Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Reflection
At my small Christian college every full time student is required to attend 16 chapels every semester. This semester I've noticed a cute elderly couple almost every day. They arrive earlier than I do in order to participate in the worship time before the speaker and I've seen them singing with great animation. Today I sat in front of them, and noticed that they were both very bad singers. But this didn't stop them or hold them back at all. They belted out the words with fervor, clearly meaning every line they sang. And I couldn't help but smile, because how many of us hold back in worship? We sing quietly, afraid to be heard because we're not stellar singers; we're embarrassed because our talents lie in other directions. But the truth of it is that God doesn't care about the technical musical quality of the praise we offer to him. The heart is what matters. This elderly couple understood that, and they sang with reckless abandon. And it was refreshing.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Movie Review: Oz the Great and Powerful
3 out of 5 stars
"A small-time magician arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man or a great one." (IMDB)
I was particularly impressed with the acting in this movie. In particular, James Franco was a phenomenal choice for Oz, as he has the perfect charm to win the audience's heart, but also the dark brooding playboy feel that turns you off. Mila Kunis (Theodora) and Rachel Weisz (Evanora) were also outstanding. I thought Michelle Williams' Glinda, while being sugary sweet and good just like a "good witch" should be, was too seductive. The way she delivered many of her lines came across the wrong way.
The character development and interaction was minimal; often scenes ended leaving characters in situations that it would be difficult to get out of. If we had been allowed to see how they got out, it would have shown the audience the true colors of the characters and we would have felt more attached. For example, Oz is basically a poor Tony Stark. When he arrives in Oz, he has to choose between staying the way he is or risking his life to help others. In Iron Man 2 the motivation for Tony Stark's change is clearly shown; he loves Pepper and so is no longer focused only on himself. The scene where Oz's focus is supposed to change, while sweet, was unconvincing. Oz changed his mind because the plot required that he not run away during the climax. We need our happy ending. But it didn't work for me.
Another problem I had with the movie was the repetition of the idea that "anything can happen if you believe" by several characters. No. This is complete nonsense. It makes no sense. If I BELIEVE with all my being that I will one day be a rooster, will that make me a rooster one day? No. If I BELIEVE that my best friend will develop super hearing, does that mean she will? No. Belief means nothing.
Even with this, however, the movie was okay because of the overwhelming presence of archetypes and the interesting way they tied it into "The Wizard of Oz". In this movie you can see the scapegoat, the hero quest, the bildungsroman. The colors are meaningful. The screenwriters carefully constructed parallels between characters in the "real" black and white world and Oz, just as in the original movie. And the way they set up for the events in the original was quite entertaining (broomstick, lion, scarecrow), but they left out some major items (RUBY SLIPPERS. tin man). Maybe I missed these. If you've seen it, enlighten me, please. Also, I'd love to discuss any points I've made or anything you think was interesting about the movie.
"A small-time magician arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man or a great one." (IMDB)
I was particularly impressed with the acting in this movie. In particular, James Franco was a phenomenal choice for Oz, as he has the perfect charm to win the audience's heart, but also the dark brooding playboy feel that turns you off. Mila Kunis (Theodora) and Rachel Weisz (Evanora) were also outstanding. I thought Michelle Williams' Glinda, while being sugary sweet and good just like a "good witch" should be, was too seductive. The way she delivered many of her lines came across the wrong way.
The character development and interaction was minimal; often scenes ended leaving characters in situations that it would be difficult to get out of. If we had been allowed to see how they got out, it would have shown the audience the true colors of the characters and we would have felt more attached. For example, Oz is basically a poor Tony Stark. When he arrives in Oz, he has to choose between staying the way he is or risking his life to help others. In Iron Man 2 the motivation for Tony Stark's change is clearly shown; he loves Pepper and so is no longer focused only on himself. The scene where Oz's focus is supposed to change, while sweet, was unconvincing. Oz changed his mind because the plot required that he not run away during the climax. We need our happy ending. But it didn't work for me.
Another problem I had with the movie was the repetition of the idea that "anything can happen if you believe" by several characters. No. This is complete nonsense. It makes no sense. If I BELIEVE with all my being that I will one day be a rooster, will that make me a rooster one day? No. If I BELIEVE that my best friend will develop super hearing, does that mean she will? No. Belief means nothing.
Even with this, however, the movie was okay because of the overwhelming presence of archetypes and the interesting way they tied it into "The Wizard of Oz". In this movie you can see the scapegoat, the hero quest, the bildungsroman. The colors are meaningful. The screenwriters carefully constructed parallels between characters in the "real" black and white world and Oz, just as in the original movie. And the way they set up for the events in the original was quite entertaining (broomstick, lion, scarecrow), but they left out some major items (RUBY SLIPPERS. tin man). Maybe I missed these. If you've seen it, enlighten me, please. Also, I'd love to discuss any points I've made or anything you think was interesting about the movie.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Flying Eggs : Words of Inspiration
Inspirational Quote:
It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
-- C. S. Lewis
These words give me such a longing to fulfill my potential. If we don't hatch, how will we learn to fly? I want to know that I gave my best effort and that I could not have done any better. I don't want to wake up at the end of the semester, done with softball, feeling horrid about myself because I'll never have another chance to play. I want to Win. but more than that I want to fulfill my potential. I want to be the best I can be and have made the best friends and learned the best things and used my time in the best possible manner.
I want to be hatched.
I want to be hatched.
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Workings of My Mind
Hello. Introductions are in order, I believe.
I am a 21 year old student of literature, preparing to graduate from a small Christian college into the brand new world of grad school. I have felt compelled to use my vast abundance of free time (note the sarcasm here) to journal my thoughts and musings in a public manner. Some of these posts will be informal responses I have written for class, some will be written exclusively for your eyes. Some will be unbearably trivial, while some may wander into unfathomably deep thoughts only to be caught by the undercurrent and lost at sea for years only to show up one day with a sun burn and a scraggly beard ready to contribute meaningfully to society.
I play softball, which takes up a lot of the time I am not spending on homework, and will most likely be the subject of several posts over the course of this semester. But don't worry, I promise it will be good stuff. Very inspirational and motivational and educational and not dull at all. I promise.
I thought I'd have a couple regular items at the beginning or end of my thoughtful posts (as opposed to?? good question) such as "Currently Reading", "Currently Memorizing", "Currently Procrastinating"; that sort of deal. The "Currently Reading" section will be mostly stuff for my classes until I have time to actually have a say in what I read, and the memorizing may stay the same for long amounts of time as I struggle to truly place the quote in my word hoard.
This semester I am taking classes on literary criticism, Renaissance literature, the book of Hebrews, Cinema and the Christian faith, and modern civilizations. These topics will show up as we go along.
I'm sorry if I sound unbearably priggish. I'm really not. I'm probably just trying too hard. Whatever that means.
So here goes nothing.
I am a 21 year old student of literature, preparing to graduate from a small Christian college into the brand new world of grad school. I have felt compelled to use my vast abundance of free time (note the sarcasm here) to journal my thoughts and musings in a public manner. Some of these posts will be informal responses I have written for class, some will be written exclusively for your eyes. Some will be unbearably trivial, while some may wander into unfathomably deep thoughts only to be caught by the undercurrent and lost at sea for years only to show up one day with a sun burn and a scraggly beard ready to contribute meaningfully to society.
I play softball, which takes up a lot of the time I am not spending on homework, and will most likely be the subject of several posts over the course of this semester. But don't worry, I promise it will be good stuff. Very inspirational and motivational and educational and not dull at all. I promise.
I thought I'd have a couple regular items at the beginning or end of my thoughtful posts (as opposed to?? good question) such as "Currently Reading", "Currently Memorizing", "Currently Procrastinating"; that sort of deal. The "Currently Reading" section will be mostly stuff for my classes until I have time to actually have a say in what I read, and the memorizing may stay the same for long amounts of time as I struggle to truly place the quote in my word hoard.
This semester I am taking classes on literary criticism, Renaissance literature, the book of Hebrews, Cinema and the Christian faith, and modern civilizations. These topics will show up as we go along.
I'm sorry if I sound unbearably priggish. I'm really not. I'm probably just trying too hard. Whatever that means.
So here goes nothing.
Currently Reading:
Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene, Book 3.
Currently Memorizing:
Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
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