Here's a link to the trailer for Jesus Camp

I've also added a link in the Jesus Camp post of Ted Haggard.

Enjoy!

Jesus Camp

I had seen this new documentary on the video store shelf called Jesus Camp, and had read the back to get an idea what it was about. To be honest, I had avoided renting this movie, as normally when I go to the video store I’m in the mood to be entertained, and I had anticipated this movie actually making me mad. But eventually I did rent it. View Trailer

It wasn’t horrible. I found it quite honest and fair actually. There were certainly parts that evoked anger in me, parts that made me deeply ashamed of my associations, and parts that were actually quite precious. Basically, a camera crew follows a Pentecostal Children’s Pastor in the States who runs a summer camp. Her philosophy is that the “enemy” (ie. Muslims) are “getting them young”, meaning they are indoctrinating people into their faith when they are children, as these are the most impressionable and least sceptical. She explains that the Muslims are getting the kids excited about Islam, and proceeding to put grenades and AK47s in their hands. Therefore, Christians should be doing something of the same sort, short of grenades and AK47s. Two of the major issues that these children are trained to fight for are the re-Christianizing of the USA (because it apparently is God’s nation), and abortion (anti, of course).

A few noteworthy scenes. At the camp breakfast, after the children have got their sausage and pancakes and have sat down, there is a prayer. One of the adults stands up and thanks God for the food, ok, but proceeds to tell God to end abortion. What? At breakfast? I’d have lost my appetite. Just odd.

At another time, there was a quite well-known youth minister (who I had until now respected) who came to visit the children at the regular church service. He actually came to bring children with him to Capitol Hill in Washington to pray for God to “take back America” and to end abortion. As part of his protest or stand (or whatever), he had children come up to him like Catholics receiving communion to have their mouths taped over with red utilitarian tape. On the tape, of course, was written the word LIFE. Now I don’t know, parents, would you let your pastor tape your child’s mouth shut? That was my main concern here, however there is also the concern of using these children to help make your own points. Ah, children, so led and innocent!

I believe this film was released before the fall of Ted Haggard, the famed televangelist gay-hater who got caught praticing what he was preaching, if you know what I mean (also former President of the National Association of the Evangelicals, and former (?) Bush advisor). I felt bad for him before, until I watched this film. He invited this camera crew to his church, and he was taped giving a sermon. The camera was in fact on stage with him. Several times he looked into the camera and spoke to the audience of this documentary. For example “I think I know what you did last night. [audience laughs] In fact, if you don’t send me a cheque for $1,000 I’m gonna tell your wife what you did last night! [audience laughs again]. If you use any of this I’ll sue you! [audience laughs]” and proceeded to denounce homosexuality. View Clip I guess homosexuality is (was) the focus of that church. Other issue. He later was talking to his audience about his “10-year rule” in marriage, in that you shouldn’t marry anyone outside of 10 years your own age. He said that if in fact you are a younger woman married to an older man “I hope he dies so you can get his money!” Umm, ok? And the audience laughed.

Finally, the worst moment of all – the cardboard cut-out. During a service, one of the children’s ministers comes on stage and has all the children come to the front (like in our churches, for a nice little story, or a puppet!). She brought with her a cardboard cut-out of George Bush, and asked the children to pray for him, to speak blessing to him, to stretch their hands towards him and pray, and to then lay hands on the image of Bush. Ummm, no comment. It speaks for itself.

Where are the lines? Where is the line between teaching and indoctrination? Using and genuine self-willed action? One child explained how he was saved at 5 years old, saying that at that time he wanted “more out of life”. How? How does he know that at 5? Case in point that this is just jargon, indoctrination; he knows what to say. So is he a Christian? How can any of us know? So many questions arise.

I would certainly not recommend this film to any of my friends who don’t share my faith, as it is a complete and utter shame. However, all my Christian friends, please watch it. We need to know what our “brothers and sisters” are up to for accountability purposes, and more than that, we need to know how our (their) actions are perceived by the world in general.

About A Boy

In Review

When a video store goes out of business, its patrons are in luck! My video store did such, and I got to pick up a few DVDs at rock-bottom (well, could’ve been lower) prices. One of them, About A Boy. This is a movie I’ve seen before, and I really like it.

Based on the book by Nick Hornby, this movie is directed by the same two guys who directed the American Pie series. You wouldn’t know it though, About A Boy actually has a soul. Starring Hugh Grant (who apparently didn’t have to act much to play the part), Toni Collette (who stars in another of my favourites, Little Miss Sunshine), and Rachel Weisz (yeow!), this is one of those feel-good movies, but it has a bit of cheek to it as well.

The basic premise is a challenge to the saying “No man is an island”. The man, Hugh Grant, is very independent, and happily so. In his quest to populate his calendar with dates with single mums, he ends up very involved in the life of a 12-year-old boy, and effectively Hugh becomes “about a boy”. He learns through having real relationships and actually caring about other people (ie. love), that there indeed is a substantial purpose to life.

Maybe this is just a movie that I like because its title should actually be “About Matt” (yeah, I’m exaggerating), but at the same time, it is quite entertaining, especially for those familiar with the British way of life (or at least the humour!). Normally, I hate it when writers make kids just as smart as or smarter than the adults, but this kid's thought processes are just funny. It's hard to hate it! But he is definitely [written] smarter than his mum and Hugh Grant.

It is a flawed happily-ever-after ending, because you get the sense that the problematic characters are not fully cured, just better. But I think that is a great way to end a story! For all the warm-and-fuzzy junkies out there, this may still do it for you - everyone, and I mean everyone, is half a couple by the end.

Next time you’re out renting a DVD, give this one a try. Or, even better, if you’re looking for a read, pick up the book. When you’re done, let me know how it is!

Happy Feet

In review

Bait-and-switch is the marketing campaign used by the promoters of this film. You think you’re going to see something cute with a good story for kids, but you end up emotionally attached to a political issue and, if you’re a Christian, insulted. Maybe actually assaulted.

There is a very specific agenda behind the film: stop marine harvesting. Fine. Good. Whatever. BUT it goes much further than that and actually seems to blame Christians for hurting the environment. The logic is as follows: Republicans typically aren’t in favour of environmentally-conscious agendas; Republicans equal Christians; Christians are to blame for the diminishing quality of the environment.

Now, politics aside, I don’t care what they think about the environmental problems and who’s to blame. I don’t have an opinion either way. My problem is with the spiteful message they are sending to kids, to my 3-year-old nephew who accompanied me.

The colony of penguins in this movie is ruled by one who doubles as the religious leader. The entire dialogue from the establishment is stolen from Christian language; a lot of “thees” and “thous”, some “backsliders”, and even a “the [name of Penguin god] giveth, and the [name of Penguin god] taketh away!”

When Happy Feet finds the source of their diminishing food supply, it’s in the form of a fishing village, and the very first thing he sees is a church on the hilltop, cross front and centre, with dark and alarming music playing (like this was the villain).

In the end, the religious leadership is debunked and abandons their faith.

Fine, make a children’s movie with content like this, but don’t draw in the masses without letting them know what they might be in for. There is absolutely NO HINT of this side of the content in ANY of the marketing. This is a very effective campaign tool, not to mention very dubious and underhanded.

But the right has their movies too! Absolutely, but you know it’s a right-piece before you walk in! Who ever saw The Prince of Egypt, or The Nativity, or The Chronicles of Narnia, or The Passion of the Christ without knowing what they were about to see?

Bait-and-Switch (which is actually illegal with bigger-ticket items) Happy Feet: a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

To End All Wars

Review

I've watched To End All Wars several times now, including once this week. The first time I saw it was the most impacting, of course, and it may have had something to do with my then emotional state, but I have never been so profoundly touched and shocked by a film as I have by this one.

The Story is a true one. It's of a Scottish regiment held as POWs in Thailand by the Japanese in the second world war to end all wars. In brutal violation of the Geneva Convention these soldiers are kept in worse condition than animals, and are put to work building a railroad for the Emperor of Japan.

To help them find meaning in their extreme suffering, the men begin a 'Jungle University' and learn from the works of Plato and Jesus, to name two. The content of their learning then is called into action in their daily lives.

If you can stand a little brutality and a little swearing, I would very highly recommend this film. As I said, no other has affected me near as much.

Death of a President

Review

I don't know why I was excited to see this film. It's not that I really hate Bush, nor do I like him. I hated Bush... maybe I forgot that I don't really care anymore.

In any case, I sat through 1 hour and 45 minutes of bogus interviews collaged in a mock-up documentary that fanticizes the death of President George W Bush. I must say it was in poor taste and without a valuable point. I feel slightly like an attempt was made to woo me, to propogate me, to pull me left a little, but to no avail. I'm firmly indifferent.

In the film, George W Bush is assassinated and Dick Cheney assumes the throne, which, as we all know, will make absolutely no difference in how the world is run - Cheney was President all along.

It seems that any point the movie tried to make was this: those in power will choose a verdict that suits their purposes and will fill in the blanks, as it were, so everyone else believes the verdict too, only to use it as fuel to push their agenda. In this case, the Patriot Act III. Nothing new.

I'm disappointed. For a film that knew it would receive a lot of hype for its title alone, they didn't capitalize on such foresight. It was like being at a dinner party, mingling amongst the crowd, when one guy stands up on a chair clinking his glass with a dessert spoon. "Excuse me!" he says, "Can I get everyone's attention please!". With every conversation paused and every eye on him, there's silence. Finally, he clears his throat - the anticipation felt - and says, "just thought I'd say hello!" and stands back down.