Sixty-one years old, but looking as tough as a truck-stop steak, Sylvester Stallone shouts and shoots a fifty-caliber cannon, converting Christian-oppressing pirates and perverts into pulp, parts, and puddles, before they can mutilate and murder the missionaries and mercenaries trying to bring light to a lifeless land. Standing atop the mountainside of meat, bone and bullet shells, Stallone sighs, looking like a leathery god as actress Julie Benz gapes upward in awe. There is no titillating tension in the post-traumatic exchange, but rather the look of a lost lady who has finally found a father figure to fend off our foes in this woeful world.

It’s been over a quarter of a century since John Rambo drew First Blood, and he’s not the only comfort figure from the 80s that has come back much like a father. In fact, Stallone was back in 2006 as Rocky Balboa, dealing with issues of aging, death, redemption and reconciliation with his son, played by Heroes‘ star Milo Ventimiglia. Additionally last year, Bruce Willis reclaimed the familiar role of John McClane, but instead of rescuing his wife, he returned as a father to liberate a captive daughter, dear daddy determined to let his little girl Live Free and make his enemies Die Hard.

Another father featured on the return circuit was the robotic Optimus Prime, daddy to latchkey kids through afternoon animation with programmed parenting that made even Wired Magazine comment. To bring things full circle from summer 2007 to summer 2008, Transformers star Shia LeBeouf will play son to another returning 80s daddy in this summer’s prime contender for top box office, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The intrepid ark-finding adventurer will uncover a biological find, and likely embark as a deadbeat dad on an upbeat escapade.

Is Hollywood having a love affair with Dad? It seems so, and it may have started when Superman Returned in 2006 to discover his little Kryptonian spawn with Lois. Fascination with dad seems sometimes to feature tension and a need for reconciliation, but ultimately looks to a father figure to provide a sense of hope and victory against overwhelming odds… to know that Dad is never far away, watching over us with protection, provision and love. Even when it’s not a literal dad in the narrative, it’s a dynamic, familiar hero figure from the 80s coming back decades later like a dad - or grandpa - offering the courage and stability of a “simpler” time… something and someone we can count on.

(more…)

A Review of CLOVERFIELD
by Pastor James Harleman

Rated PG-13
Released January 18, 2008
Directed by Matt Reeves
Produced by J.J. Abrams

Rob Hawkins is not having a great evening. His New Yorker friends throw him a surprise going away party as he’s headed for a new job in Japan, but he’s distracted; the girl he recently slept with and is conflicted about - Beth - shows up with a date. His best friend Hudson is recording footage for the evening over the tape of his day with Beth at Coney Island (we know this because the film is entirely shot as if we’re watching the video). Oh, and to put icing on the lemon cake, New York is under seige by a nightmarish behemoth that has torn off the statue of liberty’s head to kick the party into high gear and threatens the city, everything Rob knows, and maybe the world. Surprise…

Plundering from the past and tapping a present vein, Cloverfield succeeds on nearly every level. The film phenomenon was noted for marketing genius before it ever got into the theatres, when the unassuming trailer debuted before Transformers last summer. I spoke about J.J. Abrams creativity in a previous post. Watching the film he produced, with a rowdy midnight-showing crowd, kept me wide awake and riveted to my seat-edge for the jostling 90 minutes. The movie blends one of the first American giant monster movies with our modern methodology of amateur film-making, and the product is smooth as Slusho. The acting feels authentic and is consistent amidst the cast, with a natural style (unpolished, seemingly mundane dialogue) that maintains the illusion of “reality” we’re watching unfold. (more…)

Transcending pulpy paper and kiddie-comics, these global cultural icons have invaded nearly every entertainment medium since the 30s, from radio programs to billion dollar films. As a younger man, I resonated with Batman and the underlying angst of the character. I never really “got” Superman until I was nearly 30. After I became a Christian, I took another look “up in the sky” at all the symbolism under the Man of Steel’s cape, and developed a profound appreciation for the hero. I became less fascinated by Batman until the most recent offering by director Christopher Nolan starring Christian Bale, Batman Begins. Subtle yet profound narrative adjustments to the mythos once again made him something the reflects mankind’s greater need for a savior.

With The Dark Knight coming out this summer, a likely followup to Superman Returns, and a full-blown live-action Justice League movie coming, I think it’s important to contemplate these icons. I had the privilege to speak about this history and symbolism of Superman prior to a viewing of the 1978 Richard Donner film and just prior to the release of Superman Returns; I also got to examine the cultural evolution of the Batman following a showing of Batman Begins. Superman’s origin by Jewish writers and the messianic underpinnings are intriguing when fleshed out, including his relationship with the archetypes of Lex Luther and Lois Lane. Batman’s motivations have been adjusted more frequently, moving from vigilante to detective to borderline psychotic and now - in the 21st century - coming full circle. Has Superman become irrelevant? Is Batman altruistic or satisfying his own inner needs? Understanding our likes and dislikes of these heroes, and even how we have sought to mold them throughout generations, gives us an interesting reflection. It might not be that we don’t like one or both of these characters; it might be that we have some issues with ourselves, and a resistance to the felt need of a savior in our own lives. (more…)

I gave a New Year’s Eve lecture looking back at 2007, touching on the sheer inability for anyone to be a true cinema and television expert with the number of films and channels at play; this cinemagluttony isn’t really producing more creative content, just creating more work sifting through the detritus (I confess to liking Nicolas Cage, but having him appear in three action flicks in the same year - Ghost Rider, Next, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets - helped highlight the fact that they were all half-baked). Moreover, this glut - coupled with the plethora of games and online distractions - makes water-cooler conversations and relationship-building with neighbors more difficult as shared experiences are becoming fragmented. The entertainment economy is inhibiting close friendships, save for affinity-based conversations with friends who share our niche interests. Whereas shared experiences used to be ice-breakers for real conversation, they have become the conversation, and most of us are just skating on the ice.

Wait, you say, that blog title sounded funny… what’s wrong with you? Sorry, I almost got too deep there; I’ll save it for later. Skating along now…

My point was, as a pastor hoping to connect with more than just a singular demographic or affinity group, maintaining an overview of pop culture is nigh-impossible. Despite what a few of my friends believe, I don’t get paid to watch TV and movies all day. Thus entered “The Soup“… my rapid-fire, scattershot, parody portal into all things idol, chat, celeb, soap, sci-fi, pseudo-hip and “reality”… packaged and presented in 30 minutes or less with a snarky, Seacrest-sniping commentator who almost makes it palatable.

For those of you who already rely on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for your window into what’s “really happening” in the world (or for those of you who actually read the news and have even less time to keep up with popular culture) The Soup has been a great way to keep a finger on the pulse of pop. I would not have known anything about the tirades of Tyra, the virulence of The View, the latest on Lohan, or the backsliding of Britney without this tiny gem that repeats just about every day of the week on the E! Channel. Within a few minutes I can have one eye on Sanjaya, keep up with the Kardashians, and find out what giant snake movie the geeks are watching this week on the Sci-fi Channel. Without The Soup, I might not have known about the challenges facing USAmericans when it comes to maps that everyone else was talking about. With this caustic clip show, spoofing even the overindulgent celebrity-chasing shows featured on their own network, host Joel McHale smirks his way through the weeks highlights, mocking just about every slice of contemporary culture that would probably make me drill a hole in my head (That would have worked if you hadn’t stopped me…” - Egon Spengler, on drilling a hole in his head, from Ghostbusters).

(more…)

A review of The Bourne Ultimatum
with reflections on the Bourne Trilogy
by James Harleman

(watch for an AUDIO session on the Bourne to be posted soon as well)

When The Bourne Identity came out, I thoroughly enjoyed its themes. Sure, to some it was nothing more than a brisk, tightly-paced action movie by Doug Liman; however, the redemptive aspects of the story truly shone through and made me take an above-average interest. This central character with an obviously violent, ruthless past has a moment of awakening, suffering a crisis of conscience, finding himself all-but-killed and literally immersed; Jason Bourne wakes from a brutal baptism to find himself “wiped clean”, without memory yet gifted with talents enabling him to survive and thrive. Seeking to live a new life and find his identity, Bourne, played with surprising effectiveness by Matt Damon, struggles to escape the corrupt forces that would pull him back into his old ways, managing to find love and establish a new life.

The aspects of redemption resonated even with people who thought they were simply enjoying the action. It can’t be denied that the Bourne films have some of the greatest car chase sequences in movies to date, and the action sequences have a vivid realism that makes them simultaneously engaging and disturbing. If one feels like a voyeur, particularly with the second and third film, it likely is owed to director Paul Greengrass’ documentary styling. Ultimatum feels much like an over-the-top tale caught by reality cameras. Still, there is more going on there than briskly-paced scenes of action and intrigue; the Bourne tales grapple with both our desire for salvation and our hope for a hero/savior.

The redemptive aspects took a backseat to a mixture of justice and vengeance in the Paul Greengrass directed sequel, The Bourne Supremacy. Bourne’s new world is shattered, his paradise lost, and he becomes an instrument of revenge. Immersion again marks the beginning of the journey, as Jason’s car goes over a bridge and his love slips away beneath the depths. Greengrass’ film exposed that Bourne had indeed been given a new lease on life, but he was still trapped in a world filled with deception and evil.

The Bourne Ultimatum puts the final punctuation on this trilogy by bringing Jason Bourne face to face with the real person responsible for the birth of his troubles. It regains the narrative strength of the first film and in fact IMPROVES upon it. The film opens as Bourne cleans up and medicates himself (from the events of Supremacy), experiencing a memory flashback of the process that made him a killer; the importance of water as a symbol pervades yet again, as Bourne’s remembrance reveals water used as a torture device, forcible immersion again and again in the attempts to make him a hardened killer. To force an endgame, Bourne goes seeking his past to confront it and find some kind of closure.

It seems very curious that water plays a pivotal part of Bourne’s life, at every moment of transition. We find Bourne is: (more…)

About 3 months ago, a decision was made… essentially diving into a church launch in Northeast Seattle that would consume nearly ALL of my time. It was a long season, hard season, and - although not entertainment free - lacking sufficient time to devote to the flourishing of Cinemagogue. To those who have been following the site and enjoying content, my apologies for a season of stagnance. It is with anxious, renewed vigor that I announce that the site will officially commence this weekend with fresh content, revived review archives in audio and video, musing on cultural engagement in the year 2008, and - of course - film reviews. Some will be linked from the site I regularly contribute to - Hollywood Jesus - and I’ll also be bringing in some other regular contributors who can see some of the movies I either don’t have TIME to see, or just plain can’t bring myself to see (you heard me, 27 Dresses).

Starting next week, look for an overview of the narrative drive behind the Bourne films, a look at 2007’s blockbusters and what went wrong , plus a sneak preview of 2008 - and add on reviews of The Orphanage, Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem, Enchanted, and classic reviews in audio of Superman and more.

And my own views on Beowulf, sure to come.