MetroFilmProduktion

Suppose I jumped around a bit there. And I couldn't finish SALO, either. Suppose I meant the slaughter of the innocents scene in GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW and a short he once made about an actor playing Christ who was actually crucified. I should have included Scorsese for LAST TEMPTATION, but that's an outlier. He's another one who uses sex, violence and profanity in a way that I'd consider gratuitous. That's why I added Tarantino at the end. He was just someone who I think uses these elements as ends in themselves. I didn't mean to suggest that he was a religious filmmaker. Just a depraved individual.

I’m new to this site and have been reading some of the posts about profanity in Christian films. I believe that the depiction of violence is an even more important and related consideration. But to both of these concerns, my position as a filmmaker is that intent is the key. Looking to the Bible, most especially the Hebrew Scriptures, we see murders, rapes, tortures and during the siege of Jerusalem, a dispute between two women over the eating of their babies. But these things are there in order to forward God’s message and purposes. As a filmmaker, I will use profanity and violence if it is there to achieve an end that I am comfortable with in my heart. Tarantino - no Dreyer, Pasolini and Tarkovsky - yes

I’m a filmmaker currently living in Massachusetts. I have a Bachelor’s in Radio, TV and Film from South Dakota State University (2000) and attended New York Film Academy in the Summer of 1997. I also spent five years in Hollywood after graduation working at the American Film Institute. What I’m working on now are what I call cinematic parables. I’ve become something of a lay theologian these last few years and have been using film to explore/articulate some of my ideas. I use the term 'parable' loosely, as my shorts are probably more cryptic than the direct teachings of Christ. Though His words also held deeper, more mysterious meanings beyond the surface narrative. And naturally He'd be a far superior film-maker if he ever chose to pick up a camera! I use a very low-fi approach, shooting on film exclusively and employing the conventions of B-movies and Underground Cinema of the 60s and 70s to covey a Christian message. I'd like to think that my work is pioneering in that way, filtering the message of the gospels through the aesthetics of Lynch, Herzog, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and even the Universal Horror films of the early 20th Century. There are four shorts and a feature on my website. There are also production stills, some screenplays and reviews. If any of you are in the New England area and would be interested in working on upcoming projects, do let me know. I've been using my time in quarantine to finish up post-production on a new short, BERNADETTE, and prepping my second feature, SECRET MESSIAHS!, which will start shooting as soon as my production team is ready to come outside again. So please take a look and I'd love to hear your feedback. https://www.metrofilmproduktion.com @MetroFilmProduk Keep up the good work and God bless, - James