The latest Harry Potter book is coming out in July, 2007. I believe I read that the author said this will be the last book. Whether this is the case or not, the question is it safe for Christian children to read?
I know it is very popular, and that they are even well written. But that doesn't make it safe.
Here are some articles on the problems of Harry Potter for Christians:
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/harrypotter.html
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry9-99.html
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/OnlineDiscipleship/HarryPotterControversy/elliott_RichardAbanes.aspx
Read them and decide for yourself.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Rewatch: The Day After Tomorrow
I watched this movie on DVD again this past week. Man, is this movie amazing. The effects are startling, with incredible photo realism. There are scenes that are CG shots that I never guess where (or were 100% CG when I thought they might only be partial). This is according to the 2nd disk in the 2-Disk version of the DVD release.
The acting is great, the story is engaging. They built suspense and tension masterfully. It is definitely an "edge of your seat" flick. I remember how I felt when I first saw it in the cinema. Watching it again at home had the same effect. I give this movie 4 our of 5 stars.
It is interesting how much of that movie no longer seems fiction. Obviously the "super freeze", as the movie makers admitted, is pure fiction. But the other stuff?? At the time I thought, "I wonder if this would happen?" Now, the stuff in that movie almost seems not to far from being front page news. This winter has been the strangest here in North America. Places that don't get snow have gotten blasted with it. Places that usually get a lot of snow (like where I am) has barely gotten any.
Will we, as a society, realize what we are doing and take serious action? Governments seem to bicker more about how they can get out of doing what they need to do rather than doing what they should to push things in the direction it needs to. I wish we as individuals could change things with our buying habits, but it is clear that the biggest issue isn't automobiles. It is industry. I read that there are countries with industries that (Korea, I think) do more far more to cause global warming in a short period (a month?) than all of the cars in all of North America do in an entire year. This is disturbing.
Definitely, this movie hits it where it is true. And shows how reluctant humans are to face the facts until it is too late. This is true even in the spiritual world. If you want to consider this, too, check out my blog The True Way.
The acting is great, the story is engaging. They built suspense and tension masterfully. It is definitely an "edge of your seat" flick. I remember how I felt when I first saw it in the cinema. Watching it again at home had the same effect. I give this movie 4 our of 5 stars.
It is interesting how much of that movie no longer seems fiction. Obviously the "super freeze", as the movie makers admitted, is pure fiction. But the other stuff?? At the time I thought, "I wonder if this would happen?" Now, the stuff in that movie almost seems not to far from being front page news. This winter has been the strangest here in North America. Places that don't get snow have gotten blasted with it. Places that usually get a lot of snow (like where I am) has barely gotten any.
Will we, as a society, realize what we are doing and take serious action? Governments seem to bicker more about how they can get out of doing what they need to do rather than doing what they should to push things in the direction it needs to. I wish we as individuals could change things with our buying habits, but it is clear that the biggest issue isn't automobiles. It is industry. I read that there are countries with industries that (Korea, I think) do more far more to cause global warming in a short period (a month?) than all of the cars in all of North America do in an entire year. This is disturbing.
Definitely, this movie hits it where it is true. And shows how reluctant humans are to face the facts until it is too late. This is true even in the spiritual world. If you want to consider this, too, check out my blog The True Way.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness
I saw this movie last night with my wife and I have to say right off that this movie was excellent. Will Smith's acting was top-notch. His real-life son who plays his son in the movie was phenomial. I was very impressed. I would give it 4 our of 5 stars.
The movie is based on the real-life story of Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) who, at a point of his life where he is absolutely struggling to get by as a salesman. Without giving away too much, his wife ends up leaving him, unable to take the situation any longer.
Chris struggles to dig his way out by entering a 6-month stock broker internship, without pay, with 20 other guys out of which only one guy will get hired into the firm, and no guarentee of a job elsewhere. Take a risk because he isn't sure he can get by. During this time he ends up teetering (if not falling) into abject poverty for a while. His stuggling live is the entire movie, really, and it is very emotional. You want to get depressed and to cry as you watch what happens. It is very, very real and, because of this, makes it kind of hard to watch--however enjoyable the movie is due to its high quality.
In the end...we'll, if you haven't seen it I won't say anymore. It ends well, but the movie is highly emotional. It makes you grateful for all the things with which God has bless us because we could easily be in that situation is things were different. Chris Gardner was smart, dedicated and so on, but was just having troubles getting somewhere. He was a bit of a risk-taker (the sale job he had was selling some bone density scanners that he has to pay for himself before selling, and they didn't end up selling well). That was both a good and bad thing. Even this internship was taking a risk.
The movie is an interesting exploration of a father's dedication to his son, a man's desire to succeed, what one is able to endure when things get hard, the emotions one suffers through when things get hard, etc.
The only negative thing I would have to say about the movie is that it suggests, quite clearly actually, that happiness (or "happyness" as it is written, on purpose) is to be found in financial and career success. Family is suggested as a source of happiness, too, but the pursuit here is for financial and career happiness, not life and family happiness. The other elements I mentioned above outway this negative, but nevertheless, it is there.
This kind of thing can never make you happy. For example, Chris Gardner could have taken a less risky route, taken a safer, but lesser paying job and provided for his family that way. It wouldn't have been as "triumphant"--again, I love the story--but he could have still been happy, no? God, family, living right--these things ultimately bring us happiness, not money.
This is a bit of a philosophical point. Today, Chris Gardner is a millionaire. Is he more happy that before? Less struggles, for sure, at least financially. But I don't know if he is happy--deep in his soul, that is. Are any of us happy if we have stuff? Does it fill our souls and satisfy us? I know our first reaction is "definitely doesn' t hurt", but does it really satisfy? Just something to hink about. You can read about my thoughts on satisfaction on my other blog @ Challenges of Finding Satisfaction.
The movie's official site is @ http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thepursuitofhappyness/.
You can read about Chris Gardner @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Gardner.
The movie is based on the real-life story of Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) who, at a point of his life where he is absolutely struggling to get by as a salesman. Without giving away too much, his wife ends up leaving him, unable to take the situation any longer.
Chris struggles to dig his way out by entering a 6-month stock broker internship, without pay, with 20 other guys out of which only one guy will get hired into the firm, and no guarentee of a job elsewhere. Take a risk because he isn't sure he can get by. During this time he ends up teetering (if not falling) into abject poverty for a while. His stuggling live is the entire movie, really, and it is very emotional. You want to get depressed and to cry as you watch what happens. It is very, very real and, because of this, makes it kind of hard to watch--however enjoyable the movie is due to its high quality.
In the end...we'll, if you haven't seen it I won't say anymore. It ends well, but the movie is highly emotional. It makes you grateful for all the things with which God has bless us because we could easily be in that situation is things were different. Chris Gardner was smart, dedicated and so on, but was just having troubles getting somewhere. He was a bit of a risk-taker (the sale job he had was selling some bone density scanners that he has to pay for himself before selling, and they didn't end up selling well). That was both a good and bad thing. Even this internship was taking a risk.
The movie is an interesting exploration of a father's dedication to his son, a man's desire to succeed, what one is able to endure when things get hard, the emotions one suffers through when things get hard, etc.
The only negative thing I would have to say about the movie is that it suggests, quite clearly actually, that happiness (or "happyness" as it is written, on purpose) is to be found in financial and career success. Family is suggested as a source of happiness, too, but the pursuit here is for financial and career happiness, not life and family happiness. The other elements I mentioned above outway this negative, but nevertheless, it is there.
This kind of thing can never make you happy. For example, Chris Gardner could have taken a less risky route, taken a safer, but lesser paying job and provided for his family that way. It wouldn't have been as "triumphant"--again, I love the story--but he could have still been happy, no? God, family, living right--these things ultimately bring us happiness, not money.
This is a bit of a philosophical point. Today, Chris Gardner is a millionaire. Is he more happy that before? Less struggles, for sure, at least financially. But I don't know if he is happy--deep in his soul, that is. Are any of us happy if we have stuff? Does it fill our souls and satisfy us? I know our first reaction is "definitely doesn' t hurt", but does it really satisfy? Just something to hink about. You can read about my thoughts on satisfaction on my other blog @ Challenges of Finding Satisfaction.
The movie's official site is @ http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thepursuitofhappyness/.
You can read about Chris Gardner @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Gardner.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
In film, story, not CG, must be king
Some friends and I were reflecting on some of the failed CG movies of the past while. Movies like the Wild came up in our conversation. Critics declared such movies were bad, and audiences agreed.
Why? Because Hollywood, especially now with the maturity and popularity of CG films, has a bad habit of allowing eye-candy (special effects and show, and now CG) to be the reason for the movie rather than story.
Let me ask you: Why do you go an see a movie? For the eye-popping graphics? I'm sure that is a motivation. It has been for me at times. But what is it that you ultimately desire to see. Eye-popping graphics, yes. But far more than that, you desire a good story!
"The Wild" is a perfect example of a movie made for no other reason than to attempt to cash in on CG for CG's sake. What about "Monster House"? www.rottentomatoes.com gives it a 73% rating, but I have to agree with www.boxofficemojo.com that the movie underwhelms. And the fact that it was released to the theatres on July 21, 2006 and came out on DVD on Oct 24, 2006 proves this fact. I couldn't believe how quickly it came out on DVD. The graphics in it look great, especially the creepy house. But come on, I don't care how good the movie looks, if the story stinks, I'm bored! (Btw, http://www.boxofficemojo.com/ states that it only raked in ~73 million, on a budget of 75 million - poor Monster House).
Hollywood needs to take a lesson from Pixar and John Lasseter (Pixar's top creative man, and now Disney's top creative man). Despite the fact that they lead in their CG technology, blowing anyone away in my estimation, yet at the same time they treat the CG as incidental. That is how it should be. CG is nothing more than a medium. The computer is nothing more than a tool. For what, you ask? For the story. Listen to John and the other Pixar guys on the special features of their DVD's and you'll see this clearly. For them, story is king. That is how it should be.
Thankfully, Lasseter stepped in and stopped the creation of Toy Story 3 @ Disney that was already underway prior to the purchase of Pixar. I don't even want to think what a disaster that movie would have been.
Hollywood, take note. Story, not CG must be king!
Why? Because Hollywood, especially now with the maturity and popularity of CG films, has a bad habit of allowing eye-candy (special effects and show, and now CG) to be the reason for the movie rather than story.
Let me ask you: Why do you go an see a movie? For the eye-popping graphics? I'm sure that is a motivation. It has been for me at times. But what is it that you ultimately desire to see. Eye-popping graphics, yes. But far more than that, you desire a good story!
"The Wild" is a perfect example of a movie made for no other reason than to attempt to cash in on CG for CG's sake. What about "Monster House"? www.rottentomatoes.com gives it a 73% rating, but I have to agree with www.boxofficemojo.com that the movie underwhelms. And the fact that it was released to the theatres on July 21, 2006 and came out on DVD on Oct 24, 2006 proves this fact. I couldn't believe how quickly it came out on DVD. The graphics in it look great, especially the creepy house. But come on, I don't care how good the movie looks, if the story stinks, I'm bored! (Btw, http://www.boxofficemojo.com/ states that it only raked in ~73 million, on a budget of 75 million - poor Monster House).
Hollywood needs to take a lesson from Pixar and John Lasseter (Pixar's top creative man, and now Disney's top creative man). Despite the fact that they lead in their CG technology, blowing anyone away in my estimation, yet at the same time they treat the CG as incidental. That is how it should be. CG is nothing more than a medium. The computer is nothing more than a tool. For what, you ask? For the story. Listen to John and the other Pixar guys on the special features of their DVD's and you'll see this clearly. For them, story is king. That is how it should be.
Thankfully, Lasseter stepped in and stopped the creation of Toy Story 3 @ Disney that was already underway prior to the purchase of Pixar. I don't even want to think what a disaster that movie would have been.
Hollywood, take note. Story, not CG must be king!
What should be the top news stories of 2006
The Canadian News Press choose the war in Afganistan as the top news story of 2006. In the US, it appears stories relating to the Iraq war and Saddam Hussein are at the top.
I agree these are important stories. These things impact significantly the world around us. But there are so many other important things that happened in 2006 that the news made little noise about, such as the following:
I agree these are important stories. These things impact significantly the world around us. But there are so many other important things that happened in 2006 that the news made little noise about, such as the following:
- Our changing climate - There was some reporting on this, but hardly to the degree it deserves. The affects of climate change are so obvious this year across the globe. The news should be litered with commentary and stories regarding this fact, but it isn't.
- Our modified food supply - There was some talk in popular media of trans fats and such, but very, very little considering is dangers. And almost no talk about genetically modified foods, and other harmful and dangerous things the food industry is doing to the food supply that sustains us and our children.
- Persecuted Christians - There were literally thousands of Christians persecuted last year. It appears such stories went unnoticed by our news media.
- Starving Children - Children are starving across the world everyday, and yet Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got far more media play than these children. This isn't just a problem in third-world countries. In our western countries, there is an increase in starving children too.
- Loss of religious freedoms - A bill was passed by Himachal Pradesh banning "forced" or "induced" religious conversions in an attempt to enforce Islamic principles. This is a loss of religious freedom in our world.
These are simply a handful--there is more than this, certainly. Unfortunately, there are things that happen in our world that our western news media simply ignores. Mainstream news really isn't news. It is the telling of those stories a media moguls want to tell in the way they want to tell it--and nothing more.
Monday, January 1, 2007
New Years Resolutions in the News
Go to news.google.com and search for "new years resolutions" and you'll find lots of articles.
Here is what I found:
Here is what I found:
- One talks about them in general, whatever they are, and how easy they can be if you really want it--after all, you have a whole year!
- Some of a distinctly political perspective, wanting to see changes in the political landscape.
- Some talk of financial advice, particular for investors.
- Some had to do with sports, focusing on particular teams.
- Others had to do with health, dieting, fitness.
- One had the resolutions of Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt.
But what was very much lacking were those that had to do with changing ourselves, our behaviour, our morality, how we treat each other.
I did find one article talking about regular people's resolutions. There, one person wanted to help, with all their might, abused children. Another said they wanted to be more thankful. Other than that, it was about making the most out of live, being better in the perpective of accomplishments for oneself, etc.
All such things are well and good, but why do we not see any articles written that attack the ills of the human heart, our willingness to hurt each other, argue with each other, ignore each other, care nothing about each other, and so on. It is prevent everywhere, between countries, family members, friends, neighbours...yet the media doesn't cover it.
It is quick to speak against leaders and their failings as leaders. Yet the news fails to point the finger at itself.
And it definitely fails to talk about what really matters, the failings of the human heart that leads each and every one of us--and usually into the wrong behavior.
The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desparately sick: who can understand it - Jeremiah 2:13.
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