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Persecuted The Movie
You may have missed it, but a “faith-friendly political thriller” called ‘Persecuted’ opened on 736 screens over the weekend (that’s 732 more screens than ‘Boyhood,’ for comparison). The plot involved “a TV evangelist (James Remar) framed for murder and forced to flee by an evil liberal Congressman (Bruce Davison) after he refuses to support a religious reform bill.”
Practically torn from the headlines, that. But according to the left wing, lamestream media at… uh… Forbes, ‘Persecution’ didn’t do so hot:
The film earned $935k for the weekend, for a lousy $1,302k per-screen average.
HOWEVER, according to the real Americans at something called “Red States At The Movies” who emailed me a press release just now, ‘Persecuted’ is actually doing just super.
July 20, 2014 (LOS ANGELES, CA) – PERSECUTED, a new faith-friendly political thriller is surprising box office watchers by out-performing blockbusters Sex Tape and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes in key heartland markets including Wichita, Memphis, Columbus, Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, and Cincinnati.
Okay, first of all, ‘Sex Tape,’ as previously established in this week’s Box Office round-up, is not a blockbuster. Secondly, I’m not surprised that ‘Persecuted’ outperformed ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’ since that film came out in 2011, and hasn’t been in theaters for a few years now, not even in Wilkes-Barre. Thirdly, since when is Philadelphia considered a “heartland market?” It’s like a two-hour drive from New York City. They threw batteries at Santa Claus for God’s sake.
The marketing department of ‘Persecuted,’ which, like a lot of these “faith-friendly” ventures, seems to believe that appealing to the fundamentalist right’s persecution complex is key to success, has apparently decided that more people will see ‘Persecuted’ if they see just how persecuted it is. It’s like they took a lecture on subtlety from Tyler Perry and scribbled down every word.
Despite these strong numbers, the movie hasn’t been as popular with critics who have criticized the choice of Fox News Channel host Gretchen Carlson who makes her acting debut in PERSECUTED.
The New York Times opines, “The title — “PERSECUTED” — and the presence of the Fox News personality Gretchen Carlson in the cast are really all you need to know.”
“PERSECUTED is a heavy-handed and didactic drama which also manages to be totally mushy in terms of the message it’s trying to convey. The ubiquitous presence of Fox News Channel anchor Gretchen Carlson ensures that,” wrote Christy Lemire for Rogerebert.com
“Featuring Fox News Channel personality Gretchen Carlson as a television news anchor the not so fair and balanced film might have made its religious themes palatable if it worked reasonably well as a thriller,” noted The Hollywood Reporter.
If you didn’t believe me about a persecution complex being critical to success, consider that in the press release, negative comments about it from meanie liberals make up five out of the eight paragraphs. So, what do you think the makers of ‘Persecuted’ are doing after being so rudely persecuted? Probably just packing up and leaving town, right? That’s usually what religious folks do when criticized, they fold up and compromise their core values, just like Jesus.
“I’m used to being attacked simply because of where I work,” said Carlson. “But I am shocked to see so many criticizing the movie because of my association with Fox News of which I am very proud.”
Great Scott, I never saw that one coming! Someone grab a spatula and let’s see if we can stop my bow tie from spinning.
“I’m glad we chose Gretchen and I’d do it again,” said director Daniel Lusko. “I don’t mind criticism of my movie but singling out Fox is ridiculous. If I had to choose between critics and fans I’d go with the fans any day.”
So you’re saying that if given a choice between people who by definition don’t like your movie and those who by definition do, you’d take the ones who do? Whoa, bold statement there, Iconoclast Q. Maverick. Someone get out the tranq darts, I think he may have gone rogue. He’s speaking truth to power in a manner that may alter the physical properties of things.
Anyway, it’s pointless to criticize something that exists solely to prove that it’s persecuted, so instead I’ll just leave you with the trailer and with a review from Meghan McCain, who think it’s a damned fine film. A damned fine film indeed.
Persecuted The Movie
A download from Persecuted's official website.
![[avatar]](https://profilecdn-woven.netdna-ssl.com/photo/257/profile)
It’s like these guys are in a contest to see who can be the best strawman.
“July 20, 2014 (LOS ANGELES, CA) – PERSECUTED, a new faith-friendly political thriller is surprising box office watchers by out-performing blockbusters Sex Tape and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes in key heartland markets including Wichita, Memphis, Columbus, Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, and Cincinnati.”
Unwavering belief and confidence even when all evidence and logic points to the contrary? These ARE people of faith.
Yet another thinly veiled Superman allegory.
Nice.
(slow clap)
“faith-friendly political thriller” sounds as much fun as watching dogs get put to sleep for 2 hours.
I’ll wait for the RiffTrax.
“Do I think faith will be an important part of my presidency. Yes I do. Now watch me wipe my ass with the Bible while I send your kids off to die for my hubris.”
-George W. Bush
Apparently, in Bush’s Bible, the central message of Christianity is “get rich or die tryin’.”
@Otto Man See you don’t get it… All the parts about Gay people being damned to hell and Black people baring the mark of Cain… that is all true, but the parts where Jesus talks about loving thy neighbor and caring for those less fortunate, that part is all allegory. Because after all who is less fortunate than our own selves?
You’ll recall the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “there are makers and there are takers, and its up to the makers to tell the takers to cut the shit.”
“Verily, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for one of the dirty poors to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
@ Otto Man almost, but you messed up the last part
“Apparently, in Bush’s Bible, the central message of Christianity is “get rich or set the system up so that you and your cronies are virtually guaranteed to get rich. Also, have rich parents.”
You realize now that you’ve made us aware of this, we’re going to need you to review it, right?
Seconded.
ha ha. Take your medicine Vince!
Wait, in that picture, the dude has ‘Gospel’ written on the tape. Does that mean gospel is preventing him from speaking? There’s some mixed messages going on here.
Also, I assume a lecture on subtlety from Tyler Perry involves him beating you for two hours with a bat that has the word ‘Metaphor’ branded onto it.
Wait til he pulls out his strap-on, “symbolism”……..
WWJD, bro?
I expect more from Ajax.
I would love to persecute all over Gretchen Carlson’s face.
I would rather see a film with her titled Prostituted.
Penetrated? Or is that to heavy-handed?
One of those can be the sequel.
Republican women are demons in the sack, I can say from experience having attended a major Midwestern university. It makes the sick shit you do to them all the much more satisfying.
I laughed @TheOxSaysHisThing, but now we can’t pretend to get indignant when some Confederate flag-waving redneck says the same thing about Elena Kagan or Hilary.
Did I spell “Kagan” correctly? I think I’ve only heard it and never read it.
I agree with the idea that faith can make you a good leader. However, hearing it come from George Bush sort of discredits the point he was trying to make. I actually find the advertisement for the film featuring Bush’s quote makes it really ironic and perfectly fits with the theme of the film in a negative sense. They are speaking as the majority with the belief that they are the minority. They paint the picture that the opposition is evil and will never agree with them. It’s like if Rush Limbaugh starred in a film about fairness in talk radio and the antagonist was played by Jason Isaacs almost reprising his role in The Patriot.
If Rush Limbaugh’s head gets blown off by a canon ball, I’m in.
@Schnitzel bob: “canon” ball — that’s really good, assuming it’s intentional.
Please let there be a porn parody of this film.
Would the title be “Peniscuted” or “Analcuted”?
“Pussy-tooted”. For queef fetishists.
“Persecuted…in The Butt”
“Pursercuties.” For maritime fantasy enthusiasts.
The obvious answer is “Pussy-cuted.”
Jizz-secuted.
Bring more to the table than “my sky god told me the way things should be, well not me, but some guys 2000 years ago…..but only these guys, none of the other guys who wrote opposing views are right and please don’t bring up anything about my sky god’s views on accumulation of wealth and taking care of others because my head might explode in a cognitive dissonance fueled super stroke” and maybe you’ll stop feeling persecuted.
christian audiences don’t need more christian art, we need more christians to make *good* art.
Try Tarkovsky.
I just told my Nexus spell check to remember “Tarkovsky ” because I’ve accepted that I’m a pretentious asshole.
interest: piqued.
Probably still better than that Zach Braff abomination. Not gonna watch either one, so I’ll have to take your word for it.
Both films rely on the premise that liberals are self-entitled assholes, apparently.
Wait, I didn’t know they were both documentaries…
I keed, I keed.
I walked right into that one.
Stupid Braff.
Here’s the messed up part: the audience this movie panders to actually believes they’re part of a Christian minority that is being hounded and persecuted by an atheist, socialist, (fill in whatever term you wish to equal “God-less”) media and society. This isn’t some goofy idea like it does anyone with an objective view of American society. They really think the sky is falling and, at any moment, they will be hounded because of their beliefs.
Now, feeding that, there’s a whole industry of charlatans, snake-oil salesmen and the like who populate Fox News and make Persecuted.
But wait now we’re the “Silent Majority” so we’re right both times
I still can’t believe Bush got elected after saying that god actually speaks to him. Since when is it ok to put people hearing voices in charge of the nukes? I’m completely fucking serious. Anyone that says they literally hear gods voice, should be placed under 24 medical care. It’s pretty much the surest sign that you are legally insane.
By the way, real persecution is happening: [news.yahoo.com]
100% agree – that Christians in other parts of the world are being persecuted and that as a country we should promote fundamental freedoms around the world (religious, speech, free press, etc.) more than Northrop Grumman or General Dynamics.
Where are all the news links about christians persecuting other religions, even through government institutions like military academies?
Yeah …
no
@Martin
So . . . because some members of a group have been bad, that justifies the same bad things being done to them?
You sound like my mom. Whenever anyone mentions the genocide of native Americans to her, she likes to say “well they weren’t perfect either!” as if being just as human as Europeans somehow justifies being wiped out by Europeans.
Martin, that’s what Gawker is for.
Listen, if you’re religious, then you should probably die for your faith… sooner rather than later please, the rest of have shit to do, and we’re tired of your ranting.
allahu akbar?
White, blonde women have historically been the most persecuted of all. Have you heard all those jokes about them?
Oh, the humanity!
Start working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life.
This is what I do……. 2.gp/RT
You’re sucking dick in alleys, aren’t you?
Peter-puffing can bring in the bacon, just ask Gretchen Carlson.
Religion is stupid and religious people are stupid.
Christian movie does well: GREATEST EXAMPLE OF AMERICA’S RELIGIOUS VALUES! Release the bald eagle named Small Government to descend on the White Hut and peck out Barry HUSSEIN Taxbongo’s eyes!
Christian movie does poorly: Everyone is wrong! It’s actually good but you liberal jews manipulate the public with your global media empires! Go back to Planned Devilhood to feast upon welfare fetuses (feti?)
That’s how you create a no lose industry.
They threw batteries at Santa Clause for God’s sake.
Dammit, now I want to see Tim Allen pelted with D-cells.
Always have, always will.
C’mon people, let’s be fair, it was only a guy dressed like Santa Claus. If it actually were Santa, they would have went with car batteries.
Fox News Channel host Gretchen Carlson who makes her acting debut in PERSECUTED.
Not true. She’s a Stanford-educated classically-trained musician who’s been pretending to be a mouth-breathing moron at Fox News for years now.
If you didn’t believe me about a persecution complex being critical to success, consider that in the press release, negative comments about it from meanie liberals make up five out of the eight paragraphs.
Of course they did. Conservatism today is “whatever pisses off liberals, updated daily.”
and vice versa. Those of that don’t consider ourselves either have to deal the stupidity from both sides, sadly.
Conservatives in recent years have turned against ideas they previously used to advance — the individual health care mandate, cap-and-trade policies, etc. — just because the Democrats have said “me too.”
We even had a case in 2010 when six Republican senators came out against the bill they themselves wrote and sponsored because Obama said he’d sign it.
Show me an example where liberals have done something like that, please.
Putting aside the fact that the term liberal is a misnomer. I didn’t know you were referencing congress as much as people that purport themselves to be conservative or liberal. I don’t find politics very entertaining (I watch comedy central for south park, HBO for the movies, and I don’t watch cable news) so I don’t know enough about it to argue the other side. So with that I’ll assume you are correct and slither out of this discussion.
I’d say you could make the case for politicians or normal folks alike, but if you’re slithering away, I won’t press the issue.
I can understand checking out of politics, but the fuzzy view that people like you have — which is largely the fault of the he-said-she-said stenographers that pretend to be our major media these days — really isn’t true if you look at the facts.
I’m not saying liberals have all the answers or the Democrats are perfect — fuck, far from it — but the two sides are not totally alike. (Let me put it this way. In the last Congress, about a quarter of all Republicans in the House of Representatives belonged to the “Tea Party Caucus.” By comparison, no Democrats belonged to the “Occupy Wall Street Caucus” at the other extreme. Because it doesn’t exist.)
True conservatives are extremely rare these days in politics but liberals just as determined to fuck this country up as Republicans are. Everyone is too busy getting reelected and fighting the other party.
Upon hearing these babies describe themselves as perscuted, Jesus made a divinely dismissive wanking motion, and the air going through his wrist hole made a whistling sound, which was pretty funny.
Funny enough his wanking motion is to the tune of Highway to Hell.
No, but all of the audience did.
Zing!
When Vince published the box-office list, I had to look this up and also There’s No Place Like Utopia, which is described as :
Why did Dorothy follow the yellow brick road? Film maker Joel Gilbert journeys across America to find out what’s at the end of the Progressive rainbow – Utopia or something far worse? From the ruins of Detroit to the slums of Chicago’s South Side, and from Denver’s illegal immigration invasion to Newark’s urban removal project, Gilbert pulls back the curtain. He confronts Progressives on his quest, and takes us deep into their political fantasy of paradise on earth. There’s No Place Like Utopia is a humorous and horrifying exploration of Progressivism, amnesty for illegals, race relations, Islam in America, political correctness, and Barack Obama himself, who promises to “remake the world as it should be.” But is Utopia a real destination for America? Or, does the true path to happiness still remain faith, family, and hard work – back home in Kansas?
Holy shit.
No wonder they went with the Wizard of Oz title. That sounds like the greatest straw man ever put on film.
“Back home in Kansas”. Yes, that’s why Kansas is the booming population center that it is. Everyone’s always talking about how they want to flee the ruins of progressivism and go live in Kansas.
On a related note, I like how progressivism is presented as derogatory. “Way to want progress, fag!”
Come now, surely 300+ million people could happily live in small-town Kansas?
That’s it, pack it up people, we’re all going to Kansas.
Which is apparently a Utopia?!??
The Mighty Feklahr feels there would be a small amount of poetic justice done if a large-scale Federal raid on churches nationwide took place on Easter Sunday, arresting all of those that claim to “believe in Christ” and killing on site anybody that resists. THEN, Obama has a news conference (played in all churches, too) and simply says. “THIS IS ACTUAL PERSECUTION YOU STUPID SHITS.”
A movie starring the guy who replaced Christopher Lambert as Raiden in the Mortal Kombat sequel sucks dick? Color me shocked…
Now if they made a film about the persecution of Iraqi Christians then I might actually like it.
My white suburban raised Christian boss loves to tell me daily about how persucuted he is and how the IRS And Lauren learner are hiding in his closet to get him. If he sees this movie and tries talking to me about it then I might push over his ladder .
opps- Lois Lerner
I’m still amazed at the conservative freak out over the IRS scandalette.
A bunch of Tea Party political groups sent in applications to receive a specific tax-exempt status that is, by the letter of the law, reserved for non-political groups who engage primarily in social welfare and charity work.
The IRS looks into these groups (along with lots of progressive ones) to see if the ones who’ve applied for the non-political tax exempt status are in fact non-political.
And while the applications are pending, mind you, the Tea Party groups are allowed to act as though they’ve received the tax exemption and collect donations accordingly.
And then in the end, the IRS granted most of them the exemptions anyway, despite their prime purpose being mobilizing right-wing voters rather than providing meals to the elderly or something.
Despite that, conservative websites bitched that it took too long for them to get the formal tax exemption even though they could act like they had it the whole time.
THAT’S PERSECUTION, I TELL YOU. THEY’RE AS PERSECUTED AS THOSE TAX-EXEMPT CHURCHES.
I really wish these motherfuckers who love Atlas Shrugged would actually do it and just fucking leave. We might actually be able to salvage the democracy then.
Oh, would you like to chat about ol’ Ayn Rand, who collected social security after calling it morally repugnant to do so, and calling those that accepted it parasites and much worse. Yep, she collected hers with hundreds of thousands (worth millions in today’s dollars) in the bank. Oh, and she was on Medicare too. Oh, and did I fail to mention the irony that she was a smoking causes cancer denier, and then died from lung cancer – holding steadfast to her claim that the medical research proving the link agreed upon by 99% of Dr.’s “was a hoax”?
hmmm. Almost reminds me of her disciples denying climate change and saying how stupid national healthcare is, while enjoying the benefits of their taxpayer funded health insurance that they’ve had all along.
Wow Otto, good job leaving out the most important facts from the IRS incident. You’re a real team player. No one cares about that shit in the end but the misconduct has been proven and admitted to.
It is, however, stupid that they’ve managed to convince the average Joe that the boogeyman IRS might be coming for them next. The IRS is ALWAYS out to get you. Sort of their job.
I’m sure the Christians in Mosul who are being rounded up, forced to wear a symbol marking their pariah status, and being raped and murdered in by ISIS at this moment are feeling really glad that somebody in Hollywood is telling their story in this film… wait, this movie isn’t about that? Oh… this is much more important.
Poor Christian-Americans.. So persecuted with no representation at all in our culture.
(THERE IS NO GAWD)
Tax the clergy.
THE JEWS IN THE HOLOCUAST HAD IT EASY!
Knock Fox all you want, it still somehow always crushes everyone else in the ratings.
Catering to elderly shut-ins will do that for you.
[www.theatlantic.com]
I got around to playing the trailer above. A promo for that USA show about boinking outisde/inside your marriage auto-played before it. Brilliant.
Here’s what I gathered from the trailer. It stars “that one guy” that is in a lot shit and always looks like he’s ready to rape someone. Solid choice. Also, it clearly isn’t a real movie. We are being trolled.