Category Archives: Decade

1990s, Article, Best Movie Bracket, Computer, Crime, Detective, Lists, Top 3

1995 Best Movie Bracket

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I have a theory that 12 years old is the greatest age. You are in the homestretch of your childhood and the world is at your doorstep. You haven’t quite entered the dreaded teenager phase where you start caring way too much about what other people think instead of just being yourself. Being 12 is great. 

As a part of that theory, I also think that the movies you see when you are 12 will stick with you and potentially even shape your future. Look back for yourself. What movies did you see when you were 12? I was 12 in 1995 and I remember having some of the best times of my life in a movie theater. It was a different time then and I recall getting dropped off at the theater at lunchtime with $20 and getting picked back up at 5 o’clock or so having binged on popcorn and soda and soaked in the flickering light of the cinema for two full films. 

I remember sitting in the theater as the lights dimmed for Toy Story, Jumanji, GoldenEye, Hackers, Batman Forever, Mortal Kombat, and A Goofy Movie. I remember sneaking into the theater for Se7en, Bad Boys, and Die Hard with a Vengeance. But my greatest memory in the theater was actually on the opening weekend of 1995’s Clueless.

My Greatest Theater Memory

I think it was my brother that took me to the theater when he was going to see Species or something like that. I got my favorite seat in those days which was literally front and center. I wanted my entire range of vision to be absorbed by the experience of the film. The house was packed and I had a group of what I can only describe as colorfully dressed punk rockers and skaters sitting there on the front row with me. The theater was a Regal Cinemas (as it still is to this day) and if you don’t know, Regal has a great intro video before all movies that make you feel like you are on a roller coaster zooming through popcorn showers and past waterfalls of Coca-Cola.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6o6ZlefvOo

As the roller coaster came on the screen, I raised my hands to signify that I was ready for the ride with the confidence that only a 12 year old can muster. As I sat waiting for the coaster to pull out of the station, I looked around and it seemed to my 12 year old eyes that everyone was joining with me in this fanciful charade and we collectively swayed and gasped and screamed as if the coaster was 100% real. It was amazing. I shared a “gimme some skin” kind of handshake with the dude sitting next to me and we launched into Amy Heckerling’s wonderful teenage adventure. Even though I was just 12, I feel like that is the day I became a man, my cinematic bar-mitzvah. 

Best Movie of 1995

As I press on to determine the best film of each year to fill out my Best Movie Bracket, it’s very hard to separate my nostalgic feelings towards some of these films from my critical thinking. I have such great memories of watching my VHS copies of Powder, Braveheart, and Mortal Kombat, but while they may be a lot of fun, they are definitely not the best of the year. That honor belongs to… 

Win: Toy Story

Did you realize that there have been over 250 computer animated films released since Toy Story hit theaters back in 1995? What a way to start. If I look at Pixar’s canon of films, it is hard for me to count this gem out of the running for their greatest. It isn’t because the animation looks super realistic. I’m very glad they decided to go with toys because everything in this film feels plastic. However, the emotions that are conveyed certainly aren’t. 

Toy Story presents us with a buddy cop comedy featuring two leads vying for the attention of their boss. It also feels like a real-life situation for a kid who might feel as though they are being upstaged by a little brother or sister. The emotions of jealousy and anger and fear are well displayed on their plasticine faces, and it touches way down into the hearts of the viewers whether they are 8 or 80.  

Place: Se7en

David Fincher has made 9 feature films, ten if you count Alien 3 (Which I don’t). His experience with that film was so bad that he went back to directing music videos for 3 years and wasn’t sure if he would ever direct a movie again. When he did decide to come back, he created what is probably the most gritty and disturbing crime drama that you will ever see. Everyone asks what’s in the box, but there is so much going on outside of it.

Morgan Freeman is awesome as usual, this is the film that rocketed Brad Pitt into the stratosphere, and Kevin Spacey is a natural at playing the creepy sociopath. In fact, he gets to do it twice in the same year. The second was a better performance (if only because of screen time) but the movie itself fell just short of this one.

Show: The Usual Suspects

The director (Bryan Singer) and the lead actor (Kevin Spacey) may have shown their true colors as filthy scumbags, but that can’t keep me from loving the heck out of this movie. It has one of those twist endings that rivals The Sixth Sense, Soylent Green, and Fight Club, but this film has somehow flown under the radar to the point that you can actually find people who have not sullied their opinion of the film with spoilers. I’m certainly not going to spoil anything here, but Spacey is great as mild mannered Verbal Kint who serves as our narrator as we explore the crime ring led by the iconic Keyser Soze. 

What is your most memorable or transformative movie moment? What 1995 film is your favorite? What movies did 12 year-old you watch and love? Let me know in the comments!

1990s, Action, Alien/Monster, Best Movie Bracket, Comedy, Detective, Disaster, Drugs, Holiday, Lists, Science Fiction, Top 3

1996 Best Movie Bracket

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If you stumbled across this and have no idea what’s going on, you can visit my Best Movie Bracket Page and see what I’m doing here to whittle down a century of film into a bracket so I can determine once and for all which film will reign supreme as the best of all time.

Best Film of 1996

Bill Clinton began his second term after defeating Bob Dole and Ross Perot and DVD’s became a thing. Nintendo released the mostly forgettable N64, and the fear of Mad Cow Disease entered the global consciousness. 1996 was an interesting year. It was a year filled with lots of changes for me personally. I was becoming a teenager and my year started with Pauly Shore in Bio-Dome and along the way, I realized that I liked William Shakespeare through Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo+Juliet and I recognized that I would rather watch a movie like Sling Blade than the live-action 101 Dalmations.

However, after 22 years of watching films and a significant amount of cramming in the last month, I think I have come to a determination of the best films of the year. Obviously, best is a subjective term and if you ask me next week I could give you a different list altogether.

1. Fargo

Fargo would probably be my gut instinct pick for best film of the 90s and the Coen brothers are probably my favorite living directors (definitely my favorite directorial sibling team). So, it should be no surprise that this film is on the top of my list. I don’t think I will get a lot of argument about its inclusion either. Frances McDormand won Oscar gold for her performance as Marge Gunderson, and the Coens won for best original screenplay, but in one of the biggest mistakes in Oscar history, they somehow picked The English Patient as the top of the year and overlooked Fargo for 4 other categories.

I probably enjoy this film so much because of Marge Gunderson. Cathleen Falsani in her book The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers, says:

Marge is a Christ figure, a mouthpiece for God, willingly risking (with unfailing good cheer) her own safety in order to vanquish evil and restore moral order. In the face of death, she is, quite literally, a fecund life-giver, poised to deliver a child – and a new beginning – into the world. She could also be viewed as the Madonna, the gentle, willing vessel of the Lord. Perhaps her initials, M. G., even indicate this interpretation as Mother of God.

The Rev. Bob Barron, my friend and a catholic priest, suspects the film’s title, Fargo, describes Marge’s mission in life – to go far out to the margins in order to bring wayward sinners back to grace. “She represents Christ; she represents the church at its best,” Barron says. “She’s able to go out to the margins but she is not compromised by it. She’s not drawn into that world. She’s able to go into it in a very intense way; she’s not afraid of it…yet she’s not attracted to it, she’s not drawn into its power. And that’s what the church at its best ought to do.”

I’ve heard that the recent television version of the story is good, but I haven’t caught it yet. Let me know if it’s worth my time.

2. Trainspotting

Director Danny Boyle is exciting to watch. Some auteurs have a particular gimmick, style, genre, or theme, but Boyle is always keeping us guessing. He might give us a dark comedy about heroin use in Scotland, or he could tell us a true story about a hiker who gets trapped and is forced to cut his own arm off to survive, or any number of others like Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Steve Jobs, Sunshine, or The Beach. Whatever the film, he does it with excellence as if he has always produced that type of film and he brings a visual style and a storytelling flair that is unmatched.

In Trainspotting, the story goes much deeper than heroin as it becomes a stand in for any number of vices and addictions, like sex, violence, or the mindless consumerism that fills much of our days. This is on full display in Renton’s opening/closing “choose life” monologue. Warning Strong Language!

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life.

3. Independence Day

The other two were easy choices, but this one took a bit of reasoning. It might help that I sit writing this on the evening of July 4th as I listen to dozens of fireworks boom throughout the neighborhood outside. This film captured my attention for an entire summer and left me wanting more. It did for aliens what Jurassic Park did for dinosaurs. 

As I’ve said before, this Best Movie Bracket list isn’t always about the most critically acclaimed film. There are many different ways to measure the best. Financially and culturally, Independence Day won for 1996 and it left a mark that still resonates today. Alyssa Wilkinson writing for Vox gets to the heart of why I chose Independence Day over a half a dozen others vying for this bronze pedestal.

Independence Day is more product than movie, which isn’t really a strike against it: Like an amusement park thrill ride or a skydiving expedition, the experience of watching it is more about adrenaline and excitement than the artistic qualities of the movie itself. The catharsis of seeing the world destroyed (and then seeing the American president save it) was just right for its moment — when just enough optimism still reigned and computer animation was new enough that the images felt new and invigorating rather than dark and foreboding — and people loved it.

Movies like Independence Day partly succeeded because people could see the movie with their friends or family in the theater and talk about it at work, or over the backyard grill. It was cool and awesome and fun, and that’s all it needed to be.

And, like any good product, the success of Independence Day was a function of its then-pioneering marketing push, which set a template for future big-budget films. Today, selling your film to audiences isn’t just about cutting a good trailer and running it on TV during NFL games, and maybe getting a toy into Happy Meals. It’s about teaser campaigns and cross-promotion and stealth marketing and post-credits scenes that make people want to see the sequel that hasn’t even been shot yet.

All that money, all that marketing, all that big-budget spectacle: It’s quintessentially American, and quintessentially Hollywood. Love it or hate it, that’s the world that Jaws built and Independence Day made inescapable.

Honorable Mentions

So, where were you in 1996? What fond (or not so fond) memories do you have? Did I leave out one of your favorites? let me know in the comments below. You can also share what you enjoy about these or other top films on social media using the #BestMovieBracket. Thanks for joining me!

2010s, Article, Computer, Review, Syndicated

Looking Closer – Are Bob, Helen, Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack still Incredible?

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Jeffrey Overstreet hits the nail on the head in his assessment of the latest from one of my all-time favorite action directors, Brad Bird. Incredibles 2 has made its box office splash and it was an enjoyable film but there was something that was nagging at me during the final act. When I read his review, he unveiled that sense of uneasiness. 

The Screenslaver’s convictions about what happens when citizens give up their agency, failing to use their democratic powers against evil, and sit around waiting for “heroes” to save the day, remain relevant to the story and worth discussing after the movie. It’s not a con, meant to distract us from the villain’s real concern. It’s just that the villain’s big secret is predictable and anticlimactic, and that speech — with its persuasively valid concerns — gets swamped by third-act action and mayhem. At the end, I’m struggling to reconstruct what the movie’s really all about.

http://www.lookingcloser.org/blog/2018/06/24/are-bob-helen-dash-violet-and-jack-jack-still-incredible/

2010s, Article, Film studies, Longform, Statistics, Syndicated

Crooked Marquee – Halftime Report: 2018 in Movies (So Far)

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I thought that I liked statistics, but the folks over at Crooked Marquee have put me to shame. They have taken a dive into a breakdown of the roughly 615 movies released in the first half of 2018. They divided the movies into three groups: wide releases (70), limited releases (443), and documentaries (102). 

They’re not looking for the best film, but are looking at who is making these films and where are they coming from both culturally and intellectually. One of the best stats that I saw was about where ideas for mainstream feature films comes from. It’s worth a click!

Halftime Report: 2018 in Movies (So Far)

2010s, Drama, Syndicated

Christ and Pop Culture – First Reformed and the Theology of the Cross

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David McNutt over at Christ and Pop Culture shares a satisfying exposition of my favorite movie of the year so far, First Reformed. It is contemplative and spiritual. Don’t expect entertainment. This is like eating your cinematic vegetables. 

A Cinematic Theology of the Cross: Despair and Hope in Paul Schrader’s First Reformed

1990s, Best Movie Bracket, Blindspotting, Lists

Upcoming 1996 Movie Nights

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It seems like I missed a lot of good movies from 1996. It was probably because I just turned into a teenager and I didn’t have free rein to watch whatever my heart desired. Now that summer is here, I want to relive those awkward days and fully embrace 1996 with a 12 movie marathon. I’ve mixed in some movies that I consider the best of the year along with some popular films that I’ve never seen. 

They are in no particular order, and I’m sure that I will have something come up to cancel one or more, but this should give me a good framework to base my decision on the best movie of the year by the end of June. I hope you’ll join me on Rabbit as I watch these. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

  1. A Time To Kill

    June 2 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT

  2. The Crucible

    June 3 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  3. Mars Attacks

    June 4 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  4. Trainspotting

    June 9 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT

  5. Bottle Rocket

    June 10 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  6. Breaking the Waves

    June 11 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  7. Pusher

    June 16 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT

  8. Secrets and Lies

    June 17 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  9. Fargo

    June 18 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  10. Crash (1996)

    June 23 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT

  11. The Birdcage

    June 24 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT

  12. The English Patient

    June 25 @ 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm EDT
     
1990s, Art-house, Best Movie Bracket, Detective, Drama, Film Noir, Lists, Trailers

1997 Best Movie Bracket

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On to the year 1997 in our journey to find the Best Movie of all time. If you’re new to this Best Movie Bracket. You can learn more on my Best Movie Bracket Page. There you can explore the whole idea as well as 20 years worth of reviews and countdowns. 1997 was monumental, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published and would soon set the world on fire with Pottermania. Scottish scientists successfully cloned Dolly the sheep, we landed a rover on Mars, and we mourned the loss of Princess Diana.

But the biggest news in the film world was of course James Cameron’s epic Titanic. It opened in December and overshadowed everything else that was released that year and even into 1998. Even by today’s standards, many of the effects are amazing and ambitious. It was nominated for 14 Oscars tying 1950’s All About Eve and took home a record tying 11, sharing that feat with 1959’s Ben-Hur. It was the first film to ever cross the $1 Billion earnings mark staying at the top of the box office charts for 15 straight weeks and within the top ten for 26!

You won’t find Titanic on the top of my 1997 best list. I thought it was a good disaster film on par with The Towering Inferno, or Dante’s Peak with a uninteresting romance thrown in between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I consider myself a fan of both of these actors, but I don’t think it is their best work, and it appears that I’m not alone in this. The only major acting award received for Titanic was a tie at the Screen Actors Guild for best supporting actress for Gloria Stuart. The other two Oscars that Titanic didn’t take home were for screenwriting. Those went to my top two.

1. L.A. Confidential

I find it funny how Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger get the top billing and focus in marketing. When you look at Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce today, it is obvious that they are big name stars. But they owe their Hollywood status to the late director Curtis Hanson. He went out on a limb and took this script that he spent years adapting and put it in the hands of two relative unknowns from Australia who hadn’t even perfected their American accents.

It is a great film that captures the look of this hard-boiled noir time-frame all while feeling modern and supremely entertaining. In addition to the big four characters which is still a lot of most films, we still have James Cromwell, Danny Devito, David Strathairn, Paul Guilfoyle, Ron Rifkin, and even a pre-Mentalist Simon Baker. The story moves very well and we have enough character development to fill several movies. The world feels lived in and tactile. There is action, humor, and plenty of twists and turns to make this one of the most engaging films of the 1990’s.

2. Good Will Hunting

Is this a movie about a kid from the wrong side of the tracks trying to cope with the fact that he is smarter than the average Southie, and even smarter than those stuffed shirts at MIT? I guess that is the basic plot, but it is really much deeper than that. Honestly, his genius really only becomes the reason that anyone cares about him, which is pretty sad. He uses his genius to build his walls higher and thicker, but the walls were put there in the first place through abuse. Abuse that is all too common and is often unnoticed. If Will was just an average guy from Southie like his buddies played by Ben and Casey Affleck would we even see him speaking to a therapist? No, he would have been in jail or worse. 

So, we need that piece of the puzzle to pull the movie along, but in reality, the movie is about how to be a friend, how to form relationships, and how to embrace commitment. Matt Damon and Robin Williams establish a great chemistry together and their scenes together make the film. The whole film rests on Sean’s relationship with Will. Is he going to fold under the hostility and egotistical superiority of this savant? Or will he look deeper than the math problem that is Will Hunting’s genius and actually care about him as a person? And by treating the person can he teach Will how to let others in and how to make a commitment?

Honorable Mentions

So, where were you in 1997? What fond memories do you have? Did I mess up my sinking the Titanic? Did I leave out on of your favorites? let me know in the comments below. You can also share what you enjoy about the top films on social media using the #BestMovieBracket. Thanks for joining me!

2010s, Action, Adventure, Alien/Monster, Article, Comedy, Computer, Drama, Family, Longform, Reviews, Space, Superhero, War

Avengers: Infinity War and Trading Lives

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!!Obligatory Spoiler Warning!!

As if you thought I could have an in depth discussion of Infinity War without revealing plot information. Obviously, if you haven’t seen this film you either don’t want to or haven’t found the time. In either case, you need to sort out your priorities. Just kidding, don’t get so bent out of shape!

While we wait for the uninitiated to click elsewhere (Perhaps to this list of my other highly anticipated Summer movies) let me set the stage on the magnitude of this epic film. The now expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe had an auspicious beginning with a 2nd rate hero that hardly anyone knew and a team with a lot of faith. Kevin Feige (now the President of Marvel Studios) said in a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, “Marvel didn’t have money on the line. They would have lost the film rights to some of the characters, but it was sort of a great experiment. People forget Iron Man was an independent movie.”

An Ambitious Undertaking

It was an ambitious beginning for this brand new production company with zero credits under their belt. They brought on the teams and the talent they needed to make the two superhero movies that they envisioned, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. At that point there was no plan for a 22 movie story arc and an expanded cinematic and television universe. They didn’t even have a follow-up in the works for 2009.

Someone asked at the 2007 Comic-Con, when the fans got their first look at Iron Man, if Avengers was possible and I think they got a chuckle and said that they were focused on making the best Iron Man movie and if they succeeded in that goal then it could open doors for them to make other films. They were blown away by the response of the fans and immediately began actively working towards this unification of all things Marvel and 4 years later we saw the Avengers take stage.

So now, 10 years later as we have seen 3 Iron Man movies, 3 Thor movies, 3 Captain America movies, 2 Avengers movies, 2 Guardians of the Galaxy movies (who could have predicted that), and stand alone films for the likes of The Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and a deal with Sony that gave us Spider-Man in this universe as well. This is an historic film-making achievement. Never in my wildest dreams as a kid did I imagine that my 35 year old self would get to geek out at the movies at least twice a year thanks to these good people.

What Happens in Infinity War?

With all of this time and dedication over 10 years, the Russo brothers were able to step immediately into the story with over 25 established characters, histories, and motivations. I honestly can’t imagine watching this film without the knowledge that I currently possess. I’m sure that there is someone out there for whom this is their Marvel initiation. If so, I’d love to hear from you to see how confused you were and if you were still able to enjoy the movie.

Alright, last warning! Shove off if you haven’t seen it. It’s time for the adults to talk now. 

In a nutshell, Thanos is collecting the 6 Infinity Stones from across the cosmos with the ultimate goal of snapping his fingers and wiping out half of all sentient life everywhere. All of our heroes (except Ant-Man and Hawkeye) team up to attempt to stop to his plan. This means that our intergalactic band of miscreants meets the God of Thunder, Tony Stark’s mind is opened to a world of mystical arts that he had never experienced, and the scrawny patriot from Brooklyn gets to fight alongside a talking tree. It is truly a thing to behold.

I think the best way to break down everything that we saw would be character by character, seeing how things unfold through their eyes and with their motivations. That way you can see that there are very few plot holes and that everything flows in an incredibly natural way. I’m not going to do that here. But I recently posted this kind of walk through from Thanos’ perspective.

Instead, I want to look at the big themes of the film and some key lines of dialogue and draw them out into some biblical lessons and parallels.

We Don’t Trade Lives

Throughout the film we get several examples of characters who make sacrifices for the accomplishment of their goal. When Vision learns that Thanos is coming for the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead, he explains to Cap and the others the idea that Scarlet Witch may be able to use her powers to destroy it.

In true Android/Vulcan fashion he believes that it would be the most logical action to prevent Thanos from capturing all 6 Infinity Stones. They immediately dismiss that plan because it would mean that Vision would most likely have to sacrifice himself, since his life force is so intrinsically tied to the stone. The Captain tells Vision, “We don’t trade lives,” to which Vision counters by referring to Cap’s own story of sacrifice to protect millions.

We see Captain’s own words come back to him in the final fight in Wakanda. Captain America tells Vision to run away to safety as he battles Cull Obsidian. Ignoring his advice, Vision instead saves him. When Cap says, “I told you to get out of here,” Vision replies “We don’t trade lives, Captain.” This stood out to me because the idea of trading lives, or at least offering to make that sacrifice is the stuff that real heroes are made of.

As Christians, we know that the only true way to salvation is through the trading of lives. That is what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we see a superhero who is willing to lay down his life to save countless others we see them as an example of Christ.

Thanos the Anti-Christ

The idea of sacrifice is not limited to the heroes. Even Thanos, when seeking to gain possession of the Soul Stone, learns that the price of the stone is the soul of a loved one. With this choice, Thanos becomes an Anti-Christ. He is willing to save the world, but only through the sacrifice of others, while Jesus is willing to lay down his own life.

Thanos tells young Gamora after his snap that it cost him everything to accomplish his sick plan of “saving the world”. However, Thanos’ sacrifice led him to seek ultimate power by assuming the form of a God while Christ, who is God, emptied himself and took the form of a servant.

The reason that Logan probably resonated with me so much is because his sacrifice seems so Christlike. In Todd Miles’s book on heresy, Superheroes Can’t Save You, he says:

“Superheroes represent mankind’s best efforts to create saviors, demigods made in our own image, beings who are able to rescue us from the horrors the face us all as humans. The thing is, our best attempts to create such heroes fall desperately short for what we actually need… Superman would not be able to rescue us from our greatest problems, and he certainly would not be able to rescue us from the wrath of God. He is not super enough, not human enough, not compassionate enough, and not divine in any way. He just does not measure up to the one who is more than enough of all those things, Jesus. Superman is not Jesus, and he never will be.”

Death is Real

Some people have complained about the ending because they feel like they know that the snap is going to be undone in the next movie. However, any postulating about the next film shouldn’t take away from the real consequences and trauma that we see in this film. Obviously, my mind was reeling with possibilities as the credits rolled, but that doesn’t take way from the fact that I was wrecked just minutes earlier.

I’ve heard of people sobbing and upset for days if they have a particularly strong connection to a particular character. Especially with some of the most shocking deaths being from two of the newest heroes. Usually, when you walk into a “superhero” movie, you often expect to come away feeling unscathed. We like our heroes to be bulletproof, but with this and other recent movies like Logan we see the fragile humanity of our heroes.

I’m of the belief that mourning and weeping is actually a very healthy place to be. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart.” Although Infinity War is very funny, that only makes you fall harder when it comes time to mourn.

Flippancy over death is one of my biggest pet peeves with action films and video games. When an office building full of people crumbles during an alien attack and instead of somber reflection we are presented with a joke, it cheapens death. On the other hand, Infinity War portrays death as a real problem. In this sense, the film can be helpful in raising discussions about our very real mortality and the need for a Savior (a Hero, if you will) who can defeat death once and for all.

The End is Coming

The Russo brothers were brave to end Infinity War the way they did. It doesn’t end with all of the story lines neatly tied up in a satisfactory conclusion. Instead, it leaves us wanting more, wondering what happens next. Things are not right with the world and we know from a sense of innate justice and years of conditioning that the wrongs must be righted.

Any kind of real Marvel fan will know that there will be a next installment. We already have dates on the calendar for Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel and even the conclusion to Infinity War in what we now know as just Avengers 4. It looks like it will be the Return of the Jedi to this The Empire Strikes Back. This puts fans in an interesting place. We are forced to accept the shattered landscape of this superhero world all while holding onto the hope that there is a day coming when all wrongs will be made right.

Christians know this feeling all to well. We live in the wilderness awaiting the culmination of the promise of the gospel. All around us, it can seem like evil is winning and Satan is laughing. But there is great hope even in the midst of the darkness because the Bible says that just as Christ ascended into heaven, he will come again in glory and all of creation will breathe a sigh of relief as our longings are satisfied. It’s vastly different in terms of magnitude, but this tension can be felt in stories like Infinity War which leaves the audience looking for consolation in a future hope.

What about you? Did you pull any nuggets of wisdom from Avengers: Infinity War? What do you think about my ideas? How did you like the movie? Do you want me to stop asking questions? Then leave me a comment below or hit me up on social media. As always, I’ll see you at the movies.

 

 

2010s, Longform

Avengers: Infinity War Through Thanos’ Eyes

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Spoilers, Obviously!

I found myself trying to tell someone what Avengers: Infinity War was all about but with so many great characters that we have grown to know and love I can’t just sum it up in a couple of tight sentences. So I’m going to go scene by scene with the characters as we meet them in the film and take you through the character’s actions and motivations.

Let’s start with the big bad. I feel like this is really Thanos’ movie. He is given humanity and realistic motivations. He’s not just some impersonal CGI creation bent on world domination. We come to feel for him and even empathize with him at times. We’ve seen him a couple of times in the previous movies but really haven’t had an opportunity to learn much about him besides the fact that he makes lots of people nervous and that he is Gamora’s dad and killed Drax’s wife and daughter.

Thanos’ Journey

I don’t know why people get so upset about my plan. I am trying to make sure that there are enough resources to go around. All of these mouths to feed are taking a toll on our universe. It can’t be allowed to continue unchecked. My plan will eliminate poverty, hunger, war, and so much more. I’m not looking for supreme power or domination, I just want to rest and let the universe thank me for their newfound peace and prosperity.

It is an unfortunate consequence that half of all life must be eliminated for my plan to work, but you know what they say about making omelettes and breaking eggs. When I get all of the Infinity Stones, I will be able to take care of this problem instantly. They won’t feel a thing, it will be as if they never even existed.

Asgard

I’ve sent several other people to try and collect these stones for me and they continue to fail me. I’m finally just taking matters into my own hands. First, I went over to Zandar and got the Power Stone from the puny Nova Corps. Then I planned to go to Asgard but when I showed up, the planet had just exploded and I got the drop on them. I had heard about this God of Thunder and I was surprised how easily he was subdued.

His slimy brother Loki failed me before and I wasn’t about to trust him again. He had some kind of failed science experiment sucker punch me. He wasn’t much of a Hulk if you ask me. That creepy orange-eyed guy used some kind of magic to make the green guy disappear, so I killed him. Finally, that liar Loki fessed up that he had the Space Stone. I took it from him to add to my collection and then after he tried to sweet talk and stab me, I killed him and left his brother for dead while I told my children to fetch the two stones from Earth while I went to Knowhere to get another stone.

Knowhere

After easily getting the Reality Stone from this freaky guy they call the Collector, I decided to use it to set a trap for my daughter, Gamora. She knows where the Soul Stone is located, it is the one that I still haven’t found, so I need her to tell me. I knew that as soon as she heard that I was collecting the stones she would come looking for me. I might not have been the dad of the year, but I taught her to be an amazingly strong and powerful warrior and even though she hates me and wants to kill me, I’m proud of her and want her with me.

My trap works perfectly and Gamora shows up. They think they are getting the drop on me and I let her think that she killed me. As if it would be that easy. She also brought along her boyfriend who calls himself Starman or something like that, he’s very confident and it seems like she genuinely cares for him. After I pulled back the curtain to let them know that I had fooled them, she revealed that she trusted him to kill her if it got to this point. I wanted to see what the boyfriend would do, and after a little prodding, he finally pulled the trigger. I used my cool new stone to make bubbles come out of the blaster. I love bubbles. Starman seems like a good guy. I hope he doesn’t vanish once I snap my fingers.

I take Gamora back to my ship and remind her how I chose her out of all the people on her planet to be my child. How I turned her burned out husk of a planet into a paradise. I asked her to join me in my plan but she is holding onto a big grudge about her childhood. She’s refused to tell me where the Soul Stone is located, so I took her in to visit her sister who was foolish enough to sneak onto my ship. I thought that Gamora hated me, but Nebula almost killed me so I have her trapped here. Nebula’s video recorders already confirmed my suspicion that Gamora has the information that I need.

Formir

I’m done with Nebula and should have killed her for betraying me with that traitor Ronan. But I’m hoping that I can use Gamora’s sympathy for my advantage. I only have to turn the screws on Nebula for a few moments before Gamora caves and tells me that she found out that the Soul Stone is hidden on Formir. It’s not going to take my children long to retrieve the stones from those weaklings on Earth, so I take Gamora with me to Formir so she can show me where the stone is located.

When we get to the mountain where Gamora says the stone is located, we meet a mysteriously cloaked man who has a red head. He’s not a ginger, his skin and whole head is bright red. I’m not sure if that happened when he got rejected by the stone or what, but he tells us that he’s cursed to guard the Soul Stone but can never wear it himself. To get the stone I have to sacrifice something I really love…

This is hard. There is only one beautiful little girl that comes to my mind. I wanted to train her to rule by my side and to eventually take my place, but I can’t let some pesky emotions get in the way of my goal. She fought me and will probably never forgive me, but with a tear in my eye I throw her off the cliff and as she careens towards the rocks below, I blink and find myself lying in a pool at the base of the mountain. I open my hand and the Soul Stone is in my grasp.

Titan

I told my Children that I would meet them back on Titan to get the other two stones from Earth. When I arrived, the place was deserted and I met a wizard from Earth who apparently crashed Ebony Maw’s spaceship there. Pretty soon, I realize that this is a trap and there are half a dozen people fighting me all at once trying to get my glove off. Everything is a blur, but a remember that the wizard was with the boyfriend, the genius in the suit of armor, the obnoxious kid in the red and blue outfit, a creepy looking girl with antennae, and some shirtless guy who screamed a lot.

At one point they actually got me pinned down after I pulled a moon out of orbit and sent it crashing onto the planet. I expected that to kill all of these annoyances but they worked well as a team and the creepy girl was able to jump on top of me and tried to put me to sleep. I remember taking that moment to remember Gamora and her sweet face. Maybe I should have taken a few minutes to breathe and mourn before I came here. She was so innocent when I met her all those years ago. I taught her everything I knew and all of these emotions came crashing down as they were forcing me to rest.

I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear the boyfriend asking about Gamora. I could hear that he cared for her and was just as upset as I am. If he hadn’t gotten so angry, they would have probably gotten the gauntlet. I don’t know what might have happened then, but the creepy girl broke her sleeper hold on me for a second and I was able to break free again. And somehow, Nebula was there! How the hell did she get off my ship? I wish it could have been her instead of Gamora.

After their sneak attack failed, they all took turns fighting me but I was able to fight them off and I stabbed the man in the metal suit with a sword that he was fighting me with. As he was dying in front of me, the wizard offered me a deal. He gave me the Time Stone and made me promise not to kill him. I figured he would die pretty soon anyway so I took the stone and used the Space Stone to go to Earth to find out what is taking so long with the other stone.

Earth

I arrive on earth to find that Proxima and Corvus have come up against a battle in Wakanda. I’ve heard about this place and their amazing technology. I had even wondered if the Soul Stone might be located there, but their fighters have actually managed to not only kill my Children but have been able to fend off my Outriders as well.

All of the warriors begin attacking me right out of the gate. There were several versions of the metal armor of Tony Stark’s that I fought on Titan, a man in a cat costume, a woman with bright white hair, a mutant raccoon and a living tree. I never knew Earth was such a colorful place, and I have to hand it to those humans, they are stronger than I thought, one of the fighters got in a couple punches and even held me off for a moment before I knocked him out cold.

My goal was to get to the android who has the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead. When I got to him, his girlfriend was attacking the stone and fighting me off all at once. Her ferocity reminds me of Gamora. As she destroys the stone and he is decimated along with it, she collapses to the ground in tears. I confess to her that today has been a difficult one but that time heals all wounds. Using the Time Stone, I rewind until the Mind Stone is back in one piece. Shocked, his girlfriend stares on in horror as I pluck the stone from his forehead and cast his faded out husk into the dust.

Victory

Finally, they are all mine. Power, Space, Reality, Soul, Time, and Mind. But before I can do anything, that irritating God of Thunder is back. Somehow he survived and he’s got a very large ax headed my way.

AAARGH!!

Thor has shoved this ax right into my body and now he is seething about the death of his brother and is pushing the ax deeper still. But I realize that I still have control of my hand. I say, “You should have aimed for the head,” before I snap my fingers.

For a moment, I see my daughter in a lonesome place where the sun is setting. She asks if I did it and I confirm that it is finished. She asks what it cost, and I explain as I choke back a tear that it cost everything. Thor asks what I did and I open up a portal and go home.

I have accomplished what I set out to do. As the sun sets, I sit on my front steps. The gauntlet looks terrible like the power it took to carry out my command has permanently damaged it. I take a deep breath and rest knowing that my plan is being carried out and that soon the cries of a thankful universe will be lifted up. You are welcome, my Children. You are welcome.

Did I miss anything? How did this movie make you feel about Thanos? I think it was a great accomplishment on the part of the Artists, Josh Brolin, and the writers to bring this Eternal to life and make him someone that we can shed a tear for. Which character’s journey would you like to hear next? I’m hoping to do at least 12 of the main characters. Maybe I’ll release one every month to keep the story fresh in my mind until we get the next chapter in the saga in 2019.

2010s, Coming Soon, Lists, Trailers

Ten Indie Movies to Watch this Summer

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You’ve probably already seen my regular Summer Movie Preview. That’s the one with Star Wars and Superhero movies. This is not that list. My favorite movies are usually indie films with a lower budget, a great story to tell, or a unique perspective or spin on things. This is a list of 10 of those movies that are coming soon. I actually have eleven on the list, but don’t worry, I won’t charge you extra.

The dates I have listed are their “limited release” dates. Unfortunately, they may not all reach you on those dates. If you are blessed to be in a primary or secondary market, you have a pretty good shot of seeing these indies. But these look like they will be worth keeping your ear to the ground and maybe even talking to your local theater manager about programming.

Tully – May 4

The third collaboration between writer Diablo Cody and Director Jason Reitman, after Juno and Young Adult. This film tackles motherhood and post-partum depression. Mackenzie Davis shows up like a adult version of Mary Poppins and Charlize Theron somehow makes herself look average. That should win an Oscar for best makeup.

First Reformed – May 18

Paul Schrader (The guy who wrote Taxi Driver) is directing this film and it has me very excited. I love Ethan Hawke’s acting abilities in the first place, but cast him as a disaffected minister struggling with anger and depression and you have me hook line and sinker. I have loved movies like Calvary and Doubt, but they have focused more on the Catholic side of the world of Christian ministry.

How to Talk to Girls at Parties – May 18

I’ve been a big fan of Elle Fanning since I saw her angelic face in Super 8. Now this year she is in this film about a group of aliens who descend on 1970’s London and get caught up in punk rock culture. It looks like a fun version of Under the Skin. She is also starring as the Frankenstein author Mary Shelley in a biopic. How to Talk to Girls at Parties has all the makings of an awesome indie cult favorite. It’s directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and was written by Neil Gaiman. This should be a lot of fun.

Upgrade – June 1

Warning: language and graphic violence in the trailer. No, that’s not Tom Hardy in the lead role, it’s Logan Marshall-Green. I will be surprised if this isn’t a huge hit this summer. Essentially, this guy becomes a cyborg John Wick going on a rampage taking out the guys that killed his wife. The action looks crazy, the banter between the AI chip and the guy is solid, and the social media presence is already pretty high. This won’t win any Oscars, but it will make way more money than it cost to produce and even without a big name attached it will put butts in seats at the theater, count on it.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor – June 8

I want to be his neighbor! We live in a world full of people that hate each other. Blacks vs. Whites, Democrats vs. Republicans, Rich vs. Poor. It is time for the amazing philosophy of Fred Rogers to make a comeback. It is a pure and powerful look at Mr. Rogers as a force for good in the world. He welcomed us to his neighborhood the year my father graduated from high school in 1968 and finally said a tear-filled goodbye the year I graduated from high school in 2001. I hope that this vision of kindness and love takes hold and inspires others to this simple mission of showing unconditional love to everyone.

Under the Silver Lake – June 22

From the mind of David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) comes a crazy looking neo-noir crime thriller. With Andrew Garfield in the lead this looks like it could be an early Oscar contender. The trailer reminds me of Chinatown, Mulholland Drive, and L.A. Confidential all at once and there is nothing bad about that.

Leave No Trace – June 29

It’s really exciting to see Debra Granik get back behind the camera for a feature film. You may not recognize her name, but she is the director of one of the best films of 2010, Winter’s Bone. Making her directorial debut in that film, she wowed critics, earned 4 Oscar nominations and launched the career of a young girl named Jennifer Lawrence. Now, 8 years later, she is back and she has Ben Foster (who I have loved in everything he’s done since 2016’s Hell or High Water) and another relative newcomer (Thomasin McKenzie) who could take off just like J. Law did.

Sorry To Bother You – July 6

I’ve had my eyes on Lakeith Stanfield since 2013’s Short Term 12. You’ll probably recognize him from Get Out or TV’s Atlanta. This film was written and directed by first time movie maker and music front man named Boots Riley. It has the potential to be this year’s Get Out, a film that makes a social commentary in a subversively entertaining way. The trailer is very busy, so I hope they don’t go too far down the rabbit hole, but what a great premise.

Eighth Grade – July 13

Stand-up comedian Bo Burnham makes his directing debut helming a film about the life of a quirky 8th grade girl named Kayla played by Elsie Fisher who previously voiced Agnes in the Despicable Me franchise. I have an eighth grader, it is awkward, but these awkward situations and feelings aren’t unique to this time of our life. They are universal. I feel out of place and goofy every day of my life, the challenge is learning to embrace it, knowing that the things that make us different are the things that make us great.

Blindspotting – July 20

I just watched Fruitvale Station and I’m dying for more of this type of storytelling. Daveed Diggs plays a man who is almost completed with his parole. He’s just a few days away and his plans get interrupted by a life changing event. It looks like it might have a good touch of humor but also just some rich storytelling about race relations and the criminal justice system.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post – August 3

No trailer for this one yet, but it won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance. Essentially, Cameron Post (Chloe Grace Moretz) is in a physical relationship with her best friend. She’s caught having sex in the car at their homecoming dance, and her guardians freak out. The first twist is that her best friend is a girl and Cameron is gay. Her guardians send her off to a Christian conversion therapy camp/school. Ironically, she meets other queer teens and they form a sort of support group to get through the brainwashing.

The subject matter might be a bit risque for Christians but I’m not afraid of hearing those stereotypes. It helps me to be able to go against them and I can’t really blame people for making fun of some religious people.

So, what do you think? Are you going to add any of these to your watchlist? Which ones look the best to you? Tell me in the comments below or reach out to me on social media. See you at the movies!