God’s Not Dead (2014; Harold Cronk) – Dare Daniel Podcast Episode 39

“You’re the pied piper of duck genocide, sir!”

Hadleigh University alum Daniel Barnes and Kenny Dingler superfan Corky McDonnell get good and blasphemous on this week’s episode. Much like Job, Daniel and Corky suffer for your amusement, and the Dare Daniel podcast hosts certainly suffered this week. That’s because they reviewed Harold Cronk’s philosophical hell house, God’s Not Dead.

This pious ensemble drama pits baby-faced fascist Josh (Shane Harper) against atheist Professor Radisson, a tenured strawman played by Kevin Sorbo. Nothing less than the existence of God hangs in the balance. Like most horror films, God’s Not Dead inspired several sequels, but Daniel and Corky stick with the original, a surprise box office hit in 2014.

The film wants to use science to prove the existence of God while also debunking all science and discrediting all scientists. It imagines a world where heartland Christians are a persecuted minority, and where liberal humanism metastasizes into cancer. However, the most dubious element of God’s Not Dead is a validation of the execrable Christian rock band The Newsboys.

Before cutting off all debate on the subject, your atheistic wine snob hosts discuss I Heart Evolution bumper stickers, Duck Dynasty ambushes, faulty rental cars and dementia daughters.

GOD’S NOT DEAD FACTS AND FIGURES

U.S. theatrical release date: March 21, 2014

Domestic box office: $60.7 million (production budget: $2 million)

Critic scores: 13 on Rotten Tomatoes; 16 on Metacritic

This week’s craft beer: Dust Bowl Brewing Company‘s Hops of Wrath (6.6%)

This week’s Darer: Mike Dub

Why did Mike Dub dare Daniel and Corky to watch God’s Not Dead? “I don’t know if this movie will be the outright worst you’ve watched, at least not in terms of fundamental cinematographic ineptitude. It sounds like it would be tough to top, say, Theodore Rex in that sense. But I do think God’s Not Dead has a good chance of being up there with the most grating, and frustrating movies you’ve watched. I hope it’s as torturous as I think it will be.”

IMDB synopsis: “College philosophy professor Mr. Radisson’s curriculum is challenged by his new student, Josh, who believes God exists.”

This week’s referenced movies: Theodore Rex; the entire Fifty Shades movie trilogy; God’s Not Dead 2; God’s Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness; The Inconvenient Truth; Crash; Cutthroat Island

Ratings for God’s Not Dead: Daniel – Double Dare; Corky – Double Dare

RELATED CLIPS

Original theatrical trailer

The Newsboys have a very special message

Amy the Evil Liberal supercut

Josh converts the heathens

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