House

Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti's book, House, will come to theatres next Friday night. This movie has been in the works for several years now and was going to be released last fall. But much work has been put into this movie, and now we will finally be able to see it.

Before I begin giving you reasons to go see this movie, I must warn you of what you will find. I have been reading some reviews on this movie this past week, and for the most part it is getting positive reviews. The secular market seems to be happy with this horror film. But beware, because this movie is rated "R." Now from what I have read from both Ted Dekker and other sources, the reason for the "R" rating is specifically for "intense terror." They do not give any other reason for this rating.

This is not a movie to take children to (you can tell that from the rating), but just because it is a Christian film does not mean that the whole family should go out and see it. However, I do feel like it will be worth your time if you enjoy horror films. The story itself is great. The catchphrase is this: "the only way out is in." To find the redemptive quality of this storyline, one must go further into the house. There, they will find a rescue. In the story, that redemptive quality is seen through the character of Susan.

According to Ted Dekker, the producers attempted to cut her character out of the movie, turning this into a horror film and not a Christian one. He stepped in and re-wrote Susan back into the story. And although she is back into the movie, I do not think it is exactly like Dekker wanted it. However, he still seems upbeat and positive about the movie, which encourages me to want to see this movie still.

I encourage you to do the same. Go out and support this one if you do not mind horror films. But remember that it has been classified as "intense terror." This releases to a short list of cities this next weekend. But if it continues to get good reviews and many go out and see it, then there is a possibility that it will be released to more cities in the coming weeks, giving more people a chance to see this movie. If I get a chance to go, I will, and then I will let you know what I think of the movie adaptation of the book.

Matt