Oscar Nominations
In anticipation of the 82nd Academy Awards, we're discussing Faith and Film: The Best Pictures of the Year at our February 22nd Kindlings Event. Monday, The Academy released the nominations for Best Picture, which encompass a broad array of genres, messages, and media. This year the following films vie for the Academy’s highest honor:
AVATAR: A 3-D and One-Dimensional Movie!
James Cameron’s billion-dollar blockbuster is a 3-D movie with a one-dimensional story, populated by one-dimensional characters. It is visually stunning and is a triumph of technology; however, as Bronx philosopher, Yogi Berra, once exclaimed, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
The film is aesthetically pleasing, but the story is a result of putting Ferngully, Amazon, Dances With Wolves, The Last Samurai, The Smurfs and World of Warcraft ( W.o.W has gravity defying floating rocks) in a blender.
Sci-Fi Reloaded: Philosophy and Faith
Sci-Fi reloaded philosophy and faith
I was hooked on a Sci-Fi mini-series in the eighties that featured predatory aliens posing as peace-loving visitors. Of course, their goal was world domination. They were flesh-eating reptiles who came to take the world’s water and harvest humans. The show had a heroic resistance movement, a persecuted minority, youthful dupes and the storyline was a Nazi allegory. “V” (for visitors) originally aired in 1983 and spawned a sequence of spin-offs.
Hanging in Portland
We braved the northwest deluge and buzzed down Interstate 5 to spend a few days in Portland. I am enjoying the generous hospitality of the Luis Palau Association in the company of my buddy, the most bodacious worship pastor, Matt Unruh. We are participating in the Innovative Evangelism conference sponsored by the Next Generation Alliance. If you are inclined, you can check it out here.
I am struck by four things. Actually, I am struck by a bunch of things but I will give you four.
K.O.K.D.: An Abreviation on Dealing with the Devil
I am continually impressed and stirred by the timeless wisdom of C.S. Lewis.
Close Encounter With A Universist
In my former life in talk radio, I had a spokesman for the Universist movement on my show. For those of you who have rubbed shoulders with Unitarians and Universalists the word above is not a typo! My guest was a delightful chap who represents a group who claim that they have landed on a truly postmodern belief system. I enjoyed the dialog and even tempered debate, but my East Coast guest subscribes to a terminally flawed ideology.Their website claims:
What's up with a Porn Star Bible?
The XXX Church posse head to porn shows and set up two booths. At one booth they challenge patrons of the porn exhibition to live porn-free for seven days. At another they engage in conversation with porno film stars, chat about Jesus offer Bibles and give away T-Shirts that say “Jesus loves porn stars.” The XXX Church team remind of former cricketing star and missionary wild man. C.T. Studd.
Movies
I can remember my first trip to the movies. My family was vacationing in the south west of England and the weather turned royally nasty. We sought shelter and distraction in the cinema and enjoyed a Disney double feature: The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin and The Jungle Book. I was transported into the Wild West in the former and into an animated tropical habitat populated by singing animals in the latter. I can’t recall much of Roddy McDowall’s heroics but I can recite The Bare Necessities!
