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I am wondering about your feelings toward movies or books with fantastic religious themes, particularly thriller or horror types, or other movies with supernatural themes like ghost stories.
I really enjoy all such movies. I think as a firm non-believer it gives me the freedom to do so. The Exorcist, Frailty, A Ghost Story, The Others and The Conjuring are all such fun.
Just wondering if anyone else shares my love for these kinds of movies or books or if they drive most of you crazy.

BoingoOingo42 7 July 23
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1

i don't sort things i like by genre. my favorite horror film is the manchurian candidate (the original). if something is well done, and makes me suspend my disbelief, i enjoy it. that's all.

g

That is one of my all time favorites too !

@BoingoOingo42 scariest film ever!

g

@genessa I agree. Truly terrifying

1

I do love Kevin Smith's Dogma. Not so much into horror films. Stephen King's novels, though... I really enjoy the mythology of his universe around the Dark Tower and the connection through so many of his other books.

1

It's hard for me to like most of these movies because I don't believe in ghosts but The Sixth Sense is one that I really like.

bapa Level 4 July 30, 2018
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I loved The Omen and Damien Omen ll
The Excorsist
The Fog (A little dated now?)
I wouldn't let religion get in the way of a great story.

1

I think there are plenty of great religious themed movies, books, etc. But it's just another fictional supernatural story. I see no real difference between fictional supernatural stories and fictional mundane stories. A good story is a good story.

However...I detest modern supernatural "based on a true story" movies, etc. Those are the ones that are usually just ridiculous and have so many holes in the plot that they're just rubbish, but since they're "based on a true story" they get more attention.

I thought The Conjuring was just pathetic and I absolutely detest Ed and Lorraine Warren. They're idiots and charlatans that duped people for their own personal gain.

The only thing true about movies "based on a true story" is that they are in fact based on a story that someone claimed was true. I wish the younger generation (and foolish older generations) could understand that. A story that is claimed to be true is NOT a story that has been proven to be factual.

But it certainly fooled me when I read The Amityville Horror as a child. I thought it was true so it made it that much scarier.

That folks believes what movies portray, make me sullen in that our people are so vunerable to propaganda. The movie that really made me aware of this was Mississippi Burning. Falsely portraying the FBI under J Edgar Hoover as defenders of civil rights. They were not. Investigating & find dirt on leaders of the movement. The FBI has changed under new leadership & now I support much of their work. None of us or organizations are perfect, but we strive to be a more perfect union.

0

As long as they’re interesting and not preachy I like them. I love The Da Vinci Code

PaulD Level 5 July 24, 2018

Interesting the Da Vinci Code. Up there with Harry B Potter for me. Taking previous material and mythological stereotypes and turning them into pretty low rate popular literature. Mind you, I do admit to being a literature snob so my opinions are not that valid in this context. Just sayin'' anyway! ?

@Geoffrey51 Well I liked them but that doesn’t mean you have to

1

One of the best for me that rattled so many Chritian cages was Scorcese's Last Temptation. I love to see Christians wring their hands and wailing in the morning!?

1

The most horrific, unnecessary religio/horrific film I have seen is Gibson's Passion of the Christ. Sensationalist shite for me!

1

I’m currently trying to get through Innocent Blood by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell. A vampire order in the Catholic Church trying to prevent Armageddon. What grinds my teeth the people and creatures wholeheartedly believe in the teachings and prophecies of the bible. Still have too many pages left after almost a week.

They would believe in the words of the bible if they are RC! Be an even weirder plot if not?

1

I can get behind any show, story, movie, even the unbelievable, as long as the characters deal with the situation in a realistic way, true to their character and nature, as long as I can relate to their reactions. I can suspend my disbelief as long as I can believe in the characters.
Supernatural (huge fan) has already been brought up, and I would site it for a good example of how I believe the characters, and how they deal with the situations they face with "authentic" and believable reactions.
Is it a bit silly - Sure, but it's entertainment.

scurry Level 9 July 24, 2018
1

Can't stand most of them, but I do occasionally like a good one, like the Medium TV series. And I love the Misha Burnett Catskinner book series, which is sort of its own genre..combines scifi, fantasy, horror, but not really those exact genres, and is a great story. But neither of these is religious. I avoid all occult and religious stuff.

Catskinner's Book (The Book Of Lost Doors 1)
[amazon.com]

2

I’m not keen on specifically religious themes, although Dogma is a favourite, but I really enjoy supernatural and fantasy fiction, both to watch and to read. Fiction about ghosts or angels is no different to fiction about vampires, werewolves and other such fantastical beings.

I love ‘supernatural’, ‘Lucifer’ etc. and usually have some sort of urban fantasy on the go. I also love the Marvel movies. God, Lucifer, Iron Man, Castiel, they’re all fantasy to me and I love ‘em.

4

A good story is a good story.

1

I'm with you. I enjoy them all as well. In my eye they are all works of fiction but art nonetheless and art is always meant to be enjoyed and viewed differently. I actually watched a movie called Silence about the persecution of Catholics in Japan. Although the relgious undertone was a little agitating the depiction of the movie in a very accurate historical time was very well done.

1

Oh yeah I dig all kinds of stuff I don't believe in if it’s incorporated into some good action/thriller/horror/sci fi. Supernatural, the Twilight Zone, fairly selective about horror movies though. I think I prefer realist slashers to modern supernatural stuff, but the classic monsters up through the 80s are solid. Cant stomach the modern torture porn style of saw, hostel, human centipede (still a better lovestory than twilight). Things predecated on a demon possession or religious dogma for the danger are just a riot. In the words of beetlejuice, IVE SEEN THE EXORCIST 168 times and it KEEPS gettin FUNNIER EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I SEE IT!

I agree about Hostel and Saw and such - unwatchable. Beetlejuice quote - awesome!

@JimDawson42 Yeah I really don’t have a weak stomach but combining suspense with such profound viscera just sets off my empathetic nerve system too much, like every nerve ending is a sore tooth, raking against a guitar string, against a chalkboard. If I could calm that down and stop feeling ill Id still be offended at how little thought it takes to use gore as your primary horror device. Zombie, grindhouse and camp gore are the greatest though, the more the better.

1

The Mother of all such movies? mother! My review [ruthlessreviews.com]

1

I love any good fictional work. A good work of fiction can sell you on its fictional world and immerse you in it and it has nothing to do with what I would believe is factual in my own world. That's why it's called "FICTION".

2

I've been binge watching Supernatural lately. I don't have a problem with it. I also enjoy Doctor Who even though I don't believe in a time travelling tardis. I see no difference.

MsAl Level 8 July 23, 2018

But then the question is which iteration of the Doctor did you like?

@Dougl35534 Chris Eccleston is my current favorite. I love all the new doctors (I just can't go back and suffer through the outdated productions) and each is my favorite as I'm watching, but I just keep coming back to the 9th Doctor.

@GinaMaria I'm partial to Tom Baker. That's when I first saw the show and started repeatedly watching. Yeah, it was sort of low budget at the time but that's what made me laugh. Also got going on Hitchhiker's Guide at that time....

@Dougl35534 I love all the new doctors. Some day if it gets back on Netflix I might get around to seeing the old ones. I'm generally not into older shows but it would give me an excuse to watch again with new insite <3

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