“It’s been traveling twenty-two years to get here. And now it’s here. And it’s either heads or tails. And you have to say. Call it.” - Anton Chigurh

So the time has come to expand Cinemagogue and let it be more than my singular platform for exploring film, narrative themes, the gospel, and all these meaningless movies under the sun. I’m meeting Sunday with a small team of potential contributors who will hopefully allow us to explore classic films, indie films, DVD releases, and more. One of the main reasons I’ve done this for so long is a desire to see others think and discern when they engage. Seeing others growing to the point where they desire to contribute and teach is like icing on a cinematic cake.

Also, I’m prepping to show and teach on our big award winner for 2008 this next week with a live showing of the film and subsequent exposition. For those living in a cave (a cavern far from the Coen Brothers) that would be No Country for Old Men, showing Friday May 9 at the Wedgwood Campus of Mars Hill Church. This one will be tough. And fun. Hopefully it won’t get mixed in with the others and become just a movie. Which it is.

Fairy Tales: Folly or Faith?
An audio exploration of Enchanted
by Pastor James Harleman

Enchanted intrigued me as it hit squarely on one of my favorite narrative dichotomies in Hollywood storytelling… what I affectionately call “Life Under the Sun” and “Life Beyond the Sun” films. These worlds collide in Enchanted in what I think is one of Disney’s strongest achievements to date – cinematically combining elements of their best animated and live productions into a self-effacing pageant that comments on both their wonder, their humor, they’re syrup, and also our own earthly disenchantment without them.

Whether it’s the seemingly naive Giselle or the Carrie Underwood song that closes the film, it’s apparent that we want to believe in fairy tale endings but many of us, like Robert in the film, believe that “The lovey-dovey version that you talk about – it’s fantasy. And one day you have to wake up and you’re in the REAL world.” What if neither of them are wrong? What if BOTH worlds are true?

Listen right here by clicking the play button above.

You can also listen to the audio in another browser by clicking on the link below, or right click and “save as” to download the mp3. For those options, click here. (more…)

Whether you cross decades or cross the pond, you can find shared shenanigans, duplicated drudgery, synchronized self-absorption, and facsimilied foolishness. Office politics and the cubicle life play themselves out in some amazing comedies which don’t try to hide that they’re dipping in the same office pool. From Peter to Tim to Jim, we feel a kinship and a frustration with life under the sun. For those of us in leadership positions, there is the nervous laughter as we fear people view us like Lumbergh, David Brent, or Michael Scott. In part, I think all of these feelings hold a kernel of truth, which is why we laugh at exaggerations (oh, you HOPE they’re exaggerations, don’t you!)

Mike Judge capitalized on our frustration as we hit the end of a century. Ricky Gervais has provided some inspired comedy that needles many of us right where we live, as the 21st century seemingly offers yet another “case of the Mondays”. The chief question with these comedies remains… are we laughing AT these archetypes, or WITH them?

“Hey Peter… what’s happening…”
Audio Review of Office Space (contains spoilers, assumes you’ve seen the film)

Pushed to the breaking point by monotony and corporate doublespeak, Peter Gibbons and his comrades revolt against the unfair system at Initech… with mixed results. The real question is… if you click on the link below, will it give you an error that says “PC Load Letter”?

Listen right here by clicking the play button above.

You can also listen to the audio in another browser by clicking on the link below, or right click and “save as” to download the mp3. For those options, click here.

The Office began with two seasons of a dry British comedy, totaling a whopping 12 episodes and a Christmas special. The Mike Judge influenced comedy even referenced Peter Gibbons with a wink and nod. When the comedy crossed the pond, changed the names, and went through Hollywood’s copy machine, lovers of the BBC show feared it would come out half as crisp. To be fair, Steve Carrel and crew have made a darn good comedy in their own right… so long as they know when to quit and go out on a high note. Time will tell.

Four episodes were watched with a live audience with discusion between each (if you’re an avid fan of both shows, you can listen to the audio without the episodes at hand, but if you’ve seen these episodes it will be even better).

(American) SEASON 2, EPISODE - Performance Reviews
(British) SEASON 1, EPISODE 4 – “Free Love on the Freelove Freeway”
(American) SEASON 2, EPISODE - Conflict Resolution
(British) SEASON 1, EPISODE 6 – “Selling Out”

Audio Review of The Office (British & American)

Listen right here by clicking the play button above.

You can also listen to the audio in another browser by clicking on the link below, or right click and “save as” to download the mp3. For those options, click here.

Cinemagogue isn’t just a blog… it features monthly film viewings at the MHC | Wedgwood Campus, followed by an expository exploration of narrative themes and spiritual parallels. Join us on April 11 at 7pm for the self-effacing Disney film “Enchanted” with Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams, followed by a talk on fairy tales and spirituality. Calendar details are here. The film is rated PG.

I know what you’re thinking… every dude reading is rolling his eyes, wishing his wife would stop calling Patrick Dempsey “McDreamy”, and hoping his spouse doesn’t spot the syrupy cinematic offering. Trust me, I ONLY went out of a strained sense of obligation when my wife Kat batted her eyes and said please. Still, just as “The Incredibles” was a kids’ film that adults could enjoy without wishing for a hole drilled in their head, this mockish play on Disney conventions and exploration of feminism and femininity is actually… bearable! Even enjoyable. That’s right guys, go ahead and act all sacrificial and treat this like a date night. The truth is, you’ll actually have a good time. If you can’t make the event, we’ll post the audio review in a few weeks.