Apologies if this offends anyone, but faith based films almost exclusively are terrible. In fact, they’re ripe for parody. After all, movies made on the cheap, appealing to an audience that only cares about quality in the broadest sense of the word, and can almost be assured of turning a profit, are easy targets. The upcoming film Faith Based takes a comedy and satirical look at what would happen if a couple of regular guys, on the hunt for a quick buck, opted to make one themselves. The premise has a lot of potential, which luckily for audiences, leads to a charming flick with more on its mind than simply having a laugh at this inherently silly genre. The movie is, as mentioned, a comedy, centering on two fairly dim-witted friends. Luke (Luke Barnett) and Tanner (Tanner Thomason) are buds who love cinema, aren’t the smartest, and need to make some money. One day, after Luke has disappointed his adopted father Pastor Mike (Lance Reddick) yet again, he has an idea. Christian films are big business in the movie industry these days, something his dad even pointed out. What if Luke and Tanner made one? Moreover, what if they made the best one ever? This quixotic idea is initially scoffed at by everyone, but driven by the words of wisdom by an entrepreneurial guru named Nicki Steele (Jason Alexander), Tanner persists. A little luck gets them a meeting with a faith based distributor, which offers to buy their work if they can make it at a certain price point, as well as get a born again B or C list star. As the production comes together, they target former action star Butch Savage (David Koechner) for the role of God. The rest deserves to be seen in context, but it all concludes in a fun and even touching manner. Vincent Masciale directs a script that Barnett penned, with music by Dustin Morgan, as well as cinematography by Will Stone. Supporting players include Margaret Cho, Carly Craig, Chris Marquette, Richard Riehle, Marlon Young, and more. It may come as a surprise, but even though this is a satire, the fun being poked by director Vincent Masciale and writer Luke Barnett is fairly gentle. As much of the humor comes from the overall situations that the guys wind up in, as well as the joking remarks made to one another. When it […]