Fifty Forged in Film Blog Posts!
Opening Thoughts
Hello to all my faithful Forgers! Welcome to my fiftieth blog post, can you believe it? And if you’ve been here since the beginning, well, thanks. That means a lot. If you are new, welcome, so glad you are here and decided to check out the Film Forge! If you’re wondering who I am or what I’m about, you can find out more here.
So yeah, fifty posts. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. Fifty? Fifty? I’ve been at this thing for almost four years now. I’m still amazed I ever got it started at all, considering my mother passed away suddenly a mere five weeks before the blog launched. Obviously I wasn’t exactly in the mind frame to start something new at that point. But God made a way, and here we are, fifty posts later. Maybe I should recap a bit for the newbies.
I’ve always been a major movie nerd, and at some point after I became a Christian, I noticed that God started to speak to me through movies. I would see similarities and parallels in movie themes and characters, things that spoke to my own spiritual life and journey. I realized that God, in his limitless creativity, could use movies to communicate his heart to people, people who would never walk into a church but would happily walk into a movie theater or binge a streamer. So I decided to make it my mission to share what God shows me in movies. It is my constant prayer that in discovering what he showed me, it helps open your eyes and ears to what he may be saying to you.
I spent several weeks trying to decide what to do to celebrate fifty blog posts. I considered having one of my friends “interview” me about the blog and post it here. Another idea I had was to interview someone else, such as this guy Dylan Novak, otherwise known as the “Celebrity Evangelist.” But in the end, I thought a recap post would be nice, so I’ve included excerpts from several of my posts. It seemed like a great way to revisit my blogging journey and how my writing, style, and focus have changed over the past almost four years. Also, if you’re brand new to the blog, this gives you a chance to explore some of the movies and themes I write about. I’ve blogged on all kinds, from romance to sci fi to comedy, and even documentaries and episodes of TV shows! God has shown me something in them all, and as always, my heartfelt prayer is that he will show you something too.
So below I’ve shared a small sampling, a paragraph or two, from some of my favorite posts, with scene sources and hashtags for easy reference. Feel free to follow the links provided if anything catches your interest and you want to read more! Let’s dive in, shall we?
The Terminator (1984) Rated R
Blog from July 21, 2022
#scifi #unconditionallove #spiritualwarfare #jesussaves
Scene: The Terminator is attacking Sarah Connor in the night club Tech-Noir, and future soldier Kyle Reese appears to rescue her.
This is seriously one of my favorite scenes in the movie (even though the sequels have over-used this to the point where it’s now just a lame catch-phrase). Is there anything more intense than the line, “Come with me if you want to live!”? Friends, this is the intensity Jesus has for you. This is how he seeks us, begs us to come with him. Depending on your situation, your first encounter with Jesus may have been gentler and less intense. But there are also those of you whose life has been in the balance, and you knew it. Maybe you had a different experience, or maybe you haven’t reached that point yet. Whether you have or you haven’t, at some point you are going to come to a time in your life where Jesus is going to be standing there, holding the enemy at bay with one hand, while his other is outstretched to you. “Come with me if you want to live!” How will you answer?
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) Rated PG
Post from October 28, 2022
#thriller #basedonabook #disney #fallfavorite #overcomingtemptation
Scene: Charles Holloway confronts the demonic Mr. Dark after dark in the town library.
Mr. Dark offers Charles the opportunity to have his youth restored to him, even going so far as to describe all of the things he could do with his youth, run up the stairs, learn to swim, etc. But Charles, in an absolutely fantastic scene, calls out Mr. Dark, revealing that he sees him and his fellows for who they truly are:
Charles: “I know who you are. You are the Autumn People. Where do you come from? The dust. Where do you go to? The grave.”
Mr. Dark: “Yes. We are the hungry ones.”
Charles refuses Mr. Dark, and this scene is so key, because of just that. We do not have to give in to temptation! No matter what, we always have the option to resist it. I read somewhere online once, I think it was at MoralRevolution.com, this fantastic quote: “The good feelings you get when you give in to temptation will NEVER feel as good as the good feelings you will have saying no to it. Temptation is never as powerful as your ability to say no to it.” That has stuck with me hard since I first read it, and it’s often come to mind when I’ve been faced with various temptations in my life. Remember, remember, remember, when it comes to temptation, we ALWAYS have a choice. Temptation has no power over us other than what we give it.
The Matrix (1999) Rated R
Post from January 20, 2023
#scifi #identity #whatisreal #youareachildofgod
Scene: Agent Smith battles Neo in the subway.
-Trinity also says to Neo that the Matrix cannot tell him who he is, indeed, the Matrix is like the world around us (which the enemy has a great deal of influence over) in that way. We all have a God-given identity that we were born with, the identity that we are a son or a daughter of God. God has given us this identity, and the enemy cannot take it away, because he didn’t give it to us. I’ll say it again, the enemy has zero power to change that identity.
But, he can lie, and manipulate our perceptions, and make us feel like it isn’t true. People in the world give us false names, names like ugly, stupid, loser, disappointment, failure, worthless, and so on. He makes it easy to forget who we are. But I encourage you to not listen to his lies. The only power they hold over you is what you give them. You are a child of God, and that is true whether you believe it or not, it is a fact. When you embrace that truth, you are secure in your identity in Christ, and those labels have no power over you and can’t stick.
A terrific example of this is when Neo is fighting Agent Smith in the subway, and Smith keeps calling him by his Matrix name, “Mr. Anderson.” The enemy does the exact same thing to us, trying to reinforce those lies, those untrue labels on us. It is so important that we take a stand against him, reject his lies, and claim our true identities as children of God, that we speak it out. Like I said before, there is power in declaration (after all, God spoke the world into being!) and it breaks the hold the enemy tries to keep on us, to keep us believing that we’re powerless and helpless.
Ladyhawke (1985) Rated PG13
Post from May 26, 2023
#fantasy #medieval #romance #talkingtogod #relationship
Scene: Anytime in the movie Phillipe talks to God.
-I think one of my favorite things about this movie is how Philippe is always talking to God. He has such a wonderful intimate friendship with God, and that’s not something you see in a lot of movies, even Christian movies. He talks to God like God invites us to. He asks God for help, he goes to him when he’s afraid, he’s frank when he’s angry or doesn’t understand something. “I told the truth, Lord! How am I to learn any moral lessons if You keep confusing me like this?” Philippe obviously feels very free to be honest with God about how he’s feeling.
Maybe you can’t imagine being able to talk so freely and openly like this to God, maybe it feels disrespectful or sacrilegious? I can understand that, I used to think that way myself. But let me assure you, this is the kind of relationship we should all aspire to have with God. To be able to talk to him like a dear friend that you know well, one who is sitting right beside you, not some stuffy untouchable Being off in a lofty heaven somewhere. God wants us to talk to him like this, to be comfortable enough to express ourselves freely with him. I mean, just look at King David in the Psalms, he was vulnerable and honest about all his feelings before God, sharing his pain, his joy, his despair and anger with God.
Luther (2003) Rated PG13
Post from March 29, 2024
#drama #historical #biopic #thebible #godsword
Scene: Martin Luther’s mentor tries to encourage him in his spiritual struggles.
”Have you ever read the New Testament?” When I first saw this movie, that line brought me up short. Luther, a priest, hadn’t read the New Testament?? What? How is that possible?? I didn’t realize at the time that not only had many priests not only not read the New Testament, many didn’t even understand the Latin language they were speaking in, they were only parroting words and ideas from what they themselves had learned. Like it was said in the movie, much of the church hierarchy believed that “The scriptures are too complex for even a common priest to understand, much less the common man.” Now, I realize that this probably wasn’t true for every single priest everywhere, but I’m willing to bet it was pretty widespread.
In addition to that, this made me realize how much we take our modern day Bible for granted. I mean, HOLY COW. We have dozens of different translations to choose from, in all different sizes, shapes, and colors that can be picked up in any bookstore or hotel bedside table. Or, if that’s too much work, just pull up your verse and chapter on an app on your phone. And not only do we have unprecedented availability to Bibles, but almost unlimited access to studying the Bible…just google “Bible study” and you’ll get literally hundreds of thousands of resources.
We are so blessed to be able to know verses to use in prayer, to comfort, to chastise, to ask for healing, for courage, for strength, for help. I just…I can’t even. I can’t, my brain is melting down right now trying to fathom what it would be like to live your life not only not having access to a Bible, but not even knowing the wealth of truth that lies within its covers. To not hear Christ’s words that were spoken during his time on earth on a Sunday morning. I mean… yeah, I can’t. Thank God we live now and are so, so blessed to have these resources. So many thanks to people like Martin Luther and William Tyndale, who translated the Bible into English. God bless them.
Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987) Rated PG
Post from March 12, 2025
#fantasy #kids #basedonabook #littleknownfilm #ourtruehome
Scene: Young Bosse hears of the magical Land of Faraway and wishes he could go there.
“The Land of Faraway…I wish I was there.” At this point, all Bosse has is a picture of a castle on a postcard and the name of a mysterious place, the Land of Faraway. Yet, somehow, this place calls to him. He wants to go to Faraway before he even knows what it is or anything about it. His soul just longs for this place, a haven, someplace so different from everything he has ever known.
Can’t you feel it too? “The Land of Faraway.” There’s a German word, “fernweh,” which we don’t have a word for in English, but roughly translates to “farsickness,” or a feeling of homesickness for a place you’ve never been. I know this feeling well. Sometimes I get glimpses of that place, our True Home, in nature, or my imagination, but those are just pale shadows of what True Home is really like. CS Lewis called it “sehnsucht,” or a deep yearning for something beyond our day to day lives. It suggests we are, at our core, made for another world and that anything we enjoy now is only a dim reflection of the ultimate reality. Whether you call it Faraway, True Home, or a name all your own, I think every human heart contains this longing in some measure.
Thunderbolts (2025) Rated PG13
Post from August 31, 2025
#scifi #marvel #superhero #identity #depression #failure #howgodseesus #fatherslove
Scene: Alexei (Red Guardian) encourages his foster daughter, Yelena (a Black Widow) who is ready to give in to despair.
One of the most powerful scenes in the movie for me is when Alexei is pursuing a despairing Yelena. I’m adding the (abbreviated) conversation here because it’s just so great! (The emphasis is mine.)
“I didn’t think you wanted me.”
“I did.”
“I’m late…but I’m here now.”
“Daddy, I’m so alone. I don’t have anything anymore. All I do is sit, and look at my phone, and think of all the terrible things that I’ve done, and then I go to work, and then I drink, come home to no one, and I sit and think about all the terrible things I’ve done again and again, and I go crazy!”
“Yelena, stop. We all have things that we regret.”
“No, but I have so many! (Yelena bursts into tears) My first test at the Red Room… Anya, she was just a child, she was so small…”
“So were you. I know. I know they were dark times… very, very dark times. but… before, you were such a special little girl. Did you know this? You walked into room and made it bright. You felt a lot of joy.”
“I don’t.”
“You’re stuck. You’re alone. You look only at the bad. When I look at you, I don’t see your mistakes. That’s why we need each other.”
“Okay, that was really good.”
The thing I absolutely adore about this conversation is that when Yelena is sad and lonely and feels like she has no one, she wants her daddy. Yelena, a Red Room assassin who’s afraid of nothing and no one! Alexei isn’t perfect, but he is who she wants when things get rough. When she feels like she’s a horrible person who does horrible things, and she just can’t handle her life, she goes to her daddy for help. And her dad, her dear dad, reminds her of who she truly is, and how he sees her (which is better than she sees herself), and that’s all that matters.
Friends, this is us and God. Right here, just like this. He will pursue us. He will not leave us. He wants us to pour our hearts out to him and bring him all our hurts, like a little child with a skinned knee. And he listens and reminds us we’re not alone. Most importantly, he tells us how he sees us, and that we are good. If you’re hurting, dear friend, bring it to your Abba Father and let him wash your wounds with truth and love. Learn to see yourself through his eyes, because his view of us is the only one that truly matters.
Closing Thoughts
I hope you’ve enjoyed this stroll down memory lane, and perhaps found something new to ponder. Whether it’s a movie you’ve never seen, or a new perspective that makes you want to re-watch a movie you’ve seen many times, I hope you are blessed by the insights.
If all this makes you hungry for more, I’d suggest my friend Paul MacDonald’s podcast, Men at the Movies. I’ve guest starred several times on it in the past and can testify that Paul is rich in movie spiritual wisdom. He’s also a pretty fun guy, and his podcast has some cool people on it. Check it out here.
I’d love to hear how you stumbled across my lil blog, perhaps it was a friend’s recommendation or you found your way here through my Facebook group? Either way, leave a comment below and let me know!
And feel free to comment on anything you loved on the blog, hated, or want to know more about. Movie suggestions? Love to hear them! Can’t remember the movie title but you know it was a sci fi film from the 80s on rollerskates? I’m very good at that game. Want to know more about this Jesus guy that I keep talking about? It’s my favorite subject! Comment below or feel free to contact me!
Thanks for joining me to celebrate fifty Forged in Film posts! Here’s to another fifty and beyond!
Some of my other favorite Forged Films:
- You Are Here: A Come From Away Story (2018) #documentary #compassion #givingofourselves
- The Girl on the Mountain (2022) #drama #grief #fatherdaughterrelationships #fatherslove
- The NeverEnding Story (1984) #fantasy #80scultclassic #basedonabook #creativity #beingbrave
- Superman: The Movie (1978) #superhero #family #wearehereforareason #savior
- Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) #romance #basedonabook #grief #hope #growth
- The Last Unicorn (1982) #fantasy #animation #basedonabook #identity #overcoming
- Hacksaw Ridge (2016) #action #biopic #war #conviction #faith #layingdownourlivesforothers
- Avonlea 5×02 “Memento Mori” (1994) #TV #basedonabook #growingolder #lifemoreabundant
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) #fantasy #basedonabook #epic
- Star Trek (2009) #scifi #fathersonrelationships #destiny #feelings
- Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987) #fantasy #basedonabook #identity #fathersonrelationship
- A Wrinkle in Time (2003) #fantasy #basedonabook #identity #notafailure #beautifullyflawed
- The Goodbye Girl (1977) #romance #comedy #grief #rejection #trust #worthyoflove
- The Dark Crystal (1982) #fantasy #jimhensonsmuppets #destiny #mission #sacrifice
- Dead Poets Society (1989) #drama #facingourfears #embracingourpassions #carpediem
Other Links I Like:
- Sign up for my brand new, fresh outta the box, hot off the press Forged in Film newsletter here! It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally happening! Includes updates, movie trivia, personal writing updates, and more!
- My Forged in Film FB Group – I do Movie Trailer Mondays, Trivia Tuesdays, and Wordy Wednesdays! Come hang out with us and geek out about movies!
- Lettrboxed – Want to see what I’ve been watching? Check out my movie diary and lists here!
- Men at the Movies podcast – Paul’s clocked over two hundred episodes as of this posting. That’s a lot of movies. There’s sure to be one you like.
Sources
- Terminator poster – https://www.amazon.com/AllPosters-Poster-TERMINATOR-directed-CAMERON/dp/B0CJ5V77VF?th=1
- Something Wicked Poster – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/mediaviewer/rm681849344/?ref_=tt_ov_i
- Matrix poster – https://filmartgallery.com/collections/the-matrix-movie-posters/products/the-matrix-7
- Ladyhawke poster – https://theposterdepot.com/products/1117pladyhawkeptr02251201
- Luther poster – https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5653-luther/images/posters
- Mio in the Land of Faraway poster – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093543/mediaviewer/rm1356339712/?ref_=tt_ov_i
- Thunderbolts* poster – https://geektyrant.com/news/new-thunderbolts-movie-poster-may-have-revealed-the-meaning-behind-the-mysterious-asterisk
