NonModern

1960s in Film

2012-01-28T07:56:00.000+01:00

As would be expected and hopefully forgivable, I have seen fewer films from the decade of the Sixties than others that have come after I was old enough to catch films in their first run. Somehow though, I have seen more of what conventional wisdom regards as great in the decade than the Seventies or even to a degree the Eighties. Maybe that is because time ensures that the good survives while the fluff fades. Or, maybe I just agree more with the artistic sensibilities of the Sixties than the Seventies. In either case, this list may be a bit conventional:

Top Personal Films of the Sixties:

30. The Manchurian Candidate
29. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
28. For a Few Dollars More
27. The Shakiest Gun in the West
26. The Magnificent Seven
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"Hugo"

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

The experience of Martin Scorsese’s newest (and some imply, greatest) film will vary depending on what sort of moviegoer you are.

To the filmmaker, the film historian, and academic it will be amazing. It will tap into interests you already share with Scorsese—it is made with you in mind. Thus the eleven nominations from the Academy this year.

To the average moviegoer, looking for entertaining escapism or a fun bit of fantasy, it will be a mixed and fragmented experience compared to what you are accustomed. It will likely be both engaging and frustratingly distracted. Thus the poor performance at the box office.

The truth of the matter is that it should land somewhere in the middle.
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"An Idiot Abroad"

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

This travel program is not your typical British Comedy. If is funny, but it also makes you think on many more levels than just wit. The premise is that Karl Pilkington, a rather insular and close minded Brit, is sent around the world to broaden his horizons. It is perhaps a great training tool that could or should be considered for the segment of church population enamored with the “mission trip.” In any case it couldn’t hurt. Three things that would be helpful for anyone wanting to go to another culture jump out right away:
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A Pale “Game of Shadows,” Wherein I Vent Some Frustration

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

Last year’s sequel to Sherlock Holmes was a true let down. Do not misunderstand. It is a well-made, high quality movie. However, it will be on my list of the most disappointing films of 2011 for one particular reason: the title.
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Dear American Church,

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

Not a month goes by that an American Christian worker somewhere in Europe doesn’t get an email from a Church in the States involving a story about an exchange student who has “found Christ.” They would like the worker to find said student a good church home in their little European village. There are at least two problems with this situation in just about every case where it occurs, so they might as well be addressed in one handy blog post.

Dear American Church,
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“All Hallows’ Eve” by Charles Williams (1945)

2012-01-23T08:00:00.001+01:00

Williams’ last novel is a mixture of the experiences of reading his novels up to that point. It has a bit more narrative structure than his last effort, “Descent into Hell”—not as much plot as say “War in Heaven” but more along the lines of his first effort, “Shadows of Ecstasy.” In fact the basic plot mechanics here echo that first effort quite a bit. On the other hand, the philosophical digressions and in particular the exploration of Williams’ pet theology are on full display.
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Conclusion: Fulfill Your Calling! (Colossians 4:7-18)

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

At the conclusion of letters such as Colossians, a lot of people (myself included) tend to go into skim mode—sort of like when you hit the genealogy sections of the Old Testament. However, a closer look can often be rewarding especially for the insight we gain into the life of the church in Paul’s day.

Here specifically, three names jump out at us:

Tychicus grants us a connection with the letter that we today know as Ephesians. He was apparently the messenger bearing both letters, maybe a third one to Laodicea as well. (Unless that is the one we now call Ephesians.) Apparently the churches in the various homes across the increasingly Christian region kept in touch with one another and passed teaching and encouragement back and forth. We know that Paul in particular in his role as apostle had to stay in touch with the various groups he had started and in this case even with ones that were second or third generation removed.
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Top Ten Favorite Metropolises to Visit

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

This list really struggles to be a ten-list. I have only visited some 15 cities with over a million inhabitants. Of those, I only really loved and have interest to revisit around half. For these lists I will normally not include cities where I have lived (and I have never lived in a city this large) but I would only consider living in a few of these cities. Visit and live are completely different considerations:
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Pedestidol

2012-01-20T16:03:00.000+01:00

herds
warp man into figure
construct a pedestal
extol its greatness
raise a following
whitewash its thought
parse away its missteps
worship the creature

gods
believe the hype
construct their pedestal
climb on their tower
become inerrant
or misunderstood
or persecuted
feed the stampede

warning:
be wary of pride
maintain perspective
preserve humility

never believe your press.

Star Trek The Next Generation (Season 3A)

2012-01-19T15:20:00.000+01:00

This is more like it. Season three starts out with quality episodes. The ideas, the story mechanics and the structure are thought out much better than before. Just about every episode poses some compelling ideas and doesn’t get in the way of itself with silliness. Just about.

Episode 1: “Evolution”

This first episode is a good example of the way this season works. The secondary storyline is fairly standard. A man’s life work is threatened and he loses sight of everything else in the pursuit of salvaging it. In this case the “everything else” just so happens to be a case of spontaneous generation. For those who don’t know what that is it is life that suddenly forms from non-life. It is a scientific impossibility that people used to believe in when they believed in stuff like magic. It is also a basis for the Theory of Evolution. Although, come to think of it, this life was formed from machines made by man so maybe it is a story about intelligent design?

That problem aside, we are treated to a highly accelerated case of evolution. That’s right the machines aren’t simply new life, they are mutating and evolving every microsecond. This is an example of a perfect story mechanic. The audience doesn’t stop to ask if what is happening makes sense, they just accept it and that provides us with a very interesting story about ethics, respect for life and the importance of communication. However, when you stop to think about the mechanics of the evolution it all falls apart.

These machines were designed (DESIGNED) to reproduce. They function as they were designed to, so no problem there. In fact they do it extremely well. They have multiple new generations every second. Then, as they “become life” they begin to mutate. Mutation means that they are no longer copying correctly—they are malfunctioning. Instead of ceasing to function--instead of a single mutation causing a catastrophic failure—each and every mutation miraculously advances them to the point where they are an intelligent race with concepts like ethics, peace, war and the desire to explore. It is quite frankly, a stretch.

That, and why do they have to use Data to communicate when the computer they already occupy can talk? Hey at least it is making us think. That is what this season is like.
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More Top Films: Grey Sky Happiness

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000+01:00

“Singing in the Rain” is one of the best movies for so many reasons. It is a musical that was originally created for the screen, not adapted from the stage. It popularized songs that are an important part of the public conscious over sixty years later. Its production values are staggering. It is a multilayered story about stories and film making; a farce about farces within farces. The theatricality is breathtaking, especially in the “Broadway Melody Ballet” segment.

Maybe you think it is too old fashioned and doesn’t hold up to the demands of today’s audiences. It is admittedly long and it does have some excess fat around the middle that it could be argued is not essential to the story. Maybe it is such a part of your social memory that you think you don’t like it without having ever truly seen it. Its most famous bits can be a bit sentimental. Perhaps, however, that is the secret to its longevity and acclaim.
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Pastors, Teachers, Shock-Jocks?

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

There is a lot of discussion and debate going on about the role of publicity in ministry. Is it a good thing to take advantage of it to spread the message of the Gospel further? In generating more attention, do we cloud the message? The Gospel is controversial, but does that mean that every controversial thing we say or believe is indeed a part of the truth?
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“Fyodor Dostoyevsky” by Peter Leithart

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000+01:00

Part of the Christian Encounters series

Leithart does a great job of summarizing Dostoyevsky’s life and philosophical development in an easy to read volume. The story is told in narrative form as a series of flashbacks and memories framed in a hypothetical night of conversation between Fyodor and an old friend. He manages to make the life and times of this author something that the reader can grasp, which in turn enables Dostoyevsky’s writings easier to grasp.
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The Wisedom and Grace of the Witness (Colossians 4:2-6)

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

[2] Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. [3] At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—[4] that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
[5] Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. [6] Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
(Colossians 4:2-6 ESV)

Many believers are disciplined about praying for “the missionaries” daily. Here is a Biblical example of a missionary asking for prayer, and instructing his supporters how best to pray for him. The normal things that people pray for are safety, provision of needs and opportunities to serve. Paul cuts right to the chase and asks for one thing: clarity of communication. Paul wants the opportunity, strength and words to best share the mystery of the Gospel. This is what every Missional believer wishes for, and what everyone praying for Missional believers should be requesting.

Not only that, but this is how every believer should be conducting their daily lives: in a quest for such communication. Our lives should be governed by a wisdom that pervades all interactions. How do we present Christ in every moment and relationship? Every word we say should be seasoned by our experiences with God. Every conversation is a potential opportunity to share the miracle and joy that is a life shared with God. Not in a prepackaged, awkward, sales pitch manner, but naturally as though one actually had daily experiences with God to share.

Top (and bottom) Buffy Episodes

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

As a cap-off to last year’s re-watch of the entire run of Buffy, here is a list of the top 30 episodes, with a five word “description.” Also, the ten worst episodes:

30. “Phases”
Oz’s nephew is a werewolf?
29. “Lies My Parents Told Me”
Spike has Freudian mommy issues
28. “Doppelgangland”
So, evil Willow is lesbian?
27. “Buffy vs. Dracula”
Xander is Dracula’s Butt Monkey
26. “Selfless”
Real redemption requires a sacrifice
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"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

2012-01-13T10:26:00.000+01:00

This latest “spy” film is not living up to a lot of people’s expectations. That is likely because it is a more realistic portrayal of what the intelligence warfare was like during the cold war, and nothing like the fantastic superhero spy fiction to which audiences have become accustomed.

The way that the film tells the story can also be a frustration for today’s audiences. It does not spoon feed the plot to us, but requires active participation from the audience. The story is not just a mystery, but is presented in mysterious ways. If we are to follow what is happening, we need to connect the facts for ourselves. It is a thinking person’s film, and people don’t generally go to the theater to think these days.
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Bones “The Truth in the Myth”

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

At this writing I am several episodes behind the rest of the world, but “Bones” has been going the route of so many crime dramas. It started out as a creative take on solving interesting mysteries with a cast of well developed characters who develop over the course of episodes. Slowly the character development and interactions become so involved that the mysteries and stories begin to take a back seat. The compelling cases have been few and far between throughout the fifth and sixth seasons, and even the interpersonal relationships have stagnated as we head toward the inevitable union that we all know has been coming since the pilot.

That being said, there is another way that “Bones” is blazing its own trail. The relationship between the ultra-empiricist scientist and her blind-faith embracing partner has been explored with an even-handed fairness that is refreshing. Usually Hollywood treats faith like a medieval superstition. This show does a good job of demonstrating that faith does not have to be irrational and that empiricism can be as prejudiced and traditional and dogmatic as the church. It exposes the religious nature of Scientism.
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Star Trek The Next Generation (Season 2b)

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

Seeing early “Star Trek: The Next Generation” seasons is an exercise in understanding how a good idea can take a lot of time and many false starts to reach its full potential. Corporate television would never let a show like this find its way these days. Thankfully, Paramount did, because STNG does get better even by the end of this season, though true improvement—the sort that places STNG on multiple Top 50 lists—is a year away:

Episode 12: “The Royale”
A rather Twilight Zoney episode that would seem out of place had the series established any sort of consistence or standard by this point.

Episode 13: “Time Squared”
As written this episode makes little sense. A vetoed plot point involving Q and tying into the Borg plot-line would have almost explained things, but that didn’t happen. By the way, have we lost count how many times episodes this season involve “all powerful” alien intelligences checking the enterprise out?

Episode 14: “The Icarus Factor”
It is generally hard to become emotionally moved by a completely foreign cultural custom that appears to have been made up on the set the day of filming. In this episode they try to so move us twice, and the characters have simply not been developed enough for us to overlook the problem.

Episode 15: “Pen Pals”

OK, this episode stinks as bad—or worse than the other ones but there is one point interesting enough that it merits attention: The debate about the Prime Directive and duty that arises when Data disobeys said Directive. (Anyone else have a problem that it is the Android that goes against programming here?) The question raised is the same one that comes up when you watch animal documentary shows. How do scientists or filmmakers who observe animals allow them to die when they could do something to help? Scientists and story tellers can become quite inhumane in their quest for truth or a good story. Theology in a vacuum or an ivory tower can be the same way. It does no good to know a lot about God if you are not going to allow that knowledge to affect your life.

Episode 16: “Q Who”

Carrying the ideas of “Pen Pals” forward, the scientific exploration of the Enterprise’s mission is brought into question by Q. It is ultimate pride and arrogance to think that humanity will reach a point where it can rove the universe learning about it at an arms distance. Life is not simply study and understanding and humanity will never reach a point where it has solved all of the universes challenges. Living requires conflict and this series finally gets some in the form of an unreasonable race of evil. It will take over a season for the Borg threat to reach its full potential, but this is what will finally help this show.

Episodes 17, 18: “Samaritan Snare” and “Up the Long Ladder”
A couple of comedic… misfires. The later has the misfortune of trying to tell a story about the future, right when the world was about to change in ways no one could imagine. On the other hand, sub-plots in both episodes involve characters worrying about the medical privacy. How forward thinking!

Episode 19: “Manhunt”

This one IS funny.

Episode 20: “The Emissary”
The Star Trek writers lump the idea that “sex should only belong within the confines of a life-long monogamous commitment” in with the warlike and primitive violence of the Klingon Empire. Then again, they manage to turn around and make that a special sentiment as well.

Episode 21: “Peak Performance”
Fun, but how exactly did Worf trick the Ferengi ship? We know where he got the security code for the Enterprise, but… Sorry, I accidentally slipped into geek-nit-picker mode.

Episode 22: “Shades of Grey”
Let’s pretend that this never happened, shall we? (Hmmm)

And Thereby Hangs a Bushy Tail

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000+01:00

Why the sly and shy vulpine
Dares to share and to opine
While happy yappy canine
Harries scary mad feline
As tension though fun, benign
Results insults and maligns
Can old eyes of wise divine

"Sherlock" (Season 1)

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

Moffat has shown a great adeptness at taking and adapting popular characters to today’s sensibilities. His “Doctor Who” stories have consistently been the best of the revived series. He had critical success with his reimagining of “Jekyll.” It was only logical that he should turn to one of the most popular characters in all of English Lit.

Bringing Holmes and Watson into the 21st Century had its risks. So many Sherlock Holmes fans are only fans of the traditional interpretations that have stagnated for decades. This series and the new Holmes movies have shown that there is a lot of range and wiggle room contained within the text. Some can’t handle Holmes being as unlikable as he was in the stories. Some have an inexplicable need for Watson to be an idiot.
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Households (Colossians 3:18-4:1)

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

Once again, as in its parallel teaching in Ephesians, Paul’s household exhortation is a study in minding your own business. In fact, it is even clearer here in its simplicity. He does not highlight the symbolic nature of marriage, for instance. He simply reminds each role of its focus. Wives, submit; husbands, love; children obey, parents, don’t discourage etc.

How this passage is not constructed, but the reading a lot of teachers and most believers give it would be as follows:
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Most Anticipated Films of 2012

2012-01-07T12:00:00.000+01:00

[Updated January 20, 2012]

This is a tough exercise every year, with a lot of films not announced that will likely take the places of some of these, but here goes:
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Captain America, Mega Mind and the Corrupting Quality of Power

2012-01-06T16:16:00.000+01:00

For the most part, last summer’s lead up to the much anticipated “Avengers” movie was just that… a lead up. To be sure it is a rousing adventure and entertaining escapism. In fact, it is probably the best of the bunch outside of the first “Iron Man.” There is not much to think about in this story, though. The big lesson in “Captain America,” outside of “Nazis are bad” and jingoism, is that power is a bad thing in the wrong hands. The process that increases Steve Roger’s strength and abilities increases everything about the man. In the case of the enemy of the piece, Red Skull, it has increased his capacity for evil.

Steve Rogers’ is an unusual man because he seems to be completely good. He has no capacity for evil, he is an innocent. Usually the real message about power is that it corrupts. That message was better handled in a lesser movie from 2010: “Megamind.”
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Scary Geek Tribe

2012-01-05T13:00:00.000+01:00

I’m a geek so I speak in a language all my own
And I search the whole Earth for a kindred sort of soul.
Though I like old archetypes, universal mythology
My semantics and odd habits demand a narrow ontology.
If you happen to like my cannon then you can join my tribe
But if we vary even rarely then to me you will have died.

Hidden Hedonism

2012-01-04T15:09:00.000+01:00

There is an amazingly insightful scene in the book “Perelandra,” where the protagonist experiences an unexpected but exhilarating thrill when he is doused by an alien fruit. The moment is so pleasant he immediately turns around to experience it again, but instinctively knows that he should not do it. Not out of any danger to himself, but rather because it would be harmful to the innocence of that newly created world. It is an insight into the danger of hedonism.

When you think about the root cause or characteristic of sin, you may turn to pride at one end or sloth at the other, or you might think of money or the power it represents as being where evil has its root. However, in many ways it all boils down to the pleasure principle.

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Beauty in Spite of Bleakness, Speaks

2012-01-03T15:19:00.000+01:00

“Lidice” opens with a rich, colorful shot of a meadow. A woman approaches the camera and Kneels before what we soon realize is a man, lying prone on the ground. This opening is intercut with a flashback of the same pair having an affair. Even though the only skin shown is the man’s back, it is an embarrassingly explicit scene for the viewer as voyeur. This opening is appropriate for the film as a whole, both because the film is beautifully shot despite its bleakness and it is hard to watch due to its subject matter.
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The Resolution

2012-01-02T15:07:00.001+01:00

With every single kiss
She gives herself away.
Lately though for him
Its just a game he plays.
Her hope is just a dream
That has refused to die
And yearning for his love
She daily gives her life.

Loving someone brings about
Vulnerability.
Emotional betrayals
Fill her with such grief.
Crying in bed at night
Till sleep dims all the shame
She makes the choice to live her life
Free from all the pain.

Now she dies inside each time
The phone brings her his voice
She steels her heart
hangs up the phone
To firmly live her choice.

Put On, Outerwear (Colossians 3:16-17)

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

[16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.(Colossians 3:12-17 ESV)

Sometimes we need help changing at our core. The outward things that mold who we are, train our character and transform us are what Paul mentions next in his list of things we should “put on” as we assume the character of Christ.

The Word is the most useful and transformative agent of change in our lives. We can use it to help us see the things we need to change in ourselves, but also to teach others. Taking the truth of scripture and turning it into poetry and songs is a useful way to help us keep it in mind and in our hearts.

The attitude that encompasses our whole being should be one of constant thankfulness. No matter how uncertain the future seems nor how challenging our present can be, it is always better than it could have been if we were on our own. With God in our lives and in control, we can live with perfect hope, and that is a constant source of thanksgiving.

End of the Year 2011

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000+01:00

Thanks for reading, please consider following, tell others about NonModern, and of course keep visiting! Here is some data about the blog’s performance for 2011:

Entries in 2011: 298 (2010 was 278)

Page Views: 35,400+ (Up from 14,500+ in 2010 and 7,851 in 2009)

Visits came from 2,452 cities on six continents.

Countries: 124 and all 50 States

Top ten countries by viewers: USA, UK, Germany, Austria, Canada, Australia, Philippines, India, Brazil, France

Top ten states by viewers: Texas, California, Georgia, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio

(For comparison here is the 2010 entry.)

Some of the most viewed entries in December:

A Buffy Excursus: Repentance

“Fringe” Season One

Further Styrian Adventures: Monsters

An Illustration for Yesterdays Post

“Midnight in Paris”

Inception: A (Spoiler Heavy) Critique

The Twitter Experiment

The Buffy Rewatch (Season 7a)

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000+01:00

The Christmas Special of “Doctor Who” has become a tradition. It is tradition that the Doctor will have one more light hearted, sentimental but largely un-impactful adventure every year on Christmas Day. The early years when Russell T. Davies was penning the special also required that they occur on our current, real world Christmas Day and that the Earth be threatened by alien forces. This aspect has had to be corrected quite a bit in the Moffat run of the show, because well… we were all there and nothing like an alien invasion happened. Moffat has also managed to use the special both years to have fun telling stories that are inspired by other Christmas fiction. Last year was loosely based on “The Christmas Carol” and this year turned to Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”
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That's Real Lady-like

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

I’m not a consumer of “raunchy” comedies. Looking back over the past decade or more, I have missed out on just about every one of them. It is not out of a sense of offense—I must admit, for instance, that bodily functions can be some of the most amusing things in life—but rather because the sort of comedies made these days tend to fail in the humor department. Where a well played poop-joke brings me to tears; over using language or simply shocking the audience into laughter strikes me as lazy, not funny.

However, with all of the buzz surrounding “Bridesmaids” this year, I decided to dip my toe back into what passes for comedy. The results were mixed.
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Why “The Hobbit” Trailer Makes Me Sad

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000+01:00

Last week the teaser trailer for the highly anticipated film, “The Hobbit” was made public. A friend lamented that there was a year-long wait ahead of us and consoled herself by saying that she might reread the book in the meantime. My initial thought was that that might ultimately be a more fulfilling experience. The second was sadness at how the experience of that book is about to forever change.

Not that there is a fear that the movie(s) will be bad. Jackson’s trilogy was done to perfection. It is among my favorite films. I know people (readers mind you) who consider the films to be superior to the books. Still, it is merely an interpretation of the story. In today’s culture however, the film version of a story tends to become the dominate interpretation. It is sad to think that today, a large portion of “Lord of the Rings” fandom have never ever read the books. That is what is about to happen to “The Hobbit.” The sad fact is that most people will not read a book once having seen the film, especially when it is considered to be a difficult or long book.

“The Hobbit” is a children’s book. Like all great children’s literature it is intended for kids and adults; but the point is it is an easy read. (Or at least it was considered an easy read back when people were literate.) If you have never read it, please take advantage of the time you have and get this book read before the movie comes out next year. If you have already read it, consider experiencing it one more time before it is forever colored by the experience of the film’s interpretation.

The Buffy Rewatch (Season 7b)

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

This post is inspired by the ongoing Buffy Re-watch being conducted over at Nik at Night. Check them out for a better, more detailed look at each episode every Tuesday.

The surprising result of revisiting season seven during this year’s exercise was to discover that it is less compelling than season six. That is often overlooked because the stand-out episodes are well done and memorable and the grand finale—that episode that sticks with one when all is said and done—is so satisfying. It has already been mentioned that the season’s overarching tale plods rather slowly and dominates most episodes in a “soap opera” style. This is only accentuated this half as few episodes have somewhat self contained ideas:
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“You Can’t Take It with You” (1938)

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

It is always amazing just how well a Capra movie holds up. Seventy Three years after its release, “You Can’t Take It with You” plays like it was made for today’s audiences. The messages of the film are things that today’s audiences need to hear. Of course, the generational cycle has come back around to a point very similar to where we were back in the twenties and thirties, so it does make sense that films and stories from those days would ring true today.
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Sing Out of Christmas 6

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

Salvation
Is here.
Now God is nigh.
Good will
One night
Under Bethlehem’s sky.

The sound
Of Angels
For unto all men.
Christ has come, died,
Has
Risen again.

Is the
Season not more,
Transcending one day?
Most Assuredly
Aye, To
Souls who are saved!

The Best of Christmas Markets

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

I have seen a lot of “Best Christmas Market” lists going around the web. Surprisingly only half of them include the true best of the best. To be fair, most of them seem to be constructed by reputation. I certainly doubt any of the writers have really been to all of the truly great markets. For one thing there are truly a lot, and you only have about 4 weeks in a year to see them. I have not been to many, even in six Christmases, but I can share some of the best that I have experienced—and maybe more helpfully—share some of the characteristics that make up a good market to help people evaluate markets throughout Europe.

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Sing Out of Christmas 5

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

Sing the carols
Through the night
Out in the meadows
To the sky
Of Christ who came
For you and me
Christmas canta
To the King

Star Trek The Next Generation (Season 2a)

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

The second season of STNG starts out a little worse than the first season, if that is possible. It does quickly improve, however, and manages to address a couple of interesting philosophical things. (That being said, these episodes are not up to today’s expectations. A full hour of television devoted to one simple idea is no longer the way things are done. It is surprising today to look back on these shows and see how slowly and simply television writing was. One can watch these episodes at 2x speed and understand every word spoken and keep up with the plot completely.)

In a quick outline, here is what this half had to offer:

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"Canonicity" in Real Life

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

In terms of the Bible, canon refers to those works that are accepted by the Church as being authoritative. Teachings can be based upon canonical texts. They accurately reflect God’s truth—reality.

Over time, the term canon has been applied to other collections of writings. It all started with the fictional history of Sherlock Holmes. Those stories written by Doyle were “canon” while those by other authors or even just fans are not. None of the stories told about Holmes are real; they are all fiction. However, for the sake of people taking about Holmes—or even people who wish to write further adventures about him—the canon writings are the ones that must not be contradicted.
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MIB Insight

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000+01:00

The “Men in Black” movies are mostly just clever entertainment. A new one coming out next year has prompted me to revisit the first two. There is not a lot of deep thought or insight here, outside of the most generic of bits about how small we really are in the grand scheme of things, how clueless people are to reality, and about the sacrifice of serving humanity.

There is, however, a moment of unusual insight in the first film when K is recruiting J for the agency. J asks why there is such a need for secrecy. He thinks people would be able to handle the weight of the truth. K’s response is revealing:
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"What Would Buffy Do" by Jan Riess

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

This is one of several books released in the past decade that look to popular culture for insights into spiritual matters. Like most of them it is not a “Christian” book. It abounds with quotes and thoughts from many different religions. That being said it does have good, quality thoughts about what Whedon’s series has to say about life.

The fact that so many of these books exists is evidence of how preoccupied art is with the spiritual side of life, even these days. Or maybe more so these days. That is a good thing for people interested in sharing the truth of the Gospel with others. Interest is up and people are searching. Tom Wolf says that very culture has a mythos that is incomplete and wrong in some places but has some echoes of the truth. Every culture has people who have aspects of the truth in them. Pop culture does as well. These are points of contact.
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"Put On," Underwear (Colossians 3:12-15)

2011-12-18T15:25:00.001+01:00

[12] Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)

Rather than encouraging attempts at self-improvement through rules and prohibitions; Paul has instructed believers to remember that they are dead to their old, sinful behaviors. Instead, having risen in Christ, they are to take on His characteristics. If you carry the “put on” metaphor forward, these are the undergarments. That which is closest to us, that which shapes who we are and how others see us. This is not a costume that hides our true nature.
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“Guilty Pleasure” Holiday and Winter Songs

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

Even while keeping the “main thing” about Christmas the “main thing” and not misleading my kids, I don’t think everything about the Holiday season has to be on message. Here are some of my favorite songs this time of year that are not Christ-massy:

Songs celebrating the “feeling” of the season:
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season
White Christmas
The Christmas Waltz

Songs with no mention of Christmas at all, more like winter songs:
Marshmallow World
Winter Wonderland
Sleigh Ride
The White World of Winter

The possible “coal recipient” songs, the acceptably naughty:
Santa Baby
Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Others?

This Post Is Not About Tebow

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000+01:00

Tim Tebow has been the biggest source of conversations this NFL season. Everybody has an opinion, and he has generated a lot of controversy. Part of that is due to the fact that he is a bit more open and serious about his faith than our secular society is comfortable with, but that might not be the main reason. What Tebow is exposing and revealing about our culture today is that we have become whole-heartedly committed to the Cult of Self.

The knock on Tebow going into the league is that he was not a good quarterback. The only problem with that assessment is that, since he has taken on the starting quarterback role for his team, they went from a one win and four loss record to winning every game but one. How is it possible for a “bad” player to lead a team to so many wins?
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Accidental Tourism and Random Adventures

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

While travel is amazing, tourism is rather lame. Nobody likes to be seen as a tourist, even when they are traveling in a strange place they have never been before. Even if they are there to see sites. Nothing produces such generic results as the guided tour. People who take the tour are certainly informed, but they end up knowing the “official” version of a place that everyone knows—the one that they could have gotten from Wikipedia.

The antidote to generic tourism is to simply explore. If you get the chance, when you go to a new place you should first seek to get lost. If you have enough time in a place, you should spend the first day or more with no agenda and simply explore. If your time is limited, or the area you are visiting is huge and overwhelming, do some research to get an idea, but do not plan an itinerary.

The results of such travel are discovery and a unique experience. You will never forget the things you find this way and often they will be treasures that only you, the locals, and no “tourist” know about. Even the famous sites, when stumbled upon this way, are more interesting and special because you have found them on your own. Every city visit is benefited through exploration; you don’t need world famous sites to discover things worth seeing. Traditional or more informative travel has its place, but if you get a chance to wander first you will gain far more appreciation for the places you get to go.

Cross Walk Religion

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

In most parts of the Germanic world a cross walk is an important thing. You can see crowds of people standing at the light, waiting for it to turn green when there is no traffic to be seen. Even in the late hours of the evening (towns tend to shut down completely at 8:00 pm) when no cars are on the street, people will stop and wait for the light.

Now, lights are there to protect people. They give them a clear window in which to cross the street with no danger of vehicles. And it is a good idea to respect the light on a busy road, or even a non-busy road when there are children watching. You don’t want to be a bad example. However, to some extent an adult ought to be able to decide for themselves whether it is safe to cross a street or not. When there are no cars, or when the light is broken, punishing an adult for crossing crosses from protection to legalism.

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"Spellbound"

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

When Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound” is brought up, most people think of Salvador Dali and the (in)famous dream sequence. Perhaps some think of it being Bergman’s and Hitch’s first collaboration, or the somewhat ridiculous and misogynistic plot. However, the standout detail in my latest viewing was the over-the-top psychoanalysis as modern religion angle.

The big issue in the film is that of guilt and specifically the fact that it is a lie we tell ourselves to punish us for something we did not do. This is all well and good in the case of a mystery story—if the protagonist is indeed innocent. The only evidence that our heroine has to go on in the case of Peck’s character is the fact that she loves him. Every time new evidence appears to implicate him, she goes back to the argument that he can’t be guilty because the feeling of guilt itself is a sign of innocence!
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"Descent into Hell" by Charles Williams

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

This was the one I was dreading as I decided to read all of Williams’ novels this year. Years ago when I first decided to read all seven, “Descent” is the one that undid me. Reading the previous five this year was a good preparation and training apparently. That, and as they say: the third time is the charm.

Some, like the reviewer quoted on the back of my copy, say that this is Charles Williams’ best novel. It does certainly best communicate his theology. That is also where the problems arise.
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Take Off (Colossians 3:5-11)

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

Whenever anyone begins to point out that the Bible is against legalism, everyone assumes that they are teaching that anything goes. This is no more a Biblical position than legalism. Paul is always consistent in pointing out that the true antidote to legalism is not hedonism. However, instead of teaching a set of rules and guidelines he always fights for a change of behavior—like a change of clothes.

In Christ, the believer is a new creature. The new creature comes with a new drive—a new desire—new duds. Before we can truly put on our new way of life—or maybe as we change—we have to take off the old outfit to make room for the new.

In this metaphor, the legalist is arguing for a striptease. We are expected to merely take off all our old, negative, and now unnatural behaviors and stand naked and dying for something—anything—to put on. Instead, Paul is going to stress the new outfit far more than the old. What we should clothe ourselves in rather than what we should shed. However, it is only natural that we take off the old repulsive things before or as we put on the new.

Even then, this is not a detailed “how to” of what to remove. He simply reminds the believer of the things that are no longer natural for the believer, the things that go against love: sexual immorality, idolatry and hatred. The sort of thing that would suggest to a girl how she should dress; but not the type that would have her applying a ruler to her skirt to make sure it is a short as is allowable without breaking a “law.”

Top Cities I Would Like to See:

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000+01:00

As this post goes online, I will be returning home from a short glimpse at a city that was at the top of my “Cities to See in Person” list. Hopefully it will now be moved to my “Favorite Cities I Have Visited” list, but that is another post. Here is the newly adjusted list of the top 15 cities I would best like to visit some day:

15. Jerusalem
14. Brasov
13. Athens
12. Oslo
11. Nice
10. Amsterdam
9. Stockholm
8. San Francisco
7. Florence
6. St. Petersburg
5. Edinburgh
4. New York
3. Machu Picchu
2. Cairo
1. Rome

Spirituality in "The Santa Claus 2"

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

The sequel to “The Santa Clause” is not a great movie. Then again, it is simply continuing the trend of the first film aiming to be a minor seasonal entertainment. It also shares with that first film a surprising insight into things that matter—into illustrating some spiritual truths that are worth considering.
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"Fringe" Season Two

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

Season Two of “Fringe” was a disappointment for the most part. The writers improved on their ability to tell a story that was interesting from a mechanical standpoint. The played with storytelling devices in a creative way. However, that overall season-long story was not terribly compelling until right at the very end. Meanwhile, their individual, episodic stories were far from interesting and fairly prosaic—for the genre. Especially for people who had watched the series that clearly inspired “Fringe.” “The X Files” had already done many of these themes far better.

That being said there were a couple compelling moments this season, especially in the redemptive thread that runs through the series (so far) in the character of Walter.
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Spirituality in “The Santa Clause”

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000+01:00

I was a bit of a Santa spoiler as a child. My parents didn’t “do” Santa. In spite of that I had incredible and memorable Christmases. As parents, my wife and I carried that tradition forward. We don’t ban Santa or anything. We just never taught our kids to believe in him. They always knew that he was a "game" that some people played, but we didn't. We take faith too seriously to cloud the issue with lies—however well meaning they may be.

Ironically, the 1994 movie “The Santa Clause” has something to say about the subject, and actually stumbles upon a very deep truth. When the new Santa arrives at the North Pole for the first time, an elf tells him, “Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.”

This is something the Bible teaches as well. Hebrews 11 tells us that faith is the assurance of things not seen. It repeatedly teaches that the Gospel is impossible to understand without faith. This highlights the somewhat misguided attempts of “Modern” Christians who tried to “prove” the truth of the Gospel, or to convince people of the reality of God through reason alone.
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More Inside Missional Baseball

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

The goal of believers with a “Missional” outlook is to do things that will positively effect change in culture through the multiplication and growth of communities of believers. Such a cultural movement is usually called a church planting movement. These movements occur somewhat rarely but there are usually a few occurring somewhere in the world. A current and particularly exciting one has been featured in a book highlighting some of the factors and methods that helped this movement flourish.

The two factors that went unmentioned in the book are somewhat surprising and unexpected given that they go against a lot of the dominate thinking in missiology these days:
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An Illustration for Yesterday's Post

2011-12-05T09:30:00.000+01:00

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and the goal of this Blog is brevity, here is an illustration that may make yesterdays thoughts clearer:

“Youth Ministry” is a frustrating mix of leading people to truth that can change their lives and “pre-discipleship” using a heavy dose of legalism. Part of that is dictated by the fact that you deal mostly with teenagers who are not yet in Christ and therefore can’t be expected to behave as He wishes. Mostly, however, it is due to the fact that you are dealing with a bunch of parents who insist that your job is to keep their kids religiously in check and therefore out of trouble and decidedly NOT in helping their kids be passionate for God.
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Alive in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4)

2011-12-04T12:50:00.001+01:00

[3:1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4 ESV)

The key for followers of Jesus trying to live a life pleasing to God lies in knowing who they are; not in following a regimental system or list of prohibitions. Sure, there is always the struggle between who we are and who we used to be, but overcoming in that fight is not something we do but something that God does in us.

The mistake a lot of people make when reading this passage is to think that it is about some Gnostic knowledge that we must obtain. As if everything about the physical world is negative and we are supposed to spend eternity on a cloud somewhere playing a harp. (Why aren’t harps bad like other “earthy” instruments?) The “things above” are not otherworldly, they are things the way God intended them to be. The Kingdom of God is and will ultimately be an earthly kingdom, but on earth as God wants it to be.

As His followers we are a part of that kingdom. Instead of focusing on what it is no longer our nature to do, we concentrate on doing the things that we know we should be doing. We live as Christ would live because we are hidden in him. The more we seek to live like Christ, the more the Spirit empowers us to do so.

The Most Viewed NonModernBlog Posts in November

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here are some of the most viewed posts here for the month of November 2011:

A Buffy Excursus: Repentance

The Top 25 Animated Films

Inception: A (Spoiler Heavy) Critique

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Silly Symphony: Music Land (1935)

Star Trek The Next Generation (Season 1a)

The Buffy Rewatch (season 7a)

The Twitter Experiment

On Language: Worship

Take a Deep Breath, and Slowly Drop That Turkey Baster!

X-Men First Class

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000+01:00

The X-Men stories have always taken the super hero escapism and adventure and delivered unsubtle social commentary and, well… sermons. It stands to reason that Marvel Comics would eventually go this route, what with most of their heroes a result of radiation induced mutation. When they decided to have a whole slew of heroes whose mutation is a step in human evolution they had the perfect metaphor for addressing discrimination and intolerance towards those different in society. The fact that they came up with the concept in the 60s made it even more of a no brainer.

The series of X-Men films have all addressed serious issues while delivering diminishing levels of enjoyment. Some of the problems the films have are intrinsic to the story itself. The fact that the evolutionary mutations are occurring so quickly, haphazardly and with no limits other than each character generally has one special ability, push suspension of disbelief to the extreme—not to mention the huge cast of characters one must juggle.
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I Must Remove My Jacket

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

(Inspired by Maroon 5 and Ashlyn)

Just look at the stars
On winter nights
It warms up the heart
Christmas tree lights
Memories of days
When our parents would say
We’d better behave

All the cold and the snow
And we waited
Time passed so slow
Now I see it
I feel I’m a kid
This season’s a thrill
But what’s blocking my bliss
My problem is this:

There’s just far too much sun
It’s way too warm
Hot chocolate to be drunk
But it’s too warm
Makes you want to lose your jacket
I must remove my jacket
I must remoooooove… my jacket

I don’t need all the sunlight
I need more snow and more cold nights

Instead, I want to lose my jacket
I must remove my jacket
I must remoooooove… my jacket

No snow in the yard
When I want to be
Bundled and scarved
My gloves and hat
Long underwear and white tee
They make me sweat
Woe is me

So I get in the car
I can drive forth
Wherever I want
Maybe up north
But I’m beginning to fear
That there’s no snow this year
My holiday bliss
is stifled by this:

There’s just far too much sun
It’s way too warm
Hot chocolate to be drunk
And it’s too warm
Makes you want to lose your jacket
I must remove my jacket
I must remoooooove… my jacket

I don’t need all the sunlight
I need more snow and more cold nights

Instead, I want to lose my jacket
I must remove my jacket
I must remoooooove… my jacket

The Marine Story and Forwarding in General

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000+01:00

Back when people used email, I never forwarded the latest junk mail. I nearly always used to delete the forwards that came across my desktop. In today’s Facebook world I have my system set up to avoid seeing such posts from everyone but my closest friends. Even the “interesting” news tidbit or video is something I post with caution. For one thing, most of those aren’t new at all, and I don’t want to appear to be out of touch or behind the times. (Someone actually posted a link to that “Evolution of Dance” video yesterday! Hello, 2006!)

The one that has been really getting my goat this year is the “Laptop Thief Meets Marines” story. I’m sure you have read it—it is actually from last year. That is the first reason it bugs me. People either forgot they already read this story and are posting it again, or else they are a year behind.
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The Buffy Rewatch (Season 7a)

2011-11-29T15:59:00.001+01:00

This post is inspired by the ongoing Buffy Re-watch being conducted over at Nik at Night. Check them out for a better, more detailed look at each episode every Tuesday.

Buffy recovered from the near stumble that was season six with a near return to form. Whereas Six had been an examination of real life and the mundane challenges everyone faces; Seven would examine something just as universal, but a bit more challenging: the nature of evil itself. Buffy and co. would face off against the Buffyverse version of the Devil—evil personified. How would that look? It will take the second half of the season to really understand “The First,” but we do get glimpses of It here. The problem with this season, and particularly the first half of it, is that so little develops over the course of each episode. The show has taken on a more soap opera pace where one story flows over the whole thing and individual episodes do not stand on their own at all. When comparing these 12 episodes to the first season’s 13 one is struck by how little story is told. Here is what we get:

Episode 1. “Lessons”

There are some genuinely creepy moments here, but added together this feels like a minor prologue. The High School is reopened three years after it was destroyed and the ghosts of missed chances or failures from the past show up to torment Buffy. It is a bit too spot-on for a “going back” or “you can’t ever really go back” story, and that is not what this season is interested in anyway so we get the feel that things haven’t gotten going yet.
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Further Styrian Adventures: Monsters

2011-11-28T20:03:00.001+01:00

Styria is the home to, or at least the source of, some interesting oddities of crypto zoology—what some may call mythological beings. Historical records speak of dragons in the area. “Carmilla,” one of the earliest vampire stories, takes place there; and Stoker even set his most famous novel in Styria before changing the setting to Transylvania at the last minute. In fact, Count Eric Von Stenbock in 1894 wrote, “Vampire stories are generally located in Styria.”

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"The World" and "The Flesh" (Colossians 2:20-23)

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

[20] If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—[21] “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” [22] (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? [23] These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.(Colossians 2:20-23 ESV)

This is a good place to highlight the way Paul uses language in a technical manner. When he refers to “the world” or “the flesh” he is not referring to creation or the material side of humanity. That is what the Gnostic leanings in our thought and teaching would understand, but it is wrong.
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Critical Confessions

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

Any “respectable” film buff knows that certain films are simply great. It doesn’t matter if they “like” the movies or not; you HAVE to like them or no one will respect your movie opinions anymore. While I recognize why many of these films are important, here is a list of movies that I do NOT like and therefore do not deserve to be seen as having REAL opinions worth being heard…
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"Super 8" A Story Like They Used To Make

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

With “Super 8,” J.J. Abrams appears to have done the film equivalent of make-a-Spielberg paint-by-numbers, but he has done it very well. It may be a somewhat entertaining experience for youngsters, but for those who grew up in the eighties it is a film like they used to make.

Looking back on those eighties childhood adventure films like “Goonies,” “Monster Squad,” or “Stand By Me” one is surprised that we got away with watching them. Kids in eighties films took on real life and death adventure, needed a good mouth washing, and were not supervised at all. The kids in “Super 8” are the same stock only with modern special effects.
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Take a Deep Breath, and Slowly Drop That Turkey Baster!

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

As we gather around the table and TV today, I would like to make an appeal to all my fellow Americans. Relax. Choose your battles carefully. Slowly drop your turkey basters full of venom and embrace the spirit of the season.

Whoops, sorry, I sort of let one of those key phrases out and lost a bunch of you. I can hear it now.

“Don’t talk about the ‘spirit of the season’ yet! It is not Christmas time! That doesn’t kick off until we all get up at ungodly hours tomorrow to engage in the true meaning of Christmas—materialism and violence!”

I understand the origins of your anger. For years we have tried to deny that we are at our core an utterly materialist society and have tried to be offended that stores start bringing out the Christmas fare earlier and earlier. We seem to insist that Thanksgiving be its own holiday. However, I would like to argue for the idea that Thanksgiving and Christmas should be a part of one, huge, beautiful, two month long celebration of the most wonderful gift ever.
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The Twitter Experiment

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

About two and a half years ago I started to experiment with Twitter. I was doubtful. It seemed to be a place for people to broadcast all sorts of life minutia into the World Wide Web that, frankly, I had no interest in reading and couldn’t imagine people wanting to read from me. I was pretty cynical about it really.

However, I was advised that it could be a good place to promote things that I wanted people to be aware of and, even better, a place to meet people in my area of the real world. So I jumped in.

How has it turned out?
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Star Trek The Next Generation (Season 1b)

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

Seeing the second half of season one makes me glad to have missed it on its original run. It is an improvement from earlier episodes, but in today’s television programming this series would not have made it into further seasons which would have been a shame as many consider it to have gone on to be among the best series ever aired on television.

This set of episodes has a few more clunky attempts to be too “spot-on” with a message:
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Discipleship Dangers

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

The essence of the Biblical Gospel message, as it relates to mankind’s response to God, consists of repentance, surrender and trust. There are multitudes of people in the world who sense the problem. They recognize evil and sin that is in the world and even acknowledge their own part in it. Where they struggle to accept the solution as the Bible presents it is that they cannot accept that they have to believe in the existence of a good God nor in the fact that they—in faith—must yield to Him and surrender their own will.
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Empty Shadows (Colossians 2:16-23)

2011-11-20T08:00:00.000+01:00

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ… These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:16-23 ESV)

Every religion has at its core a means of assuaging guilt through behavior—either prescribing things to be done or prohibiting things that should be avoided. At their best they fall far short of doing anything to wash away wrongs that have been done; at their worst they are exercises in futility.
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1970s in Film

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

Prior to the Eighties, my knowledge and experience of film becomes less and less adequate to do any sort of justice to an annual “Best of” list. Even tackling the decade is a questionable undertaking, but here we go anyway. There are many, many movies of note in the Seventies that I have not gotten around to and that will therefore not make an appearance on this list for now. Among others: Apocalypse Now, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Slaughterhouse Five, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, and Dog Day Afternoon. Then again, they may not have placed anyway.

Top 25 Personal Films of the Seventies:
25. Patton
24. Love at First Bite
23. Family Plot and Frenzy
22. The Muppet Movie
21. The Rescuers
20. The Phantom Tollbooth
19. A Clockwork Orange
18. Young Frankenstein
17. Revenge of the Pink Panther
16. Alien
15. Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
14. Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
13. Murder on the Orient Express
12. Robin Hood
11. The Return of the Pink Panther
10. Death on the Nile
9. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II
8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
7. Chinatown
6. Jaws
5. The Sting
4. Murder by Death
3. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
2. Fiddler on the Roof
1. Star Wars

What does your list look like? What have I missed?

"Source Code" ...Mehhh

2011-11-18T14:34:00.001+01:00

The latest film from Duncan Jones is getting a few mentions on critics’ best of lists for the year. It has been called Hitchcockian by some. Others are impressed by the plot twists and the mystery.

“Source Code” is not as good as its press would have you believe. It is not bad, but it is no great work either. The “twist” if you can really call it that is fairly clear from early in the story. (So far both of Jones’ films have clearly broadcast their twists in the trailers—and not due to poor editing or construction of the advertising. Any previous experience in the genre leads one to proper conclusions regarding the plots.) In the case of “Source Code,” astute observers know who the bomber is fairly quickly due to the editing. It is no coincidence that they keep highlighting—but not focusing on one passenger in particular.

Ultimately, this story is a huge exercise in societal wish fulfillment. We all wish there were ways we could fight the big battles of our time with the benefit of hindsight. It is unfulfilling ultimately because of the very nature of multi-verse stories. Any catastrophe that is averted in this sort of story still occurs in most all the potential—or in this case real—alternate realities. The audience is pleased when our hero averts the tragedy, only he hasn’t averted it. He has simply taken us all along into another reality. His reality didn’t change. He is simply stealing the life and reality of poor old Sean Fentress; and no one seems concerned at all for him in this story.

"Mr. Deeds Goes to Town"

2011-11-17T18:06:00.001+01:00

Capra-corn may have been around earlier, but “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” is where it really goes over the top and is infused into every frame of the film. Longfellow Deeds is surely too good to be true. The crowd in the courtroom can’t laugh hard enough at every single thing said in the trial. And the snarky, sneaky reporter can’t stand being deceptive from the very start.
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"Fringe" Season One

2011-11-16T17:00:00.000+01:00

I am always looking out for the next “X Files” type of show. It is not enough for the show to be dark, weird and scary, however. Those types of show are a dime a dozen, but most don’t last very long because the true formula for success behind “The X Files” was more than that.

This year “Fringe” entered its fourth season, and that combined with the fact that the first two seasons were available for a steal on DVD prompted me to see how the show measures up. So far, having plodded through the first season the jury is out. In its favor is the fact that most shows usually take a season or so before they find their voice.
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Needed: More Grown Ups

2011-11-15T18:15:00.001+01:00

If you keep up with news—or even if you just casually catch it in between your sports or entertainment choices—you can’t have missed the biggest news story in the US these days: the terrible occurrences and apparent cover-up over the past 15 years at Penn State. This story hits home for anyone who works with or cares about children, which is just about everyone everywhere.
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U2, Divine Belly Dancers, and Potty Talk

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

This coming Saturday will be the Twentieth anniversary of the release of “Achtung Baby,” U2’s seventh, and in some ways, most important album. It carried them out of the eighties, out of their more purely serious, activist phase into the flippant, fun-loving but still persistently preachy Nineties U2 and beyond.

For me it was a bit disappointing at first. I had heard of them with “Joshua Tree” and bought into them with “Rattle n’ Hum.” “Achtung” didn’t sound like U2, and of course that was the point. I graduated High School less than a month after the release and in college the next two years I couldn’t avoid hearing these songs everywhere I went.
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Tradition (Colossians 2:8-15)

2011-11-13T09:00:00.001+01:00

[8] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ… [15] He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:8, 15 ESV)

The Gospel is a truth that flies in the face of all of the religions invented since the Fall. It exposes the futility of all traditional attempts to pay down and eliminate guilt in our own efforts. It reveals the fallacy of all Gnostic attempts to make salvation about the attainment of secret knowledge or spiritual “passwords.”

It simply explains the problem that all humanity has and feels and struggles against and then points out the equally simple truth that God has already provided the solution to the problem, for all who will trust in and surrender to Him.

Even “Christian” tradition and interpretation, in all its forms, is contaminated with tradition and philosophy of men.The Bible frequently speaks out against tradition. (Mark 2:22; Isaiah 29:13,14; Matthew 15:2,3,6; Mark 7:5-13; 1 Peter 2:18,10) Even when it is born out of a truth that a person discovers and applies to their life while following Christ, it can become an empty tradition when simply imitated and taught by others. Subsequent generations of believers could place the importance on the practice as a pursuit of holiness all the time missing the truth that had been applied.

The Best Spielberg Films?

2011-11-12T11:00:00.000+01:00

Last week’s review of “Tintin” asked where it should be placed in Spielberg’s best works without really answering the question. Well, here is the NonModernBlog list of Spielberg’s ten best films. (Incidentally, “Tintin” ranks outside the top ten, in the twelfth spot; and for the record, I cannot include some of his films as I have not yet seen them. Namely: “A.I.,” “Amistad,” “Always,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Color Purple,” “Close Encounters,” “Sugarland Express,” “Duel,” and “War Horse.”)

10. “Catch Me If You Can”

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"Midnight in Paris"

2011-11-11T16:24:00.000+01:00

Woody Allen’s latest effort is a gem. It is a wonderful and entertaining piece about a dreamer, a man who would like to live in another time. It is about nostalgia and escapism, and a reminder that everyone can become disillusioned with life when they are only focused on seeing the good in other circumstances.

It is also a wonderful bit of escapism itself. Paris is a beautiful city, but here it is perfection that can only exist in the digitally color-corrected world of cinema. The story itself is a bit of magic-realism that everyone would love to experience, and for an hour and a half everyone can.
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Religion and Politics

2011-11-10T08:38:00.000+01:00

One of the scariest things in the real world is a mass of uninformed irrational people demanding what they think they want, but really what they have just been told that they need. This is why true direct democracy is a scary thing. Most countries that people call democracies are usually watered down forms, such as republics where rule of law—not the whim of the masses—reigns.

In any case, this is also why religion—institutional systems built on faith—should not be allowed to influence or run government. It makes manipulation of uninformed masses of people too easy.
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More Top Films: "It Happened One Night"

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

It is somewhat amazing how many times Hollywood can tell the same story and people will pay increasing amounts of money to go see it. Many genres (by definition) do this but one of the worst is the by-the-numbers, predictable-to-the-minute romantic comedy. Instead of investing hundreds of dollars seeing this formula play itself out with interchangeable players on the big screen or collecting the similarly packaged disks that come out several times a year, consider getting one well made one and return to it again and again for your fix of fictional, never-really-difficult true love between the sexes.
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Star Trek The Next Generation (Season 1a)

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

Star Trek the Next Generation has a unique place in television history. In a time when new networks were increasing and audiences had many more programming to choose from STNG took first run syndication to new levels of success. At the same time it promised to bring back the sort of television that explored issues and ideas seldom dealt with in the sitcoms and commercials posing as cartoons in the eighties.

That being said, we had to get through the first couple of seasons. Most of the first 13 episodes are a mess where no one really knows what they are doing:
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"The Sacred Journey" by Charles Foster

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000+01:00

The last book in “The Ancient Practices” series is a wonderful collection of musings and meditations about that itch that we all have—the itch to wander. For some—those who look to “Christian” books as a source of truth and instruction to be absorbed—this book will be a problem. The theology here is speculative. It is instructive and brilliant in places, but isn’t really given in the spirit of unquestionable revelation from on high. It should encourage thought, invite us to stretch outside our comfort zone, and dare us to think about what is lacking in our comfortable, static lives.
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Suffering... Again. (Colossians 1:24-2:7)

2011-11-06T14:00:00.001+01:00

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body…”

Just when did the American understanding of the Gospel become so distorted? Paul repeatedly stresses the suffering that is a part of the life of those who follow Jesus, yet we seem to actively teach the opposite. Specifically here we see that the apostolic ministry entails a high level of suffering. Yet it is hard to imagine some people who do this ministry today rejoicing in their suffering. Missionaries in past generations were quite realistic about the level of suffering and even sacrifice they would be undertaking when they took the Gospel message to other cultures. Today many people who “feel called” to spend their lives in a cross-cultural context barely make it past the first two years.
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(some of) The Most Viewed NonModernBlog Posts in October

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000+01:00

October was a continuation of the explosive and steady growth NMB has seen in the past couple of years. There were over twice as many page views as six months ago. Here are some of the most viewed posts over the course of the month:

The 20 Best Horror Movies

The Top 25 Animated Films

10 of the Scariest Films I Have Seen

Vampyr

Oh Those Kooky Virgins!

"Fright Night" 2011

(The better, earlier version is reviewed here)

Let the Right One In

"Wir sind die Nacht"

Demonology and Eschatology, Hollywood Style Part 1

Inception: A (Spoiler Heavy) Critique

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000+01:00

Some movies are not about deep thoughts, insightful lessons or revelations about humanity—some are simply good yarns. For a long time they were the territory of B films and serials; but Spielberg changed all that in 1981 with the adventure film to define all adventure films. The artistry and near perfection of “Raiders” raised that effort to the level of classic, and created a slew of imitations—some of which are actually good.
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Gospel Essence

2011-11-03T08:34:00.000+01:00

Over time words lose their impact. They become too loaded. Too many differing ideas of their nuance erode the meaning attached to them. Christianity is one such word. It no longer means anything precise enough to truly be used without qualifying. One qualification that has also begun to lose its aim is the old “religion vs. relationship” comparison.

The qualities that distinguish a follower of Jesus from a tower to heaven builder are trust and surrender.

Religion is all about self-reliance. The point of every religion is construction of a worldview that supplies the ascribed with the means to appease the powers that be for wrongs and shortcomings they have committed. Sometimes the powers that be are really just religious professionals exerting power. Other times the individual gets to determine how they apply the religious ideas they agree with or like. Either way, religion is all about saving oneself.
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Early 30’s Capra

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000+01:00

The early thirties seem like a good place to go for insight in today’s world of economic hardship and increased paranoia. If nothing else, it is surprising to see how compelling, current and entertaining stories conceived and crafted 80 years ago can still be.

Two of the stories Frank Capra worked on in the years before he hit his incredible run of critical success are “Platinum Blond” in 1931 and “American Madness” in 1932.
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The Buffy Rewatch (Season 6b)

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000+01:00

This post is inspired by the ongoing Buffy Re-watch being conducted over at Nik at Night. Check them out for a better, more detailed look at each episode every Tuesday.

Buckle up! It is time to go down the tubes of despair, self-pity, and self-destruction with the characters we were led to love for the past six years…

Actually, to be quite fair and honest, I have to admit that I liked this season a lot more this time than the first time I watched it. It has been years too. I had actually re-watched the whole series a few years ago and skipped right over this season altogether then. The “threat” this year is largely real life. And it is true that I usually prefer science fiction and fantasy stories for escapist fun even while they are metaphorically commenting on real life issues. That is why this season is still easily my least favorite. But the issues it deals with are dealt with in an honest and perceptive way.
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“Dracula” and “Drácula”

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000+01:00

Less than a decade after “Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens” Universal studios obtained the legal rights to “Dracula” from Stoker’s widow, and filmed what is quite possibly the most famous vampire film ever. Directed by Tod Browning, it is based not on the novel, but on a popular play version of the story by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. The play had done well in England and both on and off Broadway in the United States. As a result of the requirements of the theater, the number of characters is reduced, and the Transylvania sections of the book are absent from the play.

The Browning version of “Dracula” has been criticized for its lack of vision in using film techniques. In spite of the work of gifted cinematographer Karl Freund who had filmed “Metropolis” and would go on to direct Universal's “The Mummy,” it comes across as merely a filmed play, with few of the embellishments that the medium of film would allow. Some go so far as to credit any good portions of the film to Freund and not Browning. (The Spanish version, filmed concurrent with the English has a more creative approach to the subject.)
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The 20 Best Horror Movies

2011-10-29T14:10:00.000+02:00

Here is a list of—in more or less ascending order of quality—the best horror films ever made. Not scary thrillers or tense action, but the stories that creep that disturb on a thoughtful level. These are not the scariest, goriest, or the most squirm inducing films. They have something to communicate. They want you to think about things that are important to think about. That does not mean that what they have to say is always right, but they are making an attempt.

20. Shaun of the Dead (2004) (for more thoughts click here)

19. Shadow of the Vampire (2000) (for more thoughts click here)

18. Dracula (1931) (both versions as the Spanish one is better in some aspects)

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"Vampyr"

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000+02:00

One of those movies that everyone seems to praise these days simply because it is old and cutting edge for its time, “Vampyr” was largely panned in its day. If “real” people were to watch it today (rather than film historians or artsy critic types) they too would probably not give it much praise. The film is lethargic and dreamy, if you can stay awake. Any early sound picture, it is a poor example of the use of sound—even for those early days. An example such as Hitchcock’s “Blackmail” is a much better first effort.
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"Fright Night" 2011

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000+02:00

This year’s “Fright Night” gave us a perfect example of a remake that hits the basic plot points of a story but manages to completely miss the point. The original was so much more than just a “vampire next door” story. That and the fact that the characters share the same names are almost all that these two films have in common.

In the original, we had a fan of classic horror fiction realizing that such monsters were real and that one lived next door to him. He had to spend a good deal of the movie convincing others of that fact, and then fight the monster to save the day. In the original, he teamed up with a has-been actor who was an expert in the fiction but someone who had to be convinced of the reality of the situation. The film was mostly about faith and believing in a reality that most cannot or do not want to accept.
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"Let Me In"

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000+02:00

The remake of “Let the Right One In” is unusual. Often an American remake of a foreign film is either unnecessary because the only “improvement” it brings to the equation is that American audiences do not have to read subtitles; or a shame because they change things that make the picture worse. In this case the differences are subtle, but a slight improvement in some areas. In the end, however, it probably ranks in the unnecessary category.

Among the changes that are improvements:
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"Wir sind die Nacht"

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000+02:00

“We Are the Night” is a light piece of contemporary vampire fiction. One cannot call these sorts of films horror anymore, as there is not attempt to scare people in this new wave of the genre. On the positive side, at least this is not one of those “vampires are so wonderful” stories. Actually it may be more of a response to that.

In this tale the vampires start out glamorous and powerful, but their (un)lives are empty and unfulfilling. All of them are female, as the male vampires were too reckless and attracted attention leading to them being killed off by humans or, eventually, the females seeking more anonymity. (Laughable with the high profile the females in this film maintain.) The story is told from the perspective of a thief whom the main vampire turns. She does not hold to the evil ways of vampiredom and gets the others all noticed and killed.

Overall the film is well done. The second unit shots of Berlin are great, in fact. The director Dennis Gansel’s previous film “Die Welle” is high on my list of German films to see, but this one is not on the same level of importance.

Demonology and Eschatology, Hollywood Style Part 2

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000+02:00

The world after the turn of the century is similar in many ways to the way it was in the seventies. (See Part 1) In spite of the changes in world politics and in cinema technology, the same sorts of stories are speaking to people. In the supernatural horror genre, much of the commentary from the original “Exorcist” and “Omen” apply to their sequels and reboots. However, some of the battles against demonic evil explore some interesting ideas.
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10 of the Scariest Films I Have Seen

2011-10-22T08:00:00.000+02:00

Most “scary” movies are scary the first time around. There’s always the unknown—will there be a jump right around the corner? Is something gross about to pop out of nowhere? However, after you know what is coming, there is almost no movie that can truly scare. Perhaps gross-out, depress or traumatize but that is not exactly scaring. Most horror these days is not about scaring people—at least not in the way that makes you keep thinking about the scariness and the implications of the horror after you leave the theater. What follows are ten plus movies that truly do scared me, and still do every time I see them:

1. “Rear Window”

The well crafted suspense thriller from Hitchcock places the viewer in the perspective of the hero/man damsel in distress so effectively that when the killer looks right at the camera towards the end, audiences audibly react, and I still get shivers every time.

2. “El Laberinto del Fauno”

Creepy throughout in that fairy-tale way; especially in the scene where our heroine is tasked with stealing a dagger from the Pale Man. All she has to do is resist the food on his table. Anyone familiar with fairy-tales sees what is coming a mile away and is on pins and needles throughout the scene.
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Demonology and Eschatology, Hollywood Style Part 1

2011-10-21T16:49:00.000+02:00

Hollywood has a renewed interest in the Christian audience (and its wallets) since the success of “The Passion of the Christ.” However, that is not the first time Christianity—and Catholicism in particular—has generated a lot of interest from the movie industry. In the seventies, there was a huge interest (not overly welcomed by the Church) generated with films like “The Exorcist” and “The Omen.”

The thing that stands out in these films is the religious nature of the Church. Normally, a Christian worldview informed by the Bible would see reality as being completely under the sovereign control of God, with no power in creation able to oppose Him. All creatures and all of history are under His control. Instead in the Hollywood version of Catholicism (as well as unfortunately throughout the history of the Church) Christianity is just one among many religions representing competing, often regional deities. The priests in these films always seem on the verge of failing and, in doing so, screwing up the will of God.

The demonology and eschatology of Hollywood is—not surprisingly—unbiblical and quite messy. Is that all these films have to offer, or is there something to be salvaged among all the questionable theology? Looking at the examples from the seventies will get us started:
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Russian Horror Fantasy

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000+02:00

A few years ago, Russian director Timur Bekmambetov made a splash in world cinema with his “Night Watch” and “Day Watch” movies. It was for Russian cinema sort of like the moment in 1977 when Lucas released his first “Star Wars” film. Both are instances of elaborate, visionary and epic story telling while still a bit corny and technically limited by circumstances. Unfortunately for Russia, Bekmambetov was scooped up by Hollywood. His production “Apollo 18” came out this year and he directed next year’s highly anticipated “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”

His “Night Watch” films are entertaining and rich, if a bit hard to follow in their complexity. It is your classic good vs. evil story in the same vane as “Star Wars.” However, much like “Star Wars,” it contains a troubling and widely held flaw of a worldview.
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"Let the Right One In"

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000+02:00

One of the biggest dangers for film critics (especially “real” ones who get paid to watch nearly every film released in a year) is the fact that novelty and distinctness stands out and is rewarded. Sometimes the critic forgets to ask, “Is this film great?” and falls into the trap of rewarding a film simply because it stands out as being unique. Uniqueness is good, but only one among many factors by which a film should be measured.

Others would be things like technical quality, intrinsic beauty, and the qualities of the story—its truth, its message and its structure.
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