Jul/Aug 2002

Hollywood: Hold the *$#&\%!

What a great movie, except for that one thing!" It may be only a minute of imprudence or a handful of crude words that makes an otherwise enjoyable movie unsuitable for kids and often adults: the brief nudity and love scene in Titanic, the graphic violence at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, Erin Brockovich's potty mouth. CleanFlicks, a fast-growing video-editing company, is out to change that.

Through a string of video rental stores and mail order, it offers roughly 400 popular titles that have been sanitized for family consumption. Snipped from them are nudity, sex and graphic violence. The sound cuts out the f-word, the s-word and God's name used in vain.

"We're thinking about taking the words 'hell' and 'damn' out as well," says company president John Dixon, "but there are just so many of them, it's hard to catch them all."

Indeed, some films are so obscenity strewn or topically offensive that CleanFlicks won't even try to "fix" them. Pulp Fiction, for instance, would become nearly a silent movie. On the other hand, for movies with great themes, but rough spots--such as Gladiator, The Patriot and The Planet of the Apes--this may be just what the family ordered.

The company started when Ray Lines, father of seven girls, used home-video-editing equipment to cull the risqué scenes from Titanic for a small video store in Utah. The makers of the movie turned a national spotlight on the concept when they publicly warned the store about potential copyright infringement.

The store continued renting the edited movie and started obliging people who sent in their Titanic tapes for similar treatment. When no lawsuit followed, Lines saw both an opportunity and a ministry, and started CleanFlicks in 1999.

"I want my kids to see great films," Lines told the New York Times. "But I don't think teenagers, and adults, for that matter, need to see all that sex and hear curse words and see all that blood and gore."A lot of people apparently agree with him. Last year, CleanFlicks expanded from two stores to more than 40 in 10 states--Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah (more are slated for Iowa, Pennsylvania and Wyoming).

"It's growing like wildfire," Dixon confirms. In addition, the company still edits movies sent in or purchased by individuals; the editing runs $12.

It's this ownership aspect that keeps the company from running afoul of copyright laws, at least for now. Essentially, owners of videos can do whatever they want with them--except copy them or exhibit them in a business or for money. Consequently, an individual must own the tape before CleanFlicks edits it.

The company's practice of renting edited tapes is a stickier issue. To get around it, CleanFlicks requires patrons to buy a membership. Supposedly, this fee turns them into partial owners of the tape library at that store (officially termed a "film co-op"). So instead of "renting" a tape, you're merely borrowing one you jointly own.

Enough legal mumbo jumbo. Here's what most folks want to know: Does eliminating sex, violence and profanity damage the entertainment value of a movie?

Would it weaken the emotional impact of Enemy at the Gates' ending if viewers were spared the lead couple's brief (and steamy) union? Would we miss the point--that war is grotesque--if we saw fewer flying body parts in Saving Private Ryan? Maybe a little.

With all respect to artistic vision, the people that CleanFlicks attracts would rather enjoy 99 percent of a good movie than miss it altogether because of the other 1 percent.

One caveat: Watch the edited movies alone before exposing your family to them, until you see if your idea of family-friendly matches CleanFlicks'.

The editors at CleanFlicks seem to be more bothered by sex and profanity than they are by violence (perhaps understandably so: violence is sometimes necessary whereas titillation and extramarital sex never are). Despite some severe cuts, The Matrix, for example, may still be too violent for kids. You be the judge.

If there isn't a CleanFlicks near you, and you can't wait to take a gander at The Godfather sans *$#&\%!, consider getting one you own edited. You'll find more information at cleanflicks.com.
Bob Liparulo

Books

Sex, Men and God by Doug Weiss (Charisma House). Many readers out there may know Weiss from his "Pure Sex" column in New Man magazine and/or from his appearances on national TV programs such as Oprah and Good Morning America. Weiss' candid, no-nonsense style doesn't add to the condemnation many men feel regarding their sexual experiences. Rather, he provides the tools to help men understand the way that God made their brains and how to get free from hindrances to sexual success by reconditioning their thinking. He also offers guidance as to how fathers can shepherd their sons as they come to grips with their own sexuality.

Bottom line: Finally! A book that presents a balanced picture of male sexuality and provides practical resources Christian men need to successfully navigate our sex-saturated culture.

Jabez: A Novel by Thom Lemmons (Waterbrook). Given the popularity of The Prayer of Jabez, it was inevitable that someone would write a Jabez novel. An opportunistic endeavor like that would be easy to dislike, but Lemmons' storytelling skills make the book impossible to dislike. The first-person narrative sounds authentic, and the descriptions of life in Israel, circa 1375 B.C., are fascinating. The jacket's claim, "You know the prayer...now you can know the story," is malarkey, since no one knows any more about Jabez than the brief sketch Scripture offers. But the story inside is good stuff, even if it is made up.

Bottom line: Rough living in ancient Israel and still loving God, what a model of right thinking.

All the Rave by Tim LaHaye and Bob DeMoss (W Publishing). Call it "Trojan Horse fiction"-- a cautionary tale for teens that's cleverly couched in a murder mystery. While Russian mobsters glower and do bad things, the story exposes the gritty reality of rave parties, those Gen Y versions of the 1970s "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" concerts. The book is part of the wonderful Soul Survivor series, each of which addresses a similarly heavy teen issue frankly and alluringly.

Bottom line: The teen-speak and intrigue pulls them in; the life lesson makes them think.

Music

Come Together by Third Day (Essential). The group's last release, Offerings, was so superb and critically lauded (winning a flock of Dove Awards), surely it would prove to be their finest album. Shame on us for underestimating them, for Come Together is even better. From worship (such as the beautiful "Show Me Your Glory") to guitar-driven rock ("Get On"), the boys have sculpted an unforgettable listening experience with inspirational lyrics and sweep-you-off-your-feet melodies. Mac Powell's moody vocals evoke broken hearts and elation with equal authority; he sounds like us.

Bottom line: With its everyman quality and God-centered lyrics, this album will appeal to young and old, rockers and Bachers.

Drive Time Devotions by Gary McSpadden (Tyndale). The breakneck pace at which most of us operate doesn't easily accommodate life's finer things, such as daily devotions. So these CDs (Vol. 1-Vol. 3), each sold separately, of minisermons--on integrity, determination, living in God's will, and so on--come as a soothing balm to our harried souls. Each CD contains 22 devotions, covering all the workdays in a month. McSpadden (a singer with The Imperials and The Gaither Vocal Band) fleshes out the devotions with snippets of Scripture, vignettes, provoking questions and daily prayers.

Bottom line: They're not a new concept, but they're executed well; they're a refreshing antidote to the traffic-report jitters.

Videos

In 1994, Canadian filmmakers Peter and Paul Lalonde created Cloud Ten Pictures (cloudtenpictures.com). Since then, the company has produced scads of Christian movies that are packed with mid-list celebrities and explosions galore.

Its biggest release was Left Behind, based on the mega-selling novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Despite its commercial success, it was a pretty crummy movie, both melodramatic and preachy. But it looks like the brothers Lalonde have crested a steep learning curve; their three latest releases are far more enjoyable:

Waterproof. Burt Reynolds plays Eli, a Jewish storekeeper who gets shot by young street punk Thaniel (played by Cordereau Dye). To keep her son out of jail and away from the city gangs, Thaniel's mom, Tyree (April Grace), kidnaps Eli and takes him to her hometown of Waterproof, Louisiana. As he heals and slowly comes to appreciate Tyree's family and her difficulties, Eli struggles with the notion of forgiveness. Great performances, especially by Grace and Reynolds, make this interesting story delightfully entertaining.

The Miracle of the Cards. This is the true story of an 8-year-old English boy who, suffering from brain cancer, received 1.3 million get-well cards from around the globe. But that's not the "miracle," which is much more personal and stunning. The movie rightfully stresses that miracles flow not from the will of man, but the providence of God's grace. That it manages to be heartwarming without being saccharin is possibly the best sign that Christian movies can be as well made as their Hollywood counterparts.

Deceived. When a military telekinesis project collides with a search for extraterrestrial life, a group of soldiers and scientists finds itself stranded in a bunker, besieged by...something. Very X-Files-ish, and yet with a valuable lesson, à la The Screwtape Letters. Louis Gossett Jr. and brat packer Judd Nelson deliver marvelously subtle performances. The chilling subject matter makes this one better for teens and adults.

COOL TECH

ControlPoint by Home Director (homedirector.net; starting at about $1,500). If this thing doesn't turn the humblest of abodes into every guy's dream home, it comes awfully close.

Imagine accessing the Internet, e-mail, cable, VCR and DVD movies, video games, and a computer system from any television or monitor in any room; getting digital music on any stereo or piped into a whole-house speaker system; and controlling power outlets, lighting, temperature, and security settings--using any computer, personal data assistant (PDA) or cell phone, in the house or halfway around the world.

Think you left the stove on? Log onto your home's special Web site and check the stove's settings. Did the kids get home from school on time? Use your cell phone to check the entry log or your PDA to view them coming through the door.

Orchestrate when lights go on and off. Set the music system to play rock for the kids and classical for you. Get telephone calls on your television. Cause the lights to blink whenever you get e-mail (and you think spam drives you crazy now). You get the idea.

Modules, each controlling a different aspect of your home, such as music or temperature, allow you to buy only what you want or can afford right now, and add on as your needs and budget grow. Systems designed prior to house construction tend to be most comprehensive, but retrofitting ControlPoint is possible with existing wiring and wireless devices.

Home Director's Web site is on the techno-geeky side, but what the company lacks in marketing savvy it makes up for in end-product user friendliness. A lot of tech-heads have talked about houses of the future; these guys have made the dream a reality.

Bottom line: Control your house--its entertainment, climate, communications and security--from anywhere, anytime. Home has never been so sweet.

Card Tricks

New Man goes one-on-one with singer Michael Card.

It was a little more than 20 years ago that a professor at Western Kentucky University prodded a young forestry student to get his humming off his lips and onto paper. That student was Michael Card, whose gift for worshipful songs and theological musings has generated sales of 400,000 books and 4 million records, including 19 No. 1 songs.

His latest album is Scribbling in the Sand (Covenant Artists/M2.0), a compilation of his greatest hits, plus two new ones. It was recorded live at an intimate concert for his closest friends. Helping out is an all-star cast of musicians, including Steve Green, Phil Keaggy and Sara Groves.

New Man spoke to him about this release and the state of Christian music today. We also uncovered a few tidbits: He thinks "Immanuel" is his best song, and he likes police fiction. And, yes, he is as soft-spoken as he seems from his studious appearance and gentle songs. But if you think that means he's timid, think again.

NM: Why this album now? Is it in celebration of 20 years making music?

Michael Card: Oh, no. The music played over those years is celebration enough. I guess it's just that I have something to say.

NM: Which is...?

Card: That the creative process comes out of community. It's not about being a tormented artist, struggling with the muse. True creativity is born in community as men and women of God listen to each other and to Him.

NM: You don't find writing at times lonely and torturous?

Card: Certainly it can be, especially the huge chunks of time needed to write a book. But even then, you're drawing on what you absorbed while around other people, interacting with them. We don't create the way God creates, out of nothing, even though artists like to think they do. Rather, we respond to what He has created--mostly, to one another, what we do and say and think. We take it from our experiences with others, reshape it and give it back. Creativity serves community.

NM: It does, or it should?

Card: It should. Community is people serving one another, being a benefit to one another.

NM: And that's not happening, even among believers?

Card: Look at Christian music--it's an "industry." That's not community. Every decision made--about what artist to sign, what songs to record, how to get the word out--is about power and money.

NM: There's been a resurgence of worship music coming out of Nashville [the epicenter of Christian music]. Doesn't that show a desire by the record companies to produce something God-honoring?

Card: Fifteen, 20 years ago CCM [contemporary Christian music] didn't like worship music. That was church music; it wasn't what people wanted to play on their stereos. Then companies such as Hosanna! and Integrity showed that people would buy it. Now the industry is hopping onboard with hopes of making tons of money from it. They groom certain artists to be "worship stars," because "stars" are easier to market.

NM: Aren't the record companies just responding to what consumers want?

Card: See? They're called "consumers," instead of people, instead of community. They consume products. Companies identify a "need"...a "market." Then they shape a product around that. They give the people what they want. It's twisted.

NM: Is there a better way?

Card: The way Bach did it. He wrote music every week for church services. He prayed and listened to God. He talked to others about God. He was striving to please God, not man.

NM: In 1996, you recorded Brother to Brother with John Michael Talbot [a devout Catholic who lives in a prayer community with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity]. The album is excellent, but it stirred up trouble for you from people who felt Talbot's religion is incompatible with evangelicalism. Is that what you mean by striving to please God instead of man?

Card: Yes. I admire Michael immensely. There are some fundamental differences in our beliefs, but we worship the same God. That's what the album was about, worshiping God. I wish it had opened doors rather than closing them. There are still radio stations that won't play my songs because of that album!

NM: That doesn't seem to have hurt you any.

Card: All of my records over 20 years haven't sold as many as one Amy Grant album.

NM: Does that make you bitter?

Card: Heavens no! I have no complaints. I thank God for letting me do this for so long.

NM: Even in this power- and money-grubbing industry?

Card: Not the industry. The community. It's all about community.
Bob Liparulo