Good News FL

MOVIES 28 FEBRUARY 2018 Good News • South Florida Edition Action, romance, decep- tion, supernatural powers, in- trigue and plot twists! Sounds like the making of a superhero film. But unlike these comic- turned-live action characters, “Samson” opening in theaters on February 16, is based on a real person in history. The stormy story of Sam- son can be found in Judges 13-14 of the Bible. He is a He- brew, dedicated to God as a Nazarite, set apart to deliver the Israelites from captivity from the Philistines. God equips him with superhuman strength for this purpose, and Samson becomes a human weapon of mass destruction. But because of a stream of disobedience and compromise (namely due to women), Sam- son loses this favor from God and his strength leaves him, ultimately enslaving him. But, God’s mercies are great, and he honors the now humbled Samson’s request for one last act of bravery and strength to defeat the enemy. Pure Flix, the leading in- dependent faith and family stu- dio in the world, has taken on this riveting story of Samson and is bringing it to the big screen. Producing top quality films such as “The Case for Christ,” “God’s Not Dead,” “God’s Not Dead 2,” “Do You Believe?” “Woodlawn,” and many more, the studio is lauded for shining the Light on today’s thirsty theater-goers. Although they’re not new to making biblically-themed movies, producing “Samson” came with its own challenges and surprises, as producer Brittany Yost will attest in the following interview. The Making of “Samson” GN – So Brittany, why a movie about Samson? BY – It happened that the completed script of “Samson” was brought in to us at Pure Flix and because of the rich- ness of the text and the exten- sive research done on the historical background, we knew we wanted to bring it to life on the screen. GN – The cinematography is captivating. Was it a chal- lenge in finding a location to fit the biblical profile? BY – It does come with unique challenges that are not found in contemporary films. Usually these films are made in the Middle East but ours was set in South Africa. Film- ing there turned out to be a blessing. Because of a TV show that was shot there, we were able to use some of their props and sets for the “Sam- son” film. And though the cost of living for our crew was rea- sonable, tapping into their own talent helped significantly. They have an incredible crew base there. One of the direc- tors is actually from South Africa while director Bruce MacDonald is from the U.S. GN – Taylor James, the actor who plays the title role is of course…massive, but he brings to the screen a genuine quality that makes him more human. BY – Yes, it was important to have Samson a character that resonates with the audi- ence. We have tremendous “Samson” is an Action-Packed Story of Passion, Betrayal and Redemption Chris Alexander Good News Samson’s (Taylor James) strength amazes onlookers in Pure Flix’s exciting new film, SAMSON. Photo credit: ©2018 Samson Movie Production LL