The God Makers
Often viewed as sort of the mother of all anti-Mormon documentaries, The God Makers is notorious in LDS circles and a long time staple in the reparatory of Evangelical critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Adapted from a book of the same name by ex-Mormon Ed Decker and Christian apologist Dave Hunt, The God Makers uses as its framing story the two authors going to a law firm to recruit council for a desired suit against the LDS Church for fraud, alienation of affection, ect.
It's important to remember what this film is, its a track, a polemic against the LDS that takes as a given the legitimacy of "Christian" (read Evangelical Christian) doctrinal suppository to Mormonism. In fact this is kind of were the whole "fraud " aspect of the authors desired law suit comes in, alleging that Mormonism misrepresents its self as Christian when in fact it is not. Legally in a pluralistic nation that enshrines freedom of religious belief in its constitution, there would seem to be very dubious legal grounds with which to peruse this charge of Christian illegitimacy. But the proposed law suit is just a device by which the authors can explain to the lawyers ( I wonder if the two lawyers in this film wear real lawyers?) their various charges against Mormonism, which include such staples as polytheism, occultic practices, changes in scripture, the church as corporation, its breaking apart family's ect. Most or all of these subjects can be discussed legitimately (I don't know about the occultism charge), but this film is only interested in presenting everything Mormon in the most negative light possible, which is the whole point of its production.
The God Makers is chestnut of anti-Mormonism, if it wasn't effective to a certain audience then people wouldn't still be talking about it thirty years on, so in that aspect at least its got to be considered well made. It may have even, in conjunction with a number of other factors, had a positive impact on the LDS Church. Two of the areas in which this film is most critical of Church have improved immeasurably over the last three decades. Charges that the Church seeks to break up marriages where one partner is invective or not a member are not nearly as legitimate today. Of course the Church would prefer couples were both parties are active, believing members, why wouldn't they, but today conscience efforts are made to meet the needs of part member/part active family's, not push them away, and in fact strengthen such marriages, one only has to look at the Church's official periodical the Ensign to notice multiple stories on this topic appear each year. Also the Church is not nearly as secretive about its past as it once was, or quite as unaccommodating as it once was to dissenting opinions. In part this is because of the internet age, its just impossible to hush up undesirable areas of discussion, or more problematic aspects of Church history then it once was. Beyond that however the Church's archives are much more open then they've been since the Leonard Arrington era, the recent book Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet by non-Mormon historian John G Turner received the full cooperation of the Church, and there is stuff said in that book that could of landed members in a Church court twenty years ago while today its sold at Desert Book. So thanks The God Makers for any role you might of plaid in that. Otherwise its just Evangelicals saying bad things about Mormons, and there is nothing ground breaking in that.
Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration
This film was originally released by the LDS Church in conjunction with the bicentennial of Church founder Joseph Smiths birth in 2005, and shown at Church venues like the Joseph Smith Memorial building and various temple visitor centers. In 2011 the film was re-edited for its online release, so as to provide more context for non Mormon viewers, the version I saw of this film was the reedit. One ironic part about the reedit is its use of dialogue from Joseph's mother Lucy Mack Smiths narrative history of her family, which was originally published in the mid 19th centenary and which Smiths successor in the LDS Church presidency Brigham Young supposedly hated and deemed inaccurate.
Be that as it may this film is just what it set out to be, a hagiography, showing a near faultless Joseph Smith, and ironing out any wrinkles that might make him less palatable. Polygamy is never mentioned in this film, and there is even an implied misdirect relating to the circumstances that resulted in Joseph Smiths martyrdom. Now the LDS Church doesn't deny that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy, or the reality of the Nauvoo Expositor affair which was the direct catalyst for the Prophets murder, but it choses not include them in its faith promoting/propaganda/recruitment video. And I say these things with as little judgment as I can muster. Like the theatrically released film Emma Smith: My Story, which was made in conjunction with this movie, it tells the Smith's story in a way that would be suitable for a Sunday school class, not the complete story, but the story that is so central to the Mormon tradition, and it tells that story pretty well.
Suburban Knights
Finally I pause to make brief mention of Suburban Knights, the film made for the 3 year anniversary of the website 'That Guy With the Glasses'. Like the 2nd anniversary film Kickassia this movie is largely an excuse to get the various reviewer characters from the site together and have some fun. That being said this film is an advancement on its predecessor, both in production design, complexity of construction, and ambition. To bower something from the audio commentary on this film that I briefly listened to part of, Kickassia was a loony tones cartoon, Suburban Knights kind of works as a legitimate (though satirical) quest movie. I must say that I enjoyed it, especially the fights on the playground equipment.
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