For the last several months, I've received a wide variety of marketing materials from people trying to get the attention of "the Faith Audience."

Just this morning, for example, I received this. (I'm deleting the specifics....)



Such letters baffle me.

In this case, for example, the letter appears to be from the filmmaker, but in the third line, the director is identified as being somebody else.

But the really confusing thing is that the marketers are going to great lengths to impress upon me that this is a "Christian movie" with a "strong faith message" ... but that "without ever being preachy." And then he offers me a trailer, and a Christian trailer "which is quite different."

I am always tempted to write a long, detailed response explaining that any movie labeling itself as "Christian", and as having "faith elements," right away inclines me to anticipate a lousy piece of work. Moreover, the idea of a "Christian trailer" makes it very clear that this is a product being tailored to try and please people, which removes it even further from the realm of art.

And then there's the matter of it being an "indie" film "in Hollywoood." Perhaps the inclusion of "indie" is meant to appeal to folks who prefer films with an independent spirit, but the addition of "Hollywoood" argues that it is, in some way, legit.

Or maybe I'm just misreading it.

I wonder if the marketers would understand if I replied by telling them I would have been much, much more interested in their film if they had told me what the film was about, and removed all instances of the word "Christian", and stopped working so hard to try and convince me that there were "faith elements." I'd be more likely to watch a thriller than a "supernatural thriller." But if it's a "faith supernatural thriller" ... well, already that's a subcategory of a subcategory, and one that doesn't interest me at all. For all I know, this might be a very good film. But the way it's being presented to me has me drafting up a bad review before I even know what the title is.

I find the whole attempt to cash in on the "faith" audience leads to a bit of schizophrenia. They want to be (as here, indie and Hollywood, have faith elements and not preachy.) Certainly I can think of many films that combine those elements -- some really good films. That's why I find films so interesting.

I think it works the other way as well. Films that have a strong Christian character (Narnia, Terabithia) get toned down to not be quite so religious so that the films aren't limited to a faith market.

I have to admit I hate the idea of having a Christian trailer. (Suddenly my mind flashed on an Airstream with scriptures painted all over it.) Let the film stand or fall on what it is and let the audience discover it. (My training in inductive preaching is coming out.)

Since I was at Montreal, PM me the films name, maybe I caught some buzz.

And then there's the tagline: "It's always darkest right before you die."

Really?

Movies always have different trailers for different demographic sections of their intended audience; so there's nothing new about that.

FWIW, I'm not so sure that any of us are in a position to "judge" that sort of thing, since we all write for publications that cater to the exact same demographic that these films and trailers are catering to. If we were just regular film critics, without the "Christian" demographic attached to us, it might be a different story.