http://cinemagogue.com redefining entertainment Sat, 19 May 2012 20:07:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 engaging and exploring the connection between film, narrative, spirituality, creativity and Creator, images and imaging God. Join James Harleman, writer and speaker on narrative and its connective chords between all storytelling and the story of which we're all a part. Find new depths in what it means to be "entertained" and the reasons why stories (whether they're simple or complex, Citizen Kane or Harold and Kumar, touch our hearts and minds. Pastor James Harleman clean Pastor James Harleman jh@marshill.com jh@marshill.com (Pastor James Harleman) ...redefining "entertainment" religion, tv, film, spirituality, Mars Hill Church, movie reviews, Christianity, Christian Movie Reviews +http://cinemagogue.com/rss.png http://cinemagogue.com/category/reviews-by-genre/action-reviews-by-genre/ http://cinemagogue.com/2011/05/25/lets-bring-up-a-thor-subject/ http://cinemagogue.com/2011/05/25/lets-bring-up-a-thor-subject/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 15:27:21 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=4178 http://cinemagogue.com/2011/05/25/lets-bring-up-a-thor-subject/feed/ 7 http://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/08/a-gods-legacy-in-tron/ http://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/08/a-gods-legacy-in-tron/#comments Sun, 09 Jan 2011 02:11:15 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=4069 http://cinemagogue.com/2011/01/08/a-gods-legacy-in-tron/feed/ 4 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/19/iron-man-2-the-legacy-of-howard-stark/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/19/iron-man-2-the-legacy-of-howard-stark/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 20:19:16 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3187 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/19/iron-man-2-the-legacy-of-howard-stark/feed/ 3 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/12/iron-man-well-suited-for-sequel/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/12/iron-man-well-suited-for-sequel/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 18:10:19 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3148 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/05/12/iron-man-well-suited-for-sequel/feed/ 6 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/23/does-this-movie-kick-ass/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/23/does-this-movie-kick-ass/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:45:10 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3072 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/23/does-this-movie-kick-ass/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/15/weak-god-limp-lucifer-wooden-jesus/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/15/weak-god-limp-lucifer-wooden-jesus/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:06:35 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=2891 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/15/weak-god-limp-lucifer-wooden-jesus/feed/ 5 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/13/perseus-damns-the-gods-thank-god/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/13/perseus-damns-the-gods-thank-god/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:04:39 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=2844 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/13/perseus-damns-the-gods-thank-god/feed/ 3 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/09/clash-of-the-clash-of-the-titans/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/09/clash-of-the-clash-of-the-titans/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:40:01 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=2761 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/09/clash-of-the-clash-of-the-titans/feed/ 7 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/05/district-9-showcases-unlikely-hero/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/05/district-9-showcases-unlikely-hero/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:18:36 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=2720 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/05/district-9-showcases-unlikely-hero/feed/ 2 As mentioned in my commentary on the Oscars and Cinemagogue's Top 10 for 2010, the surprising gem District 9 ranked high on the list; although it didn't make number 1, it DID boast the most unexpected story with the most intriguing character developme... As mentioned in my commentary on the Oscars and Cinemagogue's Top 10 for 2010, the surprising gem District 9 ranked high on the list; although it didn't make number 1, it DID boast the most unexpected story with the most intriguing character development I've seen in film for quite some time. The transformation of Wikus van de Merwe is handled superbly by Sharlto Copley, creating an engrossing protagonist who I loathed in the opening scene, and still didn't like for over two-thirds of the film. In the majority of science fiction and genre movies, Act 1 typically chronicles the character's "awakening": a physical, emotional and/or spiritual transformation of the character. They realize the world is not as they believed, or perhaps they learn that "with great power comes great responsibility", etc. Although District 9 deals with racism, xenophobia, social segregation, and more, the most invigorating element for me was that - well into Act 3 - Wikus is still only in the earliest stages of transformation on ALL these levels. I got to expound on this in a 30-minute presentation at a Film & Theology event for Mars Hill, and the recorded review is available. This narrative peculiarity led me to consider that, although most would refer to Wikus as an "unlikely hero", I wonder if he's more of a likely hero than we'd like to admit. The confident, cocksure, transformed savior that often swaggers into Act 2 of blockbuster movies is what we've come to expect, but when I look at most people in real life following 74 hours... after their eyes have been opened to a mind-blowing truth... they're still blissfully ignorant of MOST ramifications, and/or still kicking or screaming about accepting it. It could be, in a world where I believe that there is only ONE true, honest hero and savior, the rest of us participate in a way that looks far more Wikus than Wolverine, much more District 9 than Dark Knight. We're all scrabbling sinners, scrambling in varied stages of sanctification, looking up in wonder for the return of our own world's Christopher Johnson, and wondering with mixed hopes and fears regarding what that return is going to look like... Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/30/faith-sight-in-the-book-of-eli/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/30/faith-sight-in-the-book-of-eli/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:26:05 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=2491 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/03/30/faith-sight-in-the-book-of-eli/feed/ 15