What Would Jesus Buy

What Would Jesus Buy? – Wikipedia

What Would Jesus Buy?
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rob VanAlkemade
Produced by	Morgan SpurlockPeter HutchisonStacey Offman
Starring	Bill Talen
Music by	Steve HorowitzWade TonkenWilliam Moses
Distributed by	Warrior Poets
Release date

Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

What Would Jesus Buy? is a documentary film produced by Morgan Spurlock and directed by Rob VanAlkemade that was released in 2007 and is about the life of Jesus Christ. The title is a play on the phrase “what would Jesus do?” (What would Jesus do?) The film made its festival debut on March 11, 2007, at the South By Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas, where it was shown. On November 16, 2007, it was made available to the general public in the United States. The adventures of the satirical organization Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are chronicled in the film.

This is especially true in the context of Christmas.

Plot

In the film, Bill Talen, who goes by the alias ” Reverend Billy,” and his troupe of activists engage in street theater performances in the form of a church choir, to raise awareness about issues such as commercialization of Christmas, materialism, over-consumption in American culture, globalization, and the business practices of large corporations, as well as their economic and cultural effects on American society.

Following Billy and his choir as they go on a cross-country road tour in the month leading up to Christmas 2005, in order to disseminate their message against what they see to be the horrors of visiting the retail stores of various huge corporate companies, the film is set in the year 2005.

Crew

Morgan Spurlock produced the picture, which included cinematography by Alan Deutsch, Daniel Marracino, Martin Palafox, Alex Stikich, and Rob VanAlkemade, among others. Gavin Coleman and Stela Georgieva worked together on the editing of the film.

Reception

The film garnered a mixed response from critics. According to the review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film has a 56 percent approval rating based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 5.96 out of 10. WWJBis an eye opening documentary on consumerism that manages to be both hilarious and enlightening, according to the critical consensus posted on the site. On Metacritic, the film had a score of 60, which indicates “mixed or mediocre reviews.”

Amazon.com: What Would Jesus Buy? : Reverend Billy, Rob VanAlkemade: Movies & TV

Reverend Billy tells us that we have lost sight of the genuine purpose of Christmas through retail interventions, corporate exorcisms, and some plain old-fashioned preaching, among other methods. What Would Jesus Spend His Money On? is a trip into the heart of America, beginning with the exorcism of demons at the Wal-Mart headquarters, continuing with the takeover of the Mall of America, and finally arriving at the Promised Land.

Disneyland. Bonus features include: deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer from the film, and a public access show with Reverend Billy and Morgan Spurlock.

Review

Allowing religion to be set aside for a moment, there is a dreadful addiction that has crept over this country, and it is one of the country’s best hidden mysteries. The vast majority of people will tell you that it is a terrible thing to do, but no one seems to be able to stop themselves from doing it. Because of this, approximately sixty percent of us are in long-term debt as a result of our education. No, we’re not talking about excessive drinking, drug use, or overeating. It’s time to go shopping.

A lively, funny, yet at the same time somber documentary about a dangerous year-round shopaholic preoccupation that spirals into an out of control purchasing and spending orgy by the time Christmas comes around, ‘What Would Jesus Buy?’ is directed by Rob VanAlkemade.

The purpose of this countdown to Christmas is to preserve the celebration from what Reverend Billy has jokingly nicknamed the Shopocalypse, which means “the end of shopping.” A bus carrying his followers gets involved in a collision with a truck transporting Christmas products to retailers, which, ironically, causes many of their members to be hurt.

It was Morgan Spurlock who came up with the idea for What Would Jesus Buy?
Rather from focusing on digestive problems, Reverend Billy and his retinue send a wakeup call to mall addicts worldwide, exorcising the demons from numerous cash registers and credit cards while urging customers to return to a more real relationship with the holiday season.
Those who do business with him may not feel the same way, as the manic preacher formerly known as Bill Talen has been barred from several establishments and malls, as well as being the only bible thumper ever to have a Starbucks Permanent Restraining Order issued against him.
It features open interviews with those who suffer from shopping problem and who, after been gravely bitten by the overconsumption bug, can’t seem to stop themselves from overindulging.
When one girl confessed to being frightened of being shunned and humiliated by her peers at school if she did not purchase the latest trends on a regular basis, the rest of the group agreed.
On the other side, living with a man who is determined to get his message out there 24 hours a day, seven days a week isn’t always a piece of cake.
But, despite his specific brand of crazy, there is an undeniable technique at work, one that encourages genuine introspection into what precisely this consumer-driven holiday season is all about.

and Reverend Billy may be found at i-NewsBlaze.com, which also has more information.

Reverend Bill is a bleach-blonde man who serves as the spiritual head of the Stop Shopping Church.

Similarly to Ad Busters Buy Nothing Day, the message is straightforward: rampant materialism is destroying mankind, and people worship the all-powerful dollar note more than anything else in the world today.

Wal Mart is the idol of the modern world.

Throughout the year, the Reverend performs a no-holds-barred theater presentation in locations such as the Mall of America.

Of course, it doesn’t take long at any of these concerts until police officers and security guards are called in to put an end to old Reverend Billy’s antics.

He brings up some valid arguments.

He makes the argument that Times Square is no longer lovely or distinctive, but rather just a Stonehenge of Logos, as he describes it.

When Reverend Billy and his traveling gang blow into town after town and make a show, they propagate the gospel of non-consumerism until they are shut down and forced to flee to the next town, the director, Rob VanAlkemade, captures their energy and enthusiasm.

Besides capturing the wild and wooly essence of what Bill Talen and his company perform, he also portrays life on the opposite side of the stage.

His footage also includes footage of Reverend Billy at home with his wife Savitri Durkee, and how the two of them come up with their ideas.

This film will appeal to anyone who like documentaries.

You’re most likely going to attempt to avoid seeing this movie.

-CineGeek.com Super-Size is the title of this article.

It stars Reverend Billy Talen, a colorful figure who travels throughout the country with his gospel choir, the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, confronting anxious customers in malls exactly in time for the holiday shopping season.

He performs spontaneous man-on-the-street interviews, in which he challenges people to consider the impact of their purchases on the environment.

As a result, mall security and local police officers often arrest him or take him from the grounds, treating him as a nuisance rather than a criminal threat.

Citing the fact that most Christians spend more time worshipping retail things at malls than they do worshipping Jesus in church, the author encourages believers to engage in activities that are more significant than shopping.

Alvin Poussaint, who laments how we have been conditioned since birth to equate worldly possessions with the symbol of love, have lent their support to him in this attempt.

The actual star of this program, though, is the irrepressible Reverend Billy, who is as amusing as he is thought-provoking, and who is thus likely to keep you in stitches while you consider spiritual alternatives to financial fulfillment.

Exceptionally well-done (4 stars) The content is rated PG-13 for adult themes and mild epithets.

DVD Features deleted scenes, downloadable lyrics to the choir’s original Christmas carols, and an 8-minute public access presentation starring Reverend Billy and the choir, among other things. -The nefarious Sly Fox

What Would Jesus Buy? (2007) (trailer)

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The Gospel of Stop Shopping (Published 2007)

For some of the parents profiled in Rob VanAlkemade’s short and amusing documentary “What Would Jesus Buy?” the answer to the question presented by the title is as simple as it is obvious: whatever device their spoiled-rotten children are clamoring for at the time. As Reverend Billy, the charismatic bleached-blond performance artist and mock preacher whose actual name is Bill Talen, points out in his video, this is just one element of a wider problem. His get-up may be for show, but his activism is genuine, and his purpose is to combat what he refers to as the “shopocalypse,” the purchasing frenzy that Americans engage in during the holiday shopping season every year.

Along the way, they communicate their message — that peace and love, rather than spending, are the actual backbone of Christmas cheer — to unsuspecting customers in various trouble locations such as Wal-Mart, the Mall of America, and Disneyland, using hilarious speeches and songs to convey their point.

To put it mildly, it is possible that the video will cause viewers to reconsider their next purchase from Gap.

WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY IF HE HAD THE MONEY?

Alan Sklar provides narration; directors of photography include Alan Deutsch, Daniel Marracino, Martin Palafox, Alex Stikich, and Mr.

VanAlkemade. On the Upper East Side, at 22 East 12th Street in Greenwich Village, is the Cinema Village. The film is 90 minutes in length. This film does not have a rating.