Nice to get some background info on something that formed part of the background of my youth. I dinked around with the ultra-fundie mindset when I was 14; woke up out of it around the time I turned 17.
Nice to see Hal Robins, a great artist, and no doubt subtly influenced by Chick; and Rev. Stang.
Some believers--and, really, that's all they are; they can't really be considered "people of faith"--may balk at this flick. But in fairness it's important to note that at least the film is honest enough to drop that other shoe. At one point, one of the fan/collector guys comes right out and summarizes the twisted amoral center of the black hole where Chick lives. He tidily points out the total jackass "god" plainly depicted in the tract "Holy Joe". So, yeah, this flick holds Chick out at arm's length while basking in the eerie glow of his stark cartooning style and bizarre, contempt-permeated theology.
It's great that they were able to bring in some of Chick's collaborators; especially the smokingly whacked out Dr. Brown.
I was reflecting on Chick's oft'-touted popularity, when it struck me: Fundamentalism eludes moral accountability by various tricks, such as mercurially morphing a civil, rational facade, when so pressed. So, even now, tact/circumspection inclines you to stay your hand and give these "believers" the benefit of a doubt; a benefit they would fain reciprocate, btw! The reality of Chick's stunning popularity aptly belies the facade. These people really believe that god hates you and doesn't give a rat's a55 about your pretensions to honesty or integrity. And they are legion.
Watch this and get a little background.
Oh, a moment to comment on the production values: It's pretty much a string of interview snippets, vaguely put into an order that imparts a sense of forward motion; damning with faint praise, eh? The audio and video tech is fine. So the thing isn't the most artfully done. But it still offers a decent window into Chick Publishing. Check it out.
