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/drama/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/30/no-man-is-a-shutter-island/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/30/no-man-is-a-shutter-island/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:45:45 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=2465 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/30/no-man-is-a-shutter-island/feed/ 2 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/22/brokeback-mountains-ponderous-ponderosa/ http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/22/brokeback-mountains-ponderous-ponderosa/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:49:53 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=3036 http://cinemagogue.com/2010/04/22/brokeback-mountains-ponderous-ponderosa/feed/ 1 http://cinemagogue.com/2009/02/06/the-jokes-on-harvey-dent/ http://cinemagogue.com/2009/02/06/the-jokes-on-harvey-dent/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:24:36 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=765 http://cinemagogue.com/2009/02/06/the-jokes-on-harvey-dent/feed/ 4 There are many reasons why The Dark Knight was the best 2008 had to offer… and why I'm boycotting the Oscars for snubbing it save for a nod to Heath Ledger. There at so many things we could look at in this film, There are many reasons why The Dark Knight was the best 2008 had to offer… and why I'm boycotting the Oscars for snubbing it save for a nod to Heath Ledger. There at so many things we could look at in this film, which is probably why it spawned written reviews and now this audio review for Cinemagogue. The incredible Cinematography and IMAX footage gives it unparalleled scope, the reliance on physical special effects versus digital gives the film a powerful gravity, and the subtle score with chords like razor blades creates uncomfortable tension. In the narrative alone, there are SO many things to look at... because Unlike Batman Begins, which redefined a character, this movie isn’t ABOUT Batman; this film redefines a genre and examines a city's populace. The political, social and religious implications are sifted in the following audio exploration by James Harleman, which followed a viewing of the film at Mars Hill in Seattle. He contends that, in the end, the film's REAL central character is not Batman or Joker, but the idealistic and ill-fated Harvey Dent. Moreover, does the film truly present us with hope of redemption, or does it illustrate that their is no true hope save delusion? You decide. Pastor James Harleman clean 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/2008/07/19/the-knight-is-darker-but-viewer-will-endure/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/19/the-knight-is-darker-but-viewer-will-endure/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:53:50 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/07/19/the-knight-is-darker-but-viewer-will-endure/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/19/the-knight-is-darker-but-viewer-will-endure/feed/ 12 Batman,Christopher Nolan,comic book,superhero If anyone still thought you could still say "comic book movie" and that the phrase implied a certain sensibility, style, or genre, The Dark Knight has driven the final nail into that cliche-coffin. If anyone still thought you could still say "comic book movie" and that the phrase implied a certain sensibility, style, or genre, The Dark Knight has driven the final nail into that cliche-coffin. Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/06/are-you-lonely-tonight-mister/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/06/are-you-lonely-tonight-mister/#comments Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:14:19 +0000 Webmaster Covi http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/07/06/are-you-lonely-tonight-mister/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/07/06/are-you-lonely-tonight-mister/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2008/05/20/you-cant-stop-whats-coming/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/05/20/you-cant-stop-whats-coming/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 14:39:13 +0000 Webmaster Covi http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/05/20/you-cant-stop-whats-coming/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/05/20/you-cant-stop-whats-coming/feed/ 3 Audio Review of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Pastor James Harleman - The COEN BROTHERS adapted Cormac McCarthy’s novel into this film of the same name, After writing No Country in 2005, the 75 year old McCarthy has won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel... Audio Review of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Pastor James Harleman The COEN BROTHERS adapted Cormac McCarthy’s novel into this film of the same name, After writing No Country in 2005, the 75 year old McCarthy has won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel “The Road” in 2006, once again exploring his familiar themes of extreme isolation, perversity, and violence to represent normal human experience. The novel's motifs of chance, free-will, and predestination are familiar territory for the Coen brothers, and the film subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Picture in early 2008. With so many prizes surrounding these themes and creators, it is fascinating to explore why these works have had such an unstoppable impact on our culture. "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 Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. No Country For Old Men, the 2008 Oscar winner for Best Picture (and in three other categories) stumbled upon the Wedgwood Campus for our live, monthly Cinemagogue event. I've been a big fan of the Coen brothers since Raising Arizona and have enjoyed their work from Miller's Crossing to The Hudsucker Proxy. For some reason, I'd missed The Big Lebowski until last year and finally enjoyed Jeff Bridges amazing performance. (Did anyone notice Jeff's tip of the hat to Lebowski in his latest film, Iron Man?) Still, I wasn't immediately enraptured with this film as most were last year. A few friends of mine loathed it. After contemplation, repeat viewing, and some study, it's actually quite illuminating to me why this film has struck a chord in both film buff and casual viewer and I've come to a profound appreciation for what the film has to offer. Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/05/is-it-fate-or-chance-that-haunts-the-children-of-men/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/05/is-it-fate-or-chance-that-haunts-the-children-of-men/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:47:43 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2008/02/05/is-it-fate-or-chance-that-haunts-the-children-of-men/ http://cinemagogue.com/2008/02/05/is-it-fate-or-chance-that-haunts-the-children-of-men/feed/ 4 Alfonso Cuarón's film adaptation of the P.D. James' book Children of Men is an incredible work of art marked by some of the most amazing cinematography I have seen. Opening on Christmas day in 2006, critics compared the characters of Theo and Kee with... Alfonso Cuarón's film adaptation of the P.D. James' book Children of Men is an incredible work of art marked by some of the most amazing cinematography I have seen. Opening on Christmas day in 2006, critics compared the characters of Theo and Kee with Joseph and Mary, calling the film a "modern day nativity story". Children of Men envisages a world one generation from now that has fallen into chaos on the heels of an infertility defect in the population. The world's youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set against a backdrop of London torn apart by violence and warring nationalistic sects, the film follows an unlikely champion of Earth's survival: Theo, a disillusioned ex-activist turned bureaucrat, who is forced to face his own demons and protect the planet's last remaining hope. According to Cuarón, the title of P.D. James' book is a Catholic allegory derived from a passage of scripture in the Bible. Psalm 90:3 reads (in the KJV): "Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men." Author James refers to her story as a "Christian fable" while Cuarón describes it as "almost like a look at Christianity": "I didn't want to shy away from the spiritual archetypes," Cuarón told Filmmaker Magazine. What they've produced is a dark, dystopian fable grasping for hope and miracles amidst a bleak future landscape. It was one of my favorite films of 2006 and a privilege to examine and speak about in a Cinemagogue presentation at Mars Hill Church. The audio presentation is available here. Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/07/illusion-of-good-intentions/ http://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/07/illusion-of-good-intentions/#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:05:37 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2007/06/07/illusion-of-good-intentions/ http://cinemagogue.com/2007/06/07/illusion-of-good-intentions/feed/ 4 I keep expecting director Christopher Nolan to swing and miss. He gave us a stirring Memento, wrestled with Insomnia, ensured that Batman Begins, and capped things off with The Prestige, my pick for greatest film of 2006. (In 2008, I keep expecting director Christopher Nolan to swing and miss. He gave us a stirring Memento, wrestled with Insomnia, ensured that Batman Begins, and capped things off with The Prestige, my pick for greatest film of 2006. (In 2008, he'll give us the next Bat-installment with The Dark Knight.) This 37 year old Brit not only seems to direct films about Americans better than Americans can, his directorial choices frequently delve into deep issues of subjective perception and human nature. Whether it's a period piece set at the end of the 19th century, present-day human drama, or a comic book hero, Nolan's exploration of human nature and obsession remain constant. In The Prestige, these themes ripple throughout a challenging narrative exploring morality, perspective, vengeance, justice, deception... and perhaps most importantly SELF deception. As one character instructs us: "You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled." Playing against traditional forms of protagonist and antagonist, Nolan adapts Christopher Priest's novel using actors Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman to the portray bitter, rival magicians vying for supremacy in glory and fame, locked in a cycle of hatred and revenge. Echoing the biblical King Solomon, there is even an Ecclesiastical lament: "You never understood, why we did this. The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through." Both men struggle for what they think is right, and what they are entitled to; it's a tragedy echoing two poignant Proverbs: Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 16:25) Highly recommended, The Prestige is a brilliant example of the human condition. Because of the nature of this mystery thriller, it's also one of those films that is astounding to view a second time once the secrets have been illuminated. The screenplay is meticulously crafted and the acting is high caliber, including a hard-to-recognize David Bowie portraying Nikola Tesla - another brilliant move not only placing the film in an interesting period of American history, but connected to a fascinating historical character as well. For those who've seen the film, there is an audio discussion of these themes in greater detail (plot spoilers abound). Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2002/07/28/a-sleeper-hit/ http://cinemagogue.com/2002/07/28/a-sleeper-hit/#comments Sun, 28 Jul 2002 23:24:03 +0000 James http://voxpopnetwork.com/cinemagogue/2002/07/28/a-sleeper-hit/ http://cinemagogue.com/2002/07/28/a-sleeper-hit/feed/ 1