Game to Film: Resident Evil 5

 

In this edition of Game to Film, we will take a look at the cast of the fifth film in LRF's Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 5. Like the first four entries, it is directed by James Wan (Resident Evil 4, Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Demon King) and written by Carl Flimmer (Footage from the Past, Eye of the Scarecrow).

Now Showing: Resident Evil 5

 

Resident Evil 5

Genre: Horror/Action

Director: James Wan

Writer: Carl Flimmer

Based on the Resident Evil video game series

Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Morena Baccarin, Saoirse Ronan, Michael Pitt, Omar Sy, Chris Messina, Christopher Meloni, James Norton

Plot: Chris Redfield (Jack O'Connel) and Jill Valentine (Saoirse Ronan) received information on the whereabouts of Umbrella Corporation founder Oswell E. Spencer to question him regarding the most wanted Albert Wesker (Ben Foster) who appears to have disappeared into thin air for a little time. The two enter the large estate, curiously similar to the mansion visited years earlier in Raccoon City, located on a small island in the Pacific. The two enter the house but find only the mutilated corpses of all the staff and Oswell's servants who appear to have recently died. At one point they hear commotion upstairs and find Wesker having just killed the landlord. Jill and Chris begin to grapple with the enemy but are quickly overwhelmed by Wesker's superhuman strength. Chris is about to be strangled and is about to lose consciousness but Jill throws herself towards the enemy and they fall together into the void in the water after having broken through the window.

Three years later Chris Redfield is now a member of the BSAA ("Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance") and is sent to investigate possible biological weapons smuggling into Africa in the state of Kijuju. Chris meets his partner, Sheva Alomar (Paula Patton) who is part of the West Africa branch of the BSAA. Chris notices a certain tension in the air and the girl explains that the government has fallen and there are riots that could lead to civil war. Together, they attempt to encounter the BSAA's "Alpha Team," who were trying to intercept a dangerous bioweapons smuggler, Ricardo Irving (Michael Pitt).

After meeting their BSAA contact, Karl Brook, (Chris Messina) who briefs them on a possible and unknown weapon called the Uroboros they see two men forcing a boy to forcefully swallow something. The boy begins to thrash and convulse and the other two men run away. The boy becomes violent and attacks Chris who is forced to kill her. A moment later an angry mob starts chasing them but they manage to hide in an underground passage. As they are leaving they see that the large crowd has gathered in the square and they discover to their horror that Karl Brook is about to be executed by beheading. Chris keeps Shera out of sight. A mob agitator notices their presence and calls on people to catch them. The two find themselves trapped but a helicopter suddenly arrives and fires a missile, opening a path for them to escape.

After a search, the two find Alpha Squad, dead, except for their captain DeChant (Christopher Meloni), who is seriously injured. The man recounts that Irving unleashed a terrifying creature at them and hands Chris a data file before succumbing to his wounds. A moment later the creature appears before them and appears to be made of worms and leeches. The creature pounces on DeChant, now dead, and devours him. Sheva and Chris start shooting at the monster and manage to kill it thanks to a barrel of petrol. At that moment they are joined by Delta Squadron commanded by Sheva's mentor, Josh Stone (Omar Sy). After the introductions he hands Chris a memory card containing images of research material. Among these there is also an image of Jill Valentine, who has disappeared for some time and is considered by all to be dead. Josh reveals that they've discovered Irving's whereabouts. In fact, he is in a factory that can be reached after passing a dark mine and the general command orders them to go through them while the Delta Squad will have the rearguard function outside the mine.

After passing the mine, the two reach Irving who, surprised to have been found, doesn't put up much resistance. While he is being handcuffed, a hooded person intervenes and saves him. As the two pursue them, they are attacked by a hideous bat-like creature, but with the support of Delta Squad member Dave Johnson (James Norton), they manage to flee across the savannah in a jeep to rejoin the rest of the team. Arriving there, they find the entire team deceased although Josh Stone does not appear to be among the corpses. Sheva begins to despair and while she is reassured by the two colleagues a gigantic creature crushes poor Dave while Chris manages to save himself for a very short time thanks to a skilful reflex. They manage to get to a truck with machine guns and kill the creature. At that point they receive the order to report to headquarters but Chris is determined to know if Jill is still alive. Sheva decides to follow him.

Sheva Alomar says she was born in a poor industrial town in Africa, home to the Umbrella Corporation's 57 factory. Her parents, like 80% of the city's adults, worked at this establishment, guaranteeing Sheva a happy childhood despite a low salary. She then said that when she was eight years old, Umbrella decided to carry out a test in plant 57 of what the factory actually produced, namely biological weapons. The factory workers were used as guinea pigs and all perished, including Sheva's parents and that she then had to fend for herself almost starving to death.

Using data received from Stone that reveals the real location of Irving's planned transaction, they head to an oil field beyond the swamps. They pass through a small village inhabited by the Ndipaya, an indigenous tribe who were infected with the Plagas Type 3 parasite by Irving after he told them it was a vaccine against a deadly disease (which, in fact, didn't exist). The two manage to get past the village and discover a series of notes implicating the TRICELL company in spreading Las Plagas throughout the region. Chris and Sheva soon reach the oil field where they re-encounter Josh Stone (wounded but alive) and Irving, who responds to their presence by blowing up the entire facility and fleeing in his boat. Chris and Sheva reach Irving's boat and he is about to be captured but manages to inject himself with a serum sample and begins to transform into a monstrous creature.

Using Irving's ship-mounted machine guns, Chris and Sheva destroy it despite the change in him. His last words blame Excella Gionne (Morena Baccarin), glamorous director of TRICELL's West Africa division, a woman loved by all worldwide, further embroiling them in the involvement and sends the two agents to search a nearby cave where they can expect to find all the answers they're looking for. Chris and Sheva head into the caves and discover an underground civilization that's home to other Plaga-infected people, who are guarding a long-abandoned cave containing a mysterious flower known as the "Scale of the Sun." , a flower that survives only under certain conditions. Traveling deeper into the area, they learn that it is a secret research facility that was once used by Umbrella, but was then taken over by TRICELL. Chris frantically searches for news about Jill until she finds PODs with people inside and one, Jill's, empty. Excella Gionne appears on a big screen and tells them to leave, denying any knowledge of Jill.

After being attacked again by a creature filled with worms and leeches like before they encounter the masked person again. During the fight Chris manages to remove the mask and discovers with surprise that it is Jill Valentine who does not seem to remember him. He doesn't say anything now that Wesker intervenes by hitting him violently in the face. Jill gets up and approaches Wesker, who leaves ordering the woman to mercilessly kill the two bores. Jill proves to be very strong and very agile, hitting both Sheva and Chris several times. The two realize that she is being controlled by a device that is attached to her chest. Chris tries to reason with her, who seems to regain her senses for a few moments but then succumbs to the manipulation of the device again and is about to kill Chris. Luckily Sheva intervenes by destroying the device. Chris then cradles the severely weakened Jill and she apologizes to them both, stating that she was fully aware of her actions but she could do nothing to stop them. She tells Chris and Sheva that she will be fine and she orders him to stop Wesker. Chris objects, but reluctantly agrees when Jill asks "Don't you trust your partner?". As they exit an elevator, Jill says, "You're our only hope of surviving this."

Chris and Sheva manage to board Wesker's ship and locate Excella. The woman manages to escape with a briefcase containing various chemicals, dropping some syringes in her haste, which Sheva collects. They discover that she has been infected by Ouroboros. Wesker calls on the intercom, casually dismissing the heartbroken Excella; she believed she would rule alongside Wesker in her imagined utopia of hers, but he only saw her as a pawn. In response to this, Chris comments "Wesker doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself." Simultaneously, her leeches burst out of Excella, killing her and consuming the surrounding pile of corpses. The resulting monstrosity is large enough to sink the entire ship, forcing Chris and Sheva to use a satellite laser device to destroy it.

Later, they continue to follow Wesker, who reveals his plan to spread Ouroboros across the world by destroying most of humanity and ruling the survivors like a god. Jill then calls them and informs them of Wesker's weakness: regular doses of a serum called PG67A/W. Overdoses would weaken him and Sheva realizes that the briefcase Excella dropped on the floor previously contained that serum.

After stubbornly pursuing Albert Wesker across the desert, Chris and Sheva find themselves in the bomber hangar. Wesker had stocked the plane with enough Uroboros-carrying missiles to infect the entire planet. In the ensuing fight, Chris manages to inject Wesker with an extra dose of the serums Excella dropped. This greatly weakens Wesker, forcing him to flee and escape in his Jet, although Chris and Sheva manage to catch up. Wesker reveals that the bomber is now climbing to the ideal altitude for global saturation and that he plans to unleash the virus shortly. Chris and Sheva continue to fight Wesker, with the former injecting him with another dose of the serum. He is then thrown out of an airlock by Chris, but manages to hang onto Sheva. Chris leaps forward and grabs Sheva's hand after she loses her grip. Sheva shoots Wesker in the face and he falls into the caldera of an active volcano. The bomber itself crashes into the same volcano soon after. s hand after losing grip. Sheva shoots Wesker in the face and he falls into the caldera of an active volcano. The bomber itself crashes into the same volcano soon after. s hand after losing grip. Sheva shoots Wesker in the face and he falls into the caldera of an active volcano. The bomber itself crashes into the same volcano soon after.

The two agents are shocked to discover Wesker is still alive. Having finally lost all that was left of his sanity, he plunges his right arm into an intact Uroboros missile and is immediately engulfed in the virus. The Uroboros-empowered Wesker chases Chris and Sheva throughout the volcano, ranting about his visions for the future of humanity. But as Chris gains the upper hand in the fight, Wesker's sanity deteriorates further, refusing to accept defeat and yelling "I can't lose, not to you!!!". Eventually, the raging volcano causes the ground to collapse and melt, plunging Wesker into magma. Josh, flying a BSAA helicopter, spots the couple and Jill Valentine kicks a ladder up to them. Chris and Sheva barely escape as the ground melts beneath them. Enraged and defiant, even in the face of his own mortality, Wesker tries one last move, grabbing the BSAA helicopter with his monstrously mutated arm. Jill tells Chris and Sheva to use the rear-mounted RPG-7s. The two partners fire a pair of anti-tank rockets at the corrupted face of Albert Wesker, ending his life in a cloud of flame and ash.

As the helicopter flies by, Chris remarks, "More and more I find myself wondering if the fight is worth it." He looks at Sheva and Jill and concludes with, "For a fearless future… yes, it's worth it." The helicopter flies into the sunrise.

Top 10 Carl Flimmer Films

 

Sherman J. Pearson here for another Top 10. The Resident Evil franchise is back on the big screen with Resident Evil 5. Writer Carl Flimmer is behind the series, so I decided to look at his filmography for this round's Top 10....

Top 10 Carl Flimmer Films

10. Planet LV 426

9. Resident Evil

8. Footage from the Past

7. Alien: Isolation

6. Aliens vs. Predator: The First Hunt

5. Resident Evil 3

4. Alien: Out of the Shadows

3. Aliens vs. Predator: The Long War

2. Resident Evil 4

1. Stepford (co-written with Lon Charles)

Release: The Hippie Preacher

 

The Hippie Preacher

Genre: Drama/Biography

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Writer: Alex Conn

Cast: Wyatt Russell, Kyle Chandler, Laura Dern, Emile Hirsch, Ben Schnetzer, Jack Kilmer, Moises Arias

Budget: $34,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $54,059,493

Foreign Box Office: $15,194,745

Total Profit: $5,889,224

Reaction: While not a hit by any means, The Hippie Preacher does stop the skid of flops at two by being profitable. It is also the first film written by Alex Conn to turn a profit since Thrill of the Kill in Season 22 (more on that in the Box Office Breakdown at the end of Round 4).

"While it can sometimes get repetitive and the soundtrack is very surface-level, I came out of The Hippie Preacher feeling like it is one of Alex Conn’s best. It features some of his most complex character work thanks to its often-contradictory real-life subject, played with a certain ease by Wyatt Russell and surrounded by solid supporting performances." - Charles Triano, Los Angeles Times

"Despite the occasional slow moments, Alex Conn has crafted one of his most well-rounded films. Wyatt Russell's portrayal of his real-life character is delightful to watch, while Kyle Chandler's intriguing portrayal of the antagonist leaves you questioning where your loyalties lie. With a killer soundtrack, it's apparent that Mr. Alex Conn is learning from his experiences, and for that, he has my gratitude." - Phoebe Peeples, The Playlist

"The performances from the likes of Wyatt Russell, Kyle Chandler and Laura Dern are all predictably good, but I left the theater feeling that writer Alex Conn and director Darren Aronofsky never really scratched beneath the surface level to find what made Lonnie Frisbee tick. The script features far too many repetitive scenes that relay the same information over and over again. The film has a few bright spots, but ultimately wound up being too one-note." - Michael Wilmington, Rolling Stone

Rated R for language, drug use, thematic material and sexual content

Fact to Film: The Hippie Preacher

 

For this edition of Fact to Film, we will take a look at the cast of The Hippie Preacher. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches, Supergirl) and penned by Alex Conn (Malik, Free the Chicago Seven!). The film tells the story of Lonnie Frisbee, a hippie-turned-preacher who helped start a new Christianity movement in the late 1960s.

Last Resort Films Jukebox: The Hippie Preacher

 

Now Showing: The Hippie Preacher

 

The Hippie Preacher

Genre: Drama/Biography

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Writer: Alex Conn

Cast: Wyatt Russell, Kyle Chandler, Laura Dern, Emile Hirsch, Ben Schnetzer, Jack Kilmer, Moises Arias

Plot: We open with shots of beautiful Southern California. A text comes across the screen says 1968. We see a group of hippies who are on a road trip. They decide to go to a park to drop acid. Lonnie Frisbee (Wyatt Russell) is one of the hippies and when he drops acid he sees Jesus on the cross and Jesus caring for the poor and healing the sick. Jesus says who is without sin shall cast the first stone. Jesus then calls on Lonnie to be a leader and to lead the young in the way of me.

At a motel the three hippies Jesse (Jack Kilmer), Louis (Moises Arias) and Lonnie discuss what happened on their acid trips as they pass a joint around. Jesse talks about how he saw a childhood bully from 6th grade and then he saw the evils of war. Louis talks about how he saw his dad and the evils of war. They both ask Lonnie what he saw and he is initially reluctant to say but he says he saw Jesus. The two hippies laugh. Lonnie discusses how he always thought Jesus was a million miles away but right here he was here and he wasn’t a judgmental Jesus like the Jesus our parents taught us about. Jesus was the embodiment of love. Lonnie recalls how in the vision he saw Jesus giving love and then being crucified for it. Lonnie says that isn’t what Jesus did what we’re trying to do. As hippies we are trying to bring love into a hate filled world. We are trying to end the Vietnam War which is killing thousands and thousands of ordinary young Americans and thousands of civilians and we’re trying to fight for rights for black people. As they are going to their motel rooms Jesse and Lonnie kiss and they go to bed together.

Lonnie in the motel starts reading The Bible in his motel room. He is astonished by the kindness of Jesus and that he wasn’t what he thought it was. He sees himself baptizing people and helping people go the way of God.

After they all gather to continue their road trip Jesse asks Lonnie if he’s done with that Jesus shit and Lonnie says it was just an LSD trip it probably meant nothing.

When his friends aren’t looking he sees a church and he goes into the church listening to the sermon delivered by the pastor. Some is of the congregation give him the stink eye because of his long hair and beard but overall appearance. This church is Calvary Chapel. Lonnie talks to the preacher after the service and he says that he’s passionate about the word of the Lord and Greg (Ben Schnetzer) says get a bath.

Lonnie goes back to his group and says that he’s found his purpose. Jesse says he’s not some righteous prophet, he's just a hippie homosexual like him. Lonnie ignores him and Lonnie breaks up with Jesse as the rest of the group leaves. Jesse gives Lonnie the finger.

Lonnie goes to a beach and talks to hippies about Jesus. They give standard answers like the KKK is religious or my parents raised me religious and I rebelled against it. Frisbee says that Jesus Christ isn’t your parent’s Jesus Christ. The hippies are put off by Frisbee at first until Frisbee further explains himself. He was the ultimate rebel and in many ways the ultimate hippie. He challenged the Roman authority and he was crucified for it, how radical is that?

He says that on Sunday there is this great church it’s called Calvary Chapel and the man Chuck Smith (Kyle Chandler) is really passionate about the word of Jesus Christ.

Lonnie goes to the motel and he feels good about what he accomplished. There is a montage of Lonnie going to beaches and communicating with hippies and bringing them to God.

On Sunday there is an abundance of hippies at the church. Chuck is doing a sermon about how Jesus is the ultimate love and that he forgave the sinners and he died for our sins. All that Lonnie brought to the church. After church Lonnie talks to Chuck and he says that he brought all these hippies to the church. Several of them say to Chuck that his service was beautiful and it was far out. One hippie named James Durbin (Emile Hirsch) comes up to Lonnie and Chuck and he says that he has never really saw the Lord in that way before. Chuck asks Lonnie if Lonnie would like to come to his house at 4 pm. Chuck gives him his address.

Chuck and his wife Kay (Laura Dern) are discussing Lonnie Frisbee and how his hippie nature and passion for the gospel could help revitalize their church. We hear a knock on the door. It is Lonnie Frisbee. He has no shoes on and helps himself to snacks.

Chuck invites Frisbee to sit down and talk. Chuck talks about how the numbers for the church are going down with the youth. The gods that the kids worship are rock stars and political activists. Lonnie has shown that he can communicate the word of Jesus. The morality and the blessings of The Bible are lost in the modern day youth.

Chuck offers a job to Lonnie Frisbee by asking him to go to beaches and communicate the word of God the way he did in a way that hippies and the youth as a whole will get. Tell them how Jesus was a rebel against tyranny that will resonate. Frisbee says that I won’t let you down. Chuck even offers Frisbee a chance to stay with him before he finds a permanent residence. Chuck says that if he gets enough youth to come out to his church that he could be a preacher one day. Lonnie smiles at that idea.

In private Chuck and his wife Kay discuss having Lonnie work for them and Kay worries that Lonnie might spread liberal propaganda and distorting the word of the Lord. Not only would that alienate the congregation but it would be blasphemous. Chuck says there’s a chance Lonnie can save these kids from the free love hedonistic garbage . He can save these kids who desperately need saving to find salvation. Kay sees something in that but he says that if Lonnie talks about the Vietnam War or progressive free love bullshit he’s gone. Chuck Smith tells Lonnie that he forgot to mention that he can’t mention anything about Vietnam or any sort of progressive agenda. Keep it non political but still make sure the rebellious Jesus message comes out.

That Sunday at church there are way more hippies. Chuck Smith tells the congregation that these are his new friends and how these people are ready to hear the word of Jesus Christ.

Chuck Smith does a relatively conventional sermon where he talks about the magic of Jesus Christ. Smith describes how Jesus can find you if you’re lost and can heal you when you’re sick. Chuck also congratulates Lonnie Frisbee on bringing in these young people and showing them the word of God.

Chuck congratulates Lonnie for bringing in the youth. Chuck and his wife are there and he says Lonnie is a real miracle. His wife asks if she and Lonnie can talk 1 on 1.

After this a young man named Greg Laurie comes and he thanks him for showing the word of God to him. He really appreciates it. Greg asks Chuck if he could help Lonnie with his preaching. Chuck says it’d be great to have an assistant but Lonnie prefers doing it alone.

At the house Chuck says why were you so mean to Greg. Lonnie says when I feel the spirit I can’t collaborate with someone. I can’t collaborate. Chuck says but Greg and you would be preaching the same gospel. Chuck says that you aren’t making any changes to the ideas aren’t you and Lonnie says no. Chuck says that if you teach any commie bullshit that he will throw him out of this house and he will leave the church in shame.

Lonnie talks to James and James says he’s having trouble saying this but that he’s a homosexual. Lonnie hugs James. James says he doesn’t know how Chuck will handle it. Lonnie advises James to stay quiet about it until he can talk to Chuck about it. James reluctantly agrees after Lonnie admits he is a homosexual and he’s been one since he can remember. Lonnie says God loves everyone no matter who they are. He created you for a reason and James says that Jesus will show you the path if you are faithful to his word.

Lonnie and Chuck go out to lunch and Chuck says that Lonnie although he is a party boy has shown that he can connect with the youth in the way Chuck has never been able to on his own. Lonnie says that several of the people he has brought to Jesus have talked to Chuck about getting baptized and we are going to do that on Saturday. Chuck says that that’s a great sign of you being a good communicator. Chuck offers Lonnie to be a preacher at Calvary Chapel. Lonnie says to Chuck that he hasn't been baptized either. Chuck laughs and says we will baptize you too.

We cut to the baptism on Saturday. Chuck makes a speech about how it’s great that a younger generation is hearing the word of God. Chuck says that his mission ever since he went to Bible College has been the same. It is to teach the word of God to the people who need it. God doesn’t care the length of your hair or the length of your beard or the fact that you say far out. The hippies laugh. God cares about the generosity that you give to your fellow human beings. That you help people in need. Chuck says that I believe that this generation needs the word of Christ and that he is happy that these great young people are seeing the light of Jesus. He calls out the emptiness of sex, drugs and looking up to John Lennon instead of Jesus Christ. He calls out Lonnie Frisbee who he calls his great friend and jokingly his roommate. Chuck announces that Lonnie will now become a preacher at Calvary Chapel. Everyone claps but Chuck says that first he needs to be baptized. Everyone laughs.

We see Lonnie in the ocean with Chuck and Chuck asks Lonnie if Jesus Christ is his lord and savior and Lonnie says yes. Everyone claps.

The rest of the hippies get baptized as well and Greg Laurie comes up to Lonnie after the baptism session and says that he heard about him getting a slot as a preacher. Greg then compliments Lonnie’s style of preaching and he says that we can really expand this movement and help kids in the “bareness” of drugs and promiscuous sex. Lonnie agrees with this. Greg asks Lonnie if he’s been doing drugs since he found God and Lonnie says that he hasn’t. Greg says that that’s good as we as young people have to be good role models for our fellow young people.

Chuck talks to Lonnie afterwards and says that this is your victory. You brought these lost young people to Jesus Christ. Chuck asks if he’s been talking to Greg and Lonnie says he has. Chuck comments on how ambitious Greg has been since he came to me. Lonnie says he’s a real go getter. Chuck says that he’s asked Greg to teach a Tuesday night Bible class and Lonnie is doing Wednesday.

The next day Chuck tells Lonnie that he is in the process of bringing in rock musicians for the church services. Chuck says that will bring even more young people to the savior. Lonnie says that he envisions a more liberal Christianity that can speak to the issues these young people have.

Jesus Christ was a pacifist maybe emphasize that and maybe de emphasize end times and maybe even be more welcoming to homosexuals and African Americans. Chuck says that I am not Martin Luther King Jr. He says I’m not a liberal. He says he’s voting for Nixon for crying out loud. That he brought you here for a purpose to get young people in the door and that’s it. We have to be faithful to the gospels and the gospels clearly say homosexuality is a sin. In fact the next sermon is about the evils of homosexuality Chuck says that if he keeps pestering he will be fired.

Chuck gets ready the next day for the sermon. He introduces the rock band on stage playing Christian rock and after that he has a sermon about promiscuous sex specifically homosexual sex. He points to Leviticus “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.” Chuck says that maybe in the new world order homosexuals aren’t put to death but they are put to death in the eyes of God. Lonnie is in the pews and he is watching and he is thinking about the sex he has had. He envisions going to Hell. He envisions meeting Satan. These visions are as vivid as the acid trip in the beginning. Lonnie sees if James is in the pews and is grateful he is not.

Lonnie and James meet at a restaurant and James asks how was church today? Lonnie said it was beautiful as Chuck is an incredible preacher and public speaker. James asks Lonnie if he wants to have a walk on the beach and talk.

Lonnie and James are walking on the beach and James is talking about how he was in a Catholic family but he never connected to the word of Christ. It felt phony to him and he felt that LSD trips and rock concerts were his form of spiritual enlightenment but then I found Jesus through Calvary Chapel and Lonnie. Lonnie is tearing up. James asks how did he come to Jesus?

Lonnie said it came to me on an acid trip. I saw Jesus and I saw how he stood up for people and then he told me that I was on a mission to spread his word and then I read The Bible and I connected to it and that’s been my mission in life. James kisses Lonnie. Lonnie says that he has to go and he has to work on his lesson for Bible study on Wednesday. James says he will be there.

We cut to the Bible study on Wednesday night. It is packed with hippies including James. Lonnie is teaching the part of The Bible that he saw on an acid trip. The time Jesus said ‘’who is without sin cast the first stone.’’ James is in the audience.

James and Lonnie are talking after The Bible Study and Greg comes up and he says congratulations it was a great speech and that Lonnie is really helping to connect kids with Christianity. James says that would like to come to my room? Lonnie sees visions of Hell and he declines the offer saying he is too tired.

Frisbee goes to Chuck and says that he deals with homosexual tendencies and he is trying to pray for it to go away. Chuck says that he understands and asks if he has acted on his urges and Frisbee says no. Chuck says that God gives each individual challenges that he or she has to overcome. Chuck suggests that Lonnie go to his room and pray.

Lonnie goes to his room and prays and asks to see how he can overcome this challenge. Lonnie says that he has quit drugs and promiscuous homosexual sex but he still has attractions. Lonnie is visited by Chuck and Chuck says that he thinks Lonnie should step away from Calvary Chapel for a bit and figure himself out a bit. Chuck says that he’s a talented communicator of the lord’s message. Chuck says that if he ever needs any spiritual guidance call me.

Lonnie looks at a map and decides to go to Florida. He goes to James Durbin’s apartment and before he leaves for Florida he breaks up with James. He says that homosexuality is a sin and I should have never engaged in sinful activity. James says that he thought that Lonnie was preaching a new kind of Christianity but this is the same bullshit that my parents taught me. Lonnie is just a conservative preacher but with long hair and beard. It’s all image and not substance. Lonnie says that he is leaving for Florida to find spiritual enlightenment.

The film cuts to January 1993. Lonnie who still is sporting long hair and a beard preaches about the end times and how the pure of heart will live in paradise with Jesus but the non pure of heart will parish. He is also back at Calvary Chapel. He faints. He goes to the doctor who diagnoses him with AIDS; he is told that he has two months to live. The doctor suggests he get his affairs in order. He is shell shocked and goes back to his apartment.

Lonnie visits Greg who has become a prominent preacher. Greg tells Lonnie about his new church Harvest. It’s going to be a very large church with rock music and Greg says isn’t it great that the Jesus freaks have all the power now. Greg says we were both hippies and now we’ve been saved by the love of Jesus Christ and we’re spreading his word and we graduated from the life of drugs and promiscuous sex.Lonnie is unusually quiet but Greg offers him a beer. Lonnie accepts.

Greg asks Lonnie what do you think the future of Christianity is. How do we attract the kids like we did in 68. Greg credits Lonnie as being the catalyst for the Jesus movement. Lonnie says I think it’s just the message of who Jesus Christ is. Kids have a preconceived notion of Christianity as the thing their parents made them go and they don’t see the beauty of Jesus.

Lonnie tells Chuck and Kay and Lonnie lies and he said that he did party on Saturday and have church on Sunday. Kay point blank asks if Lonnie is a homosexual. Kay is crying and yelling and says that Lonnie should be fired. Chuck asks to speak with Lonnie alone.

Chuck asks if Lonnie has been performing homosexual acts. Lonnie reluctantly admits to it. Lonnie bursts out crying and he says that he had temptation and that he sinned. He said that he asked God for forgiveness. Lonnie says that he is dying. He only has two months left to live. Greg struggles to look at Lonnie but Lonnie cries and Greg reluctantly hugs him.

Chuck is disturbed by this news but how do we explain this to the congregation. Chuck says you’re a top preacher at Calvary Chapel. All of the hippies from years ago look up to you as you showed them the light. Chuck asks if he has told Greg yet. Lonnie says that he talked to Greg recently but he could not tell him. Kay says that if Lonnie asked for forgiveness from Jesus and he doesn’t do it again he should be fine with the lord but he should not preach anymore as he has not followed the path of a godly man.

Lonnie waits outside of Greg’s church. After church Greg sees Lonnie. Lonnie asks if Greg wants to go to lunch with him and Greg says yes. They go to the restaurant and Lonnie is crying and Greg asks what’s wrong and Lonnie admits that he has AIDS.

Greg is really bewildered by this and he asks how he got it. Lonnie said that he succumbed to temptation for homosexual sex. Lonnie said that he already has asked God for forgiveness and to lead my last few months in a godly manner and to make the lord proud.

Lonnie asks for spiritual guidance during these last few months. Greg says of course I’ll give you spiritual guidance. You can come to my church whenever you need.

Lonnie goes to the same park he went to at the beginning and a group of kids are dropping acid and he asks to drop acid with them. He sees visions but they are not the same as they were in the beginning of the film. He sees visions of sex with James Durbin and how he did kinda like him.

Lonnie who has James’ phone number still calls him up and James responds and Lonnie says he is sorry and James reluctantly agrees to have a drink with Lonnie. Lonnie is visibly happy. Lonnie goes to the bar.

Lonnie sees James and they talk and James asks Lonnie if he’s still at Calvary Chapel. James asks Lonnie about Chuck Smith and the fact that he thought the world would end in 1981. Lonnie laughs and says yeah Chuck can be kinda crazy sometimes but he has been a father figure to me. He helped deepen my faith in Christ. Lonnie says that he has something to tell James and Lonnie tells James that he has AIDS. James asks how he got it. Lonnie says probably in Florida. James asks if his Christian friends like Chuck and Greg know and Lonnie says yes. Lonnie says that he only has a few months left in life and he wants to end his relationships on a good note.

James says that he’s sympathetic to his condition but he can’t do this whole Jesus shit anymore. James says that he’s an atheist. James says Christianity is just a way for the bourgeoise to oppress gays and women. Lonnie looks like he wants to defend Christianity but he doesn’t. But he doesn’t and James says that he wishes him well in his fake afterlife.

The next morning Lonnie is preaching to the church about love and how Christ is all love. He ends his sermon by saying he is dying. He doesn’t say AIDS. But he says it’s only a matter of weeks at this point. But he concludes it by saying that he is going to a better place and that he loves everyone here. Lonnie cries. Everyone claps.

The film then cuts to Lonnie in his apartment drinking soda and watching TV and all of a sudden he faints. We cut to Lonnie in the hospital and Chuck Smith visits him and they talk. Chuck says that although Lonnie succumbed to the temptations God sent an imperfect vessel for others to hear the word of God. Chuck says that before he dies that he would like to pray with him. They pray. Chuck, as Lonnie is dying, assures that he is going to Heaven even though he sometimes succumbed to temptation as he was the most talented preacher and communicator for Jesus Christ he had ever seen. Lonnie finally dies and ascends to Heaven.

In Development

 

The Hippie Preacher: Jack Kilmer (Black Hole, OZ) and Moises Arias (Jurassic Park: Another Adventure, Samaritan) will round out the cast of The Hippie Preacher. They will play friends of the title character, Lonnie Frisbee (Wyatt Russell), before he found God in the film. Darren Aronofsky directs from a script by Alex Conn.

Resident Evil 5: Just one video game this season simply wasn't enough for Omar Sy (Wolfenstein, "Lupin") as he has joined the cast of Resident Evil 5 alongside other new additions Chris Messina (Jurassic Park: Another Adventure, Alien: Out of the Shadows) and Christopher Meloni (Supercrooks, Law & Order: Organized Crime). James Wan is directing the video game film from a script by Carl Flimmer.

Nightcrawler: Demons of the Past: Diogo Sales (Wisdom for Heroes, "Headless Chickens"), Oliver Stark ("9-1-1", "Into the Badlands") and Simone Kessell (Muru, "Yellowjackets") have signed on to supporting roles to round out the cast of Nightcrawler: Demons of the Past. Mike Flanagan directs from a script by Jimmy Ellis.

The Girls: The large ensemble cast of The Girls has been completed with the additions of Antoine-Olivier Pilon (To The Max, Beartown), Ty Simpkins (Graduation Trip, Black Hole), Andrea Savage ("I'm Sorry", You People), Paddy Considine (Judas Iscariot, Hex) and Milly Alcock (The Guest List, "House of the Dragon"). Jodie Foster is directing the film, in addition to starring, from a script by Rosie JoLove. The film is abased on the novel by Emma Cline.

Batman: Knightfall: Amongst the sea of returning characters, there will be a few new faces in Gotham City. Douglas Booth (Caesar Part III, Excalibur), Melissa Leo (Spark of Madness, Deprogramming) and Gustaf Skarsgard (The House of Romanov, Resident Evil 3) are set to join the film series. Booth will play Jason Todd, a young vigilante chosen to fill in for Batman following an injury, Leo will play the mayor of Gotham City, while Skarsgard will play a serial killer named Victor Zsasz. Rochelle Aytes (Batman: In the Shadows, Magic Camp) is also back for this one as Harvey Dent's wife. Joseph Kosinski directs from a script by APJ.

Time Out!: Writers Mo Buck (The Passenger, Death of a Comic) and Chad Taylor (Miracles, Revival) have teamed up for a script for the first time since the Season 13 release of A Following. This time around they have penned a darkly comedic crime thriller about a 1990s sitcom star forced to wear a suicide bomb vest to rob the studio to play off a debt to a drug dealer. Patrick Wilson (E.P., Blue Ridge) is set for the starring role, while Michelle Williams (The Driftwood Populace, Rookie's Road) will play his co-star/TV wife and Ben Stiller (Haven, Brad's Status) will play the eccentric creator of the sitcom. Josh & Benny Safdie (American Dream, Grand Theft Auto) have signed on to direct the film.

Premiere Magazine #263

 

The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 27 Round 3)

  

Season 27 continues, but profits are hard to come by so far. Here's The Roundup....

3. Zero Hour

While the concept is a little tricky, it did create some very fun, thrilling moments in Zero Hour. I'm surprised this one didn't do better at the box office based on its cast, genre and intriguing concept.

2. Detroit: Become Human

This one turned out better than I thought it would, to be honest. I didn't love Jennifer Lawrence or Michael B. Jordan in their roles, but they also avoided their usual schticks and just played things straight. The world-building was good as the rules of the androids made sense. 

1. Desert Dreams

I wasn't sure about the film until about the mid-way point where I finally understood what the writers were going for with the character of Dorothy. After that the film clicked for me and made the ending work greatly. I think it's safe to say that Daisy Edgar-Jones' name will be in the race for Best Actress at the end of the season.

3. Jennifer Lawrence

I've definitely grown bored of Jennifer Lawrence (and Margot Robbie) for that matter as performers. It seems like every time there is a big female role in LRF, it goes to one of those two. Writers - how about trying to make an A-List star like Roy Horne did with Sydney Sweeney? It's possible. 

2. Award Races

The history of the studio tends to lean toward award-winning films being released toward the end of seasons. Phil Dolan appears to be trying to switch that up this season with releases like The Passenger and Desert Dreams, but I don't think they moved the critical needle as much as the studio hoped. But maybe it will just be a bit of a weaker season with non-"Must See" films getting bigger nominations.

1. Profits

Three rounds into Season 27 and the studio is averaging less than $10 million in profit per round. That's not good. I'm not sure Round 4 is going to be the round to turn that around either.