http://cinemagogue.com redefining entertainment Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:10:44 +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. 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/comedy-reviews-by-genre/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/12/17/the-worldview-of-an-elf-via-will-ferrell/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/12/17/the-worldview-of-an-elf-via-will-ferrell/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:52:58 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3990 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/12/17/the-worldview-of-an-elf-via-will-ferrell/feed/ 0 A special son raised in a Christmas paradise is sent south to a much harsher world where he sees the darkness in the world and overcomes it with a light in his eyes that refuses to be extinguished... the story of Buddy the Elf is an atypical type of Ch... A special son raised in a Christmas paradise is sent south to a much harsher world where he sees the darkness in the world and overcomes it with a light in his eyes that refuses to be extinguished... the story of Buddy the Elf is an atypical type of Christmas cheer that feels like modern-day pabulum while actually hiding some sugar-coated truths. Directed by the man who would later give us Iron Man, Elf is a candy-cane holiday movie I'd avoided for years, assuming it was just a Ferrell string of comedic skits strung together over a thin premise. But one particularly odd Christmas, all that changed... Once upon a time, a friend dared me to use the movie for a December film and theology event, figuring there was NO way I could look at such an inane narrative and see a glimpse of God in that story. With a focus on Santa and Will Ferrell histrionics, surely this film is nothing more than a random collection of meaningless banter... right? Wrong. I took the bet, examined the film, and reviewed it at a Mars Hill Church event; I think I was even able to make previous fans enjoy it on a whole new level. Watch the film and add 20 minutes of narrative exploration as a Christmas treat this year. NOTE: This audio exploration assumes you've watched the film and contains spoilers. Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/26/going-up/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/26/going-up/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:45:44 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3084 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/26/going-up/feed/ 2 In Pixar's UP, an undeniably delicious treat for the senses, Carl Frederickson is chafing against the age-old aging process lamented in Ecclesiastes 12, and sets out to recapture the "spirit of adventure" and honor his late wife Ellie. We find, however, In Pixar's UP, an undeniably delicious treat for the senses, Carl Frederickson is chafing against the age-old aging process lamented in Ecclesiastes 12, and sets out to recapture the "spirit of adventure" and honor his late wife Ellie. We find, however, that his motives are mixed, and his mission is missing the mark. This literally "square" old codger is on his way to becoming the obsessive Muntz, instead of refreshing the vivacious spirit we see in the bouncy Russell. Using the Pixar formula with a sprinkle of Seussian madness and Looney Tunes frolic, This gorgeous and spirit-lifting film shows us the difference between the pursuit of "recapturing" life versus the fire of "rekindling" it, exposing idols and the all-too common truth that we often think people are "in the way" of our mission when our mission should be to those people. Thanks to Mars Hill for hosting a full house packed Film and Theology event in March 2010. Pastor James Harleman clean 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/2010/04/21/how-to-train-your-content/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/21/how-to-train-your-content/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:29:38 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3025 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/21/how-to-train-your-content/feed/ 13 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/29/bottle-rocket-ain%e2%80%99t-no-trip-to-cleveland/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/29/bottle-rocket-ain%e2%80%99t-no-trip-to-cleveland/#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:53:16 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/?p=567 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/11/29/bottle-rocket-ain%e2%80%99t-no-trip-to-cleveland/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/26/ratatouille-hope-for-the-future/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/26/ratatouille-hope-for-the-future/#comments Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:27:41 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/?p=344 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/09/26/ratatouille-hope-for-the-future/feed/ 3 animated,Disney,family A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. As Remy enters, so does Linguini, a clumsy youth hired as a garbage boy. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely – and certainly unwanted – visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy’s passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. I had the honor of doing an audio review for a room full of parents and young children at nearly 9pm, with children showing signs of fatigue with bedtimes and potential meltdowns imminent. What transpired is one of the quickest audio reviews I’ve done, so hopefully brevity is the source of wit. Remy the rat was told he was BORN a certain way… into a certain time, place, and culture, and he must accept this as his reality and truth. At on point Remy says “No. Dad, I don’t believe it. You’re telling me that the future is – can only be – more of this?” His father says “This is the way things are; you can’t change nature.” Can our nature be changed? If we are rats on this ship called life… trapped in a sociopolitical situation like Hindus in the untouchable caste, or genetically predisposed a certain direction – are we locked into that? Is our identity FIXED? Is our destiny dictated by our birth and/or environment? The message of Ratatouille is NO – it CAN be changed… and there IS hope. This is also reflected in the movies human protagonist, Linguini – a “nobody”, a son without a father, a garbage boy. Linguini believes he has no legacy, no heritage, just silly dreams. Truth is, he has a legacy – he has a father who is known to MANY, he is the child of an amazing CREATOR of cuisine, and he has an inheritance… Do we resonate with this in vain hope for the fairy tale? Or does this strike a chord deep in our souls toward something true? The picture of Gusteau’s kitchen at the end of the film is a portrait of the church – an odd collection of VERY different peoples freed from the constraints of their identity, from their culture, brought together and unified in one kingdom, one kitchen, laboring together with joy to produce something sweet and savory for those around them that points not to us, but our participation as image-bearers of our Father and Savior, our inspiration and guiding light. In the message of Ratatouille there IS truth, and hope, at least for the Christian. It is not just distraction or delusion for our kids… there is a warm spot of real connection with the same gospel Jesus preached. Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/08/review-of-the-apartment/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/08/review-of-the-apartment/#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:35:39 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/08/08/review-of-the-apartment/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/08/08/review-of-the-apartment/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/22/the-dude-abides-cult-classic-for-our-times/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/22/the-dude-abides-cult-classic-for-our-times/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:08:05 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/07/22/the-dude-abides-cult-classic-for-our-times/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/22/the-dude-abides-cult-classic-for-our-times/feed/ 4 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/11/juno-what-you-want-to-hear/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/11/juno-what-you-want-to-hear/#comments Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:00:10 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/07/11/juno-what-you-want-to-hear/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/11/juno-what-you-want-to-hear/feed/ 0 Audio Review of JUNO by Pastor James Harleman - "I need to know that it’s possible that two people can stay happy together forever…" - Jason Reitman, the brilliant Director that gave us Thank You for Smoking, shot Juno in just 31 days. Audio Review of JUNO by Pastor James Harleman "I need to know that it’s possible that two people can stay happy together forever…" Jason Reitman, the brilliant Director that gave us Thank You for Smoking, shot Juno in just 31 days. It was the highest-grossing film of all five Best Picture Oscar nominees (2008). Writer Diablo Cody won for the Award for Best Original Screenplay. I know that, as a Christian, I'm expected to talk about the movie's controversial handling of whether or not “all babies like to get borned…” but let's be honest people, the baby is a macguffin; the real issues that this film gives birth to ultimately address finding one's identity, and the seemingly hopeless nature of love. "I’m just like losing my faith with humanity. I just wonder if two people can stay together for good." Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child. While the movie focuses on the women, one real issue seems to be "what's wrong with our men"? The men in the film don't act, and at best REact. I unpacked this and other facets of the story at a local film event... (includes spoilers, watch film first!) Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2008/04/16/we-all-want-happily-ever-after/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/04/16/we-all-want-happily-ever-after/#comments Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:04:59 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/04/16/we-all-want-happily-ever-after/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/04/16/we-all-want-happily-ever-after/feed/ 0 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... 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? While not dismissing the toils and legitimate brokenness of this life, the Christian knows that the Universe is a Love Story, the fabric of our very existence is the pages on which it is written, and the hero is Jesus Christ. Christians can rest in the calm assurance that Giselle has... that everlasting love is real, that happily ever after IS possible. The Christian existence is one of restored WONDER, true love that provides endurance in this life and the promise of eternity. Although sometimes poorly caging God's wonder in systematics and bullet points, scripture is replete with the true fantastical nature of both our Storyteller AND Savior. As the fairy tale believes in "destiny", Romans 8 proclaims the beautiful story of God's love as destined. It goes on to tell us: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Philosopher G.K. Chesterton describes sanity as the result of a tension between two extremes (in fact, two poles). Christ is the pinion around which these poles spin. This holds the reality of Giselle’s world and Robert’s world in tension. Giselle’s humble assurance transforms Robert, Morgan, Nancy, and saves the Banks’ marriage. If our affection for our Creator, Lord and Savior were more evident – if we were indeed enchanted with our Lord in a deep and genuine way – perhaps more people would hunger after the music in OUR hearts. For more on the movie, the language of heaven, and (sorry guys) why men have to repent and start loving musicals, I encourage you to listen to the audio review. Pastor James Harleman clean