Change Your Image
Paul1149
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
JFK to 9/11: Everything Is a Rich Man's Trick (2014)
One doesn't have to agree with everything to see that this is a tour d' force.
This is an amazing dive into not only the JFK assassination, but also the forces that have shaped the world since WWI. One doesn't have to agree with every jot and tittle, or believe that the forces Connolly identifies are the complete explanation for the events, to find it immensely informative and illuminating.
The JFK assassination was a dagger to the heart of the nation, on a unique level with the Lincoln assassination. And clearly the official explanation of the 1963 crime is utterly false and only adds weight to the conviction that our government apparatus has gotten away from us.
Considering the direction the nation is going in, every citizen should take in the historical evidence so that he knows what he is dealing with. In a better world, this docu would be serialized by a major TV network. But there doesn't seem to be stomach for that. I'm frankly surprised it's still up on youtube.
Do yourself a favor and watch this film.
The Kinsey Syndrome (2008)
A must-watch
If you wonder how America became such a sexual cesspool, and why there is so much violence against children, look back to the influence of Kinsey and his fraudulent reports. But be warned, the rabbit hole is very deep and very disturbing.
Just about all our sexual woes can be traced back to Kinsey, and his work is having its intended effect. What we see today is exactly what he wanted to bring about. The result is not simply sexual licentiousness, with its destructive effects on individuals and families, it is spurring a massive wave of violent crimes against children.
This is a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand what is going on around us.
Thor (2011)
Wonderful Christian theme
Thor was one of my two fave comic book characters when I was young, so I looked forward to this movie. I was not disappointed. I have changed over the many years since I bought Thor comics, and the themes this movie set forth are ones I find satisfying. This review will contain spoilers.
Thor is a brash and arrogant young man who gets his whole world into a lot of trouble by breaking a tenuous peace pact it has with a traditional enemy planet. When he boldly insults his father, King Odin, Odin realizes that he must discipline Thor by removing his powers and banishing him. It seems like a one-way ticket to obscurity, but later on Thor's mother gives us the key to the movie: "(Odin) does everything for a purpose". In banishing Thor, Odin pronounces an oath over his hammer, saying whoever bears it, if he be worthy, will have the power of Thor.
Many reviewers here have decried the character change in Thor simply over falling in love with Jane Foster. They have misunderstood the script. Thor does not fall in love with Jane until later (and indeed, his falling in love is very muted in the script). Rather, it is his inability to wield the hammer any longer that humbles him. That leads to his heartfelt repentance when his brother Loki shows up and tells him, falsely, that Odin is dead and Thor is permanently banished. Even though Loki was selfishly and cruelly lying, for the first time Thor sees that his actions affect others and his brashness has been destructive. It is directly after that that we see the arrogance gone, replaced by a servant's heart as he brings breakfast to the small crew that works with Jane. The only hint we have of Thor falling in love is his "thank you, Jane" to her while she sleeps. Apparently Jane has taught him the blessedness of helping others.
Thor's new character is most prominently on display a bit later, when he offers his own life in order to save the Earth from destruction. I couldn't help but see the Gospel in this, in which Christ sacrificed Himself for us. And as with Christ, Thor is resurrected, for Odin's oath takes effect. Thor has now proved himself worthy of the hammer, and the hammer will no longer be removed from him.
In all, a wonderful plot line and satisfying character development. The themes on display here are very big indeed.
Jeremiah (1998)
Surprisingly powerful; a real gem
What a gem. This movie really tells how brutal Jeremiah's task was against the spiritual and political reality of a nation that had fallen into apostasy. It is a hard thing to stand for truth under such adversity, and only those totally sold out to the Lord and motivated by His love will gain the strength to do so.
A modern-day apostate nation would do well indeed to give this film's message careful attention. There is a very real price to be paid for casting aside the proved and true ways of the Lord, as we have been in a unholy rush to do.
I didn't even know this film existed until now. Excellent job indeed. Highly recommended.
The Book of Daniel (2013)
Superb
I went looking for a dramatic treatment of Daniel, and this gem awaited me. They clearly did not have an unlimited budget, but the film is no less impacting.
The movie benefits from being true to the scriptures. Of course, creative liberties were taken, but they do not detract from the integrity of the story.
The quality of the acting varies a bit. The two most important characters - Daniel young and old - are very good. The actors playing the various kings get the job done.
Most pleasing of all is the spiritual depth. One can get the plot right yet still not convey the underlying spiritual truths. That is not the case here. We see the kings in their process of discovering that the God of the Hebrews is the true and living God, and one after another comes to worship Him. We see not only Daniel's wisdom and spiritual giftedness on display, but his integrity of character as well. All who are faithful will find themselves in a "lion's den" of one sort or another, when our faith is really put to the test. And that particular scene here was very memorable, calling to mind Briton Riviere's amazing oil panting of the event.
This is the kind of movie you can watch many times, for it is more than mere entertainment, it is food for the soul. Everyone connected with the movie should enjoy rich satisfaction for a job well done indeed.
Holy Ghost (2014)
Importance of taking risk
I didn't find this movie terribly entertaining, and it certainly wasn't comfortable to watch much of the time. It involved a lot of confrontation. Of course, the confrontation was motivated by love, but it was confrontation nonetheless, and at times you could see fear/trust dynamics in operation at the beginning of an interaction.
The biggest takeaway for me was the courage of the protagonists to answer the call to bring Jesus to a world in deep need of Him, and to do so even when it meant not only inconvenience, but also danger. Thus the theme of risk-taking.
Nothing gets accomplished unless we make the decision to take calculated risk. Each of us has a choice to make - our own comfort, or to make a difference in people's lives.
I would recommend viewing this movie not as a piece of entertainment, but with a heart open to what changes might need to be made to bring your life into all it can be.
Joseph (1995)
Beyond awesome
I was fortunate to come across this film, which I was unaware of. It is immensely accessible and rewarding. I would give it very high marks for Biblical faithfulness and I even gained several insights into the sacred narrative - why the silver was returned to the brothers' sacks the first time, for instance. I liked the way it brought out Joseph's need to test his brothers, and in the process to bring about necessary change within them. I absolutely loved the Psalms 22 reference, which Jesus also echoed from the Cross, when Joseph was thrown into prison: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me". Isn't that what we all feel in the face of serious injustice? Some liberties were taken. Most were fine or actually added to the narrative, but my reading of Gen 34 does not have Dinah raped, but rather a willing participant, which is what made Levi and Simeon's sin all the more grievous. I felt that the way they played Joseph's "coming out" among his brothers at the end included unnecessary departures.
But aside from those minor qualms, this was an exceptionally rewarding film. The high point of the entire movie was when Pharaoh unexpectedly promotes Joseph. You can almost see the waves of spiritual promotion wash over him, with him barely comprehending what is happening, each wave justifying and triumphing over all the pain that led to this moment, and you feel yourself there with him. This was an unforgettable tribute to the Lord's faithfulness. That and a few other scenes were so well done that they will permanently color the way I now read the text.
Landau as Jacob, Kingsley as Potiphar, the guy who played Pharaoh and the woman who became wife to Joseph (wise as well as beautiful) were superb supports to the title role.
Also, the musical score to this film is notably beautiful and stirring. It never overbears, but sublimely supports the essence of what is going on in the movie.
Catch this gem if you haven't yet.
Joshua (2002)
A natural spirituality
It took me seven years to appreciate this film. Not a constant seven years, but that was the interval between when I first saw it and mostly disliked it, until now, when I love it. The reason is that the book the movie is drawn from is so powerful, I couldn't see why the movie diverted from it so greatly.
However for some reason I felt a leading to watch the film again last week, and now I was able to appreciate it on its own merits. And they are many.
I think the reason this movie is so powerful is that Joshua exhibits a "natural spirituality". There is nothing religious or sanctimonious about him. With him, it's all about relationships based on serving each other. In other words, it's about love.
Of course, the supernatural power is there too, and it's what gives Joshua the man his special credibility. But it works alongside his loving character.
There were several moments in this film that I found moving. The odd thing is that they were not flashy, raising-the-dead moments. They were little things that spoke of the love and power of God, of Christ having come to gently serve us and show us the way.
I found the scene with what happens to the broken glass vase moving, and I thought that Stacy Edwards did a fantastic job in her role as Maggie. I particularly liked the scene with the pope. Giannini did an awesome job of showing a quiet humble spirituality. Also Kurt Fuller was totally believable in his role. And of course, Tony Goodwyn was superb. Excellent job also, Colleen and Eddie, as Joan and Theo!
Now that I'm over the book-movie comparison, I really appreciate this film. Also, MW Smith's score is really excellent. Fantastic job all around. This film is great for believers and those not quite there yet. Turn your friends and family onto it. They will be glad you did.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
A disappointment
I wanted to like this movie, but at almost all times I was aware that I was "watching a movie". It never really moved my soul. The acting was frankly very bad. The emotional depictions were worse. The screenplay wasn't great either. The scenery, the special effects, however - with the exception of most of the animals' talking - were good.
I began to hope that the appearance of Aslan would save the film, but he was a disappointment as well. The majestic King seems like a big stuffed toy from FAO Swartz.
The whole thing comes off as childish. I often thought that it would be OK to pass this movie off on a kid, but not an adult. Even the classic lines at the end, "After all, Aslan is not a tame lion / But he is good" simply had no power whatsoever.
In the inevitable comparison to the amazing Lord of the Rings trilogy, there simply is no contest. That's a shame, because the Lewis writings are truly superb and deserve far better treatment. Now that this version is done, it will serve as a firewall preventing a better interpretation from being done for a long time.
As I said, I wanted to like the movie. Not only do I enjoy the richness of the original story, I love its Christian underpinnings as well. I remember years ago being genuinely moved by a simple animated version of this story, especially the scene of the death of Aslan, where there was a holy silence that descended not only on the land of Narnia but on my own heart as well; but this expensive production barely stirred me. It may well be that Disney is simply out of its depth with this kind of rendering, that its massive corporate group-think actually works against producing an artistic work of this kind when using real actors rather than pictures.
That's sad, for what could have been but is not.
Iron Man (2008)
Very good overall
A few mild spoilers ensue.
Downey does a great job. The plot is good. The technological display is excellent. The ironman suit is awesome.
Some aspects of the plot strain credulity - like the chairman of the board being able to throw together an iron monger suit, one even more advanced than ironman's. Stark will quickly start dying without his arc generator, but at the end of the movie somehow he's fine after both existent ones are destroyed in the final fight.
Sorry, Palthrow left me unmoved, as did the Stark-Potts romance angle. I think they could have saved a lot of money with a relative unknown. But I guess the industry banks on big names to bring in box office, eh?
The final fight was spectacular, but I found the details of its action very unclear.
Overall though, a very good job. Very entertaining, and in the end goodness and personal virtue triumph. I'm glad the Stark character finds himself.
But how is he ever going to cope with divulging his identity? Secret identities protect loved ones and enable the hero to operate with discretion. Stark has the somewhat lovable trait of blurting out what he's thinking, but this time it seems he's bitten off more than he'll be able to chew. I don't get where this is supposed to go.
Finally, I sat through the credits for the famed bonus scene. Whoop de do. Frankly, it was a waste of time. And they didn't even give us secret decoder rings!
The Perfect Stranger (2005)
A big thanks to the filmmakers
The people who made this film have succeeded in capturing the essence of the Gospel - the Creator and Savior dwelling in you. The film's doctrine goes down easy because it's rightly put in the overall perspective of the living relationship that results from inviting Christ into your heart.
The actors were fantastic, the dialog incisive and perceptive, the concept believable. I laughed heartily at several places in the movie, I marveled at Jesus' responses and ability to direct the conversation, and Pamela was very genuine as she came along slowly. Tears were often not far away, but especially moving was when Nikki confirms a telltale physical sign on her new friend and thereby comes to faith, responding with a heartfelt "Thank You".
This is the kind of creative work that cuts through the religious clutter people construct around Jesus, and leaves the heart of the Gospel plain to see. It's great to renew and restore faith, and it would be a great evangelism tool.
The writers, actors, filmmakers and others involved can be very proud and happy about this outstanding accomplishment. This is what art is all about.
Thanks and God bless.
Paul
Carman: The Champion (2001)
Very Worthwhile
Mild spoilers below:
With all the junk coming out of Hollywood for years, it's nice to come across a good film. It may not have academy award level acting, but it is nonetheless well done and satisfying.
The plot is fairly compelling, with a few interesting turns, and the action is good, especially the fight scene. The nearly hopeless vise that the inner city clamps around people is graphically depicted. The love interest is excellent.
Some of the plot/character turns could have been more clearly delineated. For instance, Carman's tactic to upset a fight fix almost slips by unnoticeably. And his brother's turn for the good raises more questions that it answers.
Still, it was very enjoyable, and affirmed good values. As someone mentioned, the Gospel isn't front and center in this movie, despite Carman playing a pastor. But it doesn't alway have to be for an art work to be worthwhile.
Good job to all involved. This movie is available as a free download at TBN.com.
Paul