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Your Recommendations

Here is the list of movies submitted by those commenting on my movie post. Many of these suggestions came with short reviews, so if you want more information about these films, check out the comments from that post.

By the way, if you love movies, you HAVE to subscribe to some kind of online service. You can’t just go to Blockbuster and hope they will have something good. I used Netflix for years, but they started delaying mailing movies to their customers. There was a lawsuit about this. I noticed it was taking longer and longer for movies to arrive. I switched to Blockbuster for several reasons:

1. They are more prompt in sending movies.

2. You can turn in a movie at a store and have it immediately checked in online.

3. They give you a free rental every time you turn one in at a store. (This basically doubles the movies you get for your money) I use the mail service for my serious films and the free movies for stuff my kids want to watch with me.

Okay, now your list. I wish I had time to write my own reviews for some of these, but I’ll settle for a simple rating system:

1 – I’ve seen it.
2 – I’ve seen it and would recommend it.
3 – I’ve seen it and loved it.
4 – This came close to making my list.
5 – This probably should have made my list.

My original favorites movie list from the previous post

rlp

I keep thinking I'll start posting a short review of every movie I watch, good or bad. I want to do that. It would be easy to do that. Why haven't I done that? I don't know. So I'm not making any promises, but I really would like to do that.

Recent Watched:

Game 6, starring Michael Keaton

I like Michael Keaton in dramatic roles. Pacific Heights and Clean & Sober come to mind. I just like him - there's something about the way he talks and moves. Hey, I appreciate any movie that does something different, and tying a writer's destiny to the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series is a cool idea, especially since the movie is set in 1986, the year of the Sox's infamous 9th inning meltdown.

Diabolique, Henri-Georges Clouzot's classic French thriller from 1954

Good film. I get why it's a classic, but I'm not one who fawns over movies just because they are old. It was fine - nice twist at the end which I somehow didn't see coming, even though this movie has been remade. There is a creepy part at the end with a mysterious person stalking a woman through the halls of a school, all in black and white with the shadows and everything. It reminded me that a great horror or suspense film should play with your mind, not turn your stomach.

So me and movies - yeah, I like them. During the years of my depression, I watched a lot of movies. A LOT. There were times when losing myself in a movie was the only way I could stop feeling bad. I would often watch three on Sunday night, staying up until 3 or 4 am. Maybe one Friday night and two or three during the week. I was one of those customers that Netflix tagged and put in the slow queue.

I still watch a lot of movies, but not nearly as many. I'm in a busier season of life, I guess. And I find it hard to stay up until 2 am and still get up at 6:30 to get kids off to school. I used to do that regularly.

My taste is eclectic. I lean toward drama and documentaries, and I'm always looking for wonderful new films. I used to have a compulsive need to finish any movie I started, no matter how bad it was. I kept thinking I would give it a chance. At the end I would feel horribly depressed and let-down. Now I have no qualms about shutting off a movie the minute I decide I'm not going to like it. In all those years that I kept waiting for bad movies to redeem themselves, they never did. My time means more to me now, so I won't waste it on a bad film.

And how do I define a bad film? A bad film is one that I don't like. Maybe it would be a good film for you.

I didn't spend a lot of time on the list below, but it represents a selection of movies that I love.

I've established this page so that I can hear from you. On my old blog, back in 2003, I posted a list of favorite movies and had scores of comments from readers, suggesting movies. I'm hoping you'll do the same thing here. If you love a movie or movies, leave a comment and tell us why.

rlp

I present to you, a short film called "Credo" by director Keith Snyder and starring Larry Picard. Keith describes this film as "yet another 9-minute screen opera about God and religious violence."

But first a quick story about how I discovered Credo. Keith Snyder emailed me a long time ago. Then he came to hear the sermon I did last Spring at Cornell. He handed me a copy of his short film, "Credo." I took it home and lost it. Then I was embarrassed to admit that I had lost it, so I just said nothing. Finally he wrote to see if I had watched it. The truth came out, but he was kind and sent me another copy, which I sat on my desk at the church, where I looked at the cover day after day.

I have a strange way about me. There are certain things I don't do until the right time. I have no way of explaining to anyone how I know it is the right time, but I feel it. A number of weeks went by and then one day, not too long ago, I decided it was time to watch Credo.

I loved it. It's lovely, precious, and endearing. And it's certain to spark some pretty intense conversations. As you watch it, remember this: It is a work of art, not a theological treatise. Don't pick the theology apart. Also, you should remember that in the Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) God repents several times. In Genesis God repents and is sorry that he created humankind. In First Samuel God repented that he made Saul king. And, most stunningly, in Exodus God is angry and about to destroy the children of Israel. Moses intervenes and demands that he repent of this anger.

"Why are you angry with Your people, which you brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand? . . .Turn from your fierce wrath and repent of this evil against your people...And the Lord repented of the evil which He said He would do unto his people." (32:11-14)

This notion of God experiencing regret is only a problem if you are into the whole omniscient and omnipotent thing. And since those ideas are NOT IN THE BIBLE, I don't feel obligated to believe them myself.

Yeah, not in the Bible. The omni concept is more of a Greek, philosophical thing. Surprised aren't you? Here's a little article about this by Tony Campolo, who is a huge hero of mine.

Keith Synder explores the idea of God, evil, and repentance in this wonderful little film. And if you can let go of the omni stuff, then you make room for the idea that Larry Picard's God character might actually be possible. Which is cool because I absolutely adore Larry in this film. I wish he was my friend in real life, but I'd have a hard time not always wanting to pray to him. ;-)

Follow the link below and you can watch it online. Enjoy!

The website has the lyrics, which are worth reading
to make sure you didn't miss anything

Reaching levels of spiritual suctitude never before imagined.

A couple of months ago I got a thick publicity packet from a media company I had never heard of. Fox Faith is, in their own words, "a branded distribution label from 20th Century Fox, created to house and distribute its growing portfolio of morally-driven, family-friendly programming." The FoxFaith website further notes that only movies with overt Christian content will be considered eligible to be assimilated into their borg-like existence included in their friendly family of films.

Now if our church got a promo piece from Fox Faith, you KNOW these people are spending millions on publicity. Hell, it takes a private investigator to even find out that Covenant Baptist Church exists. But Fox Faith somehow found our little church in the woods, and so I found myself staring in disbelief at a slick, press release for a movie called, "THR3E."

View the official THR3E website

Ooh, it's from ONE of the producers of X-Men! It must be really good, you know, like X-Men and everything.

This is your typical "seminary student teams with a criminal psychologist to track down an insane serial killer with a twisted plot and a shocking ending" film. It took me about 30 seconds to realize what is going on here. 20th Century Fox noticed the incredible financial success of The Passion of the Christ, and decided to get a piece of the latest niche market - conservative Christianity. To be fair, the market is not so much conservative Christianity as it is uneducated Christianity. There are many brilliant, conservative Christians with both brains and good taste. FoxFaith isn't interested in these people. FoxFaith is looking for the Christian masses who will flock to any movie, provided the dialogue is filled with their favorite theological and political buzz-words.

Combine the lowest forms of laugh-track laden, trite and simplistic television programming with the outrageous antics and insanity of television Christianity. Mix in a million billion dollars of advertising and marketing power, and you're beginning to understand what FoxFaith is all about.

The most expensive cheese in all of history.

Hallelujah, let the revival begin. Lord have mercy, it's only a matter of time before this heathen nation falls at the feet of Jesus and begs for his tender mercy, born at the cross and delivered to you via the family-friendly folks at Fox.

Can I get a witness?

So today I got another promo package, this time for an upcoming movie called, "The Last Sin Eater." No, seriously.

View the official Last Sin Eater website

"In 1850's Appalachia, 10-year-old Cadi feels responsible for her little sister's death, so she searches out the one man she feels can take away her sin - The Sin Eater. But in her quest for redemption, Cadi uncovers a dark secret that threatens to divide her family and community. Ultimately, Cadi shows them the truth in Jesus, reminding us that the human condition is beyond human remedy: only Christ provides for the absolution of sin."

Okay, that's about enough of that.

Listen, I'm just a guy with a bad haircut from a small church you've never heard of, but I hope you'll listen to me for a moment because I have something important to say. When it comes to God, religion, spirituality, whatever you want to call it, ignore just about everything you see on television or in movies. If you are serious about making a spiritual connection with a power greater than ourselves, try the following suggestions:

• Let go of big things and embrace little things.
• Ignore loud things and listen for quiet things.
• Put aside obvious things and seek out hidden things.
• Forget easy things and learn hard and ancient things.
• Stop saving your life and start losing it.
• Let your thinking and believing become doing and serving.
• Quit trying to arrive and become at home on the journey.
• Lose your road maps and find a wise guide to walk with you.

Love the idea of God with all your heart, soul, mind, body, life, work, and strength. And while you're at it, try loving other people as much as you love yourself. You won't be able to do either of these, but trying will be very good for you.

Do these things all of your days and forever. Do these things and live.

And may Fox Faith and everything like it go straight to hell.

rlp

You'll probably need to be a movie buff to fully enjoy this, but I think it's brilliant.

Shining

rlp