While I am still on a movie-watching spree so I can finish my list of Top Ten Films of 2006, I thought I would share with Idol Chatter readers the books and music that are some of the best of this past year, but which, in my estimation, are also the most overlooked. So it's not too late to return that "Left Behind" videogame or that "Purpose Driven Life" coffee mug that you found under the tree and pick up one of these titles instead to start the new year off right.
Books: "Secrets In The Dark" by Frederick Buechner: No one reflects on the mysteries of the Christian journey more eloquently than Buechner. He is perhaps the first author I have ever read who seems more comfortable with questions about faith than he does with answers. This book is a compilation of some of his sermons from years past on a variety of topics and makes for a great devotional for the new year.
"Accompanied by Angels" by Luci Shaw: Shaw has always been adept at combining the earthbound and the sacred in unusual ways, and in this latest anthology, the focus is on man's relationship with angels. Specifically, many of the poems are related to Christmas and the birth of Jesus. If you haven't read any of her work, this is a great place to start
Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? By James K.A. Smith: Calvin College philosophy professor James Smith takes a sharp, insightful look at some of the tenets of postmodern philosophy and various Christian responses to it. In particular, I appreciate that he articulates some of the flaws in certain factions of the emergent church movement, as they adhere to postmodern thought in an attempt to be "culturally relevant." What's impressive is that he does all that in a very accessible, reader-friendly way.
Music: Ashley Cleveland "Before the Daylight's Shot": Mix Bonnie Raitt, Diane Krall, and a tiny bit of Aretha Franklin together, and you will come close to describing the talent of Ashley Cleveland. She's always been too raw for the contemporary Christian music crowd, and she's never been a commercial sell-out, so mainstream success has eluded her, but the smoky, soulful-voiced Cleveland has been my favorite female singer/songwriter for years. She finally has a new recording out this month--available only on her website--with more songs about her passionate longing to grow deeper in her faith in spite of her failings. Her song "The Blessing" is probably going to become my anthem for 2007.
T-Bone Burnett: "The True False Identity": As a little girl I just knew T-Bone as the guy who married contemporary Christian singer Leslie--now Sam--Phillips. Most music buffs know him as the award-winning producer of numerous soundtracks ( "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") and many other hits. But his latest solo recording is a reminder that he is a genius as a singer/songwriter who mixes so many different but awesome spiritual metaphors together it just might make your head hurt.
One of the most interesting--albeit meaningless--awards of the year comes from CNN Headline News' "Showbiz Tonight," which names its "Most Controversial Celebrity" of the year. For 2006, Britney Spears won out over the likes of Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Tom Cruise, Anna Nicole Smith, Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, and Star Jones.
I say it's interesting because it says something about how truly un-interesting celebrity news has become these days. I think someone should have to accomplish something truly amazing to even be considered as a "star," and then have to do something really controversial to be considered for such a list. Given that, I'd eliminate Britney, as well as almost everyone else on the list. What has Paris Hilton actually done to make her a "star." For that matter, what about Lindsay Lohan or Anna Nicole Smith? Sometimes the whole Hollywood thing reminds me of a junior high, full of a few people who trying to be popular, a few others who get them to believe it, a few who are envious, and the largest part of the crowd hiding in the safety of anonymity with something to talk about.
Of course, this prestigious award is not merely selected at random. CNN employs four primary criteria:
1) Does the mention of their very name spark a visceral reaction?
2) Which celebrity provoked the most continuous shock and outrage from their antics over the course of the entire year?
3) Which celebrity generated the most continued interest through the year?
4) Did their actions leave any lasting impact?
I think the real stars are people who step up and step forward. The real controversial ones are those who assume leadership roles, and do it in ways that others either don't agree with, don't respect, or don't even notice.
Mel Gibson made a wonderful impact upon the world with his depiction of Christ's passion, and the comments he made during an arrest were as disrespectful as they were embarrassing and career-threatening. After that, the list falls apart, in my book. These stars' names don't spark a visceral reaction--despite what you'd think from watching or reading the media that tries to make stories out of who they are and what they do, just for the purpose of, well, having something to talk about in the gobs of TV time and printed column space given over to celebrity "news."
For all the time young people buy magazines, read papers, watch shows, listen to podcasts, read blogs, etc., I wish someone could succeed at engaging them in something truly controversial and relevant--like how to feed the under-resourced people of our world, starting in our own communities. Or how about how to use technological advances to contribute to the future rather than just watching it, listening to it, or reading about it? Or how about how to pick part of the world that is not us (any nation in Africa or Asia or Latin America) and engage young minds and hearts with the question of how best to help?
Whether they succeeded or failed, those who tried would make two of my lists: not only the Most Controversial, but the Most Inspirational as well.
If you've seen all the other family movies this season--or even if you haven't--take your teens or even your grown kids to see "Rocky Balboa." It may end up being the kind of bonding that goes beyond inspiration to transformation. "Rocky Balboa" starts a little slow compared to most action flicks, but the teens I've watched in two screenings are curiously drawn into the story of a father figure-older guy with a way about him that's endearing. They seem to get his humor, and end up rooting for him for completely different reasons than those of us (like me) who were alive when the original "Rocky" burst onto the scene and became iconic.
I didn't like "Rocky Balboa" as much as I respected it, and was surprised by its impact on younger people. Its message went beyond the typical underdog or one-in-a-million themes of the first "Rocky," and it also went beyond the sloppy sentiment of a lot of father-son stories as well. "You cast a big shadow" is as real and un-syruppy a line as I've heard, and Rocky's "victim" speech to his son is the kind of thing executives and H.R. departments spend big bucks to communicate to a generation that knows more about how to blame than how to work.
For those who enjoy comparisons and contrasts to the prior movies in the series, there's plenty in "Rocky Balboa" for you, too. This "Rocky" manages to blend the depth of the first two with the faster movement of the next three. It doesn't labor along (once it gets going). Pedro Lovell's "Spider Rico" ends up being a born-again Christian, as surprisingly as "Mick" ended up being Jewish, as we found out at his funeral in "Rocky III." Talia Shire is credited as "Adrian" even though she's passed away, which is probably about the only believable way to remember her understated and powerful humanity from "Rocky" and "Rocky II."
Antonio Carver's "Mason Dixon" is reminiscent of Mr. T's "Clubber Lang" from "Rocky III," but only in the ring. He's as socially connected and savvy outside of the ring as Lang was reclusive and withdrawn. And the cameo of Mike Tyson is sort of a real-life version of Rocky's empowering Burt Young's "Paulie" to make a few bucks off of Balboa's success.
In the end, "Rocky Balboa" is much like the great fight of the original: It may not rank as an all-time classic, but it goes the distance and has the crowd--including me--rooting it on.
So I'm adding "Rocky Balboa" to my all-time list of Christmas movies with a message--not the ones that preach but ones that go beyond mere inspiration to potentially have a real impact. I've written in the past about my all-time favorites, which include the obvious ("It's A Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street") as well as the less-obvious ("Home Alone II," Ron Howard's "The Grinch"), and the stretches ("Die Hard 2," "Fitzwilly), where significant wrongs are righted at Christmastime.
"Rocky Balboa" belongs, and when we gather to watch it next Christmas, it won't be me bringing it up--it'll be my teens, and I'll be glad they're listening to its message.
Like a lot of people, I love lists, and I love the Beliefnet team of gifted bloggers, writers, and editors, but I have to say it's a glaring oversight that "The Nativity Story" doesn't make the list of Top Ten Family Films of 2006, which Sharon Linnea--Beliefnet's Reel Inspirational columnist--compiled.
For years, young people have not had a definitive version of the Christmas story to watch, rent, buy, or give. The closest we've had is the Peanuts special, which at least recites the story. The makers of "The Nativity Story" may not have made an Oscar winner or even an all-time classic, but they made the best we have so far, bringing the drama of the story to life on a screen much bigger and with a sound much broader than the classic Sunday School flannel board lesson. And in our media culture, kids deserve this.
When some people think of classic love stories, they think of Romeo and Juliet, or perhaps something they saw with their first boyfriend. But I think the Christmas story is the greatest love story of all time. Jesus left heaven, became one of us to show us a visible image of an invisible God, lived among us for awhile to know us and to be known, died to make a relationship with God possible and rose from the dead to prove it was all true.
I'd love it if future Christmas seasons brought us sequels that focused on each area of his life, death, and resurrection. Movies have an ability to transcend denominations and sectarian biases and just tell a story, and families are well-served to have something so meaningful to then discuss together.
"The Nativity" may not have some of the accoutrements of the typical feel-good holiday flick, but it's content alone makes it an essential for the spiritual seeker.
'Tis the season of year-end best-of lists, and Beliefnet is no exception. Check out our Top Ten Family Films of 2006 gallery here, compiled by Sharon Linnea, our Reel Inspirational columnist. Sharon's kids also made their own best-movies lists here.
I finally bit the bullet and went to see "Eragon," the first of three films based on the bestselling "Inheritance" trilogy by Christopher Paolini. Paolini is a shockingly young (i.e., born in 1983) author who took the book world by storm as a teenager with the release of "Eragon," a novel he began writing at age 16. He quickly followed up that much-heralded debuted with "Eldest," Book Two of the trilogy. (Book Three is yet to come.) I haven't read the novel--unusual for me, given that I am an utter fantasy geek, but only because I've heard from too many trusted writer-reader friends that "Eragon" is an impressive piece of work, for a teenager. In other words, not the best read for an adult.
But I figured it was worth my money at the box office, at least.
"Eragon" the film has all the trimmings of a true fantasy epic: a young, handsome farm boy who has a great destiny before him and must rise to the occasion; a mentor who will help him get there; arduous journeys; the triumph of evil over good--for now (we know that all that will change, of course); a one-dimensional villain-king; an evil sorcerer; magical creatures; and, last but not least, a beautiful warrior-princess, whom we all know is destined for our hero.
So, in many ways it was fun as a film, but I couldn't help myself from checking off, one-by-one, the formulaic ingredients that Paolini made sure to include in his plot, making it clearly a member of the "classic" fantasy genre. At moments, I secretly delighted in thinking: A-ha! This is the "Harry Potter" bit here (a scar that marks our hero's destiny and one that burns when danger is near). And a-ha! This is the "Lord of the Rings" bit now (well, basically the whole movie takes after Tolkien, complete with a Saruman-type bad wizard, his own dark stronghold with an army of weapon-building grotesque orc-like creatures, and lots of journeying across hills, etc. on horseback). And, no way! There's even some "Star Wars" moments thrown in for good measure (think: oh no! Not my uncle!).
But when you think this was all imagined by a teenager, you have to admit: impressive indeed. He included all the proper fantasy ingredients, with even a little imagination of his own thrown in. So the movie is a nice afternoon activity. But the book, weighing in at a hefty 538 pages--I'm not sure I am geeky enough to give it a go.
Christmas may be behind us, but it's never too late to enjoy Twisted Sister's take on Christmas classics. Here's an animated video of their "Come All Ye Faithful":
For more celebrity Christmas carol fun, click here.
Along with many other critics and fans, I winced when I first heard the news that Sylvester Stallone was going to add one more chapter to the "Rocky" franchise. And the cynic in me became even more nervous when I began reading on the web about how Stallone was recruiting the church audience to rally support for the film. But "Rocky Balboa," while not a great film, brings both Stallone and Rocky a little redemption for the cinematic embarrassments that were "Rocky III" through "Rocky V"("Rocky II" wasn't an embarrassment, just not as good as the original).
Almost as an acknowledgment that he sold-out one of the most beloved characters in American film history through the creation of the too many lame sequels to "Rocky," Stallone makes almost no reference to anything that happened to Balboa in any of the films except the original. But when it comes to paying homage to the original movie, Stallone does it early and often. Balboa has returned to living in the old neighborhood, where he runs a small restaurant that draws people in because of his status as a local legend. He lives in a tiny, run-down home with two turtles and hangs with Adrian's brother Pauley. Stallone even finds a clever way to bring a minor character from the first film back and turn that character into a major role in this story.
The one important person who is missing from this particular sequel, however, is the love of Rocky's life, Adrian. Adrian died a few years prior to the opening action of this story, and it is that loss that spurs the rest of the movie. A grief-stricken and lonely Rocky is sleepwalkng through life feeling like a dinosaur, not only because of his age, but also because he is still trying to live his life by a value system those around him consider archaic. Rocky tries to find solace in his relationship with his son, who is uncomfortable with dad's legacy, and he tries to find meaning in helping a single mom and her teenage son, but in both cases he is only moderately successful. But just as Rocky is becoming convinced once again that he still ain't nuthin' but a bum, he is persuaded to appear in an exhibition against the current boxing champ, the obnoxious and greedy Mason Dixon.
Does all of this sound familiar? Well, I think that is Stallone's intention. He is not trying to reinvent Rocky this time around, but simply revisit his world to remind us that "it doesn't matter how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and still move forward." Yes, "Rocky Balboa's" premise is slightly ridiculous, and the constant flashbacks to the original "Rocky" feel a little heavy-handed and overwrought, but Stallone gives a sweet, restrained performance, and hits all the right notes one more time as the underdog with the heart of gold.
And because I know readers are wondering, trust me when I tell you that Stallone ended the movie in such a way that there is no doubt that there will be no more Rocky movies in the future. In fact, it would have been nice if Stallone would have taken more time with the little twist at the end of the flick to give us more time to say good-bye to one of the most inspirational big-screen heroes of all time.
"All-Time Worst Christmas Movies" is not just a list, but a debate. Readers of the movie-ga-ga website Pearl and Dean recently voted "Jingle All the Way," a 1996 flick starring the current governor of California, the worst Christmas movie ever, and you can find it on plenty of other lists as well ("Nothing more than an odious, unfunny tribute to the greed and commercialism of Christmas," says a reviewer on British MSN.)
But how to define "worst"? "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" tops a dishonor roll compiled recently by Dave Larsen, a writer for the Dayton Daily News, who also nominates his favorite God-awful Christmas specials. But the seemingly intentional badness of this bizarre 1964 sci-fi hash might disqualify it as a spoof. (If only. We don't recommend imbibing this film unadulterated. Try the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" version, available on DVD.) A movie has to be trying to be good to fail, right? But then, does Ben Affleck ("Surviving Christmas," 2004) ever really try?
For our money, the worst is defined by what we couldn't bring ourselves to watch, even to make fun of. And ladies and gentleman, there's no way we're watching "Santa With Muscles." Two years after director John Murlowski made this "nosebleedingly bad" 1996 Hulk Hogan vehicle, he was given the helm of "Richie Rich's Christmas Wish," possibly as punishment, and we'll even take Richie over Hulk.
For gluttons for Christmas schmaltz, Maxim has also identified the Worst Christmas Albums of 2006.
Since it's common knowledge that nothing sells a paper like a good scandal, could the same work for pageants?
The latest news in the Miss USA underage-drinking/alleged drug use/inappropriate behavior kerfuffle is that Miss Teen USA--whom current Miss USA Tara Conner is said to have partied and made out with on several occassions--has been dropped by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for her behavior as well. This after yesterday's revelation wherein Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe, USA, and Teen USA franchises, threatened to sue "The View" hostess Rosie O'Donnell over comments she made on the show after Trump decided against dropping Conner as Miss USA because of her hard-partying ways, instead showing mercy and sending her to rehab.
Said O'Donnell, "Because his show 'The Apprentice' is starting again in January, he held a big press conference to see if he was going to allow Miss USA, such a prestigious title."
O'Donnell is partly right.
Sure, underneath that mop of hair, Trump probably is a nice guy who will give a person a second chance. But he's also a shrewd businessman who knows that this story of rehab and redemption can generate buzz about the pageants themselves. After all, even bad publicity is good publicity. And publicity is something that the pageants sure could use.
Just look at the venerable Miss America Pageant. The one-time Altantic City September event is now held in January. In Las Vegas. In 1954, broadcast live for the first time, the pageant broke viewership records with 39 percent of the television audience (27 million viewers) watching the telecast. Now it's aired on CMT (Country Music Television) and has a sister show called "Total Access: Miss America," which follows the reigning title holder, Jennifer Berry, as she travels around the country.
With Trump's money, the Miss Universe Oganization--producers of the Miss Unvirese, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA competions--has fared better and ratings for the pageants have been respectable, even if the winners aren't.
CNN's Soledad O'Brien grilled Miss USA President Paula Shugart yesterday morning as to why the organization should keep Connor, since Miss USA is supposed to be a role model for young girls, implying that it was sending a bad message.
Times have changed since 1984, when Vanessa Williams, the first African-American Miss America, relinquished her crown when it came to light that Penthouse magazine would be publishing nude photos of her without her consent.
Now it seems that redemption, not rejection, is the name of the PR game. In fact, a recent CNN.com headline read "Miss USA says thanks for delivery from evil," adding a bilical flare to the affair.
Fomer Miss USA Finalist and current Star Magazine editor Jill Dobson doesn't buy it:
"I think she has brought disgrace to the program, based on all these reports, and we keep hearing this excuse, 'Oh, she's a small town girl and grew up in a three-stoplight town.'" she told CBS' The Early Show. "I grew up in a one-stoplight town, and I've never caused an international scandal. So, I don't think that's an excuse."
Dobson acknowledges what many have known for years, that all the negative press is actually good for Connor's career. How many former Miss Americas or Miss USAs can you name? Most likely, no more than the aforementioned Vanessa Williams and Shana Moakler, a former Miss USA who has recently been in heavy rotation in the tabloids for her catfight with Paris Hilton over an ex-husband.
As my fellow Idol Chatterer Paul O'Donnell recently mentioned, there has been a big marketing push by Motive Entertainment to get faith groups out to theaters to see Sylvester Stallone's just-released "Rocky Balboa." As a participant in a recent conference call with Stallone and a number of religious leaders, I listened in as he described his own strengthened faith and talked about Rocky being "reborn."
"The more I go to church, the more I turn myself over to Jesus," he said. "Church is the gym of the soul. Pastors are the trainers."
Obviously, for his role in "Balboa," Stallone needed to be in peak physical condition--I mean, the guy is 60--but he must have needed some spiritual strength training as well. Anyone would need a steady faith to create a follow up to "Rocky V," one of the worst ever made. (The movie was dubbed one of the 100 worst films of the 20th century by The Bad Cinema Society.)
During the call, Stallone admitted his failure with "Rocky V," saying he was self-absorbed at that point in his life and didn't put his heart and soul into it. "It really hurt me because it was totally my fault," he said.
Apparently, though, he's now in a better place in his life and isn't as narcissistic. "I don't think I'm any more important than the guy who lights the set because without him, [people] won't see you," he joked.
Luckily, the initial reviews are positive, so I don't think Stallone needs to worry much about making a movie worse than "Rocky V." Let's just hope a "Balboa" box office success doesn’t lead him to create sequels to that movie ("Rocky X: A Nursing Home Smackdown"? "Balboa Beyond the Grave"?)
Meant to evoke the salaciousness associated with films, TV shows, and books about the desperate lives of housewives, the latest installment of National Geographic Explorer, "Secret Lives of Jesus," doesn't disappoint. This exploration of alternative gospels, those not included in the canon, such as the gospels of Thomas and Judas, provides as much murder, mischief, and sex as a Sunday night on Wisteria Lane.
According to one source, the young Christ actually murders a boy for talking back to him. Another claims that Joseph was quite advanced in age by the time he wed Mary and that he was never able to consumate the marriage; a tale, the show's experts tell us, meant to bolster the concept of the Virgin Birth. Still another tells us that Jesus would use his "powers" to repair Joseph's shoddy craftsmanship. The episode also touches on the recently popularized Gospel of Mary, which exalts Mary Magdalene as Christ's favorite disciple, and her relationship with Jesus.
Considered at times both scandalous and heretical, these stories provide a fascinating look at the development of Scripture as we know it, what could be dubbed early PR efforts of the Church. Afterall, who wants to follow a murderous Messiah, a scandalous Savior?
"Explorer: Secret Lives of Jesus" airs tongiht on the National Geographic Channel.
In one of the most subtle yet daring movies of the year, director Stephen Frears ("Dangerous Liasons," 'The Grifters") examines the death of Princess Diana with a unique and thoughtful prespective in his drama "The Queen." There's no conspiracy theories and no move-of-the-week, soap-opera treatment of the iconic Diana here, just a razor-sharp reflection on the the institution of the royal family--particularly Queen Elizabeth II--the power of the media, and the need for idol worship in our celebrity-obsessed society.
The entire movie takes place during the week after Princess Diana's untimely death in a car crash in Paris and before her public funeral several days later. Queen Elizabeth's initial instinct is to have the family retreat to Balmoral Castle so they can deal with her death privately. The only problem is that her subjects--the distraught citizens of Great Britain--want the Queen (played superbly by Helen Mirren) to honor Diana publicly. As global media coverage of the public grief over Diana's death intensifies, the newly appointed Prime Minister Tony Blair becomes involved, helping to persuade the Windsor dynasty to change public preceptions that the royals are unfeeling, out-of-touch, and perhaps unnecessary to the future of the United Kingdom.
Such plot details may not sound fit for anything other than an average History Channel documentary, but what Frears does so brilliantly is dissect events to show how people in power deserve to be judged--and also that they deserve to be granted a moment of grace now and then. Over and over again, he cleverly illustrates that everyone who knew Diana was in some way complicit in the way Diana was revered in society as well in the way that she tragically died.
It is not without a touch of prophetic irony that Tony Blair is portrayed as somewhat of a hero in this tale--someone with huge public popularity and a talent for speaking to the "commoners." In fact, Frears shows Blair foreshadowing his own current unpopularity in Britain (in part because of his support of President Bush and the Iraq war) when he tells the Queen that what is happening to her in the press will undoubtedly happen to him one day as well.
And then there is the cinematic imagery of the stag that the Windsor family stalks while staying at Balomoral Castle. The way they ruthlessly hunt this animal as a distraction--only to have it killed by a stranger instead--smacks of a huge metaphor for the way they treated Diana while the papparazzi ruthlessly tracked her every move and played a hand in her demise.
Even the weeping throngs of people keeping vigil outside of Buckingham Palace seem to be eyed with a bit of disdain through the lens of Frears' camera, because they are blind to Diana's faults, and blind to the fact that their idol worship of Diana created the demand for the constant media coverage of her every move.
"The Queen" will surely rack up some Oscar and Golden Globe Awards during the upcomng red carpet season, and it has now firmly landed as one of the leading candidates for my Top Ten List for 2006.
Last night, the German Opera's production of Mozart's "Idomeneo" went on in Berlin without incident, albeit two months late and with more than 100 green-clad cops on hand. The heavy security was deployed to protect the artistic freedom of the production's director, Hans Neuenfels, who had added a controversial scene in which Mozart's eponymous king lays out the severed heads of Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, and Poseidon. Neuenfels had explained that the scene was a protest against "any form of organized religion or its founders."
Muslims, of course, were offended by the treatment of the Prophet. Their protests, coming soon after violent protests against a cartoon depicting Muhammad in a Danish newpaper, had forced German opera authorities to cancel the revived Neuenfels production's premiere in September. Those same authorities appeared last night, of course, to declare the triumph of artistic principles and their own intestinal fortitude.
While I'm the first to applaud anything to make opera more relevant, it's difficult to get too fired up for Neuenfels's defense of art. It's one thing to deny the existence of God or gods (and Neuenfels could do that by taking The Blasphemy Challenge here), but opera and organized religion face so many common challenges--declining attendance, a failure to lure young people and the hardening of ideological positions among their remaining adherents--that for an opera maven to publicly decry organized religion smacks more of jealousy or marketing slickness than principle. After all, of the two, organized religion is getting a lot more press of late.
The holiday season means it's busy time here at Beliefnet, and there are a couple of new features that we think Idol Chatter readers will love. The first is Caroling with the Stars--music from some of the year's best celebrity Christmas albums, as well as a few old favorites. It features Sarah McLachlan, Brad Paisley, Rebecca St. James, Twisted Sister, and many other artists. Click here to listen and enjoy!
While you're listening, how about testing your knowledge of Christmas and Hanukkah movies? Click here to take the quiz.
Dimension Films is doing a little re-gifting this holiday season--and certain religious groups are responding with a loud "return to sender."
Dimension, a division of the Weinstein Company, is releasing a remake of the 1974 horror classic "Black Christmas," a tale of sorority girls being menaced over Christmas break, considered by most afficionados to be the originator of the "slasher" genre. But the movie and its Christmas Day release date are running afoul of groups such as Operation Just Say Merry Christmas (an organization dedicated to returning the sacred to the increasingly secular holiday season), which are being gore-Grinches about the remake.
"The use of religious music--'Silent Night'--and the nativity set on the front porch in one scene are insensitive to Christians," Jennifer Giroux, co-founder of Operation Just Say Merry Christmas, told Reuters after watching the trailer. "It's not enough to ignore and omit Christmas, but now it has to be offended, insulted, and desecrated. Our most sacred holiday, actually a holy day, is being assaulted."
"To have a movie that emphasizes murder and mayhem at Christmas, a time of celebration and joy around the world, seems to be ill founded," echoes Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, "an organization dedicated to upholding religious freedom and traditional family values."
Certainly, Staver and Giroux are both entitled to their opinions, and in fact, when I first saw an ad for the film, I thought it a bit tacky. But, Mr. Staver forgets that the Yuletide is not necessarily a time of joy and celebration for everyone, either because they are not affiliated with the Christian religion or because they are suffering from depression or anxiety actually made worse by the holidays.
Additionally, Giroux is neglecting another tradition: counter-programming. Just as Ms. Giroux's website offers alternative cards and crèches for those who feel Christmas has become PC and devoid of Christianity, so too do the movie studios offer films for those sick of usual holiday treacle.
In fact, there is a long history of films featuring killer Kris Kringles. Let's take a ride with the Ghost of Christmas Past all the way back to 1980's "To All a Good Night," then on to 1981's "You Better Watch Out," and land at 1984's "Silent Night, Deadly Night," which caused such a brouhaha with its ax-wielding Santa that it was pulled from theaters after two weeks and never made its Christmas Day nationwide release.
But then came a little film you may have heard of, known as "Scream," released on December 20, 1996, a time of year traditionally reserved for Oscar contenders looking to get in under the wire. No Academy Award potential here, but the Wes Craven-directed film and its sequels proved to Hollywood that horror could rule the holidays, with the first two "Scream" films grossing more than $100 million each.
With the recent controversy, the "Black Christmas" ads now have a nifty new feature, an ominous voiceover stating: "The film they don't want you to see...," a tactic sure to draw in viewers who might not have cared otherwise and to give foundations such as Staver's and Giroux's more visibility. So in the end, everyone may get exactly the gift they asked for.
His congregation meets weekly at a bar, he runs operations out of an auto body shop, and holds staff meetings at a local cafe. After some angry teen years and recovery from drug addition, Jay Bakker, son of the infamous, pioneering televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye, is now following in his father's footsteps--sort of. He's started a church of his own--the Revolution Church--and is the star of the Sundance Channel's new six-part series, "One Punk Under God: The Prodigal Son of Jim and Tammy Faye," a docu-reality show that chronicles Jay's efforts to get disaffected youth to follow Jesus in some seriously nontraditional ways.
In Episode 1, which aired last week, viewers Jay and his wife of seven years, Amanda (a striking woman covered in tattoos, with bright, dyed-red hair), hang out at home, lovingly deal with his mother's struggle with fourth-stage cancer, and make a pilgrimage to Heritage Christian Resort--the Christian "Disneyland" that his father founded, and which thrived as the largest Christian theme park in its day (and has yet to be duplicated in size and style). Jay is refreshingly honest about his own personal struggles with growing and running his ministry--a ministry that truly opens its arms to those people society tends to reject (Goth-like youth with multiple piercings seem to populate Revolution's services).
But most fascinating is Jay's openness as he reflects about life in the wake of his parents' shockingly public scandals--and the obvious affection and tenderness he holds for both Mom and Dad despite it all. The Christian ethic of forgiveness is clearly alive in this articulate, driven young pastor.
Five more episodes remain in this engaging series--which airs Wednesday nights--about Jay, Amanda, and their fellow Revolution staffers (including Stu, an older, perhaps alternative father figure for Jay, who now keeps the Atlanta branch of Revolution going). For those curious to attend Revolution, the church is now based out of Brooklyn, N.Y., but maintains outposts in Atlanta and Charlotte.
It wouldn't be a surprise to those who believe that the Bible is full of evidence of extraterrestrial visitations and manipulations. But while it's true that Erich Von Daniken's 1974 book "Chariots of the Gods" explored aliens visiting ancient Egypt and Peru, rarely are such theories applied to the Abrahamic religions. In truth, however, "the biblical religion is an example of how [aliens] have shaped our development"--at least according to one researcher interviewed on the History Channel's "UFO Files: UFOs in the Bible,"
Featuring Dr. Barry Downing, a Presbyterian minister and UFOlogist, and other researchers, the show explores some of the exemplars of extraterrestrial encounters found in both the Old and New Testaments and touches on other cultures' close encounters of the third kind.
According to these researchers, it's the Old Testament that can be dubbed the Extraterestrial Testament for all the alien activity contained in it. To listen to these scholars tell it, the burning chariots of fire that Elijah saw was a detailed decription of an encounter with a UFO. And, in fact, Elijah's disappearance into the clouds was no mere Assumption, but an alien abduction.
The pillar of cloud, or smoke, that led Moses out of Egypt? A UFO, the propulsion system of which parted the Red Sea. And it conveniently dropped mana as well. What's more, Isaac was implanted in Sara by ETs, and the prophets were all fed visions of the future through mind control.
The book of Ezekiel has the honor of being UFOlogists favorite evidence for flying saucers in Scripture, with its descriptions of flying, spinning, glowing metallic objects in the sky.
And the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Alien nuclear warheads, of course.
The New Testament doesn't contain as much UFO evidence, but the one event the panelists point to as proof proves the dictum "quality over quantity": The Transfiguration of Jesus--who, coincidentally, was accompanied by "abductees" Elijah and Moses.
According to one interviewee, the Vatican itself has even made a statement saying that aliens are "not to be feared or demonized," a statement which, astonishingly enough, turns out to be an apparent hoax, according to a quick internet search.
And that's where the show really fails. Contradicting viewpoints are only presented in the last 10 minutes, the archeological evidence they highlight doesn't prove or disprove anything (Sodom and Gomorrah did burn to the ground! But noone knows why), and we never hear a reason why these aliens would care to shape the course of human events.
I'll be the first to admit that I have an extremely hard time believing that technologically advanced beings from outer space shaped the Judeo-Christian religion as we know it. On the other hand, I don't have a hard time accepting the concept of the Holy Trinity, three persons in one. In the end, both positions require a leap of faith.
I not only grew up reading E. B. White's classic "Charlotte's Web" together with my mother, but each year my family gathered to watch the animated movie version of this story about rescue, friendship, and the circle of life (and death) whenever it aired. Like many other children of my generation, I loved Charlotte and Wilbur. For at least a while after each exposure, I also refused to eat anything pork related (who could even think of eating Wilbur?), and rather than squash the occasional spider that hung from the ceiling in my room, I thought of Charlotte and let it live.
So, like many devotees of this beloved children's story, I was rather upset to learn that a new movie was being made. Now that I am older, films of favorite books tend to make me wince with dismay. ("Tuck Everlasting" the movie definitely didn't get it right compared to Natalie Babbitt's novel, and I shudder in fear about what they will do with Katherine Patterson's "Bridge to Terabithia," for which I saw the trailer before "Charlotte's Web" began.)
But fans of Fern, Charlotte, and Wilbur, that terrific, radiant, humble pig: Fear not. This version of Charlotte's Web keeps it simple, allowing its timeless themes to shine through--that life is for everyone, even the small (or of course, you could interpret this as "salvation" for everyone); that friends are loyal until the very end; and most importantly, that miracles not only still happen, but they come about in some of the unlikeliest of places and on behalf of the last creature you would imagine (i.e., a pig).
It's Julia Roberts's Charlotte who steals the show. Granted, child-actress prodigy Dakota Fanning plays Fern, but Fern's character--aside from her initial determination to save the runt piglet of the litter--takes a back seat to what happens at night between Charlotte, Wilbur, Templeton (the ultimately lovable rat), and their fellow animals. That voice! Roberts has the perfect maternal, loving, patient tone required of this gracious, intellectual, determined spider. Her Charlotte makes this film celebratory when she spins her first "miracle" to save Wilbur at Zuckerman's farm and people from miles around come to see her web, and she gives the story a beautiful complexity as she tells Wilbur of her "magnum opus" that will ultimately bring her through the full circle of life.
Christian feminist theology has long privileged the woman's voice, especially the written word, as precious and sacred--all the more so because of the many centuries of men who failed to listen, preserve, or even care to allow women something to say. Charlotte is not only a woman with a strong voice, but she is a writer who, through her words, saves a life and sacrifices her own. She speaks and speaks and speaks, until she is heard and Wilbur sees his first winter. I'd say she is quite the model feminist.
Feminism aside, bring a large box of tissues to the film because you will need it. Julia Roberts's Charlotte will surely have you sobbing, as will the animals' care of her "magnum opus" once she is gone.
(And before you go, click here to explore Beliefnet's full line-up of Charlotte's Web features, including a quiz that'll tell you which character you're most like, and a slide-show of other inspirational animals.)
A pig and a spider were no match for the charisma of Will Smith, as his inspirational movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" topped the weekend box office. Based on the life of rags-to-riches stock broker Chris Gardner, the movie is not simply about chasing the almighty dollar, but it is about breaking the cycle of bad parenting and bad choices by breaking the cycle of poverty. And while the movie takes a long time to set up the story, for the most part the payoff is enjoyable.
Gardner is a down-on-his-luck salesman in an unhappy marriage when the audience first meets him, but he sees his ticket to a better life when he has a random encounter with a stock broker, which then leads to the opportunity of an internship with a prestigous brokerage firm. It's a huge risk, because there is no money involved in the internship, but it also an opportunity that could change his family's life forever. Even those straight-laced suits at Dean Witter can't resist Gardner's sales pitch, and before you know it, Gardner has entered the world of high finance.
My problem with this film is mainly in the pacing of it. The first half drags, as it takes way too long giving us too much of the same information about Gardner's life over and over again. The best moments are clearly in the second half of the film, when Gardner finally begins the internship and continues to persevere against unbelievable odds without once asking "Why me?".
And perhaps the biggest reason that "Happyness" is a well-intended and worthwhile diversion this holiday season is that I believe there is a very subtle commentary about race woven throughout the film. In a culture where there is much lip service paid to the subject of diversity, we still see it in very small amounts on the big screen, but "Happyness" finds a way to approach the topic with both humor and heart.
For example,very little is said about the fact that Gardner is an African-American man tying to achieve something in a corporation that is, in the movie, at least, all white. Yet, there is no mention of anyone playing a "race card" or of affirmative action in the story. Hard work and earning respect are the keys to Gardner's success, and yet the audience is not beaten over the head with this point.
Then there is Gardner's insistence on keeping his son and raising him even when he could not afford to put a roof over their heads. Instead of taking the easy way out, Gardner refuses to become a sterotype of an African-American father who is absent from his son's life.
While "Happyness" is probably not going to make my Top Ten list for 2006, this is still a movie that offers some hope to those who may be facing some less-than-happy times this holiday season. It is a pleasant reminder that no matter how bad things are, our circumstances can change for the better with a little hope and faith.
In the article "The Grinch Delusion: An Atheist Can Believe in Christmas," New York Times reporter Randy Kennedy looked into what some of our most famous public intellectual-atheists are doing (or not doing) this holiday season. The article explores what both Sam Harris ("The End of Faith"; "Letter to a Christian Nation") and Richard Dawkins ("The God Delusion") have to say about question of how atheists celebrate this holiday--and both thinkers were rather funny (and celebratory) on the matter.
The skinny on Sam Harris:
The self-described "full-time infidel" (as he claimed with humor) does have a fully decorated Christmas tree in his living room--though not without some good atheistic resistance. Kennedy reports that it was really not his idea but a result “of a lost tug of war with [his] wife,” who likes Christmas trappings and insisted on buying it. But Harris said that his reluctance “was good-natured all the while.” Harris also added, “It seems to to be obvious that everything we value in Christmas--giving gifts, celebrating the holiday with our families, enjoying all of the kitsch that comes along with it--all of that has been entirely appropriated by the secular world.... in the same way that Thanksgiving and Halloween have been.”
As for Richard Dawkins:
Dawkins had similar feelings as Harris about the separation of Church and Christmas: “So divorced has Christmas become from religion that I find no necessity to bother with euphemisms such as happy holiday season. In the same way as many of my friends call themselves Jewish atheists, I acknowledge that I come from Christian cultural roots. I am a post-Christian atheist. So, understanding full well that the phrase retains zero religious significance, I unhesitatingly wish everyone a Merry Christmas.” (Insert deadpan tone here.)
All around, everyone seems to like going to all the parties, according to Kennedy. A humbug would simply miss out. Whether or not Dawkins also has a tree is left unmentioned in the article. But the article does have this to say about Harris' tree: "He wanted to assure his nonbelieving friends that it was a miniature: 'This is a tree that even an atheist would be comfortable with.'"
Yoga and chocolate I totally get. The sensuous feel of that delicious substance melting into your fingertips, that burst of flavor on your tongue, all in a bite-sized portion perfect to put your thoughts into that ideal mindful state. Chocolatier Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat certainly convinced me that chocolate and yoga make a perfect pair when I interviewed her for Beliefnet a while back about reconciling these two spiritual practices (yoga and chocolate eating, that is).
But yoga and wine?
Yes, it's true. For those who'd like to be a little tipsy while attempting to hold the Crane Pose (careful, don't fall on your head), look no further: On your next trip to Sonoma, Calif., you can take wine-tasting to a whole new level.
In "The Days of Wine and Yoga," Cindy Price of the New York Times reports that yoga instructor Angela Gargano believes the next big yoga thing happens to be pairing it with wine:
Ms. Gargano, who owns Bliss Flow Yoga in Madison, teamed up with David Romanelli, Yahoo’s Mind/Body columnist, last August to stage a weekend-long yoga-and-wine retreat at the Fairmont Mission Inn and Spa in Sonoma, Calif., [which] was successful enough for Mr. Romanelli to schedule a lineup of seminars across the country for 2007. Tomorrow, Ms. Gargano will take the idea international with a retreat in Barcelona. And next year DeLoach Vineyards, in Sonoma County, will hold its own series of yoga-and-wine retreats.
Though Gargano may have gotten some interest, not every yoga practitioner is convinced this is a good idea.
Nancy Elkes, a New York-based yoga trainer and instructor who doesn’t necessarily condemn drinking--she just isn’t so sure it goes with yoga.... That sentiment is shared by the popular Web site Holistic Online, which states in no uncertain terms: “Yogis do not touch alcohol, since they consider it to lower the vibrations of their subtle body (astral body). This defeats the purpose of yoga, which is to increase the vibrational level so they can gradually unfold their Higher Self.”
For yogaficionado readers who have already perked up at the idea, apparently the key will be to drink in moderation. "For her part, Rosemary Garrison, the San Francisco-based instructor who will lead the DeLoach retreats, thinks moderation is the key.... The retreats will feature vegetarian meals from the 18,000-square-foot organic garden, cooking classes and twice-daily yoga sessions. The wine poured for dinner will come from DeLoach’s own vineyard, in the Russian River Valley."
Think of video games. If you're of a certain age, it's Pac Man and Donkey Kong. If you're younger, maybe you think of Grand Theft Auto or The Fast and the Furious. Religious Christians who have faith in the Rapture might enjoy Left Behind: Eternal Forces. Or if you're Jewish, you might sit yourself in front of your game screen for the tale of money, mystery, and intrigue known as "The Shivah."
Named after the Jewish tradition of seven days of mourning, "The Shivah" features not a pumped-up Vin Diesel-ish hero, but Rabbi Russell Stone, the spiritual leader of a dwindling, strapped-for-cash Lower East Side synagogue. An article in the NY Jewish Week reports that the search for the truth "leads Rabbi Stone through mob dealings in the Garment District to a humongous Upper West Side synagogue, where he confronts an evil rabbi." (Attention Upper West Side readers: I know it's tempting, but please refrain from trying to identify the game's evil rabbi as having a real-life counterpart.)
In any case, it should be interesting to see how video games define "evil." Don't expect semi-automatic machine gun fire and car crashes, though. According to the article, "players win not with guns and explosions, but with a rabbi's intellect and conversational tactics."
The game's producer, ManifestoGames, notes that the game has three different endings. Which should be familiar to Jews everywhere, who understand that there's always more than one way to read a text (or play a game). As the old pre-gaming adage goes, "two Jews, three opinions." (Or in this case, three endings.)
posted by Esther Kustanowitz @ 5:49 PM | Permalink |
So I caved. It's utterly predictable, and I can't stand Cameron Diaz (I mean, reallycan't stand), not to mention Jack Black, who is about as un-McDreamy as you can get in a guy lead. But due to the slim pickings in the romantic comedy department this year, I just went to see "The Holiday."
In the end, it proved a tolerable movie-going experience. There was romance. Jack Black's normal off-the-charts wackiness is toned down enough so that it doesn't feel utterly upsetting when it becomes obvious that Kate Winslet's Iris likes him. Cameron Diaz's Amanda manages to avoid any extended dance routines (notice I said, extended: she does do some short ones), and so I suppose it was OK she gets the British hottie.
In my perfect world, however, Iris should have been paired up with sexy Jude Law's Graham (I happen to think Winslet is quite a good actress), since the ever-annoying Amanda would have made a perfect match for the equally un-winning Jack Black's Miles. Unfortunately, however, Graham and Iris are siblings in this film, so togetherness in the romantic sense would have proven just icky for all involved.
As far as "Holiday" cheer went: The film goes out of its way to give a nod to both Judaism and Christianity. Iris throws a Hanukkah party for her elderly Jewish neighbor and his friends, and then both happy couples celebrate a good old fashioned Christmas across the pond back in Britain. Huzzah!
So why go see this movie if it's so obviously mediocre? Because Hollywood (at least so far) seems to have forgotten that people like to be cheery around the holiday season. Though these may indeed turn out to be fantastic, important films, "Blood Diamond" and "Apocalypto" are not exactly movies to put one in the holiday spirit. Where are the "Love Actually" equivalents this year?
Though decidedly not a romantic comedy, I am hanging my hopes on the new version of the beloved E.B. White classic "Charlotte's Web" that releases this weekend. But I plan on bringing an entire box of tissues.
She’s a far cry from Meredith Viera, but she sure makes the show interesting. The addition of comedian-actor Rosie O’Donnell to "The View" was genius in some ways, as it gave life to a show that was heading south when Viera (who was fabulous) announced her departure and Star Jones left in a huff.
But getting used to a Rosie-brand of "The View" is also a challenge at times. She lacks Viera’s skill to rein in the other anchors, and her humor is hit or miss as well, as her joke about Chinese people talking about Danny Devito’s drunken appearance on the show went totally sour: "The fact is that it’s news all over the world. That you know, you can imagine in China, it’s like 'Ching chong, ching chong. Danny DeVito, ching chong, chong, chong, chong. Drunk. 'The View.' Ching chong,'" O’Donnell said on the Dec. 5th episode. (Suffice to say, this joke did not go over well with many Asian-Americans.)
And now comes her comment on Tuesday’s show, in which Rosie and the other anchors were discussing the Seattle airport controversy, in which airport officials decided to take down Christmas trees instead of putting up a giant menorah and other religious symbols. (They said they didn’t have time to research the symbols of all religions that would want representation at the airport). Rosie said she would like to have a variety of holiday symbols on the set of "The View," including a "Kwanzaa bush" and "something for Ramadan."
News flash, Rosie: Ramadan was over in October. Ramadan hasn’t coincided with the winter holiday season in nearly four years. You might be thinking of Eid-ul-Adha, the Muslim holiday that commences at the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. And the typical symbol for a Muslim holiday? A star and crescent moon would be a safe bet. Really, Rosie, your sentiment is appreciated. But would it hurt for you to do a teeny bit of research?
I liked "Blood Diamond" for a lot of little reasons and one big one. I liked it because Leonardo DiCaprio seemed more like a man's man--or at least an adult--than he did as Howard Hughes in "The Aviator" or other adults he's tried to play. I liked it because I like the inspiring and believable presence Djimon Hounsou has brought to the screen ever since "The Gladiator." And I liked how Jennifer Connelly, as a white American in a world that was anything but, reminded me of how different so much of the world is. (I should always know it, but I forget.)
But more than any of those, I really like "Blood Diamond" because we too often live in a world where discussions are about which "side" we're on, who's "right," the "either/or," "right" or "left," "Red" or "Blue."
"Blood Diamond" is truly not about the "or" as much as it is about--in author Jim Collins' words--the genius of the "and":
It is a socially consciousness movie and a dang good action movie.
It's relevant to current political situations and it's a comprehensive moral tale about what individuals do when treasure (profit) may be involved.
It's ugly--almost revolting--in terms of its violence and hideous images, and it beautifully depicts Africa's natural splendor.
It's about the characters--DiCaprio's diamond smuggler, Hounsou's enslaved ex-fisherman, and Connely's story-hunter--and it's about the abysmal existence of all of the dehumanized characters whose names and stories we never know, who are deprived of everything we think of as "life," who are enslaved and leveraged for the benefit of the few in power.
It's about treasure-seekers--those seeking the diamond--and treasure-protectors, those who search to restore dignity to people who'll never be able to speak for themselves.
It borders on being a preachy political lesson, and it dramatizes it almost well enough to make us not notice, or mind.
It brings to light the ugliness of a world where corporate mentality meets profit source meets civil war, and it doesn't make us regret that we paid to be awoken to such atrocities.
It makes a case we can't deny, and it acknowledges that we probably won't do much about it--as individuals, as a nation, or as a world.
"Blood Diamond" is hardly going to be an enduring example of film-making perfection, but it will last far longer than others like it. It has to. There are too many spiritual people in the world who just won't be able to focus on our "own" spirituality while ignoring the need to step up and do something. Perhaps we can't fix Africa, but we sure can fix something within our reach. And after seeing "Blood Diamond," I wanted to.
December 25 may be the day that all Christian boys and girls wait all year for, but for Jews, celebrating Christmas often takes a different approach, which often includes some or all of the following elements:
1) Stand-up comedy, featuring Jewish comedians from different backgrounds and billed as "kosher comedy" 2) Chinese food (not necessarily kosher); 3) Jewish singles events 4) Piggybacking on the family events of Christian friends 5) Drinking eggnog 6) Extending the "Christmas celebration" over several days (perhaps in an attempt to make the miracle of Christmas last for eight days instead of one).
In the case of San Francisco's "Kung Pao"--one of the nation's many Jewish comedy events around this holiday season--you can check off 1, 2, and 6 (two shows daily over four days... eight shows... coincidence?) And possibly #5, too. Kung Pao also features the comedy stylings of Dan Ahdoot, a first-generation Iranian (Persian) Jewish comic (interviewed here on SFGate.com).
Ahdoot grew up in Great Neck, N.Y., which he (accurately) describes as a "hotbed" of Iranian Jewish activity and says that he "didn't really know that I was very different until I went to college. That's when I realized, 'Weird! People haven't met someone from a group that's, like, .0001 percent of the population in America?'"
Ahdoot also shares his tips on how to deal with hecklers and what Jews should do on Christmas:
Do you ever get heckled?
Oh yeah. Of course.
How do you handle that?
I put the heckler back in his place. I mean, I don't pull a Michael Richards, but I've done probably 10,000 comedy shows, and I've been hit with everything. So I know how to handle it.
Do you have any advice for Jews during the Christmas season?
Stay away from Mel Gibson.
Sound advice.
posted by Esther Kustanowitz @ 4:04 PM | Permalink |
Only two months after 20th Century Fox announced plans to aggressively target the Christian market with a new FoxFaith label, the Weinstein Company--whose predecessor, Miramax, produced such edgy fare as “Fargo”--has announced that they will also create a faith-based movie label. The Weinstein Company is not, at this time anyway, creating their own faith-themed entertainment, but they will be working with Christian entertainment companies such as Impact Productions to distribute their products to movie theaters as well as direct-to- DVD projects. Adaptations of work by two popular Christian authors--Joyce Meyer and Max Lucado--will be the first two projects The Weinstein Company will release.
Many Christian film critics are noting--with more than a little sense of irony and a great deal of disappointment--that while Contemporary Christian Music has finally earned mainstream respectability and has worked its way out of the spiritual ghetto, Hollywood is now creating a Christian film subculture--with the church’s enthusiastic help.
I certainly echo the frustrated sentiments of talented critic and author Jeffrey Overstreet, who has posted these comments about the growth of Christian cinema over at his blog: "Walls and boundaries. That's what we want. Neat and easy labels and categories. All the better for judging other people, for staying where we are, for complimenting ourselves on our choices."
One man is chosen as a sacrifice to suffer unbelievable torture to save others. That's one way to sum up Mel Gibson's work in "Braveheart," "The Passion," and now Gibson's latest effort, the Mayan action-adventure film "Apocalypto." "Apocalypto"--which follows a young warrior, Jaguar Paw, through the dangerous Mexican jungles as he saves his family and his way of life--is a dazzling spectacle unlike anything we've seen before, but it is unlikely that this epic tale will go down in cinematic history as little more than a novelty.
As is often the case in stories with messianic overtones, the young Jaguar Paw is not a likely candidate to rescue his people from extinction. He is not the strongest, the bravest, or the smartest of his tribe. In fact, when the bloodthirsty Mayans invade Jaguar Paw's village to rape and kill the women and then gather the men into slavery, the Mayan leader sarcastically gives Jaguar Paw the name of "Almost."
But then the Mayans are given an eerie prophecy from the mouth of a child, and before they know it, Jaguar Paw begins to fulfill every word of that prophecy. Jaguar Paw becomes a one-man militia who single-handedly destroys the Mayans, as blood gushes and oozes in the midst of decapitations and numerous other brutal acts.
I think Gibson wants "Apocalypto" to raise important questions about man's inhumanity to man, about the way history repeats itself, and perhaps even about the end of our modern civilization as well. And I actually believe "Apocalypto" could have been a significant film in the vein of "The Mission" or even "Schindler's List," but Gibson allows whatever philosophical points he wants the audience to reflect upon to be drowned out by ceaseless, and often senseless, violence. To say that this film displays gore in staggering proportions is truly an understatement.
So instead of another religious manifesto, or even another artistic masterpiece, Gibson simply gives us a splattering of underdeveloped ideas amidst some brilliant acting, breathtaking cinematography, and a whole lot of carnage. Which is too bad. Because in an industry where risk takers and dreamers are in short supply, I really wanted to watch Gibson--personal failings aside--raise the creative bar one more time.
Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" is a story about pagan Mayan Indians who offer ghastly human sacrifice to their gods, hunt tapirs to bloody deaths, and fill their leisure hours playing bawdy practical jokes on each other. It is also a deeply Christian movie, as devotional in its own way as "The Passion of the Christ," and saturated with biblical and specifically Catholic imagery.
It's not called "Apocalypto" for nothing: the Book of Revelation--with its theme of the end of an old world of decay and death and the beginning of a new heaven and new earth--is its central source. In a pivotal moment in "The Passion of the Christ," Jesus, carrying his cross to Calvary, encounters his mother, Mary, and says to her, "Behold, I make all things new"--a quotation from Revelation 21 in which he reminds us that his suffering and death will bring about the redemption of the world. "Apocalypto" is about the making new of all things, of the dawning of hope and a new life--literally in the warrior-hero Jaguar Paw's rescue of his family from enslavement by brutal Mayan overlords and the birth of his baby son, but also metaphorically, because the film is set on the very eve of the arrival of the Spanish who bring the teachings of Christ to Mexico.
The movie is not a one-for-one allegory, however, so the allusions are easy to miss. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is not supposed to be Jesus, and his rescue from human sacrifice via an eclipse of the sun is not supposed to be a miracle (it's actually a clever plot use of the Mayans' historic accomplishments in astronomy). But the Christian story is everywhere. Early in the movie, Jaguar Paw and his fellow villagers listen to storyteller narrating a creation myth: that human beings were given all the gifts that the animals of the world could give them, yet remain sad--surely a reference to the disruption of human nature caused by Adam's fall.
The villagers try to create an idyllic enclave of peace and good feeling remote from the decadence and violence of cities--and find that such an Eden is impossible in the fallen world, for the violent city-dwellers find them and kill, rape, and enslave them nonetheless. The Mayan city itself, with its towering, slave-built temples, recalls Babel and Babylon, and the vice and cruelty therein bring to mind Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the Roman empire in which Christianity was born.
Notably (and this is something that the anthropologists who have criticized "Apocalypto" for slighting genuine Mayan cultural achievements seem to have missed), the movie actually takes pagan Mayan religion seriously and treats it with respect--as with that creation myth, which is presented as true in its own way and beautiful. Elsewhere, a village mother who is being carted off to the slave market prays to a Mayan moon goddess, "the mother of mercy"--one of Mary's titles, as it happens--to care for the children she is forced to abandon. The human sacrifice, in which the victim is stretched out on an altar to have his heart cut out by priests, prefigures in its gruesomely literal way the sacrifice of Christ and hence the Mass.
It is as though the Maya were trying to grope their way in darkness to Christian truth. A little girl in the movie, dying of the plague and thus abandoned by a pitiless culture that has no use for the weak, has the gift of prophecy, and her words to the brutal Mayan soldiers again recall the Book of Revelation: "The one who will be reborn is among you. He will end your world. He is with us now." Images of water and rebirth--baptism--are everywhere in this otherwise parched and dusty Mayan setting: rain, a filling cistern, an enormous waterfall into which Jaguar Paw jumps in order to escape his murder
ous pursuers. As Revelation says: "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."
"Apocalypto" shows us a world that is dying--from ceaseless war, from environmental destruction, from cruelty and vice and selfishness--but also a world that yearns for Christ. That world was the pagan Roman empire, it was the pre-Christian New World, and it is, of course our own suffering world. In "Apocalypto," Mel Gibson is telling us, in the words of Jaguar Paw's father, not to "be afraid," not to abandon a hope that is ultimately Christian hope.
Full disclosure: I have run to the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, extended my arms, and bounced on my toes while da-da-dah-ing "Gonna Fly Now," the theme to "Rocky." I felt ridiculous and, yes, exhilarated, but not for a second was I mindful of Christ's victory over death on the cross.
My bad, it turns out. According to Sylvester Stallone, who surmounted the museum steps so memorably in the first of his "Rocky" films--the sixth debuts next week--the hard-luck champ was always a Christ figure. And this month, Stallone told a group of pastors that, while still a Catholic, he considered himself born again.
Skeptics have pointed out that the director made this claim in a conference call set up by Paul Lauer, the man who marketed Mel Gibson's "The Passion" to church groups and helped convince evangelicals that Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia" was true to C.S. Lewis's books. "The call focused on Stallone's faith more than the film," wrote one conference-call participant, "and seemed at times to be about establishing his bona fides as a believer."
Lauer's firm, Motive Entertainment, has also put together "Rocky Resources," a curriculum for ministers interested in using the aging Balboa's last fight to pump up their congregations. The leadership guide assumes a lot of bona fides, suggesting that pastors preach a three-week sermon series based on the film, complete with new clip each week.
It's no stretch, of course, that Rocky is a Christ figure. Stallone points to his own heavyhanded opening shot of "Rocky," in which a painting of Jesus looking down on the "Italian Stallion" in the gym. And nearly a third of Catholics now say they are born again. And if Lauer can sell Mel Gibson, director of "Lethal Weapon" and "Braveheart," as a kinsman of evangelicals, why not Rambo?
Paris Hilton was plagued last year by the wide-spread internet distribution of a private video, as was Pamela Anderson more than 10 years ago. But while these actors (if you can call them actors) faced humiliation, the loss of privacy, and being the butt of numerous jokes, it's nothing like what Sahra Amir Ebrahimi is facing in Iran.
Ebrahimi, a popular actor in that Islamic country, is hiding out in her home, fearing for her life, after a pornographic tape of her and a TV production assistant was leaked to the public. The tape has become one of the hottest selling items in Iran (more than 100,000 copies are believed to have been sold).
Though Ebrahimi, who regularily appears on the Irani soap "Narges," is known for being risqué, she appears in public in the requisite headscarf and long coat of traditional Muslim dress. So, naturally, this tape has shocked the nation, especially the conservative mullahs in charge. Iran's hard-line attorney general, Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, is calling for death by stoning, saying the tape constitutes the illegal act of prostitution.
But the legitimacy of the tape is in question, as the production assistant claims to have been in a "temporary marriage" with the 25-year-old actress at the time. (A temporary marriage is a practice of the Shi'a sect of Islam in which two people get married for a short period of time, usually so they can be intimate)
The actress insists that it isn't her in the tape, and is hiding out in her home. The nation is in an uproar, and I'm thinking it's not going to die down soon. It's probably difficult for Westerners to fathom how the alleged star of a sex tape could be subject to death threats--but Iran is a Muslim country, and the laws are strict regarding sex outside of marriage. I just hope the real truth is pursued before judgement is passed or rash decisions are made.
The wonderful payoff of "American Idol"--it's the most successful reality show, with record deals and American Music Awards all tallied--is that the show finds actual talent amid all those "Gong Show" rejects and braying, overtanned blondes tarted up like porn stars. FOX's new reality series, "My Bare Lady," which debuted last night on the FOX Reality channel, reverses that formula by looking for a payoff even more wonderful: The show takes a group of actual porn stars and tries to turn them into legitimate talent.
They don't succeed, of course, and one suspects the real point is to revel in the awfulness of Chanel St. James, Kirsten Price, Sasha Knox and Nautica Thorn (stars of such films as "Fashionably Laid," "Good Girls Doing Bad Things" and "Hand to Mouth") as they audition and vie for a spot in the cast of a London production of "The Cherry Orchard."
While it's often entertaining, there are no surprises in "My Bare Lady"--except, perhaps, in FOX's continued cultural schitzophrenia. The company, whose moviemaking arm has declared itself the home of family-friendly (and faith-friendly) films, appears to vent its dark side when it turns to television. Where on the FOX corporation flowchart do these divergent tendencies meet? Hint: Look first in the accounting department.
After getting a late start as part of the new TV season, the NBC sitcom "Scrubs" has found its sweet spot. Last night’s episode didn’t look to the caustic Dr. Cox or the goofy antics of the hospital janitor for laughs, but instead took a huge risk by tackling the tough issue of abortion with lots of humor - and more than a little heart.
After finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, resident doctor and perpetual man-child J.D. calmly makes an absurd pro/con list (pro: the kid is a tax deduction; con: kids are sticky) with her to decide whether or not she should abort her child. But others around them are also quick to offer advice--including a talking Jesus statue that forbids them to have an abortion, and Dr. Cox’s pregnant wife Jordan, who tells the couple of her own past abortion experience.
But just when I though the show might be crossing the line in its seemingly cavalier approach to life--with perhaps the most irreverent moment being when Jordan’s toddler son runs around the hospital yelling, "Mommy had an abortion"--"Scrubs" did a typical 180-degree turn. Seems J.D. and his girlfriend didn’t need Jesus or anyone else to tell them the right thing to do; they just needed to see the miracle of life for themselves.
When Carla (J.D.'s friend and the wife of his best friend, Turk) goes into labor and the delivery becomes difficult, J.D. and his coworkers are visibly moved. The preciousness of life becomes obvious to all, and J.D. and his girlfriend immediately decide to go ahead with the pregnancy.
Last night’s story also made me realize something else. While a show like "Studio 60" seems to get all of the media accolades for dissecting the ongoing culture war with lots of posturing and preaching, a show like "Scrubs" does the same thing, but only better by helping us laugh and learn at the same time.
In this post-"Sex and the City" era, people dissect relationships a lot. There's so much to navigate that some daters might wish they had been born in an era when there wasn't so much choice--a time when a man saw a woman of marriageable age and asked for her hand in marriage. And once married, the two learned to love and respect each other.
But people who seek the romance in "The Painted Veil," a new film starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton, will have to pass through the obligatory purgatory of emotional torture, infidelity, hatred, and indifference before achieving redemption and love. (Additional spoilers to come.)
Based on the novel by Somerset Maugham, the story begins in the 1920s and centers on Kitty, a well-to-do young woman with an independent, modern streak, whose family has given up on her. The love story begins at a party, where Kitty descends a staircase and is spied by Walter, who says little, but ask her to dance. Her "why not" answer is an indicator of her lackadaisical approach to men--she would have danced with anyone.
The following day her parents pressure her about him, causing Kitty to proclaim that rushing into a marriage with someone she doesn't love would be "downright prehistoric." Walter shows up and asks her to marry him. Her instinct is to say no, but to get away from her mother, she accepts.
The pair moves to Shanghai, where Walter is a microbiologist and Kitty has nothing to do--it becomes quickly apparent that the spouses have nothing in common. When Kitty meets the English Vice Consul (Liev Schreiber), the two embark on an affair containing all of the spirited passion that is lacking from Kitty and Walter's marriage. When Walter discovers the affair, he devises a punishment: He moves to a remote Chinese village to serve as doctor during a cholera epidemic and takes Kitty with him.
He takes the long road so that the trip takes two weeks instead of ten days, and denies her an innoculation against the disease. "I knew you were selfish and spoiled, but I loved you. And I know you married me to get as far away from your mother as possible, but I hoped there would someday be something more," says Walter.
The process of letting go of her privileged life in favor of modesty provides the purgatory necessary for Kitty to be rid of her sins. Part of the purging is Kitty's developing a relationship with the local mother superior, who calls her "pretty" and "young." "I feel ancient," Kitty sighs, in a callback to her comment about "prehistoric" attitudes toward relationships.
Working in the orphanage, Kitty learns about duty and grace and love. She sees the good work that her husband does; this leads to them overcoming their status quo marriage of peaceful indifference and find passion within the confines of commitment.
The alignment of talent, the spectacular locations, and the strength of story creates a most memorable, if saddening, film. And it will certainly disavow modern daters of any notions that relationships used to be easier. Social circumstances, wardrobe, and location may change, but at their core, relationships are hard because, as Kitty says during a fight with her husband, "People are unpredictable." And this has always been our delight as well as our tragedy, even sans cholera.
posted by Esther Kustanowitz @ 1:58 PM | Permalink |
Looking for a holiday feel-good movie with an inspirational message? A family-friendly tale of father-son devotion that uses the F-word in a heartwarming way? A spiritual flick that embodies some of the highest ideals of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Scientology? Then go see "The Pursuit of Happyness," Will Smith's latest star turn.
But be warned: Although this movie may have warmed my heart, it also left me feeling sullied for buying into the uplift.
The movie is inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a regular guy who endured joblessness, poverty, homelessness, and the breakup of his marriage as he struggled to take care of his young son and regain his footing on the path to the American Dream. After miraculously landing an unpaid internship with a brokerage firm in San Francisco, Gardner manages through sheer grit and apparently inexhaustible drive to win the one paying job awarded at the end of the program.
In the movie’s final moments, as we watch Chris and his five-year-old son, Christopher (played with amazing grace by Smith’s seven-year-old son, Jaden, in his film debut), walk off into their bright future, the audience learns that Gardner lived wealthily every after--starting his own investment firm and eventually selling it for many millions of dollars. Fade to black.
That’s it? Yes, it’s an extraordinary story, but what happened to the gripping storyline about the gaping chasm between the haves and the have nots? Did the real-life Gardner became a kinder, gentler person after seeing what it was like at the bottom? We never find out. This modern-day Horatio Alger tale eventually becomes unhinged from its larger messages about love, loyalty, and courage in a heartless world, and stops worrying altogether about the poorest among us.
Don’t get me wrong: I was completely seduced by the charming Smith and his adorable son, as they wring genuine angst and pathos out of this tale of one man's testing. And I mean testing: Gardner’s trials and tribulations make Job's look tame. In the end, though, I felt seduced and abandoned by this beautifully crafted movie with its garbled message.
Sure, there was faith aplenty in this film--faith in the power of love, faith in oneself, faith in one another--even faith in the Lord, conveyed in a brief but powerful scene depicting a gospel service at a homeless shelter in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. Too bad that the faith that saved the day was faith in the "Almighty Dollar."
A few weeks ago, Nicole, my fellow Idol Chatter-er, blogged about the premiere of "The Real World Denver." Specifically, she wrote about the clash between housemates Stephen and Davis, both Christians. Davis announced he was gay and criticized Stephen's anti-homosexuality stance, arguing that God didn't hate gay people. Davis said that being gay wasn’t a choice but simply the way that he was born. He asked the African-American Stephen: "What if I told you that being black was wrong?"
Unfortunately, Davis' rhetorical strategy no longer looks so good. On last night's episode, all the housemates went out drinking. An incredibly intoxicated Davis got into an argument with roommate Tyrie (who is also black) and used "the n-word" in a tirade of insults. Stephen pointed out that "This man is gay, this man says he's a Christian, but he just called us by the n-word, which is the same trigger word that started this whole night."
Tyrie, understandably, was furious, as were the rest of the housemates and the show's production staff, who stepped in to settle the situation. The producers put Davis in a hotel for the night after he announced to his housemates: "I'm going home tomorrow because some n***** wants to kill me." The next morning, a repentant Davis channeled Mel Gibson, saying that he wasn’t racist--he just had a problem with alcohol and needed to get help.
Are racial epithets a fad now? First Michael Richards uses the n-word, and then Andy Dick. Now the word is favored by B-list reality show stars. In fact, Davis wasn't the only one making ethnic slurs on last night’s show. A Denver bartender used the word against Stephen while the cast was out boozing it up. Though the incident was not shown on MTV (possibly for legal reasons), there were scenes of the cast members talking about it.
Tyrie forgave Davis and seemed to believe that his roommate's apology was genuine. Stephen, though, got the last word: "Davis really might be racist, and I think the best thing for him to do is for him to be around people who are black or from other cultures who maybe can teach him exactly his stereotypes and his bigotry are not okay. I think Davis is a good man, and I also think Davis and I can learn from each other." Considering how many reasons Stephen had to be furious, I found him remarkably principled. Compassion? Tolerance? A willingness to understand? That sounds pretty Christian to me.
If you are looking for repetition (You are what you think! You are what you think!), unintentional comedy (think Parker Posey's Libby in "Waiting for Guffman"--but real), a reason to roll your eyes a lot, and are hoping to "get rich quick" before the holidays, then buy the recently released DVD "The Secret"! This pseudo-documentary promises to solve all of life's problems, in under two hours and with more enthusiasm than you'll be able to swallow!
But it'll be your loss (of time and money).
The website captures the film's vibe and entire content well: "'The Secret' is released to the world! This ground-breaking feature length movie presentation reveals The Great Secret of the universe. ... This is The Secret to everything--the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: Everything you have ever wanted ... Now YOU will know The Secret. And it could change your life forever."
What's funny about the DVD's packaging and its website is the way they make like there really is a secret. Well, save your money because I'll reveal the secret right here. (Insert drumroll.) The secret is as follows: If you think it, it will come! So you wanted a Maserati? Then think: Maserati, Maserati. Draw pictures of one. Cut photos of it out of car magazines. Take one for a test drive! Before you know it--you'll have one! Just like that!
It's guarenteed to work. What? You don't believe me? Well then, let me give you another example. You'd like to date three women at once? Fantasize about yourself with three women flirting with you. Now do an oil painting of you with the three women. Make many versions and hang them on all the walls. Soon you will have women falling all over you! It's that easy! First you need to see. Then you need to believe. Then you get ready to receive!
Does it sound laughable to you? Then you will be laughing all the way through "The Secret"--though not because it is intentionally comedic. The producers are clearly trying to pass this off as as an alternative "What the Bleep Do We Know?" but it fails miserably. Whereas "What the Bleep" is a fascinating, mind-boggling film about quantum physics,and other jaw-droppingly cool reflections on spirituality and the universe, "The Secret" is its opposite.
In other words, I can't recommend a single thing about this movie in good conscience. (Which makes me wonder: If I think the movie is bad, does it then become bad? According to "The Secret," I think it does!)
What happens when you're a time lord--a humanoid race that can, in simplest terms, manipulate time and acts--and you meet another being who claims to have existed before time even began? If you're Doctor Who, the last of the time lords, it shakes your faith.
In the recent two part episode "The Impossible Planet"/"The Satan Pit," (which aired on the Sci Fi channel) The Doctor and Rose, his travelling companion, come upon a space station of humans located on a small planetoid that is somehow able to resist being pulled in to a nearby black hole. The station's crew have detected an unknown power source responsible for keeping the planetoid stable in the black hole's orbit.
But then strange things start to happen: The Ood, a squid-faced clone race that serves the crew, tell Rose ominously that "The beast and his armies will rise from the pit and make war against God." And crew members start hearing voices and experience demonic possession.
By the time we realize that the "beast" being talked out is the beast with a capital "B," this episode starts to feel reminiscent of the plot of the computer game "Doom," in which demons invade a space station full of scientists through accidentally-opened portals from hell. Like the videogame and spin-off movie, the episode touches on the inherent dangers in the never-ending quest for knowledge
The Doctor, hesitant to investigate the pit, says, "That is so human, where angels fear to tread. For once in my life, I'm going to say retreat." In digging theologically deeper than the popular videogame, the audience sees something unusual: a doubting doctor.
Usually quite confident in his mastery of all things temporal, the Doctor is thrown for a loop when the Beast says that he has the existed and was trapped on the planetoid since before time. "What does that mean? What does 'before time' mean?" The Doctor asks incredulously.
"Before this universe was created," the Beast replies.
"That's impossible," spits back the Doctor.
"Is that your religion?" asks the Beast.
"It's a belief."
The Doctor challenges the Beast by asking "which devil are you?" When The Beast starts pointing out the crew members' darkest secrets, the Doctor retorts that a good psychologist can do that as well and points out that there are "representations of the horned beast right across the universe. It's the same image over and over again. Maybe that's what the devil is in the end, an idea."
But we're never quite sure if the Doctor believes his own rationalizations. When the Doctor finally comes upon the massive, manacled, horned beast, he admits, "I accept that you exist. I don't have to accept what you are." Ironically, for a character who clearly values science and reason over religion and myth, it's his faith in his partner Rose that ends up saving the day. As regular viewers of the show know, there's nothing shaky about that.
I confess: I used to be a terrible tipper. My father tried to teach me well, explaining that every doorman, porter, cabbie, waitress, and mail carrier deserved a tip for their services and that the bulk of their earnings depended on tips--a precarious situation since one's paycheck is thus determined by the often inconsistent kindness of patrons.
Despite his efforts and despite my own long stints as a bus-person and waitress, for years I was reluctant to give freely when it came to tipping. College was one bad influence. Top this with a teacher's salary post-graduation--and the perpetual worry of living paycheck to paycheck--and a reluctantness to tip well was born.
But a small salary is no excuse--especially if one is a Christian.
In his wonderful article "The Tipping Point," Ken Gross from this Sunday's The New York Times agrees, explaining his own ethic of over tipping:
"I do not double the tax or bother with the strict 18 percent solution, or even calculate the exact value of this or that test of service; I do not twist my brain, seeking some perfect balance between cost and expectation, or weigh the consequences of missing the mark. No, mine is an easier solution to settling accounts: I simply overtip ...
"It is not bribery, in any legal or moral sense, nor am I driven by some philosophical strain of ambient guilt; this is straightforward recognition on my part that there is an inherent economic injustice in the world, and I do my part to set things straight."
For Gross, tipping generously--regardless of one's earnings--is simply the just thing to do.
Let's also consider "The Widow's Offering" from Mark 12:41-44 (NIV) for guidance in this area--what I've come to interpret as a kind of Biblical guide to over tipping:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
For me, it's just recently--the last several years or so--that I've truly begun to pony up in the tipping department--tipping generously if not lavishly to just about everybody who graces my doorstep bearing food or packages, among others, especially the many baristas to whom I owe my deepest gratitude for making the wonderful espresso drinks I enjoy each morning.
And not only is it just and Christian, according to Ken Gross--it can bank one some very good Karma as well:
"As a result of this guiding principle, I always have a choice table at my favorite restaurant. I have the services of the superintendent of my building without suffering long, grinding domestic standstills. ... I have the good opinion of my mail person, the respect of my handyman, the regard of my house painter, the esteem of my doorman."
Especially this holiday season, a time when tipping just about everybody is highly applicable, don't forget to tip often and tip well. And always remember to tip the barista.
Life in elementary school is hard. Even if you've got Lil' Condi Rice to do your homework, Lil' Dickie Cheney to growl at your enemy cafeteria workers who are trying out a multicultural menu, and parents who live in the White House. And maybe especially when it's "Dan Quayle Elementary School" and your name is "Lil' Bush, Resident of the United States."
Now you get an inside look at the (imagined) pre-adolescent life of George W. Bush, which includes hallway bully Lil' Kim Jong II stealing Lil' Bush's MP3 player and Laura the new chubby nerdy girl. (The screen below links you to the pilot, but I also recommend the "Nuked" episode.) Comedy Central has ordered a six-episode season of the show, which now exists in small, five-minute episodes on Amp'd Mobile.
As you might expect, the broad stereotypically comedic tropes--Cheney's aggression, George's simplicity, George Sr.'s alternate pride and frustration in his son, Condi's devotion to George at all costs--are present in combination with a debt to animations as diverse as Josie and The Pussycats, Scooby Doo, and South Park/Team America. I found it LOL-funny.
But the show--and the general attitude of taking comedic shots at the president--prompts a larger question that we might ponder. This is the second series to poke fun at the figures in the Bush White House (some may remember Comedy Central's "That's My Bush" (2001), which gave South Park's creators their shot at playing with some of the same stereotypes but with live action and a laugh track instead of animation).
Without the second season (oops, I mean presidential term of office) of Bush, it's possible that the Daily Show would have waned in popularity and never have birthed the Colbert Report, which any member of the "Stewart/Colbert 2008" Facebook group would agree would have been a great tragedy for our nation. But is our current president inherently more comical than the ones who came before him? What is it about him that courts laughter? And if poking fun at the president creates a legacy of laughter and derision instead of respect, what is the impact on the mood of our country, and what is the impact on history?
We could ponder that. But most of us will probably just watch (and enjoy) "Lil' Bush," with a chaser of TV Funhouse's "The Ex-Presidents," and a nice gulp of Chevy Chase falling down some stairs as Gerald Ford before saying "Live! From New York! It's Saturday Night!"
posted by Esther Kustanowitz @ 2:28 PM | Permalink |
Ever wonder where all those Buddha statues in your favorite Asian-fusian restaurant come from? Chances are, if you live in New York City, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, a man named Richard Wolf (The Buddha Wrangler) retrieved them from a tiny village in remote Thailand or commissioned an entire village to create them.
In the "The Buddha Wrangler," The New York Times reporter Michael Kaplan caught up with Mr. Wolf to ask him about his craft--on how he finds just the right Buddhas for each high end restaurant before opening night:
"In the course of decorating Tao east and west, the 47-year-old Wolf has purchased big Buddhas, small Buddhas, brass Buddhas, stone Buddhas and one of the most striking Buddhas of all: A reclining celestial being carved from a single hunk of wood, painted gold and sporting a red jewel that shines with laser-sharp intensity. 'I pulled my back out opening night, helping the bouncers get that one in,'" Wolf says in the article. During the restaurant’s two-year gestation, Wolf traveled to Asia 10 times. He scoured side streets and back alleys, hired a facilitator to translate and operated with a combination of cunning and zeal."
The Buddha at Tao east is 12 feet tall and weighs 9,000 pounds. But it isn't his biggest or most glamorous catches either. At the glitzy restaurant Buddakan, Buddha is a bit shorter but he's covered in gold leaf. At Megu, a sushi restaurant in TriBeCa, Buddha is an imposing 17 feet tall. Buddhas this big aren't simply sitting around waiting to be purchased though--Wolf had to design and commission them--in a rather Frankenstein-like way it seems. Wolf explains:
"I sifted through thousands of photos and chose the body parts that pleased my eye. The face is sixth-century Chinese, the body is Thai, the hand is from a Buddha at Angkor Wat. With a little bit of torture from me, the carver got each one done in six months."
Since "rarely is the deity that presides over these establishments regarded as anything but decorative," Kaplan wonders: "How does a true believer feel about his holiness mixing it up with Singapore slings?"
Apparently--these Buddha decoratives pass the religious appropriateness test, but don't pass muster as appealing design:
"It’s tacky but not sacrilege," says Seigan Ed Glassing, a Buddhist monk who resides at the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji temple on East 67th Street. "Buddha spoke to so many people, in so many different languages, that he would be O.K. with this. If seeing Buddha in a restaurant or nightclub opens your spiritual eye, then it is a good thing."
Celebrities may have personal assistants, trainers, make-up artists and stylists, but many of them are just like their average American counterparts--they have a hard time conceiving. In 1995, "Days of Our Lives" star Diedre Hall chronicled her struggle with infertility in a made-for-TV movie called "Never Say Never: The Diedre Hall Story." More recently "The Internet's Most Downloaded Woman," Cindy Margolis, went public with her conception conundrums.
With the tabloid’s latest overwhelming obsession with the "bumpwatch," even stars who claim to have conceived the old fashioned way spark speculation: Tongues wagged when Julia Roberts became pregnant with twins at age 36, many "experts" speculating that the star had to be on fertility meds.
So with all the prenatal peer pressure, who can blame singer, actress, and fashionista Jennifer Lopez for allegedly turning to a less conventional method to get pregnant: scientology. An insider close to the entertainer tells Life & Style magazine that Leah Remini, J. Lo's good friend, "King of Queens" star, and scientologist, "confided to Jennifer that the religion helped her conceive."
She's starting to understand the cleansing process. It's all about putting the energy where you want it," the insider said.
J. Lo, 37, isn't the first celebrity to explore "alternative" fetility treatments. Sharon Stone reportedly tried traditional African fertility dances and, according to recent reports, Madonna gave Ayurvedic pills from India a try to conceive at the age of 46.
But don't expect J. Lo and Marc Anthony to become the next Scientology power couple ala Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes or John Travolta and Kelly Preston. The article goes on to say that husband "Marc [Anthony], a devout Catholic, isn't into the religion but doesn't mind his wife studying it: 'He's willing to let Jen do what she needs to make things happen.'"
I’m writing this after having just turned off the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Selection Show, that is airing in prime time on the FOX, even though there's still a half-hour left to go. The show's now on its fourth commercial break, having yet to reveal what the show promised: The college football matchups for the popular Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Fiesta bowl games.
I’m tired of feeling like a seal waiting for the next little sardine if I just stick around through all the commercials that is paying the network's bills. So I'm outta here.
For that matter, I’m tired of the BCS thing entirely. Sports used to be about rooting for your favorite team, your local team, your alma mater, or (perhaps) the players on your fantasy team. Now, it’s more like the world of boxing, where we’re supposed to root for our team to "win" some voting derby and computer logarithm just so they are allowed to play in some game, so then we can cheer for them. ESPN now stands for Ever-Selling-Promoting-Nation and FOX Sports could stand for False-Offers-&-Xtras, which extend the games and dilutes the coverage. It's boring because it's a parlor game. It's confusing because the system is flawed. It's sour not only because someone's always disappointed, but because they're playing bingo with the lives of college kids. It's just wrong.
And especially during the Christmas season, I’d rather watch authentic stuff. The only reason I watch sports is because it’s always been the truest reality TV. But those times, they are-a-changin'.
I had high hopes for "The Nativity Story." While there were a few moments worthy of praise, I have to say that this film was disappointing.
I won’t waste time quibbling over historical discrepancies in this adaptation. After all, the best moments of this movie are the awkward conversations between Mary and Joseph as they undertake the arduous journey to Bethlehem We have no idea if any such moments happened, and yet there is still a ring of authenticity to these scenes.
And I don’t even want to rant about the cheesy special effects and the heavily sentimental soundtrack that only detract from the story instead of enhancing it. And the intended comic relief of the three wise men--I don't think the story of the nativity is one that benefits from a little levity.
But the biggest flaws in this "Nativity" stems from a desire to to be so reverential in its depiction of Christ’s birth that the humanity of the story is often lost in translation. When Jesus' birth is backlit like something out of a Broadway musical, it seems to only distance the audience from this miracle.
The realness of this story comes in moments like when Joseph is struggling with the news that his new bride is pregnant, and he then asks God for a sign that this pregnancy is of supernatural means but gets no response. In that moment the audience is brought closer to the genuine drama of this historical event.
As Hollywood continues to try to understand the success of "The Passion" and attempts to reach the faithful moviegoers of America, I think they are overlooking the obvious. Part of "The Passion's" success was because Gibson realized that the gospel is on one level, full of mystery; and on another level, it is a story that is meant to be found offensive by some.
"The Nativity" manages to challenge no one's thinking and offers very little in the way of spiritual mystery. So maybe it is not such a mystery after all why so many Christians failed to show up at the theater last weekend.
Donna Freitas has a Ph.D. in spirituality and is the author of "Becoming A Goddess Of Inner Poise: Spirituality for The Bridget Jones in All of Us."
Douglas Howe is an ordained minister, executive coach, author, and retreat leader.
Paul O'Donnell is the former Culture editor at Beliefnet.
Kris Rasmussen, the author of "WonkaMania," has been a contributing editor to the Christian music magazine CCM and a feature writer for Relevant magazine.
Plus, a number of Beliefnet editors will also be posting to Idol Chatter as the mood strikes.
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If you've seen all the other family movies this season--or even if you haven't--take your teens or even your grown kids to see "
I finally bit the bullet and went to see "
"All-Time Worst Christmas Movies" is not just a list, but a debate. Readers of the movie-ga-ga website 
Since it's common knowledge that nothing sells a paper like a good scandal, could the same work for pageants?
In one of the most subtle yet daring movies of the year, director Stephen Frears ("Dangerous Liasons," 'The Grifters") examines the death of Princess Diana with a unique and thoughtful prespective in his drama 
Last night, the German Opera's production of Mozart's "Idomeneo" 
Dimension Films is doing a little re-gifting this holiday season--and certain religious groups are responding with a loud "return to sender."
His congregation meets weekly at a bar, he runs operations out of an auto body shop, and holds staff meetings at a local cafe. After some angry teen years and recovery from drug addition, Jay Bakker, son of the infamous, pioneering televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye, is now following in his father's footsteps--sort of. He's started a church of his own--the 
I not only grew up reading E. B. White's classic "
A pig and a spider were no match for the charisma of Will Smith, as his inspirational movie 
So I caved. It's utterly predictable, and I can't stand Cameron Diaz (I mean, really can't stand), not to mention Jack Black, who is about as un-McDreamy as you can get in a guy lead. But due to the slim pickings in the romantic comedy department this year, I just went to see "
I liked "
One man is chosen as a sacrifice to suffer unbelievable torture to save others. That's one way to sum up Mel Gibson's work in "Braveheart," "
Full disclosure: I have run to the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, extended my arms, and bounced on my toes while da-da-dah-ing "Gonna Fly Now," the theme to "Rocky." I felt ridiculous and, yes, exhilarated, but not for a second was I mindful of Christ's victory over death on the cross.
Celebrities may have personal assistants, trainers, make-up artists and stylists, but many of them are just like their average American counterparts--they have a hard time conceiving. In 1995, "Days of Our Lives" star Diedre Hall chronicled her struggle with infertility in a made-for-TV movie called "Never Say Never: The Diedre Hall Story." More recently "The Internet's Most Downloaded Woman," Cindy Margolis, went public with her conception conundrums.
