Top Must See/Own Movies & Documenteries

I am really getting tired of “just movies”.

I am ready for stories to be told, stories that have foundation, meaning, purpose and filler to them. I don’t need another romance film or scary flick to hit a big screen near me.  It does nothing but furthers our American stupidity, and brainwashes us….when other countries see us and define us as nothing but ego-centric Hollywood fans, how can we disagree?  Do we have true World News? Are we equipped to be involved in World Affairs?  Do most Americans even care?  Honestly, I don’t know everything that goes on over there and you probably don’t care; its our culture, its our generation….its the country we have formed and live and breath.

I am told I am a story teller and I like that….I share journeys I have experienced, roads I have been on and accomplishments I’ve found wisdom in.  I don’t like to share them as a “woah….look at me” but a “hey, lets talk this out I think there is something here”, sort of matter.  However, If I am a story teller, I love to see how people who read and hear my stories personalize their interpretation from them.  That is what we all do, we read a book and a interpret our feelings and thoughts on the story, the experience.

Movies that allow us to interpret allow us to learn.  Where we find a opportunity for interpretation we find glimpses of wisdom and ownership in the experience.

I am ready for movies and a culture that is all filler….no drama.  I think we are slowly going towards a drive for this.

There are a few movies I feel that I really think everyone needs to see.  They are stories to be told.  active opportunities for us to learn, to embark wisdom and to take our own interpretation from.

I have listed a few of my favorites, and there are many more I am sure I am missing….and more that I would like to see.  If you have any ones to suggest please leave comments below or shoot me a email. This is what I am ready for, things that matter.  I hope Christians can get involved in these things, instead of making B-Rate films of bad theology like Left Behind which the Cheese Factor is the main ingredient.  Why do Christians make Bad Art, when we have the Ultimate Creator? That is another story for another time.

Lake of Fire
I saw this on a opening night at a independent film festival in Philadelphia, PA.  I went with some people who are very like minded to myself and have all worked on the road for the progressive side of the pro-All-life movement.  This film is an attempt to be an unbiased look at the issue of Abortion, a single issue they feel that has the ability to divide the world.  The black and white documentary for sure chooses the worse of the worse of both sides, but mainly on the pro-life side, because it is the most controversial.  They show the Randall Terry’s and the Lou Engles.  I saw many events I was at, I saw many people I know personally.  It felt for a long time the movie was an attempt to make the pro life side look like the normal right wing, pro war, pro man, pro gun totin’ republican. (that’s a mouth full).  The ending scene is what brought the many pro-choice and pro-life people together on the front that watched the movie, it was one of the most emotional scenes I have ever witnessed on screen in my life.  It showed mothers who had abortions sharing their regrets, stories and consequences.  I lost it. A Must See. A must own.  It shows where we feel, how the culture defines us and where we can improve our tact, our message and our need for prompt response with healing.
Jesus Camp
I saw bits and pieces of this movie here and there for awhile, and finally had the chance to sit down and watch it in it’s entirely.  I laughed. I cried.  I was outraged.  I was motivated.  Again, as any documentary tends to do is to find the worse of the worse of a controversial subject and run with it.  The movie attempts to show the “Brain-Washing” and complete outrages cult-like mandates that many protestant evangelical American culture churches plug into.  I can briefly listed a thousand churches like this, and probably it takes up 1/2 or more of many churches in some form or not.  I watched this at a Mennonite Church with some close friends on a open forum night.  We were all silent afterwards for awhile.  I saw again, some people I knew, and had long open discussions on throughout the years, on where we didn’t disagree.  This proves when we force our faith and get involved where the church shouldn’t what distortion happens to the church and the interpretation of the church in our modern American Culture.  You must see this, we must stop this stereotypical church.  Pro Gun Pro War Pro Women Pro-Conspiracy that everyone is lying to us about science attitude.  Ridiculously stupid.  The stereotype so many of us try to escape really is a church, and the majority of churches.  What happened to being a refuge for the fall out of governmental policies and world conflicts, not trying to train and mandate morality through political leadership.  www.jesuscampthemovie.com

Lonnie Frisbee
A look at “The hippie preacher” and his life.  Some of it didn’t need to be in, and it is far from an nonobjective look at his struggles, and leaves much room for questing and debate….but from a non-Christian look at the Supernatural happenings on a beach in southern California, amazing.  Distorts the time line and truth of the subject some.  I know a few people in the movie briefly and I know both sides of the story, but I think the author of this documentary tries to make it about something it is not, but a angle just the same that needs to be looked at.  www.lonniefrisbee.com
Black Gold
The truth about Coffee, Fair-Trade; and the marketing and consumerism world we live in.  For the 3 cents a farmer gets from coffee; we have made it an yearly multi-billion industry. www.blackgoldmovie.com
End of the Spear
The supernatural story of some of the most daring and sacrificial missionaries that have lived to date.  Amazing.  Willing to give their lives, willingly and it paid off.

Amazing Grace
The story of how the song Amazing Grace was etched.  It shares the story of William Wilberforce and how he stopped slave trade ships coming to America by the hand of Britain. Emotional and Factual.

Bowling for Columbine
A very nonobjective WORLD look at Columbine and what is behind the driving violence of today, be opened minded and interpret as you will….but a must see.