Repost: The Patriot

I claimed that I’d do a review of four films before I realized I’d already reviewed The Patriot, which is one of them. So here’s a repost. 

 

Let me start and say I loved the movie. It was the first movie I’ve seen with Heath Ledger besides The Dark Knight. And Mel Gibson did a fantastic job as a concerned parent. But let’s get into the themes of the movie. There was definitely a respect for parents. Unlike some movies, where parents are shown to be annoying, dumb, uncool, and indecisive, Mel Gibson’s Benjamin Martin was portrayed as smart and decisive. Heath Ledger’s Gabriel Martin is also a good example of how a young man might mature. Many 14-16 year olds (and younger and maybe older) don’t think much of their parents. At first, Gabriel considers his father to make terrible decisions. But as the movie goes on, you can see the respect in his eyes. Now for the theological themes. In one scene, a church service is interrupted by Gabriel, who is recruiting for the army. The scene gives you the feeling that worshipping God is good, but doesn’t mean anything if you aren’t willing to back it up. I think that this is an excellent scene. I’m not saying in any way that churchgoers are lazy and cowardly. No, instead I think that this is a great way to say that Christians shouldn’t hide behind the Scripture. Christians should be prepared to back up what they say, whether it be fighting for our independence (which I doubt any of us will be doing soon) or evangelizing at county fairs.

I would recommend The Patriot for any one 14 or older. The movie has an R rating, but it’s for violence. I think most 14 year olds would be able to handle the violence in te movie, although some scenes are pretty graphic (a hatchet being embedded into a man’s head, a cannonball taking off a man’s leg)

Gladiator

Now for the first of the “quadrilogical” reviews. Yes, I just made that word up. Yes, it’s pretty clever, I know. Gladiator comes first because chronologically speaking, it’s set before the other three. 

This film is fast becoming my favorite film of all time. (If you socialize with me on other sites, you probably know that by now. Follow me on Twitter: MaximDecimus) I’ve maintained before that my favorite genre of film is Sci-Fi, but I’ve recently realized that all my favorite movies would fall under the “Action” category. So I’ve officially changed favorite genres. Gladiator is, IMO, on a level higher than most action films: the story is fantastic. Perhaps slightly cliched and a bit predictable, but as far as action films go, this one’s pretty good. The dialogue is fantastic, the actors give perhaps their greatest performances ever…it’s a great film.

Almost from the start of the movie, we see that the main character, Maximus, is a man of faith. He prays to his little gods (which, no, I’m not encouraging idolatry, but it’d probably be helpful to our nation if our generals prayed to God before a battle) and he’s true to his wife and son. He doesn’t want to give them up, even for being the most powerful man on earth. He’s also a virtuous man, having the chance to enter into other relationships but turning them down. Joaquin Phoenix as the evil emperor Commodus gives a good performance also, playing an extremely believable and creepy villain. I’d say that the only themes that are glorified in the film are positive themes, with no grey areas. The good is good and the bad is bad, and that’s the way it should be. 

All in all, a definite 10 out of 10 for Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott.

Heads Up On New Posts

Just to let everyone know, I’m going to be writing four reviews in the upcoming future. I’ll review four movies that, to me, form a loose quadrilogy that spans the time periods from Ancient Rome to modern era. Each of these movies features a big name actor in a hero type role. It’ll be fun for me to write the reviews and hopefully fun for you to read them.

PETA Renames Fish

Good grief, PETA. Your antics have slipped into the ridiculous. Wait, they already were ridiculous. OK, I guess we’ll have to go for ’stupid.’ Fish are fish, not sea kittens. Yeah, that’s right. PETA is on a campaign to change the names of fish to ’sea kittens.’ Yeah,after  thousands of years of humanity calling fish ‘fish,’ PETA wants to change them to sea kittens. Why, do you ask? From their website: “Would people think twice about ordering fish sticks if they were called sea kitten sticks? Would sea kitten soufflé be a hot seller at the local seafood restaurant? Does fillet o’ sea kitten sound even remotely appetizing?” Of course it doesn’t, PETA, because restaurants aren’t going to change the names of their dishes just because you say that’s the name now. Also from their website: “Given the drastic situation for this country’s sea kittens—who are often the victims of many major threats to their welfare and ways of life—it’s high time that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) stop allowing our little sea kitten friends to be tortured and killed. Who’d want to hurt a sea kitten anyway?!” Oh dear, they’re killing our sea kitten friends! Boy, I tell you what, that’s just terrible. I think I’m going to go mull over that sad fact as I munch on some deep sea bass.

In case you can’t tell, I think very little of PETA and their constant stupid endeavors so save animals. Check out their ridiculous campaign on their website. (On second thought, don’t. You may find some objectionable stuff. My internet security actually began blocking their website because of ‘R-rated Opinion’) They have a ‘Create Your Own Sea Kitten’ tab. They also ignore science. They say that ’sea kittens’ are as intelligent as dogs and cats. I’m sorry, but no. When was the last time you saw a fish fetch? No, dolphins aren’t fish, sorry. I’m pretty sure it’s scientifically proven that fish are untrainable. I particularly can’t stand this idiotic phrase: “Please take just a few moments to send an e-mail to H. Dale Hall, the director of the FWS, asking him to stop promoting the hunting of sea kittens (otherwise known as “fishing”).” Oh, sorry PETA. The whole rest of the world is wrong. 

Might as well go eat some chicken. Whoops, I probably meant to say prairie kittens.

Yay For the 2nd Amendment

Here’s part of an interesting email I received today. Lots of food for thought, especially for anti-gun people. 

 

“It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in:

   List of 7 items:

 Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent

 Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent
 Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
 In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!

 While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

 There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the  other historical facts above prove it.
 You won’t see this datum on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
 Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it’s too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are ‘citizens’. Without them, we are ’subjects’.
During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.
As John Steinbeck once said:
  1. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll  just kill you.
  2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
  3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
 4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.

 5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the  Ranger was carrying and asked him ‘Why do you carry a 45?’ The Ranger responded, ‘Because they don’t make a 46.’  

6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.

 7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. ‘Sheriff,   I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?’ ‘No Ma’am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought  my rifle.’
  8. Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it.
   But wait, there’s more!
 I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said ‘Well I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!’ To which I said, ‘Of course it is loaded, can’t work without bullets!’ She then asked,  ’Are you that afraid of someone evil coming into your house?’ My reply was, ‘No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I  have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.’ To which I’ll add, having a gun in the house that isn’t loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.”

Indiana Jones: The Complete Soundtrack Collection

 

If you know me, you probably know that I’m obsessed with Indiana Jones. I even argue for the quality of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (*gasp*). No, it’s not as good as the other ones, but it’s still a worthy addition to the series. Anyway, I’ll get to the topic of the post.

This Christmas I received the Indiana Jones Complete Soundtrack Collection. It’s packaged quite nicely, with a faux leather case and gold Indiana Jones accents embossed on the sides. It includes all three original movie soundtracks with never before released music. Since 1989, the first three film soundtracks have not been available. They probably wouldn’t have been either, if not for the release of KotCS. The collection also includes extra music and exclusive interviews from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and John Williams. 

The Temple of Doom soundtrack is my personal favorite. (What a coincidence, considering Temple of Doom is my favorite film.) Short Round’s Theme is a fantastic composition, as is the ‘trek music.’ And, of course, the End Credits. There never was a better theme song than Raider’s March. (Although Moby’s ‘Extreme Ways’ for the Bourne films is up there.)

So if you’re into Indiana Jones, this a definite must have.

Movie Review: Song of the South

Really, it’s a shame that this movie never made it to DVD. It’s definitely one of Disney’s biggest mistakes. If there were a list of “Worst Mistakes Made in the History of the World,” I’d probably put this one at number 15. (Although, of course, it could be argued that nothing is a mistake, since it’s all in God’s control.) But, this movie really should be dug back up from Disney’s storage rooms. It should be digitally remastered. It’s such a beautiful film. Let me give you the history of it. 

Joel Chandler Harris, a writer in the mid-to-late 1800s and very early 1900s, wrote several stories about the exploits of ‘Brer Rabbit.’ (Trivia: ‘Brer’ is a shortened version of ‘Brother.’) Brer Rabbit could be called the first Bugs Bunny. He constantly tricked his enemies, chief among them Brer Wolf and Brer Fox. The stories were told from the perspective of a Negro slave named Uncle Remus. In the ’40s, Walt Disney finally found a way to adapt the stories to film while using live actors. The film blended cartoon animation with living actors. Unfortunately, soon after it was released, it came under fire from civil rights groups who claimed that it represented Negroes in a bad light. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll wonder just what those civil rights people were smoking at the time. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Uncle Remus is basically an ‘Uncle Tom’ kind of character. He’s virtuous, wise, kind, and hard-working. He simply tells a little white boy some stories about Brer Rabbit. These stories have morals, and the little boy tries to follow those morals. His mother and grandmother see them in a different light however; they forbid him from going to see Uncle Remus again. They’re wrong to do so, but they boy is also wrong in that he disobeys them and goes back to Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus tells the boy another Brer Rabbit story, this time to try to induce the boy into following his mother’s instructions. 

Disney has never produced such a heart warming picture before, and it probably won’t ever again, given a look at the crap they’re coming out with now. “Follow your heart,” and all that stuff. 10 out of 10 stars for the magnificent redemptive story of Song of the South.

Time Magazine Votes Barack Obama “Person of the Year”

Who’s really surprised here? Routinely, liberals and other like minded folks are voted the Person of the Year. I bet I could count on the fingers of both hands how many conservatives have been chosen as the Person of the Year. Last year, Time voted Vladimir Putin Person of the Year. In 1942, they voted Adolf Hitler. They also voted Stalin Person of the Year. Russia is our biggest rival; why was their leader voted Person of the Year by our own people? 

The media is severely out of touch with things. People are admired for things that wold be considered at best useless and at worst appalling 100 years ago. It’s time for conservatives to populate the media; it’s time to give the common folk something other than liberal crap all the time. It’s nearly impossible to not see some kind of conservative bashing on every news channel.

The Return of Me

Wow! I’ve been gone way too long. This new setup is freakishly amazing. Downright awesome. Makes me want to use WordPress a lot more. You know I’ve noticed a lot of sites making differences. Goodreads (for all that use Goodreads) has become infinitely easier to use and Facebook is constantly making changes. I just wish the domain name wouldn’t always be ‘new.facebook.’ Fairly annoying, but hey.

Well, I’ve returned from cyberdeath to let you all know that I am still alive and kicking, and that the blog will be having some changes. I’ve decided to depart from the ‘movies only’ policy, and make this a true, bona fide blog. I’ll still review movies, spotlight directors, and talk about actors and their constant mishaps, but I’ll also write plenty of other stuff. 

No really. I promise.

PETA and Lindsay Lohan

I’m no huge fan of Lindsay Lohan. She had a great career ahead of her, she was a cute kid actress, but she botched it all by becoming a scandalous party girl (as most girl kid actresses inevitably do). She was an alcoholic for a while, she went to rehab for drugs, her life was going down the drain, and all that fun stuff that celebrities do. (And we look up to these people?) But now, all of a sudden, she’s saved her career by claiming she’s bisexual. Ick. That’s gross. All of a sudden she’s back in the spotlight because she’s bisexual. But recently, she ran into PETA. Now, if I’m not too big a fan of Lindsay Lohan, I’m even less a fan of PETA. They have no respect whatsoever for humans. Animals are gods to them. And recently, while on her way to a Paris nightclub, Lohan was hit with a flour bomb thrown by animal rights activists. (You know they’re PETA people, why are they being protected by being called ‘animal rights activists’?) A flour bomb is merely a lot of flour thrown at someone. Now why did they throw it? Lohan was wearing a fur stole (an accessory made out of animal fur). Come on, idiots. Let people wear what they want. For thousands of years people have eaten animals and worn animal skin. The animals are still around, right? Right. So we definitely aren’t going to be the people to send all animals to extinction. Let people wear animal fur and you keep your flour and bake bread and be good vegetarians.