Mormon Media Wars - For those of you who haven't seen it, there is a battle going on between LDS film makers that I find amusing: Richard Dutcher's blast. Keith Merrill's Response....and if you look at the Herald, it keeps going. Merrill apologized for his response but the comments to all of these stories are something to read. Interesting if you have time. IMHO Keith Merrill is on the moral high ground, but one point that Dutcher makes that I have to agree with: A lot of the LDS genre movies I've seen are trash or at least significantly lack an element that makes it worth watching....including his. Especially the "comedies". The only movie of Dutcher's I liked was Brigham City. Chris Heimerdinger has some good input. What do you think?
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First: Dad, can you send another invite to join the post, but this time to brigham.dastrup@gmail.com Thanks.
Second: Thanks for sharing these articles, they were very interesting to read. I felt like Dutcher's comments were expressed with far greater eloquence and coherence than those of Merrill, but I thought they both made a great point--there is a TON of garbage pouring out of the Mormon film genre. I live in Baltimore so I'm not even in the middle of it anymore, but every time I see the offerings of my beloved home state on the shelves at Blockbuster, I cringe that someone might actually watch them. Perhaps low budgets are to blame, perhaps an overemphasis on Mormon references are at fault, but one way or the other, I would not be at all sorry to see the "Mormon comedy" genre die and die quickly.
I've already made this post longer than a blog should be, so I will end without further rantings.
Wait, one other quick point. While not Academy-award material, the church-produced films (Legacy, etc.) are of far greater artistic merit than "God's Army." While I hope Dutcher's call for great Mormon film-makers is heard, I hope they don't follow in his footsteps. (Disclaimer: I did not see Dutcher's Brigham City, which is widely reviewed as his best work)
My comments mostly surrounded the "Mormon comedies." It sounds Pa like you and I are in fairly close agreement on all of these films.
Also, by commenting on Dutcher's eloquence, I unintentionally suggested I somehow approved of what he was saying--I don't. His arrogance was incredible. I was just sorry that Merrill (who I agree with almost entirely) wrote his response in the tone and style that he did.