191 replies to this topic

[Persona]

I'd be one of the geezers you'd find in a new Steve Taylor clip on YouTube... I'd love to see him again. I've seen him over twenty times, saw him break his ankle and hung out with him in Calgary on my honeymoon -- and have never been let down.

[Thom]

Okay, after seeing the trailer all I can say it that I am sufficiently intrigued, maybe. That comes from Steve Taylor fan that got behind what he was trying to do in CCM way back when. Although I tried several times, I just never really got into the book (a chapter or two). Every time I began to read it I was reminded me of the book This Boy's Life and I could escape it.

[Attica]

I really liked the Second Chance and thought that he pulled off something kind of cool, especially for a first film. After seeing the trailer for this movie though, I'm kind of wondering if there's hints in it that the film might suffer from budget constraints.

Edited by Attica, 21 March 2012 - 03:02 PM.

[Overstreet]

Even before its SXSW screening, Blue Like Jazz has found its distributor: Roadside Attractions.

[Thom]

Overstreet, on 21 February 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

Even before its SXSW screening, Blue Like Jazz has found its distributor: Roadside Attractions.

Good news. Still intrigued.

[Christian]

Overstreet, on 21 February 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

Even before its SXSW screening, Blue Like Jazz has found its distributor: Roadside Attractions.

I had no idea it would roll out with a distributor of that caliber. While it's no guarantee of a good film, it's enough to heighten my interest in the film.

[Timothy Zila]

Christian, on 21 February 2012 - 12:37 PM, said:

Overstreet, on 21 February 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

Even before its SXSW screening, Blue Like Jazz has found its distributor: Roadside Attractions.

I had no idea it would roll out with a distributor of that caliber. While it's no guarantee of a good film, it's enough to heighten my interest in the film.

It's supposed to open pretty wide, actually. I didn't write down one of the numbers when I talked to Steve Taylor back in December, but he said it'll be Albuquerque by the second or third week, which, you know, isn't exactly L.A. or N.Y. or Chicago.

[Spoon]

Timothy Zila, on 21 February 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Christian, on 21 February 2012 - 12:37 PM, said:

Overstreet, on 21 February 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

Even before its SXSW screening, Blue Like Jazz has found its distributor: Roadside Attractions.

I had no idea it would roll out with a distributor of that caliber. While it's no guarantee of a good film, it's enough to heighten my interest in the film.

It's supposed to open pretty wide, actually. I didn't write down one of the numbers when I talked to Steve Taylor back in December, but he said it'll be Albuquerque by the second or third week, which, you know, isn't exactly L.A. or N.Y. or Chicago.

saw it tonight in philly with a q & a with miller and taylor. taylor set they open april 13th in 25 markets and 100 screens. i thought the film was excellent. the trailer captures the tone of the film pretty well.

[Christian]

Spoon, on 09 March 2012 - 11:47 PM, said:

Timothy Zila, on 21 February 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Christian, on 21 February 2012 - 12:37 PM, said:

Overstreet, on 21 February 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

Even before its SXSW screening, Blue Like Jazz has found its distributor: Roadside Attractions.

I had no idea it would roll out with a distributor of that caliber. While it's no guarantee of a good film, it's enough to heighten my interest in the film.

It's supposed to open pretty wide, actually. I didn't write down one of the numbers when I talked to Steve Taylor back in December, but he said it'll be Albuquerque by the second or third week, which, you know, isn't exactly L.A. or N.Y. or Chicago.

saw it tonight in philly with a q & a with miller and taylor. taylor set they open april 13th in 25 markets and 100 screens. i thought the film was excellent. the trailer captures the tone of the film pretty well.

Yeah, a collegue tweeted that she was at a screening last night or the night before. I'm supposed to see this movie and had no idea it was already screening. Guess I'm not on the right list(s).

[Joel Mayward]

The first SXSW review I've found: Justin Chang at Variety, who calls it a "pleasantly unremarkable coming-of-ager," but that, "on the plus side, the film also abstains from any overt message-mongering; if it has a lesson to impart, it's that spiritual transformation begins from a place of inward-looking humility, of owning one's own shortcomings before decrying anyone else's."

I viewed a pre-screening of the film last October and was pleasantly surprised (though not blown away), so I'm definitely intrigued to see what Steve Taylor and company have accomplished with the final film.

[NBooth]

"pleasantly unremarkable"? That's damning with faint praise....

[Timothy Zila]

Maybe it's just me, but just knowing that the film isn't anywhere near horrible is a relief.

Not that I expected it to be horrible, but it seems like 'Christian' film is starting from such a low level, that anything that's decent and avoids message-mongering is at least not an embarrassment to the faith, which is a start.

And of course, I would never suggest that there aren't hundreds of fabulous Christian artists making art - only that they're usually not doing so within a self-consciously 'Christian' environment, which is something Taylor and Miller seem to be doing with Blue Like Jazz.

[NBooth]

Timothy Zila, on 14 March 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

Maybe it's just me, but just knowing that the film isn't anywhere near horrible is a relief.

Not that I expected it to be horrible, but it seems like 'Christian' film is starting from such a low level, that anything that's decent and avoids message-mongering is at least not an embarrassment to the faith, which is a start.

And of course, I would never suggest that there aren't hundreds of fabulous Christian artists making art - only that they're usually not doing so within a self-consciously 'Christian' environment, which is something Taylor and Miller seem to be doing with Blue Like Jazz.

Well...yeah, I guess. But there's a difference between not being anywhere near horrible and being inoffensively bland, etc. I would rather watch a thousand horrible movies than a hundred just-ok-but-bland ones (I say this with my mild enthusiasm for John Carter still holding firm, so there may be a little cognitive dissonance going on here; I'm not sure).

FWIW, the trailer that was posted a while back, which I rewatched recently, doesn't impress me all that much. I'll still give it a go. [ETA: Since I've not seen the movie itself, of course, I have no opinions on it. This amounts to talking-about-talking-about the movie and shouldn't be interpreted as making any sort of judgment at all]

Edited by NBooth, 14 March 2012 - 01:03 PM.

[Tyler]

The Christian Movie Establishment vs. Blue Like Jazz
by Steve Taylor

Quote

So maybe I should be flattered that, based on recent evidence, the Christian Movie Establishment they represent is out to get us.
Exhibit A: The Executive Pastor of Sherwood Baptist (where the Kendricks Brothers movies are produced) issued what amounts to a fatwa against Blue Like Jazz when he made it known that nobody who worked on our movie would be allowed to work with them in the future.
...
One of the most consistent criticisms I got as a recording artist came from fellow Christians saying, “Why do you do these songs criticizing the church? Why would you go airing our dirty laundry for the public to see?” And, of course, that same criticism had been leveled at Blue Like Jazz. This perspective has always amused me, as if the public thinks we’ve got our act together perfectly, as if they don’t already see the hypocrisy in our midst. They just think we’re too dumb to see it ourselves. Which is why the image of a guy in a confession booth finally confessing the truth started my six-year-long quest to make Blue Like Jazz. When we tell the truth – even the uncomfortable truth – the truth sets people free.

Edited by Tyler, 21 March 2012 - 10:34 AM.

[Christian]

Tyler, on 21 March 2012 - 10:32 AM, said:

The Christian Movie Establishment vs. Blue Like Jazz
by Steve Taylor

Gotta admit that this made me laugh:

As writer David McFadzean summarized, Christian movies are like porn – poorly lit, poorly acted and you always know how they’re going to end.

[Greg P]

I know Steve tries mighty hard to destroy the label, but the trailer does nothing to help his cause-- that thing looks and feels exactly like a christian movie to me. A little amateurish, a little too milquetoast trying to be edgy, and a little too stilted...in that "inexperienced cast", un-ironic way. I cringed a little.

[Andy Whitman]

Greg P, on 21 March 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

I know Steve tries mighty hard to destroy the label, but the trailer does nothing to help his cause-- that thing looks and feels exactly like a christian movie to me. A little amateurish, a little too milquetoast trying to be edgy, and a little too stilted...in that "inexperienced cast", un-ironic way. I cringed a little.

I agree. I'm hoping for the best because I like Steve Taylor, Donald Miller, and Blue Like Jazz the book. But that trailer is really disheartening.

Edited by Andy Whitman, 21 March 2012 - 12:37 PM.

[douggimmick]

I've seen it, and I think you might be pleasantly surprised. Despite the trailer. Would love to hear what others think, to see if I'm way off base here. Of course, I haven't watched many "Christian" movies, so perhaps I'm just plain wrong.

[Thom Wade]

[quote name='Tyler' date='21 March 2012 - 11:32 AM' timestamp='1332343975' post='268996']
[size="3"][u]The Christian Movie Establishment vs. Blue Like Jazz[/u][/size]
[url="http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=b22660e765fa5969f59275790&id=a314547a98&e=13b0a01150"]by Steve Taylor[/url]

[quote]So maybe I should be flattered that, based on recent evidence, the Christian Movie Establishment they represent is out to get us.
Exhibit A: The Executive Pastor of Sherwood Baptist (where the Kendricks Brothers movies are produced) issued what amounts to a fatwa against Blue Like Jazz when he made it known that nobody who worked on our movie would be allowed to work with them in the future.
...
[/quote]


Huh. Cuz that's what Jesus would do. Then again, I suspect they don't want any competition in the crappy movie Olympics.

[Greg P]

I can appreciate some things Steve says in that article, but the overwhelming question I take away from it is "Why the hell are you still putzing around with your art in those claustrophobic religious circles?"

How can the same guy who released "I Want To Be a Clone" 25+ years ago, actually be surprised by the political shenanigans of these people? He writes as if he's mortified. It's almost more concerning to me that he's still holding so tightly to his evangelical security blanket and hoping for their acceptance after all these years.