Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Literature Review #11: G.O.D.- Original Screenplay by Brandon M. Wyse

Listening to Brandon M. Wyse on the Ron Shaw radio show a couple of weeks back proved a most fascinating way to spend an evening.  Mr. Wyse's story is way more intriguing than any fiction...however his screenplay "G.O.D." may be more than just fiction.  The journey embarked upon by our featured screenwriter has obviously lit an eschatological flame in his creative engine.  Saying Mr. Wyse has a checkered past may be a bit of an understatement.  He grew up in Chicago...lost both parents at an early age...Joined a gang...Led a gang...went to jail....Transformed!  Religion is a great transformer, however most will credit the portions of the gospels in which Jesus speaks of love and forgiveness.  Perhaps this is a stretch on my part, however, after reading "G.O.D.," Mr. Wyse seems to have been quite affected by John's book of Revelation.
"G.O.D." begs for a movie studio to buy into it and turn it into an epic for the Christmas movie season.  Not an evangelical work, but it has the power to speak to those hostile to divine messages. Science fiction/horror and epic adventure on a massive scale...who can want more?  After reading just a few pages, the names Rod Serling, Ray Bradbury, and J.J.Abrams came to mind.  As the tale begins, a massive war scene is underway which is guided by some weird twists of technology and detente.  Out of a battle of massive proportion, evil forces embodied by a mad scientist type figure head out into our world of manicured lawns, little league baseball, and normal existence.  Not with bombs or EPT devices, but an item we have come to worship...the cell phone...is the tool of evil here.  In no time at all, our planet's survival is in question. Like any great fiction tale, some regular guys, who we can relate to, become reluctant heroes and embark on an unlikely trek to save humanity...but from what, exactly?
Horrific and gory scenes leave no doubt to the evil that has beset our comfortable homes.  Torture, machine guns, and some downright taboo scenes will shock the reader.  Mr. Wyse masterfully manipulates us to dwell upon larger questions as we witness the carnage.  Who is the real enemy...or has the evil scientist been enabled by our desire to replace God?  Mary Shelley shocked the world when she asked the same question in her "Frankenstein" novel. However powerful and wise we believe we have become in 2015, have we merely taken steps closer to ruination and disaster? Battle scenes ensue, none more horrifying than the ones we witness in the homes of families like ours.  Sure, tanks, rocket launchers, and great armies will have their say, however cathedrals of sanity and love we rely on to keep us human (our spouses and children) will also be the source of great horror.
When the story ended, I was exhausted.  The action and fast pace of the story ensured that.
 Immediate questions were inspired in my consciousness, such as, "..can I look at myself and see that I have replaced God with my own ego and technological toys?" If you want action, suspense, horror and gore..."G.O.D." has it....actually, in just about every scene.  I encourage one to find "G.O.D." as a vehicle to self reflect on important questions about who we are and what we have become.  Our belief that we can know what God knows may be our undoing...however, in Mr. Wyse's "G.O.D." is perhaps a more encouraging message.  In each of us...we have the power to eschew evil and turn to good. For more information, go to Mr. Wyse's website brandonwyse.com

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