Talking Pictures

Movies that have got something to say…

By McDozer
Alphabetical Index of Recommended Titles * Flatliners
* Freedom Writers
* 10 Inch Hero * Freejack
* 27 Dresses * Frequency
* 5 People You Meet In Heaven, The * Frost Nixon
* 50 First Dates * Gandhi
* A Good Woman * Georgia Rule
* Akeelah and the Bee * Ghost
* Always * Ghost Town
* Amazing Grace * Girl's Best Friend
* An Officer and a Gentleman * Gospel of John
* Angel On My Shoulder (TV Production) * Great Debaters, The
* Answer Man, The * Green Mile
* Antz * Green Zone, The
* As Good As It Gets * Grey Owl
* August Rush * Groundhog Day
* Avatar * He's Just Not That Into You
* Back to the Future Trilogy * Hearts in Atlantis
* Beaches * Heaven Can Wait
* Bend It Like Beckham * Holiday, The
* Best Little Whorehouse in Texas * Hurricane
* Beyond Borders * I Am David
* Bishop's Wife, The * I Am Sam
* Bladerunner * Igor
* Blind Side, The * In the Time of Butterflies
* Blood Diamond * Incredibles, The
* Brainstorm * Inside I'm Dancing
* Braveheart * It’s Compliucated
* Brother Sun, Sister Moon * It's a Wonderful Life
* Bruce Almighty * Jack and Jill vs. the World
* Bucket List, The * Jerry Maguire
* Can't Buy Me Love * Juno
* Chaos Theory * Just Like Heaven
* Charlie Bartlett * K-Pax
* Charlie Wilson’s War * Kate & Leopold
* Checking Out * Kingdom of Heaven
* City Island * Kite Runner, The
* City of Joy * La Vita e bella (Life Is Beautiful)
* Coach Carter * Last Mimzy, The
* Conspiracy Theory * Legend of Bagger Vance
* Constantine * Life as a House
* Cypher * Life or Something like It
* Dan in Real Life * Lion King
* Dreamscape * Lion of the Desert
* Duchess, The * Lions for Lambs
* Edge of Darkness * Little Big Man
* Elizabethtown * Little Lord Fauntleroy
* End of the Spear, The * Little Minister, The
* Endless Love * Love In the Time of Cholera
* Entertaining Angels -- The Dorothy Day Story * Luther
* Erin Brockovich * Made in Heaven
* Everybody’s Fine * Man of La Mancha
* Expelled! - No Intelligence Allowed! * Manchurian Candidate
* Field of Dreams * Martian Child
* Finding Forrester * Master & Commander
* Firestarter * Matrix
* Medusa Touch, The
* Michael Clayton
* Missionary, The
* Mr. Holland's Opus
* My Sister’s Keeper
* New In Town
* Next
* Not Easily Broken
* Not Easily Broken
* Nothing But the Truth
* Oh God Part 2
* Overboard
* Over Her Dead Body
* P.S. I Love You
* Patch Adams
* Pay It Forward
* Pinnocchio
* Pollyanna
* Powder
* Proof
* Quo Vadis
* Reign Over Me
* Resurrecting the Champ
* Ringer, The
* Run Fat Boy Run
* Scarlet Pimpernel, The
* Schinder's List
* Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)
* Second Hand Lions
* Shakespeare in Love
* Shallow Hal
* Signs
* Sixth Sense
* Somewhere In Time
* Sophie Scholl – The Final Days
* Spanglish
* Splash
* Surf's Up
* Tenure
* The Express
* The Go Getter
* The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
* The Kid
* The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
* The Mask
* The Robe
* The Time Traveler’s Wife
* The Truman Show
* Time Bandits
* Trading Places
* Tron
* Troy
* Weather Girl
* What Women Want
* Woo Woo Kid, The (In The Mood)
* Yes Man
The Robe
I watched this movie for the first time around
1976, at the age of 13, and I was totally
amazed that there were movies about what
real Christians are having to go through,
namely persecution, as I had just
experienced in the fact that the folks who
had turned me on to Jesus were being
slandered and maligned by practically the
entire European media apparatus, and
having personally experienced a police raid,
the cops' interrogations and mockings,
followed by the flak from parents and other
folks who thought they had a say in it, just as
it is vividly described throughout the
Gospels. So, if you want to watch a movie
about what's expecting you if you're a real
Christian, this is the one.

Quo Vadis

Certainly one of those good old historical

classics that shouldn't be missing from this
list of personal favorites.
 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
As a 16-year old I didn't watch a lot of TV, but
one afternoon, something drew me irresistibly to
the tube, as I was being fascinated and
enchanted by a strange cartoon feature of a
genre of literature that I didn't even know
existed, and this was my first acquaintance with
C.S.Lewis. While I'm still fond of other cartoon
flicks, such as the Disney classics with their
usual "do good" lessons and talking animals that
have doubtlessly turned thousands of kids
around the globe into vegetarians, I wouldn't
waste my time writing something up on each of
them. But this story of Aslan and his kingdom of
Narnia is a classic, and this version sticks more
to the original plot than the recent Disney
version.
Apart from a few flaws, such as the appearance of Father Christmas, I just love this allegory of
Jesus, the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" and His Kingdom in a dimension parallel to ours, accessible
only via a certain door. Doubtlessly, God's kingdom on earth has presently been usurped by forces
equally wicked as those of the white witch in the story, but even though they managed to kill the King,
He rose again and will return and conquer back what is rightfully His, descending from the sky for
that great battle between the forces of heaven and hell, and rrestore the Kingdom to those who are
His...

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Beautiful movie by Franco Zeffirelli about the
life of St.Francis of Assisi, Italy.

I saw this movie in 1981, shortly before

heading for South America. We were staying
with friends in Lausanne, Switzerland, and it
was slightly embarrassing, because I don't
think I had ever been moved this much by
watching a film before, with the sole
exception, perhaps of Bambi at the age of
five.

Amazingly enough, this movie hasn't lost its

magic over the decades. While some flicks
we enjoyed in the 80s can strike you as
downright corny now, this movie is a classic,
and it hasn't ever failed to move and inspire
me since.
While not exactly trying to produce a totally historically correct documentary about
St.Francis, in my belief, nobody else has managed to capture the true spirit of St.Francis in a
movie ever since.

Endless Love
During a stopover in Toronto on our way to
Peru I watched this movie one night, and
had to walk home crying like a baby all the
way back to the hotel. Not that this 2nd
movie by Zeffirelli I saw could ever be
compared to the spiritual profoundness and
richness of "Brother Sun," but it very
beautifully and effectively drives home the
concept of unconditional and thus endless
love, love in spite of anything and against all
odds...

Plus, you'll get hit by one of the most

beautiful pieces of music ever written, just at
the right, magical moment. And I'm not
talking about "I Was Made for Loving You"
by Kiss.

The Medusa Touch

I saw this on a campground in Mendoza,

Argentina around 81, and though it's not
exactly an uplifting and cheerful movie, it
sure gets you thinking about how God might
see things different than we do. We always
ask, "Why does He allow this and that?" But
by this we insinuate that we believe we're
better than to deserve what He's allowing.
But are we?
It's a Wonderful Life
If you've ever wondered if the world might
not have been better off if you had never
been born (Yes, all you "Bohemian
Rhapsody" junkies from the 70s), then you'll
definitely be able to relate to this movie, and
you won't even mind that it's not in color. It's
doubtful that a better version could ever be
made.

You'll even want to watch it a few times, just

to make sure the lesson sticks.

The Bishop's Wife

If you believe in Angels, as presumably most

people in Western countries did around the
time of the making of this movie, then you'll
enjoy this old B&W movie, even if it may
have some qualities to it we would consider
corny nowadays. The problem is, as much
as they're trying to eliminate the corniness in
the remakes, some of the magic also goes
with it.
Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)

Probably the ultimate lesson in generosity

vs. stinginess. Nobody wants to be Scrooge
anymore after watching this one...

Pollyanna
Of course, poor Pollyanna has by now
become the acronym for the inability of some
inhabitants of the Western hemisphere to
see reality for what it is, that out-of-this world
optimism that keeps us from seeing the
darker side of reality. But she's still right: "If
you look for the bad in people, you're going
to find it."

Bladerunner
Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend
this movie to the fainthearted, especially
because of one gross scene, I have to
mention this Sci-Fi classic as one of those
that had quite an impact on me.

Portraying probably one of the darkest

Endtime scenarios ever to hit the screen,
having watched this movie in a cinema in the
early 80s, way before "Matrix" or even
"Terminator" came out, this movie made me
so thankful for the reality of the times we for the reality of the times we were
were
(and still are, thank God) currently living in. Things could always be worse, and if nothing
else, "Bladerunner" will certainly make you appreciate that.

Apart from that, it has to be said in favor of the movie that it's absolutely not boring, but has
one of those plots that will keep a Sci-Fi fan on the eadge of his seat.

Tron

One night around '82 I went to see this movie with a friend in Buenos Aíres, and when we came we
felt like on an acid trip. Being the first of its kind and a pioneer of a genre, even before the technology
that would eventually make the whole genre even possible, this movie not only has a fairly decent
plot for 80s, but also a good message about an evil computer program usurping the system, which
has to be resisted, eliminated and replaced.

The DVD features some extras that show just what a feat and pioneer effort this movie really was for
its time.

Gandhi
For the young man I was when I first saw this, the movie didn't have that much to offer. When you're
young you still believe in your own strength and all you can do, what the Bible calls "the arm of the
flesh." It took another 2 1/2 decades for the point to sink in of what Gandhi really did, and the great
sample he offered of what can be achieved by passive resistance and civil disobedience based or a
greater moral right. "The meek shall inherit the Earth," and as far as I'm concerned, Christian or not,
may Gandhi be one of them.

Time Bandits

For its time, it was an epic, but unfortunately,

over the decades the humor, and perhaps
the special effects of the film have grown a
little dull. This is not one of those movies that
has kept all of its magic. Nonetheless, there
are some classic scenes in it that make it
worthwhile watching, exposing how the
forces of evil manipulate us, using our greed,
and showing how God (here called "The
Supreme Being") will still intervene in the
end to save us from the mess we're all
getting ourselves in.

Pinnocchio
I saw this movie once on a missionary
retreat near Buenos Aíres where the kids
were watching it, and something kept me
stuck there to watch it with them. Maybe it's
the fact that I used to lie a blue streak or the
size of my nose that had me sympathize with
that puppet, or the fact that I've been inside
many a whale's belly myself (allegorically
speaking), but I'm 100% convinced that if we
do our stuff right, learn our lessons about
unselfishness, eventually the fairy
godmother will come down and make real
boys and girls out of each of us.
Little Big Man
This is one of my absolute favorite classics
of all times, even though there may not be
any deep spiritual lessons in it, unless you
consider the truthful version of something
that's been sold quite differently as "history"
a spiritual virtue worth spending a little time
and effort on. But Little Big Man is certainly
no ordinary history feature, but rather a
dramedy of the best kind, a movie that can
make you laugh (because as a comedy, it's
a master piece) and weep over the great
"conquests" of the white man that practically
extinguished a whole culture, and maybe
over the fact that he hasn't learned a darn
thing since, if you look around.

Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Way before the first Christian movies ever hit

the rest of the world (apart from those epics
like Ben Hur, Quo Vadis and The Robe,
here, in this incredible musical, you hear
Dolly Parton, telling Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd
(Burt Reynolds) about Jesus while lying in
the grass and looking at the stars… That
thanks to the media, such happiness can’t
last forever, this movie shows, too. This one
can be enjoyed even if you dislike musicals.
Man of La Mancha

While the music from this film (and it is a

Musical, be warned) may not be exactly
hitting the nerve of our time, it's nonetheless
probably still the best take on Don Quixote to
date, and it's doubtful that any attempt at a
remake would live up to its splendor. The
message is simply great, and if you can look
past all the clichés that make a 21st century
movie hip, this thing can move you!

Splash
If you're a so-called "realist" in whose life
there is no room for mermaids and the
"anything is possible" mindset of the
believer, don't waste your time. Or if you're
one of those ultra-religious who associate
sex with sin and take offense in the most
natural thing on earth, thou shouldest not
offend thine righteous soul. But if you
happen to have any idea as to what a cool
God we really have, Who made all things for
us to enjoy, including perhaps, a few things
that modern scientists don't believe in and
would mock you for, like mermaids and
unicorns, then you might love this movie just
as much as thousands of others have, I'm
sure.

You'll never see Daryl Hannah this cute

again.
 Heaven Can Wait

Comedy about the way things might happen

in the afterlife. Not life-changing, but
certainly cute and entertaining.

The Little Minister

Cute but ooold B&W classic about a brave

little minister in Scotland bucking the tide of
public opinion by marrying a gypsy girl
(Katerine Hepburn).

Officer and a Gentleman

This was of course a big hit when it came

out, and it definitely had something to it,
including a few lessons to take on for the
school of life.
Somewhere In Time
If you're romantically inclined, be sure to
have some tissues handy. This one's a
classic tear jerker. But if you're willing to risk
it, and you dare to let the unfathomable pain
get to you that lies in the experience of this
"lost love" story - plus the inevitable only way
left to regain it - then you'll certainly have
enriched yourself by one more mind- and
heart-boggling experience. Some movies are
just pure magic. Everything fits together: the
actors' skills (in this case, especially Jane
Seymour's), the scenery, the plot, and in this
movie especially, the music.

Oh God Part 2
Now here's a movie that finally talks about
something we have always said that you
have to count on experiencing it, if you're a
true believer, namely persecution. And
children are no exemption, either.
Featuring George Burns in his probably
best role (during his life-time on earth, that
is), as God Himself, winking at the
nonsensical little tiger story, this is a 5 star
classic in my book.
Lion of the Desert
Movie featuring Anthony Quinn in one of his
best roles ever as Libyan resistance fighter
Omar Mukhtar who tormented the fascist
Italian occupants of Libya for years.
Certainly the kind of figure the Muslim world
cries out for in hopes of deliverance from
the Imperialist forces that kill their citizens,
rape their school-aged young woman and
systematically destroy their houses in
today's not any more enlightened world.

Firestarter The first time I saw this movie I actually

broke out into a fever because it was so
tense. Definitely a classic about the way
the sort of people here depicted as "the
Shop" handle everybody else and hound
those they think they can derive any kind
of profit from. I also wish to believe that it
protrays the kind of powers God will
eventually equip some of His people with
in order to defend themselves from that lot
(see Revelation 11:3-5)...
 Brainstorm
Great plot & great movie for its time and one
of the first stabs into the life after death
dimension. The thought of being able to
freely transmit and convey one another's
personal experiences, feelings and
perceptions is certainly fascintating, and in
my opinion something we can look forward
to. A Sci-Fi classic.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Similar to "Little Big Man" this movie picks
up an otherwise very dark and tragic
episode in history in a humorous and very
entertaining way. Though this one won't
move anyone to tears, it's certainly not
boring, and, unless you have an aversion
to British accents, it will entertain you in its
delightful, British sort of way, mind you.

Angel On My Shoulder (TV

Production)
Unfortunately, this TV production is very hard
to get, and sellers on eBay are asking
horrendous prices for it, but it's simply another
one of those classics that fulfill all the criteria
of a good movie: good humor, good acting
(probably Peter Strauss' best role), fairly good
plot (based on the B&W original) and good
morale. Anyone who knows the Devil is more
than a fairy-tale to scare kids appreciates a
movie in which his plans are foiled - so unlike
all that's happening in real life.
 The Missionary
I loved that movie, even though it busts
many of the modern taboos of our taboo-
laden society, especially in average religious
circles which are being exposed in this
movie. Anybody from any walk of life can be
a mission field... You just have to have the
necessary love of God in you and whatever
else it may take to reach them.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Apparently there are other versions of this

movie, but it's doubtful whether any of
them could be as good and enjoyable as
this one. Any movie that shows how a life
can be changed, including that of an old
grouch like Old Lord Fauntleroy, should be
highly recommended, because it just
shows what love can do.

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

While this movie was certainly not shot in
China (but in Wales), it's doubtlessly one of
the great classics of the 20th century, even if
the story has been a little reinvented by its
makers. If you're in the business of winning
your part of the world for Christ (which every
authentic Christian ought to be), then you'll
appreciate this movie, based on a true story,
which shows that even if it may take a while
sometimes, and some perseverance, you can
change the world, and even some of the
hardest hearts can be touched and changed
by God's love.
 Overboard

Who, back in the 80s didn’t enjoy this nice

American fairy-tale of “rich spoiled brat
turns into actual human being?”

Dreamscape
Quite a thriller for those days (1984), about
lucid dreaming and people with the
exceptional ability to enter the dreams of
others, some with good intentions, some
with bad... Gory scenes, but the good side
naturally wins.

Trading Places
I only recently found out what a far-out guy
Aaron Russo was, and that's why I would
certainly like to mention this movie here. I
guess one day we'll find out just how much of
a man's personal experiences and blood,
sweat & tears went into bringing out a certain
truth through a movie. If you get to know a little
bit about Russo's work, you begin to realize
that the making of "Trading Places" (not only
in my opinion the best movie Eddie Murphy
played in) must have been more than a
coincidence. Even though it has that typical
American fairy-tale slant, and an ending that
we will probably never see in real life, it
conveys the truth of "losers turn winners" and
gives the kind of hope without which the
average citizen might as well fold in and quit.
 Made in Heaven

One of the most daring takes on Heaven from

the film industry, confirming what we've
always hoped: there is sex in Heaven. While
perhaps not exactly your theologically and
doctrinally perfect document, it's a great love
story with that "destiny" ingredient that makes
it fun to watch.

Beaches
Touching movie about two childhood friends
who grow apart as they grow older and
come back together again when one of them
falls sick. Great songs by Bette Midler.

Flatliners
Life after death plot which was quite
sensational for that time, but doesn’t quite
live up to the standard of all we’ve seen
since…
 Field of Dreams

Great movie about intervention from the

Spirit World.

The Woo Woo Kid

My kind of comedy. About a kid who made
headlines in the 50s for being some kind of
Don Juan.

(Yes, that’s Patrick Dempsey in his younger years.)

Ghost
While the vast majority of Christians are
totally panicky about the idea of ghosts
(although their own God is a "Spirit," goes
to work in us through something called the
Holy Ghost and their own book, the Bible,
reports some ghost sightings and
apparitions), for those who know that
ghosts aren't anything to be afraid of, but
simply the state everyone transfers to after
their earthly life while they await the
resurrection, this one's an absolute classic.
 Entertaining Angels -- The
Dorothy Day Story
Great movie about an actual, cigarette-
smoking, down-to-earth saint of the 20th
century. Every now and then there comes
a catholic who makes up for all the rest of
them…

Can't Buy Me Love

Another Dempsey comedy, only this time
he’s messing with gals his own age. Neat
exposé on peer pressure and how (not
only kids) just copy anything that the
general consensus labels cool.

Always
Great and touching life after death movie
that’s worth watching again every once in
a while…
 City of Joy
Patrick Swayze plays a young doctor who
winds up dedicating himself to the poor of
Calcutta.
A life-changing movie about a changed life.

Freejack

Fairly good Sci-Fi about “body-snatchers

from the future” who plan to occupy bodies
from the past, which they know from history
would have died, anyway, until one of them
comes
across the wrong buddy…

The Mask
I think this movie shows just what spiritual
things (as in spirits) can do to and through
you... or whatever is left of you, when they
do.
Jerry Maguire
Movie about the corruption within the sports
industry and one outstanding young man
(played by Tom Cruise) who decides he
won’t play their rotten game anymore. Yeah,
Baby, drop out! That’s the Spirit!
Groundhog Day
This is one of those I'd place in the
"potentially life-changing" category, because
it simply had that much of an impact on me.
Just the realization of the fact what a
different type of person someone can be
with the right attitude is life-changing.
Schinder's List
While I don’t believe that either party has
learned very much from the events of WW2,
here’s one lesson each one of us could still
learn from it: How much more could you give
to save another soul today?
Erin Brockovich
About a brave young woman who exposes a
big corporation that has wrecked hundreds
of people’s lives and health with their
pollution. We need a lot more folks like Erin!
Sixth Sense Antz

Watched this one again some time ago, and

it’s really a neat little flick about how a little
guy can really do big things with the right
kind of conviction.
Boo! Another ghost story.
Brilliant kid!

Back to the Future Trilogy

Braveheart

If you like Sci-Fi and time-travel movies, then

this trilogy won’t change your life, but you
Watched this again recently, after a ten year might certainly get a kick out of watching it
break, and it’s still a great freedom fighter anyhow, if you haven’t done so already.
classic.
Conspiracy Theory
Surprising movie in which the idiot who
believes all the conspiracy theories (Mel
Gibson) actually turns out to be right about
(at least some of) them…
Shakespeare in Love
One of the great love films of our times.
While historical accuracy isn’t the film’s aim,
I wouldn’t know how the spirit of
Shakespeare could have been conveyed to
a new generation any better way.
The Truman Show
I like dropout movies. And the scene where
Truman opens the door that will lead him to
freedom beyond everything he had known to
be reality this far is a classic. Wish there
were more folks around with half the guts of
Truman.
Matrix
Even after 9 years, this one still tops them all
in my book. Probably because during those
nine years I have discovered more and more
areas in which we're massively being lied to
and deceived, very close to the extent the
plot of the movie goes, in which humans live
in a made-up world by those who simply
want to manipulate, control and exploit them
and use them as batteries. No other movie Lion King
has been able to give me a clearer vision of
what our task in life is, if we're not part of the
System and refused to be duped by the
machines. It isn't always easy, and it isn't
always pretty, but at least we've got the
truth, and the truth is that anything is
possible.

Signs

I specially like this Disney production

because of the blatant allegory of the true
king and his son and the evil usurper.

Life as a House

For the vast part of the first time I watched

this movie I was shaking my head about
what nonsense my friend had dragged me
along to waste my hard-earned money on
seeing. But that's how life sometimes goes.
You wonder for years, "What the heck am I
doing here?" and all of a sudden, within the
final 10 minutes, everything starts making
sense.

What's beautiful about this movie is that it

shows that no matter if you lived the main
bulk of your life in the meaningless treadmill
most people do, it's never too late to wake
up, never too late to change, never too late
for love.
Green Mile
Film that leaves you hoping for the true
justice of the world to come, where the
condemned innocent in this life receive their
reward and the truly guilty ones meet theirs.
Just too bad we only learn so little from all
these lessons.
Hurricane
While there is some controversy as to
whether Hurricane Carter was really
innocent or not (at least there are some
voices on the web claiming he's not),
certainly the movie is worth watching. What's
really amazing about it is that it shows that
anyone can be used to change to world,
even a young teenager. Also a great truth is
brought out in the movie, which is, "We don't
find the book we should read, but they find
us," and perhaps in some ways that also
applies to movies (unless we get so addicted
and watch just about anything).
One of the outstanding lessons of the movie
for me personally, though, is the fact that
you can find total liberty and freedom inside
a prison cell, because its overcoming our
own demons that will truly liberate us.
Legend of Bagger Vance
Amazingly enough, this magical movie
directed by Robert Redford is based on an
ancient Hindu book, and somehow manages
to translate whatever is worth keeping of that
philosophy into the language of the 20th
century West. The message - not only for
golfers - behind the movie is (actually,
similar to that of "Tarzan 2," which could
have been based on Bagger Vance), to find
your own, personal "shwingggg" to get you
through life...
Grey Owl
A nice example of how a greater good can
sometimes be achieved by a lesser evil,
such as that of pretending to be something
you're not. This white man posing as an
Indian did more good for the Indian culture
and the preservation of not only their lands,
than they ever could have achieved for
themselves at that time. One of my favorite
roles by Pierce Brosnan.
Patch Adams
Great movie based on a true story, even
though the actual Patch Adams seems to be
slightly less idealistic than finance-oriented
these days.
The Kid
Neat little American fairy-tale with a far-out,
"anything - is - possible” plot: Meet yourself
as a little kid!
Mr. Holland's Opus
Beautiful story about a rather ordinary school
teacher who foregoes the opportunity to run
off with a younger girl and live out his dream
to become a writer in favor of keeping
investing his life into those of his students,
and who lives to see some of the dividends
of his sacrifice.
Pay It Forward
Certainly a classic on
“how do I change my world?”
I Am Sam
The spirit and message of this movie is,
“All you need is love!” It’s the most
important thing, and the only thing that
really matters – if you really want to live,
that is.
What Women Want
I love this movie, because I'd love to know
better what makes women tic. And I live
in hopes that some day we're going to find
out and with time we might develop the
necessary skill (and interest?) to
understand the fairer sex. It's certainly one
thing on my "to learn" list.
K-Pax
Kevin Spacey as an inmate of an asylum,
whose body appaears to be occupied by an
extra-terrestrial, who promptly takes off
with it…
Life or Something Like It Powder

Regardless of the
controversy around the director of this film, I still
think this movie is one of the strongest
statements describing human bias and bigotry
This is versus anything and anybody who dares to be
different, no matter how innocent. Certainly the
another movie that shows how swiftly
fact that John the disciple was lying on Jesus'
things can change once God puts the heat breast during the last supper would be frowned
on. on by the same type of people who criticize this
movie, the same type of people who live uner the
illusion that they would treat Jesus any better
Finding Forrester than He was treated the first time around. They
still didn't get the point, and God only knows if
they ever will.

Shallow Hal

Pretty good comedy about

It is my not looking on the outward appearance, but
personal hope that there are kids like the one someone's soul and true self.
in this movie actually around somewhere…
As Good As It Gets
Another one on “old grouch becomes
pleasant type.” If you can ignore the
“queers are the nice guys” message, you’ll
enjoy this one.
Luther
Where would
we be without Luther? Where would we be if
he hadn’t had the guts? And where would we
be if God wouldn’t have been on his side to
protect him, as He always does for those who
do His job of telling an un-welcome truth in a
world governed by lies…
Hearts in Atlantis
Another fairy-tale (?) about how deeply two
human beings from completely different age
groups were able to connect once upon a time,
not so long ago…
Frequency
Probably one of the best time travel movies
ever, including the paradox factor of altering
the present via input from the past. I like to see
it allegorically in the sense of our being able to
alter our present reality with the help of input
from those who walked this earth in the past...
 Bruce Almighty
One of my absolute top favorites, and, apart
from the "monkey scene," in my opinion one
of the top ten efforts to bring across God's
point through the movies, especially for people
who think they've been cheated by life... How
anyone can give higher ratings to the recent
sequel "Evan Almighty" perfectly eludes me.
The Gospel of John
Finally a Gospel movie that stuck to the book!
No Nicodemuses in broad daylight, no mother
Maries crawling on marbles floors, no happy-
go-lucky Hollywood Jesus, just the good old
and plain Gospel truth, portrayed in the most
powerful, blunt and yet anointed way ever.
Henry Ian Cusack is the best Jesus you've ever
seen on a screen!
Cypher
What I really liked
about Cypher was: sometimes we get so
entangled in becoming somebody else for
“business purposes,” that it takes quite an
effort to re-discover and remember who we
really are.
Kate & Leopold
Time travel
movie of a slightly different sort, which brings
out the qualities of the past (they weren’t all
dumb Neanderthalers a hundred years ago, you
know), which turns out to be the destination of
choice for the protagonists… “Back to the
past”, instead of “Back to the future…”
Master & Commander
I liked the lessons on discipline and
loyalty in this movie, though younger
folks might find it a bit too slow…
Troy
What I liked
about this movie is the wise warning
Achilles receives from his mother
before going to Troy: “Your great
exploits are your downfall.” Seems like
whatever efforts we make to make a
name for us and make ourselves
immortal, that stuff always kills us…
Kingdom of Heaven
The world is developing a new sense of
righteousness and a new picture of who the
good guys are. Are Christians really “in it” for
the right reasons? Or could it be that the
dreaded enemy sometimes has an even greater
sense of true justice than we do? Sometimes
the truly good guys are the ones who try their
best to keep the peace between the warring
parties and do whatever has to be done for the
best of life, even when the peace efforts fail…
Manchurian Candidate
Remake of old classic about using mind
control in order to create assassins. Some
folks believe there’s some truth to this
story… Tsk, tsk, those conspiracy
theorists…
Spanglish
Sweet movie
about the contrast between latino culture
and average white suburbia, (for the
viewer to decide which of the two is more
real,) plus the conflicts that can arise from
the same…
50 First Dates
This
comedy is just that, a neat little comedy,
until you begin to realize how much we’re
all like the girl in the movie, who has to be
reminded each day anew of who she really
is, and how much she’s being loved.
Constantine
While I
wouldn’t recommend this movie for
everyone, nor consider it doctrinally kosher
(like the role of “Gabriel” in this movie –
ouch!), it generally does have a positive
slant in the end, and any movie in which
the Devil is licked gives me a little bit of
personal satisfaction…
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days
In the light of
how we’ve become just another monkey
see, monkey do society, my admiration for
those who dare to stick out & rise above
the norm grows by the hour. Two such
people were Sophie and Hans Scholl, who
died for their convictions of what was right.
The Incredibles
Don’t you sometimes feel like an old,
worn-out superhero whom nobody wants
anymore? Well, teamwork, apparently, is
the solution…
Just Like Heaven
Interesting slant of the life after death
scheme: someone who appeared to be
dead, isn’t dead, after all…
I Am David
A different
kind of WWII story. Not specially realistic,
but beautiful.
Bend It Like Beckham
I’m not into soccer, and if you’re not either,
this movie might help you relate to those
who are, plus get a glimpse of Indian
immigrant culture in England…
La Vita e bella (Life Is Beautiful) Coach Carter

How can you beat the eternal optimist?

Apparently you can’t, not even if you
Great movie & must see for anyone
stick him in a concentration camp, not dealing with young people.
even if you kill him…
The End of the Spear
Blood Diamond

The true story of 4 missionaries who were

killed by natives in a South American
Pretty rough movie on the exploitation of
jungle, who were forgiven and
Africa by the white man, and what a lot of
consequently ministered to by their
them are really in it for, down there…
widows… Sample of true Christian love.
The Ringer
Surprising comedy about a guy who’s
talked into pretending to be handicapped
in order to participate in the Special
Olympics, and finds out that it’s not as
easy to lick the “Specials” as he thought…
Beyond Borders
Though this movie doesn’t have a happy
ending, it breaks your heart for those relief
workers (as well as the folks they’re trying
to help) and all they’re up against.
Angelina Jolie did a great job in this one…
The Holiday
One of the better romantic comedies of
late. Not exactly life-changing, but
pleasant to watch.
Amazing Grace
Interesting what those guys who abolished
slavery all had to go through, especially in
the light of the fact that they finally won
with a trick. Sometimes you’ve got to beat
the Devil with his own weapons.
 August Rush Next

Aren’t we all erring through our lives looking

for our heavenly Father & Mother, singing our
songs & playing our music in hopes they’re
going to hear us & find us? When they do,
that’s the magic moment that makes it worth it
all.
Pretty good Sci-Fi about a dude (Nicolas
Cage) who can look just 2 minutes ahead
into the future… It does open a lot of
possibilities…

Proof Juno

While some folks may not like this movie, it

certainly bore some lessons for me personally.
It’s not always the apparently smart and Neat movie about a teen girl who becomes
adored professor types who come up with the
pregnant and looks for the right foster
solution to life’s problems (though their
meaningless garble can strangely contribute to parents for her child…
someone else finding it), but sometimes it’s
the person you’d least expect to, who holds
the key…
 Second Hand Lions Dan in Real Life

The Kid from “Sixth Sense” and “Pay It

Forward” is back. Though this movie isn’t
quite as much of a mind blower as those
predecessors, it’s a wild American fairy- One of the better comedies of what’s come
tale with a few possibly-real-life ingredients out lately. Enjoyable.
that can be thoroughly enjoyed.
The Bucket List
The Last Mimzy

We really liked this one… apparently

based on the whole “Alice in Wonderland” Yeah, this one was nice… What things
mystic, but cute & somewhat edifying. would you do if you knew you were going
Again, it’s sometimes the seemingly to kick the bucket soon?
useless little sister, not the smart alec big
brother, who holds the key to the
universe…
 P.S. I Love You Akeelah and the Bee

Ignoring some of the negative ratings this

movie got on some Christian sites like
Crosswalk, we went ahead and watched it Great re-encounter with Laurence
anyway, and were not disappointed. Plus, Fishburne (“Morpheus” from the “Matrix”)
the movie reveals one of the big secrets of as tutor of a girl who participates in a
all times about what it is that women really spelling contest.
want...
Charlie Wilson’s War
Michael Clayton

Shows what one man can do when he’s

One of the better movies we've seen of got the determination to do it. From an era
late, and definitely one of the best roles when American foreign politics weren’t the
George Clooney played in recent years. bloody mess yet that they’ve become
since.
 Resurrecting the Champ Checking Out

An aged Jew in N.Y. (Peter Falk, alias

No, this is not just another boxing movie, Columbo) decides it’s time for him to
but a movie about honesty vs. twisting the “check out,” but upon realizing that folks
truth for personal advantage. around him don’t agree, finds out what a
dumb and selfish idea that was.

Run Fat Boy Run The Great Debaters

The moral of this British comedy: “The Shows what the Afro-American population
hare never made it, but the tortoise did.” was up against in large parts of their
country until not too long ago… Brilliant, if
you like intelligent scripts.
 Surf's Up
Freedom Writers
Ooops, almost forgot about this one! Great
and a must see for anyone dealing with
young people!
In The Time of the Butterflies
Everybody has heard about the big bad guys
like Hitler and Stalin, and maybe a few others.
This movie tells the story of one more of the
probably countless other little Hitlers most of
us have never heard about and some of his
victims.
It makes you wonder where the people who
stood up against them in spite of the odds took
the courage. But they did. Somehow God must
Of all the penguin movies that have come out
over the past few years, I guess this one’s my
favorite. Light entertainment only, though, no
big life-changing experience.
(Of course, the story is about as true as Alice
in Wonderland...)
But wait... there IS a lesson to be learned from
the story: Every now & then you've got to
forget about the "contest" or (rat race) of life
and whether you're going to be a loser or a
winner, and just enjoy the ride for the fun of
it...
Once you get the hang of the fun of things (like
doing your job for God), regardless of whether
you're going to win the trophy (or crown), you
actually start becoming good at it, and that's
when you start becoming good at life itself.
have given it to them, and in the end, the good
side finally won. It has always been like that,
and it will always be like that, even during the
time of the greatest Hitler this world will have
ever seen.
The greatest challenge, as this movie brings
out, is always to wake up the sleeping masses
who don't want to know what's going wrong.
It's always been like that, and from the look of
it, it always will...

Lions for Lambs
During the first few minutes into "Lions for Lambs" I
thought I was watching U.S. government
propaganda justifying the "War on Terror" and
presenting the official 9/11 fairy-tale as truth. For
one thing, I have never met any U.S. troops in real
life as educated, well behaved and civilized as in
any of those movies (and God knows I've played
for a lot!), nor could I imagine an American
politician in real life as whitty as the Senator Tom
Cruise played in this movie.
Another 15 minutes into the movie I figured this
must have been the smartest piece of U.S.
propaganda I had ever watched.
Thankfully, it turned out to be no Neocon
propaganda, after all, just a pretty good screen
monument to the times we're living in, some sort of
"golden finger" on the pulse of our times. The type
that carries a message, which, sadly, will require a
miracle for any significant amount of people to
grasp, but part of the message was that it doesn't
matter if it's just a single person who gets it, as long
as that person does something about it for a
change.
As someone who grew up on the '71 album "Who's
Next" by "The Who," THE album by that band that's
worth listening to, I was particularly thrilled about
the little historic gem woven into this film when
Meryl Streep (posing as awakening journalist
Janine Roth) quotes one of my favorite songs from
the album. A line that has come to my mind
repeatedly in my life, whenever I see one regime or
administration replaced by another, only to change
absolutely nothing, especially not for the better:
"Meet the new boss; the same as the old boss!" -
Taken from the classical piece of rock music "Won't
Get Fooled Again."
Except that the title couldn't be further from the
truth. If there's anything that hits you about the
general public per se, it's that they've been fooled
over and over and over again since the song came
out.
The bad guys in the movie are the politicians,
sharing the blame with the news media, and the
ray of hope is supposedly the beacon of education.
What American producers like Robert Redford lack
the guts to realize, of course, is that the sacred
golden cow of education is just as much a hoax as
politics and the media, and what's worse, movie
makers who paint a reality a far cry from what's
really happening. As long as people around the
world can keep their Hollywood scope of things, the
world isn't desperate enough yet for anyone to
actually do something else besides watch movies
and talk, even though this one was at least an
effort to be a voice for the truth, even if the trumpet
is sounding a signal that won't be understood by
many, much less spur more than a handful to
action, or even more than that special, chosen
one...
 Love in the Time of Cholera

By the somber review this movie received on

Crosswalk, I expected a gory dram, and was
pleasantly surprised to find out that it's a witty
comedy instead, to be enjoyed thoroughly. Looking
Love is forever, and if this movie doesn't prove
forward to seeing more of Anton, although it's
it - since it's based on a novel - then at least it unlikely he'll easily find another role like Charlie
proves that there are other dreamers beside Bartlett to play...
myself who believe it.
Set against the backdrop of one of the most
gloriously beautiful countries on God's earth, Elizabethtown
"Love In the Time of Cholera" tells a slightly
different love story, one perhaps too good to
be true, and yet in some ways more true to life
than the evening news, and definitely truer
than the outgrowths of Hollywood's pop culture
with its never ending hails to youth, and
labeling anything past a certain age as unfit for
life.
That's probably what I love most about this
movie: it tells the truth about who really are the
dead ones and who are the alive, or at least
rings home the fact that love - as well as life
(truly lived) does not have anything to do with
age.

Charlie Bartlett
I think the first thing one would have to say Every now and then something happens that
about this movie is, that it's refreshingly threatens to shake all my "Woe-is-America"
different. Maybe only so because of the convictions and what some people would term anti-
performance of the main actor, a kid I'd never American sentiments in its foundations.
heard about, (Anton Yelchin,) or maybe Having watched the 2005 flick "Elizabethtown"
because it was made in Canada... recently was one of those events.
As much as you want to hate Americans for their
It only got a lukewarm rating on the Christian
stupidity in actually swallowing the garbage their
movie sites, probably because of it's blatant President is saying - or the majority of their paid-off
honesty, that's simply too much for that kind of preachers, for that matter - you can't help loving its
religious hypocrisy, where it's okay to culture, its music, and the people who show that
slaughter thousands in the name of God and side of America, even if the only place it actually
President, but sex is a sin... exists is in its movies.
 27 Dresses

Although the backdrop of this movie couldn't be

more cliché-ridden: another wedding (or rather, a
whole bunch of'em), in the "most wonderful city on
earth," inhabited by "the most wonderful people on
earth," - as if New York City were the epitome of
paradise, instead of just another stinking, over-
sized, overcrowded, over-prized and over-rated
city, the story has a refreshing twist, and is one of
the best in-depth character studies I've seen of
late. Only Reality's More Bizarre Than
Especially those familiar with the Enneagram will "IGOR"
be delighted to find the proto-type of a professional
TWO, who is being thoroughly dissected by the
man who dares to question everything she ever
loved and stood for, but whom she also ultimately
winds up together with - which, of course, is, where
the realism stops again, but then, you never
know...
Wrap the whole thing up in the well-flavored humor,
pretty decent acting, and try to ignore the seen-it-a-
thousand-times-before "N.Y. = Fairyland"
backdrop, and you'll find yourself an actually
thoroughly enjoyable film.

Ghost Town
Yet another New York fairy tale, trying to
get us to believe that Manhattan is filled
with exclusively lovely people and ghosts,
except, perhaps, for the dentist Ricky
Gervais (the Brit we frowned upon
recently, in "A Night At the Museum")
mimics so superbly that you can even
watch this film twice and still laugh at his My childhood fascination for cartoon movies is
antics. paying off big- time these days, in a way I'd never
Another one for Enneagram freaks: This expected. Because modern cartoons seem to
dude's a fairly obvious FIVE on his way to possess a quality that news channels and official
redemption via the path of love. media sources seem to have lost decades ago,
and thus you can probably learn more about the
Thoroughly enjoyable.
reality we currently live in from this movie than from
being tied to an arm chair and forced to watch Fox
News for 72 hours in a row.
Of course, they wouldn't tell you the truth about the
fake reality that our evil kings are making us take at
face value, forcing us to resort to evil, and
especially all sorts of evil inventions, in order to
survive.
Nor would they imply that the underdogs and
"Igors" of this world (in News lingo also referred to
as "rebel forces," "insurgents" or "terrorists") are
often a lot smarter than the evil inventors who run
this place.
Well, you'll have to find out who the monster
created in this film resembles in your life. But when
you find out, be careful who you're going to reveal
this discovery to, if you want to enjoy a peaceful
and quiet rest of the evening.
Oh, did I mention it? The sarcastic humor in this
movie is highly contagious, so junkies, watch out!
Then again, some folks - just as with the "Matrix" or
any other movies that are truer than life somehow -
never dig it, and for them it's just a pretty odd
movie...
Possibly because they've never been an Igor...
The Express
Isn't it weird
sometimes, how something you don't have
anything to do with in real life can nonetheless be a
great inspiration to you via the movies?
Take football, for instance, in Texas a religion, as
they say in this movie, but zero relevance to my
actual life as a musician...
And yet some of the most inspiring movies I've
seen over the past year were about football.
Seems like God can use anything.
Even a 23 year old kid to kick some racist ass and
change the course of history while he was at it,
maybe - just maybe - paving the way for the
elections of 2008, nearly 50 years after the
incidents of the story this movie tells...
It certainly drives home the feeling of vindication
the racially discriminated part of the American
population must have felt after Obama licked
McCain...
The acting & directing of this movie are both great.
You'll have to blame the ending on real life & its
sometimes weird ways.
The Go Getter
While this road movie probably wouldn't rank
among my favorite, potential life changers (I like my
life changed regularly, if not frequently, so I allow
what some would call fate -and I prefer to call God-
greater access to that possibility, even via
something as trivial as movies), I liked it because of
its positive twist, compared to, for example, Sean
Penn's "Into the Wild" with its sobering, if not
depressing ending.
But I still wouldn't have bothered featuring it on this
blog, hadn't it occurred to me sort of retrospectively
that it has one of those metaphor factors in it, that
I've discovered a few other times, as in "Serenity"
or, of course, "The Miracle Worker," which
triggered a torrent of reactions in my mind that still
hasn't come to an end...
Some people see ghosts, others see the Devil
everywhere; well, I prefer to see God everywhere
or in everything, and holy ghosts, for that matter.
And I happen to be able to see His fingerprints on
this movie, too, although I doubt that the makers of
the film intended it any more than Paul McCartney
intended writing a song about an Endtime
prophetess when he penned "Let It Be."
Inspiration's a funny thing.
Okay, the plot in my mind is this: The kid in the film
is a lot like many of us on the road of life, who sort
of break free from the System (he quits school), not
really feeling much at home in that place to begin
with. So, first he runs into the kind of stuff the world
has to offer: a fist in the face, false love and
counterfeit thrills in drugs, all the while, though,
communicating with a voice that he feels "at home
with," even though it belongs to someone he's
wronged (since he stole her car, and hey, who of
us gives God the credit for lending us the vehicle
with cruise through life with?), met only with
forgiveness on the condition of regular
communication with her (sounds to me like the way
we can obtain forgiveness via prayer...)
When things look pretty dark & bleak, all of a
sudden that embodiment of unconditional love
stands right in front of him, ready for more than just
comforting words, and while that relationship is not
without its ups and downs either (as I'm sure all of
our relationships with God aren't, either), there is,
lo and behold, a happy ending in sight - and that in
spite of disappointments galore from anywhere
else, which again confirms my personal
experience: only God cuts the cake.
Some folks have great difficulties with any Jack & Jill vs. the World
insinuations or attempts to ascribe female attributes
to God or the Holy Spirit, but in my opinion they're
trapped in some chauvinistic mindset that shaped
their ideas of God more on the John Wayne movies
they saw in their childhood than Genesis 1:27 and
the rest of the Bible, thinking they're doing God a
service by going to other countries & shooting off
Hottentots, because that's just a real macho thing
to do.
Well, you can keep doing that, and keep watching
your John Wayne movies, if you wish, I prefer neat
little love stories with happy endings. After all, the
Good Book doesn't picture our Maker with a gun
strapped around his hip, stepping out into the
glistening midday sun to bring a swift end to his evil
opponent, but in childlike and what some I'm sure
might call naive fashion simply states that God is
Love. Unbelievably, yet
another flick cast in N.Y.City, "that great city"
which, apparently, a lot of movie producers
A Good Woman consider the "stage of the world."
Thoroughly enjoyable lessons on prejudice Possibly so.
and gossip that we caught up with almost Well, it's nice to find - on that stage - a role
played as nicely as that of Jack & Jill in this
5 years after release.
movie, as strongly opposing each other as
they may initially be, and preaching a
Just the way a movie ought to be. message that goes so much against the New
York City Groove and its Wall Street Shuffle,
and even has the audacity to label its game
"stupid."
Thank you, Vanessa Parise, for making such a
nice movie.
My better half specially appreciated it, since
she very much resembles "Jill," and Jack's
conversion probably very much my own... that
mysterious conversion taking place when
someone stops chasing temporal things (as in
"the pursuit of happiness") and actually starts
living...
10 Inch Hero
Behol
d, truly one more American fairy-tale, but alas,
one of hope and peace, justice and free sex
for all...
And that even during a time when you would
have thought hippies had all been wiped out
by the "war on terror."
But there is a God and He loves us, even
those of us who are hippies at heart, and even
if there don't seem to be many other
confirmations of that fact around than these
concocted fantasy tales by dreamers like us,
it's enough to keep us dreaming, or hoping
that some day - against all odds - there are
really going to be people like that walking on
this planet, actually getting along wonderfully,
and making love, not war.
Expelled - No Intelligence
Allowed!
I haven't featured any documentaries on this
list so far, but I think Ben Stein's courage to be
one of the few (secular) voices of truth, butting
the media and mainstream description of
Intelligent Design, deserves an exception.
Even the title of the documentary alone,
"Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed!" is a
stroke of genius in itself, because by refusing
to recognize the existence of intelligent
information within the very basest form of life,
namely within every living cell, and by refusing
to acknowledge the fact that there can be no
form of intelligent information without an
Author, thus leaving the Evolutionary theory
flawed at best, if not totally insufficient to
explain where we came from, and thus crying
desperately for a more sensible answer, the
so-called "science" lobby Stein addresses in
the movie prevents intelligent thought from
happening altogether within their institutions.
Equaling their bias to practices of both the 3rd
Reich as well as formerly Communist East
Germany (both nations heavily influenced by
the teachings of evolution) couldn't be more
appropriate.
Apparently Ben is beginning to pay the
consequences for his boldness, like any other
lonely voice for the truth, but history will tell
who were the blind, misled masses and who
were the heroes that dared to speak up for the
truth when nobody else did it...
Yes Man

I had read a few reviews of "Yes Man" before I

finally dared to watch it. I like Jim Carrey, and
have forgiven him for antics like "Ace Ventura"
latest since "Truman Story," and, of course,
"Bruce Almighty."
I understand that some folks can't deal with The "Making of" reveals that John Cusack
some of the lessons that movies like "Bruce originally didn't jibe too well with the kid who
Almighty" or "Yes Man" have to offer. Maybe was to play the "Martian Child," which shows
they're not the personality types that this type that regardless of our preferences or
of lesson applies to, so they can't relate to reservations, when it comes down to it, we've
them, or they have a "Smells Like Teen Spirit" got to trust the Director of the "Big Picture" for
attitude toward movies: "Here we are now, the choice of our partners in the cast of the
entertain us!" and don't want to be bothered movie of our life...
with lessons from a movie screen. He knows best, dude.
Well, I'm not a notorious "Yes Man," so I
enjoyed what this movie has to say, and at the Inside I'm Dancing
same time found it thoroughly enjoyable.
Being a former owner and fond conosseur of
Third Eye Blind's '99 debut album, I
particularly enjoyed Jim's rendition of
"Jumper," probably one of the best 1000 rock
songs of all times. I was laughing till I cried...
Apparently I wasn't the only one, judging by
the amount of uploads of that scene to
Youtube.

Martian Child
I was just reminded of "Martian Child" this
morning, a movie I must have watched before
I started this list, because it belongs here, I'd
say.
Somewhat reminiscent of "K-Pax," the
difference being that this one's based on
actual events. God bless the Irish.
Because that's what it took to make a brilliant
movie like the 2004 gem "Inside I'm Dancing."
Remotely resembling British humor, yet the
latter is infinitely less divine than what the Irish
come up with in their joix de vivre, as opposed
to English cynicism, and in embracing that
glimpse of spirituality that the Brits have traded
in exchange for Darwin.
Don't know why we missed this one for so
long. Probably because our corner of the world
is in a similar dilemma to her Majesty's.
But better late than never.
If you can handle hardcore humanity, try to
see this one if you haven't yet.
Georgia Rule
I only like to feature movies here that either
really moved me or have had some other kind
of lasting impact on me through some lesson
or other valuable information or message it
conveys, and "Georgia Rule" lives up to those
criteria.
Probably anyone can in some way relate to or
learn something from this pretty much true to
life family story, whether they're a perfectionist
distanced grandmother, a disillusioned parent,
or a rebellious and confused teenager looking
for a glimpse of real love and truthfulness out
in that lost & lonely world of ours.
For those of us who are certain that we have
found our path it's a good reminder that no
matter how well that path may work for us, we
might have to adapt somewhat to those close
to us who can't accept that path for
themselves.
For those of us who think we know all about
people, it's a reminder to "look again" (the
meaning of the word "re-spect"), because
things people do or say aren't always what
they seem; and for those of us who flee to
poor substitutes in our sometimes frustrating
quest for love it bears a glimpse of hope that
true love is on its way, even if it may come into
your life from a different direction than we
expected.
If you like true-to life stories with a twist of
determination to make lemonade out of the
lemon life has handed us, and a glimpse of
hope, then you'll probably enjoy this film as
much as we did.
New In Town
I used to be a city slicker, brainwashed by the
politically correct dogmas of our time until I
discovered that the gist of what life is all about
was found in a totally different direction than
the pseudo-coolness and artificial hipness
society forces on its victims in the process of
finding players for its game.
So, I could perfectly well relate to the role
Rene Zellweger was playing in "New In Town."
Coincidentally, I recently recorded the German
version of the very Christmas hymn ("Come All
Ye Faithful") that the villagers of "New Ulm"
sang in the freezing winter of Minnesota - a
hymn that the bulk of my former city
acquaintances and "friends" would certainly
sneer at and would not be able to relate to, but
then I doubt if they've come to experience
mere fractions of the joy the Christian life has
to offer (along its many trials).
While the heroism involved in moving from
Miami to Minnesota remains the type that's
probably purely reserved for the movies, I also
share the belief that what really counts in life is
the spiritual sunshine that springs forth from
the believing hearts of friends, more so than
fun in the sun (as much as I enjoy the latter).
And if you should have made similar
experiences in life, I'm sure you will enjoy this
movie, too.
 Girl's Best Friend
If you're one of those types of people who tend
to regularly get upset with their fellow humans'
nagging quality of sheer imperfection, and
you're open to the possibility that "anything is
possible," even that your life and critical
character might be changed by a quadruped
not much bigger than a football, (even if "its"
name should be as corny as "Binky"), then you
might enjoy this movie.
It's an example of how life sometimes
seemingly unjustly rewards the cold and
cynical with undeserved happiness.
Now, isn't that what life has been all about, for
many of us - enjoying the undeserved?
Frost Nixon
While initially reluctant to watch a movie that
was "only" about an interview with an ill-
reputed politician from the 70s, all doubts were
gone with the wind, pretty much as soon as it
started. The actual interview turned out to be
more exciting than any boxing match we'd
ever seen, and definitely more intellectually
stimulating.
For some, back in the 70s, Richard Nixon was
the personification of evil. But what this movie
sets out to show is that there's hope for
anyone who is willing to admit their mistakes.
The Duchess
This one was definitely the pleasant surprise
of the month. While it may not appeal to
followers of the current Hollywood type of
Christianity where extra-marital sex will wind
you up in hell, but killing Muslims will land you
in Heaven with the (former) President's
personal blessing, those who have learned
that the ways of God, love and life itself can
sometimes indeed be mysterious and lead us
beyond the confines of convention and
artificial correctness, may find it quite
enjoyable.
I never get into any of that stuff of how brilliant
the actors were. If they hadn't done their jobs
well, I wouldn't waste my time recommending
this movie.
What I care mostly about in movies is the
message (since I consider myself a
messenger howbeit using a slightly different
medium), and in this case we've got another
beautiful testimony (since it's based on actual
events) of how forgiveness is an integral part
of love, and something be both need and need
to learn to give, even if the circumstances may
be less than fair and just, as well as of a time
in which not everybody had the same
freedoms, privileges and rights they may enjoy
today, but still managed to be much happier
and more fulfilled anyhow.
If you want to get a taste of how different life
has been (and perhaps still is and can be in
other cultures than our plastic Coca Cola
culture), this movie is certainly an opportunity.
Nothing But the Truth
"Nothing But the Truth" is a great movie in my
opinion, but can probably only be appreciated
fully by those who can relate to having to pay
any sort of price for standing up for one's
convictions or staying true to their principles.
It certainly isn't for those who tend to get bored
if there isn't a shoot-out happening every 3
minutes in a movie, in intervals with something
being blown up.
On the other hand, as I've said elsewhere, the
only place we really seem to find the heroism
portrayed in this film, remains the movies,
since the actual story it is based on doesn't
seem to be quite as clear in defining
martyrdom for the truth.
Nevertheless it's a good reminder of what we
all really should be: un-nudging, relentless,
furious voices for the truth sticking to our
convictions and principles at any cost, even
though in real life those may not be working for
the N.Y.Times...
One fact the movie brings out, though:
Freedom of speech and of the press is, and
has been, and remains a thing of the past,
(and not just under the Bush Administration),
embraced by hopelessly idealistic men who
fought to uphold human rights and freedoms
long before they were replaced by the one
right we have left: the right to remain silent.
As far as tattling on your friends goes, an
interesting question comes up: how far would
we go to protect our friends, acquaintances or
brothers-in-arms in our fight for the truth?
If the Pre-Tribulation-Rapturists are wrong (of
which I'm unfortunately certain), we may all yet
have to find out...
He's Just Not That Into You
I wasn't sure at first, if I was going to include
this movie on this list, because in some way it
resembles the experience I had when I
watched "Signs" for the first time in the
theater, shaking my head at the apparent
nonsense I had paid to watch, until everything
finally started making sense during the last 10
minutes or so of the film.
The first and major part of "He's Just Not That
Into You" is pretty much sheer, painful agony.
Partly, because it's so true. Human beings are
really that rotten, that motivated by cliches and
Hollywood indoctrinations, and for the larger
part of all that agony, you simply have to agree
and understand why Jesus compared this
mating game to the way things were before
the days of Noah, and you come to the
conclusion that our just punishment would be
another flood to wipe us off the face of the
earth.
But then that's where grace comes along, and
plays the sweetest trick on us and gives us
just what we don't deserve in spite of
ourselves; and contrary to all natural
expectations and calculations, love will come
to you, pretty much like that wind that bloweth
where it listeth, and canst not tell from whence
it cometh or whither it goeth.
All in all, suffice it to say that there is a lesson
to be learned from this movie, even if in a little
bit of a painful way... that way it hurts when we
discover a bunch of awful truth about
ourselves, and it makes you feel like the only
thing we'd deserve is hell, while all along
Salvation and Heaven are just waiting around
the corner.
"Not Easily Broken" - The Definite
Winner of 3 "Marriage Crisis"
Features
Comparing "Not Easily Broken" with the
"white" version of a similar, "Marriage gone
bad finds redemption" we watched recently,
"Fireproof," the former is definitely the winner
in that it feels infinitely more like the real thing.
Although "Fireproof" definitely has some
lessons in it, and would urge us all to be the
nice, good and clean white Christian that is
portrayed as the hero of that plot, it wouldn't
have much to offer to anyone who doesn't
already attend the pews on Sunday
mornings...
In fact, people out in the real world with real
problems, and often graver ones than being
attracted to internet porn or the usual
materialism, superficiality or just plain
horniness, probably wouldn't be able to relate
to the nice, white, clean American Christian
world that the makers of "Fireproof" live in.
Whereas "Not Easily Broken" comes along
much less preachy, and speaks from the heart
instead, and thus, to the heart.
You can relate to it, and even if you don't know
anybody as well-tempered in real life as the
main protoganist in this (after all, a) movie, you
wish you would, and you kind of wish it was
you. Probably a lot of people can relate to it
and feel like "been there," and the lessons and
good advice this movie offers aren't just head
stuffing you can rave about with the brethren
on Sunday morning.
It's an everyday type of gospel, and what's
even nicer, an everybody type of Gospel that
not only the chosen few can relate to.
Yet another feature on a similar theme,
offering a re-encounter with "Titanic" dream-
couple Di Caprio and Winslet, presents the
other side of the coin, what you could probably
term the atheist version, in which the marriage
gone bad winds up in total disaster.
Although "Revolutionary Road" definitely has
some valuable lessons to teach about the
danger of compromising one's true vocation,
or even staying true to himself for material
gain and safety, it's a painful lesson indeed,
and while the first 3 quarters of the movie are
definitely promising, intellectually stimulating
and challenging, the ending (spoiler intended!)
is too depressing to consider it worth it, and
the only thing the movie has got going for itself
in the end is that you can tell your teenage
daughter, "You see, that's what would have
happened if the Titanic would not have gone
under!"
The 5 People You Meet in Heaven
Although perhaps not your average multi-
million dollar production of cinematographic
exuberance and extravaganza, since it's a TV
production, and probably produced with a
fraction of some piece of trash like "Beverly
Hills Chihuahua," or many similar recent
Hollywood outgrowths, this film has probably
more to say than perhaps the last dozen of
"big" movies I've seen, put together.
 The Kite Runner
A story of honor and courage from a culture as
alien and foreign to most of us as the two
aforementioned virtues in our society, in which
the only virtue required is to be an obedient
cog in the machine, and battles are fought with
sophisticated weaponry that allow you to
murder your enemy without even having to
face him...
As foreign as a tale from another world, except
for such stories as these, brought to us by
some story teller who happens to have found
enough listening ears to make himself heard.
A story of a world that once was, and what has
become of it, leaving us with the only hope
that God will fulfill His Promises to us that
someday it will even be a better world than it
ever was...

It gives you a tiny glimpse of the fact that

seems to totally elude most of us super smart,
"evolved" and developed 21st century people,
The Answer Man: The Truth
namely how little it is we really know, even about Prophets
about our own lives and the people who have
touched it, and, thus, perhaps a little preview
of the Eternity of surprises waiting for each of
us at the end of our road.

May your surprises be as pleasant as those of

"Eddie Maintenance."

"...And the world is full of stories.

But all the stories are one."

Not every movie we watched over the past

month or more has been worthy of their own
post on my favorite movie list.
There were two more outstanding ones for
brilliant performances and nice plots: "Phoebe
in Wonderland," featuring a stunning Elle
Fanning (Dakota Fanning's younger sis), and
"The Soloist," none of them really bearing a
unique message that I look for in movies, at
least not any other than "The Man of La When nothing - I mean, absolutely n.o.t.h.i.n.g.
Mancha" did 50 years ago. - could be further from the truth.
So, I was happy for the privilege to watch
another "winner" last night: "The Answer Man."
While not altogether free from cliches & been-
theres, the movie definitely has its own, new
and unique message in spilling the beans
about what a prophet actually is. Folks who
are familiar with my considerably crazy ideas
know that I believe God capable of
communicating with us even via things like
comedies. And in this case, He tells us how
easy it is to be a prophet: You don't have to be
perfect, you don't have to be a sinless saint,
you don't even have to go to church. God is so
desperate for folks who'll listen to what He's
got to say these days, He'll communicate with
anyone under the sole condition that they're
interested.
And I'm speaking from experience.
God may have a lot of "fans" in the 21st
century, and a whole bunch of acquaintances
who come to visit Him in mass gatherings on
Sundays, plus, of course, a lot of folks who are
too scared stiff of Him to skip their daily
prayers, but not a lot of friends who care to
listen to what He's got to say.
So, occasionally, he'll even make do with a As a result we have a bunch of wise guys
rotten sinner like me or you or Arlen Faber sitting along with us on the bus of life that
(Jeff Daniels), the hero of this story, for whom aren't always exactly easy to love.
his questions to God (which he promptly found While this movie won't exactly knock your
answered upon writing them down) spell both socks off, it does give a few clues, or even if
luck and misery at the same time, since the nothing but some glimpse of hope, that it's not
results turn into a best seller and make him entirely impossible.
famous as someone or something he knows So, if you have a hard time coping with the
best of all he's not. devastating gap between what the world (and
Throw in a little romance and a cute kid, and folks in it) ought to be like (according to your
you get a fabulous twist on "Moses goes to personal standards and ideas) and the way it
Hollywood." - Or rather, to Philadelphia, which actually is, this story might cheer you up a
made for a nice break from the endless Big little.
Apple backdrops of late.
Waitress
After the last two dozen of mediocre movies
My Life In Ruins: Coping with Co- we watched that wouldn't have been worth
wasting any web space or time on, (if you're
travelers on the bus of life out for something more than entertainment
One of the deceptive factors about the theory and happen to need something that grabs you
of evolution is that people in this day and age by the... well, whichever place a movie's
think that no matter what they do, how many of supposed to grab ya), it was good to finally
their brain cells they drown in alcohol or drugs, enjoy the privilege of watching another
thanks to the process of evolution, they're "winner," which in my opinion, "Waitress"
automatically bound to get smarter all the time. definitely was.

After the last two dozen of mediocre movies
we watched that wouldn't have been worth
wasting any web space or time on, (if you're
out for something more than entertainment
and happen to need something that grabs you
by the... well, whichever place a movie's
supposed to grab ya), it was good to finally
enjoy the privilege of watching another
"winner," which in my opinion, "Waitress"
definitely was.
I like movies that teach you something about
life, even if the plot isn't all as intricate as the
"Matrix," and one of the things you can - if
you're attentive - already grasp from the first
twenty minutes of this film is a fact that seems
to elude some folks for most, if not all of their
lives:
The fact that we're not all the same. People
are different. You may have certain goals and
ambitions in life, you may want to be
successful, rich or famous, but don't try to
squeeze everybody into that same frame of
mind of yours. Because there are different
types of personalities around, and one person
may have the need to dominate, another may
have the need to succeed, or be secure, or to
just be left alone, while yet others simply have
the need to be loved for who they truly are.
And then there's another clue about that weird
little thing called life: not only are people
different from each other, but the person you
are today may also be a totally different
person than the one you might be tomorrow,
or next year, or definitely in twenty years from
now.
Some people change the moment they marry
and become the monster they wouldn't have
dared to show before, and others change the
minute they have a baby and realize that
something's been at work here that busts all
previous confines and mindsets and schisms.
The master of the game may have drilled the
Gospel of conformity into all of us for a
century, getting most of us perhaps to accept
that we're nothing more than mammals, and
no matter how well your species may have
mutated over the past 50 billion years, that's
what you'll always be.
But every now and then something happens
that dares to defy all that - excuse my French -
bullshit and reveals that certain spark that
makes the difference between us humans and
our four-legged friends, even if some will
refuse to see it until their deaths. It's the kind
of "something" that happens while watching a
movie like "Waitress" and even blows a
magical breath of life into an otherwise totally
idiotic ditty about baking pies, all of which (the
"something," the "magic" and all that goes with
it), only perceptible to those who actually walk
through life with their spiritual senses
activated.
Well, you may not be getting all this same stuff
out of watching this movie, but that's because
we're different. And if you're into people - I
mean other people apart from the doubtlessly
most important person to you: yourself - then
you're going to enjoy this one.
I suppose it will always take a woman to make
a movie like that. Perhaps because women
don't restrict their thinking or knowing to that
rational process men use the thing between
their ears for - and as a man I'm allowed to say
that.
"Waitress" is definitely not one for our pious
brothers and sisters who insist that love can
only be found within the sacred boundaries of
marriage. But if it's reality you're after, you'll
probably get a better taste of it with this pie
than from a bucket full of evening news... The
reality of being human to the core, that is so
utterly different from the advanced ape-man
mentality we're usually told to take on.
Call us decadent, call us shameless, sinful,
and blame it all on that odious Creator who
obviously didn't know what He was doing, but
Who loves us humans to pieces anyway, and
maybe - just maybe one day so will you.
 Chaos Theory
Over Her Dead Body

I guess I wasn't ready for the implying

message of this movie when I first saw it some I like ghost movies. Perhaps because they're
years ago. Probably I was still too stuck on the one of the few places where life after death is
fatalistic, Hollywood cliche revolving the being dealt with in a way that people aren't
"falling in love" and "soul mate" myths, and scared of. And so, I definitely like this one,
would have seriously doubted the veracity of which may not change anybody's life, but at
the statement made toward the end of the film least guarantees some decent, fairly
that one can pretty much determine to love wholesome entertainment (including a
anyone. It's not a magical thing that happens surprising twist on the obligatory usual show of
as destined by the fates or it won't. We have political correctness toward the gay issue...).
the power to make it happen.
"Coincidentally," on the very day I watched this
film for the second time last week, during one The Time Traveler’s Wife
of the usual crises life brings that make you
wholeheartedly agree with the father of the
bride when he tells the groom in the movie,
"Life's a mess!" and that make you concoct
your own "chaos theories," I had read {
HYPERLINK
"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122400
057.html" } about a new book by psychologist
and author Robert Epstein who has proven in
his own life the message to be true which I
(like probably a lot of fellow Hollywood junkies) While there is no deeper spiritual lesson to be
had previously not been ready to accept. found in this movie apart from the sheer
beauty of people who for some reason are
Life is a mess; life is a mystery; but the good open to the supernatural, it is so well made
thing is, we still have some say in the matter. and emotional that I've just got to feature it in
this list among my favorites.
It's simply thoroughly enjoyable.
 Weather Girl
We all know it - in theory: money and success
don't really make you happy, and security is
only an illusion, but how many of us really live
according to that knowledge? Most of us keep
chasing paper as if it was the holy grail, and
we settle for the "safe" option as soon as it
comes along.
After all, it's been drilled into us: we owe it to
society.
"Weather Girl" is another reminder of life's
lesson we constantly forget, that there are,
indeed, more important things than money and
our elusive security (as in: a "good" job, a
wealthy husband - if you're a woman - etc.),
such as friends, real love and honesty.
If you're anywhere near as idealistic as we are
- my better half and I - when it comes to these
things (and I ought to know: she stuck with a
"loser" for love's sake), then you'll like this
movie as much as we did.
It promotes a fresh and strange openness and
honesty that strikes you as totally not-of-this
world.
Long live not-of-this-world!
City Island
My biblical guiding theme for the year is Luke
12:2: "There is nothing covered that shall not
be revealed, neither hid that shall not be
known," and there is probably hardly a movie
that brings out this point better than "City
Island."
In a world where cover-ups and lies galore all
contribute to the great confusion surrounding
us, it's a ray of hope to know that eventually,
as truly as there is a God, the truth will come
out, and all secrets, and the way things really
happened (as opposed to the "official" fairy-
tale) will be revealed.
So, if honesty's your policy, you'll enjoy this
movie the way we did, and you can join us
looking forward to the day the above Promise
will be fulfilled.
The Blind Side
No matter how ridiculous and perhaps
somewhat barbaric American sports, politics
and worldviews may seem to the rest of the
world, or how naive their religion and
patriotism (the two of which are often hard to
tell apart), you simply don't find a lot of stories
like the one told in "The Blind Side" in other
parts of the world, - The kind of story that
grabs you emotionally and at the same time
tempts you to brush it off as just another
"American Dream" or fairy-tale, until the real
folks the movie was all about show up at the
end and you find out it was actually based on
a true story.
Perhaps the countries and peoples with the
greatest weaknesses and flaws are at the
same time also those with the greatest
strengths and vice versa. Perhaps God is
simply showing off that He can use anything;
whatever it is, it just makes you thankful that
folks like the Tuhoys actually exist, no matter
how rotten the rest of the world may seem at
times.
Folks who somehow manage to practice that
magic of "Inasmuch as you have done it to the
least of My brethren, you have done it to Me."
It makes all the other rubbish: the politics, the
idiotic sports, the naivete, vanish and for that
moment speak louder than all those other
factors. Maybe it's all just Hollywood hype and
manipulation, but idiots will always exist
anywhere, even without Hollywood, and if
there's only a quarter of truth in this story and
the way it is told here, then it's commendable,
certainly watchable, and - for whatever it's
worth - inspiring.
After all, the cynics of the world accuse us
believers of just swallowing cooked-up stories
about our Savior Who walked on water and
fed multitudes with miracle bread, too, but it
doesn't make them any happier, either, and for
the most of what I've seen, not any more
charitable citizens, either.
So, may Christian nuts believing in
outstanding Christian values, spurring them on
to outstanding Christian acts live on, and the
cynics do whatever they may do.
May the critics tear apart Sandra Bullock's
"distortion" of the original character of Leigh
Ann Tuohy, we still think she was great in this
one.
If "blessed are the poor in spirit" means to be
dumb and simple enough to be enjoying a
movie like this, then I will wholeheartedly join
the ranks of those blessed and let the
intellectuals torture themselves to death with
their never-ending cynicism. Sometimes it's
cool not to know that certain things can't
happen or can't be done, and ignorance truly
is bliss when the ignorant happen to know a
few things that the sages simply don't dare to
believe.
I'd definitely rank this one among the top ten
movies of 2009.
Avatar
I know, I know: "Avatar" is a bad movie with
evil New Age doctrines that should in no way
appear on any Christian's list of favorite
movies.
Well, I've covered that more than sufficiently
(in the “Other Movies” section), and why I dare
to disagree.
This is my personal list of favorites, and I
understand that people will beg to differ, just
as I understand that some folks will listen to
Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra or Britney
Spears rather than the type of music I prefer...
Feel free to make your own list if you don't
agree with my personal taste, that's just fine. I
had my doubts about watching it, too. But it
was a whole lot better than I had expected,
including the message.
You see, the bad thing about Christianity - as
in, the way our faith is currently being
practiced by the majority of Christians - is that
a lot of what our enemies have to say about us
is sadly but actually true. Let's face it:
Christians are generally a bunch of greedy,
materialistic, separatist bunch who will gladly
follow any maniac - as long as he sits in the
White House - to butcher the god-damned
pagans in the four corners of the world in the
name of the figment of their imagination they
call "god." But I have personally experienced
the true God to be too much of a "tree-hugger"
Himself to coincide with His Corporate,
officially advertised version.
Yes, in some aspects, this movie is anti-
Christian. But the amount of truth in it still
outweighs that factor, because a lot about the
way modern Christianity is being practiced on
a large scale (and by "modern" I'm referring
roughly to the past 1700 years), is not based
on the truth of Jesus Christ anymore, but is
ridden with lies, half-truths and compromises
with other evil deities like Mammon, Mars,
bringing a lot of Hades (death) to its victims.
I don't expect you to agree with me. I've
considered other movies crap that others
raved about (such as the original Star Wars
trilogy). But I genuinely liked this one.
If the Western life-style of Corporate America
and its colonies is more important to you than
the raw truth of God, then, ouch, I believe
watching this movie can hurt.
But if you have truly come to know that all the
truth you'll ever need is wrapped up in the 3
words, "God is Love," you might enjoy it even
in spite of the parts of its message that come
across as "New Age" or whatever. I'd rather
have peaceful New Age than warmongering
"Christianity," because both are a lie, the
former being the lesser evil.
Read the Gospels, if you don't believe it!
It’s Complicated
If you have a bigger problem with adultery
than with the absurdity of your President
receiving the Nobel Peace Prize while waging
war in 3 countries, you obviously won't like this
movie. If, however, you're into people: what
their needs are, their feelings and what makes
them tic, instead of religious dogmas that
artificially make you feel better than your
fellowmen, you might enjoy it as thoroughly as
we did.
Granted, the movie has a few moments that
come across as a little less than real or even
right. For instance, you might catch yourself
thinking, "Gee, I never thought I'd ever have to
watch Steve Martin kissing Meryl Streep." But
latest by the time they both light up a joint,
you'll know why he was chosen for this role,
and the laughs and brilliant "people moments"
in the film will rapidly make up for any of its
flaws.
For anyone who has ever been divorced and
knows that these things indeed are
complicated, this should be quite enjoyable,
although the ultimate lesson to be gleaned
from it may be nothing more than a reminder
of the way Joni Mitchell once put it: "Don't it
always seem to go that you don't know what
you've got till it's gone?"
 Everybody’s Fine Tenure

To be quite frank, this is not the type of movie

I'd be looking forward to watching a seond
time, since the bulk of it is ridden with the bitter
taste of reality - that of children lying to their
parents as a result of parents lying to their
You know those movies featuring a total loser
children, to each other, etc. - and, after all, isn't
who's doing so bad that it actually becomes
that the one thing we're all escaping when
embarrassing? They're probably aimed at
watching movies - reality, and the principal
making us feel better about ourselves, the real
reason why movies are a trillion dollar
losers, out there in that strange dimension
industry?
called reality-land, trying to cheer us up that
But then, this movie certainly has its lessons to
every loser can strike a happy ending and
teach, the protruding one of which might be
somehow, thanks to Hollywood magic, turn
summed up in the sigh, "If people could only
winner again...
accept one another for who and what they are,
Well, "Tenure" is one of those, with the
instead of expecting them to reach some self-
relatively fresh twist that our "hero" is a college
imposed standard of their living our own
teacher. He's great at teaching, but not really
'impossible dream,' this world might be a
good at anything else. His students love him,
better place.
but his colleagues hate him. Plus, his best
friend falls into the category of "With friends
In a society where achievement is what
like that, who needs enemies?"
defines you, rather than your character or
It's got heart, though, and though this film is by
other inner values, the way to reach that goal
no means guaranteed to knock your socks off,
of achievements - or at least the pretense of
if the same thing can be said of you, I mean,
them being there - is paved with one thing that
the "heart" thing, then you might like it.
has been prominent in a few recent movies,
Especially if you've ever been in a situation
like "The Informant" or "City Island:" lies.
trying to figure out how to get through to
It's as if we're all creating our own little matrix
members of the younger generation, or you
for our fellowmen in retaliation for the Matrix of
believe in Bigfoot, or you happen to like
the big lies our leaders are creating for us, and
Gretchen Mol...
- aren't they showing us which way we're
At first I wasn’t going to include this film on my
supposed to go, after all? Most of us, frankly,
list of favorites, but then I was reminded that
don't care too much about the truth to begin
among all the balderdash of loserdom and
with, so, they're quite comfortable with that.
Yeti-hunting, there lay a lesson far too
Others, like De Niro's character in this film
important to ignore. When Charlie Thurber
(some say his best yet), wouldn't mind
(Luke Wilson) is asked to share his secret to
occasionally being told the truth for a change.
his popularity with his students he wisely
Once the illusions are destroyed and forgotten,
states that part of being a good teacher is to
lo and behold - who would have ever thought
always remain a student to some extent.
so? - life actually becomes enjoyable again,
and "they all lived happily ever after."
That’s one of the major lessons in life right
there. The problem with most people is all the
stuff they think they know. There’s no room for
anything new, much less the recognition of
anything valuable you might learn from others,
even if they’re your students.
Any fruitful process in life has always got to be
a two-way street. Think of it: if even God
needs us, who are we to refuse the input from
our fellowmen, even if it sometimes seems to
be pretty weird stuff?
Edge of Darkness
I like movies in which - for a change - the
culprits are not your usual bearded, dark
skinned, carpet-cutter wielding Hottentots from
the outskirts of Godforsakistan, but the ones
who are much more likely to be the real
culprits, and I honor every director and actor
who participates in such a screen statement,
which requires a lot more courage than
blaming it all on the Arabs, like the recent
"From Paris With Love."
I also like movies which show that sometimes -
perhaps often - you have to give your life in
your fight for the truth, because, after all,
life may be a lot shorter than some of us think,
and the only thing that will have made it worth
living in the first place will have been the
amount of truth lived during those years we
will then look back on.
Hollywood producers always have this choice
to make, about how much they're going to
compromise with the truth for the sake of
political correctness, popularity and gain, and
I'd say kudos to Mel Gibson for not going the
way of all flesh and the Travoltas of this world
in this aspect.
Apart from the political message, the plot is
also infinitely more intelligent than your
average "Kill the Ayatollahs" rah-rahs.
There's always a lot more suspense involved
in watching someone fight a real enemy, a
ruthless and well protected enemy. Enemies
that have the power of the authorities on their
side, and it's so much closer to reality.
Needless to say, I'd highly recommend this
movie way over the formerly mentioned type of
Rambo-garbage, and would like to express my
sincere gratitude to director Martin Campbell
for creating a film that was not destined to
insult the relatively few properly working
intellects left on planet earth.
My Sister’s Keeper
Death, I believe, isn't as much the terrible thing
many of us make it out to be as is their terrible
lack of maturity shown in the inability to deal
with it.
Of course, if you believe that life is merely the
result of random chemicals having met under
one hell of a bunch of lucky circumstances,
and that when the lights are out, "game's over"
for good, you'll beg to differ, & you'll hate this
movie.
But when you actually happen to know the
mathematical probability for that scenario,
you'll like it.
Apparently, most folks are real bad at maths,
& so they hate thinking, talking, or watching
movies about death.
Some fight it tooth and nail, like the dear
mother Cameron Diaz portrays in this story.
It's tough for some folks to let go, tough to
admit that another should determine some
things that concern the outcome of their life, or
some aspect of it they feel they're in charge of.
Ultimately, we'll all have to cope with the fact
that Someone else is and was in charge all
along, and that's when life will finally become
livable again for those around us.
On a positive note, imagine you knew you
were going to die within a certain amount of
time, and you'd invest that time in creating a
beautiful gift for your loved ones to let them
know how much they meant to you...
Personally, I prefer that scenario over the bad
surprises that people get who have allowed
movies of super heroes surviving hundreds of
explosions and thousands of bullets to
convince them of their immortality...
Sooner or later it's going to be wake up time
for everyone, & we'll find out it won't be half as
bad as we thought it was before we started
doing our maths.
Green Zone: So Much for
"Weapons of Mass Destruction"
While this film may not have the visual quality and
technical special effects that make the masses
flock to see movies like "From Paris With Love," it
contains the rare element of truth that has become
the object of the affection of a small minority of
folks on the globe who still use that stuff between
their ears and don't swallow every bit of NWO
propaganda blowing their way.
Green Zone, which also could have been titled,
"The Way to Start a War in the 21st Century"
describes the reason why in our era of
enlightenment 1.5 Million Iraqis had to bite the dust
thus far on behalf of our democratic concepts of
liberty and justice for all... cough, choke... excuse
me, that was my lunch!
Who cares? Right. Who does, when you're sitting
up on the top of the world with your remote and a
cool Bud?
Well, apparently the makers of this film cared
enough to put a few million bucks in the sand for
the love of that greatest of taboos of the 21st
century called truth, and while it certainly isn't your
average fix of "Here we are now: entertain us!" -
you can learn something from it.
Namely, how to start a war in the 21st century: You
take some high ranking government official from
D.C. and have him call some career-horny
journalist (what better place to find those than Wall
Street?) and tell them some fairy tale about an
inside informant on WMDs hidden in Big Bad Terror
Country (remember: anything that wears a head
covering is guilty, if you're a true American), and off
the boys are to wreak havoc over there, yielding
millions of bucks in those politicians' pockets,
trillions more for the tax payers' unpayable
debtload (and their children's and children's
children's), heaps of corpses, and just about any
evil imaginable beneath the sun, except them darn
WMDs which seem to have dissolved into thin air
like the Scarlet Pimpernel: "Some seek them here,
some seek them there..."
But no worries, those politicians know their flocks:
they know that after a few months of slaughter,
nobody will give a hoot about that cheap excuse to
just start another war. After all, it's just another one
in a long line of wars since the beginnings of the
greatest icon of democracy and enlightenment
since the world began...
And the good thing about bearing that image is,
you can't possibly ever be wrong, no matter how
much blood you shed in the process.
Would I recommend this movie if you're looking to
be entertained? Not in your life!
Would I, if you intend to make use of that clot of
mass between your ears in this life-time?
You bet.
 Other Movies
Additional Input on Some Films, Recommended or Not

Index:
Amadeus
Antwone Fisher
Avatar
Away from Her
Desert Flower
From Paris With Love
Funny People
Harry Browne
I Love You, Man
Interstate 60
Matrix
Miracle Worker, The
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
New Moon
Pan's Labyrinth
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Precious
Reign Over Me
Rushmore
Serenity
Skellig
Taking Chance
The Combination
The Corporation
The Lovely Bones
The Road
Triangle
Twilight
Whisper of the Heart
 ALL ABOARD SERENITY!

The Message Behind "Serenity"

It wasn't the obvious type one would catch at first glance. But one statement in the otherwise quite
action packed & entertaining movie was too true to be just entertainment. The part in which we get to
know the 'Serenity' crew and they talk about how survival is being made tougher & tougher for
independent little guys like them - 500 years into the future - so similarly to the way it is for folks like
us here & now, independent little artists & movie makers. There had to be something else beside
that. And then it dawned on me: "Pax," (latin for Peace), the gas that the government, "the alliance"
(New World Order?) had added to the atmosphere of the planet Miranda in order to free the
population from its aggressions had made 90% of the population so "peaceful" that they not only
stopped fighting, but eventually everything else, too, including eating and breathing, so they just died,
while it converted the other 10% into ravenous & hideous cannibals, attacking everything that moved
in order to eat them alive...
Sounds just like the wonderful "Peace" programs the New World Order so all-knowingly imposes on
us, its victims, 24/7 via the poisonous gases of deceit it dispels into our ether in form of the constant
propaganda that's lulling the majority into a peaceful sleep, do-nothing attitude and spiritual death,
while forcing the minority who won't swallow that stuff into positions of total antagonism and
opposition without limits, also known as terrorism.
In other words, just as the "Alliance" was creating the cannibalistic "Reavers," (if that's the spelling... I
didn't read the subtitles), so the New World Order is really creating terrorism and the anti-western
and anti-American antagonism that's making the poorer minorities cry out for Jihad, a holy war
against all that New World Order tummyrot.
The demons those wise guys on top are creating are literally eating the population of the world alive,
because, as usual, they were too smart to think they had to include God in their program, and as they
say in Germany, "they made their bill without the keeper of the inn."
So, "XLNT!" is my personal rating for "Serenity" on second thought. From what I gather, (as an
outsider, since I never heard of the "Firefly" TV show until I saw the specials on the DVD), the
makers of this movie were a little bit in the same fix that a lot of bright minds find themselves in who
are just too bright to be dimmed by the mainstream hogwash: the fate of being met with a lot of
resistance & cold shoulders. But then there are always those who still appreciate good work when
they see it. True Art fans of the world unite & hop aboard the "Serenity"!
Interstate 60 April 9, ‘07

Once again, we were watching "Interstate 60" last night, an outstanding little movie about an
imaginary but legendary character, sometimes named O.W.Grant, (he's got a few other
names besides), whose job in life it is, to grant one wish to those he comes across, most of
which - to his amusement - are quite foolish and often selfish, resulting in the usual
"leanness to our souls" that the fulfilment of such requests bring. All until he comes across a
different kind of young man who instead of the usual selfish ambitions only has one wish: to
find an answer!
His quest takes him down a bizarre road of events and encounters which first of all seem to
open his eyes to where the answer is not found: Those who seek it in selfish pleasure,
intoxication, clichés, in fact, anywhere else but in the truth, inevitably will be disappointed.
But by refusing to compromise and yield to the ever-present temptations in life, he not only
finds the answers to life's riddles he's been seeking, but also the love of his life.
Sounds like a dream - which, in a way, it is - but it's also that very same day-to-day's reality-
turned-to-dream that we live once we have found the Answer-Man, Jesus, Who supplies us
with the answers to everyday's riddles that life presents us.
As long as we go through life seeking anything else but answers, or even refuse to
recognize the question marks, I reckon, we're not even really living. But for those who truly
wish to see and know and don't settle for any fake, there will be an answer!
The cynics laugh at such starry-eyed naiveté, but they can laugh all they want: it's inevitable
--
There will be an answer!
The Miracle Worker April 18, ’07

We've seen the 1962 movie "The Miracle Worker" the other day, about the early life and conversion
of Helen Keller, the girl who was blind and deaf from the time she was 19 months old, and who was
destined to see what many seeing people could not see, and still can't.
The secret all lay in the discovery of MEANING: that every thing – everything - has a meaning, a
name. Before that, her life was a meaningless existence, a simple grabbing whatever she could in
order to feed and still her hunger without any sense or purpose, just darkness and ignorance. Just
like the countless lives of seeing and hearing people today who are totally oblivious to the fact that
there is such a thing as a meaning and a purpose to their existence, other than feeding and dressing
their bodies, the outer shells of who they really are, or moving that shell from A to B in the most
elegant manner or vehicle.
Oddly enough, this confrontation with meaning sparked the fuse of my own meaning and purpose of
existence, which from this moment on will be to help others become aware of the existence of
meaning. Just like Ann Sullivan, the formerly blind teacher who painstakingly managed to convey the
meaning of Helen Keller's world by spelling out the words into her hand time and time again in an
alphabet for the deaf and blind, consisting of hand signs, I am determined to make it my goal to bring
awareness of the fact that there is such a thing as a meaning and a purpose to this life to the
spiritually blind and deaf I am surrounded by on this planet, fully aware of the fact that I will be met
with even much stronger resistance than Ann Sullivan by the initially stubborn and furious Helen
Keller (especially by those who already think they see - as Jesus experienced in the 9th chapter of the
Gospel of John).
In fact, my own life will be meaningless unless I manage to convey to someone, anyone out there the
concept of meaning, the awesome but true notion, that in fact, our life - and everything in it - does
have a meaning.
Drilled and brainwashed into believing that as results of innumerable random "coincidents" in Space,
zillions of years ago, there is nosuch thing as "meaning" to all of us insignificant "accidents,"
conveying the concept of meaning to people will certainly be a tough job, but the only worthy cause I
can think of. How could I join the masses in their endless game of routinely feeding, dressing and
spoiling merely the empty shells of their true beings, when I have once been blind myself, void of the
knowledge that there was a light, oblivious to the concept of a meaning to anything, much less my
own existence?
It was a medicine I didn't want to swallow at first, a truth I initially refused to hear, the one that
eventually healed me of my spiritual blindness, deafness and inability to truly communicate. I was just
as reluctant to accept and embrace the Teacher as Helen, kicking and slapping His face over and
over again, only to finally succumb into the arms that assured me of their everlasting, unconditional
love.
Yes, there is a purpose to life, ladies and gentlemen, including every oh so seemingly meaningless
thing, event and paradox in it, and thus there has to be One Who puposed it, planned it. And what
other, simpler meaning could there be in life, than discovering that Maker, and finding out from Him,
personally, what exactly it is He destined and purposed us to do?
If you don't know who you are or what you're on this planet for, or you refuse to believe that a
superficial existence is all there is to it, I can personally promise you that - as unbelievable as it may
sound - you can and will find the answers to all those question marks in your search of God, Who, by
the way, is very eager to be found by you! He knows you can't make it without Him, anyway, at least
not truly successfully, and definitely not happily, and He's just waiting for you to wake up to the fact
that He's there. He's been there all the time. With the answers to all your questions, the key to every
door, and a meaning, a name and a purpose to every little thing you have thus far been clueless
about. If you don't believe me, ask Him!

Antwone Fisher May17, ’07

There's a beautiful scene in the movie "Antwone Fisher," which describes death for a
believer, or coming Home to Heaven better than anything else I've ever seen, and is all the
more touching when you realize that the film is a true story. Antwone Fisher is one of those
beautiful people still walking on this earth who never had a true home on this earth during his
early years, having been raised in orphanages & foster homes accompanied by traumatic
childhood experiences.
His Navy Psychiatrist (one of Denzel Washington's best characters ever) encourages him to
go and find his real family in order to get at the root of his problems with aggression &
feelings of worthlessness. And so, when he finally does find the family of his deceased
father, there comes the most beautiful scene in the whole movie, where he enters his aunt's
house and meets all the relatives he never even knew he had, everybody eagerly welcoming
him, introducing themselves briefly to him with excitement, until finally his aunt gives the
signal to open a double door to the dining room, where the old members of Antwone's family
sit awaiting him at a richly decked table, very similar to a dream he had at the start of the
movie.
An old lady (presumably Antwone's grandmother), obiously too weak to even speak, knocks
on the table in an effort to demand attention and beckons Antwone to come to her with
outstretched hands. Gazing into his eyes, hands in his, and recognizing her long lost son in
this, newly found grandson, she finally utters one heartfelt "Welcome," and in this moment
you feel like, if you'll ever make it to Heaven, this will be the only word you'll want to here.
So many of us are wandering through life like Antwone Fisher, like Orphans, oblivious to the
large family that awaits us when we'll finally come Home from this life's search and journey.
We sometimes feel abandoned, too, worthless, often not even due to any wrong we've done,
but simply because we figure that there is nobody who loves us enough to have stuck it out
with us.
And yet, I am convinced that every person has a huge family awaiting them in eager
anticipation, like Antwone Fisher, consisting of ancestors we may never even have heard
about. We may not know them, but they know us alright.
Some folks may not be all too keen on being confronted by no high and mighty angels when
they get to Heaven, perhaps confronting them with all the wrong they possible might have
done. But everybody, I'm sure, can be looking forward to coming Home to their true family,
the ones of whom you'll know, "that's where I belong. These are my people," and I bet that's
one event making Heaven a worthwhile Place to look forward to and hope we'll eventually
wind up there.
Maybe it will take some of us a longer detour to get there than others, but I have a notion that sooner
or later we all will. We all will (John 1:9).

Pan's Labyrinth (NOT a Recommendation!) July 5th ’07

This was the second time we fell for some totally screwed up movie rating from Christianity
Today's movie section. The first time was a while back, when we went out of our way to get
"Millions," CT's "most redeeming" of 2004 or 2005 or whatever, which turned out to be about as
"redeeming" as "George of the Jungle."

But to give "Pan's Labyrinth" a 4-star (highest possible) rating was downright sick.
The only thing it did for me was to give me a speck of greater understanding of Revelations 12:15-17:
"And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to
be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the
woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God,
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
It doesn't matter what sort of vomit the Devil spews out, earthly-minded and carnal minded people
will always swallow it, even if they call themselves "Christians." I never understood why this was
supposed to be all that much of a help for the true church, though, until last night. The "help" consists
of that one and only painful lesson: you can't trust them for anything. Not even their movie tastes and
recommendations of what's good or bad. You can only rely on the Lord.
The people the Devil hates and tries to destroy are those who "have the testimony of Jesus Christ,"
and in a later verse in Revelation we find what exactly that means: "The testimony of Jesus is the
spirit of prophecy" (Rev.19:10).
The Devil couldn't care less about pseudo-intellectual pseudo-Christians who swallow his crap,
because he knows he's already got them in his pocket. In fact, his legions of demons are riding on
their backs in their war against the true believers, as depicted in Rick Joyner's visions in "The Final
Quest."
Such people only lead others astray, they think they're doing God service, but are in fact fighting for
the other side, they don't gather with the Lord, but scatter abroad, deceiving themselves and others.
The ones who pose any threat and challenge to the Devil are those who have the testimony of Jesus:
the spirit of prophecy, those who use the gifts of the Spirit (instead of their own misled and
misleading carnal reasoning) and are being led and guided by God's Spirit of truth and accordingly
show forth the fruits thereof.
The total lack of any trace of God's Spirit, of discernment, and instead, their pseudo-intelligent
babble, finally only serves to help us realize that you can't rely on such people's judgment at all. They
swallow the Devil's lukewarm puke, hook, line and sinker, and go, "Yummy! Moooore!" They are
those whom the Lord will spew out of His mouth, because they are neither hot nor cold, but
lukewarm, spiritually wretched and don't even know it (see Rev.3:15-17).
It's because their God isn't really the true God, the God of truth, and the God of love. The only reason
any so-called Christian ("because my daddy was a Christian, and the USA are a Christian nation"?)
could give a top-rating to a ghoulish and hellish nightmare concocted by some demoniac, such as
"Pan's Labyrinth" is because he finally found a movie featuring his true god: Pan himself, the
demonic principality of the mind, the god of (pseudo-)intellectualism and carnal reasoning per se,
worshiped by millions of Satanists and occultists throughout the world, and recognized, fought and
resisted unto blood only by a few who have the testimony of Jesus Christ, the spirit of prophecy and
the other gifts of the Spirit, such as discernment.
Any true Christian or true believer in the true God, or even a sane non-religious person with a half-
way properly working mind wouldn't have given that movie more than half a star, because it is
anything but edifying. It only glorifies murder, cruelty, bloodshed and Satan's wickedness, and only a
spiritually totally deaf and blind person would have fallen for the thinnest layer of sugar coating the
Devil ever had to apply to any of his deceitful devices: the worn out line about preferring to shed
one's own blood to shedding the blood of the innocent. Now, what a revelation!
And such wisdom coming from Pan's mouth in the movie probably means that he must be a "good"
spirit, right?
If Pan be your god, then keep on, dude, and serve him, but me and my house, we shall serve the
living God of truth, Whom you know not, probably have never known, and which is probably why He
will say to you, "I have never known you" (Mt.7:23; 25:12).
Thanks for opening my eyes yet another bit more about where Christians and Christianity today truly
stand: certainly not on God's side. So, get out of our way, and stop wasting our time! We have a war
to win!
The Corporation Nov.9 ’07

Last night we watched "The Corporation," and it confirmed just about everything I often voice so
vehemently, that I later find myself having to apopogize for it, such as in a reaction to an email from
my sister about a book about how Islam is supposed to be the great evil menace of world peace.
You can wrap up just about any old b***sh*t and sell it to people as truth, if you just make the
wrapping appealing enough. After all, it's so much more comfortable to believe that those bloody
Arabs & Muslims are to blame for everything, instead of those liars who are running our everyday
lives, enslaving us by promising us freedom.
It's much more comfortable, especially for people who are easily frightened, than all those
uncomfortable movies & books by people such as are featured in "The Corporation."
For weirdos like me, it's so comforting to find out I'm not the only lunatic who doesn't swallow all that
crap they're trying to shove down our throats, who sees the connection between the 3 rd Reich and
today, and who refuses to watch another minute of the mass-manipulation they're spouting out
through television.
I even believe that "The Corporation" disproves the paradigm of Evolution. See, according to today's
level of "education," evil is a thing of the past.
That was back in the stone ages with that Australian dude, Hittler, or something, and his cavemen.
But since then we've evolved into good people, and all them wars and stuff that Mom and Dad
sometimes watch on the tube, you know, the "Nooz," or something, they're just necessary, because
there are still a few backwards folks around, like them dudes with terbuns and stuff, that haven't
evolved yet as much as we have, so that's good.
Well, according to my beliefs, and "The Corporation" has wonderfully - though sadly - confirmed that,
evil has all else but disappeared. In fact, it's more sophisticated, more cunning, and more omni-
present than ever, to an extent that all those remote control junkies out there couldn't even begin to
fathom...
In other words, we haven't evolved at all, but to the contrary, if anything, we have devolved & gone
further down the drain & the flow of the path the slimy old serpent started us off on 6000 years ago.
His people are getting better at it all the time, and more skilled at making ever dumber and more
ignorant zombies out of the rest of the masses, who couldn't care less what's going on, as long as
they've got their entertainment & their fast food...
They're even so smart that they make the only solution & way out of this whole mess, namely Jesus
and His dropout and anti-System message, look like part of the game by having all those duped,
lukewarm, flag-waving patriots pose as "Christians," and making the rest of the world sick of
"Christianity."
Time for God's genuine Endtime Army to get movin'!
Hold on, Baby, we're coming!
Away From Her April 25, 2008
While a small minority of still clear-thinking Americans, scholars & hobby-psychologists is trying to
figure out what evil schemes are being put to work in order to hypnotize the vast majority of the
American public and keep them in the indifferent stupor that not only enables them to tolerate what's
happening with their country, but to even give standing ovations to the 500th repetition of Bush's
"Anti-Terror" spiel and "We did this to protect our country" garbage, the answer was being revealed
to me the other night while watching a movie called "Away From Her."
Now, while this was not exactly your average action-packed Rambo-type of thriller and I wouldn't
necessarily recommend it, sometimes just one little line in a movie can unveil a mystery that keeps
puzzling thousands. In the movie we see an aged Julie Christie (big star in the 70s) suffering from
Alzheimer, and as her sickness progresses, she finally insists on her husband taking her to a special
foster Home for Alzheimer patients. He does so reluctantly, and for a while comes to visit her every
day, spending a lot of time at the institution.
In one particular scene they're sitting in the TV-lounge and, while watching news clips from the Iraq
war, Julie, during one of her clear moments speaks the words, "How could they forget Vietnam?"
And then it hit me! It's obvious! They've all got Alzheimer! Maybe the government has found a secret
way of infecting nearly the entire population with the disease, and now the President can get away
with nearly anything: they'll just stand up and clap non-stop for 25 minutes whatever he says or does,
because they wouldn't even remember what to do if they would dare stop clapping.
While this is not your run-off-the-mill movie review, let me add that the movie does end with a
surprising little twist, and if you're not the Rambo type, you might consider it well worth watching.
And, hey, at least you won't be one of those desperate losers anymore trying to figure out what the
hell went wrong with America! Now you know.
Reign Over Me
Oct.5, 2008
Last night we watched "Reign Over Me," the probably first serious movie with Adam Sandler in
existence, or at least the first one I saw, and apart from being a wonderful character study (especially
for those familar with the Enneagram), the movie addresses a few interesting points in regards to
9/11, some of which may even say more than the movie makers originally intended. Or perhaps
that's just my interpretation of it, but as with everything in the world, I think it's up to each one of us
and our individual perception, what we make of it, and learn from it, and I have made it clear
elsewhere that I believe that the Almighty has placed more lessons all around us than most of us are
willing to notice, even availing Himself of the creativity of our fellowmen to drive home points that they
may not even have intended to (and that is nowhere as much as a reality as in the art of movie-
making).

Sandler plays Charlie, a former dentist in New York who lost his wife and 3 children during the 9/11
so-called "attacks," which by a growing number of people around the world, and even Americans, are
rather referred to as an "inside job." Charlie refuses to deal with his loss and ( - in the manner of the
Enneagram's personality type SEVEN, whose driving force is defined by Enneagram authors Rohr
and Ebert as "The Need to Avoid Pain," taken to the extreme), he refuses to remember what
happened, and that he had a family at all, and reacts very aggressively to any third party attempts
(such as those of his in-laws) to confront him with what happened.
The friendship of his former college room mate - with the help of a too-cute-to-be-real therapist (Liv
Tyler) - very gradually pulls him out of this, and we watch how beautifully friendship and
communication can change people's lives for the better.

The point which the blessed creators of this movie may not have intended to bring across, but
nevertheless insists on jumping in my face (as I'm sure some readers would), is how Sandler's role
portrays the refusal of the majority of the American public (as well as a substantial percentage of the
rest of the Western populace) to deal with the realities behind 9/11. Although evidence abounds that
the official version of 9/11 is as likely to have happened as the Twin Towers having been erected by
an army of ants, in the typical fashion of pain-avoiding hedonists, most Americans refuse to face the
facts of just how rotten to the core their government really is and how astray they're being led,
willingly manipulated into one war after another and never-ending bloodshed, reacting quite
aggressively to those who would try to confront them with the truth.

If there was any intention from the side of the movie's makers to bring across that sort of message at
all, then the message would read on: "Give us time to deal with all of this in our own fashion!" The
sad part of the real story is, time's running out! If time is money, as they always say, then it's
definitely running out, and whether people want it or not, the truth is going to come crashing in on
them, and already is, as things turn out to be never the same again on Wall Street and elsewhere
around the world.
Today, little Mr. and Mrs. Jones may be pointing their fingers at the greedy stock brokers and shake
their heads at them, "Tsk tsk, those greedy, naughty boys." But in a year from now the repercussions
of what really happened here will have affected their lives to such an extent that there will be nobody
there to shake their heads at, similar to the way it happened in 1930, a year after the first global stock
market crash, which, it seems, is finally finding its match in the events unfolding before us right now.

Of course, way over 90% of the population vehemently refuse to acknowledge what's going on.
They're choosing the blue pill (as in "The Matrix") every day: "Put me back to sleep and let me know
none of all this!"

Well, just as dear Charlie in our movie eventually had to sit down and face the truth and reality of
what happened, sooner or later that will have to be the case with everyone else. The only question is
when and where; whether it will be in this life, or the next.

As far as I'm concerned, an integral and indispensable ingredient of love is truth, and without it, I
wonder how real any of all that love is that people would like to reign over them, or if it's perhaps not
just a bunch of good intentions paving their road to hell. If you want love to be real, you've got to
have truth in it, and when that's the case, I'll agree: Let that love reign over all of us!

P.S.: Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like we don’t all do it. After all, what makes us watch movies by the dozens in the first
place? We all like to get a break from reality, and it’s not like I can’t wait for all the gory stuff to happen, that’s awaiting the
world, according to the Book of Revelation. I remember the first time I read it, I actually felt physically sick, the way Neo in
the Matrix did, when he found out the truth about what the Matrix was, and what his life thus far had been…
But there’s a difference between being optimistic or positive and being naïve. It’s obvious, that basically we’re all wonderful
and often can’t really be held to blame, because we simply don’t know any better. But there also comes the point when we
should know better, because we have been told the truth, and it’s up to us to either accept or reject it, and I’m afraid that a
lot of stuff is coming up around the bend that is going to test our love for how real it is, and I’d just advise anyone to fasten
their seat belts.
Ten Years After: Matrix

November 16, 2009

If the 1999 epic “Matrix” ranks first on the list of my top 20 favorite movies of all times, even after ten
years since its release, it’s not just because I liked the special effects, but because I believe that
despite its bleak description of our world, it’s probably also one of the most accurate ever to have been
portrayed in any movie.
The vast majority of people live in an artificially created mindset that was ingrainded in them over
decades, and to get out of it is just about as cumbersome as Neo’s exit from the “Matrix.”

I remember the first time I saw the Matrix pretty much exactly 10 years ago, I knew I had seen something very
special. I had watched films before that had had a touch of the supernatural, almost like a message form God,
like Zeffirelli’s “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” and a few others, but this was special, and there have been very few
movies since, that got anywhere near the deep spiritual significance of the Matrix, as far as I’m concerned.

Don’t get me wrong, I know all about the way the powers that be use Hollywood and all that goes with it to
manipulate the masses.

But I believe that there is a greater Matrix that envelopes the smaller matrix of the NWO schemers and their
god: the bigger Picture of God, that happens to include the picture of our present reality including its evils, and
that when it comes down to it, the Devil is just playing a part if God’s plan, whether he wants or not.

Which doesn’t mean I’m a fatalist, either; nor can I say exactly to what extent free choice effects destiny or vice
versa.

As much as we hate it: we have to leave some of the facts and details up to God & trust we’ll find them out in
His good time…

Some people didn’t understand all the rave and ado about it. They didn’t get it then and they don’t get it now.
They figured, “Cool effects,” but they prefer “Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars.” I guess it’s like musical taste:
some liked the Beatles, some liked the Stones, or some like Britney…

Matrix was a movie you’ve had to watch it a few times until you really got all the details.

Back then I was still with one foot in the System and one on a banana peel.

But with all that has happened since then, you might say I’m definitely unplugged now (as in living by faith).

Back then, I may have known the way in theory, but I hadn’t really begun to walk in it yet.

I had some rough thoughts and ideas about how the dark forces are manipulating us from behind the scenes,
but I wasn’t aware to what extent.
I was affiliated with what you might call “The Resistance,” but I wasn’t nearly as active a part in it as now.

Not until 9/11.

In a way, having seen the Matrix was perfect preparation for not falling for the lies they told us since 9/11.

While the towers were still burning, Rumsfeld spoke of “retaliation.” And I knew that what I was watching was
propaganda. – The machines at work.

Six months later we watched television for the last time in our home.

We unplugged ourselves from the current of the mainstream media brainwash and started getting plugged in to
the line of communication with the “Top,” call it Zion, call it Heaven…

…Call it Jesus. I guess if Neo represents any one thing it’s Jesus, but also what Jesus can do through each
one of us if we dare to let go of the lie they have told us all our lives and believe that “There is no spoon.”

– The knowledge of the Matrix being a fake enables you to do things that most people in the Matrix can’t do.

I’ve often wondered if that’s what perhaps empowered Jesus to walk on water, etc.: the knowledge that there is
no spoon. If our physical world was just a bunch of encoded information (and they’re finding out that there are
gigabytes worth of information in every living cell… who knows what we’ll yet find out about the make-up of our
universe…), and He knew the code (since He had obviously written it: “In the beginning was the Word = logos
= information…”) then the program He had written was subject to Him, and it was not that He was – as we are
– subject to or victim of the circumstances. – An idea that drives home the level to which His crucifixion was an
absolutely voluntary sacrifice.

Similarly to the way Neo had to decide to risk (and give) his own life for his friend Morpheus, I have also
learned since, how much truth there is in not thinking it’s you, or that we have to do it ourselves, but sometimes
we just have to be there for someone else, and like Jesus said, be willing to lay down our lives for someone
else, and that’s when all of a sudden you find yourself “in the way,” actually walking in it, not just merely talking
about it or dreaming about it.

The big surprise at the end is that not even death can stop that kind of love, but it totally overcomes the Matrix
and its agents. No wonder, if you keep in mind that God is love…

After a while of living in the consciousness of the extent of the Lie, the fake steak of the Matrix becomes
meaningless to you, and money – since you know it’s just part of the lie – becomes almost irrelevant, and in its
present form on its way to history, anyway.

Since Obama, the powers that are working on introducing the new global economic order have shifted to turbo,
and it’s not as if Revelation 13 was like Sci-Fi in some distant future anymore.

Other people apart from us “loonies” can actually see it happening somewhere in the not too distant future –
the cashless society.

It’s exciting.

That’s another thing that has changed: I’m not scared anymore.

It’s like you just know everything is going to be okay, even if they kill you.

Similar to the plots of the sequels to the Matrix, the Resistance isn’t actually always as united as it should be,
and many don’t believe in “the One,” or in anything supernatural, for that matter, and the enemy forces are
sheer overwhelming in numbers; but that’s all the more reason why you can pretty much take for granted that
this war isn’t going to be won by sheer power of force, nor with physical weapons.
The fact that Neo had to take the last steps of his way blind illustrated that it’s only by faith and not by sight that
the final battle is going to be won, and that’s what many people just don’t want to see, because they think their
own arm is strong enough, while their faith isn’t…

Regardless of whether the NWO mind-manipulators had their hands in the making of this trilogy, it wouldn’t be
the first time that God used something the Devil would like to take the credit for.

Some people give the Devil too much credit and are too scared that God is some kind of weakling… They’re
scared of the stars, scared of candles, scared of sex, scared of the wrong kind of music…

But we’re not going to win this war by being scared.

Sometimes the battle looks so hopeless, even the Enemy asks us,” why do you keep fighting?” Neo’s answer
to Agent Smith, “Because I choose to” was not appreciated by everyone, but it’s our choice not to give in that is
going to see anyone through in the end.

You simply have to choose to keep fighting the Enemy. What other choice have you got? Quit? Surrender?

The message was, “Hell, no, we haven’t even yet begun to fight,” even if not with those words…

The one thing I didn’t like was the ending of the trilogy. A cop-out. A truce between the Resistance and the
machines, which in the Matrix scenario may have been the only realistic solution, but it won’t be in the real
battle.

Some people hold a grudge against God because of the bloodshed depicted in the book of Revelation or
Ezekiel, and hate the God Who would allow any such thing to happen.

They would prefer for good and evil to coexist peacefully together in some sort of lukewarm truce. But I
sometimes wonder if they ever dig anything at all of what life is teaching us.

I remember reading Revelation as a teen, and I felt very much like Neo did in the scene of movie when he finds
out just what the Matrix is, and the first thing he does is throw up.

It’s a toughie, facing the reality of our world as God sees it, also, or especially in regard to its impending future
(preceding the happy ending) as He foretells it (see Revelation 19-21). And not many people have the guts to
face that reality.

But the only way we’re ever going to have peace and any type of victory is if we have enough guts to hate evil,
and if nothing else in this world will ever teach us to do that, I’m afraid the coming years most certainly will.
 Who Are the Terrorists? (Take 2)
February 17, 2010

We just watched “Avatar,” and against my expectations, based on Christian reviews and articles I had
read about it over the past weeks, I really liked it.

Basically, we just watched it for our daughter’s sake, with the usual, “for whatever it’s worth
attitude,” but I guess I’m too much of a nature freak myself to have disliked this movie, and I would
like to express some thoughts here about where I’m afraid Corporate Christendom is mistaken in most
of its mainstream interpretations of the film.

I’m not too naive to not see the obvious “Gaya” message here. But if wanting to save the Earth is
“New Age”, then I have shocking news for you: God is New Age, too:

“And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and
them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth”
(Revelation 11:18).

God happens to love this blue ball, and He apparently does not like the kind of folks who destroy it,
regardless of whether they do it in the name of red-white-and-blue flag waving Churchianity or not.

Oh, so there was talk of spirits in the movie. Real scary. They’re alive! What a shocker!

The problem with Corporate Christianity is, they like to deep freeze everything: they like to deep
freeze the white-hot Spirit of God, if they can, to keep everyone cool and calm in the churches, lest
anyone start any revolutionary fires out there, that the Big Holy Corporation couldn’t control… They
like to believe that the minute you’re dead, you’re first going into a state of spiritual deep-freeze so
you can’t spook around and haunt anybody, but that’s not what we can glean from the Bible: We have
accounts of the spirit of the prophet Samuel, of Elias, Moses, and a cloud of witnesses alive and
kicking from beyond the grave, and God turning the hearts of the sons to their fathers. We have a
Savior claiming to be the Resurrection and the Life and that whoever believes in Him, would never
die, and yet we’ve got all of His supposed “followers” scared stiff of the mere utterance of the word
“spirit.”

Sure, the “worship” scenes were a bit weird. But not any weirder than some Pentecostal worship
scenes you can watch on Youtube…

Then there are the painfully embarrassing parallels in the story of “Avatar” between the Na’vi
(“Natives”?) and not only the American Natives who suffered a similar fate (except for the happy
ending), but every native tribe on the face of God’s earth who simply had to be pressed into the same
civilized molds they reared us in, otherwise they were not allowed to continue to live: “Become like
us, or die” seems to be the interpretation of the Gospel since the birth of the Corporate and officially
recognized and state-supported version of Christianity roughly 1700 years ago.

And of course, the even more painful parallels between the victims in the movie and the real live
victims of 21st century Christendom: “Whoever is sitting on something you want must become your
enemy…” Ouch! Better keep praying for our boys to help our generals haul all that Iraqi Oil on Home
to Daddy, where it belongs…

There was an article out a few weeks ago about young people being depressed after watching
“Avatar” because they would prefer to live in a world like “Pandora”…

Well, can you blame’em? Maybe they just got sick of gray! Maybe they prefer green to the color of
concrete. Maybe they’re sick and tired of the plastic world you’re handing them!

And apparently you haven’t managed to convince them yet that the Place the Christian God has in
store for His believers is actually real, or really where it’s happening. Perhaps, if they figure you’re
going to be there, walking around in your suit and singing those humdrum holier than thou songs, they
couldn’t possibly imagine they’re going to be happy there.

Personally, my own idea of my favorite spot in Heaven is a lot more like the Home of the Na’vi than a
church building. Chalk it up to my early “Tarzan” influences (since I devoured a bunch of antiquated
Edgar Rice Burroughs tomes in my childhood), but I always thought it would be cool to have a home
in a gigantic tree…

Maybe yours is all streets of gold lined with one church building next to another, just like in
Tennessee…

But who says that Heaven has to look exactly the same everywhere? Last I heard, it’s a mighty big
Place.

I also have no problem with the teaching that God is everywhere and in all living things. I think of
Him as being a lot more inclusive than that warmongering, genocidal, separatist version of
Christianity that has always preferred its own philosophy of “kill whatever is different” over its
supposed Founder’s order, “Love your enemies!”
- The argument, of course, being, “Well, who knows what would have happened, if we would have
loved our enemies, instead of killing them?”

I guess God knows. Maybe some day He’ll show all of us what might have happened if the American
Natives would have been allowed to continue their existence prior to their extermination, and what
Christians might have learned from some of them. Or what if one and a half million Iraqis wouldn’t
have been ransacked on grounds of some very shady excuses…

I know it’s tough, learning to love those who are different. We even resist our own children and their
weird inklings to want to watch weird movies like that… (Not to mention our wives’ sudden
inspirations like wanting to get a dog and open up a tattoo shop…)

We must preserve our own values.

Funny thing is that Jesus’ message was never about preservation, but much more about “Give it up!”

But that’s not something we’re willing to do. Not for Him, and certainly not for “mother earth.”

We insist on keeping driving our “the-fatter-the-better” cars, and we insist on being the champions of
the world.

We can’t grant “the others” the slightest chance of ever becoming a threat to us. We’ve got to make
sure we remain no.1 “for the sake of the gospel…”

Well, you know my opinion about that type of Gospel.

I suppose a lot of Christians would consider me a traitor the way Jake Sully, the character who tells
the Avatar story, was perceived as having betrayed “his own…”

Who would you rather fight for? – A bunch of corporate warmongers, or any peaceful, though perhaps
somewhat strange and foreign culture in touch with nature?

I know, you don’t think you could ever make it without all your high-tech toys and your fancy
Western life-style, but why not be honest about it and admit that you’re having a problem, and it’s not
“the others”? Maybe they only have a weird religion because in their eyes, yours is even weirder!

Maybe Mohammed wouldn’t have even had to cook up Islam, if Christians wouldn’t have been such a
pitiful bunch of idolaters at the time he came around…

Why not be honest and confess that it’s we who are sick, totally addicted and hooked on some shiny
temptation that looks almost exactly like the real thing, but on the inside is a far cry from it?

Maybe the enemies of Christianity wouldn’t have had to cook up their own New Age religion if
Christians wouldn’t always fall so badly for every shiny temptations their real Enemy comes up
with… If we wouldn’t fall for him time and time and time and time again…

(Coincidentally, maybe Adam Weishaupt never would have founded the Illuminati if the church had
allowed him to marry his deceased wife’s sister…)
Our credo remains, “We have declared terror on terror.” – Hmmm.

Who are the real terrorists, though?

I guess we’ll all know, someday. And a lot of people are going to be in for a shock, when the Dude in
whose name they did all that killing is going to pretend as if He never even knew them…

Maybe they never even knew Him. Maybe all they ever worshiped was an idea of Him that couldn’t
have been further from the truth.

Maybe the truth is somewhere a lot closer to the middle between those “tree-huggers” and the
“conquistadores” who want to fell every last tree in the name of progress and enlightenment than most
of our conservative brethren would ever have the guts or imagination to consider…

If you ask me, I’d rather be on the side of the victims than on that of the butchers. At least they know
how to fight for real, know how to die, and what they’re dying for.

Maybe our God is going to turn out being quite the totally “Other” than ourselves: A God Who not
only loves the “good,” the rich and the beautiful, but also the weird, the bad & the ugly, and that He
would have wanted us to walk a little more in His shoes, if we were already calling ourselves by His
Son’s name, and loved “the least of our brethren” a little more, instead of butchering them by the
millions…

One really neat thing that was said in the movie was, “You can’t fill a vessel that’s already full.” —
There’s more wisdom in that, and more truth about the reality of Christendom than you’ll ever hear in
a thousand sermons. It’s basically the same thing Jesus said to the Pharisees: “If you knew you were
blind, you wouldn’t be to blame, but because you think you see….”

When we stop learning and all we want to do is convert everybody to our way of seeing things,
something terrible has begun to happen.

You start missing the very purpose for which you were born on this earth. You start seeing everybody
who’s different and doesn’t think and act exactly the same as you do as an enemy, instead of saying,
“I see you.”

Sure, it’s a terrible thing that a lot of our youth are seeing Gaya worship and New Age as a more
attractive alternative to your religion. But maybe it’s because they never really needed a religion as
much as they needed the truth, and we must all sincerely ask ourselves whether that’s really what we
wanted and were looking for and have found – or did we settle for half-truths mixed with convenient
lies?

We wouldn’t have been the only ones.

It has always happened, since the beginning of time, even to people way more perfect than we ever
were, made straight in the image of God…
I agree that James Cameron is sincerely mistaken about a few of his views, such as stated in his “Lost
Tomb of Jesus” documentary, or in the apparent assumption that Arnold Schwarzenegger is or has
ever been anything like good actor (although his acting career definitely supersedes the political).

He’s probably going to get his surprises, too, at the end of life’s road…

But I can also see his point. If Jesus was anything like the majority of His followers portray Him, I’d
have changed over to the “Gaya” camp long ago, too.

I love my enemy enough to be able to learn from him. Unfortunately, sometimes I have the impression
that there’s more to learn from some of our enemies than we can from our supposed friends.

It wasn’t the Romans who were bent on crucifying Jesus, but His own religious leaders…

When will we ever learn?

The Road: Most Accurate Movie Portrayal of Our Future to Date? You Decide!

This movie is probably the most realistic Endtime scenario Hollywood has brought forth to date, and
many people, including the medieval seer Nostradamus have foreseen such times of famine so great
"that man will become a man-eater," giving reason for serious concern about whether this might
actually be a realistic peek into our future. We know from Jesus' own words in the Gospels, that a
"time of great tribulation" is awaiting mankind, such as has not been since the beginning of the world,
nor ever shall be (Matthew 24).
Of course, such thoughts bear very little entertainment value, and we're not likely to find this movie
among the top ten favorite films of all times of very many people, except maybe for the occasional
pessimist, who's just waiting for the day he'll be able to tell us, "I knew this would happen someday."

Thankfully, the makers of this film had enough sense to not let this be non-stop agony without any
hope. The young actor playing the leading role in this film is truly one amazing kid, and you root and
hope and pray for him to make it throughout the movie, against all the odds.
Testifying of some deeper insight than just creating one heck of a bleak scenario movie, the maker
even gives us one prominent clue for the cause of the fate that has befallen manind in his not all that
unrealistic portrayal of what might be our future, if we don't change some fundamental attitudes:
When the father and his son are sitting on the beach (presumably on the East Coast), staring at the sea,
the boy asks his dad, "What's on the other side?" - And after pausing long enough to have come up
with some substantial answer, all the wisdom and information the father has to offer is, "Nothing;"
reflecting quite accurately the general attitude of the average citizen of the world's presently
predominant nation regarding the rest of the world: it simply doesn't even exist, as far as they're
concerned. Adding, "Just another father sitting on a beach with his son somewhere."

From Paris With Love: America's "Love Letter" to Europe

Arabs of the world, beware: Travolta's coming to make ya dead!

While it was somewhat refreshing to see John Travolta in a role unlike any other of his previous parts,
it is questionable whether that factor weighs in sufficiently in order to let the final analysis and
experience of watching this movie be a pleasant one.

Of course, it's all a matter of taste, and if you liked "Rambo," you'll probably also like this one.

Being a European, though, the political statement of the typical "American hero" marching onto
foreign territory in order to "make'em all dead" is not as much a slap in the face as a sad joke and
testimony of the level to which modern entertainment has sunk.
The message is clearly, "Let's kill all the terrorists," and "Arabs are our enemies!" "If you can kill one
Muslim per hour, that's cool, and you're doing the cause of our wonderful New World Order great
service! - Oh, and by the way, never trust anyone! Especially not your European girl friend! - They
could all be in with the terrorists!"
Folks who are familiar with the odds that the official version of "9/11" has any more resemblance to
reality than "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Snowwhite," can, of course, tend to be a little appalled by
such a message, and more so by the naivete of the majority of our fellow citizens who swallow that
stuff by the barrels and without question. After all, something's gotta keep those boys killing
handcuffed children in Afghanistan motivated, and if there's no justification for their actions in the
real world, why, folks like John Travolta will provide all the necessary motivation one needs (perhaps
in combination with a little of that popular white powder he openly advertizes in the film)...

So, in the light of the statement and message of the film, which is so lousy that I couldn't even do the
subject justice, I'm not quite sure whether it's a positive that some of the acting in the film was
actually quite well done. Although it's beyond me how grown up individuals can put their all into
conveying a message like that to our world (a message very unlikely to contribute to making it a better
place), we have seen worse, and less entertaning movies before.

If you believe in the "American Hero," then here's another one for you. - If you value any touch of
reality to some remote degree in your entertainment life, however, you're better off watching a round
of Disney cartoons.

Precious: Hardcore Harlem Reality with a Shot of Fantasy

This movie has won me 10 massages in a bet with my wife, since I recognized Mariah Carey in the
social worker Ms. Weiss, and she kept insisting, "No, she looks like Bjoerk."
The credits proved that this was indeed the coolest thing Mariah Carey ever did, to just show up in a
flick the way she really looks without applying "Operation Playmate of the Month" before getting out
of the house!
I'm into movies, so I haven't read the book, thus I can't tell whether the movie lives up to the original
story. But I'd say it has done its job in delivering a dose of Harlem reality to the dwellers of more
pleasant places throughout the globe.

Child abuse is indeed an issue, and the way it's being addressed here and dealt with is very effective.

I guess it's superfluous to say that the gorgeous Paula Patton also did a marvelous job in her portrayal
of Precious' Alternative School teacher, even if her pick of the role may be one of the aspects in which
the film differs from the hard core reality of such actual stories...
But as the movie vividly portrays by Precious' wandering off into phantasy worlds during her darkest
moments, I guess we all need a little time out from hard core reality sometimes, and isn't that, after all,
why we watch movies?

Harry Brown: Robin Hood Meets 21st Century

In this sinister, 21st century version of "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly," Sir Michael Caine takes on a
slightly bizarre role of an aged avenger of the innocent, a ficticious new type of Robin Hood, only
fighting in a scenario where the roles have been strangely reversed: the part of the oppressor here has
shifted from the Sherrif of Nottingham to the Outlaws, while the police and authorities are pictured as
rather helpless victims...
Now just how realistic that is, only the good Lord knows, but one thing seems to be certain: Modern
Darwinist education, with the help of Freddy Krueger on TV, Death Metal, Gangster Rap and
Computer Games that will make a ruthless killer out of any six year old, have created a Frankenstein's
monster that is turning upon its once so clever creators, and it seems as if the cradle of Evolution is
one of the hardest hit proofs of that statement.
- Perhaps making many a Brit over 40 wish there were a little more truth to this film than there
actually is...

But then we all know that in real life, violence is not the solution. Not for those who know better. But
it may remain the only weapon of those who were not equipped with the knowledge and morals of the
older generation, grounded in whatever vague beliefs in some higher power, and instead were reared
in the firm assurance that all they are and ever will be is the result of a cosmic accident, proceeding
from the jungles of their ancestors; and so, back to the jungles it shall be...

Rushmore: Almost as Bizarre as Real Life

There is a thin line that separates the losers from

the winners in this game of life, and it's
frequently crossed both ways, back and forth.
Ultimately the winners are determined by the
choices they make based on what they learned
from their experiences.
At our current point in the history of mankind,
one of the few places where people make the
right kind of decisions and choices that put them
on the winners' side in the final analysis, is the
movies, such as "Rushmore."
Not much of a comfort perhaps, except for the
fact that if one movie director deemed the lessons
of honesty and forgiveness important enough to
wrap them up in a movie to convey its message to
the world, it shows that at least somebody in the
real world is getting some point.
I believe in happy endings. Especially in the real
world. That faith is all that keeps me going. If
you go by all the crap that's happening during the
first 90 minutes or so of the film of your life, you
may often wonder, "Guess I'm in the wrong film,
ain't I?" Well, without wanting to give too much
away for those who haven't seen it yet,
"Rushmore" is that sort of experience... Almost as
bizarre as real life, with the promise of
improvement just around the bend, where all
things finally begin to make sense... Nearly all
things.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: "Love Your Enemies!"

Anyone who happens to have stumbled into the wonderful imaginary worlds created by the Japanese
Ghibli studios, knows that the planet Pandora of "Avatar" fame was by far not the first fantasy world
someone went to painstaking lengths to (re-)create artificially for the screen.
As someone who wanted to become a cartoonist as a teenager, I am able to appreciate, though barely
to imagine the kind of work and creativity that goes into an animated feature of over two hours, and
that way back in 1984, way before today's computer technology was available that is key in creating
new visual worlds on film nowadays.

Even the detail that went into opening credits blew my mind: made to look like cave drawings or
hyroglyphics from the future, testifying of the demise of civilization, leaving only the post apocalyptic
world of Nausicaa, a young girl who apparently manages to get by in a life of struggle with giant
insects from the ever growing poisonous jungle gorwing in on the scarce remainders of mankind, and
the hostility and love for war which seems to be the one unforgettable quality of the latter, by a motto
which no one since Mahatma Gandhi seems to have attempted to preach, much less live: "Love your
enemies."

While well over 90% of the movies proceeding from the supposedly largest "Christian" nation in the
world depict, justify or downright condone violence and war, here's a movie from a culture that seems
to have learned something from all the senseless bloodshed of the reality of war, and conveys the
message "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" in a better way than you might ever get to hear it from a
pulpit.

While the music isn't always quite as inspiring as most of the film, I would definitely deem it a
recommendable experience worth wasting a few kbs of web space on,
and if you're anywhere near as fanatic about peace as I am, and happen to like animated films, I don't
think you'll be complaining that you want those two hours of your life back after watching this (as I
have read quite a few people do, lately, after watching far more recent movies).
Whisper of the Heart: Corny? - So What!?!

Performing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in a way

you never heard it before, and probably never will...

I'm just done staring in disbelief at the screen of my lap top, watching the credits for "Whisper of the
Heart" roll by to the sound of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in Japanese.

This is the sort of film that any heterosexual male should perhaps feel ashamed to have watched, but
then I'm not your average heterosexual male, I guess.

And the reason why I'm not keeping my definite positive inclinations toward this - another 2 hour
animation feature from Japan's Ghibli Studios - as my own dark little secret, is that I've been trying to
remember any Japanese film, or any film made in Japan with real live actors, that would have
managed to convey as much about Japanese culture to the rest of the world as this movie does, and I
couldn't think of any.

"Whisper of the Heart" is a potentially real life story, and I have noted previously that sometimes
animated films can bring home a greater chunk of reality than the evening news...
This story is all about the reality of being human, getting along, coping with the differences between
ourselves and the people around us and our own insufficiencies at the same time, and coping with
what seems to be the greatest hurdle of all for many of us: love.

Probably one of the greatest concerns and an important touchstone of self-worth for a young, (not only
Japanese) teenager is the preoccupation with "corniness." The great law out there in the world today is
"Thou shalt be cool," and we constantly keep checking ourselves to make sure we're keeping it, even
until we're up into our 40s and beyond, and while the issue is obviously a concern for the young
heroine of the story, the film at the same time, sends it to hell.

"So what if anything is corny, as long as it's got heart?" seems to be the unwritten message within the
movie, as far as I understood it.
And I agree. Sowhat!?
 The Sad World of Funny People

There have been quite a few bitter, cynical and sarcastic movies out about the nature of the stars and
celebrities in the Los Angeles area. This one is about the "funny" celebrities: the comedians, and one
in particular (Adam Sandler) who finds out that he's got a terminal disease.
I'm not going to wrap up the story for you. I'm just going to tell you that there's a lot of honest truth in
this movie about human nature at the top of the world.
A lot of ugly truth. But the nice difference about this one is that you've got a glimpse of hope here,
that of a few souls actually learn something out of all the sh*t that's happening to them, so, while it is
nearly as painful to watch as all the other ugly truth flicks, this one doesn't leave you hanging there
with an ending that makes you go, "Tell me something new, darnit!"
So, if you're expecting to see Adam Sandler being funny, you might be disappointed. If you don't
mind some raw truth about "funny people" shoved right in your face for you to find out what you don't
want to be, then this might be for you...

I Love You, Man - Or: This is the kind of movie that makes you cringe with
pain and embarrassment throughout 98% of its
“Psychoanalysis of the State of California #
running time over the inability of the supposedly most
572” sophisticated lot of humans on the planet to
communicate honestly and resist the clichés that
have been drilled (by them and their local dream
factories) into the minds of the whole world...

Luckily, as in all of these fairy-tales, some

enlightenment does eventually take place, even
though (less fortunately) only toward that final 2% of
the movie, prompting the viewer to heave a sigh of
relief, "Thank God, there's still hope for humanity!" -
At least in the movies, that is.

As good as the relief may feel to hear two

heterosexual men utter the title phrase of the film to
each other, toward its end, the way it took for them to
get there was really only worth it if you're a total
movie junkie or a fan of the 80s rock band "Rush."
On the other hand, the real life paradox is reflected in
this that we only get to enlightenment and progress
via the hard way of first learning where it's not at.
Conclusion: if you still have faith and hopes in mankind and you think we're really not doing so bad, you might
enjoy this. If however you've experienced enough to know how dreadfully realistic the portrayed immature
attitudes in the movie are, it will probably leave you with an uneasy feeling of mental torture in the stomach
area only to be replaced by that "feels so good when it stops" kind of experience toward the end, the kind you
might achieve likewise by banging your head against the wall...

Amadeus - Pop Culture Metaphor

While "Amadeus" is not exactly an edifying, "feel good" movie, nor exactly entirely historically correct, it does
deserve its spot among the cult and classic movies that one has got to have seen.
After all, it teaches a very valid, though painful lesson about our own pop culture of mediocrity in which the
Salieris of the hour are often celebrated as stars while the real talents might have to wait for future generations
to discover their genius.

The truly gifted ones did not always get to enjoying the reward for their brilliance during their life-times, and if
there's one thing we learn from history, it's that we never learn from history.

So, if you can live with the idea that you might not necessarily be able to both have your cake and eat it, too,
and that the result of true genius are sometimes destined to be enjoyed only by your descandants, or if you just
want to enjoy Tom Hulce in the role of his life, you may get a kick out of this film.

The Deep, Hidden Message Behind "Twilight:" Vampires Suck!

If you are one of those misfortunate parent of a

teenage girl who put themselves through the torture
of watching "Twilight" after finding out what "TL" on
their "favorite movies" list on Facebook stood for,
anticipating to discover some sinister fascination with
evil in your offspring, then you'll know that all the
worry, as well as the one and a half hours you spent
watching this, were in vain.
With about one fifth of the suspense level of an
average episode of "Supernatural" and one quarter of
the cinematographic charme of "Cop & Copper," if
you made ith through the first hour of agony, you
knew by then you had nothing to fear, if it's evil you're
afraid of.
Then again, some wise people have said that
stupidity is actually a greater enemy of good than
downright evil, but we all know that it's way too late to
save anyone from that all-powerful enemy.
With a mythology and philosophy behind the plot about as tight as "Rapunzel," "Twilight" is about as prone to
attract anyone to the occult as the original version of "Nosferatu," and poses about half the threat of Harry
Potter in this aspect.

The conclusion is just another fairly sad testimony to people's taste in the 21st century.

New Moon: A Lesson from Fantasy Land for Future Sex Addicts

Is it the Pet Shop Boys Revival Band? No, it's your 21st Century Teen Hero Import from Transylvania

Slightly - but only slightly - less pathetic than the prequel, "Twilight," New Moon takes a turn at overthrowing not
only the mythology of vampires, but now also that of Werewolves.

True to the motto, "If you don't want to be a vampire (like the your 1.5 billion peers between ages 8 and 14), try
wanting to be a werewolf), you will only roll your eyes about half as much through this movie if you're anywhere
above (or below) that age range.

Being someone who tries not to utterly waste even an hour and a half of my life without learning at least
something from it, I'll give the movie credit for this much: it will be prefect prep for what you might become a few
years later in your life, I mean, way after you'll be over your present plight of either "I want to be a vampire," or
"I'm in love with someone who thinks they're a vampire:" a sex addict. And that's a reality about 99% more real
than anything this movie deals with, so some day you might actually have to deal with this.
That might be a good time to remember "Twilight" and "New Moon" and how the dude just would have loved to
bite her, but he was being a good little vampire: he didn't. And so should you. I mean, NOT do it. Bite her. Or
whatever. When you've become a sex-addict.
Lovely Bones: Scarier than Death Itself

Caught in the blue horizon between Heaven and earth: the murdered Suzi with some unfinished business

"The Lovely Bones" isn't exactly the bright, cheery movie about a girl gone to Heaven, watching her family, as
some have described it. If they had paid attention, they might have caught that Suzi Salmon, the girl who tells
the story of her murder on December 6, 1973, from the Spirit World, hadn't gone on yet to Heaven, at all,
because she had some "unfinished business" to take care of.
That unfinished business is what makes the film quite a thriller, so, this is not your average "gone to Heaven to
haunt you" type of comedy.

Based on a book by Alice Sebold who had been raped at the age of 18, and was told to have come away
"lucky" to have lived through her experience, the story comes across in such a way that it makes you wonder
whether perhaps the real Suzi had told her story to this writer who could relate to her fate.

There are a lot of bad reviews of the film on IMDB from people who claim to hate it on account of the
"overdone" CGI effects (none of which struck us as "overdone,") but if they're honest, it was probably more
likely that the thought of a life after death scared the hell out of them, or just having been confronted with the
issue in such a somewhat rude, unexpected manner.

If you have a problem with life after death, you'll probably hate this film, but you might as well get used to the
thought anyway. Chances are there's a lot more to it than a few movies.
Chances are, the whole thing isn't going to be half as scary as movies like this one make it out to be.

All in all I found this movie watchable; a little too intense to call it "enjoyable," but nonetheless not an
experience you would regret.

Desert Flower
What makes all the difference in the world between
making "Desert Flower," apparently a relatively
unknown German production, either pathetic or a
revelation, is the fact that it's a true story.

With the latter being the case, the "entertainment

Just when you think you've heard and seen about
every thinkable gruesome atrocity thinkable
committed by mankind against their own, you're ready
to have another surprise coming.
value" might hit rock bottom - since reality quite often
simply stinks - and instead, the education value goes
up.
We become involuntary victims of information we
probably would have preferred to live without, but
once you've heard it, you can't ignore it, and you're
richer by a few facts, whether you like it or not.
"Desert Rose" is a woman's story of the kind that makes you realize just how developed, emancipated and
enlightened our world really is on a general scale, if what happened to Waris Dirie, the Somalian star model
who tells the story at the age of 3 still is a reality for 6000 girls like her every day...

Taking Chance: Heroes Inc.

Offering no further clue than red-white-and-blue: Kevin Bacon in "Taking Chance"

The film starts out promising. After all, you would expect a decent looking person like the one portrayed here by
Kevin Bacon to have a legitimate reason for escorting the body of one of his fallen fellow soldiers half-way
around the world, and that somewhere along the line some sort of plot, story or point is bound to develop or be
revealed.

If you're going to watch this movie with the same hopes we had when we did, however, you will be just as
thoroughly disappointed as we were, unless of course, you belong to the lucky 200 million who sit in the
position to determine just by the pure chance of having been born on the right side of a line drawn on a map,
who of all those who die in an armed conflict during the 21st century may be called a hero and who may not.

The point of the film is not really at the grasp of the uninitiated in the probably most popular practiced religion of
our times (right after materialism): patriotism. - The blind faith that just because you happened to be born within
those borders, whatever you do must be good, and wherever on earth you march and whoever you may kill,
you will wind up being a hero, and that just because that man there happens to be the leader of YOUR country,
he could not possibly tell a lie.

Without wishing to be disrespectful of the deceased to whom this movie was dedicated, I find it nonetheless
utterly disproportianate.
Imagine any relative of the 1.5 million Iraquis killed since the beginning of this war (mostly civilians) watching
this movie!

Or any of the other 6.8 billion inhabitants of planet earth who don't belong to those lucky 200 million, who
wonder just like the long haired "chicken shit" in the movie, just what exactly his friends are doing over there...

There is a promise of a time when people "shall learn war no more." Probably because they will finally have
realized that of all the atrocities they ever cooked up, this idea of killing and be killed for no other reason than
having been born within or outside the margin of some line drawn on a map was the silliest game of them all.
Triangle: Perfect Description of Hell

You can tell pretty much from the eerie feeling right at the beginning of the movie that the young
mother you will accompany for the next 90-some minutes is going to have one hell of a day. In fact, if
you were ever looking for a perfect description of hell, this story is probably it.

Loosely based on the Greek mythology around Aeolus, father of poor Sisyphus, the dude who had to
roll a rock up a hill for eternity, you'll get the gist from the film of what it must be like to fall under a
curse of the kind you're asking for when you mess around with them Greek deities...

While not any more genuinely “enjoyable” than other films of this genre (let’s face it, it take
masochistic tendencies to be into horror films), and the plot seeming to be utterly absurd at times, let
me say this much in favor of the movie, that it all adds up in the end, and the absurdities to wind up
making gruesome sense.

Enough to make you wish that Someone more benignly inclined toward us is in charge than the Greek
gods, because if they and their likes run this place, then woe is us…

Skellig: A Portion of Grace of the Extraordinary Kind

In a world in which a kid like Michael, the young hero

of this story might exist, his feathered friend "Skellig"
also might.
Granted, though, Skellig - apparently the incarnation
of the biblical phrase "weary in well-doing," - looks
every bit more like a fallen angel than the kind you'd
like to meet in Heaven or anywhere else.

Which makes Michael (as well as his new neighbor

The Sort of Angel it takes an extraordinary portion to believe in: Skellig
and "not" girl-friend, Mina) all the extraordinary and
unbelievable kid that makes this story so unreal, for
having faith in this ugly creature to begin with. Then
again, maybe it's the ugliness and weirdness that's so
true to reality that makes this movie special in it's own
way.

And perhaps a little bit like real life, once you make it through all the ugly weirdness, the end turns out to be half
as scary...
So, if you're the kind who doesn't mind wading through a bit of muck in order to get to a nice surprise, you
might enjoy this portion of Grace of the extraordinary kind.

The Combination: Dodging Labels Down Under

The Combination: Violence, Crime and a Little Romance, in the Land Down Under

While this mix between a drama and an action movie does lend some insight into the plight of the Lebanse
immigrant population in Australia, and may be a must-see for that population group in the same way that
probably every citizen of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, has a copy of "Groundhog Day" at home, unless you're
a Lebanese Autralian or vice versa, "The Combination" probably won't knock your socks off.

It does carry some punch, though, and some lessons on non-vionence, or at least tamer forms of violence than
shooting your opponent.

The romantic relationship between the main character who was released from jail and a young Aussie certainly
lends depth to the plot and saves it from being a potentially one-sided beat-ya, shoot-ya type of action flick.

Those who thought that all Arabs are Muslims will receive a small education bonus from the fact that the culture
depicted here actually deals with Christians, which, of course, doesn't save anyone from the "terrorist" labels of
the bigots...

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief:

One Helluva New World Order Preview?
When fallen angels play gods: Athena, Zeus, Poseidon - All hell breakes loose!
The story of the young demigod Percy Jackson (who
formerly hadn't been aware of his status as such)
certainly carries some entertainment value, along with
some of the best footage of hell you've ever seen,
along with a few deep allegories that are probably
closer to the truth than many would have the courage
to think.
And it better be. Since the makers of such movies
should have all the money in the world to spread
some of the stuff they actually do believe in to some
extent in an entertaining manner.
What could be more intriguing than to become some
sort of god, or even a "half-blood," to us, the mortal
fools we are? Wasn't that the big catch ever since the
beginning, when the first advertisement genius came
crawling along to tell the first and most perfect couple ever created, living in the most perfect environment every
created about all the things they were still lacking in order to be truly happy? "Ye shall be as gods!"

And ever since ancient Egypt, over Assyria to Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, people have fallen for
the temptation to allow themselves to be worshiped as something greater than merely human. While the actual
Son of God allowed us to slaughter Him like a common thief...

Perhaps that demonstration of genuine divinity is precisely what stole Zeus' (or Jupiter's, Belus', Ammon's, etc.
- Lucifer's?) lighning rod for the period since, in which emperors seized to demand worship in the Western
world...

But let's not conclude prematurely, or pretend that we had actually learned anything from history, and let us
await what surprises the New World Order will bring... I have a feeling it will contain many ancient washups
(howbeit in modern wrappings for a New Age), including a lot of "Percy Jacksons" in our midst...