jjenn-24197 Reviews

Independent Lens: Little Hope Was Arson (2015) Season 16, Episode 12

he people are real, the East Texas accents thick, and personal grapplings intense.

[10/10 · 7 April 2015]

For Christians, there is an outstanding independent documentary called "Little Hope Was Arson" on"Independent Lens", KERA. I caught it, quite by accident, on KERA about 11:00 p.m. on Monday, Apr 6.

It is about the burning of ten rural/small town churches in East Texas in 2010, and the reactions of real people, small communities, and law enforcement. The people are real, the East Texas accents thick, and personal grapplings intense. A real life whodunit with actual plot resolution. Much meat for spiritual reflection. David McAllister, father of one of the perps,is particularly outstanding. dropping words of wisdom from the back of his garage, with scant reference to Augustine or Aquinas.

With a modest apology to Hank Williams, Jr, I found myself singing, "with a shotgun,rifle, and a four wheel drive, a country Christian can survive…". (It's kinda like "Okie Noodling", with much more of a point.) "Little Hope Was Arson" will air again KERA on Sunday, April 12 at 3:30 a.m. in the morning. (?) Or check your local listings. Excellent background info on the making on PBS.org. Well worth a recording for TIVO techies or night owls.

Killing Jesus (2015 TV Movie)

Bill O'Reilly seems to be an opponent of abortion, so why this one?

[1/10 · 30 March 2015]

Bill O'Reilly seems to be an opponent of abortion, so why this one? Most scenes are curiously flat, uninspired, incomplete, and lacking the balls of a bull butterfly. Missing features: no writing on the ground at saving the adulteress, the healing the leprous woman was just touchy- feelly, the ear of the high priest's servant wasn't healed, no open tomb, etc. Some production values were excellent, but still uneven. The big Sea of Galilee "fish on!" looked like it was filmed in a stagnant West Texas cow tank. Suggestion: spend a few more bucks to get enough extras. Even non- believers must concede that these events were big at the time, and would attract large crowds. Crucifixions in particular were always a large draw.

This level of incompetence cannot be accidental, so why intentional? Didn't some famous guy with an English accent once say, "When Hollywood political correctness and the real facts differ, film the political correctness?"Or maybe just the typical Hollywood Easter scam, take the money and run. I strongly suspect that Bill O'Reilly has lost a chunk of his core constituency. I have read O'Reilly's book and, knew that the perspective was deliberately squeezed dry of faith elements, yet I reasoned thus. Any TV show that gets the post-modernist viewer watching about Jesus is better than nothing. I was wrong. It is possible that this is the only message about Jesus that many viewers will ever get.

This is three hours of my life that I will never get back. (Why was it billed as a four hour event?) Hate to use the old cheap shot, but it has never been more appropriate. Read the book, its better. That is, the Real Book.