I have never been a huge movie watcher but a few weeks ago I subscribed to Netflix thinking that with Winter uppon us I would spend a few hours checking up on what I have been missing. So far I would say, not much. Yesterday I watched "The Last Temptation of Christ". I suppose most of you saw it long ago. I wont bore you with a detailed critique, because I don't know how to write a detailed critique. Suffice it to say that I would give it 1 star. I hope the book is better, if I live long enough maybe I'll read it.

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Dave Nelson

> I have never been a huge movie watcher but a few weeks ago I subscribed to
> Netflix thinking that with Winter uppon us I would spend a few hours checking
> up on what I have been missing. So far I would say, not much. Yesterday I
> watched "The Last Temptation of Christ". I suppose most of you saw it long
> ago. I wont bore you with a detailed critique, because I don't know how to
> write a detailed critique. Suffice it to say that I would give it 1 star. I
> hope the book is better, if I live long enough maybe I'll read it.

I refused to see the movie because it was touted as dealing with the most painful period of Christ's life, and depicting that pain in excruciating detail. Now, I like a good horror flic as much as anyone, but if this was supposed to be a religious statement (it was), it was clearly one-sided and incomplete. The most important point in Christianity is the "Golden Rule" and the many moral lessons taught by Jesus, and though Christ is said to have suffered pain and death for our sins, leaving out His message makes "The Last Temptation of Christ" nothing more than a snuff film.

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You're also describing "The Passion of Christ" which made Mel Gibson rich beyond his dreams. Should have gotten an X-rating for violence. If you look at the historical perspective, it was a graphic docu-drama.

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Account frozen...

Well Tom, this will sound snide, but I don't mean it that way. I watched the film before I commented on it.

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Dave Nelson

> You're also describing "The Passion of Christ" which made Mel Gibson rich
> beyond his dreams. Should have gotten an X-rating for violence.

Yes, I saw The Passion, I wrote a letter to the editor which was printed in the local paper. I'll see if I can find it and post it.


>

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Dave Nelson

Maybe I got the address wrong. Here it is again.

Steve: I’m giving you another chance. The subject is timely.
This is some of my best prose and I hate to have it wasted.


Dear Editor

I viewed “The Passion of the Christ” today. I had read the myths on which this story is based numerous times so was somewhat prepared for what I was to see. At least I thought that I was.

What I saw, Atheist that I am, was almost enough to make me believe in god.. The obscene, interminable unrelieved brutality depicted seemed to transcend human imagination.

Gibson would do well to emulate Judas and throw his ill gotten gains onto the Temple floor and hang himself.

David L. Nelson

554-8092
dnelson26@wi.rr.com

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Dave Nelson

> Well Tom, this will sound snide, but I don't mean it that way. I watched the
> film before I commented on it.

Point taken. Yet, I don't have to bear a child to know that it is usually a painful experience.

[Edit]: The minister at the church I attend screened some scenes (and I found that offensive), I have read the Biblical accounts of this episode, and I have read reviews and commentary that describe what is depicted in the film. Indeed, that is why I chose not to see it.

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> [Edit]: The minister at the church I attended screened some scenes (and I
> found that offensive), I have read the Biblical accounts of this episode, and
> I have read reviews and commentary that describe what is depicted in the film.
> Indeed, that is why I chose not to see it.
>

I had seen some of the scenes on tv and I decided to go with my girlfriend, because I expected myself to be very upset, so I didn't want to see it alone. So we went on Maundy Thursday, very appropriate BTW, and seeing the whole movie was not that chocking! Yes, it was bloody, but executions were bloody these days, but I know it may sound strange but I felt relieved after the movie! Seeing the passion made me think how much he really suffered for us! It was not a that bad experience at all!

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> I had seen some of the scenes on tv and I decided to go with my girlfriend,
> because I expected myself to be very upset, so I didn't want to see it alone.
> So we went on Maundy Thursday, very appropriate BTW, and seeing the whole
> movie was not that chocking! Yes, it was bloody, but executions were
> bloody these days, but I know it may sound strange but I felt relieved after
> the movie! Seeing the passion made me think how much he really suffered for
> us! It was not a that bad experience at all!

My refusal to see the movie was not based on my being squeemish about the crucifiction; it was a protest, of sorts. I did not want to support a movie that stressed the pain and torture of Jesus, while giving little attention to his real purpose on earth. That is the one-sidedness I was protesting against.

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My refusal to see the movie was not based on my being squeemish about the crucifiction;

I see you spelled it correctly.

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Dave Nelson

> My refusal to see the movie was not based on my being squeemish about the
> crucifiction;
>
> I see you spelled it correctly.

In these days of spell-checker, you'd think these guys would give us the option. Well, this is better than the Classic SETI boards, which will not even allow editing.

[Edit]: I also misspelled "squeamish". As for whether the crucifixion was fact or fiction, I think it does not matter, as long as you believe that the point of the story was the reason Christians give, i.e. Christ's suffering and death being to attone for our sins.

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I avoided seeing these movies for the same reason I avoided, as the Daily Show once put it, "Feel-Good Disaster Flicks" like Titanic. Frankly they all associate in my mind as overly-hyped movies of questionable worth and little purpose that I pretty much already know before I see them. There has been a lot of suffering by a lot of people, good and bad, and I don't need yet another movie whose only purpose is to tell me how cruel people, or life itself, can be. For that I'll just rely on the History Channel.

> I avoided seeing these movies for the same reason I avoided, as the Daily Show
> once put it, "Feel-Good Disaster Flicks" like Titanic. Frankly they all
> associate in my mind as overly-hyped movies of questionable worth and little
> purpose that I pretty much already know before I see them. There has been a
> lot of suffering by a lot of people, good and bad, and I don't need yet
> another movie whose only purpose is to tell me how cruel people, or life
> itself, can be. For that I'll just rely on the History Channel.
>

Or the nightly news

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Still looking for something profound or inspirational to place here.

But I started this as a movie thread, not a religion thread. Unfortunately I picked a movie with theological overtones as a beginner. Lets get back to movies.

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Dave Nelson

> But I started this as a movie thread, not a religion thread. Unfortunately I
> picked a movie with theological overtones as a beginner. Lets get back to
> movies.
>

How about 1 you haven't seen? I'll give a quick review if I've seen it.

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Still looking for something profound or inspirational to place here.

Okay then, a few unsolicited recommendations:

City Heat: Comedy. Burt Reynolds is an ex-cop private eye in Chicago during Prohibition. Clint Eastwood is chief of detectives and his ex-partner. Much of this movie is admittedly cliche, but I liked the comedy interaction between typical wiseguy Reynolds and typically stiff, stoic Eastwood, especially on the off times when Eastwood has the punchline and it's so deadpan unexpected it's hilarious.

Twice Upon a Time: Animated comedy. One of George Lucas' lesser known films. The guy who played the original voice of Garfield plays the part of Ralph, the all-purpose animal. He and his sidekick Mum, a Charlie Chaplin looking guy who speaks only in sound effects, are trying to be heroes, but are tricked into helping the evil Synonamess Botch into furthering his evil plans to sabotage the Cosmic Clock and bring non-stop nightmares to The Rushers of Din. They're joined by Rod Rescueman, a completely inept aspiring superhero, and a Brooklyn accented fairy godmother. Lots of double-entendre and puns in this one. I hear there's an uncut version that really isn't for kids. All in all, a relatively obscure but fun movie. Look for the "Nixon-Agnew" tattoo on Botch's stomach.

Just got I, Robot. It was pretty good, but the ending was kinda weak.

I like most anything SciFi.

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Account frozen...

haha ... The thing I've never been able to figure out in the Movies is why they give the Bad Guys Machine Guns, they kill everybody except the person their shooting at.

Now the Good Guy has a 50 year old Muzzle Loader and he never misses what he's shooting at, Go Figure ... haha

> > [Edit]: The minister at the church I attended screened some scenes (and
> I
> > found that offensive), I have read the Biblical accounts of this episode,
> and
> > I have read reviews and commentary that describe what is depicted in the
> film.
> > Indeed, that is why I chose not to see it.
> >
>
> I had seen some of the scenes on tv and I decided to go with my girlfriend,
> because I expected myself to be very upset, so I didn't want to see it alone.
> So we went on Maundy Thursday, very appropriate BTW, and seeing the whole
> movie was not that chocking! Yes, it was bloody, but executions were
> bloody these days, but I know it may sound strange but I felt relieved after
> the movie! Seeing the passion made me think how much he really suffered for
> us! It was not a that bad experience at all!
>
I saw the movie with some "religious friends", they invited the wife and I to go and they treated. I am also a Genealogist, part time, non professional, my own family etc., but anyway, I saw the historical part of it as an idea of the brutality of the time period. That is the way things were, in some parts of the society. Beatings WERE like that, crucifictions Were like that, etc., was Gibson TOTALLY accurate, NOT A CHANCE! Did he try and give an idea of what was involved with the brutality of the era, ABSOLUTELY.
Now you begin to know WHY our "religious friends" took us. In short I did not see the movie for the "storyline", I saw it for the depicition of the time period, and because it was free for me. I WOULD have gone anyway though, even if they had not paid.

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> haha ... The thing I've never been able to figure out in the Movies is why
> they give the Bad Guys Machine Guns, they kill everybody except the person
> their shooting at.
>
The bad guys still do that today! All the gangs have the small automatic weapons or semi-auto pistols, and they pump out sooo many bullets and hit everything, including sometimes, their intended target! I think they should make time on the range MANDATORY for all gun purchases! Hit what you mean to, not the neighbors!

> Now the Good Guy has a 50 year old Muzzle Loader and he never misses what he's
> shooting at, Go Figure ... haha
>
He's the Good Guy, he HAS to win!
Like when I was little, my mom tells the story of when Batman was in a very bad predicament, and my mom asked if he was going to die, I said "NO, he has to be on next weeks episode!"

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