Top 10 War Films

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1N07ABdX8 - Check it out!

Had to upload through YT this time as FB has a 20 minute cap on video uploads. Just click on the link above and you'll go right to the video.

"The Box"

Title: "The Box"

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Richard Kelly
Producers: R. Kelly, D. Lin, and Sean McKittrick
Editing: Sam Bauer
Composers: W. Butler, R. Chassagne, and O. Pallett
Starring:
- Cameron Diaz as Norma Lewis
- James Marsden as Arthur Lewis
- Frank Langella as Arlington Steward
- Gillian Jacobs as Dana/Sarah Matthews
- Deborah Rush as Clymene Steward
- James Rebhorn as Norm Cahill

Plot and Critical Review: In 1976, Norma and Arthur Lewis, a financially strapped couple, awake to find a package on the doorstep. Inside the package is a locked wooden box with a button and a note that reads: "Mr. Steward will call upon you at 5:00 pm." Promptly at five, Steward, a middle aged, facially disfigured man, arrives. He tells Norma that if the button is pushed he will give her one million dollars, but someone in the world whom she does not know will die. After much deliberation Norma pushes the button on an impulse. Meanwhile, many miles away, the police are called to investigate a report of shots being fired, only to discover that the man who lived in the house, Jeffrey, has killed his wife and fled, leaving his daughter locked in the bathroom. Steward returns to give Norma and Arthur the money, informing them that they will not know the person who next receives the offer.

At Norma's sister's wedding rehearsal dinner Arthur wins a chance to select a present from a pool provided by the guests. He sees a plain brown box that looks exactly like Steward's box. He opens it to find a photo of Steward before his disfigurement. Arthur asks Norma's father, a police officer, to run the license plate number of Steward's car.

After returning home, Arthur drives the babysitter to her house. She acts strangely, telling Arthur to "look into the light" to solve his problems. Her nose begins to bleed, and she passes out. Later, at a supermarket, Norma is approached by a woman who tells her to look up a certain. Separately, Norma and Arthur visit the library. Arthur approaches a woman he learns is Steward's wife, and she leads Arthur to a room that has three coffins made of hovering water. Two lead to eternal damnation, while the other leads to salvation. Arthur enters one of the gateways. Norma is led by two women to Steward, who informs Norma that he was struck by lightning and can now communicate with "those who control the lightning". Steward asks Norma what she thought the first time she saw him. Norma explains that she felt love for him because of her own foot disfigurement. Stewards looks mildly surprised and asks her to grab his hand. She does and wakes up, finding herself back at home in her bed. Above her, Arthur hovers within a rectangular water module that suddenly bursts.

Back at the NSA, the NSA Chief and Arthur's boss from NASA are discussing Steward. They say he was struck by lightning and died shortly after; but, hours later in the morgue, a nurse heard Steward laughing. He was transferred to a military hospital where his body seemed to regenerate faster than normal, with cellular degeneration halting.

At the wedding reception of Norma's sister, Arthur is forced to leave the reception at gunpoint by the wife-killer Jeffrey, who is, in fact, a former NASA employee. Shortly after, Norma and their son Walter are kidnapped. Jeffrey he reveals to Arthur that he had been forced to choose between his wife and his daughter. He also shows Arthur the Human Resource Exploitation Manual seen in the pictures earlier, which contains, among other things, a diagram of the three water portals. Meanwhile, NSA employees are seen rounding up large groups of people, including Walter, and leading them into enormous portals of water similar to the ones at the library. Steward is overseeing the process; by his side are several boxes, identical to the one he had given Norma. Through a discussion with one of his subordinates, the boxes are revealed to be part of an experiment, conducted by "those who control the lightning" to learn whether the majority of the human race is capable of putting other peoples' lives before personal gain. If the results of the test show that the majority of subjects push the button, the human race will be exterminated. Steward also reveals that all the test subjects are couples under 40 years of age with one child.

Arthur and Norma return home and find Steward, who offers them a final choice. Their son Walter is now deaf and blind, as a result of being taken underwater at a motel swimming pool, and locked in the upstairs bathroom. They can either live on with their million dollars and their disabled son, or Arthur can shoot Norma through the heart, at which point Walter's sight and hearing will be restored and the money will be placed in an interest-bearing bank account for Walter, to be given to him on his 18th birthday. The couple runs to the upstairs bathroom where they can hear their son struggling and calling for them, but he cannot hear them calling back to him. Norma refuses to see her son suffer, and begs Arthur to shoot her. Arthur agrees, and, as he shoots his wife, another couple far away pushes the button on their box. The police arrive and arrest Arthur, while Walter regains consciousness and calls out. As Arthur is taken from his home, Steward leaves the other couple's house. NSA agents and Arthur's boss arrive at Arthur's house. Arthur's boss assures Arthur that his son Walter will receive good care. Arthur is taken away and Walter is shown through an upstairs window in the home with his grandfather standing behind him.

-

Unfortunately there's nothing out of the ordinary or especially interesting here. I won't say I dislike the film, but I won't say that i'm going to recommend it to you. In the end I was left with the sense that there could have been much more development in the A-Plot instead of all the wanderings in weak B and C-Plot lines. Did we really have to go through all of those nosebleeds?

What is special about this movie is the curtain of mystery that's drawn around Steward, his wife, and those Steward controls. Even at the end of the movie we're not sure what they're really about and if their initiative is for good or ill. Was Steward in the service (here we see the irony in his name, of course) of aliens or the divine? "Those who control the lighting" says so much and so little. It's that sense of lingering suspense that almost always satisfies.

My Rating: 5/10

Content To Caution:

V-2 - Some fist fights and scuffles...but why so many nosebleeds?!

L-1.5 - No comment.

DU-2 - Drinking and smoking throughout.

RT-.5 - No comment.

H/S-3 - Supernatural and psychological suspense throughout.

CH-2 - Some adult humor.

S/N-1.5 - No comment.

The "Reel Revelation": "Truth: The Game Changer"

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31b-32).

Jesus says it so simply and with such clarity; "the truth will make us free". Simple as it is, do we openly receive this sentiment? It is almost too good to be true. Almost. But it is true; truth is a game changer. In coming to know the truth (and especially the truth of God revealed in Christ) we learn who we are, whose we are, and what God has purposed for us during this life. We discover more about ourselves and of God than we ever could have by our own devices. Whatever life we were living before will be altogether changed when we encounter the truth of God's love. It changes us. Not only does it "make (or set) us free", it shows us the way into deeper knowledge of God and righteous wisdom. We find discover deeper and more profound truths as our relationship with Jesus, who called Himself "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). But no matter the depths to which we go in seeking out God's truth, the truth has one consistent attribute; it "makes us free."

Recall what Mr. Steward said in "The Box", that he "came into contact with those who control the lightning." That single line - as truthful a line as he'd spoken the entire movie, albeit somewhat enigmatic - shook up the entire film! Up until that point we didn't know much about Mr. Steward aside from fragmented (and not altogether trustworthy) facts about his past in the military. But he finally offers us a genuine insight (the truth) and it rocked the whole plot of the film. The characters finally came to know him for who he was - for what he was! - and responded to him differently as a result. Isn't this how God's truth affects us?

When Jesus says "You are...", His words reach out and seek to change the perception we hold of ourselves. When Jesus says "You will...", His words challenge us to a certain behaviors that might be foreign to us, but will ultimately fulfill His will for our lives. When Jesus says "I am...", He is expressing an aspect of His character that He wants us to understand. When you love someone you want to come to know them in a deep and profound way. You want to understand the truth of their life. Do you desire to know Jesus in the same way?

Jesus' words are game changing for our lives! They move us in new directions and call us to a new way of life. Every day they summon us to be more than what we are or what we think we can be; they call us to be like Our Lord in every way. Are you willing to allow God's Truth to be "game changing" in your life during this Lenten season? Are you prepared to listen to Him and, having discovered the Truth of God in Christ, follow His words? This is the cost of discipleship. The reward is finding the truth, knowing it, and living a life "set free" in God's grace and love.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

Top 10 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films

"Back To The Future Part III"

Title: "Back To The Future Part III"

MPAA Rating: PG

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Producers: S. Spielberg, K. Kennedy, F. Marshall

Editing: Harry Keramidas and Arthur Schmidt

Composer: Alan Silvestri

Starring:

- Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Seamus McFly
- Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown

- Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton
- Lea Thompson as Lorraine McFly and Maggie McFly
- Thomas F. Wilson as Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and Biff Tannen
- Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly
- James Tolken as Mr. Strickland
- Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker

- ZZ Top as the band at the Hill Valley Town Festival

Plot and Critical Review: On November 12, 1955, Marty McFly discovers that his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown had become trapped in the year 1885. Marty, with Doc's 1955 self, uses the information in Doc’s 1885 letter to locate and repair the DeLorean. While retrieving the car, Marty spots a tombstone with Doc's name; the date of death a mere six days after the writing of the letter. Learning that Doc was killed by Biff Tannen's great-grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Marty decides to go back to 1885 to save him.

Marty arrives on September 2, 1885, in the middle of a United States Cavalry pursuit of Indians. While evading the pursuit, the DeLorean's fuel line is torn, forcing Marty to hide the car in a cave and walk to Hill Valley. Marty meets his Irish great-great-grandparents, Seamus and Maggie. In Hill Valley, Marty runs afoul of Buford and his gang. Buford tries to hang Marty but Doc saves him at the last minute. Doc agrees to leave 1885, but with the DeLorean out of gasoline and none available there is no way to accelerate the car to 88 mph. Doc devises a scheme to use a locomotive to push the DeLorean up to speed. As Doc and Marty explore the rail spur they intend to use, they spot an out-of-control horse-drawn wagon. Doc saves Clara Clayton and the two quickly fall in love. Buford tries killing Doc at a town festival, but Marty intervenes. Buford then goads Marty into a showdown in two days' time. Consulting the photograph of Doc's tombstone, they note that Doc's name has disappeared, but the tombstone is otherwise unchanged. Doc tells Marty that the tombstone represents the events of the future, and warns Marty that he, not Doc, might be killed by Buford.

The night before their departure, Marty and Doc place the DeLorean (now with railroad-type wheels) onto the rail spur for its trip to the future. At Clara's house, Doc tells Clara that he is from the future, but Clara believes it is an excuse to end their relationship. Doc goes to the saloon to get drunk but Marty rides to the saloon and convinces Doc to leave with him. Doc agrees and, without thinking, drinks a single shot of whiskey and passes out. Buford arrives and calls out Marty who has finally realized his reputation is unimportant and refuses to fight. Doc is revived by the bartender's special "Wake-Up Juice" and tries fleeing with Marty, but Buford's gang captures Doc, forcing Marty to duel. Marty uses a firebox door from a stove as a bullet-proof vest, and then hits Buford in the face with it. During the fistfight that follows, Buford destroys the tombstone (which vanishes from the photograph), is knocked unconscious, and is then arrested for an earlier robbery. Marty and Doc depart to "borrow" a locomotive to complete their jump through time to 1985.

Clara is leaving on the train when she overhears a salesman discussing a man he met in the saloon, despondent about his lost love. Realizing the man is Doc and that he truly loves her, Clara triggers the emergency brake and runs back to town. She discovers Doc's model of the time machine and rides after him. Meanwhile, Doc and Marty, having "borrowed" a train at gunpoint, begin to push the DeLorean along the spur line, attempting to get it up to 88 miles per hour. Clara boards the speeding locomotive while Doc is climbing towards the DeLorean. Doc encourages Clara to join him, intending to bring her to 1985. As she climbs to Doc, the overheated locomotive boiler explodes. Clara falls and is left hanging by her dress. Marty passes the hoverboard to Doc, who uses it to save Clara. They coast away from the train as the DeLorean disappears through time and while the locomotive roars over the edge of the incomplete bridge.

Marty arrives in 1985 and escapes the DeLorean before it is destroyed by a freight train. Marty returns home and discovers that everything has returned to the improved timeline. He finds Jennifer sleeping on her front porch. He wakes Jennifer up and takes her to the time machine wreckage. As they survey the remains a steam-powered locomotive equipped with a flux capacitor appears manned by Doc, Clara, and their children. Doc gives Marty a photo of the two of them by the clockworks at the 1885 festival. Jennifer inquires about the fax, and Doc tells them it means that the future has not been written yet.
-
"Part III" is something of an enigma in that it is generally considered (and has been rated as being) more enjoyable than "Part II", but it grossed almost $100 million less than its predecessor. What happened?! While fans and critics felt it a more faithful return to the style that made "Part I" so enjoyable, it just couldn't keep up at the box office. Keep in mind that there was even a preview for "Part III" at the end of "Part II". How often do you see that in theatres?! And yet, even though it might have faltered in revenue, "Part III" proved itself a true capstone to a true trilogy; even leaving us with a bit of a tease at the end as Doc blasted off in his time-locomotive with his wife and children. "Back To The Future" continues to be a favorite among fans of all ages; the spin-offs are testimony enough to its appeal and popularity. Some examples:

- 5 Soundtracks (3 original to the films and 2 re-releases of bonus songs, etc.)
- 6 Video Games
- 16 Home Media Releases (CED, VHS, Laser Disc, VCD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Digital Media)

"Back To The Future" is the 13th highest grossing trilogy series of all time.

My Rating: 7/10

Content To Caution:
V-2 - It's the Wild West...what do you expect?
L-2 - Cowboys...you know how it goes.
DU-1.5 - No comment.
RT-.5 - No comment.
H/S-1.5 - "Great Scott!"
CH-1 - No comment.
S/N-1 - No comment.

The "Reel Revelation": "An Ignatian Adventure Through Time - Part III"

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a pioneer in the discipline of creative spiritual meditation. In founding the Jesuits he, among other things, desired to develop a method of prayer and discernment by which both laity (regular folk) and religious (priests, monks, nuns, etc.) might seek the will of God through solitude and deep prayer. One of his chief "inventions" (and one of my favorites) is the Imagination Prayer. In this method of prayer one reads a scene or set of scenes from the Bible and places themselves "in the moment", observing and even interacting with those in the scene. I'd like to propose we utilize this special method of prayer in the three reviews for the "Back to the Future" films. For the final film of the series i'd like to propose something a bit different and simpler than the normal Imagination Prayer process. It's only three steps...how bad can that be? Here's the outline:

1) A situation is proposed. Read the "prompt" several times.

2) A series of questions are offered. Reflect openly and honestly upon them.

3) A prayer is spoken.

Let's enter into God's presence together and meditate upon His Word.

1) Read the following scenario several times, silently or aloud.

Close your eyes and clear your mind as best you can. Let the thoughts of the day fall away. Push aside your worries, cares, anxieties, and concerns. Lay down your internal calendars, planners, and alarm clocks. Find the silence in the space you're in. In your mind's eye see yourself sitting in the very space you're sitting in right now. See and feel all of the details around you; the furniture, the temperature, the people; all the details. Imagine a knock at the door (if there isn't one, you'll figure something out). You rise to answer the door. You open the door and find yourself face to face with Jesus. Jesus stands right in front of you.

2) Keep silence for a while. As you reflect upon the scene in your mind, ask yourself the following questions. Seek to answer them as openly and honestly as possible. Pause between each question to give adequate time for meditation. Don't rush.

- What does Jesus look like? What sort of clothing is He wearing? Does He look the way you've seen Him in pieces of art or does He appear differently?

- How do you respond to Jesus's knock?

- Do you slam the door in His face? Do you ask Him to come inside?

- Do you fall to your knees? Do you hug Him?

- What is the first thing you ask or say to Him?

- What is the first thing He asks or says to you?

- Does Jesus ask you for anything? A drink of water? Something to eat? A place to sit?

- What does it feel like to have Jesus right on front of you?

- Are you afraid? Are you happy? Are you ashamed? Are you in awe?

- What do you talk about with Jesus? What questions do you ask Him?

- How does He respond? What does His voice sound like?

- If Jesus asked you to leave with Him, what would you say?

- Would you want to be seen with Him in public?

- Where would Jesus take you?

- To church? Out for coffee? To a friend's house? To an enemy's house?

- If you could take Him somewhere, where would you go?

- What part of your life do you want Jesus to see?

- Where would you not want to take Him?

- Jesus tells you that He has to go. How do you feel?

- What do you say to Him as He leaves? Do you hug Him? Do you ask Him to stay longer?

- How do you feel once Jesus is gone?

- Can you still feel Him with you?

3) We pray together: "Jesus, You are in our midst. Each and every day You knock upon the doors of our hearts and ask us to let You in. Some days we're glad to welcome You! Other days we're stubborn and unwilling to let You inside. We know that we're afraid and ashamed of what you'll see; we want you to see only the best parts of us and not the messes we desperately try to hide. We know that we are in need of Your presence and Your healing touch. We know that we need You to walk through our homes, hearts, and to walk with us each day in this life. Grant us humility to welcome You and the gift of faith to trust in You as You work in our lives. Grant that we be honest with You as we pray and seek Your help. Grant that we honest with ourselves when You respond and lead us in the ways of righteousness, that we would truly respond to your Word and your will for our lives. Jesus, we know You are truly in our midst. Blessed be Your most precious name. Amen."

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Back To The Future Part II"

Title: "Back To The Future Part II"
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: S. Spielberg, K. Kennedy, and F. Marshall
Editing: H. Keramidas and A. Schmidt
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Starring:
- Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly
- Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown
- Lea Thompson as Lorraine McFly
- Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen
- Jeffrey Weissman as Marty McFly (1955)
- James Tolken as Mr. Strickland
- Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker

Plot and Critical Review: On October 26, 1985, Doctor Emmett Brown arrives from the future and tells Marty McFly and girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, he needs help to save their future children. As they depart, Biff Tannen accidentally witnesses their departure. They arrive in the future on October 21, 2015 where Doc electronically hypnotizes Jennifer and leaves her incapacitated in an alley. Doc has Marty pose as Marty McFly, Jr., Marty's future son, to refuse an offer from Biff's cybernetically-enhanced grandson, Griff Tannen.

Marty successfully switches places with his son and refuses Griff's offer, but Griff goads Marty into a fist fight, which only ends in Griff and his gang crashing into the local courthouse and getting arrested, thus saving Marty's future children from the same fate. On his way back to meet Doc, Marty purchases Gray's Sports Almanac, a book detailing the results of major sporting events for the second half of the 20th century. Doc discovers the purchase and warns him about attempting to profit from time travel, but before Doc can adequately dispose of the almanac, they are forced to follow the police who have found Jennifer incapacitated and are taking her to her future home. Old Biff, overhearing the conversation and recalling the DeLorean from 1985, follows with the discarded book in a taxi.

Jennifer wakes up in her future home and hides while the McFly family has dinner together. She overhears that Marty's life, as well as their life together, is not what they had expected due to a car accident involving Marty. Jennifer witnesses the Marty of 2015 being goaded into a shady business deal by his friend, Needles, causing their supervisor to fire Marty from his job, as announced by numerous faxes (one copy of which Jennifer keeps). While escaping the house, Jennifer meets her older self and they both faint. As Marty and Doc run to retrieve the younger Jennifer, Biff uses the DeLorean to travel back to 1955, gives his teenage self the sports almanac, then returns to 2015. Marty, Doc, and an unconscious Jennifer return to 1985, unaware of Old Biff's previous actions, and Jennifer is left on the porch at her home.

Marty and Doc soon discover that the 1985 to which they returned has changed dramatically. Biff has become wealthy and corrupted, and changed Hill Valley into a chaotic dystopia. Marty's father, George, was murdered in 1973, and Biff has forced his mother, Lorraine, to marry him instead. Doc has been committed to an insane asylum, and Dave, Linda and Marty are away at boarding schools. Doc finds evidence of the sports almanac and Biff's trip to the past in the DeLorean and tells Marty he needs to learn when the younger Biff received the almanac so they can correct the time line. Marty decides to confront Biff regarding the almanac. Biff explains that he received the book from an old man on November 12, 1955 who told him that he would never lose as long as he bet on every winner in the almanac. He was also told to eliminate anyone in particular who questioned him about the almanac in case of any attempt to change the past so Biff attempts to kill Marty during which time he reveals that he killed George, and allowed Hill Valley to be taken over by crime to prevent being caught. However, Marty escapes with Doc and, with the new information, returns to 1955.

Marty works undercover to trail the Biff of 1955. Marty is present when the Biff of 2015 arrives to give the Biff of 1955 the almanac, but Marty is unable to retrieve it. Marty is forced, with Doc's help, to try to get the book back during the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, being careful to avoid undoing the events that he had already corrected in his previous visit. Eventually, Biff leaves the dance as Doc and Marty follow him silently. After a struggle, Marty takes the almanac from Biff and Doc and Marty fly away in the DeLorean.

With the storm approaching, Marty burns the almanac and restores the previous (improved) time line. However, the DeLorean is struck by lightning and disappears. A courier from Western Union arrives minutes later and gives Marty a seventy-year-old letter. It is from Doc, who became trapped in 1885 after the lightning strike made the DeLorean go back to January 1, 1885. Marty races back into town and finds the Doc of 1955, who had just sent the original Marty back to 1985 seconds earlier at the courthouse. Doc is shocked by his friend's sudden re-appearance and faints.

-

"Part II" made praiseworthy progress in visual effects and ventured a script that took viewers through four "temporal displacements" (1985 > 2015 > 1985 > 1955) and into an alternate timeline! Zemeckis' decision to keep the visual style and direction as close to "Part I" as possible paid off; the two films feel seamless. This was somewhat necessary as many parts of the movie had to be literally "cut into" scenes from the first film. "Part II" made less at the box office than its predecessor but still grossed many times more than its budget. It ended up the third highest grossing film in 1989, coming in behind "Indian Jones and the Last Crusade" and "Batman."

Keep in mind that 15% (i'm guessing, but it seems reasonable enough) of "Part II" had already been seen in the first film! How many film series use that much recycled material outside of flashbacks? Here we enter the "flashback" and are treated to the experience of an established timeline through a different "lens." Noteworthy and praiseworthy!

My Rating: 6/10

Content to Caution:

V-2 - Fist fights and gun violence. One instance of spousal abuse (physical violence.)

L-2 - "Son of a b..." persists.

DU-2.5 - Several instances of smoking, drinking, and abuse of "recreational drugs."

RT-1 - No comment.

H/S-1.5 - No comment.

CH-2 - No comment.

S/N-2 - Lorraine wears skimpy clothing in the 2015 timeline. Women are seen in a bathtub, but no nudity is shown.

The "Reel Revelation": "An Ignatian Adventure Through Time - Part II"

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a pioneer in the discipline of creative spiritual meditation. In founding the Jesuits he, among other things, desired to develop a method of prayer and discernment by which both laity (regular folk) and religious (priests, monks, nuns, etc.) might seek the will of God through solitude and deep prayer. One of his chief "inventions" (and one of my favorites) is the Imagination Prayer. In this method of prayer one reads a scene or set of scenes from the Bible and places themselves "in the moment", observing and even interacting with those in the scene. I'd like to propose we utilize this special method of prayer in the three reviews for the "Back to the Future" films. We'll use a different passage for each reflection. Here's the general break-down of how the Imagination Prayer works:

1) A passage from Scripture is read aloud slowly.

2) Silence is observed for general reflection; get a sense of the "scene", the big picture.

3) The passage is read again, silently or aloud.

4) Silent is observed once more.

5) A series of questions are asked about the scene and how we interact within it.

6) Silence is kept for meditation and prayer. We listen for how God speaks to us through His Word.

7) A final prayer is spoken.

Let's enter into God's presence together and meditate upon His Word.

1) The following passage is read aloud slowly.

"Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.” So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water. At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” (1 Kings 18: 21-39)

2) Keep silence for a while. Reflect on the scene and try to get the big picture. Consider the following:

- What does this day look like?

- What color is the sky?

- Is the air still or windy?

- What does the mountainside look like?

- What do the 450 prophets look like in your mind's eye?

- Are you close to Elijah or observing from afar?

3) Read the passage again, aloud or silently.

4) Keep silence for a while. This time think about the specific details of the scene. Consider the following:

- What does Elijah look like? What's his mood?

- The people are all there to see what Elijah (and his god) will do. Are they patient? Angry? Expectant? Hopeful?

- How large is the altar that Elijah builds? What does it look like once the wood, water, and ox meat have been piled on?

- What does Elijah's voice sound like as he prayers? When he challenges the prophets? When he speaks to the people?

5) Meditate upon the following questions. Ask these questions honestly and search for honest answers:

- Do you believe Elijah's claims? Do you really believe one prophet can be greater than 450?

- How do you react to Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal? Do you also think it's a "good idea"?

- Are you on Elijah's side?

- How does Elijah look as the day drags on? Does he tire? Does he rest?

- What do the prayers of the prophets of Baal sound like?

- How do they respond when Baal doesn't respond to their cries?

- What is the sound of the LORD's fire? What does it look like? Can you feel the heat?

- What is the scene when the fire disappears and the altar is gone?

- Are the prophets of Baal afraid when the burnt offering is consumed?

- Do they run away? Do they run to join Elijah?

- Do you also say “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God”?

6) Keep silence and slowly step out of the scene. Come back to the present moment.

7) We pray together: "Jesus, Elijah stood against many opponents and was mocked for his faith in God. In challenging the prophets of Baal to a duel he also challenged their entire religious system and way of life; he challenged their indecision to believe in Baal or the God of Israel. Have we ever been so bold? Have we ever felt such courage in our hearts? Jesus, grant that the Holy Spirit give us such courage so that we would testify to your holy name wherever we go and in whatever we do. We don't know what you'll ask us to do to show your love, even your tremendous power, but we want to do whatever it takes to bring people to you; to help people to come to know you as we have. Help us to follow Elijah's example of bravery and humility as we seek to serve you and our neighbors each and every day. We humbly pray in your most precious name. Amen."

The tale of Elijah (including the scene at Mt. Carmel) was set to music by Felix Mendelssohn in the oratorio, "Elijah." Here's a clip of a very capable baritone performing the musical rendition of Elijah's great prayer, "Lord, God of Abraham...": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVEi-018Lsc

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Back To The Future"

Title: "Back To The Future"

MPAA Rating: PG

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Producer: S. Spielberg, K. Kennedy, and F. Marshall

Editing: H. Keramidas and A. Schmidt

Composer: Alan Silvestri

Starring:

- Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly

- Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown

- Lea Thompson as Lorraine McFly

- Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen

- Crispin Glover as Marty McFly (1955)

- James Tolken as Mr. Strickland

Plot and Critical Review: Seventeen-year-old Marty McFly lives with his boring family in Hill Valley, California. His father, George, is bullied by his supervisor, Biff Tannen, and his unhappy mother, Lorraine Baines McFly, is an alcoholic. Marty's underachieving older siblings, Dave and Linda, also live in the household. When Marty and his band audition to perform at the high school dance, they are rejected. Despite this setback, Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, encourages him to pursue the dream of being a rock musician. At dinner that night, Lorraine recounts how she and George first fell in love when her father hit George with his car.

Marty meets his friend, scientist Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, late at night at a deserted shopping mall where Doc reveals a time machine made from a modified DeLorean; the vehicle's time displacement is powered by plutonium, which supplies 1.21 gigawatts of energy to a device he calls the "flux capacitor." Doc explains that the car travels to a programmed date upon reaching 88 miles per hour, using the date November 5, 1955 as an example destination. Before Doc can make his first trip, the Libyan terrorists from whom he stole the plutonium shoot him. Marty attempts to escape in the DeLorean and inadvertently activates the time machine. He is transported back to November 5, 1955 and finds himself without the plutonium needed for the return trip.

While exploring Hill Valley, Marty meets his teenaged father, who is being bullied by Biff. As George is about to be hit by Lorraine's father's car, Marty pushes him out of the way and is knocked out by the impact. Consequently, a teenaged Lorraine becomes infatuated with Marty instead of George. Marty is disturbed by her flirtations and leaves to find the younger Doc of 1955. Marty convinces Doc that he is from the future, and asks for help returning to 1985. Doc explains that the only available power source capable of generating 1.21 gigawatts of energy is a bolt of lightning. Discovering the "Save the Clock Tower" flyer that Marty received in 1985, indicating that lightning will strike the courthouse clock tower the following Saturday at 10:04 pm, Doc makes plans to harness the lightning strike to power the DeLorean's flux capacitor. When they observe a fading photograph of Marty with his siblings, they realize Marty has prevented his parents from meeting, jeopardizing his family's existence.

Marty attempts to set George up with Lorraine. To make his parents fall in love, Marty plans to have George "rescue" Lorraine from Marty's inappropriate advances on the night of the school dance. A drunk Biff unexpectedly shows up, pulls Marty from the car, and attempts to force himself on Lorraine. George arrives to rescue her from Marty, but instead finds Biff, who humiliates George and pushes Lorraine to the ground. Standing up to him for the first time, George knocks Biff out. A smitten Lorraine follows George to the dance floor, where they kiss for the first time, assuring Marty's existence.

Marty arrives at the clock tower where Doc is making final preparations for the lightning strike, and tries to warn Doc of his impending 1985 murder in a letter, but Doc tears it up, fearing it will lead to altering the future. A falling tree branch disconnects Doc's wiring setup, but Doc repairs the connections in time to send Marty and the DeLorean back to 1985. Although Marty arrives too late to prevent him from being shot, Doc is still alive and admits to reading the letter and wearing a bulletproof vest.

Doc drops Marty off at home and uses the time machine to travel 30 years into the future. Marty awakens the next morning to find his family changed; Lorraine is happy and physically fit, a self-confident George is a successful science fiction author, Dave is a businessman, and Linda no longer has trouble finding boyfriends. George and Lorraine now have a closer relationship than ever, while Biff has become an auto detailer/washer who is deferential towards George. As Marty reunites with Jennifer, Doc arrives, insisting they accompany him to the future to sort out a problem with their future children. Marty and Jennifer enter the upgraded DeLorean, now a hovercar powered by nuclear fusion, and Doc flies the time machine into the future.

-

Here's a real gem. "Back To The Future" opened to a tremendous response from the box office. It gained and held the #1 spot for 11 weeks and ended up being the highest grossing film of 1985, beating out "Out Of Africa" and "Rocky IV" (and "The Goonies"!). We watch"Back..." and might be tempted to scoff at shoddy special effects and over-acting, but the film was highly praised for both innovation and delivery. While it was only Robert Zemeckis' fourth directorial title, it became his most successful film to date and gave folks a taste of what was soon to come in blockbuster titles like "Forrest Gump" and "Cast Away."

My Rating: 8/10

Content to Caution:

V-1.5 - "The Libyans!" Also some brief fist-fighting and harassment between students.

L-2 - No comment.

DU-1.5 - Some drinking and smoking, occasionally by minors.

RT-1 - Minor mistreatment of a person of color, especially re: his dreams of being mayor.

H/S-1 - 1.21 Gigawatts!

CH-2 - No comment.

S/N-1.5 - Some kissing and fondling.

The "Reel Revelation": "An Ignatian Adventure Through Time - Part I"

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a pioneer in the discipline of creative spiritual meditation. In founding the Jesuits he, among other things, desired to develop a method of prayer and discernment by which both laity (regular folk) and religious (priests, monks, nuns, etc.) might seek the will of God through solitude and deep prayer. One of his chief "inventions" (and one of my favorites) is the Imagination Prayer. In this method of prayer one reads a scene or set of scenes from the Bible and places themselves "in the moment", observing and even interacting with those in the scene. I'd like to propose we utilize this special method of prayer in the three reviews for the "Back to the Future" films. We'll use a different passage for each reflection. Here's the general break-down of how the Imagination Prayer works:

1) A passage from Scripture is read aloud slowly.

2) Silence is observed for general reflection; get a sense of the "scene", the big picture.

3) The passage is read again, silently or aloud.

4) Silent is observed once more.

5) A series of questions are asked about the scene and how we interact within it.

6) Silence is kept for meditation and prayer. We listen for how God speaks to us through His Word.

7) A final prayer is spoken.

Let's enter into God's presence together and meditate on His Word.

1) The following passage is read aloud slowly.

“When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this.” (Mark 2:1-12)

2) Keep silence for a while. Reflect on the scene and try to get the big picture. Consider the following:

- What did this day look like?

- How was the weather?

- Are you in the scene or observing from afar?

- Are you alone or did you bring someone with you?

- Did you come to this house to see Jesus, or did you just follow the crowd?

3) Read the passage again, aloud or silently.

4) Keep silence for a while. This time think about the specific details of the scene. Consider the following:

- How many people are there at the house? Can they all fit inside?

- How close can you get to Jesus? Can you see Him? Can you hear His voice?

- What are people around you saying? What are they saying about Jesus?

- How long have you waited to see Jesus?

5) Meditate upon the following questions. Ask these questions honestly and search for honest answers:

- What is Jesus saying when you reach the house? Is He speaking to you directly?

- Is there a commotion when the four men try to get the paralytic into the house?

- How do those around you respond when they start to rip the roof open?

- How do the disciples respond? How does Jesus?

- You hear Jesus say, "...your sins are forgiven." What do you feel in that moment?

- Does he offer the same forgiveness to you?

- Jesus knows the scribes are criticizing them in their hearts; what thoughts do you hold in your heart that Jesus can also hear?

- You see the paralytic get up. What does he do? Does he walk? Does he fall to his knees? Does he dance?

- The paralytic walks right past you as he leaves the house. What does he look like? What sort of look is on his face?

- Someone next to you says, "We have never seen anything like this." How do you respond?

- Do you want to talk to Jesus?

- Does Jesus want to speak with you?

- What sort of paralysis do you suffer from? Do you want Jesus to heal you?

- Does Jesus want to forgive your sins, too?

- Did you come to the house just to see Jesus, or to be healed?

- Did you come to the house just to see Jesus, or to be forgiven?

6) Keep silence and slowly step out of the scene. Come back to the present moment.

7) We pray together: "Jesus, you reached out to a complete stranger and healed his paralysis. As if one miracle wasn't enough you forgave his sins in the sight of all those people. We want to come to you, Jesus. Maybe we can come to you by our own strength. Maybe we need friends to carry us into your presence. We want to come to you and know your love for us. Grant us your healing, your peace, and your gracious pardon for all our sins; all the things we've done that have hurt ourselves and those around us. May we, like the paralytic, shake off the infirmity of sin and walk in the freedom of your love. May the witness of our lives cause others to say, "We have never seen anything like this before," and come to you. We humbly pray in your most precious name. Amen."

See you tomorrow -E.T.

"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.