If you see just one thriller this year in which a climactic car chase is followed by the director-star breaking character to deliver a five-minute sermon straight into the camera — followed by three more minutes of Mike Huckabee leading viewers in prayer to accept Jesus into their hearts, before the end credits roll — then make it “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist,” the latest in a series of apocalyptic films based on the bestselling Christian book series.
Although “Rise” is the sixth feature derived from dozens of rapture-iffic novels and spinoff novellas published under the “Left Behind” banner in the mid-’90s through mid-2000s, it’s the first in the film series to have Kevin Sorbo as a leading man as well as director. Where past installments were relatively coy about their evangelistic purpose, Sorbo opts to add a literal come-to-Jesus epilogue. You may recall that the last actor...
Although “Rise” is the sixth feature derived from dozens of rapture-iffic novels and spinoff novellas published under the “Left Behind” banner in the mid-’90s through mid-2000s, it’s the first in the film series to have Kevin Sorbo as a leading man as well as director. Where past installments were relatively coy about their evangelistic purpose, Sorbo opts to add a literal come-to-Jesus epilogue. You may recall that the last actor...
- 1/30/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
With Run The Series, The A.V. Club examines film franchises, studying how they change and evolve with each new installment.
Writing about the A Thief In The Night series as an outsider to Christianity, generally and specifically without prior knowledge of very particular theological ideas about the Rapture, is a crash course in histories that seem to come from a previously hidden dimension. That’s a viewer bias problem, not the films’ own: It’s estimated over 300 million people have seen the first installment, so for many this is home turf. But evangelical Rapture-based theology is complex, often willfully arcane in its terminology, and outright strange. The same goes for this tetralogy. The four films in the series, which came out between 1972 and 1983, follow a basic through-line anyone familiar with the concept of the Rapture can follow: 144,000 Christian souls disappear, having gone up to ...
Writing about the A Thief In The Night series as an outsider to Christianity, generally and specifically without prior knowledge of very particular theological ideas about the Rapture, is a crash course in histories that seem to come from a previously hidden dimension. That’s a viewer bias problem, not the films’ own: It’s estimated over 300 million people have seen the first installment, so for many this is home turf. But evangelical Rapture-based theology is complex, often willfully arcane in its terminology, and outright strange. The same goes for this tetralogy. The four films in the series, which came out between 1972 and 1983, follow a basic through-line anyone familiar with the concept of the Rapture can follow: 144,000 Christian souls disappear, having gone up to ...
- 2/2/2017
- by Vadim Rizov
- avclub.com
Looks like Rumple is back to spinning straw into gold!
On Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 8, everyone's favorite bad guy, Rumplestiltskin is behind the wheel, and he also has something big that Zelena and Belle want.
Elsewhere in the hour, it looks like Henry and Violet are headed to their first dance together, so obviously the night will go smoothly, right?
Not if the Evil Queen has anything to say about it!
The official episode description for "I'll Be Your Mirror" from ABC reads as follows:
"Emma and Regina formulate a plan to trap the Evil Queen in a prison of their own making, while Snow and David adjust to life without each other.
As Henry nervously prepares to take Violet to the school dance, the Evil Queen impersonates Regina to give him some advice that could lead him down a dark path.
Meanwhile, Zelena agrees to help Belle,...
On Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 8, everyone's favorite bad guy, Rumplestiltskin is behind the wheel, and he also has something big that Zelena and Belle want.
Elsewhere in the hour, it looks like Henry and Violet are headed to their first dance together, so obviously the night will go smoothly, right?
Not if the Evil Queen has anything to say about it!
The official episode description for "I'll Be Your Mirror" from ABC reads as follows:
"Emma and Regina formulate a plan to trap the Evil Queen in a prison of their own making, while Snow and David adjust to life without each other.
As Henry nervously prepares to take Violet to the school dance, the Evil Queen impersonates Regina to give him some advice that could lead him down a dark path.
Meanwhile, Zelena agrees to help Belle,...
- 11/10/2016
- by Christine Laskodi
- TVfanatic
In The Overlook, A.V. Club film critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky examines the misfits, underappreciated gems, and underseen classics of film history.
It was a buddy who collected film prints of 1970s hardcore porn—a real specialist, a historian—that introduced me to A Thief In The Night, the greatest evangelical end-times scare flick ever made. Or maybe it was my friend who owned the video store. We all lived in the same building then (next to the video store, as a matter of fact), and these sorts of discoveries tended to spread and dissipate quickly, like the smoke, cooking, and pet smells that seeped into the dingy stairwell from our apartment doors. I think we all knew the howling live-action Jack Chick tract If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?, the first of several movies made by the exploitation director Ron Ormond for Estus Pirkle, an unhinged preacher from...
It was a buddy who collected film prints of 1970s hardcore porn—a real specialist, a historian—that introduced me to A Thief In The Night, the greatest evangelical end-times scare flick ever made. Or maybe it was my friend who owned the video store. We all lived in the same building then (next to the video store, as a matter of fact), and these sorts of discoveries tended to spread and dissipate quickly, like the smoke, cooking, and pet smells that seeped into the dingy stairwell from our apartment doors. I think we all knew the howling live-action Jack Chick tract If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?, the first of several movies made by the exploitation director Ron Ormond for Estus Pirkle, an unhinged preacher from...
- 10/4/2016
- by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
- avclub.com
Chicago – Onscreen, Nicolas Cage is more sinner than saint these days. And he’ll need a whole month’s worth of Hail Marys to atone for this latest cinematic scourge upon the multiplex.
While the promise of late career Cage in an apocalyptic Christian rapture thriller has hope, “Left Behind” has something to leave both bad movie aficionados and the Christian faithful sorely disappointed.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
The end times have a seemingly endless fascination for a certain devoted section of the Evangelical Christian populace, but it brings out the worst in the faithful filmmakers that try to tackle it. Instead of genuine suspense, we get ham-fisted preachiness. Growing up, and attending Bible summer camp, I watched a 1970’s rapture flick called “A Thief In The Night.” That ramped up the over-the-top hysterics to 11. A little hysterics would have been welcome here.
This is actually the second try at rebooting the inexplicably popular book series.
While the promise of late career Cage in an apocalyptic Christian rapture thriller has hope, “Left Behind” has something to leave both bad movie aficionados and the Christian faithful sorely disappointed.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
The end times have a seemingly endless fascination for a certain devoted section of the Evangelical Christian populace, but it brings out the worst in the faithful filmmakers that try to tackle it. Instead of genuine suspense, we get ham-fisted preachiness. Growing up, and attending Bible summer camp, I watched a 1970’s rapture flick called “A Thief In The Night.” That ramped up the over-the-top hysterics to 11. A little hysterics would have been welcome here.
This is actually the second try at rebooting the inexplicably popular book series.
- 10/3/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
This Christian Scare Film about the evils of porn and/or masturbation has been making the rounds for the last few days, and is filled with comedy gold. A heavy-lidded ginger tries to overcome temptation when he’s invited by his bud for an evening of munchies, special buzz juice and … mutual masturbation? Thankfully, his “Professor” is always standing by to provide support.
A lot of people are wondering if it’s some kind of parody, but even though it has been edited down to provide the maximum awesomeness, it is definitely real.
It’s easy to question its validity, as most Christian Scare Films run the gamut from batshit insane to really batshit insane, so who can tell a parody from the real thing anymore?
Let’s take a look back at some of the most famous, infamous, or must-be-seen-to-be-believed CSFs, and for the sake of our sanity, we...
A lot of people are wondering if it’s some kind of parody, but even though it has been edited down to provide the maximum awesomeness, it is definitely real.
It’s easy to question its validity, as most Christian Scare Films run the gamut from batshit insane to really batshit insane, so who can tell a parody from the real thing anymore?
Let’s take a look back at some of the most famous, infamous, or must-be-seen-to-be-believed CSFs, and for the sake of our sanity, we...
- 9/6/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Carlisle, Iowa — Russell S. Doughten Jr., whose series of evangelical films about a post-rapture Earth was screened to millions of Christians in churches around the world, has died. He was 86.
Doughten died Monday at his home in Carlisle following a long battle with a kidney ailment, Peterson Funeral Home confirmed Saturday.
Although Doughten worked on various secular films – he helped produce the 1958 science fiction classic "The Blob," among other films – he was best known for his four-part film series about what life on Earth might be like after the rapture, or end of times, The Des Moines Register reported ( ). Evangelicals think true believers will ascend to heaven and those left behind will fight a war between Jesus and the Antichrist. http://dmreg.co/19EAcxG
The series, which began with 1972's "A Thief in the Night," follows a young woman who is among the non-believers left behind. Doughten appeared in the...
Doughten died Monday at his home in Carlisle following a long battle with a kidney ailment, Peterson Funeral Home confirmed Saturday.
Although Doughten worked on various secular films – he helped produce the 1958 science fiction classic "The Blob," among other films – he was best known for his four-part film series about what life on Earth might be like after the rapture, or end of times, The Des Moines Register reported ( ). Evangelicals think true believers will ascend to heaven and those left behind will fight a war between Jesus and the Antichrist. http://dmreg.co/19EAcxG
The series, which began with 1972's "A Thief in the Night," follows a young woman who is among the non-believers left behind. Doughten appeared in the...
- 8/25/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
It’s Tuesday! That means it’s time for another Home Invasion post. Home Invasion is a list of DVD & Blu-Ray releases for the week. All descriptions are from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted. We have included buttons for you to order that product which not only makes it easy on you but also helps us pay the bills around here.
Batman: Year One (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Batman: Year One is an animated adaptation of the four issue story arc Batman: Year One. The premiere was at Comic-Con on July 22 and the official release date is October 18, 2011. The film was directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu. It is the 12th film released under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner. (from Wikipedia.org)
Buy the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy @ Amazon.com Beware
Shady Grove has many dark secrets among them is the sadistic legend of Shane,...
Batman: Year One (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Batman: Year One is an animated adaptation of the four issue story arc Batman: Year One. The premiere was at Comic-Con on July 22 and the official release date is October 18, 2011. The film was directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu. It is the 12th film released under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner. (from Wikipedia.org)
Buy the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy @ Amazon.com Beware
Shady Grove has many dark secrets among them is the sadistic legend of Shane,...
- 10/18/2011
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Writer-director James Felix McKenney's horror movie homage to the golden age of religious cinema, Satan Hates You, is scheduled to make its world premiere at the Roxie Theatre at 3117 16th St in San Francisco, CA On July 10th.Satan Hates You was inspired by classics of Christian cinema such as A Thief In The Night (1972) and If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971). Satan Hates You is a...
- 7/1/2010
- by Anthony T
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