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Samson Goes Hollwood, GodTube Gets Tangled, Redeeming Movies and More ...

Hey There Delilah
According to Variety, Warner Bros. is planning on releasing a film based on the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. The “futuristic retelling” of the classic Old Testament story will be directed by Francis Lawrence, the man behind the camera on the recent sci-fi blockbuster I Am Legend. This isn’t Lawrence’s first foray into Old Testament filmmaking—he’s the executive producer of the new NBC series Kings, which is loosely based on  the story of David.

GodTube No More
The Christian user-submitted video site GodTube.com has changed its name in an effort to rebrand itself from just a viral video site to a full-on social network. A few weeks ago, the site posted this video announcing the soon-coming change, and users gave decidedly mixed feedback (you can read their comments under the video). But this week, the site unveiled its new look, and new name—Tangle.com.

Overall, I think the graphics, new look, and functionality are really sharp, but some of the site’s other regular users seem to be a little off-put by the name change. (You can read their response on this video). A personally don’t have a problem with the change, and think they’ve done good job with the new presentation, but Web 2.0 users are notoriously resistant to change (remember the debacle when Facebook introduced their new look?). Throw in some strong opinions about whether or not the word “God” should be in the name or not, and you’re sure to cause some controversy.

Ad Wars
Remember that story from a couple weeks ago about a group of atheists in the UK running pro-atheism ads on buses throughout London? Well now a group of Christians in the city have bought posters promoting faith to counter the effort.

David Larlham, a representative of the Bible society responsible for the ads, told the AFP, "I was pleased to see (the atheist) campaign, because it’s good that the country is a free country where people can voice their opinion and declare their belief.”

At least the groups are being civil, and the ads haven’t been mean spirited. And, even though most Christians probably don’t approve of messages that are anti-God, at least it is opening up a discussion about faith. Undoubtedly, ads running on public buses can spark conversations about God among commuters who otherwise may not be comfortable talking about faith with strangers on their way to work.

Redeeming Movies   
The media ministry Movieguide has announced this year’s nominees for the “Epiphany Prize”. The film chosen as “The Most Inspiring Movie of the Year” will be honored by a ceremony and receive a large cash prize. Among the films nominated for the award this year are Prince Caspian, Fireproof, Grand Torino, Henry Poole is Here and The Family that Preys. You can go here to see films nominated in other categories. 

Print      Email to a Friend    posted on Friday, February 06, 2009 5:44 PM