The behind the scenes featurette is a great look behind the scenes of "Left Behind the Movie", but the marketing both of the movie and of this short feature show that Left Behind was made with more than a movie in mind.
This in once sense is great. I mean I'm all for a Christian message getting out and some of the other films by Cloud 10 and the like (8X Entertainment)-->(like Carmen the Champion are good films). However, others (like Meggido: Omega Code II are pure dung piles).
The films themselves send mixed if not muddled messages because at least in Omega Code II's case the film quality (editing/direction) is just bad and while a Christian message may be there it is not clear.
Left Behind is somewhere in Between. The movie is decent and while it is obviously a "Christian/Biblical" message, the film does not come accross as being pretentious. However, the marketing does.
I thought it odd that the film was released on video first. At first I thought it was to make sure that the film sees a profit, since it was big budget and since most "Christian" movies dont fare all that great in the box office. However, the documentary and the (2 free movie tickets with its DVD/VHS purchase) proves that that was at least not the only factor.
I am all for spreading a message (when one is good of course), but spreading the message semms to be the only reason/rational explained by the marketing. People are even quoted as saying that they want the movie in every city and that you ("the initial buyers") are basically responsible to spread the message to the rest of the public.
This word of mouth seems forced (hmm. free tickets to people who already own the movie) and unrealistic. Furthermore, the making of short also said that the idea of the film was to make a quality product that had a message and a good story, so that you would not have to be Christian to understand and appreciate it.
Additionally, the making of documentary contains previews (the entire previews, not just parts) of "Tribulation" and "Revelation" despite the previews being elsewhere on the DVD. The marketing department is once again sending a message to not focus on Left Behind, but buy and watch these other movies.
This, to me, seems to be a mixed message. On the one hand, the marketing is argressively pushing the concept of the "foot in the door" sell, yet the tape says that the makers wanted the General Public to get the feeling of "this is a movie with a good story that has a moral message in its heart. On the one hand this is "Making of Left Behind", but Tribulation and Revelation are being marketed withing this very movie.
Basically, I dont like the concept of a forced sell, it gives the seller and all salesmen in general a bad rap. In this case, the hard sell is Christianity and the salesmen are all Christians, but Cloud 10's marketing department is mixing church and state. They are bringing the money changers (the movie market) inside the church (the movie's message)and trying to parlay religion and not a good story into big bucks.
For shame, the ends dont justify the means.
Rating: 5
