Lord Save us from your Followers

Reviewed by Mike Smith

I viewed this new documentary via an internet link. Due to technical difficulties I was not able to watch the entire video. I only missed the last 20 minutes so I think I got the vibe of it. The premise of this documentary is a commentary on the left and right argument in this country. Specifically the way the "church" has inserted itself into the argument. I don't think there is any dispute that the church created a monster when it stuck itself into the political fray. Unfortunately, both sides use ad hominum language to make their points. All of American life seems to have a political component to it now. The church should participate in culture, not as wielders of political power but as humble sojourners with a better story to tell. Instead we have incorporated this human structure, to do God's will.
The church insists on waving banners and holding what look exactly like protests in public places. There's an original idea.Think about that for a second. What did the sixties and seventies culture give us other than public displays of displeasure? I'm not sure this is the type of cultural relevance St. Paul was looking for at Mars Hill. The church seems to be hung up on being "good" not on being "nice". So much of what our neighbors see of Christianity is simply a strident right wing moralism. The right thinks it has a better set of rules than the left. The left thinks they are right. As Christians we aren't to judge. We are to make disciples. A good quote appears on screen from the very beginning from Annie Lamott: "You can tell you've created God in your own image when it turns out God hates all the same people you do." I seem to recall that statistics of successful evangelism are overwhelmingly high toward a one to one, face to face, share your life with those you know you best basis.. Take that non-sequitur and smoke it for awhile.
Don Merchant, the documentarian, walks around major cities in the U.S. wearing a coverall with all sorts of conflicting slogans and contemporary culture buzz words stuck to it. Cleverly self-naming himself as "bumper sticker man". He wants to start a dialogue. He asks, "Why all the yelling at each other"? In his good natured fashion he asks random folks what they think of the slogans he is displaying. He gets some interesting and insightful responses. This is a good yet risky idea. But I think it is high time someone made a self-examination film about the Church such as this. Here is one that is light hearted, full of joy and good humor. Lord Save Us.. uses lots of clever animation to make its points. Consequently, it is an adventurous, honest probing of what went wrong with the truth.
Here are some quotes from the video:
"People are not listening to one another" Dan Merchant
"The church is a whore, and she is my mother" Augustine as quoted by Tony Campolo.
"Do you realize how you trivialize the message when you present it in such a hateful manner" Tony Campolo.
"You know, just...Stop" John Stewart.
this film asks the question: "What do those outside the church think of the churches message". We get an ear full. And we should. Christians have entered the political fray and for bad or worse have ruined both debate and conversation. They/We have created a "culture war". The film is pretty non-judgmental but I got the sense that the 'war' was started and is perpetuated by the church. Instead of trusting God, we live our lives as practical agnostics, we have not taken the proverbial high road. We have resorted to corruptible tactics. We do what the rest of the world does, a dirty, public, in your face, condemnatory way. Why is that wrong? Mainly because the rest of the world has a sense that God's way is different. We have taken the bait and sunk to the lowest common denominator and brought the gospel down to slogan level. We have taken sides based on a form of godliness that has no power. We trust in a foreign god: political influence. When you trust in something other than God you become bitter because your god cannot do anything. Pretty soon you are reduced to yelling and proclaiming your right to have a say in what others say and do. Sound familiar?
Throughout the viewing of this documentary many name brand conservatives and liberals have bandied about the real message of Christ. It seem that the church is more concerned about how devout we appear in our own paradigm, than living lives that demonstrate or accurately emulate Jesus to the non-believer.
But enough of what I think. This documentary is very instructive. The church should listen to what our culture is saying to us. I can't help but make a comparison with the film Dances with Wolves. The U.S. Cavalry turned on one of its most loyal and circumspect soldiers because he began to adopt some of the beauty of the new culture around him. It is a good lesson for the church. Despite the exclusionary assumptions of the U.S. church God has made all men (and women) in his image. Our culture can teach us things. Our culture actually brings out some of the beauty and truth of God. Even though it may be in spite of itself. There is nothing wrong with embracing the beauty of our culture. Loving our neighbors requires it. Loving our neighbors also gives us a chance for dialogue, while God is redeeming the darkness through changed lives. God told the Israelites in Babylon to have families and work for the beauty of their newly adopted city. I don't think God has changed his attitude about the role he asks his people to play in redeeming a culture. Proper participation wins us the right to share why we are different. Get that? Different, not dissident. Jesus makes us different, not which behavior we choose to protest about.
The documentary's theme is to have a dialogue about religion in public life. I was tickled by the accuracy of normal everyday people regarding what Jesus and Christians should stand for. I noticed in this film that when a Christian forgets about his or her ministry, and concentrates on how Jesus communicates, dialogue actually happens. In fact, most of the interviewees actually understand Christ's mission. God truth permeates His creation, and He has put the truth in each of us, saved or unsaved. The church seems to be more concerned about convincing people of their sin than actually trying to have a relationship; which is actually the most proven way to convert people. God has made our jobs easy. "The harvest is ripe and the workers are few". We have the enviable task of sharing Christ with the world. A world in which God has already put a spark of the story in their hearts. You would think it was easy. All we need to do is live like we believe the message.
The film opens with a powerful quote from Phillip Yancey: "No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument". Bulls eye! Sometimes it looks like God has put the human race in a giant pick up basketball game. Then God grabs one of us and puts us on his team, we instantly go back into the game and start playing baseball. We no longer fit in, and have no use for the culture we just left. It seems noble to turn your back on your old 'evil' buddies. But is it the right thing for the kingdom of God?
As a former railer, this is a hot topic for me. The church in this country is sick in many ways. Our witness to the unchurched is serious collateral damage. I have been praying that God would begin to strengthen his church. I truly feel this documentary is part of his answer to that prayer. God always cleans his own house first. He is faithful that way. I was more than a little squeamish at some of our most venerated Christian leaders' statements. Even though the cuts from Dobson, and other Evengelicals were taken from speaches to the 'faithful', the eithets and slogans were disturbing. Evangelical leaders are not to be in the business of inciting the ire of Christ's body to political action. Leaders are to encourage the faithful to proclaim the life and example of Jesus. (If Christ is the answer, why don't we act like He is?) If this film does nothing else for you. It will give you a pretty good perspective how our culture views the church. My view: We aren't speaking to them, we are speaking for each other. Not so different than a protestor or a detested politician.
Check out this documentary if it comes to a theatre near you. If not, buy it from Amazon and watch it with your friends. This could well be a quick turn around in your effectiveness in sharing your faith. Everyone appreciates an honest self-appraisal.
This movie should have a PG-13 rating. There is some mild language and some of the clowns are real. You'll have some explaining to do. Read More

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

“Image is everything”—or so pitched American tennis legend Andre Agassi for Canon photography. Though the idea of “Image” obviously serves as a metaphor for the pictures that the Canon Rebel could produce, the marketing is equally obvious: from athletics to academics to politics, Image has not merely exceeded Content—at this point Image threatens to replace Content in a world without truth. This theme—of which steroid use and abuse in merely a symptom of the broader Image/Content dispute—forms the compelling foundation for Chris Bell’s new documentary regarding steroid abuse in the U.S.


Bigger, Stronger, Faster focuses on Chris Bell and his two brothers, Mark and Mike, who, while growing up in Poughkeepsie, New York, with that childhood dedication to emulating their heroes—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hulk Hogan, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone)—began lifting weights at an early age. All three brothers achieved a certain level of success, either in power-lifting, football, or professional wrestling.

It wasn’t until Chris’ older brother, Mike “Mad Dog” Bell, went to the University of Cincinnati on a football scholarship that steroids were introduced into the equation. Clearly, they enhanced his progress, accelerating his endless goal of being bigger, stronger, and faster—and an addiction was born. It is worth noting that the honesty demonstrated by the Bell family is both refreshing and somewhat surprising, considering the personal nature and vulnerability of the issue. Read More

The BAND’S VISIT

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

The “Tag Line” for this movie is, “Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this...it wasn’t that important.” That pretty much sums up this movie. Its humdrum pace moved a slow story along very slowly. That certainly may seem to put quite a negative spin on this witty and important movie, but that’s not my intent. I would say if you are looking for an action movie, don’t see this film, but I think its pace is intentional to the film, and most likely the problem with many American moviegoers. Action, sex and drama allow us to escape, movies like this force us into a conversation we may find uncomfortable, yet quite rewarding in the end.

The story is about an Egyptian (Muslim) police orchestra who has been asked to do a concert in an Arabic cultural center in Israel. When they arrive at the airport there is no one to there to meet them, so they comically look for alternate transportation. Their newest member and ‘wanna’ be playboy Khaled, attempts to charm the woman working at the bus station and proceeds to book his group on a bus to a wrong town, which angers his superior Tewfiq, who already is dealing with political issues back home that are threatening budget cuts that would do away with his band. They end up stranded in a very small Israeli town with no place to go, and no one to talk to. With his men tired, hungry and alone in a ethnically hostile environment, their stoic leader finds aid in an unlikely, but hospitable café owner named Dina, who is pretty, gregarious and witty, yet lonely and strong willed. Dina finds herself immediately attracted to the much older, and much stodgy Tewfiq, which makes for a humorous odd couple, but even a better metaphor regarding how two separate cultures can learn to love one another. Dina takes Tewfiq and Khaled (Who was forced to come by Tewfiq as a punishment for booking the bus to the wrong city) to her home for the evening, while the rest of the group follows the other hosts to their homes.

The movie then develops three different scenarios played out by band members and their hosts. Tewfiq and Dina go out for Dinner, Khaled becomes a “Fifth Wheel” on a double date with one of the hosts, Papi, a shy, demur young man, who is forced on a double date with his cousin, his girlfriend and her less than attractive silent sister, while the rest of the band heads off with Itzik to eat with his family who quite obviously disdain Arab Muslims.

All three scenarios demonstrate their own unique comedy and tension, but all three of them reflect our struggle to relate to one another, especially when those struggles involve meeting someone different than us. We so badly want to connect with people on a deep level and feel loved by some one else, but our prejudices and quarks keep us at bay and force us to retreat into pretense and personal gain. This movie wanted us to feel what happens when humans get together, and place their hatred and misconceptions at the door, and coerce us to face one another. We may just find that we have similar interests, and care about many of the same things, and actually are not that much different from one another. We may find that we have been settling for seconds when we could have a smorgasbord.

We soon find out that Dina grew up watching Egyptian films with Omar Sharif, and Itzik’s family loved the concertos played by Simon (The bands second in command). What we find in this film is that hospitality, and sharing of our interests and desires can often overcome years of hate and misconception. Director Eran Kolirin confirms this when he writes, ““What’s certain though is that we’ve lost something on the way. We traded true-love for the one-night stands, art for commerce, and human connection, the magic of conversation for the question of how big a slice of the pie we can put our hands on.”

It is clear that this is what the movie drives this theme and Eran Kolirin does a fantastic job communicating a cross cultural and political message without preaching at us, or making us hold hands and sing “We Are the World”. He does it with a fantastic job of demonstrating it, and allowing us to feel what it’s like for tension to be relieved through hospitality, mutual sharing and love.

It will take a patient and astute moviegoer to enjoy the fine nuances of this film, but in the end it will be worth it, because the best things are discovered through enduring and thoughtful searching, which is what this movie says to us.

This movie is rated PG and in spite of its tedious pace, thoughtful theme and subtitles, would be suitable for the whole family. There is one short and veiled reference to sexual activity.

The Counterfeiters

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

“Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade All the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM! William Wallace


“Counterfeiters” really wasn’t a movie like Braveheart, but it was a movie about courage, and I believe about life and surviving. The movie is set in Germany during Hitler’s Third Reich. Karl Markovic was a man trying to exist as a Jew in Hitler’s hellhole. He begins the film as a self-centered, womanizing counterfeiter who gets caught for his crime and thrown into one of Germany’s infamous concentration camps. And as anyone could imagine the conditions were horrible, but it became the context for his motto, “One adapts or one dies.” The movie forces you to experience the result of this slogan, and to live the horrific events with the characters, which makes for a powerfully eerie movie.

Early in Markovic’s imprisonment he is transferred to another prison to use his expertise as a counterfeiter. The prison is run by the man who arrested him, and was since promoted to this position. The new prison is like a country club for those that are willing to cooperate with the Nazi regime and make counterfeit pounds and dollars to help with the German war effort. The new commandant (Friedrich Herzog) is a businessman more concerned with promotion and comfort than he is the Nazi war machine, but he needs that machine for his comfort. He also knows he needs Markovic’s expertise and treats him well. Markovic agrees to work with Herzog as long as he can get him medicine to help his ailing friend’s Tuberculosis. Herzog complies only to kill the ailing friend later because of the chance that it could spread to the entire camp, which would kill off his efforts to further the Nazi efforts, and get him in good with Hitler.

In spite of the fact that death was all around Markovic, he continued to do his work in order to survive, and to help his fellow workers survive. The movie revealed Markovic’s slow redemption from a self-centered egotist, to a man that was truly concerned about the people around him. He began to take the blame for mistakes of others knowing that the commandant needed him, and would not kill him, as he would with the others. This slow metamorphosis was often confronted by the morally upstanding Adolph Burger who was imprisoned for protesting the Nazi regime. His wife was also imprisoned and killed, and he refused to be part of the Nazi war effort by sabotaging the work they were doing. This caused great tension between Burger, Markovic and the rest of the inmates, but Markovic consistently protected Burger from both the Germans and his own people in spite of the fact that he vehemently disagreed with Burger as to what was best for their people.

This lent to many interesting questions and scenarios as to what our lives are for, and what constitutes survival. Burger was an advocate of force and change, while Markovic was a representation of the status quo trying to survive in a world of confusion. His world was defeated, and change appeared impossible. The only hope was to survive in the midst of the horror. Burger’s is summed up in his conversation with Markovic when he says, “No one is willing to die for principle; that’s why the Nazi system works!” Both men had a similar goal. Both men desired to help their fellow men. Both had vastly different methods that clashed and caused tension. This is not unlike many of us trying to survive in a world that doesn’t make sense, and feeling hopeless to change it. Do we act out in rage and violence or do we acquiesce and live within it? Or is there another way?

Whatever the solution this movie does a remarkable job of displaying the human condition. Every character in this movie is tainted. Even the moral Burger struggles to strike a balance in this movie.

This movie is about surviving and adaptation, interestingly two elements found in Darwin’s theory of evolution, and two elements that can make for a dastardly way of living. This movie depicts surviving as meaningful, only when there is a purposed existence in the end. These men resorted to their base animal nature when purpose and dignity was taken from them, and then resorted back to civility when they were given dignity and a job. As William Wallace reminds us, “Every man dies, not every man really lives.” Life is more than existence and human life is more than the will to survive and adapt. Those are much needed aspects when life has meaning.

In the end, the remaining prisoners are released as the allies defeat Germany, and Karl Markovic is last seen recklessly gambling thousands of dollars away (Counterfeit money he had made in the concentration camp) as a symbolic throwing away of the blood money, which represents his guilt for his complicity in the furthering of the Nazi war machine.

The last scene sees Markovic sitting on a beach in Monte Carlo, completely broke and by now, a changed man. He’s still a womanizer, but his guilt will haunt him for the decisions he has made, in spite of the fact that many of his decisions saved many people including himself. As the tagline to the movies says, “It takes a clever man to make money. It takes a genius to survive.” Survive he did, with a memory that he will take to his grave. What would you do to survive? What would you compromise for comfort?

This movie would not be appropriate for children. There is brief nudity, course language, adult content, and a realistic picture of the horror of the human heart when it is left to it’s own.

City of Men (Cidade dos Homens)

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

Directed by Paulo Morelli
Written by Elena Soarez

‘City of Men’ is a sequel to ‘City of God,’ but directed and written by different people, giving it a completely different feel stylistically as well as content. ‘City of God’ was frenetic in your face film, with lurid sexual content, and graphic violence that sickened even the most ardent moviegoer. You finished ‘City of God’ feeling violated; yet educated in regards to the chaotic and violent life of young teens in the Favela (Shanty Town) in Rio de Janeiro. ‘City of God’ was brilliant, moving and brought to light the horror and results of poverty and corruption. ‘City of ‘Men lacked both the pace and the intensity that made the former film so powerful.

However, ‘City of Men’ is a good film, though it pales a bit in comparison with its big brother. It depicts two boyhood friends (Acerola, “Ace” and Larinjinha “Wallace”) who are struggling to makes sense of their fatherless past, and their hopeless future, under the watchful eyes of two rival gangs. The movie is a continuance of the boys violent life from the ‘City of God’ some seven years later. Both Wallace and Ace lament their lives sans a father figure. While I liked the ‘City of Men’ much of the film was predictable. Wallace and Ace are great friends, the gang wars and the discovery of a terrible family secret split them up forcing them to pick sides in the war, yet friendship and love triumph.

The movie begins with Ace and Wallace and one of the rival gangs going to the beach. Ace brings his young son along with him, because his girlfriend has to go to work. Ace decides to leave his baby under the irresponsible eyes of a reluctant friend, and the baby is left to wander dangerously close to the crashing waves before he is symbolically swept away by the lead member of the gang. Within that opening scene captures the reality of chaos for a child growing up as the child of a child without a caring father. All these boys know is the security and community of these gangs, who provide for them, and look after them. This is not unlike the situation in many of our cities right here in America. We are told by many irresponsible sources that fatherhood doesn’t matter; yet we see strewn throughout our cities and suburbs the results of a fatherless culture. Men lacking courage, vision and the manly tenderness that is able to properly lead his family. Instead we have boys that don’t grow up and display a reckless machismo that destroys the boy and the family. This movie is about the sins of the father passed on to generations of boys that can’t see life beyond the barrel of their AK 47’s. Both boys seek after love by using women for their own need assuaging their own pain instead of having a deep well of love in which to give.

In the ‘City of Men,’ the gang war is a weird background effect for two boys trying to become men by searching for the missing men in their lives. While Wallace locates his alcoholic father, both boys discover a secret that causes division and a hatred that may perpetuate the gang war in their own lives. In spite of this the love the boys have for one another wins out in the end, and they find a way to reconcile their heinous past and the sins of their father’s to make for a better life for themselves and the life of Ace’s little boy.

The movie ends with Ace reconciling with his girlfriend who had moved away to find a better job, leaving you with the sense of redemption in this movie.; a redemption that the ‘City of God’ failed to leave you with.

‘City of Men’ was a different movie. It gave us a softer story of redemption and love. It was not nearly as violent or as dark as the ‘City of God.’ With that said it still earned it’s R rating for language, violence and its intensity.

Personally I believe that everyone should see both the ‘City of God’ and the ‘City of Men.” They are movies that remind us of the violence that lie at the heart of everyone of us pushed up against the wall of despair.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: The Life of the Mind (on Film)

Reviewed by Mike Smith

I predict that this film will be another powerful foreign movie that few will see. And that will be an utter tragedy. The film is based on Bauby’s most unusual autobiography, which he dictated letter by letter by blinking his eye. His ability to dictate his story via his soaring intellect and uncontrollable emotions—if expressed only through the simple act of blinking his thoughts letter by letter—is a wonder of human achievement rivaling any of the man-made wonders of the world. The screenplay does credit to Mssr Bauby’s creativity and grace, and the camera work is also absolute perfection. This film is a masterwork by Julian Schnabel. His sensitivity to the subject matter was no doubt inspired by the sheer unimaginable work of genius and persistence exhibited by Bauby and his aides. The film handles this difficult subject in creative and comedic ways. Schnabel brings a rare ability to make a film out of an inert subject. Read More

August Rush: Other Than Music, No Need to Rush

Reviewed by Mike Smith

In short, this is a heartwarming film. But the acting is phlegmatic with few outstanding performances (except for August’s dimples). Special kudos to Terrence Howard as Lyla’s social worker, Richard Jeffries, though. Keri Russell is a lackluster disappointment as Lyla, and Robin Williams, as August’s mentor Wizard, is a little too sinister for young viewers. Despite the dead giveaway which is telegraphed from the outset, the story is interesting. In fact, familiar as the story may seem, there are some fun surprises—and I like the comfort of a familiar tale. And the fact that August feels and hears music in everything gives August Rush its underlying spirituality. Read More

Outsourced: Finding Culture Elsewhere

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

Apparently when John Jeffcoat first plugged his screenplay to the Hollywood heavyweights they loved the script, but balked at the idea of having an unproven director direct the movie. Thankfully Jeffcoat took his script to a small independent company (Shadow Catcher Entertainment) and the result is one of the more delightful, original, and funny movies that any company has put out in over a year.
Outsourced is a romantic, cross-cultural comedy about Todd Anderson. Todd is a manager at a Seattle-based customer call center until his job—and the entire office—is outsourced to Mumbai, India. It gets even more sinister when Todd is manipulated by his insensitive, greedy boss to go to India to train his replacement. Read More

Sharkwater: Immersed in a Different World

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

“The animal we fear the most is the one we can’t live without”—so the movie begins. Right away we enter into Rob Stewart’s world of sharks, and his obvious love affair with the species. It is actually hard to be critical of the film in the sense that you feel you are treading on Stewart’s very sacred ground. This project has clearly been a focused passion since he was eight years old, and his telling of this story is infused with his intensity and his obvious love for the animal.
This 90-minute film is filled with incredible footage, especially of his loving embraces with hundreds of sharks, as he strokes their mouths and sides with the touch of a mother with child. There are times when you would swear that the footage was digitally enhanced with CG sharks since there are so many of them, debunking the myth that sharks travel alone. Read More

Blame it on Fidel (Subtitled)

Reviewed by Mike Gunn

Directed by Julie Gavras

Blame it on Fidel is a delightful film about a precocious nine year old girl named Anna (Nina Kervel) trying to make sense of her vastly changing world. The time set is 1970 at the zenith of a massive socio-political changes in Europe and America. Anna’s first eight years had been spent mostly in Paris in a large house owned by her parents who deeply loved her, and had created a very comfortable environment for her to grow up in. She attended a private, catholic school, and lived a very ordered, safe life until her uncle was killed as a “militant” under the fascist regime of Franco in Spain. This soon extricated Anna from her comfort and the illusion of control to a chaotic mess of politics and a crumbling worldview.

A trip to Chile transformed Anna’s attorney parents into communist ideologues, and overnight Anna’s world of innocence was pulled out from underneath her and changed forever. Her family moved from a nice, big comfortable house in a wealthy area to a small apartment in a working class neighborhood. Her quiet evenings with her mom and dad were consistently interrupted by questionable characters holding meetings and saying unspeakable things such as, “Mickey Mouse is a fascist!” Her world of classical training was replaced with protests for women’s rights, group solidarity, and the overthrow of oppression everywhere. Her beloved nanny was fired for her political leanings, and Anna’s dad forced her to leave her religion classes at her school, which caused her public embarrassment and was ostracized by some of her friends. These things affected Anna greatly, and created an unstable foundation for her to make sense of her changing world.

Her favorite subject in her religion class was Genesis, because it made sense of her world. It was a meta-narrative explaining some of life’s biggest questions, and it gave her comfort. For her dad, that kind of comfort was an “Opium for the people.” It was garbage, a myth that uneducated people use to make sense out of mystery. The movie gently reinforces this idea as Anna goes through several nannies from different cultures that all seem to have their own “Fable” explaining similarly how the world came in to existence. This disillusions Anna, and allows her to realize in a simple way that all of these “isms” are empty and meaningless, and the only truth comes from our own ability to reason. And so Anna was converted! She threw off the shackles of control and oppression, and realized that answers do not come from religion, myths or these weird political people, they come from her own sense of knowing. This is cemented in a conversation with her dad, who himself began to realize that human ideologies (Religious or political) aren’t the answer to our human problems, but our gut feelings are what tells us that Mickey Mouse really isn’t a fascist.

In the end, Anna relinquishes her demand to stay in her rigid Catholic school and agrees to go to the public school. The movie ends amazingly with Anna showing up her first day at the public school where she is struck by the lack of order and chaos surrounding her in the play yard. While the scene depicts a definite fear and confusion in her eyes, the camera angle changes to a birds eye view (The Heavenly Gaze), and in the midst of chaos and kids running and bumping in to one another, some kids take Anna’s hand in a gesture of acceptance and form a circle of unity as the shot pans higher above this spiritual scene, depicting a sort of unity in the midst of chaos reminding us of the messiness of this world. The shot reminds us that the only heavenly gaze are the ones we create, and that meta-narratives (Grand stories that make sense out of life) don’t really exist. It is only through our own human devices that we can make sense of this world in a small way.

First, I would like to say that I loved this film, and thought that Nina Kervel was fantastic and deserving of many awards! The film was thought provoking, humorous and brought you into the life of a nine year old in a way that many of us have forgotten about.

Secondly, where I would agree with the movie’s premise that you cannot control the world around you, and that all of our political and religious ideologies do not give us answers, the writers have been converted by another ideology that fits our current, western cultural “zeitgeist.” It seems to me that the cultural feeling is that if we shun religion or the “Oppressive” gods of this world, we will finally be in control of our own destiny, but this sentiment is just another gospel story, replete with it’s own ideology and dead ends. How many times will we hear that humans are the answer, when it is humans that have created religion, politics, and every mess known to humanity? How can we know that the answer “Lies within?” Maybe the answer lies outside of us, which helps create a “New Way” to be human?

Thirdly, I would say that this movie made me think about our kids, and the way they process the world we force them into. I guess this is what we have all gone through, but is there a way to help them process these grand events in their lives in ways that are less confusing? Have we forced our children to be what we want them to be, without shaping them in a way that gives them the ability to choose well?


I would give this movie a PG rating. Content is great for the whole family, but there is talk of abortion, revolution, Communism, sexuality and a some language that may be deemed inappropriate for some children.

El Cantante: Just Whose Story is This?

Mike Smith (03.08.07)

El Cantante is described in the film's production notes as a "labor of love" for its stars Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Its purpose is to re-introduce the world to the music of Hector Lavoe. Marc Anthony's role is to portray the namesake, and he does so very well. But Lopez's JLo-loving production shamelessly features her in almost every scene. When she is not being featured, she is upstaging someone else in the background. JLo is artfully displayed, even in domestic fights, and never looks bad. In short, she portrays the best-preserved and least-affected life-long cocaine addict in the world. Read More

Rush Hour 3: Even Jackie Chan Gets Older

Reviewed by Mike Smith

Yet another installment of the Chief Inspector Lee and Detective Carter franchise has hit the theaters. For the enlightened fans of this series there will be much rejoicing. For those like me, it will just be great fun. There is nothing too deep in this film—just a fun time with a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The beginning is a good mix of tension and comedy; but after the first 15 minutes, I just sat back to enjoy the show. Read More

The Hip Hop Project

Reviewed by Mike Gunn
Directed by Matt Ruskin

“’I stopped listening to hip-hop 10 years ago’…McDaniels points out that Run DMC rhymed about everything from materialism (My Adidas) and higher education (I go to St. John’s University) to Santa Claus (Christmas in Hollis). ’We weren’t choirboys, but we had multiple points of view. This past decade it seems like hip-hop has mostly been about parties and guns and women. That’s fine if you’re in a club, but from 9 a.m. till I went to bed, the music had nothing to say to me.’”
Darryl McDaniels; the DMC in Run DMC


The above quote sums it up! Hip-hop has lost its moorings. Booty and bling has been the formula for success and it has all but destroyed the artistic and socially conscious medium that grows at the roots of the hip-hop culture. Princeton University professor Cornel West calls the sell out version “Constantinian” hip-hop and says that, “Constantinian hip-hop revels in the fetishism of commodities, celebrates the materialism, hedonism, and narcissism of the culture (the bling! Bling!) and promotes a degrading of women, gays, lesbians and gangster enemies.” The problem isn’t the medium, which is often speculated by older white and black conservatives, the problem is the market, which is %72 white, who as West writes “Long for rebellious energy and exotic amusement in their hollow bourgeois world.” No longer does the mainstream hip-hop scene have the prophetic voices of Grand Master Flash, KRS One, Afrikaa Bambaataa or the Furious Five, but we have seen an upturn of the prophetic voice from underground mc’s like the Perceptionists, the Blue Scholars, as well as semi main stream rappers like Black Star, Lauryn Hill, Outkast or Alicia Keys.

This is why I can stand up and applaud the Hip Hop project! An incredibly cool production, and a heart-felt story that only the semi-dead can’t be aroused by. The story centers on Kris “Kazi” Rolle who was abandoned to the streets of New York (Via the Bahamas) first by his biological mother and then his foster mother. Kazi, by his own admission was a boy that got in a lot of trouble by the time he was 14 years old, and needed an outlet for his angst and pain. In truth it was the pain that caused the rebellion. Confusion, fear and anger forced him to steal and to lash out to a society that threw him away. Most often the Kazi’s of the world end up unknown and in our prison systems, but by the grace of God and a love for music, Kazi got involved with Art Start, a teen project in New York city to help youth express themselves through the arts. Kazi soon became the program director of a new project that centered on his love for hip-hop, and the “Hip-Hop Project” was born, taking various teens and working closely with them for 4 years to create an album that would express their voices.

The beauty of the project is that it was much more than a music project. It was a transformation project. It was an expression of the power of one individual making the difference in the lives of others. He began by raising the bar on their art. The youth were raised in hopelessness and anger, and their art was reflective of a mainstream love affair with violence and sex. Kazi matured them, and encouraged them to write about their experiences in ways that uplift, educate and release. He simply asked the question, “If the world would stop to listen to what you had to say, what would you tell them?” That’s profound! Their music was born out of that question. What did they want the world to know about their lives, and their experiences and the social ills around them? He simply led them back to the roots of the medium that most of the world does not know, including a whole new generation of fans that know nothing of the legacy of hip-hop.

The movie seemed to steer clear of sensationalism and the digging in to the ugliness of many of these teens lives, but allowed us to understand it from the outside. It centered on rising above, individual expression and reconciliation. It allowed us to witness the fruit of Kazi’s labor create an album with the help of Russell Simmons (Def Jam Records) and Bruce Willis, who footed the bill for the needed studio time for the project.

This movie, as well as movies like “Born Into Brothels,” and “Rize,” brings out the sublime in humanity! They remind us that when we begin to get outside of ourselves, and to “Give back,” as Kazi exhorts, it is then that we begin to heal the hurts not only in the lives of others, but in the lives of ourselves. Kazi had many internal hurts, but he became a healer, a sacrificer of himself for the transformation of others. This alone is a message that we all need to be reminded of. It also reminds us that there are many talents that walk the streets of major cities in this world, never to be discovered or given the opportunity to use their talents and abilities or even get a chance to express the experiences and pain of their own lives in any kind of medium. Kazi reminds us of that when he says that the “Criminal mind is a creative mind. It all depends where you put your energies.” How true that may be, and how easy is it to judge when we’ve been afforded the opportunities to succeed when many haven’t.

As much as this movie was about music, and the power of art in broken communities, it was also about reconciliation as Kazi traveled back to the Bahamas to meet up with his foster mom, who sent him to the streets of New York at 14 years old, and finally with his biological mom who abandoned him at birth. These were not only touching moments in the film, but highlighted the need for forgiveness and reconciliation, in spite of the reaction of those that hurt you. Though the movie may have been a bit more powerful to center more on these stories, it did enough to show the integrity and courage of Kazi to reconcile some very hurtful things in his life, and to center its story on how the power of one can transform a broken community into something sincere and beautiful.

There isn’t a community that isn’t broken and in need of transformation. It is easy to look at the obvious and feel compelled, but it is important for all of us to reach to the broken in our midst, and seek peace and reconciliation.

I would not only tell you to see this movie, but it’s one of those movies to think about and dialogue with, and let its ethos penetrate our often lugubrious existence. I’d also say go out and support Art Start by buying HHP Vol. 1 (The first Hip-Hop Project’s album, with 17 tracks).

Surf’s Up: Penguins Take on Surf and Turf

Reviewed by Jeff Walls

As clichéd as the plot becomes, Surf’s Up is not without its charms. The mockumentary style pays off with some excellent gags. The way in which the opening narrative contrasts Cody’s version of his “Big Z” encounter with visuals of the truth, for instance, is reminiscent of Don Lockwood’s opening speech in Singin’ in the Rain. Unfortunately, the film seems to shift away from its mockumentary format and we are left with the story of a veteran athlete teaching a young athlete everything he needs to know to succeed both in the specific sport and in life. So Surf’s Up is nothing terrific, but it’s good enough to entertain the kids. Read More

EVERYTHING’S GONE GREEN

Reviewed by Mike Smith

It takes an unusual talent to capture the nuance of an entire culture. Writer Douglas Coupland seems to be that talent. The humor in Everything’s Gone Green is quintessentially Canadian. I am not sure I could define that quality of humor, but I recognize it. The writing and story are quite engaging, and director Paul Fox appears to revel in the same sort of deadpan irony-laden humor that Coupland—if one can be said to revel in an understated way. READ MORE

SPIDER-MAN 3: Spidey Fans Cast a World-Wide Web

Reviewed by Harambee Member Greg Wright

Despite excellent CGI, creatively-staged action sequences, and (I’m assuming) the usual effectively nerdy performances from Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire as MJ and Peter, Spider-Man 3 still reaches too far—four villains (including Spidey himself) are about two too many, and Topher Grace, among others, is wildly miscast. And I’m sorry, but Dunst and Maguire—while competent enough—are being wildly overpaid, regardless of the odd chemistry that they obviously produce. But as high-priced entertainment, Spider-Man 3 starts the summer off with a solid bang. Fans won’t be disappointed—and the series will likely win a whole new legion of followers. READ MORE

Avenue Montaigne: Be Yourself and see what happens.

Reviewed by Mike Smith

I walked away from the theatre feeling good, though a little overwhelmed. There are so many themes in Avenue Montaigne, I decided to focus on just one important idea: that you have value, regardless of your lot in life. Not the smarmy, manipulative, empty, ego-feeding “You are Somebody!” that we get in public school. I mean the firm joy of living that can be found through accepting yourself as you are and reaching out to others first. I think this is the great lesson of the movie: That if I toss away my pretense, toss away my unfounded expectations of a perverted view of success and just be myself, I can affect more people more positively. Read More

Amazing Grace: Amazing and Graceful, If Not Perfect

Reviewed by Harambee Member Greg Wright

As a history lesson, Amazing Grace is beyond admirable. As a tract on the evils of the 18th-century slave trade, it’s a powerful indictment and makes a fine companion piece to Steven Spielberg’s 19th-century slave-trade tale from the opposite side of the Atlantic, Amistad. As a portrait of Wilberforce, it’s an Oscar-bait complex powerhouse. As an example of ensemble acting that might be more memorable than anything else we’ll see this year, we couldn’t ask for more. And still, the whole doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts. Read More

Jesus Camp

Reviewed by Mike Smith

Documentary filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady follow a small group of children to Pastor Becky Fischer’s “Kids on Fire” summer camp where kids are taught a worldview quite different from the one most, and I do mean most, Americans are familiar with.

Every subculture has its own pretense. We all come into this world with a self-centered worldview. We filter everything we see through that self-aggrandizing lens. Fisher’s worldview is a Christian one. She believes that she has a lock on the plans of God. But perhaps hers is not a worldview so much as it is practicum. Read More

A Prairie Home Companion

Review by Michael Smith

Based on the National Public Radio drama of the same title, this movie is a performance of the award-winning radio show, watermarked with backstage banter and drama. A Prairie Home Companion has a wholesome and unapologetic quality, particularly in its middle-American humor, morality, and spirituality. Strongly appealing and effective, this story is the successful blending of radio and cinema—we delightfully witness how a good old yarn can be told on the screen. The beauty of cinema is its visual artistry and real-time urgency; radio is powerful as it couples the dimensions of a story with the listeners’ imagination. These elements are mixed with great success in this movie. Read More

Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift

Reviewed by Michael Smith

I’ve never seen a Fast and Furious movie before, but I didn’t want to miss this one, Tokyo Drift. It is very—ahem—fast and furious. Beauty fills the screen from the very outset: beautiful girls, beautiful cars, and beautiful colors. It is probably the brightest live-action film I’ve ever seen. The races are perfectly choreographed and have a musical quality.

Existence as portrayed in this movie is one of limitless resources spent doing nothing but building fast cars in unbelievable super-garages that any NASCAR fan would envy. Why build fast cars? “Well, so you can go fast.” Why would you want to go fast? “Well silly, so you can win races.” Why do you race? “Don’t make me mad or I’ll race you!” Why is winning so important? “It shows you are the best.” This is the thought process of the movie. Read More

The Da Vinci Disappointment

A movie review by Pastor Mike Gunn

We all know that this is a Christian Web site, and that I, of course, am a Christian. And according to men like Robert Langdon, I have no ability to remain unbiased about my view of this movie. Let the reader beware.

Maybe that's true, but certainly any amateur historian can tell that the "facts" in this movie are, er, well, even more skewed than in Dan Brown's novel. All that aside (and I swear there will be no mention from here on in regarding the theology and fictional nature of this movie), it was a huge disappointment. I should have known a movie with this much hype would fail to deliver. Read More

Crash

Reviewed by Pastor Mike Gunn

Crash starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon is a phenomenal movie outlining the subtle and not so subtle fears and prejudices that haunt our souls. The movie does a masterful job of portraying the boiling pot below the “melting pot,” which is a lot more like a stew than anything actually melting into one. Here might be the crux of the problem. Read More

Serenity

Reviewed By Pastor Mike Gunn

Serenity is an adventure Sci-Fi spin off from the popular sci-fi channel’s “Firefly” written and directed by Josh Weldon. Firefly, which began as a comic book series, is a story of a renegade captain and his crew, flying around the universe 500 years into the future in search of sustenance (Food, money, etc.). The earth has been severely damaged due to nuclear fall out caused by world war three (Gee that’s original?) and its people has been forced due to overpopulation to pioneer colonies on distant planets. This is where Serenity begins. Read More

The Passion of the Christ

Reviewed by Pastor Mike Gunn

I am writing this in the midst of an interesting news month in entertainment -- particularly in the sports world. Such an incredible Superbowl show… and of course, they played the game too. Oh yeah -- Janet Jackson got exposed and we all got imposed on. As obscene as that publicity stunt was, I was more scandalized by those using the occasion to espouse “free” speech rights -- ones that apparently mandate the individual’s right of expression at the expense of everything else. What ever happened to, “Unless it infringes on the rights of others?” Since the NFL is sure to go conservative next year, I’ll be the first to suggest getting Amy Grant up there to sing about her own Judeo-Christian values. Then we can watch the same “free speech” guerillas have a real field day. Read More

Matrix Revolutions

Reviewed by Pastor Mike Gunn

Let the reader be warned that I am a self-professed Matrix geek -- so whatever spews from my keyboard is most likely clouded by my biased “geek” lens!

After scouring countless reviews of The Matrix Revolutions I am convinced that we have all been duped by a huge conspiratorial plot concocted by Warner Brothers -- and of course the malevolent Wachowskis. They have insidiously ripped off the public by promoting a film that promised to answer life’s greatest questions, but left us with nothing but a bunch of CGI and existential disappointment! Read More

What Would Spike Say?

By Pastor Mike Gunn

(The following is from an article originally printed in “After Eden” a forum at www.hollywoodjesus.com).

I have been traveling quite a bit these past few weeks, and being on the go has afforded me the luxury of watching some films on my mini-DVD player that I haven’t had a chance to see. Two films stood out which came out in the same time period, Clockers (1995) and Get on the Bus (1996). Both of these films remind me of Spike Lee’s genius and Hollywood’s disregard of his work. Why were these films such marketing and box-office after-thoughts? Read More