Life of Kyle Prohaska

Time Changer, is one of the first Christian films I had ever seen. It was way back in 2002, and everyone had been excited to sit in church and watch a film that we could all be sure would be clean and uplifting. The film is a quirky little movie, with some laughs, some goofy physical and visual comedy, and a few profound theological scenes.

That said, the story is a good “idea,” but its presentation could have been a little better. I found myself really wanting to like Russell Carlyle but in the end just couldn’t do it. There was too many lines and portions of the performance that we’re bad to weigh out the good. Granted there isn’t anything wrong with his character but the way in which he was played was over the top. He comes off as a bit of a bafoon, even in his own culture and time in the film. I think what did it was the constant surprise about everything that was said or that he saw. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but sometimes I think surprised was used when he should have been more seriously confused (and not in a comedic way). The message of the story is clear however and that part of the film does come through in the end. Some of the portions of the film meant to be funny were, a few little jokes here and there that relate to our “normal” society. The moments of the film that stick out the most are the ones that are distant from the fast paced, quirky, funny music underlaid scenes. The film is most interesting when the characters sit down and talk (something that is honestly, very rare in a film of this kind). Almost everything in modern culture is shown in the film as “unusual.” Things we are now used to seeing are shown for really what they are in the eyes of God. People “playing church,” the things on TV, teenager rebellion, promiscuous dress, the fact that everyone is in such a hurry now and has lack of patience, etc. All this is well and good but I’m wondering how the film would have been if just a few of these things was centered on, and not trying to hit every target possible.

Still the film is worth the watch and good for whenever your sick and tired of the garbage the world puts out. Even with its shortcomings, it’s a breath of fresh air when I need it.

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The Widows Might, a family film with tremendous heart.

Read our Interview with John Moore here.

When the lights went down at The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, it was a packed house. It was the last major showing of the festival, and The Widows Might was due to play in the big theater projected in HD. Tech geeks (like myself) were very excited to see a feature shot on the RED camera projected in all its glory with a 1080HD signal pumping through, and man did it deliver. The film looked fantastic on the screen. That isn’t the only place the film delivered, it knocked the audience out of their chair and got them to stand up more than 3 times after the film was over. I have NEVER seen such a response from an audience, the noise was ear busting. The film fit like a glove to the intended audience, it was perfect.

Now lets move on to the film itself. The film is at heart a family film, made for people of any age. Kids will no doubt eat up the film, all the elements in it are tailor made to appeal to children, especially the western sequences. The music in the film is excellent, probably one of my favorite parts of the film. I’m not sure anything of this sort has been done in a“Christian” film before, and if it has, I doubt it has been done to this quality level. The acting is decent and sometimes very good, but the quirkiness of the entire project itself makes a lot of the acting in my opinion fit just right, regardless of whatever mistakes might be there. The story itself is crafted very well and has enough going on to keep you interested, you care about what is going on, and cheer when the good guys win and when the bad guys lose. The comedic moments are definitely the most well crafted parts of the story. Everything worked perfect with the audience, including the homeschool jokes which caused clapping throughout the viewers. Timing is everything in comedy, as are the cuts in the edit to create the beats, all of which was done very well. The look of the film is excellent, although not my cup of tea. None the less the filmlooks great, not even like 35mm but like something else entirely. It’s its own look, and has a very Disney like quality to it. The colors are saturated and pop very easily, and the camera work during the musical sequences is especially well done. James Burgess has done a fine job throughout, I look forward to what he does in the future.

Overall this film was wonderful, and the audience it played to and will be sold to absolutely loved it. John Moore has done something really special here, let this be a lesson to all of you. If you create a good story idea, make sure you can sell it, and make sure you know WHO you are selling it to. All your decisions should revolve around that, this film is only one of many that prove that point. Know your audience, and know them well. This film doesn’t include the gospel, but it wasn’t made for the non-Christian. This film was made to be clean, family viewable entertainment for the Christian household. It fits the bill, and fits it well.

Films about political issues normally aren’t my cup of tea, actually politics isn’t really my cup of tea. When politics involve (or attack) the accuracy and truth of the bible, then it’s a different story. Come What May is the first project by the newly formed Advent Film Group. It was created by 40 homeschool students in association with Patrick Henry College.

The story is about moot court, something I didn’t even know existed until I heard of this film for the first time. Debating, legalities, etc. isn’t something I really take an interest in, although I do enjoy the occasional Law & Order episode. Regardless the idea of the film is compelling enough to keep interest, as are the family problems and struggles intertwined.

The chemistry between characters is genuine, especially Caleb and Rachel. The film at times feels like a long commercial for Patrick Henry College, and feels a bit squished into the plot. Rachel’s convictions of courting and marriage while full of truth and integrity comes off read and forced. However, young women are sure to grasp the message of her beliefs. The relationship between Caleb’s mother and father and their story within the film comes off the strongest in my opinion. Their marital issues are common and will be relatable to parents, especially those unequally yoked in their beliefs and goals. The court sequences are also shot in a way that is interesting enough to keep attention, and the ending of the film is satisfying (I wont ruin it for you). Overall the film is a clean, message driven film that many will enjoy regardless of any flaws it may have. There aren’t many films on abortions, especially a film that takes the pro-life side of the issue so the film is a breath of fresh air. The topics dealt with in the film are very relevant to todays politics, which is why I think it will do well when it is released March 17th.

On a technical level, the film shows the most flaws. Some beautiful imagery is often mixed with poor framing and color. The film was shot with the Canon XHA1 with a Redrock M2 Adapter and this at least helps the film by giving it a shallower depth of field. The color of the film is great at times (especially outside) with rich vibrant images. However, sometimes skin tones have a grey milky tone to them. The sound in the film fluctuates in quality from barely audible to properly balanced, poor signals and strong signals. I feel my biggest gripe with the film is the fact it was shot in 30p instead of 24p. The filmic look is absent and adds to the low-budget homemade feeling to the film, which I don’t think is a good thing. Besides all these problems, the film still does its job. With the majority volunteer crew who were learning a lot along the way, the result is still surprising. I always find it fascinating to see a lot done with a little, regardless of the result. I think it’s a weakness of mine, I’ve seen this film more than 10 times by now.

I compare it to Flywheel, Sherwood Pictures first film. A diligent effort for a first project, with promise for the future. Advent will undoubtably excel on a technical level in the future, everyone always does. They will certainly find no issue getting funding with this film being picked up for wide DVD distribution. I look forward to seeing what kind of projects are in the works from Advent Film Group.

Buy Come What May on DVD

Regardless of what won or what didn’t at the 2009 San Antonio International Christian Film Festival, my favorite was undoubtably The Prodigal Trilogy. I was completely sucked into this short film, unlike any other short film I’ve seen. Only 24 minutes long, but every minute is full of excellent camera work, and a compelling performance by Jason Hildebrand. All aspects of the production are set to bring you into a world of three different people told by the same individual. Every word is presented with clarity and delivered with extreme precision, as are every beat and footstep. Jason Hildebrand has done an amazing job here. The ability to play three distinctly different people and not distract the audience because of the same facial appearance truly shows the skill of this fine actor. This story is a brilliant retelling of the Prodigal Son story, and can bring you to tears. The ending moments with thefather speaking about the return of his son will reach the heart of any Christian, reminding us of the Love that God has for each of us. His passion for us is undeniably strong, and this short is a great example of how to present that with an emotional undertone. I absolutely love this film, and suggest that all of you who can see it and share it with others. This is also a great tool to share with youth groups and college groups for small studies or other lessons. The Jubilee Award at SAICFF 2009 for Best Short Film is well deserved here. I’ll have my eye on Jason Hildebrand in the future, his acting talents astound me.

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry was a film I had been waiting for all week at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. I had the pleasure of being on set for a day through a friend of mine Sam Torcasio, a good friend of Writer/Director Rich Christiano. We even were able to act as extras in one of the diner scenes, my first time on celluloid!

The seats were very full in the big theater, lots of families especially with their kids showed up for this screening. I liked Rich’s work in the past but this film is undoubtably his greatest effort. A story of an older man mentoring 3 boys in his community, and therefore impacting many others as a result. It was a great film for younger children, and for older people alike. For those of us in-between the young and old stage, its a great lesson regardless because the lesson of the older man is something we can strive to achieve. The dynamic of mentoring others isn’t locked into the father and son relationship, grandfather to grandchildren, etc. It’s something we should always be doing, even those our own age. But the film was an excellent example of being faithful with the wisdom God has given you by sharing it with other people, and what the result is. I loved the film, I had a smile on the entire time.

The acting was solid and the young boys showed great potential for the future. Gavin McLeod playing Jonathan Sperry in the film did a wonderful job (as usual), and the locations chosen for the 1970s setting fit perfectly. Shooting on 16mm film in this case also benefitted the style, mood, and overall look of the film. The film was also shot by Phillip Hurn who is a regular DP on Rich’s films. His style is very specific and fits the movie like a glove. I’m happy to report the music in the film was excellent, and even won a Jubilee Award at the film festival for Best Original Score. Congratulations to Rich and Jasper Randall on a job well done!

There were many jokes in the film, and the laughs were consistent throughout the film. This movie is something you can buy for your kids without any worry, something that is lacking. I commend Rich Christiano for creating yet another film that refuses to hide the gospel, and for creating films that can touch children and adults alike. A round of applause is much deserved.

Sperry will be released in theaters in 2009. Visit SperryMovie.com for details. You can also visit ChristianMovies.com to find other titles by Rich Christiano.

Facing the Giants might arguably be one of the most well known and most successful independent Christian films of all time. It packs a punch for sure, and made a rift in the Christian filmmaking community, showing what a film of this budget could actually do. It really shines for its budget range, a mere $100,000. Mind you, what you actually see on the DVD isn’t the $100,000 version, but the film after many more hundreds of thousands were poured into it. Even so the film is fantastic, being a great example of doing a lot with a little.

The story of Grant Taylor seems like it might not be relatable, but at its core comes a man with very common struggles. A husband, with problems at home and at work. Sound familiar? If it doesn’t then your a liar because everyone has problems of some kind at home AND in the workplace. Add to that the issue of infertility and you have something powerful, not just the football sequences. The story flows well, the characters are lovable, and the end will have you squirming in your seat with excitement. The acting quality has been criticized by a lot of people but let me make something clear (and this is unfortunate) but the acting in the film is better than in most Christian films. Alex Kendrick playing Grant Taylor (also Director/Writer), gives a strong performance carrying on the quality he holds from Sherwood previous film Flywheel.

Also brought up in many reviews of the film is that its a fairy tale, with everything working out and being squeaky clean in the end. Yes pretty much everything that could go right in the end does in the film, BUT it is because of the point of the film. People find it unrealistic that so much good could happen in real life, but they fail to understand what they are saying. God can do all things, and if you believe that, then why would such a thing be true? It was to show what CAN happen, not what always does. It amazes me how many people miss that. The films message is clear and profound. If there is any Christian film that should be in the mix of your DVD’s at home it is this one. Do yourself a favor and buy it, watch it, and share it with others.

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Flywheel, is the first film from Sherwood Baptist Church. Created in 2003, it is an incredible example of what can be done with very little resources, and lots of prayer. The films production quality is terrible, that I will say because its not a subjective thing. The picture quality is grainy and noisy, and the 35mm adapter used on the front is often used improperly with its spinning glass being visible in lots of shots. Sound is also mediocre and sounds tinny.

All that aside, Flywheel was my #1 Favorite Christian film until this year (2008). What makes a film that looks so bad so good? STORY. Flywheel has a very strong story and is presented with great care. Every moment of the film works, and the ending leaves you with such a great feeling I don’t want to ruin it here. The acting by the lead Alex Kendrick (also the Writer/Director, you might recognize him from Facing the Giants *wink*) is actually pretty good. He is the strongest in the film without a doubt, and as it turns out that is needed to save the movie. The rest of the acting is mediocre at best, but because of careful writing, there is very few things that don’t work no matter how they are spoken or cut together. Something I can do with this film that I can’t with any other is justify all the mistakes. Bad acting is normally non-excusable, and ruins a film. In this case, the story and presentation shine through making you pay attention and get past all the bad you might notice.

The message is strong and relatable, making almost anyone who watches it understand the characters struggles (especially men, or married couples). There is much to be said, but I don’t feel like ruining anything about the film. You’ll have to see for yourself.

The heart of this film is HUGE, and it shows. You will be very surprised by this little gem, I have no doubts. Pop it in, and watch it beginning to end…you’ll find you can watch this film over and over again and it still does its job I love this little movie.

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So there I sat, with my cup of Sprite and my gummie bears at the Regal.  I had never seen a Star Trek movie all the way through, and quite frankly I just couldn’t.  They always bored me and were mediocre at best.  I was expecting something good from this one though, from what I saw it looked like a great film, but I wasn’t completely sure.

The movie started and the dazzling spectacle began.  I was shocked at how visually stunning the film was, and besides that how strong the story was.  Not just how lovable and witty the characters were, but also how well developed.  The humor in the film was something I wasn’t expecting, and almost no joke didn’t have me smiling or chuckling to some degree.  Although this film was a reboot of sorts, it felt completely disconnected from the other films and sits as its “own thing,” I think.  Granted I haven’t seen the other films, only pieces but I can tell you this…the film is fantastic.  I had an awesome feeling leaving the theater, the kind of feeling that doesn’t wear off for a while.  It reminded me just why I love movies.  The experience of watching a good movie and everything that goes with it.  What an awesome experience it was watching this film, one of the best I’ve had in a theater honestly.

The flares and visual style to the film was a fresh look.  The abundance of the flaring, optical anomalies, and all the other things associated with it’s style always felt fresh and never really distracted me.  The effects were top notch and it seems they kept a good balance overall in the film of the “used future” and the clean pristine look that is associated with Star Trek most of the time.  The long dialog driven logic and such also associated with Star Trek wasn’t minimal but was done with taste and never felt like too much.  Even if it did, the audience often took it as a joke (which I think a lot of it was…embedded into the long speeches).  All the cast was superb and a perfect choice.  I won’t go into detail on each because honestly they were all flawless.  The acting in the film is strong, and never hit cheesy.  It was always real, grounded, and natural.

I’ll see this film again, without a doubt.  I refuse to really talk about aspects of the story I like because I don’t want to ruin the film.  This is was good enough to keep quiet and let you all enjoy it for yourselves.  I’ll have to see it again to decide but this film might sneak into my top 15…or even my top 10.  Towards the bottom of the list of course, but being in my Top 10 means it has to be very good.

Go see the film…it would be difficult to NOT enjoy it.

Today I slept in but not long enough.  I felt like garbage most of the day, I’ve been really tired lately without a morning to officially catch up on sleep.  Jean-Marc and I just ate some breakfast and figured out what we were going to do for the day.  He had never been to Niagara Falls before so I took him up there.  We weren’t there long, just enough time to see it and leave.  Afterwards we went to Lewiston and took the long way home so he got to see the surrounding area.  When we got home it was time for food then looking at the edit again to look through things.  We also popped in a movie mid-day (Bringing Up Bobby), which Jean-Marc hadn’t seen.  Luckily I had a copy complimentary of Glowing Nose LLC for review and such on the Praise Pictures website.  Later Kevin Michael came over and we went over the edit, talked a bit, and made a list of the ADR needed and the last things to shoot for the film.  We only found one thing that will need a reshoot, and I’m glad we found it because it really needs it.  I haven’t watched the scene in months and seeing it now it’s clear as day that it needs to be redone.  I’ll ruin the film if I tell you what it is so…yea you get the point

Either way I’m glad to have a better official list of things needed.  I’m feeling a bit anxious to finish this, as everyone else has.  We have 3 days of shooting left, as opposed to the 2 we thought we had.  3 was always a better estimate and weather permitting that’ll stay at 3 days.  Hopefully all goes well.  It’ll only leave me 2 weeks to do all the ADR which is not much time.  I’m going to be running a million miles an hour until I leave, there are only a few weeks left.  I’m really tired, time for bed after The Dark Knight is over.  Jean hasn’t seen that yet either…along with a ton of other great films.  He’ll have a list of things to watch in the next 30 days by the time he leaves.

It’s rare that a film changes someone, truly changes someone.  At the core of their being they have a shift because of an experience they had watching the film.  I wont say a “spiritual experience” because then it starts to sound newage-ish…not my intent.

When I first saw this film, I hadn’t even heard of it prior to that.  I popped it into my computer and started to watch.  It was already late at night and normally I would have droopy eyes but right from the start the film grabbed me.  My top two favorite films deal with prisons, not because I’m a sadist, but because there is much to learn from the idea of prison.  It’s hard to really truly understand what you have unless it is taken, something God does in all of us from time to time.  It’s a huge reminder of where we need our focus to be.  Shawshank would probably be called a bland film by a teenager saw it today…or boring.  It’s not full of CGI or revolutionary camera work.  No slow-motion bulletime or action sequences to speak of.  It’s at its core, a drama.  It has an old Hollywood feel to it all, because of the nature of the story and the way it’s told.  It’s a period piece of the 30’s and into the 40’s and 50’s, and captures the times very well.  Also, because it was void of all the glitter and glamour in a huge blockbuster, I think I loved it more.  Its only leg to stand on was the storytelling and the character driven circumstances.  There isn’t any fluff or fillers to cover up bad storytelling.  It’s brilliance, and not the typical story to come from writer Steven King.  I find this film to be one of the most brilliant stories I’ve ever seen, and it’s presented with perfection. 

It’s a character study, every role whether it be the leads or supporting (and there are many of these) all have a lot of depth.  You feel their history when they are around each other, like one giant family sitting at a dinner table.  The camera work is slow moving and personal.  Only a few times do you ever get 15ft away from the point of interest.  You are at eye level with the actor almost exclusively.  There aren’t many special shots in the film, but it keeps you anchored to the characters.  The film is tough to watch at times, but every favorite film of mine is.  Eventual redemption wouldn’t feel so incredible if the road to get there wasn’t tough.  The audience needs to feel the payoff of Andy Dufraines escape, so you have to go right along with him in every valley he hits.  There is severe injustice to his character, more and more of it occurs as the story goes on.  You get angry at the injustice, but the payoff when justice is served to those who deserve it is great.  It didn’t phase me much but I remember my mom describing her anger that the warden killed himself in the end, she wanted to see him on trial so bad.  He took the cowards way out, but I found this to be adequate because that was exactly what kind of person he was.  The highest in power but the weakest in character, and a hypocrite.  His usage of scripture and the bible in the film makes me twitch, because he is absolute slime.  The reveal in the end of the film where you see that Andy had been hiding the rock hammer inside the very object he knew the warden would never take away made me cheer.  Andy was the smartest, he outsmarted the system.  This is where the story really becomes genius, is the last 20 minutes.  You watch all this injustice and character development and setup, then Andy becomes free.  That already fills you with elation, but the story isn’t over.  Your hit with one great thing after another that ties in that previous two hours you spent wincing and soaking in the story.  Andy walks into the bank as the man who “doesn’t exist,“ and takes hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the bank.  The greatest part about this is he didn’t really steal it.  He took out what the pay would’ve been had he been properly compensated for his accountant work for the warden.  He could’ve taken all of it, but he took what was rightfully his under the law.  The integrity shown in Andy’s character is monumental throughout.  The perfect example of a man who respected his fellow man.  In some ways he reminds me of myself.  Not because I’m putting myself on a pedestal for integrity, but because the desires he has as a person are similar to my own.  Like when Andy took a huge risk to get beers for his inmates.  He didn’t even want to drink one, he just wanted to watch his friends enjoy themselves.  That’s all he wanted, it was worth it.  Same with the record player.  He knew he would get in trouble, but turned the volume up on that music anyways.  He wanted everyone to feel the freedom he had in his own being.  Have I done some wacky things sometimes in life just so I felt alive?  Absolutely.  Biblically as well, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the people you care about satisfied and happy.  I’m not a father but any father reading this knows that when he sees his child smile, his heart is warmed.

Red’s character was less relatable for me personally.  However, he reminded me of someone else I know, so I connected.  This is a story about many things, but at it’s core it’s friendship.  There is a bond between Andy and Red that I absolutely love.  Friendship in my eyes isn’t cheap, and it isn’t easy.  True friendship takes work like a marriage.  There is loyalty and trust that is built over many years.  I’ve had two friends in my life that I would place in this category, one of them more than the other.  There is a special bond there, and if I don’t see him for more than a year…the next time I do, we hit it off like we saw each other yesterday.  That’s something unique that I love to see portrayed.  I can understand that special bond, and it’s so backwards from what the world calls a “friend.“  That word is thrown around much to flippantly and wastefully.  My favorite part of Red’s character was his attitude.  That might be the part that I relate to on a more personal level.  This was confirmed for me when Red walks in to meet the parole board the third and last time.  His speech is right on the money, and really paints a picture of my attitude sometimes about things.  There is much said by Red throughout the film that is so true that it will stick with the viewer.  That is something else the film is full of that makes it so great.  Almost every scene of the film is a great memory for me.  The story of Brooks for instance, so much truth to be learned there.  Red’s line comes to mind “they send you here for life, that’s exactly what they take.“  The lines written throughout the film are perfectly crafted.  I honestly think Frank Darabont is one of the greatest writers I’ve seen, especially for adaptations.  He adapts novels so well, especially King’s books. 

The ending of the film never fails to put a smile on my face.  The joy I felt when I first saw it kept me still in my chair.  I can’t really articulate how it really made me feel, it was incredible.  The moment in which this might have hit it’s peak is when the revealing of the poster came about.  When the Warden put his finger in that hole and pushed his arm right through it ripping the poster off.  I yelled really loud!  It must have been 1:30am or something at that point but I didn’t care.  It was brilliance, and the retelling of the story by Red made it even better.  The fact I can watch this film over and over and still feel the joy that I did the first time I saw it really makes this film special.  That is why I don’t think it will ever move from my #1 spot, because it is so much more than just “a film.“  Seeing Andy and Red meet each other on the beach at the end gives me chills just thinking about it.  This film is fantastic, and there is a reason it’s as popular as it is.  It’s worked its way into the households around the US since it’s release on video, and more and more people discover it every day.  I’ve read stories of this film helping people through a difficult divorce, break ups, death of loved ones, loss of a job, and anything else you can think of.  It seems like the stories that you can find never fail to impress.  It really truly changed it’s viewers, and there are lots of them.

Not many films can do that, and few do it for so many years after they’re released.