Phillip's Flicks
With Phillip Moss
Dear Movie Goers,
July was a Blockbuster month for movies, indeed! We have a great line up for August, as well. I was looking through the Film Academy Association's website the other day and ran across their "25 Worse Movie Remakes" of all time... just passing it along:
"25 Worse Movie Remakes of All Time"
25. Meet Joe Black (1998) - Brad Pitt
24. Alfie (2004) - Jude Law
23. The Ladykillers (2004) - Tom Hanks
22. The Truth About Charlie (2002) - Mark Wahlberg
21. Poseidon (2006) - Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell
20. Planet of the Apes (2006) - Mark Wahlberg
19. The Pink Panther (2006) - Steve Martin
18. City of Angels (1998) - Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan
17. Down to Earth (2001) - Chris Rock
16. House of Wax (2006) - Paris Hilton
15. The Stepford Wives (2004) - Nicole Kidman
14. The Ring Two (2005)
13. All the Kings Men (2006) - Sean Penn
12. The Hitcher (2006) - Rutger Hauer
11. 101 Dalmatians (2004) - Glenn Close
10. Godzilla (1998) - Matthew Broderick
09. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) - Marlon Brando
08. The Out of Towner's (1999) - Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn
07. Get Carter (2000) - Sylvester Stallone
06. When a Stranger Calls (2006)
05. Swept Away (2002) - Madonna
04. The Wicker Man (2006) - Nicolas Cage
03. The Fog (2005) - Tom Welling
02. Rollerball (2002) - LLCool J
01. Psycho (1998) - Vince Vaughn
I have to totally agree with this list; there should be a law against movie remakes. You cannot take a classic such as "Psycho" and remake it... doesn't work! I was wondering why "War of the Worlds" wasn't on this list!
The Simpson's is one of my favorite animated cartoons on TV and I found this Critic's take on The Simpson's Movie that I totally agree with and wanted to share with you.
Cartoons Critiquing Christians
By "Yo" Snyder
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Other Voices @HJ |
The Siiimpsonnns. You just hummed that tune while you read those words, didn't you? Well, like it or not, that just goes to show that the Simpson's are a part of our culture. Don't believe me? When's the last time you heard someone say d'oh ? Or, were you aware that d'oh is now included in some dictionaries? And now that the first family of Springfield has their first motion picture coming out, their influence is bound to be even more prevalent... at least for a few weeks at the box office; and that has some Christians worried.
Perhaps you've seen the epic trailer for The Simpson's Movie where Homer is desperately flipping through the Bible and complains, “Oh, there aren't any answers in here!” The audience that I saw that particular trailer with not only laughed, but some cheered in agreement with that statement; and it's statements like that which sharply divide many Christians' opinions about The Simpson's . Some say it's just another show that gets its laughs bashing Christians, while others point out that it's actually a keen, insightful and honest view of how the world sees Christians, and how Christians often present themselves to the world.
As a Christian myself, I admit that I've noticed how The Simpson's often likes to poke fun at the stereotypes and beliefs of my faith (as well as those of other beliefs and faiths), but the fact of the matter is that sometimes those jokes are so insightful I'm not even sure a non-Christian would truly get some of them. While it's easy for Christians to take offense at some of the jabs The Simpson's make, I've often found it a good check to help keep me honest and to make sure I'm not acting in some of those ridiculous ways that Christians sometimes do without even realizing it. Sadly enough, Christians are often their own worst enemy when it comes to reinforcing negative stereotypes. We say that we don't like to be portrayed a certain way, but then go out and act in that exact same way. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true (trust me, I grew up in pastor's home and have seen a lot of the inner workings of church life that most people are not privy to) The reality is that Christians at times can be a bit ridiculous and funny in the way they act, and shows like The Simpson's simply point that out and use it for entertainment.
So the question for Christians becomes how they will respond to the cutting remarks that are sure to tumble in humorous ways from the Simpson's' biggest adventure yet. One option is to get all huffy and offended and choose to ignore one of the biggest movies of the summer; and I've certainly heard plenty of people in church who are already offended and upset at the movie despite the fact they haven't even seen it yet and certainly plan on never seeing it (because that'll teach 'em). Or, another option is to be honest enough to laugh at the insights that are spot on, bold enough to point out that which is merely an empty stereotype, and open enough to use this cultural event as a springboard for an intelligent discussion about the merits of Christianity: how Christians aren't perfect and sometimes silly, but also how Jesus Christ was perfect and loved us so much that he was willing to give the free gift of life eternal to a bunch of silly, self-absorbed, easily corruptible and often hypocritical people. That ranks as one of the most amazing gifts of all time, and not even The Simpson's can make that look silly.
It takes a very secure person to laugh at oneself, especially when what's being laughed at contains some element of truth along with the absurdity. When you have Christ in your life, you're one of the most secure people on all of earth; so don't be afraid to laugh at yourself, but at the same time don't be afraid to learn from the humorous observations of something like The Simpson's Movie . If we're willing to learn from those observations, we'll be better able to live a life that reflects the great gift of love and grace given to us by a loving God in a manner that is not only sincere and honest, but also attractive to people who are desperately looking for answers, just like Homer Simpson.
Check out more Christian Critic Reviews on movies such as "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" at:
www.hollywoodjesus.com
Here's Our Movie List for August!
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Bourne Ultimatum, The (2007) Starring Matt Damon Release Date: Aug 3, 2007 |
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Hot Rod (2007)
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Underdog (2007)
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Ten, The (2007) Starring Paul Rudd
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Charlie Bartlett
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Becoming Jane (2007) Starring Anne Hathaway Release Date: |
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Resurrecting the Champ (2007)
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Stardust (2007)
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Rush Hour 3 (2007)
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Rocket Science (2006)
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Invasion, The (2007)
Release Date: |
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Penelope (2007) Starring Christina Ricci
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Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)
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Last Legion (2007)
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September Dawn (2007)
Release Date: |
Everyone have a great rest of the summer; I will be started back to school at the end of August, so pray for me! ha! Pick out a great flick to enjoy with your family or friends and see ya at the movies!
Peace Out!
Philly
To contact Phillip, send your email to: feedback@heartbeatthemagazine.com