Category Archives: Film

Books, Everything Else, Film, Rants

Angels and Demons: are they real? (Part 2)

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Well, the answer to the titular question would be yes, for if you believe in angels then you must also believe in their counterparts, the demons.  And of course if you don’t have a spiritual bent, then this whole article is moot and you can just skip it and go see the new movie.  I suppose this is similar to watching the Star Wars movies:  I don’t believe in The Force powering up the Jedi Knights, but it sure makes for an entertaining 2 hours at the cinema.

Angel or Demon?

But if you do believe, as I do, then let me get back to the discussion we started in part 1.  I am going to relate the first part of the argument that was started so long ago in the back of a church bulletin:

(Read 1 Timothy 4:1-5)1  This passage describes the great Apostasy that is to come.  Do you think the Bible teaches that Demons are active?  Why don’t we hear much about Demons here in the United States?

The scripture passage is copied here, for your convenience (verses 1-2):

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

Well, I think the Bible has tons of passages showing that Demons are active.  Even without a Bible degree, I recall a couple of times in the old days when people would foam at the mouth and throw themselves into fires, while under the influence of demons.  In today’s newspapers, there are plenty of stories of people doing similarly unexplainable things (like killing their entire families or trying to kill all of their co-workers).  So if the equation is demons = crazy behavior then we can safely say that demons are still active.  But why don’t we hear more about them in today’s world?? How come the angels grab all of the attention and show up in all the movies and books and holiday cards?2

 As I said earlier, if you believe in Angels, then you must also believe in Demons.   I believe that you don’t see much demon activity because we do live in a society ruled by science, which has disproven the existence of demons (if you could ever prove a negative, which a lot of experts believe is a lot harder than we think).  If our society no longer believes in demons, then you can be sure that they have a lot more flexibility to act in our daily lives.  If you have ever found  yourself in a terribly emotional state (rage, depression, etc.)  then who is pushing the chemicals and hormones around in our brain??  Could someone be pressing on your adrenal gland at just the right time??  If our bodies are masses of cells, what leads them to start behaving in some fashion that we have not initiated with our mind??

I’ll play the rational scientist and respond that our bodies have been conditioned to pump hormones into our bodies at times when our very existence is threatened.   Quick, get that adrenalin shot in your system so that you can outrun a woolly mammoth and survive to procreate another day !!  So when we are in a situation that demands action, our bodies sometimes respond inappropriately and send the chemicals flying into our bodies, possibly making us go cuckoo and go grabbing for the nearest blunt object, projectile weapon, etc.  But as I recall, we also have been programmed for “fight or flight”   so why is it that most of the time we take this 50-50 choice and go for “fight”  against our very loved ones??

Who pushed the balance to the side that drives us to want to ram our truck into our neighbor’s house because his dog will never quit yapping??  That’s the “fighting” side that’s winning.

I’ll stop here, but if you want to read verses 3-5 of the Bible verse go ahead.  It is even more apropos since it talks about men advancing the cause of Demons by spouting heresy3  or in the case of the movie “Angels and Demons”  by spouting half-baked ideas about secret societies and giving it the veneer of truth.  This is OK when a movie bills itself as escapist entertainment, but the film-makers have gone out of their way to give credence to the theories in the film;  this helps the box-office but it does not advance the cause of truth.    And you thought Chariots of the Gods  in the 1970’s was a hoot; this new film goes one better.

Angels don’t have a prayer when you have CGI on your side.

Stay tuned for Part 3:   Demons, a distressing spirit.

  1. This would be in the Bible, of course [↩]
  2. Beelzebub wishes you Happy Holidays — now there’s a card I’d like to send a friend [↩]
  3. In this case the issue was abolishing marriage and incorrectly having to abstain from sinful foods — more reason to skip the cheesecake tonight.  But go ahead and propose to your girlfriend; it’s OK [↩]
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BTW, Film

Vote For The Next Criterion Collection Blu-Ray

Amazon has a poll to vote for the next Criterion Collection title to be published in Blu-ray format. The choices are fairly obscure, and I’ve only seen two of them: Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law and the 1965 Japanese film Kwaidan.

Of the two, I found Kwaidan to be more memorable. It contains four ghost stories set in old Japan, filmed with painterly cinematography. I had always assumed they were classic Japanese tales, but I have just read that they were in fact “adapted from the fiction of Greek-born Lafcadio Hearn (a.k.a. Yakumo Koizumi, 1850-1904), who assimilated into Japanese culture so thoroughly that his writings reveal no evidence of Western influence.” There are scenes here that I think may have directly influenced Tarantino’s Kill Bill.1 If you are expecting The Grudge, I think you will be thrilled. Unless you (inexplicably) liked The Grudge.

  1. I’m thinking of the showdown with O-Ren Ishii in the snowy garden. [↩]
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Film

Adventureland Review (spoiler-free)

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Adventureland is not what I expected. Granted, my expectations were set solely by the movie poster. From that I gathered:

  • It takes place in the ’80s at an amusement park.
  • The stars are unknown (to me), but supporting cast includes Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig, and Ryan Reynolds.
  • It’s from the director of Superbad

You’re thinking ’80s movie parody, right? Maybe Wet Hot American Summer? Or perhaps an Apatow-ian version of One Crazy Summer, The Great Outdoors, or Meatballs.

It’s actually much, much smarter than that. It’s not so much a comedy as a coming of age story. There are laughs, for sure. Some big ones, even, but most of it is from subtle character commentary and reactions.

It utilizes a quintessential ’80s movie theme, however: a smart, young everyman who’s not confident with girls meets a cute, experienced, down to earth girl with problems at home. It’s more complicated than that, of course, and more realized than any comedy would portray.

However, the biggest differentiator from teen comedies is that these aren’t teens. We’re used to characters who have just graduated high school or are finishing senior year. But Adventureland‘s main character has just graduated college, and all the other characters are clearly over 21. Like in real life, this significantly changes the dynamics. It’s a refreshing change that makes it very easy for me to recommend this movie to adults. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Everything Else, Film, Travel

Are Demons Real ?

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With the upcoming release of the fictional “Angels and Demons”  (or as I call it DaVinci Code part deux) I have to ask the real question: Are there real demons??  Are they walking among us as seen in the movie “Constantine?”

Constantine battles demons

We have plenty of fictional film evidence to show these demonic beings (Constantine, again) but now I think we’ve had enough evidence in the news programs to proceed with a real discussion:


   * Alabama shooter kills 10
   * German shooter kills 10
   * Oakland shooter kills 3 cops.
   * and on and on……

Yes, I understand that out of a billion inhabitants a few people out of their minds is normal.  But what drove them out of their minds?  99.99999 percent of the population can neutralize the instict to kill their enemies/ loved ones/ strangers on the street,  so what tips these .00001 percent over the edge? 
My answer: demons.

And not the run-of-the-mill demons that make you go for that extra slice of pie for dessert or make you lie to your friends about missing their party last week.   I’m talking about the true evil that makes you contemplate flying yourself and a plane full of fuel into a building.  Demons that can literally drive you out of your rational mind and do something indescribable.

Some time ago I attended a church that printed a series of questions on the back of their bulletin.  These were questions that could be used to initiate discussions about ethics, morals, spirituality, etc.  Aptly enough, this section was called “The Back of the Bulletin” 1  For some reason, I was attracted to keep their discussion titled “Demons, Are They Real?”  but never got a chance to start this investigation.  The time for that investigation is now. 

Over the next few weeks, I will post each new question from The Back of the Bulletin on this blog, and hopefully a spirited (sic) discussion will follow.   Just to give you my background:   I’m an engineer and not attracted to the artifacts of the world beyond the veil (those things we cannot see) such as spirits, ghosts, demons, etc. I’ve never seen a UFO or experienced anything that cannot be explained by science, physics, chemistry, gaming theory. I do believe in God and therefore must believe in Satan.  For whatever reason, they both feel that they need entities to carry out some actions, so therefore I believe in angels and demons.  I don’t believe that demons make you cheat on your taxes or grab extra food at a buffet; these are behaviors that can be easily explained by our background as opportunistic hominid foragers more than by the spiritual world.

But when a rational person (and millions of years of evolution has resulted in a fairly stable brain) goes on a rampage, I have to believe that there was an extra spiritual push in there, somewhere.   I will discuss the mechanics of the brain and how it can be gamed to see/feel/experience something extraordinary,  but there’s been no proof that the deranged individuals that we are discussing were under the influence at the time of their terror sprees.  Sherlock Holmes would not settle on demons as the underlying influence2  but we may surprise ourselves when we start eliminating all other factors from the equation.

  1. Better than what you usually find there: Bulletin sponsored by You’re Next Funeral Home [↩]
  2. Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth. [↩]
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Film, Rants

Worst Transformer Ever

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Masterchief points us to a post at toplessrobot.com about a new Transformer named Jetfire. Here is a photo of him:

Jetfire the Autobot

As you can see, he is holding a cane. Because he’s old. And old robots can’t walk good. They need canes. Robot canes. Because, you know… I’m sorry, why can’t you just fix the fucking robot? New servos, some scrap metal, an acetylene torch and wire nuts? I mean, Wreck-gar and the Junkions (which is an excellent band name) are literally built from the crap other Transformers threw in the garbage, yet to the best of my knowledge, none of them require canes. Thank you, Michael Bay!

The icing on the cake is that Jetfire combines with Optimus Prime! I can only imagine he turns into, like, a seat cover. Or maybe a dashboard compass. But probably a seat cover.

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Film

Taken Review

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Taken is a fun action movie based on a slightly ridiculous premise. If you’ve seen the trailer, you know that Liam Neeson’s daughter is kidnapped in Paris. We very quickly learn it’s by human traffickers who target attractive female tourists. Neeson, a badass retired spy, attempts to get her back.

Now, human trafficking, sex slavery, etc., is all very real. I would never say otherwise. The ridiculous part is that they are targeting tourists. Obviously, to tour Europe you have have money. And the kidnappers want the girls who sell for the most money, which happen to be the ones who are pretty and white. Do you know what happens when a pretty white girl from a well off family goes missing?

We, as a country, go fucking ape shit.

I mean cuckoo bananas bonkers nuts. Natalee Holloway, Elizabeth Smart, etc. It’s covered on every news program, all the time, for weeks if not months. Every reporter and law enforcement agency on both sides (CIA, FBI, local police) gets involved. Private investigators are paid. Any criminals involved who can be paid off (this is all of them) will spill the beans. And when the girl in question looks like this?

Maggie Grace

Then even I’m knocking over Liam Neeson to save her first.

No, sir, we do not tolerate anyone messing with our pretty white girls from well to do families. To suggest that a criminal ring could do this beyond one (1) pretty white girl from a rich family is to reveal your ignorance. I should point out that, technically, it is wrong to take anyone and sell them into slavery. This even includes pretty white girls from middle class families. Let’s be clear about that.

Other than that, there is much shooting and beating and delivering of badass lines. It’s all good. After Luc Besson dropped the turd that is Transporter 3, I was a bit worried. But he is joined by Robert Mark Kamen, his co-writer on The Fifth Element and… oh, shit. Transporter 3. Well, they both had a good day. Luckily, there was no room for them to include an annoying female character to bug the crap out of me for most of the movie.

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Film, Humor, Music

Christian Bale’s New Dance Hit

Caution: none of these links are safe for work. One has a photo of RuPaul. Be safe.

Christian Bale recently got, um, peeved, when the DP ruined another scene on the set of Terminator 4 by walking through it. Not one to waste such great material from a talented artist, music producer Lucian Piane turns lemons into lemonade. By which I mean he turns profanity into a club hit.

You can download the Bale Out MP3 here.

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Film

Quantum of Solace musings

 I finally saw the movie and since it’s been out a while,  I think I can add a few spoilers from here onward…..

Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred

Well, the movie was pretty good, and perhaps it is because I went in with very low expectactions.  Yes, the title sequence was a little flat but I thought that blending the female figures into the sand dunes was very creative.  Half the time you thought you were looking at some pattern when there was nothing there.  Musically, it was also very forgettable. However,  they were brilliant in holding the 007 theme until the very end credits.  Part of my brain was in tension awaiting that musical cue, which did not come until the end.  This is a fantastic way of bookending what was obviously part II  of  “Casino Royale”  last year.  And it signals the start of the Daniel Craig years, which should be good.

The villains keep on referring to “our organization” throughout the film,  but they never reveal it to be SPECTRE.  In the end, they make a reference to Quantum, but that would be a bad direction for the series to take.  If they are going back to the classic Bond years, what is better than SPECTRE??  And the plot of this movie was perfect for the “extortion” part of the organization.  Bring back SPECTRE !!!

Good movies steal from the best.  This movie has echoes of “Thunderball” in the death of Agent Fields, the comely young British agent that dies while trying to help Bond.  And echoes of both “GoldFinger” and “For Your Eyes Only”  in the young woman trying to avenge a death in the family.  Excellent stuff.

Also, “Quantum” may be the first Bond movie where the ingredients and process to make the vodka martini are explicitly spelled out.  There may have been a reference to this unique drink in an earlier film, but I don’t think it was as detailed as here, making a nice counterpoint to the Vesper drink which was featured in “Casino Royale.”

Missed Dearly:  Our special armaments agent Q and his gadgets.  And some girls in bikinis,  this is supposed to be escapist entertainment !!!  If the writers can come up with an iconic villain that is not too preposterous in today’s realistic environments that would be great.  Maybe a guy with nanobots that transform him into an animal at convenient times1.

  1. Cybernetic lycanthropy, as Archangel has so succinctly put it [↩]
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Film, Internet, Television

Common Sense Ratings

Noticed something new on Netflix: a rating that wasn’t from the MPAA. Turns out it’s from an organization called Common Sense Media. It strives to do what Roger Ebert has been doing for years – let parents know when the MPAA got it wrong. However, it goes beyond movies into TV and video games, and goes beyond covering sex and violence into areas like consumerism. It also seems to stress – gasp – talking to your kids about how they should think about what they’re watching.

Sadly, this will probably go completely unnoticed by the parents who need it most. Like that couple complaining that the “free under 3” policy doesn’t apply to R-rated movies. Like the Exorcist. And yes, that’s a true story. We are doomed.

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