In the movie Glimmer Man, Catholic symbols are shown in an unnecessarily brutal and violent manner. The story starts with a serial killer on the loose who murders and then crucifies couples, predominantly Catholic, because he believes he is redeeming them, as ordered by Jesus. Not only are the crucifixions depicted graphically, the idea that Catholicism is involved with the derangement of the perpetrator is played out.
The drawings that accompany the murders indicate who the criminal is and he has a confrontation with the film’s hero, who is a policeman played by Steven Seagal. He has a showdown with the ardent Catholic sociopath in a Catholic church. The criminal holds a priest hostage on the altar to keep Seagal away. Eventually Seagal has to shoot the killer after he threatens suicide and then threatens him as well.
What makes this all the more offensive is that this is not necessary to the real story in the movie. Some criminal elements are using the serial killings as a cover for their crimes. So they start to use the same mode of killing to eliminate their enemies with blame accruing to the serial killer. It was another instance of gratuitous mockery and degradation of Catholic symbols and beliefs.
