TRAILERS
Baseball Coach + Religious Propaganda in 'Running the Bases' Trailer
by Alex Billington
August 17, 2022
Source: YouTube
"Doing what I cannot do, Father… This team… is yours." This looks terrible, but at least it's nice to make fun of it. A Faith Based Films company has released a trailer for a sports film called Running the Bases, opening in theaters in September. Let's state the facts: this is religious propaganda designed to corrupt and coerce people into becoming more devout. The story follows a small-town baseball coach who gets the offer to coach a successful high school team, but gets in trouble for mixing religion with coaching. It's an obvious response to the real incident in Texas regarding prayer during games, but the bias here is so strong and so revolting I can smell the stink through the screen. Starring Brett Varvel, Gigi Orsillo, Todd Terry, and Cameron Arnett. As a movie site covering new releases, I think it's important to clearly label this kind of religious trash and not pretend like this is wholesome - it really isn't. Keep your religion to yourself, please.
Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Roberts & Womble's Running the Bases, from YouTube:
When a small-town baseball coach gets the offer of a lifetime from a larger 6A High School, he uproots his family and leaves the only home he's ever known. But as a man of faith, he soon faces extreme opposition to his coaching methods from the school superintendent. Running the Bases is both co-written and co-directed by filmmakers Marty Roberts & Jimmy Womble, both making their directorial debut with this film after some other production work previously. Produced by Robert C. Bigelow. This hasn't premiered at any festivals or elsewhere, as far as we know. UP2U Media (aka "Faith Based Films") will debut Running the Bases in select US theaters starting on September 16th, 2022 coming soon. Please don't watch this film.
18 Comments
1
Most people are not the target audience for this. So this seems totally fine for a faith-based audience. Sounds like this studio knows what they're doing.
redsole91 on Aug 17, 2022
2
Not attacking your opinion on this, but just confused on 1. Why you chose to post this trailer? 2. Why such an angry opinionated reaction to it? How is this different from any other sexualized, horror film or even a documentary that might be skewed in one direction more than the other. Trust me dude, I run the gamut of different movies I’m interested in. Not a fan of horror and not a fan of religious themed movies - just not. Big fan of your site, always get the top trailers here first and appreciate that. Just a little more surprised on the frustration over this trailer. Feel like its like all the rest with heavier religious tone.
JDJMovieClub on Aug 17, 2022
3
I knew someone would get pissed at me writing the truth. Yeah I probably should've have posted it at all, but sometimes when there's nothing else to post I roll with whatever there is. And I think it's important to point out what's really going on here - this is not healthy storytelling despite the faith-based belief that it is.
Alex Billington on Aug 17, 2022
4
Dont get me wrong dude, I'm not pissed. Keep doing what you're doing, was just a little different than what I'm used to.
JDJMovieClub on Aug 17, 2022
5
Fair enough. Sometimes I like to shake it up. That's what criticism is all about - being honest! But I appreciate your feedback anyway - thank you.
Alex Billington on Aug 17, 2022
6
Despite those crude religious overtones, the story looks thin...
shiboleth on Aug 17, 2022
7
I have zero interest in faith-based anything, including whatever this movie is, but I wonder...would you have posted and "made fun" of this if the faith were Islam or Judaism? Or is it just this faith in particular? Would Muslims also be told to keep their faith to themselves? I poke fun at religion myself like many others at times...just wondering if it's equal amongst all beliefs.
SarasotaTim on Aug 18, 2022
8
I didn't "make fun" of this religion, just pointed out how ridiculous it is. I think you could analyze a lot of the religious propaganda and say MOST of it comes from Christianity/Catholicism, much the same way missionaries who traveled the world as imperialists demanding their white religion be the one locals adopted. There's a difference between storytelling with religions and propaganda which is designed in a way to make this religion seem superior/dominant and everyone else wrong for not accepting it. This is dangerous, most religious storytelling is not. There's nuance in this kind of discussion/analysis.
Alex Billington on Aug 18, 2022
9
Also, for example, on the flip side of this there are at least two important films from the Cannes Film Festival this year that criticize Islam and examine how bad it is corrupting society. One is called Holy Spider, about a serial killer, and the other is called Boy From Heaven, which is actually about a devout Muslim boy who goes to study and realizes how corrupt his own church is. It's important and healthy and good to criticize religion and to acknowledge when films like this are not good and are very clearly propaganda. A famous author was also just attacked because he wrote a book criticizing Islam as well. I think it seems that criticizing religion is way more bold and brave and dangerous than just pretending like there's nothing to criticize making me the bad guy for pointing out what's wrong.
Alex Billington on Aug 18, 2022
10
so weird you don't point out leftist propaganda in the films and docs you post on here
Mike Fareri on Aug 20, 2022
11
so weird that there is nothing to point out when it's not actually "propaganda" but simply honest storytelling
Alex Billington on Aug 20, 2022
12
Nothing biased there.
Shane Schirmer on Sep 15, 2022
13
Alex, You state that you are merely stating the truth. But is it truth by YOUR definition? If so, please tell me, what is truth?
Michael Hernandez on Aug 20, 2022
14
"I believe truth is radical." Truth is the scary, objective facts about our world and you may not like what is true, but it is still true.
Alex Billington on Aug 20, 2022
15
Hmmmm…not impressed with such a definitive analysis based on a trailer. Thinking you might be ignoring the fact the audience can judge for themselves? Your opinion is just that, an opinion. Telling audiences to not watch is your admission that you think people aren’t capable of making their own decisions. Extremely egotistical and your review does not provide a basis for open discussion.
M Cola on Sep 3, 2022
16
What a jerk!
PartyLikeIts1984 on Sep 5, 2022
17
Really so just because you don't agree with it. It's bad. I think your reviews are propaganda for the left. Let people decide. Nowhere in the trailer does it hide its a faith based movies. So you are just trying to attack them.
danyates on Sep 11, 2022
18
No I just think religion is harmful and bad for society and we should be speaking out about this more. You just don't like someone appropriately criticizing this nonsense.
Alex Billington on Sep 12, 2022
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