By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Rob VanAklemade
Country: united_states
Year: 2007
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0939681/
Bruce says: “This film would make a great double feature with AUDIENCE OF ONE. Both feature overzealous ministers who stop at nothing to accomplish goals which are both ill-defined and elusive. WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? is the story of Reverend Billy who heads the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and the Not Buying It band which accompanies them. Billy Talen is an imposing character with his heavily sprayed peroxided hair-do and the ability to work himself into frenzy during his sermon -writhing, spinning and twirling on the floor like some Pentecostal dervish. All the gospel songs and Christmas carols that the choir performs have anti-consumerism messages.
“Rev. Billy calls their shtick the Shopocalypse. His message is clear. As a nation we have a clinical addiction to shopping – we have lost our values because of our preoccupation with accumulation of material things. The film begins with dozens of clips of ads and TV News commentators urging people to ‘Buy, buy buy!’ One commentator confesses that she enjoys her diamond ring more than her husband. Another newswoman speaks wryly of a pregnant woman who was trampled by frantic shoppers. ‘No surprise.’ she says. In what culture is the trampling of pregnant woman by bargain hunters ‘No Surprise?’ one might ask. Hence, the various segues into Billy’s gyrations do not seem such a stretch, just another frantic effort in an altogether frantic nonsensical world. VanAklemade peppers his story with many statistics about the billions of dollars the nation spends for Christmas holidays; the child labor (19 ½ hour shifts at 7 cents an hour) that makes our goods; how children under 12 are the targets of a 15 billion dollar marketing effort each year; the one million people who are forced into bankruptcy each year.
“WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? tracks Talen and his followers on a cross-country trek during which they visit shopping malls and perform on streets and sidewalks. In one funny segment they go the The Mall of America in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis. This mall has four miles of shops, an amusement park, 4 million visitors each year, a wedding chapel, its own police force and it houses a university. Rev. Billy and the choir begin preaching and performing and are asked to leave immediately. Everywhere they go they get asked to leave or are physically removed from the premises and arrested. Many nights are spent in local jails. A trip to Disneyland features a crucified Mickey Mouse, who Reverend Billy claims is the Antichrist.
“This film is definitely fun to watch. Digital icons feature Biblical figures toting shopping bags, waving credit cards and buying toy SUV’s. Subject matter experts such as an American historian, a shopping addiction therapist, a Christmas historian, a child psychologist and a Maryland State Senator are brought to the screen offering opinions on America’s preoccupation with shopping. Billy’s sisters testify about their childhood and how the children were made to have creative lives. Billy translates that credo into performing ‘serious political work in creative fun ways.’
“The film does not address issues such as: where does the money come from to support Talen and his Church; with what religion is Talen identified; what are the goals and accomplishments and who is measuring his activities. His wife comes closest to acknowledging the lack of purpose and the futility of their efforts. We never get to hear much from Rev. Billy apart from his platitudes and sound bites. Consequently, it is difficult to judge whether or not he has ever delivered a sermon with much substance. Not surprising since the Shopocalypse is clearly political activism, not religion.
“On the road one of the group’s tour buses gets rear ended by an eighteen wheeler. Many choir members end up in hospital. This sobering event slows down the frantic pace of the film and the film’s joyous rhythm is never fully reestablished. 3.5 cats”
Shannon says: “Just to provide a bit of background: Bill Talen is a conceptual performance artist; Reverend Billy is one of
his characters–well, probably his only character. I’ve been to one of his ‘services’ in New York when I was attending an arts presenters conference and enjoyed it thoroughly. He has done a lot of fun activism with his congregation–he used to take people into the Disney store in Times Square and, at a prearranged time, everyone would get on their cell phone and have loud ‘arguments’ about sweatshops. Starbucks has an official memo for what to do if Reverend Billy comes into your store…”