By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Weekend Editor

If you don't feel that Hollywood produces movies that cater to your interests, maybe you should make your own.

Feeling that the media did not offer Christians quality entertainment that spoke to them, one group decided to make their own. “The Omega Code,” based on the biblical book of Revelation, was funded in part by the owner of Trinity Broadcast Network, Paul Crouch, and his son, Matt. Paul is the executive producer and Matt is the producer.

The film has already turned Hollywood on its ear by doing something most people scoffed at, succeeding.

“The Omega Code” opened two weeks ago on approximately 300 screens across the country. To put that in perspective, big budget films like “Terminator 2” open on between 2,500 and 3,000. Despite being shown on much fewer screens, The Omega Code cracked the top ten in its first week and was making more money per screen, $7,700, than the two hit films Fight Club and Double Jeopardy, around $2,600.

The story of “The Omega Code” revolves around the battle between good and evil during the final days of Earth. The forces of good and evil are battling for humans souls and prophecies from Revelation about the end of the Earth are beginning to come true. It is up to Dr. Gillen, played by Casper van Dien, to crack the Omega Code, find out how to stop Armageddon and defeat the powers of Satan.

The film benefits from the fact that is like any other movie. It has special effects and a cast that knows its way around a Hollywood action film. The film also stars Michael York, Michael Ironsides and Catherine Oxenberg. “The Omega Code” also has special effects, a small $7 million dollar budget, and PG-13 rated violence. It hasn't had any problems entertaining audiences so far, with crowds cheering like crowds at a “Star Wars” show.

The other comparison to the “Star Wars” crowds is the fact that so many tickets have been purchased in advance. Churches all over the country, including some locally, have bought tickets for their congregations to view the film. A CEO in Oklahoma bought 1,000 tickets for all of his employees. Advance tickets are available at most of the theaters and the distributors hope to have the film in 500 theaters by November.

Currently, the closest theaters that “The Omega Code” is being shown in are the Regal Riverdale 14 and Southlake Pavilion 24. The official web site for the film is www.theomegacode.com. It has streaming video, audio, synopsis, character bios, and relevant bible passages.

Much like the “Left Behind” series that have dominated bestseller lists for the past two years, Christians are starting to realize how to use pop culture to spread their message. Fiction is the lure that gets people to at least hear the message.

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