WHAT I’M SEEING TODAY
Tsotsi. Anybody else here seen it?
IS KEIRA KNIGHTLEY’S SMILE DANGEROUS?
Can you look away from that smile? It has a strange and dismaying power. I mean, look at her! There’s something almost violent about that smile. She’s she’s brandishing a weapon with complete confidence that no one can withstand its power… Slap some green makeup on her, and you’ve got the sequel to 28 Days Later.
[Graham Chapman voice] RUN AWAY!!![/Graham Chapman voice]
I await Pirates of the Caribbean 2 with fear and trembling.
NANNY MCFABULOUS
Mark Moring interviews Emma Thompson… and so that qualifies me to hate him for at least a few hours.
TOKEN TIMES EVANGELICAL SPEAKS OUT
Charles Marsh, an evangelical writing for The New York Times, turns in an editorial:
What will it take for evangelicals in the United States to recognize our mistaken loyalty? We have increasingly isolated ourselves from the shared faith of the global Church, and there is no denying that our Faustian bargain for access and power has undermined the credibility of our moral and evangelistic witness in the world. The Hebrew prophets might call us to repentance, but repentance is a tough demand for a people utterly convinced of their righteousness.
(Thanks, Opus.)
END OF THE DEBATE
Mark Shea weighs in on the controversy over a sinner playing a missionary. And of course, he has the right answer.
FUTURAMA‘S FUTURE
Fans of Futurama are rejoicing. Four Futurama movies are coming to DVD.
Jeffrey, I think “Nanny McFabulous” is the single greatest thing you’ve ever written. Forget about the Auralia book; you have reached your peak here.
re: Futurama
WOOHOOO! That’s probably the best news I’ve heard all day. Now let’s just hope they don’t take as long as that Simpsons movie they’ve been talking about for a decade…
Heel with the Keira worship, Rover. Remember the whole purity thing. Plus she looks like a vampire in that shot.
Dude… that was the point. She looks SCARY!
Personally, I find certain other actresses to be far more appealing… but I don’t need to go there.
All I could think during Pride and Prejudice was how Knightley should someday play a vampire, they wouldn’t even need to give her fangs.
It’s not Keira’s smile, it’s her sweater! I think it’s radioactive!
Does the movie version of V for Vendetta ever specify that the Portman character is “investigated” gynecologically when she is admitted into the prison? I don’t think it does, but the comic is pretty specific about this. (And I believe we are not supposed to see the face of the person who does any of these things, including shaving her head — the fact that we can see the man’s face in this photo is probably an accident.)
I watched Millions with my 10 year old daughter based on your recommendation. I flinched when the scene stared with the brother looking at women in bras on the computer having a premonition (soley based on contemporary movies) where this scene was heading. I was blown away at the large right turn the scene took when the two brothers talked about the real purpose of breast, feeding babies, and remembering their mom. It brought tears to my eyes. In my mind a great flim making moment by confounding my expectations and touching something deeply common to all humanity. I have recommended this film to all my friends.
I thought that scene with the bras was cute.
“She’s nice.”
yeah, that was what really turned me off to the comic series, really. i was absolutely shocked how the whole imprisonment sequence is resolved because it really seemed to approve of it in an ‘ends justify the means’ sort of way. i mean, v is obviously supposed to be crazy and we’re not supposed to approve of everything he does. he’s sort of an avatar of anarchy and so he represents both the good and the bad of that position pushed to its extreme, but the way this one sequence wraps up so nicely really made me feel like alan moore approved of this sort of behavior while disapproving of v’s more epic acts of violence, like he was sympathetic on this issue; identified with the story-telling aspect of it, you know?
yeah, that was what really turned me off to the comic series, really. i was absolutely shocked how the whole imprisonment sequence is resolved because it really seemed to approve of it in an ‘ends justify the means’ sort of way. i mean, v is obviously supposed to be crazy and we’re not supposed to approve of everything he does. he’s sort of an avatar of anarchy and so he represents both the good and the bad of that position pushed to its extreme, but the way this one sequence wraps up so nicely really made me feel like alan moore approved of this sort of behavior while disapproving of v’s more epic acts of violence, like he was sympathetic on this issue; identified with the story-telling aspect of it, you know?
for the most part, i stuck with it. i mean, it’s sort of simplistic, sort of preachy, sort of alarmist, but i understand the sentiment, am sympathetic with the larger point he’s trying to make even if it gets muddled a bit some other stuff. but this bit was just so morally reprehensible. it pretty much killed any enthusiasm i had for the film.
I can’t tell you how many times I have recommended Millions and have had to explain the significance of that scene in the film. I, also, was wary about the scene at first, but when it did make that “right turn” as Chattaway said, I was all of a sudden scrutinizing myself for thinking that everything that involves a breast is irreversibly immoral.
Of the seven or so people that watched this movie upon my recommendation, only one of them actually understood the scene without my explanation. The other six were never convinced.
A sad commentary on our fallen state, even among the redeemed. >sigh<
I went on and on for two or three straight weeks to get people to watch Millions. I was saddened that this movie would never have been made here in America – and hoped more movies like it would be introduced. The bra scene didn’t even come up as something I would remember after. It was his genuine love and desire to help that I took away after watching and hoped more people would be similarly influenced. I’m only sorry people forget that young boys ARE going to be curious and that isn’t something you can push away just because it makes you slightly uncomfortable. If anything it should be his father sleeping with a woman in the next room after only knowing her for a brief and abnormal period of time. Really? The BRAS were what bothered them? Really.
On your recommendation, I watched Millions tonight — what a terrific movie! It reminded me of Jesus saying to his disciples (Matthew 18) “Unless you become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of God.” Only the youngest, Damian, speaks to God, hears God, and has true compassion for the poor.
I think Millions challenges us to examine our priorities, but in a very subtle and engaging way. Thanks for recommending this excellent film.