"Black Swan"

Title: "Black Swan"
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Producers: A. Handel, S. Franklin, M. Medavoy, A. Messer, and B. Oliver
Editing: Andrew Wiesblum
Composer: Clint Mansell – “Swan Lake” by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky
Starring:
- Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers/The Swan Queen
- Mila Kunis as Lily/The Black Swan
- Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy/The Gentleman
- Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers/The Queen
- Winona Ryder as Beth MacIntyre/The Dying Swan

Plot and Critical Review: Nina Sayers, a young dancer with a prestigious New York City ballet company, lives with her mother, Erica, a former dancer who gave up her career at 28 when she became pregnant with Nina. The company is preparing to open the season with Swan Lake. The director, Thomas Leroy, has to cast a new principal dancer after forcing Beth Macintyre into retirement. Leroy wants the same ballerina to portray both the innocent, fragile White Swan and her dark, sensual twin, the Black Swan. Nina competes for the part. Although her audition goes badly, she asks Thomas to reconsider. He tells her she is ideal for the White Swan but lacks the passion necessary for the Black Swan. When he forcibly kisses her, she shows some spirit and bites him, and lands the part.

An intoxicated Beth angrily confronts Thomas and Nina. She is later hit by a car and seriously injured in what Thomas suspects was a suicide attempt.

Nina begins to witness strange happenings. Thomas, meanwhile, becomes increasingly critical of her "frigid" dancing and advises her to stop being a perfectionist and lose herself in the role. Thomas points to Lily, another dancer in the company, whom he describes as lacking Nina's flawless technique but having the qualities she lacks.

The relationship between the two dancers is cool because of Lily's indiscretions, but Lily invites Nina to a night out. Nina is hesitant at first but decides to go against her mother's wishes. At a nightclub, Lily offers Nina a capsule to help her loosen up. Though reassured its effects will only last a few hours, Nina turns it down. Lily later slips it into her drink while she is absent. When she returns home late, Nina has another fight with her mother, barricades herself in her room, and has sex with Lily.

Next morning, Nina wakes up alone and late for rehearsal. When she arrives at the studio, she finds Lily dancing as the Swan Queen. Furious, she confronts Lily and asks her why she did not wake her up that morning. After Lily tells her she spent the night with a man whom she met at the club, Nina realizes she imagined the encounter.

Nina's hallucinations become stronger as she sees Thomas and Lily have sex in a backstage area and Beth stabbing herself in the face at the hospital. She has a violent argument with her mother, after which Nina passes out. Concerned about Nina's erratic behavior, her mother tries unsuccessfully to prevent her from performing on opening night. Since her mother had called to say Nina was sick, Thomas assigned understudy Lily to take over, but reluctantly gives way when Nina insists on performing.

The first act goes well, until Nina is distracted by a hallucination during a lift, causing her partner, playing the Prince, to drop her. Distraught, she returns to her dressing room and finds Lily there. As Lily announces she is to play the Black Swan, she transforms into Nina's double. Nina shoves her into a mirror, shattering it. She grabs a shard of glass and stabs her rival in the stomach, killing her. The corpse transforms back into Lily. Nina hides the body and returns to the stage to dance with passion and sensuality. Sprouting feathers, her arms become black wings as she finally loses herself and is transformed into a black swan. At the end of the act, she receives a standing ovation. Offstage, Thomas and the rest of the cast congratulate her on her stunning performance. Nina takes Thomas by surprise and kisses him.

Back in her dressing room before the final act, Nina is congratulated by Lily, showing that their fight was imaginary. The mirror, however, is still shattered. Nina removes a shard from her own body and realizes she had stabbed herself. Dancing the last scene, in which the White Swan throws herself off a cliff, Nina spots her mother weeping in the audience. As Nina falls backward onto a hidden mattress, the theater erupts in thunderous applause. Thomas and the rest of the cast gather to congratulate her and see that she is bleeding. She whispers to Thomas, "I felt it. Perfect. It was perfect."

-

There is much to say about the film but I’d like to give some attention to the director. Darren Aronofsky is 1) very talented and 2) very wealthy because of his talent. He also posses a most sought-after skill; taking low-budget movie and making many hundred times on them over what was spent on the budget. Some examples:

“The Wrestler”
Budget: $6 Million
Box Office Gross: $44.7 Million

“Black Swan”
Budget: $13 Million
Box Office Gross: $329 Million

“The Fighter” (Aronofsky only gains a Producer credit here)
Budget: $25 Million
Box Office Gross: $129 Million

He suffered something of an embarrassment with “The Fountain” in 2006, but aside from that mistake (and who doesn’t have them?) his directorial career is quite sterling. While he’s not yet caught the Academy’s eye and earned a Best Director nod, we can expect it from him in the very near future. Of all his attributes in directing I’m convinced it’s Aronofsky’s honesty that will continue to propel him into even greater cinematic heights. While the films above aren’t exactly moral “gems”, they present examples of personal and inter-personal honesty that testify to Darren’s great talent. He’s slated to release a film in 2014 re-telling the story of Noah and the Ark. Ought we await with “fear and trembling” or “bated breath?”

My Rating: 7.5/10 (This is not an easy one to rate. While I feel it is of masterpiece quality in direction, casting, editing, and plot delivery, it does cross several lines in the moral sense. Artistically I want to give it a 9, but morally I think it only merits a 4. I hope you’ll accept my 7.5 as a gracious concession.)

Content to Caution:
V-4 – Several instances of person-to-person and self-inflected violence.
L-3 – Coarse language throughout.
DU-3 – Tobacco, alcohol, and “club drugs” are used by several characters.
RT-1 – No comment.
H/S-3.5 – Psychological terror and suspense throughout.
CH-3 – Crude sexual humor.
S/N-4.5 – Several scenes of intense sexual content. Brief nudity in one scene.

The "Reel Revelation": "Take Me Away"

Jesus, take me away
Away from myself
Away from the commotion of this beating heart
Which yearns for peace but embraces chaos.

Jesus, take me away
Away to the “far off place”
Away with you to pray and watch and listen and learn
How to turn again and be right by your righteousness.

Jesus, take me away
Away from temptation
Away from empty proposals and deceiving offers
Which present opportunity laced with deception.

Jesus, take me away
Away to be with you
Away to find a way to be like you
Away to see The Way, know The Truth, follow The Light
And walk in your Word.

Jesus, take me away
And return in the morning
To the life you’ve given me to live.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

Minor Delay

Friday's posting will hopefully be up sometime this afternoon. Thanks for your patience and understanding. - E.T.

"Best In Show"

Title: “Best In Show”
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Christopher Guest
Producers: Gordon Mark and Karen Murphy
Editing: Robert Leighton
Composer: Jeffrey CJ Vanston
Starring:
- Christopher Guest as Harlan Pepper
- Eugene Levy as Gerry Fleck
- Catherine O’Hara as Cookie Fleck
- John Michael Higgins as Scott Donlan
- Michael McKean as Stefan Vanderhoof
- Jane Lynch as Christy Cummings
- Fred Willard as Buck Laughlin
- Parker Posey as Meg Swan

Plot and Critical Review: “Best in Show” is presented as a documentary of five dogs and their owners destined to show in the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, held in Philadelphia. The documentary jumps between the owners as they prepare to leave for the show, arriving at the hotel, and preparing backstage before their dog takes the show. The owners and their dogs include:

- Gerry and Cookie Fleck, with their Norwich Terrier Winky. They are a middle-class couple from Florida who run into monetary problems and are forced to sleep in the hotel's storage room when they finally arrive. Throughout the film, they encounter men that Cookie had slept with during her youth.

- Meg and Hamilton Swan, with their Weimaraner Beatrice. An upper-class, stereotypical yuppie couple from Chicago, they think they are taking great care of Beatrice (although really they are just confusing and upsetting her with their neurotic behavior), going as far as taking her to a therapist after she saw Meg and Hamilton have sex. At the show the Swans believe that Beatrice will become unnerved without her favorite toy, the "Busy Bee", and frantically search for a replacement toy before the show begins.

- Harlan Pepper and his Bloodhound Hubert. Pepper's family has raised a variety of hounds for generations, and Harlan continues the tradition by raising bloodhounds (though he has aspirations of becoming a ventriloquist).

- Sherri Ann and Leslie Ward Cabot with their standard poodle Rhapsody in White (a.k.a. Butch), a two-time winner of the show in the past. Sherri Ann is a luscious blonde, having the elderly Leslie as her sugar daddy. She is primarily worried about giving Rhapsody a makeover; however, trainer Christy Cummings makes sure the dog is ready for the show while Leslie stays utterly oblivious to Christy’s feelings. Over the course of the film the empty marriage between Sherri Ann and Leslie crumples while Sherri Ann's romantic involvement with Christy becomes more and more apparent.

- Scott Donlan and Stefan Vanderhoof and their Shih Tzu. A typical campy gay couple, they take great pride in their dog and are confident that she will win the competition.

The owners and their dogs all arrive in time for the show which is hosted by dog expert Trevor Beckwith and oblivious "color" commentator Buck Laughlin. During the first round Beatrice is disqualified when Hamilton cannot control her, but the other four dogs advance to the final round. Just before the finals Cookie dislocates her knee and insists that Gerry take over for her. Though the audience is initially awed by seeing Gerry's "two left feet" (the result of a birth defect), Winky takes Best in Show.

Afterwards the film explores what each character is doing after the competition. Gerry and Cookie returned home to Florida and were overcome with attention after the victory. They go on to record, in amusingly bad style, songs about terriers but discover to Gerry's frustration that the recording engineer is yet another of Cookie's ex-boyfriends. Sherri Ann and Christy have entered into a partnership and publish a magazine for lesbian owners of purebred dogs, called American Bitch. Harlan fulfills his dreams and becomes a ventriloquist, entertaining sparse crowds with a honky-tonk song and dance number. Stefan and Scott are in the process of designing a calendar featuring Shih Tzu dogs appearing in scenes, with appropriate costume, from famous classic films such as Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. Hamilton and Meg Swan seem to have given Beatrice away, allowing them to a calmer, more loving partnership as well as a new dog that they claim enjoys watching them make love.

-

“Best In Show” proved a financial success at the box office, grossing just over twice its initial budget of $10 million. We’d not consider that a “success” in the general sense but for a production of this kind it’s worth the mention. I am unsure how Guest managed to spend $10 million on a film of this quality (I mean production quality only – he must have paid dearly for those improvised treasures), but spend it he did and he was repaid at the box office. “Best…” is generally considered to be the greatest and most beloved of Guest’s directorial/writing projects. Alongside other cult classics like “A Mighty Wind” and “For Your Consideration”, Guest continues to carve out a place in cinematic history. If you’ve not invested in any of his films, please do so. The tempo and comedic “texture” might be difficult to appreciate at first, but I am certain you’ll be pleased by what you’ll find inside Christopher Guest’s comedic wonderland. It should have been Guest, not the USA Network, that took advantage of the slogan, “Where Characters are welcome.”

My Rating: 6.5/10

Content to Caution:
V-.5 – Dog toys be chewed!
L-2.5– Mild and relatively infrequent profanity.
DU-1 - No comment.
RT-1 – No comment.
H/S-1.5 – “Where’s Busy Bee?!”
CH-2.5 – Some inappropriate joking between a homosexual couple. Crude/coarse jokes scattered throughout, but not too scattered.
S/N-1 – Some kissing. Sometimes between people. Sometimes between dogs and people. You know how it goes…

The "Reel Revelation": "There’s Your Problem, Right There…"

Have you ever known someone who seemed to always have someone or something to blame their problems on? Maybe you can think of a person who fixates on a particular element of their life and believes it is the source of all their trouble; a relationship, a job, a neighbor, a family member, a car, etc. If you can imagine such a person, can you recall how often their suspicions were justified? Can you think of a time when all of any one person’s trouble stemmed from one thing? If you can, they’d be a lucky person to only have one difficult thing to deal with!

We are, unfortunately, quick to point the finger and place blame on anything and everything around us when something goes wrong. It’s easy, isn’t it, to look at our lives, find a prominent or troublesome element and say, “Yep, that’s what’s wrong with me!” Sometimes we’ll be absolutely right as there certainly are stand-alone aspects of life which can cause enormous amounts of trouble; addictions, dangerous or harmful behavior, dangerous or harmful friends, and so on. But at a second glance I believe that, if we’re truly honest with ourselves we’ll find that external influences (no matter how internal they’ve become) rank low on the list of what brings us trouble, challenge, and strife. If we look closely we’ll find that we are the trouble.

This concept is brilliantly and humorously illustrated in the challenges Meg and Hamilton Swan face in their marriage throughout the course of the film. The film opens and closes with Meg and Hamilton and their dog (Beatrice at the beginning then Kipper at the end) meeting with a counselor to discuss their marital problems. We can see that Meg is depressed and that Hamilton is holding back much anger but all they can say about their marriage is that Beatrice seems “very depressed” and “so angry”! When “Busy Bee” is lost just moments before the competition Meg screams, “If you don’t find it she’s going to freak out!” Meg is in hysterics while Beatrice calmly looks on from her grooming stand. Instead of looking at one another and voicing their feelings Meg and Hamilton deflected all of their anger, frustration, and hurt onto their dog. In their eyes it was Beatrice who was causing all the trouble, not their own brokenness and sin. They weren’t a bad couple; it was Beatrice who was a “very bad dog”.

This seemed a weak example to employ for illustration until I realized that I’ve done this in my own life many times. Perhaps you have, too. I’ve started to notice a pattern of negative behavior and, instead of facing that behavior straight-on I’ve looked for something to blame it on. I can remember myself conjuring up these sorts of thoughts:

“It’s my job…the stress is so hard to deal with."
“I’d feel so much better if they’d just leave me alone.”
“Once I finish this project I’ll get back on track.”

I wish that i'd said:

“I need to find a healthier way to handle the stress and deal with my anxiety.”
“It’s time to forgive that person and stop blaming them for my mistakes.”
“Lord, help me to balance my schedule so that I can tend to myself the same way I want to care for my creative projects.”

I wish that I had remembered Jesus’ words:

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

While Jesus is speaking specifically of judging others I think His words also reach us when we blame (judge something else as being the source of our trouble) our circumstances on a person or thing outside of ourselves. We want to pray, “Lord, if only I didn’t have to deal with X!” Jesus probably wants us to pray, “Lord, my pride is keeping me from seeing the source of my frustration. Open my eyes and may the Holy Spirit guide me to truly see with clarify what’s happening in my heart that’s causing me to stumble.”

Let that be our ambition and goal this Lenten season; to stop blaming others for what we ourselves have done! When we face our own sinfulness we look upon the self we most detest in realizing how fallen and broken we truly are. But Jesus is present to comfort even the most broken soul. Jesus is present to lead us to repentance, renewal, and to restore unto our hearts the joy of His salvation (Psalm 51:12).

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Avatar"

Title: “Avatar”

Rating: PG-13
Director: James Cameron
Producers: James Cameron and Jon Landau
Editing: J. Cameron, J. Refoua, and S. E. Rivkin
Composer: James Horner
Starring:
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
- Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine
- Zoe Saldana as Neytrii
- Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacon
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge

Plot and Critical Review: By 2148 humans have severely depleted Earth's natural resources. In 2154 the RDA Corporation mines for a valuable mineral—unobtanium—on Pandora, a densely-forested habitable moon of the gas giant Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri star system. Pandora, whose atmosphere is poisonous to humans, is inhabited by the Na'vi, 10-foot tall, blue-skinned, sapient humanoids who live in harmony with nature and worship a mother goddess called Eywa.

To explore Pandora's biosphere, scientists use Na'vi-human hybrids called 'avatars', operated by genetically matched humans; wherefore Jake Sully, a paraplegic former marine, replaces his deceased twin brother Tom as an operator. Dr. Grace Augustine, head of the Avatar Program, considers Sully an inadequate replacement and assigns him as a bodyguard. While protecting the avatars of Grace and scientist Norm Spellman as they collect biological data, Jake's avatar is attacked and is rescued by Neytiri, a female Na'vi. She takes him to her clan where Neytiri's mother Mo'at, the clan's spiritual leader, orders her daughter to initiate Jake into their society.

Colonel Miles Quaritch, head of RDA's private security force, promises Jake that the company will restore his legs if he gathers intelligence about the Na'vi on grounds that Hometree (the Na’vi’s dwelling) sits atop the richest deposit of unobtanium in the area. When Grace learns of this she transfers herself, Jake, and Norm to an outpost. Over three months Jake grows to sympathize with the natives. After Jake is initiated into the tribe he and Neytiri choose each other as mates. Soon afterward Jake reveals his change of allegiance when he attempts to disable a bulldozer that threatens to destroy a sacred Na'vi site. When Quaritch shows a videograph of Jake's attack to Administrator Parker Selfridge, Selfridge orders Hometree destroyed.

Despite Grace's argument that destroying Hometree could damage the Biological neural network native to Pandora, Selfridge orders Jake and Grace to convince the Na'vi to evacuate. When this fails, Quaritch's forces destroy Hometree, killing Neytiri's father and many others. Mo'at frees Jake and Grace; but they are detached from their avatars and imprisoned. Pilot Trudy Chacón, disgusted by Quaritch's brutality, carries them to Grace's outpost. Grace is injured during the escape.

To regain the Na'vi's trust, Jake captures Toruk, a dragon-like predator feared and honoured in Na'vi history. Jake goes to the Tree of Souls and pleads with Mo'at to heal Grace. The clan attempts to transfer Grace from her human body into her avatar with the aid of the Tree; but she succumbs to her injuries before the process can complete.

Supported by the new chief Tsu'tey, who acts as Jake's translator, Jake speaks to unite the clan and tells them to gather other clans for battle against the RDA. On the eve of battle Jake prays to Eywa and intercedes on behalf of the Na'vi. Orbital satellites relay images of the Na’vi army to Quaritch who orders a pre-emptive strike to destroy the Tree of Souls, believing that its destruction will demoralize the natives.

During the subsequent battle, the Na'vi suffer heavy casualties but are rescued when Pandoran wildlife unexpectedly join the attack and overwhelm the humans. Jake destroys a makeshift bomber before it can reach the Tree of Souls.

-

Let’s go ahead and address the most obvious criticism that this movie has faced; yes, the story looks a lot like that of Pocahontas. The dashing warrior finds himself in enemy territory and, through a series of most unlikely events, falls in love with the princess. He fights for her, wins her love, and must make a most difficult decision which will decide their fate. But the two stories differ in one all-important aspect; John Smith never became a member of the Powhatan tribes. In “Avatar” Jake Sully willingly breaks ties with RDA and the space marines to become one with “the people”, to become a full member of the Na’vi society. He follows that desire to his death and (we’re made to think) resurrection.

“Avatar” opened to overwhelming praise for its superior design, innovative use of 3D technology, and exceptional cast. As the years of filming and production on “Avatar” rolled on many thought Cameron was reaching too far with such an ambitious project. The costs kept increasing and rumors suggested that James Cameron was pouring money into – pardon the pun – a sinking ship. He was especially criticized for having stepped almost entirely out of Hollywood’s spotlight; having directed only 3 films (none of which met noteworthy success) since “Titanic” in 1997. But it was the success of “Titanic” that drove Cameron toward a new level of perfection in cinematic production. His dedication paid off, and it paid in cash. Here are some of the domestic box office figures:

Opening Night (Midnight Showing Only): $3.5 Million

Opening Day: $26 Million

Opening Weekend: $77 Million

“Avatar” became the highest-grossing film of all time only 41 days after its international release. In case you’d not noticed, Mr. Cameron holds the #1 and #2 spot on that list.

My Rating: 8/10

Content to Caution:
V-3.5 - Small and large-scale battles abound.
L-2.5 – Space Marines…you know how it goes.
DU-1 – No comment.
RT-3.5 – The story is based on racial discrimination and the Na’vi are clearly treated as second-class creatures.
H/S-3 – Very exciting!
CH-1 – No comment.
S/N-2 –The Na’vi wear “skimpy” loincloth-type garments. In the Extended Edition there is a scene of intimacy between Jake and Neytiri.

The "Reel Revelation": "Can I Come In?"

Perhaps you know what it feels like to be an outsider. Moving to a new place, starting in a new position, or even becoming a member of a new family can hold incredible delight and a sense of adventure. But when we enter into such a situation our excitement can be diminished by a sense of fear that we won’t be accepted; we fear we’ll become and remain an outsider in the eyes of those around new to us. We fear we’ll be left alone.

Much of the drama of “Avatar” is tied up in Jake Sully’s effort to integrate himself into Na’vi society. While his avatar allows him to appear as one of the Na’vi he is immediately rejected for being a “dream walker”; a human “pilot” in a Na’vi body. Jake persists, however, and the Na’vi require him to endure a rigorous set of challenges to prove that he is a man (in the Na’vi sense) in order to become a true warrior and one of “the people”. Can you think of any challenges you've had to overcome (hoops you've had to jump through, etc.) to go from being an outsider to someone who’s welcomed and accepted? Can you think of a time when you made someone else prove themself in order to gain your acceptance?

One need not look far in the Bible to see that God is deeply interested in bringing the outsiders inside! God sees those who have separated themselves from Him through sin; God sees them and loves them. God looks at us and asks us do to the same. Consider St. Paul’s words from Colossians:

“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to respond to each person.” (Colossians 4:5-6)

“Making the most of the opportunity”.

Go back into your personal experience and think of a time when someone took advantage of an opportunity to bring you “into the fold”. Think of how that made you feel, knowing that someone was actively pursuing you and genuinely desired that you feel welcome and at home. Are we as quick to act if such an opportunity were to arise with someone “outside” of God’s love? We all know at least one person who’s on the fringes. Like a child watching a sports game from a distance and longing to play there are countless who watch from afar and wish they could be a part of God’s family. Whatever they might say about themselves, their behavior, or their history, God yearns for them to be “inside” with the family of faith. Will you stand guard and hold the door open for those who are about to come home?

During Lent we’re reminded that we were once outsiders, too. Led by sin and Satan’s empty promises we wandered away from God’s plan. We opted for baser pleasures instead of turning to Christ and following His example of righteousness and love. But God has made a way for us to get back inside, a pathway for us to rejoin the family, a doorway by which we come into the fold. Our Lenten journey beings and ends at the food of that sacred doorway, at the foot of barren cross which bore Jesus, the Lamb of God.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Content To Caution" Explanation and Key

Two years ago I added a new element to the Lenten Film Review, a segment called “Content to Caution”. In it I give a brief outline of some elements of the film which may be inappropriate for some viewers. I hope this will be helpful to parents who want to check out a movie before allowing their children to view it. I’ll scrutinize the content of all the films against seven categories: Violence, Language, Drug Use, Racial Themes, Horror/Suspense, Crude Humor, and Sex/Nudity. I’ll give a 1-5 rating to each of the categories; 1 indicating few events and 5 indicating excessive events. I’ll give special notes when necessary or if they’ll help to explain my ratings. “No comment” isn't an indication of indifference, only that there’s nothing noteworthy to report re: that particular category.

Here’s the key:

Violence - (V-x)
Language - (L-x)
Drug Use - (DU-x)
Racial Themes - (RT-x)
Horror/Suspense - (H/R-x)
Crude Humor - (CH-x)
Sex/Nudity - (S/N-x)

And here’s an example:

Film Title: “Aliens”
V-4 – Things get a little dicey. The gore element is high.

L-4 – Lots of bad words and curses.
DU-2 – Drinking and smoking.
RT-2 – The humans sure do hate the aliens.
H/S-4 – It is very scary, yes.
CH-2 – You know, Colonial Space Marines saying the sorts of things Colonial Space Marines say.
S/N-1 – Ripley wears a slinky (but not intentionally erotic) outfit when she goes into and awakes from hypersleep.

The Grading Scale

The Review would not be complete if I didn't dare to judge the movies I cover. I use an "x out of 10" scale. I'll give every movie a certain number of points (7/10, for example) based on technical elements such as casting, editing, script, directing, and scoring. I also add (or subtract) points based on my personal opinion. Here's the scale and what "My Rating" generally means:

1/10 - A complete flop. A bomb. A film of no use to the world of cinema. A film to be avoided at all costs.

2/10 - A apple at the bottom of the barrel. Whatever value the film has is momentary and fleeting at best.

3/10 - A rebel film. What some might consider to have "cult" status. Worth renting but probably not buying. B-Rate at its best.

4/10 - A film that is acceptable and generally enjoyed. A film that will be the topic of water cooler attention but never receive the Academy's recognition.

5/10 - An average film. Functional and worth the watching but not something you'd necessarily commit to multiple viewings.

6/10 - A good film that just wasn't good enough to achieve the fame it might have deserved. Still worthy of praise for making it above movie mediocrity.

7/10 - A diamond in the rough. The sparkle of greatness is mixed with tolerable disappointment.

8/10 - A standard. Oscar-worthy and steady. A must-see and must-own.

9/10 - A classic or soon-to-be classic. Easy to watch over and over with consistent enjoyment. A spectacle of cinematic production and direction.

10/10 - A movie of the highest preparation, production, and presentation. Without any noticeable flaws or moments of want for anything. Cinematic perfection. Though awards are not required to achieve 10/10, these films may be heavily rewarded by the Academy and cinematic community.

E.T.'s Film Review Turns 4 Years Old! - Lent 2012

Greetings my friends! Hello again and welcome back to “E.T.'s Film Review!” Those of you who've been following the Review for the past three years know the general process of things, but here’s a review for those who are new to the Review.

Some Christians choose to fast during the liturgical (church) season of Lent. Some give up meat, soda, Facebook, etc.; something that will challenge them to offer a daily sacrifice for Christ. Others choose to add something to their "spiritual diet" to strengthen their faith. Alongside fasting I've chosen to review motion pictures for the 40-Day season of Lent. My reviews will incorporate elements of critical review (directing, editing, sound design, scoring, etc.) and biblical review. For the latter I will attempt to study and review the film through the words and stories of the Bible. The overall aim of each review is to give you a sense what the film is about from a technical perspective and how we might learn more about God (and ourselves in so doing) through the stories, events, and conversations held within the motion pictures at hand.

In keeping with the many "God In The Movies"-type projects which have become so popular with contemporary theologians and entertainment aficionados I'll give fair treatment to both the technical and spiritual aspects of film review. The "Reel Revelation", however, is the focus of this Review.

I encourage you to visit daily and read these reviews so that, by God's grace, you might discover Biblical truths in the movies you love! Maybe we'll even learn a thing or two from movies we haven't seen.

I took it upon myself to select the films for this year's review along with a few suggestions. I've decided to incorporate two film series this year and will be going back and completing series which I started years past but only reviewed in part. This will once again present wonderful opportunities for series-based reflections and the chance to unpack larger or "richer" theological ideas.

I am excited to get into the broad and yet gracefully balanced selection we have this year. Together we'll cover classics, favorites, and films you've possibly never seen. Aside from seeing people grow in their relationship with Christ I am always pleased when someone reads the Review and decides to see a film that's new to them in order to see what they get out of it. There's no shortage of movies to watch, and I hope those of you who love film will be encouraged to keep watching as a result of this Review.

I will only post reviews Monday-Friday, taking Saturday and Sunday off. I will endeavor to post each review in a timely manner. More often than not the reviews won't be available until late afternoon/evening. The first review will be posted later tonight, Wednesday, February 22nd.

In addition to the individual reviews I hope to do video posts along the way. The videos I've posted on Facebook were well received and i'd like to continue with that here. I'll try to do at least one a week. I'll post them directly into the Review blog or provide the link to where the video can be viewed on YouTube or Facebook.

I welcome you and pray you’ll enjoy my words and (more importantly, by far) the Word of God as it comes to us through the unique, beguiling, challenging, and wonderful medium of the motion picture. – E.T.