# The "Left Behind" movie - a priceless Dopefest opportunity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2001, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893 "2001-02-02T18:12:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/1 "2001-02-02T18:12:02Z")
While reading the [Washington Post’s review](http://yp.washingtonpost.com/E/M/WASDC/0000/23/00/) of the _Left Behind_ movie that starts today, I couldn’t help thinking that this was a superb opportunity for a wave of Dopefests across the nation. The Post’s Desson Howe describes the movie as “a blundering cringefest, due to unintentionally laughable dialogue, hackneyed writing, and uninspired direction.” My warped mind had a vision groups of Dopers all across our great land, going in to see this movie, and laughing in all the wrong places. Oh sure, they’d probably throw a whole lot of us out of a whole bunch of movie theatres, but it would be worth it. Of course, we may have to move fast; this turkey may be gone by next weekend. (It will then have a long second life of being shown on VHS at fundie church retreats, but I think most of us want to miss that.) So, does anyone else think this idea has something to it, other than as a depraved fantasy? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/2 "2001-02-02T19:59:14Z")
**RTF** , for some reason your link didn’t work for me. Is this a new movie? Who is in it? I ask because not two weeks ago I saw a _Left Behind_ DVD starring Kirk Cameron. I don’t know if that one was made-for-t.v. or something. Anyway, I _have_ recently heard ads on the radio for the new movie and wondered about it. Grand Dopefest that it would be, I don’t know if I’ll be able to shell out the cash for such crapola. (Hmmm…I _did_ go see _Battlefield Earth_…maybe it’s not beyond me.) ---
**Author:** ![Necronom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/54ee81/32.png) [@Necronom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necronom)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/3 "2001-02-02T20:44:49Z")
Before going to see the movie, there is an important factor you should know: It is a Christian based film, like Omega Code. For more info, go here: [http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/01/film.leftbehind.reut/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/01/film.leftbehind.reut/index.html) Just wanted to share that info… ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/4 "2001-02-02T20:54:44Z")
Yep, it’s a Fundie Film. Here’s some of what the Washington City Paper had to say about it: \*The movie advances a vision of humanity’s fate that many Christians–not to mention non Christians–will find ridiculous, but it cloaks its nuttiness in familiar thriller-flick conventions… \*Left Behind _makes the end of days look dowdy and dull._ – [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com](http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com) I’m sure it is a bad film, but is it _bad enough?_ I mean, this thing had better suck real bad if I’m even going to sneak into it after watching _O, My Brother, Where Art Thou?_ for a second time. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/5 "2001-02-02T21:04:04Z")
Sounds like when several of us that worked at [Biosphere 2](http://www.bio2.edu/) went to see _Bio Dome_ during its brief theatrical run. We were the only ones laughing because the only things remotely funny were inside jokes. We weren’t certain but we knew the producers had a pretty good spy. ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/6 "2001-02-02T21:14:38Z")
The idea of it strikes me as sort of humorous. But actually going to a theatre and laughing at the movie seems to me to be somewhat disrespectful of the beliefs of others, and not a way to advance any cause except having fun at someone else’s expense. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/7 "2001-02-02T21:25:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > **(It will then have a long second life of being shown on VHS at fundie church retreats, but I think most of us want to miss that.)** I’m a member of my school’s Baptist Student Union. No, I’m not Baptist (hell, the president of the club is catholic), but a lot of them are incredibly . . . well, conservative. To the point of associating it with ignorance. The stereotypes play out so wonderfully it’s almost funny. I’m fairly certain we’ll watch it . . . ::shudders:: and they’ll treat it as fact. What weekend did you want to go see it? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/8 "2001-02-02T22:22:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunshine \* > **RTF, for some reason your link didn’t work for me. Is this a new movie? Who is in it? I ask because not two weeks ago I saw a _Left Behind_ DVD starring Kirk Cameron. I don’t know if that one was made-for-t.v. or something.** As a matter of fact, this is the _same_ movie. It was released on video/DVD back in October. It was supposedly a marketing scheme to get Christians to see it, then get church groups together to watch it. I, and most of my friends who have seen it, found it quite disappointing. For all the hype, it does look like a made-for-TV flick. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/9 "2001-02-03T06:05:23Z")
Sounds like a great idea, **Mr. Firefly** , but I will not give a penny of my money to the producers of this “product.” Maybe if someone stole the DVD, or we snuck into the theatres… ---
**Author:** ![maidenunicorn41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maidenunicorn41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maidenunicorn41)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/10 "2001-02-03T06:53:10Z")
well, i enjoyed the movie and thought it was well done. BUt that is my opinion. I guess Christians would have a different view then non-christians.I guess because it is something I believe will happen.thatis why I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/11 "2001-02-03T14:53:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > \*\*Sounds like a great idea, **Mr. Firefly** , but I will not give a penny of my money to the producers of this “product.” > > Maybe if someone stole the DVD, or we snuck into the theatres… \*\* Amen, Brother. Preach it. [Disclaimer: I don’t believe in stealing…I mean, I believe it happens, just not that it’s morally right. ;)] Peta, former fundie ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/12 "2001-02-03T15:41:34Z")
A movie like this calls for the invention of disappearing money (like disappearing ink). Or does anyone have a George W. Bush $200 on them? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/13 "2001-02-03T15:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maidenunicorn41 \* > I guess Christians would have a different view then non-christians. It’s not just Christians and non-Christians, **maidenunicorn** ; it’s not like all Christians see eye-to-eye on this. Having known the Lord for thirty years, for instance, has left me with a low opinion of so-called Christians who have turned anticipation of the ‘end-times’ into a profitable cottage industry. Since there are no comparable economic gains to be made from calmly stating that we’ve been through this many times before, and that in all likelihood we’re nowhere particularly close to the end of days, just as was true for the past dozen times we’ve been through this, it’s clear that the very economics of the matter are what keep conservative Christians in a lather about the Last Days. I’m afraid many of your leaders have been willing to play with your head for money. Sorry about that, but wake up and smell the coffee. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/14 "2001-02-03T16:32:41Z")
I think MSTie-ing this movie would be a lot of fun. And the more like-minded people to Mstie it with, the better. In other words, I’m with **RTFirefly** – it’s a Dopefest waiting to happen. Of course, if we really Mstie-ed it right, it would be loud and raucous. We’d almost certainly be kicked out of a movie theater. So, this lets out a big screen venue. Also, **Montfort** and **Peta** have a point – I wouldn’t want to support this bizarro franchise in any financial way. So, that lets out buying or renting the video or DVD. Hmmm. How about this. We borrow it from the library and view it at some Doper’s home, where we could be as raucous as we wish. After the ‘movie’ is over, we take up a collection to pay the library’s lost video fee; take the tape out in the back yard and smash it to bits with baseball bats. That way we have our fun AND take one of the loathsome things out of circulation. A good deed, see? If we do this at my house, then we can go in the hot tub afterwards. Whaddaya think? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/15 "2001-02-03T17:01:30Z")
I think it calls for some sort of drinking game. We could decide to take a drink every time the movie gets excessively preachy, but alcohol poisoning becomes a real possibility at that point. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/16 "2001-02-03T17:14:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Sounds like a great idea, Mr. Firefly, but I will not give a penny of my money to the producers of this “product.” So buy a ticket to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and go to the wrong theatre. Both movies are playing at the same googolplex here in Lexington. I may very well pay to go see CT, HD and then sneak into LB:TM. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/17 "2001-02-03T17:18:41Z")
if it’s playing at the local multiplex I’m sure you cold buy a ticket for a different movie and walk into the LB movie ‘by mistake’. This happens to rated R films all the time. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/18 "2001-02-03T21:37:52Z")
…but first I’ve got to clean off my monitor. **DoctorJ** , does a ‘googolplex’ of this sort show 10[sup]googol[/sup] movies on different screens, or does it just seem that bad? 😉 Anyhow, the discussion, as I see it: DoctorJ’s (and **Zebra** ’s) solution is simple and efficient. The ushers aren’t going to care if you go into the LB movie on your ticket for some other movie, and the LaHayes and Jenkinses of the world never get a cent. However, **Jess** ’s solution gets about a thousand style points from this reviewer; it has a wonderful sort of “What would Zaphod Beeblebrox Do?” ring to it. As Jess has already pointed out, under her scheme we don’t pay to see it, we take a copy out of circulation ( **and** have a great time making sure it stays that way!), and, best of all, wind up in a hot tub afterwards. It’s hard to argue with that. So now we just need a mid-Atlantic Doper to find the abomination in his/her local library. Keep your eyes open, boys and girls! Jess, you’re a genius. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/19 "2001-02-03T22:05:53Z")
RTF (and others), if you want something _really_ laughable, read Tim LaHaye’s latest book, _Mind Seige_. No, it’s not part of the _Left Behind_ series. In fact, it’s allegedly non-fiction. But it is so ridiculous that it’s laugh-out-loud funny. Well. It would be if there weren’t people out there who would actually take him seriously, that is. “Look! Behind that bush. It’s a secular humanist!!!” (Disclaimer: I did not pay for this book – I got it for free as a review copy.) ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893/20 "2001-02-03T23:01:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maidenunicorn41 \* > \*\*well, i enjoyed the movie and thought it was well done. BUt that is my opinion. I guess Christians would have a different view then non-christians.I guess because it is something I believe will happen.thatis why I enjoyed it. \*\* I’m Catholic and I think it’s fiction. The idea that people would be able to predict what’s going to happen when Christ comes again (assuming, as I am, that he is) is laughable, to say the least:) IMO. But whatever gets you through the day, I suppose:) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-left-behind-movie-a-priceless-dopefest-opportunity/52893.md?page=2)