The Mirror: Instant Drop in Standards

 Back in 1984, my 15 year old friends and I went to see a film which legally we weren't supposed to be able to see. I was able to buy alcohol as well around that time thanks to looking older than I was, and the slackness of those who sold the grog. I live in Australia's Northern Territory and I need to show my ID every time I buy alcohol at a bottle shop. I'm pretty sure I look over eighteen now, but we have a banned drinkers register up here, so no ID, no booze. Late in '84, I'm pretty sure the person who sold me movie tickets to Scarface (rated R) didn't even look at me to see whether I was old enough, and they certainly didn't ask.

How did I feel about seeing a film with sex, nudity, very frequent coarse language, graphic violence, gore, and intense and frightening scenes? Let me just say, there's a reason such content is restricted to adults.

That was 36 years ago. Thirty six years. In the 1980's you never heard swear words on TV. There was no PG rating, but they had one called NRC (not recommended for children under 12), so films with a rating lower than M would generally have been considered okay for older children. There would not have been any course language or strong violence and certainly no nudity or sex, not even suggested or implied sex. TV was also very safe during prime time, generally speaking.

Of course, it's possible, I'm viewing the past through rose-coloured glasses, but I feel like there was a lot of safe, harmless viewing for children, even as recently as the late nineties and early 2000's when my older children were growing up.

I would have bet my life on a PG film being safe for my two younger children, now aged fourteen and eleven respectively. In fact, I tell them when it's their turn to choose, that anything PG is okay for us on family movie night. There's been a not of a blurring, a lowering of standards in my view, but it's been such a slow fade I wouldn't be able to pinpoint when it happened. At what point did someone say it was now okay to use the word "shit" multiple times throughout a PG rated film? When did nudity and strong sexual allusions become okay? Realistic violence? Did I miss something? There's no other way to describe it other than as a slow fade.

What brought this all to a head for me was last week's family movie. I'd previously considered this one, but baulked and, in it's place selected the pathetic Jack and the Beanstalk which I wrote about in a previous post. I hesitated and chose another film instead of Instant Family because of the advisory warning. These are good. These advisory warnings because they add detail to the rating. Okay, it's PG but why? What is it exactly that makes this family film not for general exhibition. Instant Family actually rated M today, but I swear it was PG on Saturday. Anyway, it's rated M with a content advisory saying its suitable for children aged 13 and over...which is what I thought PG was.

My point remains though, albeit minus my star attraction in the witness box. There are PG films with mild sex scenes, coarse language and medium level violence listed on Amazon Prime's ratings list. I reckon PG is no sex, no coarse language, and mild comedic violence only. But I'm swimming against the tide, I know that. When parents take their children to the cinemas to see M rated films, and they say that's okay because they are superhero films.

I admit to being conservative which may lead me to the continuation of this tiresome belly-ache. Rather than making clearer my already completely transparent views, I'll turn my attention to the film which started it all. It's ironic that it appears to have been my mistake which led me to having to try to explain 'dick pic' to my eleven year daughter. I chose an M rated film which contained frequent uses of 'shit'. And there were some fairly intense dramatic scenes and violence. You can see why I was shocked. And you can probably also see why I'm a little sheepish about my protest. Protest? Let's be honest, it was a rant; a baseless rant, (but not entirely baseless).

I'll be more careful next time.

Instant Family, by the way, is a terrific film. A highly recommended heart warmer.

The Mirror: Wonder

Great movies sometimes appear from nowhere. You never hear anything about them before they are released, when they are released or after they are released...nothing; until you notice it among the many films to chose from on Netflix. You're looking for a family friendly film for Saturday night at the movies and there it is.

Starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson who are both perfectly cast, Wonder is the story of a boy who has a misshapen face courtesy of countless surgeries to help him survive the consequences of a rare genetic disease. Auggie is home schooled until it's time for him to start middle school, and his parents decided he should join the 'mainstream.' It's not an original story. Mask comes to mind instantly, but there are many stories of children and adults with deformities and/or disabilities who have to overcome fear and prejudice as they attempt to live normal lives. Wonder, in my opinion, stands out from the crowd.

"You can't blend in when you were born to stand out."

(Via's words of encouragement to her brother, Auggie.)

Beautifully written and acted, Wonder was a moving and inspirational film experience for all of us. We laughed. We cried. We raged at injustice. We rejoiced with acts of bravery and kindness. When so many films celebrate darker, nasty aspects of human nature and behaviour, Wonder shone the spotlight on what is great, what is excellent and praiseworthy.

I particularly enjoyed the way characters loved with actions. In fact, for Auggie's friend Jack, and Auggie's sister's friend, they chose to demonstrate they they were sorry for what they had done, and that they loved and cared about their friends, by doing something. Beyond words they demonstrated love. It was very powerful.

They were too may great lines in the film to list them all, but here's a couple that stuck in my mind. Auggie's dad tells him that when he was wearing his mask all the time, he missed seeing his face. His says, "I missed that face. That's the face of my son. I love that face. I want to see that face." Auggie's mum tells him he's not ugly, he's beautiful. Auggie complains that she is only saying that because she is his mother. "So because I'm your mother, my opinion doesn't count? she says. "Right," says Auggie. She counters, "It's because I'm your mother, my opinion counts the most."

I highly recommend Wonder as a film which celebrates goodness, kindness and bravery. I dare you to watch it and not be moved, deeply moved.

The Mirror: Armageddon

I don't know how many times I've seen the film Armageddon or, until last night, the most recent time I saw it, but I really enjoyed watching it again. For those who don't know it, the basic premise is this: an asteroid is on a collision course with earth. The only way to stop it and the catastrophic destruction it would cause on impact is to land a deep core drilling team on the asteroid and plant a nuclear bomb in its core.

Armageddon was the highest grossing film in 1998. Aside from the impressive ensemble cast led by Bruce Willis, it has some funny lines, suspenseful scenes and mind blowing visuals courtesy of the awesome special effects, but I found one thing particularly interesting.

Willis plays Harry, the best deep core driller in the world. His crew includes Chick (played by Will Patton). On the eve of their trip into space for the dangerous mission, Chick visits a home where he sees his son playing outside. His estranged wife appears and tells Chick he's breaching court orders by being there. The viewers learn that the boy does not know his father, whom Chick's wife calls a salesman before sending the boy inside. We are not told anymore of Chick's back story other than he regrets the current situation. Before he goes, he apologizes and leaves a gift for his son: a model space shuttle.

Harry's crew fly into space amid much media hype surrounding the mission to save the planet. The men are lauded as heroes. Chick's son sees his father, who he thinks is a salesman, on TV. Now suddenly willing to tell her son the truth, Chick's ex reveals the true identity of the salesman. Only four of the crew return from the mission. Chick is greeted on his arrival back on terra firma by his wife and son and all is apparently forgiven...because he's a hero now.

This is typical of the simplistic way films and television shows deal with complex issues. It is also symptomatic of our hero worshiping nature. Most of the true heroes in the world don't get public acknowledgement or material rewards. We have a tendency to place public figures on pedestals and idolize them whilst ignoring or being dismissive of everyday heroes. Beyond these negatives, Armageddon also presents some echoes of profound truth.

Think of the broken relationships you've experienced or are experiencing. Could one monumental act of bravery or self sacrifice, or some other huge achievement fix it? I don't know why Chick and his wife split up in such acrimonious circumstances, or why his son didn't know him. I suspect it may have had something to do with Chick's gambling habit and the fact that his job kept him away from home frequently. It just struck me as implausible that one act, albeit such a massive one, could so easily fix things.

And then I remembered Jesus Christ, and his one incredible act of self sacrifice. His death and resurrection fixed things between us and God. The metaphoric end of the world for those who have hope in the God of hope is never actually the end of the world. One man died to save the world and repair, restore and renew all our relationships. 

What would it take for you to believe this?

A Dog's Eye: Quiet please!

This post could have been a Snake Oil post, but it didn't quite fit. Having not written a Snake Oil post for some time, I wanted to, but if it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. You can't put a square peg into a round hole...apparently.

Have you ever noticed sound discrepancies? You listen to a radio program and the announcer's voice comes through your speakers loud and clear. On the other hand, guests on the program or callers to the program, are soft and occasionally indecipherable. The ads which interrupt the shows you watch on television (and pay for them, btw) are much louder than the show. The action scenes in a movie deafen you, but the soft conversation scenes sound like mumbled babbling. Sometimes what you want to be loud is soft, and vice verca. 

Heavy metal music is better loud. Elevator music is better soft. Opera is better not heard at all. Cheering for your football team should be loud. Conversation is better soft. Verbal abuse better not heard at all. Singing praise and worship in God's house; loud. Comforting a heartbroken friend; soft. Inspiring words; loud. Romantic words: soft. Hateful words; better not spoken. 

Whether loud or soft there are many things I enjoy listening to, like a good sermon for example, and many things I do not, like barking dogs and motorcycles. Soft rain is nice. Heavy rain is annoying. Laughter is usually a pleasing sound except when it boils over into obnoxious or is an expression of ridicule.

Are you listening? There is a voice which has been speaking loudly and softly since the beginning of time. There are voices in your head which mirror this: a voice of truth and another voice. Turn the latter voice right down low. Switch it off if you can. Turn off all the the noise which distracts you, medicates you, even confuses you. Life can be a noisy beast. Find the quiet. Enjoy the soft silence. Listen to the the voice of truth, speaking in a whisper.

                                     

A Dog's Eye 1: Life can be like a movie

I'm a romantic. If pressed I would say that my favourite genre is romantic comedy, because I like the warmth and fuzziness. I like fairy tales. Who doesn't, right? What's not to like about a happily ever after tale, especially when so many of our own relationships and of those people we know, and hear about, do not have happy endings. That's the main reason films, television shows and books are so popular. Escapism. Vicarious living.

We know, however, that real life is rarely like fiction. Fiction is a highlights package on steroids. It's an exaggerated presentation of life's high and lows. Even in the 'in between times', when there is neither anything terribly exciting or traumatic happening to the characters, there is still a healthy dose or 'larger-than-life' being shown to us. 

Real life is mostly the in between times. It's mundane. Routine. Pretty much the same thing day after day. We appreciate the 'just like the movies' moments because they are rare. And many of us are addicted to fictional entertainment for the same reason: our lives are filled with so much humdrum, or negative, stress and worry inducing stuff that we want to escape.

Last Wednesday, I arrived back in Darwin, sleep deprived, but exhilarated - almost overwhelmed by my own 'just like the movies' moment. For me though it lasted five days. For five days I was living a romantic comedy, with perhaps the only difference being that the complication was very short. From the imaginary game of tennis on the sidewalk to the long farewell at the airport, I felt like I was dreaming.

I still do. Now that we are separated again by distance, I feel strange and a little lost, as though nothing will be quite right until she is once more in my arms. (awww...I told you I was soppy)

When have you had a 'just like the movies' moment? I'd love to hear your stories.

The Mirror 1: Selfless

Ryan Reynolds stars in Selfless: a 2015 science fiction action film about a billionaire who is diagnosed with a terminal disease, but takes advantage of some expensive technology to get a second bite of the cherry in a healthy, younger body.



Naturally, there are complications which result in some very intense and thrilling action scenes, as the protagonist discovers that his second chance has some disturbing ramifications. The film is not only an interesting variation on a well explored theme, but is also very entertaining and action packed.


The idea that as a person faces mortality they begin an earnest examination of their lives makes sense. Indeed, it is likely that everyone at some stage during their time on earth will contemplate the value of their existence. The concomitant notion is that one will also, as a consequence of this self reflection, find some cause for regret: things they would have done differently. Words and actions which they may add or subtract from their personal narrative, given the chance.

Unfortunately, we don't get a second chance at life. There is no rewind button. What's done is done. The romantic notion of being able to change the past perhaps partially explains the popularity of time travel and body swap films, as well as religious beliefs like reincarnation. However, the reality is considerably more sober. 

The bible says "It is appointed unto all men to die once and then face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) We are born and we will all make mistakes, possibly some terrible ones, on our journey to the grave. I once thought I would have no regrets because at the time, I had none. Now I do, and I have even uttered the words "if I could go back, I would do things differently." But I can't, and neither can you.

The challenge for us is first of all to accept responsibility for our mistakes, and secondly to deal with the consequences of what we have done.

How are you going with that? Do you have regrets? Do you wish you could turn back time? If such technology as is depicted in Selfless actually existed, would you use it?

The Magnificent Seven

Each Thursday I show a movie in my English language class. This is for educational as well as entertainment purposes. I have a data projector so I play the film on the wall and run it with subtitles. During the film I write questions which I put on the board for the students to copy down and then attempt to answer. As we go through the answers to the questions together, we discuss the film. Not surprisingly, this is a popular activity.

Over the past five weeks or so I've playing movies from my collection: my favourites. I began doing that after a student rebellion against the Australian television police drama, Blue Heelers. Despite numerous complaints I persisted and encouraged them to get to know the characters and get used to the language: genuine Aussie lingo complete with more idioms and slang than you could poke a stick at.

Alas, it was too much for them, and I was presented with a petition to end the Blue Heelers experiment. I heard the voice of the people, and gave them what they wanted.

Today, we watched The Magnificent Seven, and despite initial grumbling about viewing an old film, the overall reaction was positive. I asked them all to choose their favourite one of the seven, and to explain why they choose him. We had quite a bit a fun with that.

Have you seen The Magnificent Seven? Did you like it? Who is your favourite character?

What the movies say to me

I've watched a few movies over the last couple of days, and being the deep and meaningful kind of man, I am, I haven't simply viewed these films for their entertainment value. I'm always looking for something, because I don't believe directors or writers are neutral. Even the most superficial of movies, the 'all style and no substance' variety, is, in my opinion trying to say something to us about the human condition.

Mad Max was released in 1979, and is considered an Australian classic. The main theme of Mad Max was revenge. What I took away from it was that if you take away everything that a person has to live for, they no longer have anything to live for, and they stop being themselves. Think about it.

The Imitation Game was released this year, and is a terrific film based on the true story of an eccentric mathematician who worked on a top secret project for the British government during the second world war.What I took away from this film is that nothing is as it seems on the surface, and governments sometimes have to do things which are necessary, albeit extremely distasteful.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is another in a long line of special effects heavy, plot light superhero movies based on comic book characters. It is a really fun, entertaining movie with stunning visual effects and funny one liners. What I took away from it was that everybody wants to believe that there is someone or something better than them (stronger, faster, smarter) who can save them when they can't save themselves. We all need heroes to believe in, and we all need a saviour.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on movies, these or any others, and the idea they speak volumes about we who devour them.

Guardians of the Galaxy

I'm not a comic book fan. I know a number of the various characters and superheroes which exist in the Marvel and DC Comics universes, especially those of course who have made it to the silver screen. However, when looking for a film to go and see last night, I came across Guardians of the Galaxy and thought how stupid it looked. I'm a sci fan but it looked like just another special effects extravaganza with a flimsy plot and cheesey try hard dialogue.

One lesson I have learned is that, although I'm generally a high expectations kind of guy, sometimes low expectations can be a good starting point. We were considering Hercules and Lucy but my son seemed keen on seeing Guardians so I thought I'd take a shot. At best I was hoping for some light entertainment with countless explosions, spaceships and cool looking aliens. I mean if that's all it was then my money would have been well spent.

With my daughter drip feeding me her M & Ms in the stifling heat of the cinema, and my son following instructions to suppress his newly burgeoning cough, the good times rolled, and I laughed and thrilled, and was captivated for almost the full two hour run time. Guardians of the Galaxy was really very funny and clever. It delivered exactly what I expected in terms of content, but so much more in terms of style and wit. A sequel is on its way, and I for one, will be lining up for a ticket to see it.

When have your expectations of a film been exceeded?

The Pretty Good Gatsby

Yesterday, I showed  The Great Gatsby to my class of English language students. We had been discussing the successive topics of fame and fortune, and rich and poor, so Luhrman's adaptation of the brilliant F. Scott Fitzgerald novel was appropriate. It was the second time I had seen it, and what struck me was how much more I enjoyed it the second time. Pondering this, I realized that the first time I watched the film was very soon after I finished reading the book. That first viewing of The Great Gatsby was tainted by constant mental comparisons between the film and the book.

Readers know that by and large, films, no matter how good they are, are not as good as the novels or short stories upon which they are based. Why? Imagination. Nothing engages the imagination more effectively than a book.

I am prepared now, following my second viewing of The Great Gatsby to elevate its status from pretty good to great. Have you ever seen a film which was better than the book upon which it was based? 

The Great Escape

The popularity of television, books and movies testifies to our desire to escape the humdrum of everyday life. Certainly, many books and television shows are watched for their educational value, but what we really want is entertainment. We want to be transported, if only in our imaginations, from where we are to some other fantastic place. From reality to fantasy. Along the way we happily gobble up debaucherous immorality: lies, sex and violence, and why not? We aren't doing it, and it isn't been done to us. Living vicariously through fictional characters is safe. It is also both amusing and instructive vis-a-vis human nature.

After many months of wondering what happened after the explosion in the final episode of season 14 of ER, and then subsequently forgetting about it when we couldn't watch it because it wasn't on TV and Leading Edge video store which supplied us with season 1 -14 didn't have season 15, we watched the final episode of the Australian police drama, Blue Heelers. Not being able to follow the trials and tribulations of the coppers at Mount Thomas was a blow, and by the time we neared the end of season 14 we were in despair. How could we go on without our much loved friends in the Victorian police department? And then, season 15 of ER appeared on the shelf at Leading Edge. Hooray!

Last night we found out what happened after the explosion at the end of season 14. *Spoiler alert. One of the main stars, a favourite character who had morphed from an annoying and narcissistic cowboy of a doctor, into the chief of the ER and everyone's best mate, appeared to have survived the explosion. He made it out of the ambulance and into hospital where it was eventually discovered that he was much more seriously injured than first presumed. Fatally injured in fact. First episode of a new season and they killed off one of the stars of the show. It was shocking, gripping, and emotionally draining, which is exactly what you want from television drama.

Dr.Greg Pratt died a horrible death. After the funeral his friends gathered at the local watering hole to eulogize him and eat deep fried mozarella sticks in honour of him. As we watched those deeply moving scenes, I felt a bit teary and I wanted to eat a deep fried mozarella stick. Then we watched another episode. Life carried on in the emergency room of County General, as it did in our home where after episode two, I brushed my teeth, went to bed and slept peacefully. Untouched. Unscathed. Safe, warm and well.

I cannot imagine a world without such entertainment. The escapism provided by the amusements of our culture is a reflection of who we are: empty, craven, and broken.The breadth of human experience, the highs and the lows, can be encapsulated in a forty minute episode, a two hour film, or a three hundred page novel. And it's all fake. Realistic? Sure, but completely counterfeit. All our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our grief, our suffering and our joy is there for us to enjoy, but how much or how little of this experience is our own?

Spoiling Trailers

Apparently, I have too much time on my hands because I've just spent half an hour watching movie trailers. I've had a very strong feeling for some time now that movie trailers are getting longer. I feel like when I watch a trailer, I am being shown the whole film very quickly. All the big explosions, all the major scenes, the chases, the arguments, the settings, the costume changes, and all the secrets revealed. What is left to see? At the end, I often think to my self...well I've seen that movie now. Is it just me, or are these trailers annoyingly over the top? And worse, in the sense of being longer than they used to be?

 To answer this most perplexing question, I watched the trailers of some of my favourite movies. Ben Hur is the greatest movie of all time. It was made in 1959 so if my theory is correct then the trailer should have been very short, and not have given too much of the film away. Fail. Four minutes! I know it's a 3 hour long movie but still...

Terminator 2 (1991) is unquestionably one of the greatest science fiction action movies ever made. The trailer is only 2 minutes long but still reveals too much of the film. Snippets of all the best bits. Well, I hear you say, isn't that what trailer is supposed to do? Whet your appetite for the main course? T2 had a teaser released before the trailer. The teaser ran for 1:21 and showed you nothing from the film. Brilliant! To me, that is what a trailer should be.

Parenthood (1989) likewise has a teaser which lasts 1:30. It shows you all the main characters, names the actors and has a scene of the family setting up for a photographic portrait which isn't in the movie. Perfect. 

Bruce Almighty(2003) too long, The Matrix (1999) too long, Speed (1994), Scarface (1983) and Die Hard (1988) all too long. I watched these trailers and after 30 seconds, I thought, "That'll do! Don't tell me anymore, don't spoil it. I'm hooked already. When does it open in cinemas? Please don't ruin it for me with a turbo charged condensed version."

Why are they called trailers anyway,when they are shown before the feature film and are actually advertising for the film. I reckon they should be called teasers and they should be short. If you can't sell your film to me in under a minute, preferably in 30 seconds, then your film must suck.