Smoking Popes’ Josh Caterer Needs You Around: “The Apostle”

Aside from having the coolest name of any punk-leaning Chicago-area band since Big Black, Smoking Popes have been blessed with core fan base that refused to quit on the outfit. When leader Josh Caterer pulled the plug on the Popes in 1998, it came little more than a year after releasing what might have been the group’s best album, Destination Failure, perplexing many but apparently offending few. Seven years later, a sold-out reunion show in the Popes’ hometown was all it took to get Caterer back in a creative mood. From there, Josh and brothers Matt (bass) and Eli (guitar) pretty much picked up where they left off, releasing Stay Down in 2008 and compilation It’s Been A Long Day last year. The new This Is Only A Test (Asian Man) is a concept album that only occasionally comes across as such, with the 38-year-old Josh taking on the role of an angsty teenager to convincing effect. Josh and Matt will be guest-editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new Q&A with Josh.

Josh: There are a lot of reasons why The Apostle, starring Robert Duvall, is my favorite movie. But the main reason I love it is because it’s a totally realistic portrayal of people who have sincere faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not condescending, it’s not sugar-coated, and it’s not a propaganda piece. Duvall’s character is a very flawed guy who does some bad things, but he’s definitely not a hypocrite. He truly believes what he preaches, and he has a very vibrant personal relationship with Christ. A lot of the smaller characters in the film are not even actors; they were recruited from real churches, which gives the movie almost a documentary feel at times. And Duvall’s performance is so passionate and so personal that it doesn’t seem like there’s much acting going on there either. It feels like it’s straight from the heart. As a Christian myself, I find this film totally inspiring, both spiritually and artistically. The world needs more movies like The Apostle.

Video after the jump.