Beware of Christians
Beware of Christians is a 2010 American documentary film. It is directed by Will Bakke, produced by Michael B. Allen and Alex Carroll, and stars Michael B Allen, Will Bakke, Alex Carroll, and Matt Owen. This is Will Bakke's second documentary film. Original Production began in April 2009 in Dallas, Texas and completed in April 2010. The film has had limited screening around the US since it premiered on April 3, 2010, and was released on DVD January 14, 2011.
The film is notable for it's controversial title and unique distribution model of "Name-Your-Own-Price" .
Plot
Alex, Matt, Michael, and Will have grown up as Bible-believing Christians who did all the right things. As they’ve grown older, they’ve realized that the Jesus in the Bible doesn’t exactly look like the healthy, wealthy, American Jesus they’ve been trained to know and love. They soon realize that their biases and allegiances to worldly things have determined their views on Christianity. So, they decided to leave the United States for a while and reexamine what Jesus says about certain topics.
Their travels feature 10 European cities including Barcelona, Rome, Budapest, and Munich. Beginning in London, they narrate from a roundtable in a studio city by city, tackling topics such as materialism, sexuality, alcohol, and entertainment. As the journey progresses, they build a deep bond with each other and discover a new meaning for the words, “trusting in Jesus.” By the end of their adventure, they truly begin to understand the joy and redemption that comes from giving up the world to follow Jesus.
Cast
- Michael B. Allen
- Will Bakke
- Alex Carroll
- Matt Owen
Music
The soundtrack for the film has not yet been released for sale, but the film contains music from these artists...
We Are The City
Jillian Edwards
Johnny Stimson
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
Courrier
These United States
Jessie Grace
Lunden McGill
La Verite
Minnutes
Daylight Tremor
The Monarchy
Baylor Rising Artists
Reception
The film has been very well received by fans and critics, gaining over 99% five star reviews on Facebook. Gary Cogill, award winning film critic, said of Beware of Christians, "It's a knockout film. It thrilled me to watch it, and it's a lot of fun." .
Distribution
The most notable characteristic of Beware of Christians is the distribution strategy of the film. After negotiating with a number of larger distributors, the producers decided to self-distribute the film for Name-Your-Own-Price. The initial distribution was launched along with a spring tour, during which the producers of the film traveled to over 35 cities to screen the film and answer questions from their audiences .
The distribution was funded largely by a Kickstarter campaign which raise over $25,000. Riot Studios is currently selling the film via their online store for "Name-Your-Own-Price". Michael Allen, co-producer of the film, stated that "Self-distribution lets us manage full quality and image control, and give our peers a chance to pay what they can. All this is exactly what Riot Studios’ stands for.”