Douglas Howe: October 2007 Archives

The American Film Institute recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of "100 years, 100 movies," a listing of its top 100 movies of all time. Since the start of the series, AFI has also cited movies that are inspiring, great movie quotes, great movie songs, love stories, heroes and villains, thrills, laughs, stars and film scores, all in the "Top 100" format.

I was wondering: Why haven’t they yet done the 100 Scariest Movies of All time. I think it’s possible that they haven’t done it because, quite frankly, there haven’t been enough great scary movies made. To name the Top 100 would be to name almost all of them that are any good.

I’d love to see them do it. Short of that, on this Halloween, here is my list of the top 5 scariest movies I’ve ever seen. These are just my own favorites--I don't claim to have seen all the contenders out there. What are yours?

1. "Halloween": See my post here to hear why I like this one so much. It was dang scary, but watchable.

Halloween is here and it’s a good day to give my five reasons why "Halloween" is the most inspiring Halloween movie of all time. "What?" you say, "How can a movie about Halloween be inspiring?" Here’s how:

5. "Halloween" was an original, made on a thin budget, which meant few special effects and lots of real people. It meant a real neighborhood, not expensive sets on a backlot. There was an authenticity to John Carpenter’s "Halloween" which moved past the surfacy holiday stereotypes but not as far as the over-the-top way Hollywood often handles this day.

4. The heroes of the film, Donald Pleasance’s Dr. Loomis and Jamie Lee Curtis's Laurie, are decent people and there is a goodness about them, but they’re not portrayed as religious or church-going. It reminds us that the Battle Between Good and Evil is fought among all people, not just those who talk about it at church.

Where have all the evangelicals gone? And for that matter, how about the Catholics? The Americans? Anyone who has remote respect for--and belief in--the Bible?

Last week, I heard about a controversy over Disney Radio refusing to mention the word "God" in the advertising for “The Ten Commandments,” the new animated movie starring Ben Kingsley, Christian Slater, Al Molina, and Elliot Gould. I have heard Christians protesting the fact that The Ten Commandments can't be displayed on public buildings, and that a whole generation isn't learning them. Today, I read in USA Today that "The Ten Commandments" brought in a paltry half-million dollars in limited release this weekend.

Fellow Beliefnet Idol Chatter blogger Kris Rasmussen didn't like the movie at all,which I think is part of the problem. The Los Angeles Times--not exactly known for its biblecentric point of view--actually LIKED it! I don't think Kris is a surfacy woman (at all), but it seems to me that Christians ought to care more about whether they got the story right (or that it succeeded in presenting a non-preachy feel that post-modern Christians will need to learn) as opposed to whether the animation was Pixar-level or better. And if Christians really do care about that, then they ought to jettison their protests about public displays, school prayer, or just about anything else that favors substance over style.

With a new Robert Redford film (“Lions For Lambs”) coming out, I figured it was a good time to list the top 10 Inspirational films that he’s either been in, directed or produced. There’s been a lot of attention paid to his commercial appeal as well as Sundance’s impact on the Indie film market, but he’s been overlooked for the inspirational nature of some of his projects. It may be because his politics have been counter to the religious right for a long time, but he’s clearly been a filmmaker with a purpose.

With apologies to those who loved “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” “Quiz Show” and “A River Runs Through It,” here’s my list of his Top Ten in (of course!) reverse order:

Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic” has been winning fans and critics alike in its initial weeks of release. Some are liking it for its inspiration. Some are wowed by his maturity. Some just love a grittier sound that’s closer to classic rock than today’s clutter. Some love the 70’s-ish hooks or the 80’s-ish alternative riffs. And some just love that Bruce is still making music, and/or that he’s reunited with his E-Street Band mates. I like it for a combination of those reasons with a twist.

I think one of the most enduring potential inspirational qualities anyone can have is endurance. We live in a fast-moving world of instant gratification, quick results, immediate nostalgia and thin loyalties. People don’t work for companies for 40 years any more. We don’t tune into the same channel each week at the same time. We don’t have a favorite radio station, because we’ve created our own radio with our mp3 player. Outside of those who love ESPN or the Discovery Channel, few people could name a favorite TV station.

But Bruce Springsteen shows in his current album that, while he and his E Street Band may be older, they are still making rock songs with lyrics that matter and appealing to long-time fans who stick with them while winning new ones from the younger generations. They haven't had to pair with younger talents or do commercial soundtracks to stay relevant.

Wow! Another “Ten Commandments” movie is coming out and its getting a lot of buzz. For instance, “Hollywood Takes On the Ten Commandments” read the Yahoo headline. “Film producers take action with Oct. 19 animated release starring Ben Kingsley, Elliott...

Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography isn’t the first biography about Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, but according to at least one review, it might be the deepest, and offer some insights into the spiritual journey behind the beloved comic strip. Charles...