Not so Glamorous

We all have something to fight for. Everyday, every morning, every night. There are some fights that change from day to day. A job for example may be difficult and you have to overcome the daily challenges that you face there. But jobs often change. One fight that we must fight everyday that we are alive is ourselves. Our own sinful natures that rear their heads at the most inconvenient times.

More often than not we simply want to give up that fight; the fight against self. But as a guy I know that us guys always want something to fight for. That can often take shape in odd ways. One of the most notable ways in modern American culture is by playing video games.

"Huh? What?"

Let me explain. The biggest feature of video game advertised to guys my age are the violent/shoot-em-up games. Halo of course is a wonderful example of this. The Doom games a generation before. Space Invaders the generation before that. Lots of shooting, explosions and flying bits of.... stuff. We're fighting off terrorists, aliens, zombies and demons from hell. And when the women in our lives whine and complain about how we are not fulfilling our duties as men we are confused. "We're fighting off armies for you, don't you see? Can't you understand?"

No, they don't. Because we are fighting for the wrong thing. As men, we are wired to fight. But because we are also wired for laziness, we often fight for the wrong thing; the thing that requires a minimal sacrifice from ourselves. Either that or after realizing that we are fighters, we target the wrong thing as the enemy. Instead of trying to fight the sin nature hidden in the deep dark corners of ourselves, we naturally assume that we ourselves could NEVER be the problem and that it must be those around us: the Church, our parents, the boss, the teacher, the Man, God.

It's time we all reprioritized. We want glorious, glamorous battles to fight. Like the dudes in the video games who can take on hoards of enemy monsters and come our unscathed. There in lies the other thing we long for, a fight without pain or sacrifice. I am very sorry, but that is not possible. There is often very little glamour in the battles we fight. Not only that, but there is blood spilt along the trail, there are broken bones and gnashing of teeth.

I say this as much for my benefit as for your's. But one last thing: we do not fight this fight on our own strength. We fight with the fists of God, the wounds of Christ, and the assurance of the Holy Spirit. And the Trinity does NOT grow weary.

JSTT

I didn't know they made movies like that anymore

This is an overview/review/my comments on the movie Book of Eli.

WARNING! MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!


Envision this conversation:

Upstanding Hollywood Director: "Hey, I've got this great idea for a movie!"
Warner Brothers: "OK, what is it?"
UHD: "Well, the whole movie takes place in post-apocalyptic America. So basically the whole thing looks like the wild west."
WB: "I like it so far."
UHD: "And there's this guy see, and he is traveling west, he's not sure were exactly, carrying the last copy of the Bible on earth with him."
WB: "I love it! How much do you need?"
UHD: "About $80 million. Oh... and can we have Denzel Washington star as the protagonist?"
WB: "Of course!"

Can you picture it? Neither can I. But something to that effect happened. And now the Hughes brothers' film is roaming around theaters worldwide. Last movie they made was called From Hell. It was released 9 years ago and was about Jack the Ripper. What on earth happened between then and now? I have no clue, but whatever it is, I am grateful for it.

The movie starts simple enough. Denzel Washington is walking across the desert in slow motion, exuding pure coolness. He has a shot gun, a pistol, a backpack, an ipod and what we soon learn is a Bible. Soon enough his ipod runs out of juice and he runs out of water. Nothing for it but to enter the nearest town western style. Denzel finds ipod fix it man, Denzel finds pretty girl, Denzel finds trouble, Denzel finds evil Gary Oldman. Oldman wants to recruit Denzel. He has and eye for talent, and Oldman needs a bit more muscle to keep a hold of his town.

Denzel: "No can do."
Oldman: "Well, at least stay the night."

Denzel isn't given an option. In the middle of the night, Oldman, in an attempt to convince Denzel to stay, sends his daughter (Mila Kunis) to show him a... pleasurable evening. Little does he know Denzel is a man of God. Denzel teaches Mila to pray instead. Mila prays in front of Dad. Big no, no. Now Oldman wants the book.

Denzel: "What book?"

Denzel runs off into the desert. Mila goes with. Oldman chases. Denzel and Mila run into cannibals. They turn out to be nice cannibals. Oldman and co. show up and kill cannibals. Lots of shooting. Oldman gets Mila. "GIVE ME THE BOOK OR I'LL SHOOT HER!" Denzel gives him the book, Oldman shoots Denzel.

The end. Nice bleak, pessemistic ending. Religion doesn't solve problems, it causes them. Right?

Wrong.

Mila hijacks bad guys' car. Blows another one up. Runs off back to Denzel's body. Oldman gives up the chase. He has what he wants. Now he can twist Scripture and use it for his own purposes. Mila finds Denzel up and walking, still heading west. He gets in the car and they finally make it to San Fransisco and to Alcatraz, where another group of survivors are holed up.

Oldman makes it back to town, only to discover that the Bible he has is all in Braille. Denzel is blind. The film ends with Denzel, his wounds washed, dressed in white, dictating the Bible to a scribe, dictating the Scriptures that he has spent the past 30 years reading. And Oldman, dying of his wounds, looking at a Bible he can't read, watching his "kingdom" fall apart. Denzel is entering heaven. Oldman is entering hell.

God will preserve His Scripture and His people, no matter the circumstances. No matter the odds. No matter the cost. He will continue His work, and He WILL complete it!

God will...

Amen!

JSTT

Never Fear, the Flobots are Here!

It is finally time for another review. I am sure that some of you at least have heard of the fad hip/hop group, Flobots. For those unfamiliar with the group’s sound and direction, I’ll give you a point of reference. They take the political-mindedness of Rise Against, and add the Biblical worldview and catchy beats of Christian rappers like KJ-52, and PAX217. Have you ever wanted your music to actually SAY something, and yet not twist the facts? Have you ever been sickened by what the church is becoming and how it is aiding a fallen culture instead of impeding it? Never fear, the Flobots are here! And if you look beyond the exterior, I believe that they have the quality and power to stay on the scene for a long time.

 

Here are the lyrics to the opening song:

 

 

"There's a war going on for your mind

Media mavens mount surgical strikes from trapper keeper collages and online magazine racks

Cover girl cutouts throw up pop-up ads

Infecting victims with silicone shrapnel

Worldwide passenger pigeons deploy paratroopers

Now it's raining pornography

Lovers take shelter

Post-production debutantes pursue you in nascar chariots

They construct ransom letters from biblical passages and bleed mascara into holy water supplies

 

There's a war going on for your mind

Industry insiders slang test tube babies to corporate crackheads

They flash logos and blast ghettos

Their embroidered neckties say "stop snitchin'"

Conscious rappers and whistleblowers get stitches made of acupuncture needles and marionette strings

 

There is a war going on for your mind

Professional wrestlers and vice presidents want you to believe them

The desert sky is their bluescreen

They superimpose explosions

They shout at you

'pay no attention to the men behind the barbed curtain

Nor the craters beneath the draped flags'

Those hoods are there for your protection

And meteors these days are the size of corpses

 

There's a war going on for your mind

We are the insurgents"

 

WARNING: "Mayday," "Stand Up," "Combat," and "The Rhythm Method" contain some profanity.

Stand out tracks: "There's a War Going on for Your Mind," "Stand Up," "Handlebars," "Rise", and (if you can find this b-side track online) "So Happy Together."

Final score: 4 1/2 out of 5

 

Until next time,

Scott

The Dark Knight FAQ and Review

Wow, this turned out to be a REALLY long article! Hence, this will be an ALL Batman week! Yeahhhh!!!! So to start with, I wrote up a few frequently asked questions by Christians about Christopher Nolan's new film, "The Dark Knight." Hopefully they will answer a few of the rumors and concerns that have been floating around the webernet recently. After that I'll get on with the review.

Questions Frequently Asked (by Christians) about "The Dark Knight" 

Q1) Should "the Dark Knight" have been rated "R"?

A) No, I don't think so. Personally, I would not recommend the film to anyone under 13....oh, wait... it's already rated PG-13!!!!! In all seriousness, most of the really bad violence isn't even shown on-screen (the infamous scene where the Joker stabs a mans head with a pencil, for example, is so quick and bloodless that you don't even know what happened until several seconds after it's happened.) To be even more blunt, there were giant ants crawling into peoples' mouths and peoples' eyes bursting into flame in "Indiana Jones 4". I didn't hear of anyone complaining about THAT being PG-13!!!

Q2) Does Heath Ledger play a demonic character in the film?

A) Well, um... yeah, he does. The Joker is pretty evil here, but I think that it's called for. We're dealing with a much more realistic Batman now, so you need a more realistic villain. i.e. One that is really, really evil, as the Joker is in all the comics. Seriously, Ledger makes Jack Nicholson look like a big teddy bear in this movie!

Q3) Does Ledger really deserve a posthumous Oscar?

A) I don't know. I think that his performance was exceptional, but I think the postmortem nostalgia still has everyone misty eyed about giving the late Ledger an Oscar.

Q4) Is "the Dark Knight" really the best superhero movie ever?

A) Yes and no. Yes because I think that it was MUCH better than "Spiderman 3" (which was my previous favorite), no because I do not think that it was really a superhero movie (more on that later).

Q5) Is "the Dark Knight" so morally tainted that I should not support the film?

A) Definitely NOT! A lot of Christian nut jobs have been going around saying all kinds of things about this film: how we shouldn't support it because Heath Ledger was a demon and played a homosexual in "Brokeback Mountain," or because Warner Brothers in trying to push the PG-13 rating over the edge, or just because it's a grim movie. There is nothing wrong with being grim! A lot (and I mean A LOT) of the Bible is grim. Does that mean we throw the whole thing out because we don't want to hear bad news? The Narnia books have horrible baddies in them. Do Christian book stores ban THEM? How about the Narnia films or "The Passion of the Christ," they're grim, they have secular actors in them. Christians never got up in arms about THOSE films! So why project on "the Dark Knight"? Because a Christian didn't write the script? 'Cause Focus on the Family isn't promoting it? That's EXACTLY the kind of double standard that makes us so hateful to the world!

Personally, I think that "the Dark Knight" has as much spiritual application, if not more, than does the "Prince Caspian" film.

Q6) Is there a sequel already in the works?

A) NO!!!!! Do NOT believe the rumors that you hear! The Nolan brothers have NOT signed on to do another film... yet. NO, they have NOT cast Johnny Depp as the Riddler! And NO, NO, NO, Angelina Jolie is NOT playing Catwoman! Speculation this soon after the release of the film is just pointless. Let's at least wait until the DVD comes out before we start guessing.

Now, for the review you have been waiting for...

The (K)night is Darkest

 

 

         “The Dark Knight” is not a superhero movie; plan and simple. No, it aspires to be something far greater. Many movie critics have compared it to Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.” Although I have not seen “The Departed,” I would disagree, because even though I have not seen it, I have read the story and see nothing redeeming about it. Everything about “The Dark Knight” is redeeming.

         Why I say that it is not a superhero flick is simple: It defies the stereotypes. We’ve had plenty of superhero fare this summer. From Iron Man to the Hulk to Hancock, we always seem to get the same thing, lots of cool action, lots of “yuk, yuk” jokes and really campy plotlines. Sometimes campy isn’t all that bad, I mean, every now and then it works. But after a while you just get sick of superhero clichés. I know I do. “The Dark Knight” throws all that out and starts fresh. Much like what the Bourne series did to spy movies such as 007 and Mission Impossible. I don’t know if you noticed, but after “The Bourne Identity,” “M:I:III” and “Casino Royale” came out…. And what did they do? They tried to emulate Bourne’s realistic and gritty style, and for the most part, it works.

         The Nolan brothers have done the same with Batman. No more silly gags to break the tension, no more dumb filler characters and most notably, no assurance at the end telling us that everything will be alright… just more dread for the hero and less respect from the general public. Batman really becomes hated at the end of this film. And, no, don’t even try to compare it to Spiderman, because Parker’s trouble in Spiderman 2 looks like the Sunday funnies when compared to Batman’s trouble.

(WARNING, SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!!!!!)

         Ultimately, “The Dark Knight” is about choices. LOTS of choices! And how those choices affect the people around us and how others can affect the choices we make… if we let them.

         The movie starts with the Joker robbing a bank, and killing all but one of his henchmen along the way... on purpose. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne (Batman) is dealing with radioactive dollar bills, mob activity and a bunch of goons who think that it’s cool to dress up like him and go around shooting bad guys. Police Chief James Gordon confronts Batman about the Joker, believing that he is a major threat to Gotham. Batman disagrees, believing that the mob still posses more problems for the city.

         Wayne is also having relationship trouble. His girlfriend, Rachel Dawes, is now dating the DA of the city, Harvey Dent. However, after seeing Dent in action, Wayne sees that he could be good for Gotham. Dent is seemingly fearless against the criminals and mob bosses. Ulimately, Wayne believes that he has found someone with a face to take his place, so he can retire the suit. But hey, this IS a Batman movie… how likely is it that something like that would happen? You guessed it, not likely at all.

         So just when things are looking up, the baddies caught, the streets cleaned up, here comes Joker. Suddenly, several higher ups in the police force turn up dead and a Batman pretender winds up hanging from a noose. The city panics as the Joker shows up on the local news telling everyone that he will kill more people if Batman does not reveal his identity.

         With the help of a lot of high-tech gadgets, Wayne figures out through a series of clues that the Jokers next targets are Rachel Dawes, Harvey Dent and the Mayor. Batman and the police rush to put them into protective custody, but when the Mayor is almost killed, Gordon takes the bullet instead. In a long chase scene, the Joker, who is in a semi, attempts to kill Dent, who is in an armored vehicle, with a bazooka. The end result of which is that the Joker is captured and Dent gets away.

         Sadly for Dent and Dawes, the cops who were suppose to protect them are bent, and both of them end up in separate rooms filled with explosives, while the Joker just smiles and taunts his captures from his cell. Once Batman learns of their disappearances, he is enraged and assails the Joker in his cell, while the Joker just laughs manically. Finally, the Joker gives Batman the addresses of the hostages, and Batman goes after Dawes, while Gordon (who we learn faked his death in order to capture the Joker) goes after Dent. Little do they know that the Joker lied (of course.) Hence Batman is able to save Dent, but the sparks of the explosion light Dent, having half his face soaked in gasoline, aflame. Gordon is not able to save Dawes.

         Enraged and in pain, Dent lays in a hospital bed, refusing skin grafts to correct the damage done to his face. Deciding that all he needs is a little “push,” the Joker (who has escaped from prison through rather disgusting means) arrives to encourage him to take his revenge for the death of Rachel Dawes. So off Dent, now Two-Face, goes, after the crooked cops, now Commissioner Gordon and Batman himself, whom Dent believes are all responsible for the death of his girl.

         The Joker, after blowing up the hospital that Dent was in (all the people had been evacuated, thank God), he informs the citizens of Gotham that after tonight, the city will be under his rule. In panic, authorities load two boatloads of people on ferries to escape the city. One is filled with Gotham’s worst convicts; the other with hapless civilians Apparently, the Joker was expecting this. He cuts the power to both boats, and then addresses the passengers through the ships’ intercom. He tells them that he has rigged both ships with bombs, and has placed the trigger for each on the opposite boat. If one boat blows the other, he will let the surviving people live. But if no one has pulled the trigger by midnight, he will blow everyone sky-high.

          Batman rushes to the scene to confront the Joker. He is able to pin the villain to the ground as the clock ticks past midnight. The Joker realizing what time it is, is enraged that the people did not succumb to his evil plot. Resolving to kill them all he attempt to knock Batman off of himself to grab the trigger, but Batman defends himself by knocking the Joker off the building they are in. Refusing to let someone knowingly die, Batman save the Joker with a grappling hook and leaves him for the police, while Batman goes after Two-Face.

         He finds Dent with Commissioner Gordon and his family in the building where Rachel Dawes died. Dent, deciding whom to kill with a coin toss, shoots Batman in the abdomen, and then proceeds to threaten Gordon’s son, but before he can pull the gun, Batman gets up and tackles Dent, sending them both through a hole in to burnt out building. Dent lies motionless, while Batman struggles to get up. Gordon and his son come up to thank Batman, who tells them to inform the public that the murders that Dent committed where Batman’s fault, in order to preserve the people’s belief that Dent stood for something noble till the end. The film ends with Batman riding off into the night on his Batpod while Gordon’s son asks:

         “But he didn’t do anything wrong, dad. Why did he say that?”

         “Because, he’s our dark knight.”

        

         See any spiritual symbolism? I most certainly do. Even if Nolan didn’t intend it, it is clearly there. Batman sacrifices his life, his image and his future for the people of Gotham. Sounds a lot like someone else I know.

         The main theme, as I said above, is choices. And specifically how the Joker tries to form those choices for other people. Specifically the part with the ferries threw me. After my dad and I walked out of the theater, I asked him:

         “So what did Batman prove, when the people didn’t blow up the ferries? That humans are basically good? I mean, as Christians we don’t hold to that, right?”

         My dad gave me a look that said: “Of course we don’t believe that!” Then explained it like this: No, the movie didn’t prove that people are mostly good. It proved instead that the Joker didn’t have as much power over peoples’ decisions as he thought he did. See, through out the film, the Joker’s constant refrain is that he’s not after anything at all, or at least, he isn’t after anything logical. This is then backed up by several other characters… specifically Alfred. And while it is true that the Joker isn’t after money, I believe that he IS after something:

POWER.

By the end of the film Nolan takes that power away from him, and asserts that the choices made by the individuals in the movie were not indeed the Joker’s, they were their own. For example, Dent’s decision to murder the people that had wronged him, that was his own vendetta for vengeance… not the Joker’s.

In the end I think that this film makes a very powerful statement against terrorism. It does not work if we refuse to play the villains game. If we play along and run and hide, we have failed. But we are able, even in the face of evil, to make our own decisions, decisions that may define us for many, many years to come. This same concept applies to sin. We may be tempted, but as Christians, we are given the choice NOT to sin. I pray that we, like the convicts and civilians on the ferry, make the right choice… even if we don’t make it out alive.

 

5 out of 5. Definitely! 

Until next time,

Scott