180 (2011 American film)

January 2015 180 Ray comfort 180.jpg Official cover Ray Comfort Ray ComfortMark Spence Ray Comfort Hitler, God, and the Bible Ray Comfort Chad WilliamsEmeal ZwayneRay ComfortDale JacksonStuart ScottBrad Snow Mark SpenceEddie Roman Living Waters Publications 2011 9 26 33 minutes United States English 180 (also known as 180: Changing the Heart of a Nation or 180 Movie) is a 2011 American anti-abortion documentary short film produced by New Zealand evangelist Ray Comfort, founder of Living Waters Publications.https://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/adl-slams-movie-that-compares-holocaust-to-abortion-1.395124 ADL slams movie that compares Holocaust to abortion Haaretz November 12, 2011 November 13, 2011 Aimee Neistat https://web.archive.org/web/20111113002022/http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/adl-slams-movie-that-compares-holocaust-to-abortion-1.395124 November 13, 2011 dead mdy-all http://floridaindependent.com/55473/180-movie Group wants to push movie comparing abortion to the Holocaust into high schools The Florida Independent November 4, 2011 November 13, 2011 Ashley Lopez https://archive.today/20130123080904/http://floridaindependent.com/55473/180-movie January 23, 2013 dead mdy-all The film is self-distributed by Living Waters on DVD and has been posted publicly on the group's official website and channel. The film is notable for comparing abortions to the Holocaust. Synopsis The film begins by showing images of the Holocaust, and stating that Adolf Hitler sanctioned the killing of 11 million people. This is followed by Comfort interviewing people about Hitler; their responses indicate a lack of historical knowledge, although he also finds a neo-Nazi who says he loves Hitler.Dulaney Josh Holocaust Deniers in Huntington Beach Hear About Hayzoos http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/03/holocaust_deniers_huntingto_beach.php OC Weekly March 1, 2012 July 13, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120529082227/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/03/holocaust_deniers_huntingto_beach.php May 29, 2012 dead mdy-all Comfort proposes a hypothetical situation to his interviewees, asking if they would kill Hitler if they had the opportunity at that time in history. He asks more hypotheticals dealing with what his interviewees might do in other circumstances related to the Holocaust. He then switches his topic to make similar comparisons to abortion within the United States and the right to life. The documentary concludes with Comfort stating that over 50 million abortions have occurred to date; he calls this the "American Holocaust". Background The documentary was originally intended to be a free DVD supplement to Comfort's book Hitler, God, and the Bible.http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Nov11/Art_Nov11_03.html Pro-life documentary '180' gaining national attention Christian Examiner October 25, 2011 November 13, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120226003449/http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Nov11/Art_Nov11_03.html February 26, 2012 dead mdy-all Comfort compared his film to the YouTube video Charlie Bit My Finger, which had accumulated millions of views, and offered his hope that 180 would achieve the same viewership and thus serve to shift opinion on abortion. Reception Within days, 180 had over half a million views on YouTube,http://au.christiantoday.com/article/180-movie-reaches-half-a-million-views-after-9-days/12174.htm '180' movie reaches half a million views after 9 days The Christian Post Christian Today Murashko Alex October 7, 2011 October 28, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111026223003/http://au.christiantoday.com/article/180-movie-reaches-half-a-million-views-after-9-days/12174.htm October 26, 2011 live mdy-all while weeks later, it hit the 1.2 million mark.http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2011/10/uncomfortable-video-raises-hac-1.html Un-Comfort-able Video Raises Hackles Online Christianity Today Moring Mark October 26, 2011 October 28, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111030012737/http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2011/10/uncomfortable-video-raises-hac-1.html October 30, 2011 dead mdy-all On October 12, 2011, The Huffington Post wrote an article critical of 180. The article quoted Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who said in a 1991 interview with On The Issues Magazine, "It is blasphemy to reduce a tragedy of such monumental proportions to this human tragedy, and abortion is a human tragedy."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/180-abortion-holocaust-prolife_n_1007165.html '180' Documentary Compares Abortion To Holocaust, Goes Viral Among Pro-Life Groups The Huffington Post October 17, 2011 Ileana Llorens October 12, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111015144031/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/180-abortion-holocaust-prolife_n_1007165.html October 15, 2011 live mdy-all According to The Huffington Post, "the film, which shows a series of graphic images, is gaining attention not only because of its controversial comparison, but because it highlights 14 people who do not know who Adolf Hitler was". The Christian Examiner called the film "dramatic" and stated that it was "gaining national attention". It reported on Ray Comfort's use of "morally charged" questions and his attempts to change the minds of "mostly college-aged" interviewees, and how eight of those interviewed who previously espoused a pro-choice view changed their minds as a result of the interview. British newspaper The Catholic Herald criticised the film for bludgeoning and hectoring its subjects and audience and using "verbal violence" when love was the better way to change people's minds; however it also found that many of its readers agreed with the film's message and tactics.Phillips Francis Should pro-life campaigners compare abortion to the Holocaust? http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/10/28/should-pro-life-campaigners-compare-abortion-to-the-holocaust/ Catholic Herald October 28, 2011 July 13, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120716045503/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/10/28/should-pro-life-campaigners-compare-abortion-to-the-holocaust/ July 16, 2012 live mdy-all The Anti-Defamation League criticized the film for equating the World War II murder of Jews during the Holocaust to abortion in the United States and called it "cynical and perverse".Lawrence Jr. Calvin Mike Huckabee Premieres Anti-Abortion Documentary in Latest of Films With Similar Message https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mike-huckabee-premieres-anti-abortion-documentary-latest-2011/story?id=15138231#all ABC News December 14, 2011 July 13, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120419152506/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mike-huckabee-premieres-anti-abortion-documentary-latest-2011/story?id=15138231#all April 19, 2012 live mdy-all It criticized the film's use of images of bodies in concentration camps and Jews being shot and in mass graves intercut with segments of people offering opinions about the Holocaust and abortion. It also challenged Comfort's method of critically questioning those interviewees who spoke negatively about Hitler and yet were more liberal in the views about abortion and women's right to choose. Abraham H. Foxman, the national director of the ADL and himself a Holocaust survivor, criticized the film, stating "This film is a perverse attempt to make a case against abortion in America through the cynical abuse of the memory of those killed in the Holocaust," adding "It is, quite frankly, one of the most offensive and outrageous abuses of the memory of the Holocaust we have seen in years." He decried the film's assertion that there is somehow "a moral equivalency between the Holocaust and abortion" and its bringing Jews and Jewish history into a discussion that then urges viewers to "repent and accept Jesus as their savior." The Florida Independent reported that Ray Comfort is "turning his attention to high schools" in order to "fill in gaps in education about the Holocaust". It reports the film as "largely anti-abortion propaganda" which has "become extremely popular in anti-abortion circles". The makers also had trouble with some billboard owners who refused to carry advertising for the film, with Comfort complaining one company owner was particularly opposed.Billboard companies refuse to advertise pro-life film '180' http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue14653.html July 13, 2012 Christian Telegraph https://web.archive.org/web/20120511202115/http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue14653.html May 11, 2012 dead mdy-all Comfort also said "three of the largest billboard companies in Southern California" refused to advertise it.Lopez Ashley Billboard companies refuse to advertise movie comparing abortion to the Holocaust http://floridaindependent.com/58218/billboards-180-movie The Florida Independent November 23, 2011 July 13, 2012 https://archive.today/20130123062712/http://floridaindependent.com/58218/billboards-180-movie January 23, 2013 dead mdy-all In 2015, a woman from the United Kingdom was dismissed from a Christian school and then contacted by Child Protective Services for showing the film to her own children.Butts Charlie Woman reported for sharing pro-life film with her own children http://www.onenewsnow.com/culture/2015/01/06/woman-reported-for-sharing-pro-life-film-with-her-own-children OneNewsNow January 6, 2015 January 7, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150110004842/http://www.onenewsnow.com/culture/2015/01/06/woman-reported-for-sharing-pro-life-film-with-her-own-children January 10, 2015 live mdy-all Release The documentary was produced by Ray Comfort with the help of his ministry, Living Waters Publications. It was released on Sunday, September 18, 2011. As of November 4, 2011, the film had received over 1 million views on its official website. References External links http://www.180movie.com 2734180 180 Living Waters Publications Category:2011 films Category:Documentary films about abortion Category:American anti-abortion propaganda films Category:Nazi analogies Category:American short documentary films Category:2011 English-language films Category:2011 American films Category:2011 short documentary films Category:English-language short documentary films