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January 25, 2011 4:07 PM

My family's church put on a ~"The evils of rock music" series in 1983 or 1984. I am looking for the film(s) that they played.

All I know about it is that, like most such films, it had stills and videos clips and a narration. The only specific thing I remember about it is that KISS was shown in a black and white still (not much help, I know), and there was one clip with someone wearing a demonic/monster-oriented costume on stage while the narrator equated it with "devil worship."

It's probably 30-60 minutes long, but it might be longer. It would probably have been produced and made available to churches for just that purpose.

I'll take any and everything you can think of.
And It wasn't "Hell's Bells: The Dangers Of Rock And Roll"-- that didn't come out until 1989.

posted by herbplarfegan to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Rock: It's Your Decision?
posted by Paragon at 4:20 PM on January 25, 2011

I'll check that out-- the end part that it talks about might fit, but I think that it was actually a documentary-- lots of samples of the actual music, lots of Ken-Burns'd pictures from albums and magazines-- and narrated.
posted by herbplarfegan at 4:28 PM on January 25, 2011

Rock and Roll: A Search for God? Lots of stills in that one.
posted by Paragon at 4:38 PM on January 25, 2011

You might look into the filmography of Bob Larson.
posted by box at 4:49 PM on January 25, 2011

Is this the one where AC/DC is something something Devil's Child? And KISS is Kings in Satan's Service? Stuff about Ozzy? And the the peace sign is a broken cross? That's the movie I saw.
posted by Knowyournuts at 5:27 PM on January 25, 2011

My partner, who was raised on such things, can't identify the one you're thinking of from such little information but thinks you might want to investigate the works of Dan and Steve Peters. He remembers his church right around that time having a big showing of a movie that they were involved in somehow, although he's not sure if they directed it. He remembers them coming and doing signings at the movie showing. He says the Peters Brothers were particularly known for going after KISS, so they might be a good track to follow.

If you find what you're looking for, do come back and tell us what it was so I can pass the info along. He finds these documentaries endlessly funny now and I'm sure would enjoy this one, whatever it was!
posted by Stacey at 5:34 PM on January 25, 2011

I've checked everything suggested so far. I thought I had something with Eric Holmburg's "Allure of Rock"-- but that didn't come out until 1992, as it turns out.

I love when google reveals how non-intuitive it still is.
search for "christian anti-rock film" turns out "Toy Story 3's Anti-Christian agenda!"
Thanks, internet! LMAO
I guess gray goo is a way off, though, so that's encouraging.
posted by herbplarfegan at 9:54 AM on January 26, 2011

Is this the one where AC/DC is something something Devil's Child? And KISS is Kings in Satan's Service?

AFTER CHRIST / DEVIL CONQUERS

KNIGHTS IN SATAN'S SERVICE

Come on now, you gotta be accurate. You can't just go around making shit up, kids SOULS are on the line!

I always loved the fact that KISS and AC/DC caught all kinds of flack, but the whole 'devil music' thing had run out of steam for a moment when stuff like Deicide and Slayer started making it big (comparatively). Maybe the overtness of it all took some of the fun out of finding secret messages in Led Zep's chord progression or some shit.
posted by FatherDagon at 12:14 PM on January 26, 2011