Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Before I begin, I fully expect this thread will get its share of attacks, but that's OK,
the assaults of the devil are expected, they are nothing new.

For the Christians and conservatives who may not have heard of this video series dramatization of the life of Jesus,
allow me to introduce The Chosen.

This is not a Hollywood production, nor does it have any connection to or association with any Hollywood or major movie production company. This production comes from Angel Studios,
the same company that produced the movie Sound of Freedom with Jim Caviezel.

The Chosen is an American Christian historical drama television series created, directed and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins. It is the first multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century, the series centers on Jesus and the different people who met and followed or otherwise interacted with him. The series stars Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, alongside Shahar Isaac (Simon Peter), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary of Magdala), Paras Patel (Matthew), Noah James (Andrew), George H. Xanthis (John) and many others. The only actor in this series with any Hollywood creds is Erick Avari who plays Nicodemus, the Sanhedrin Pharisee.

Noticing that there had never been a multi-season, episode-based portrayal of Jesus that could be "binge-watched" like shows on streaming mediums such as Netflix, Jenkins intended the show to differ from previous portrayals of Jesus by crafting a story arc that focused more deeply on the people who encountered Jesus and viewing him through their eyes. He wanted to present Jesus in a way that was more "personal, intimate, and immediate".

The producers have used innovative methods for finance and release, primarily through crowdfunding. Fundraising for the first season as well as subsequent ones continues to make The Chosen the most successful crowdfunded TV series or film project. As of 2021, viewers had contributed $40 million towards its production. In late 2022, the creators partnered with a new nonprofit company, the Come and See Foundation, to manage funding, which allows contributors to receive a tax deduction for their contribution.

The Chosen has now run for 3 seasons, 8 episodes per season, and Angel Studios is filming Season 4.
The producers, writers, director, production crew and the actors followed the Biblical narratives, primarily the Gospels of Jesus, in creating a profoundly moving story of Jesus' ministry.

You can watch this series on a variety of mediums, at the Angel Studios website, or you can get the app for any device at GooglePlay: Angel Studios app or for those with Mac computers, at Apple apps

No subscription is necessary, no fees or memberships, and the apps are free.

I don't know if mere words can do justice to my personal experience with The Chosen, but here goes:

Right up front the production is first rate, the sets and locations, the direction, acting, dialogue, cinematography, and music soundtrack are superb.

When Dallas Jenkins began casting, he interviewed and auditioned a number of actors for each role, and after making his choice, he gave the actor free rein to develop the character based on everything the Bible and other sources could provide on the personality and character of the Biblical figure. Matthew for instance, played by Paras Patel.
Matthew we know was a Jew contracted by the Romans to collect taxes. The Romans despised him and the Jews hated him. Patel's portrayal of Matthew is phenomenal. And, what can I say about Jonathan Roumie's portrayal of Jesus.

Anyway, the debut episode (S1E1) was (and still is) an emotional powerhouse, the impact on me was profound. Suddenly, the Bible and the Gospel stories came to life. One striking thing about the episodes is their intro scenes that take us back into Old Testament times than are completely connected and relevant to the episode about to unfold.

I have watched all 24 episodes (3 seasons) twice so far, and I'm on my third run. Uplifting, stunning, or as one of the detractors on OPP would put it "severe and profound".

So, I urge all my Christian and conservative friends here on OPP to check out The Chosen.

P.S. the Angel Studio app and the website offer much additional content, including a single story titled "The Shepherd" and interviews with the actors and staff.

God bless you all,
and thanks for listening.

Forkbassman Loc: Missouri

Excellent series! Well done! It is interesting that I just read that Sound of Freedom did better at box office than Harrison Ford’s movie.

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

Thank you Blade. We all know you respect you and trust your judgment. I'll be watching.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

It is worth every minute, padre, enjoy, and let us know your about your experience with it.

Big dog

God Bless

LostAggie66 Loc: Corpus Christi, TX (Shire of Seawinds)

It is an excellent series as i posted in an earlier post. I will start seson2 Tomorrow since I downloaded the Angel Studio App. Season 1 was indeed one of the best historical mini series made recently IMO.

dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

Sound of Freedom

It speaks volumes that the Christ-centered film topped the 4th of July box office.
Emmy Griffin, July 7, 2023

The true story of the experiences of Tim Ballard and his team has come to life in the film "Sound of Freedom." This movie, starring Jim Caviezel as Ballard, knocked other box office films off the podium. In fact, it beat out such films as Disney's "Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny" (another first weekend flop for the company) and DreamWorks' "Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken" on the 4th of July. "Sound of Freedom" grossed $14.2 million, and considering their limited scope to even have the film playing in theaters, that is amazing.

"Sound of Freedom" is a crime thriller that depicts the story of redemption that Tim Ballard's character undergoes. Ballard was a former Homeland Security agent whose experiences prompted him to quit his job so that he would be able to rescue more children who were victims of human sex trafficking than he otherwise could as an agent.

Ballard's journey takes him into the lair of some of the greatest evil that the human mind can conceive. As Jordan Peterson pointed out in his interview with Ballard and Caviezel, the story has a meta issue — that of child sex slavery — and a particular story about a specific victim he was trying to rescue that draws audiences in.

This film covers a difficult topic and is especially controversial because it's a larger commentary on the depravity of the chaos at the southern border.

The U.S. is the No. 1 consumer of porn and sex trafficking in the world. As Caviezel told Fox News's "Lighthouse Faith" podcast: "300,000 children under the age of 18 were lured into the sex trafficking business in the United States. We are the biggest consumers of child trafficking and pornography in the world. The United States — the home of the free, land of the brave. This is ridiculous. And so the film is a threat." The southern border crisis is facilitating this. President Joe Biden is directly responsible for the continued pervasive exploitation of migrant children and the border crisis at large.

But "Sound of Freedom" is not just making a statement on America's crimes. It is an indictment of Western culture's acceptance of moral relativism and rejection of Judeo- Christian values. When confronted with such abject evil, moral relativism's theory of life is blown right out of the water. In simple terms, moral relativism states that there are no universal principles of good and evil. If people can make up their own morality, the results are horrific depravity: Adults (both the slaver and the pedophile) taking advantage of children for their own gain.

Caviezel described this perfectly when he told Fox News: "You have good, and you have evil. It's always been this way. But then you have the group in the middle that are riding the fence. The devil owns the fence." It is the people who ride the fence, claiming that people have to do what is right in their own eyes, that allows this sort of evil to thrive.

Ballard and Caviezel had to overcome a lot of difficulty to even make this film.

Big Hollywood studios rejected the script (shocker) and there are many influential people who don't want this film seen. The child-sex-slave trade is a $150 billion industry. These children are expendable objects to slave traders. 50 for Freedom, a website dedicated to eradicating myths surrounding modern-day slavery, has even claimed that there are more slaves today that at any other point in history. That includes forced labor, marriage, and sexual exploitation.

"The end of trafficking has to happen by the people. It's not going to happen by the politicians," said Caviezel in an interview on Huckabee TV.

Ballard's organization — Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) — is currently out there rescuing children. O.U.R. uses the knowledge and connections that Ballard developed as an agent to continue to infiltrate sex-trafficking rings and rescue children.

O.U.R. is not a religious organization, though many of the people working there are people of faith. Ballard himself is a Mormon. Tim Tebow, Christian and former football player, also has a charity that rescues trafficking victims all over the world. Both are doing important work to end modern-day slavery.

Even though the film's content is difficult, it is an extraordinary glimpse into the true value of freedom and the work still left to be done. Human trafficking is a stain on society that should be challenged and fought on every level.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/98644-good-news-sound-of-freedom-2023-07-07

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Although Angel Studios also produced Sound of Freedom, this thread is about their production of The Chosen.

There are already a couple threads on the movie.

dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Some stats on The Chosen

IMBd rating is 9.3/10
Worldwide views have exceeded 1/2 BILLION.

Rose42

I’d just caution people to remember The Chosen is art and does not really depict the real Jesus. I’ve seen the first couple of seasons and knowing they took some liberties thought it was pretty good

ACP45 Loc: Rhode Island

Thanks for pointing this out. We don't watch a lot of TV, but this is a show that sounds interesting and worthwhile.

ForThePeople

It is DEFINITELY worth watching.

FIVE Stars

I would recommend turning subtitles ON since sometimes there is dialogue that would be unfamiliar to many and it makes it easier to understand.

Netflix has Season 1 - 8 episodes
Prime Video has Seasons 1 and 2 - 8 episodes each
The Angel Studios app has all 3 (8) episode seasons and a lot of other related content as well.
Season 4 is in production

Enjoy!!

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

It goes without saying that anything Christian made public, whether it be in writing, in speech, in a sermon, or in a visual drama, it will provoke a profusion of criticism, even attacks. For instance, Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ was viciously attacked well before the movie was released, and when it was released, it broke box office records.

Our world today is in desperate need of Light and Love, not more darkness and hate.
The Chosen has brought the Light of Jesus to people all over the world.
As one Christian clergyman put it, "In these times of global anxiety and mounting despair, the hope Jesus offers is greatly needed. If The Chosen helps remind us of that hope, or introduces it to some audiences for the first time, then that alone is reason for us to cheer its success and share it with others.
So, sharing this extraordinary production is my purpose here.

When you open the app and select The Chosen, a live counter reveals the number of views.
The number is approaching 550,000,000.

Dallas Jenkins, the creator and director of The Chosen, has produced a number of introductory videos in which he explains the creative approach they had taken in bringing the Gospel narratives to life and has been interviewed by both Christian clergy and critics on the subject of accuracy and artistic license.

In short, The Chosen portrays the human drama of Jesus' life and ministry. It includes flashbacks to OT prophesies and events, it does not in any way stray from the Biblical narrative, nor does it tell any lies.
So, yes, The Chosen does depict the real Jesus.

When they filmed the scene ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’, they needed "extras" to make up the crowd.
They had 10,000 slots open and when they announced the criteria to participate, fans from every state in the union and 32 countries qualified. They actually had 5000 costumed extras on the set.
Coincidentally, I watched that episode last night.

The series has been dubbed in 7 languages so far and subtitled in 90.

What is The Chosen, and is it Biblically sound?

The Chosen is a television show about the life of Christ. Season 1, released in 2019 (with a pilot episode on the birth of Christ released in 2017), garnered attention for several reasons: it is the first TV show of its kind, presenting the life of Christ over multiple seasons (it plans seven seasons total); it was crowd-funded, bringing in more donations (over $40 million as of 2023) than any other media project ever; it is the first series to be launched in every country simultaneously via its own app (with over 108 million views so far in 180 countries); and it is being praised for its accurate and engaging storytelling.

The Chosen is free to watch, with no fee or subscription necessary. DVDs of each season are also available for purchase. The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins (son of Left Behind co-author Jerry Jenkins), has a degree in Biblical Studies. In creating the show, Jenkins put together a panel of expert consultants to ensure biblical and historical accuracy in the script he was co-writing for the show. On the panel were a Messianic Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, and an evangelical professor of biblical studies.

Jenkins’ goal in creating the show was to help people know Jesus better and love Scripture more. To reach that goal, he and the other scriptwriters took the gospel accounts and added plausible details about the lives of the biblical figures found there. They added backstories to well-known characters and fleshed out other characters who might receive only a passing mention in Scripture. The intended result is that viewers see the people in the Bible as real people who dealt with the same types of issues we all have to deal with. In The Chosen, the disciples have families and friends, they have reputations to uphold, they have a sense of humor, and they struggle with finances and other concerns.

As with all storytelling based on historical events, some artistic license is evident. In retelling the gospel accounts, the writers have inserted or modified some characters, storylines, and details of the inspired original. The changes are respectful and designed to give each episode a feeling of being grounded in real life. One example of these artistic choices is that the disciple Matthew is depicted as a young man on the Asperger’s/autism spectrum. There’s no direct biblical evidence that Matthew had this disorder, but it’s a plausible detail, so the writers felt comfortable using artistic license to insert this additional trait to Matthew’s character. Since no one is claiming that the show is God’s Word or that it is on par with the Bible, such license is acceptable, and even expected in a medium such as television. As long as viewers remember that what they are seeing is art and not real life—and they compare what they view with Scripture—there is no danger of confusion. We all know intuitively that, for all its historical accuracy and attention to cultural context, The Chosen is simply one idea from one group of people about what they think it might have been like to be near Jesus.

Dramatizations of biblical events such as are presented in The Chosen provide an opportunity for sharing the gospel with those who otherwise might not be exposed to the Bible. For believers, such dramatizations can promote spiritual growth, reminding us that the Bible is more than just a story—it relates actual events in the lives of real people who had emotions, relationships, and concerns similar to ours.

There is some concern that members of the Mormon Church are involved in the production of The Chosen and that resources owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are used to film the show. In fact, the distributer of the show, VidAngel, was founded by two Mormons. Also of concern are some statements made by Dallas Jenkins that seem to embrace Mormons as his brothers and sisters in Christ. Are these concerns enough to keep us from viewing The Chosen? The question we need to ask is, “Is this a Mormon show?” That is, “Does this show teach Mormon theology?” The answer is “no,” at least so far. Nothing in the series is promoting uniquely Mormon doctrine, or Catholic, or that of any other group. So, it’s possible to use things owned by a Mormon company without producing a Mormon product. Most people, if they don’t hear about Mormons on the set, would never think that The Chosen has an LDS connection at all. That’s because the finished product is not Mormon. It is biblical (with some artistic license) and honoring to Christ.

The show’s evangelical creators still retain full control over the content of the show. As long as that doesn’t change and The Chosen keeps producing a faithful retelling of the life of Christ, all is well. If elements of errant theology begin creeping into the show itself, then the creators will have betrayed their viewers and the truth of the gospel. Until that time, watching The Chosen is a matter of conscience. Some Christians will appreciate the retelling of Jesus’ life. Others will have difficulty with the artistic license involved with portraying Jesus’ life on film. Still others will find a myriad of other reasons not to watch the show including the Mormon or Catholic involvement, even if Mormon or Catholic theology is not promoted. Each person is to prayerfully discern whether watching the show will be a benefit or a hindrance to his/her walk with the Lord: “Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind” (Romans 14:5).

Personal note: My extended family and all my Christian friends who have experienced The Chosen have expressed only love for the production, its creator, writers, crew and actors. In these trying times, it is a truly uplifting experience.

Rose42

Yes it has strayed from the bible in small ways and taken some liberties - its television after all. I have no issues with anyone watching it - and I have seen two seasons. If it gets people reading the bible to learn about Jesus thats great.

Absolutely agree we need more light in the world.