Want to know how they made the movie? This will be covered in the section, Making Movies Magical. Love the score from Randy Newman? You’ll get full sound clips and get an inside look at the inspiration behind the music in Settling the Score. Have you seen the Toy Story Movies and think you know everything there is to know about them?  Test your knowledge in Screen to Seen. What are Rex’s strengths? His weaknesses?  How does he grow as a character throughout the movies? Read about Rex and all of your favorite characters as they’re profiled in the section called, Taking Care of the Characters.  “You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell.” ” One minute you’re defending the WHOLE galaxy…the next you’re suckin’ down Darjeeling with Marie Antoinette and her little sisters..” “¿Han visto a mi nave espacial?”  Who said these lines? And to who and in what scene? All your favorite quotes from Toy Story can be read in the section titled, Words with Wisdom and Wit. (Hint: These three lines are all from the same character!) Finally, read about the incredible impact that the Toy Story movies have had on our culture and how we view things differently in light of them in The Lens of the Legacy.

As you can see, this ministry isn’t going to be just some run of the mill, half-hearted attempt analysis of a movie. I want this ministry to be distinctly different from the others–to implement a fun and engaging look at culture that will leave a lasting impression on you. We are increasingly becoming a visual society and much less dependent on reading to gather information. That is why I believe this ministry is of vital importance. The best movies, as we’ll see, are the ones that mirror life, inspire us, soar our imaginations, and provide characters that we can relate to. Whether it be action, drama, comedy, suspense, a documentary, foreign, animation, or science fiction—it can be said that movies have value! I hope you’re excited for this ministry as I am–my aim is that you’ll never look at movies the same way again! Stay tuned for further updates and get excited for the lanuch of Shout Out to the Silver Screen coming on Memorial weekend 2011 with the Toy Story Trilogy! Let there be lights, camera, action!

Here’s the answers to the quotes at the very top:

a) Toy Story

b) Field of Dreams

c) Terminator

d) Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back

e) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

f) Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

g) A Few Good Men

Future Features: For a full detailed look at Shout Out to the Silver Screen visit the Blueprint on this website at: http://shoutitforlife.com/glee/shout-out-blueprint/ This blog entry will be the last one for 2010. I will be taking the next four weeks off to enjoy the Christmas and New Year Holidays. Also this will give we time to prepare for the upcoming year and work on some things for the upcoming year. Starting the weekend of January 16, 2011 we will start a brand new seven part series on Worship as a Lifestyle. Plus both the Manual and SPECIAL Ministries will FINALLY be launched. There will also be a  two new Profiles on Randy Alcorn and Phil Wickham. Glee blogs on episodes of Season 1 are upcoming in January as well. I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Remember Jesus is the reason for the season!! God Bless. I’ll see you next year!!

Sources:  None