Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Romance, not Porn, is Central

LOVE HAPPENS. LOVE IS CENTRAL It is vintage Kevin Smith. There is filth and raunchiness and sexually explicit material, but his films have all-at their core-been about loving relationships either between best friends or romantic interests. In this film you get both: best friends who become love interests.

Ohh, porn! Knee jerk reaction to it is always negative. All though this film is a romance story, and not a porn movie, it does deal with porn. In the story, Zack and Miri attempt to do a porn film for financial reasons. In other words, the film looks at reasons why someone might become involved with porn. Actually, such an examination is good. Are you into porn? Does it consume too much of your time and energy? Do artificial relationships take place over real intimacy? If so, you need to explore the reasons why it has such a place in your life. You need to be in control, rather than to be controlled by an obsession. Be free.

This Film Is About Love Between People. Not ‘love’ between self and things (like porn). "Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real." --Iris Murdoch, writer and philosopher

The Haunting of Molly Hartley - What is Real and What Isn’t

Director Mickey Liddell: “The story of Molly Hartley is one that you feel could happen to anyone, could happen to you. By keeping everything very real, it allows everyone in the audience to question what’s really going on and to decide whether Molly is simply going crazy and it’s all in her head or if something truly creepy is really happening to her.”

Ahh, the mystery of life. The question the film asks: Is it all in Molly’s head or is there something truly creepy happening to her?

What is real and what isn’t? Can we really know? Paul the apostle once wrote, “We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us.”

Life is “learn as you go.” The truth in this film reminds me to not assume that “I know” and reinforces the hope that as life goes on “I will come to know.” Additionally, to be patient with others in their progress toward understanding.

SIDE NOTE:
If the devil came to you what form would he take?
Producer Jennifer Hilton: “We kept talking about the idea that if the Devil was going to come to earth in the 21 st century, he wouldn’t choose a politician or even a baby – he would choose a beautiful, privileged teenage girl. And that’s where the film goes.”

Changeling - Never Lose Faith

There is a very important truth in this film of excellence. Although Christine Collin died in 1935 not knowing what happened to her son, her quest was not a failure. She was faithful in doing the right thing and therefore she was the victor. Faithfulness in doing the right thing is what determines success, and not the so-called pot of gold at the end of some imagined rainbow. It always about how you live, and not by what we get out of life. Great truth here. Celebrate Christine!

Screenwriter Straczynski says:
“My intention was very simple:
1. To honor what Christine Collins did.
2. Honor the fight she waged
3. (Tell the story of) how she never once lost faith and…
4. (how she) kept looking for her son.”

QUESTION: After your life is over, how would a screenwriter characterize your life?

Saw V - Choose Life

Director Darren Lynn every scene -- whether in a dungeon, an office or a parking lot -- in near-total darkness. The idea is that evil operates in darkness.

Interestingly, serial killer Jigsaw prefers to target rapists and murderers, so the human slaughter is made somewhat more acceptable to the audience because the victims deserve to die –NOT!

Disturbing as the Saw series is, it does point to a truth: People want to live. We have no desire to die. In the Hebrew Torah we read “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Good words, indeed!

HSM3 -Truth Within A Musical Fantasy

Screenwriter Peter Barsocchini said , “They’re high school seniors, so let’s give them the pressures that high school seniors have about prom, finals, graduation and going away. There’s a balance—we’re making musical comedy but we want to try and base it in some emotional reality.”

This latest sequel follows high school seniors Troy and Gabriella, who are faced with the ultimate prospect of being separated from one another as they go off in different directions after graduating from East High. Joined by the rest of their Wildcat friends, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future.

Wow! Separation, mixed with hopes and fears about the future. Critics may dismiss the HSM 1-2-3, but they cannot dismiss the very real concerns that this series addresses! And because it connects so well with these HS realities, it has become the phenomena it is. HSM3 is truth within a musical fantasy.

Max Payne -Max Pain

"This film is not 'Minimum Payne. And it's not 'Medium Payne'. It's Max Payne," says director John Moore. He had a beautiful wife and child, both of whom were taken away from him. He is in Max Pain! Wahlberg says, “Everything he does is driven by emotion.”
The film examines a life driven by emotion!

Artist Robert Henri once wrote, “Cherish your own emotions and never undervalue them.” True enough, but allowing your life to be entirely controlled by emotions as Max Payne does is not good either. As Carl Sagan cautioned, “Where we have strong emotions, we're liable to fool ourselves.” But maximum emotional pain can dominate us?

Best way out of ‘Max Pain’? Change your thoughts and actions. Fix the thoughts elsewhere, the emotions will follow. Scripture calls this amazing life correction: “metanoia” (change one’s mind). Unfortunately however, this powerful word, and solution, is translated merely as “repentance”. Changing your thoughts and actions = New life.

W. - How will history remember you?

In his approach to this biopic of George W. Bush, director Oliver Stone said, “It’s much more interesting and real if you try to empathize and understand, if not always approve.” In a broader sense of everyday day, I find these words an very good rule of thumb. What a different world it would be if we all approached each other with empathy and understanding ―even if we don’t always agree or approve.

The main question/point of the film is, “How will history remember you?” Now there is a good question to ask, not just of G. W. Bush, but of ourselves. As Socrates famously wrote, "An unexamined life is not worth living."

How will history remember you?
"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
-- Winston Churchill

The Secret Life Of Bees - A Simple Yet Profound Movie!

“THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES is the story about the need for love, sisterhood and redemption that explores the undeniable desire for a sense of belonging and the often daunting journeys that we must navigate to achieve it.” --The producers

“Most people have no idea about the complicated life goin’ on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don’t know anything about.” –August

So true! The hive is a metaphor for all that inner complicated stuff that we all live with. The message in the story is simple yet profound: To find “home” with people that truly love and care for you brings healing to your inner turmoil (as exemplified in Lily). But more, to provide that sense of belonging to others (as demonstrated by August) is the greatest service and act of love you can give.

Liftin’ someone’s heart, now that matters. The whole problem with people is they know what matters, but they don’t choose it. -August
“I can’t think of something I’d rather have more then someone lovin’ me.” -Lily

Jane Howard: “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

Beverly Hills Chihuahua - Know Who You Are!

It is a story about finding yourself and being true to who you are and where you come from.--The Producers’ statement

Producer Todd Lieberman: “Even though on the surface it’s dogs talking, it’s really about what’s inside— your soul. The basis of the story was really identifiable and recognizable as a human story"

Know Who You Are. Heritage and self identity are the themes in this fun and clever film. Novelist Sean Stewart once wrote, “The present is a rope stretched over the past.” And that is true. You are connected to your past. To disregard your past, your heritage, is to miss a significant understanding of who you are. Jewish people remember Passover to shape their present identity. Christians remember the Lord’s Supper. All that has gone on before you has contributed to who you are. Know the past, learn from the past, and let it enhance your present. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wisely wrote, “Improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.”

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - "I Found Jesus"

No More Mental Health Days! Go! Live!
It’s like a fairy tale with a great truth:
Yellow Yugo = Cinderella’s orange pumpkin.
The club = The Prince’s Ball
Late night = Cinderella’s stroke of midnight.
Their search = The Prince’s search
Bottom line: The need for true relationship!

It is a road trip film in a Yugo through the streets of NYC. It’s about life, love and relationships as they are played out to a music playlist. Road trip films are a way of exploring the meaning of life’s journey. In this excellent film, Life is presented as having surprising unanticipated events that come together in unexpected ways taking us to unexpected places. This film encourages us take that road trip even if all we have is a Yugo. Great thing await us. Problem: Too many give up. Well, don’t. Think of the infinite playlist that life has for you. Allow Nick and Norah inspire you. Life, God’s gift to you. Live it fully!

Caroline: "I found Jesus."
Norah: "What??"
Caroline: "Jesus! He's much taller in person.”

And so it is –Life! Taller and bigger in person!
Explore this great God given gift of life!

Seven Pictures Enter Nationwide Release

Another interesting weekend with a lot of new films to choose from:
According to Box Office Mojo, Seven pictures enter nationwide release this weekend, ranking as one of the most crowded on record.
Disney comedy 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' leads the way with over 3,800 screens at 3,215 theaters.
Comedy 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' roams over 2,600 screens at 2,421 venues.
Comedy 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People' hits 1,750 theaters.
Thriller 'Blindness' nabs 1,690.
Spoof 'An American Carol' grabs 1,639.
Underdog drama 'Flash of Genius' 1,098.
Western 'Appaloosa' expands to 1,045.
'Eagle Eye' remains the largest release with over 4,700 screens at 3,516 sites.