Change Your Image
Vinny37
Reviews
Murder in Coweta County (1983)
Some spiritual snags
John Wallace was a nominal Christian, raised by his mother never to let his conscience bother him too much, and was blind to the Christian teaching of all races and people being equal as imago dei. He threw around meaningless talk about his (and other's) god/s, and prayed as the idea, almighty god. He sought more to be God than to obey God.
Mayhayley Lancaster was locally called a 'witch'. She claimed to occultly see the victim's cremation and ashes to water, and to be a medium. The idea that she was right was not really questioned, even in calling her as a court witness. The idea that her sight came from the demonic who impersonate the deceased at séances (so the witness of former medium Raphael Gasson, in his, The Challenging Counterfeit), was never even raised, nor whether the police should allow spiritual damage to society in order to reduce social damage by using the sometimes accurate occult to help solve crimes. She spouted biblical texts as can the devil.
Apart from some spiritual gullibility, I think the best character was Lamar Potts, as committed to doing his job and serving justice-righteous. Johnny Cash & his wife were genuine Christians in real life. His parting and sincere shot, "I'll pray for you", was discounted by the egotist Wallace, but showed his heart.
Ostwind 3 - Aufbruch nach Ora (2017)
N.i.c.e
Quite a nice little film, though with a leaning to ESP human with horse. It must have been fun filming. The P2P hugs at not gorilla grapples but merely nice, even sweet. The t.a.l.k.i.n.g. Reminded me of some older Chinese-English dubbed films, and some lines reminded me of the Kung Fu series of the 70's. The production was mainly from a non-English base, so it is not too surprising that the dialogue was rather flat and stilted, rather than chatty in natural style.
It was hardly a serious film, but rather earth-hugging, with a few humorous lines. Some nice landscape and herd scenes. Perhaps best for a young audience.
Age of Ice (2014)
Somewhat interesting
A little amateurish, but passable for an hour+, with some cringe at some needless airman language early on, and a somewhat revealing dress soon sorted. Scenes: if close ups show no snow; distance shows snow. Clothing doesn't seem to pick up snow, even after a snowslide or two. In short, attention to detail was not the director's forté. And not quite Star Wars in CGI, though a clever quip was made about Star Wars. A rather silly boy who got me chuntering proves useful in the end, but I wonder if he first delayed their dash for safety. Acting levels of the cast and the script were B grade, but an interesting scenario. A family friendly movie, and probably quite fun to make.
Break Every Chain (2021)
Good, bad, and ugly
A true story. Good things should only happen to good people, and bad things only to bad people - if God is and is in control. Well, that's the juvenile micromanagement motif Jonathan held as a youngster, leading to agnosticism, since God didn't micromanage, breaking Jonathan's illusion. As a police officer, tender-minded Jonathan moved into slavery to alcoholism to drown his on-job stresses, even cheating on his wife and daughter, and getting to the pitch of contemplating suicide. A fellow officer witnessed a number of times over the years about the power of Christ to break chains of slavery.
The film comes across to me as a basic evangelistic message, with the story is backdrop, not vice versa. I prefer films the other way. It does factor in reasonable realism, which is good, and is quite emotional at points. It does not present Christianity as a magic fix, but as a 'magic' ingredient in the fix: that is good.
Regarding prayer request, there is request to Jesus the lord, request to the lord as meaning God yet speaking to God about God as a third party. There's request to God in "God's name". That is a combination of misdirectionalism, misvisualisation, and misunderstanding.
There is frequent drawn-out tones, oppressive to my ears.
Fog Island (1945)
Fog of a diabolical kind
Somewhat dark, including spiritually. At point 33:26 a clairvoyant is eventually presented as genuine in forecast - namely a drowning soon to be. Had she only been part of the plot, she would have been seen as merely a sham. A related table-raising was non-occultic.
According to ex-medium Raphael Gasson, false mediumship is false but this-worldly, but true mediumship is true but sub-worldly, demonic. See 'Revisiting the Challenging Counterfeit' (Steve Hakes). I felt sad that the film's nod towards the psychic might have influenced folk towards the fog island of Spiritualism, perhaps an island the director wished to direct folk towards.
The main story is of a man feeling betrayed by former friends, who after serving a prison sentence invited them to his island in order to kill them, or at least any directly involved in the death of his wife. A bit like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers (1939), where most had deserved, and got, their comeuppance.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019)
Nationalistic overkill?
A very nationalist and gripping Indian film. Certainly the East India Company, which had taken root as a flower, had become weedy. It understandably provided a trigger point for an insurgency which divided native Indians. The film presented Indians inclined against insurgency, as motivated by a desire for greed. But were some motivated by a desire for peace and stability? Is this film lopsided? Are not the best WW2 British films those that show that some Germans were natural friends with Churchill?
Perhaps rewriting history to fit nationalism, the film suggests that the trigger point of the counter-insurgency overkill, was a greedy Indian setting up a public backlash, thereby betraying his people to curry favour with the local East India Company, and that the EIC commanders secretly knew him to be the prime butcher. But was the insurgency itself the trigger, responsible for slaughtering innocent women and children? Such vengeance would have been understandable: it is not a very British kind of thing, but it is a very human kind of thing. But who's to tell? The dead can't speak.
What is clear is that the records show that Britain replaced the private EIC with the Crown Raj: "the very heart of the Raj had disowned the unrestrained violence of the counter-insurgency and sought to address what had caused the insurgency in the first place. Terrorism was not integral to the nature of British rule" (Nigel Biggar's Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, 2023:277).
I'll Be Seeing You (2004)
No gain for the gullable
Interesting story of seemingly identical twins, perhaps both by the ethically dubious IVF method. The father has disappeared, assumed by some to have died - does he turn up for murder? A daughter is stalked by a homicidal looney. But psychometry is straying too far off the straight and narrow, and it's a turn-off my me. Former psychics, such as the ex-medium Raphael Gasson, have claimed it's spiritual deception by the demonic, making value for money a serious question in using their services even when the service helps: gain a bit; lose a lot? Dunno, had I seen the end, perhaps the psychic would have been merely a phoney, not an occult advertisement.
The Way (2022)
Good face; too many warts
It's largely a singthru the Bible and has great quality and powerful singing, but some questionable lyrics. It's imaginative and narrated with great enthusiasm with some great backdrops.
In line with Tyndale, God's name's generally skipped in favour of the title 'lord'.
The OT & NT cameos are visited in the polytheism of the day. It fell short of philosophic monotheism, presenting Yahweh as a type of god, which was fine for its time-setting, but sadly it's remained the general theism level for this film. The film prefers the medieval mix of the consonants of God's name mixed in with the vowels of lordship, rendering the mixed up 'Jehovah' form: but some credit for at times attempting to give God his name. It gets 'Yeshua' right.
In line with the bad NIV and worse NLT, Mary is mislabelled as 'engaged'-she was in fact betrothed (ie pre-wedded married: RSV). Apart from the medieval Jehovah, and old secondary education polytheism, the film has tried to use contemporary language with a messianic touch.
Hagar is called a 'single mother'. She was an abandoned second-level wife, so 'single mother' became true at one level, but could suggest that she began that way.
Some troubling NT prayer to the lord, not to God, and at least some lite Sabellianism dropped into the narration, along with the conflicting idea that there was never a time when Jesus was not, and that he was sent by God.
Quite a lot of voxdeism, ie the putting of words into God's mouth, so to speak. That's subcanonical, even if not anticanonical, but I guess we can make God and Jesus say whatever we think appropriate - the songwriter is lord.
So, a lot of cringe throughout for this Christian, but I appreciate it to be a well-meaning Christian film, which I would have enjoyed much more before my last 40 years of theology and thinking. If you don't see the warts, you can enjoy the face.
Devil (2023)
Exaggerated action; Interesting plot.
It's set within a general background idea of Indian independence over British rule, with the local British secret service having a mole in the enemy camp (the INA), and the INA having a mole in the British camp. An innocent woman is murdered because the murderer feared that she would expose his cover. The British sent an Indian agent (codenamed Devil) to overtly investigate the murder, but covertly to penetrate the enemy network by gaining their confidence. Devil is to help capture the INA's leader, Bose. However, his tactics seem at variance with his handlers' commands. His handlers come across as rather sadistic people; Devil seems more honourable.
Historically British colonialism was probably a great benefit to India, and India can look back somewhat wistfully after Independence (Nigel Biggar's Colonialism (2023); Peter Hitchen's Short Breaks in Mordor (2018)). But historical facts and figures aside, one can enjoy the themes of a good side on the ground (though the INA) battling against the evil side on the ground (though the British). On whose side is the devil? Has he fallen for a pretty face?
There is a heavy body count, and stylised blood flows thick and fast-some deaths are gruesome. A woman is frequently prefixed as Ms in the English text-that semantic attack on marriage only began in the 60s, I think, after the historical setting of the film, so is anachronistic. There is also a 'my god', which some would find cringeworthy. A couple of songs go on and on, cutting down the action and the plot, but perhaps enjoyable to an Indian audience. The action is patently absurd, but let it pass with a sack of salt.
Radar Secret Service (1950)
Caveat scelestus!
Thou shalt not steal. A fun film mixing atomic crime with sci-fi and slapstick. It would have been very exciting when first shown, as the outrageous sci-fi could have passed for science. As a lite flick I enjoyed it.
A Uranium 238 shipment is stolen, quite easily, it seems, and then the hunt is on. There's double crossing between thieves and buyer and body counts, as much goes on below the radar. The Feds slowly catch up and clock on to what's going down, and a girlfriend to a criminal must choose sides, for there is little love between thieves. But the clock is ticking. Will atomic material get into foreign hands?
Dúgu huanghou (2019)
Needlessly abhorrent
The beginnings of an interesting series, seemingly of another greedy Prime Minister seeking power to overthrow the king, and taking down loyal supporters of the king on his way to the top. The son of one such supporter, and the daughter of another, both martial artists, are betrothed but have to flee. Sadly, episode 3, around 7 minutes in, has the abhorrent F-word thrown it. I for one would not waste any more time on such filth, feeding my soul on its antimarriage underbelly. There is no need for translators to use such a term, but better at this point than many episodes later before hitting such moral filth, which would make the loss of the plot and ending more regretful.
The Legend & Butterfly (2023)
A real feel
I found it surprisingly good realism. A rather immature war-lord (Nobunaga Oda) marries for political gain, as does the woman he marries (Nohime). She is the dominant brains, and as prepared to kill as to be killed-that's life! They have their ups and downs, working together to bring the whole of Japan under their control. Love for the other actually germinates in their unlikely soil, but it's not a Western love story.
In their political war, there are mistakes made, and much gain. The path to success is covered in blood, though the goal is peace, peace through fear: if I kill all my enemies I can sleep in peace.
Along the path they encounter Christianity, and are strangely warmed though do not, I think, take it on board-though evocative, it is too strange for them.
Their path leads almost to full success, but when Nobunaga weakens in his power drive (What is success?), he ends up defeated in a burning mansion. There is a new demon on the block! Meanwhile his wife elsewhere seems to be dying of some illness. He has promised her that he will return, and she, their love avowed, awaits him.
Will he escape to her and with her? The answer I found very disappointing and rewarding.
Sanditon (2019)
[email protected]
Sadly the degenerate mandatory sexual intercourse mentality of the West has spoilt somewhat the social intercourse so pleasant in Jane Austen's stories. She was far better than that. I am both a writer who looks to write a Jane Austen character-novel, and a reader, and have spent many happy hours reading Jane, and watching the usually decent series/movies based on her writings. Look, if that's Andrew Davies' perversion, so be it, but instead of writing his own titivation under his own name, did he really need to name and shame Jane as his co-conspirator, and abuse her fan base unawares? Is her shade to be thus polluted? Worse than Northanger Abbey (2007). If you watch this, heal your mind with a good clean dose of Jane Austen.
The Third Alibi (1961)
The twist of fate
This centres around three people. Intended Murderer 1 (Norman), Intended Murderer 2 (Peggy, lover to Norman), and Intended Victim (Helen, wife to Norman). Alibi 1 is Norman's. At 6.30 pm it will seem that he telephoned a thirty minute drive away from a 6.30 pm murder. And he can play a misleading witness to imply his 6.30 pm absence or to confirm his 6.30 pm presence. Alibi 2 is Peggy's. Earlier than 6.30 pm she will have been seen entering a cinema, and later that 6.30 pm she will have been seen leaving it. However fate is twisted. Alibi 3 is Helen's. Earlier than 6.30 pm she will have been seen entering a cinema, and later that 6.30 pm she will have been seen leaving it.
It is a cleverly thought out minimalist story, step-by-step rather than who-dunnit. A murderous and adulterous couple get their comeuppance as tables are turned. It ends implying that a miscarriage of justice will be good justice, and that better detective work might have resulted in lesser justice. It might leave the question of, had their plan worked, Helen's death could have been confirmed to have been at 6.30 pm, instead of, say, 6.00 pm.
Wanted for Murder (1946)
A spoilt film
At large, and interesting film with tension towards the end. Very few characters, and basically one girl. It's a who dunnit, with a dash at the end to save the last victim's life. The murderer has, seemingly, inherited a touch of madness, which he loathes. His fix is strangling women, but Anne could have a better fate, if only she'll have him. But with another man in her life, will she try to save him? Scotland Yard slowly zero in on him, but miss vital opportunities. The murders continue, but his MO isn't always the same. The parts are well played, with some humour. Sadly someone in the Force speaks of warnings from a psychic - which could spiritually sidetrack viewers.
Bambi (1942)
The Walt Days
Wonderful Walt Days when wonderful family films were the order of the day. It is a very anthropomorphic film, with basically only man being the bad guy. Animated, it traces a faun, Bambi, from birth to its own fathering days, with a big play on guy/girl romance sweetly overcoming bashfulness, which would have helped me in my pre/early teens. It offers both mirth, sadness, and chivalry (guy protecting girl). It offers a certain nobleness (the old stag), motherly love, and at times powerfully rich and vibrant colours. It touches on death, as part of the expectations of the wild, but rejoices in life. It turns the idea of safe humanity vs wild wood, on its head. On the latter I would have preferred a more balanced view of man, but perhaps Saint Francis was not available.
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008)
Nice and not soppy
Such a down to earth story, of 3 generations of women. The grandmother and mother had fallen out. The mother is widowed and in financial poverty, but a loving mother. Her wealthy mother visits, by misinformation of a granddaughter, and soon aims to win this granddaughter. As she lives among the family and rural community, facing a wave of Scarlet Fever, she repents of how she had related to her daughter, and that rift is healed. Eventually grandmother and granddaughter leave for a few years, with mother's blessings. The granddaughter's fiance is left to await her return, a loose end perhaps awaiting a sequel. Obviously, quite a lot in-between, and well worth watching. A very nice story, and a good film.
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
[email protected]
An interesting film with plenty of deception, danger, and action. However, not all will wish to watch it to its conclusion, for at 01:43 the F-blasphemy was used by one of the good guys. Why be further abused? Those who do continue to watch might well be rewarded by rounding off this film.
Na nian hua kai yue zheng yuan (2017)
The bucket keeps getting better
This is a great series to watch. My spouse & I enjoyed it, somewhat tentatively because of the 18 rating given. I suspect that some of the more moral films get that rating to put folk off watching... There wasn't even a single F-word, though the Ms word came up occasionally in the English text - usually it was Miss. It is one of these multilayered Asian films, where just when the bucket is fixed, it springs a hole, the fixing of which makes it a better bucket. The main heroine has real sadness, but by resilience, integrity, and cleverness and pluck, is a blessing to many. She can go off the handle, but her default setting is fairness and caringness.
The Book of Daniel (2013)
Ancient history well retold
An interesting and generally good retelling of a great story, as told by the aging Daniel to King Cyrus about four kings (some would argue only for three kings). By and large good acting. And though aging adults might not enjoy as they once did, the little bit of lite goofball humour thrown in, it's a nice touch for childhood years.
I thought that the dialogue was well conceived, adding reasonable flesh to the biblical bones. I commend the thought gone into portraying a cogent story in an imaginative way.
A backdrop of ancient Babylon was slightly varied (a boat is sometimes missing), and though CGI would have improved, still gives a visual sense of the historical setting. CGI would not have improved the lions-nicely done.
Although (per Scripture) Daniel did at times use the term 'lord' of Yahweh, in real life he also used God's name without demur. It was generally after the Captivity that ethic-Jews dropped God's name-perhaps for shame of past sin. Thus, it would have added to authenticity had Daniel use God's name, at least when citing the relevant biblical text.
Whether Daniel actually told Cyrus about Isaiah's prophecy, history is silent, but it is feasible. However, Cyrus had a policy of releasing enslaved peoples to return happy and loyal to their divinities, so would not have needed Isaiah to direct him. He did not become a Yahwist, though he might have had glimpses of deeper truth from Daniel and been blessed, as I think the film rightly implies.
An enjoyable film.
Matlock (1986)
Spoilt by one episode
Starting into series 8, I have been more or less enjoying this production (though admittedly Ms ideology was, I think, creeping in). Sometimes plot holes appeared, and alternate explanations seemed unconsidered. Still, it had some good plot twists, and a sweet father-daughter connection is a wholesome base. So with some cringes aside, a passable hourly watch, until Leanne Matlock fornicates (S8.11)-the ideological base of the show is shown to be that the act is not wrong, only that one's choice of sexual partner might be somewhat misguided. There endeth my following of Matlock, a sad takeaway.
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
Vicarious death to redeem
The basic gist is that a few centuries earlier, a Dutch ship captain (Hendrik) had honour-killed his wife, too late discovering that she had been faithful. In court, he railed against God. By God's hand, like Peter (Ac.12) his dungeon guards sleep and the door opens. However, God sentences him not to die-it is not a ghost story-until he finds a woman happy to die for him. In essence, the moral is vicarious death to redeem. He sails alone the seven seas, only permitted regular but brief disembarkations, chances to meet a redeemer.
Pan forward to the 1930s. Pandora is a rather cold-hearted beauty, who men seem prepared to die or kill for: they are active; she is passive, only her body being touchable. She finally lovelessly agrees to marry a man (Stephen), basically as best in show so far. Then she meets the mysterious Hendrik. His only chance seems to him to have her die for him. When she finally offers, he discovers that he loves her too much to allow such sacrifice, and sacrifices what he believes to be his only hope of redemption. This to me would seem to offer him that redemption, but the film demurs. Having concealed his love for her sake, she nevertheless discovers it and the idea of sacrificial death being her optional fate, is played out. The test of your love is how much you will pay, is a big question asked.
The story could have had any old woman, but instead it makes as if she is a reincarnation of the wife he had killed-same appearance; same soul. A lame suggestion is that they are still husband and wife, even though her death ended that marriage way back-death does us part (Rm.7). The film also throws in tarot cards (a sad prop to carry a warning-prophecy to another suitor (Juan), who commits murder but thanks God who has spared him long enough to make confession). Yep, he had a gypsy mother. Another woman (Janet), who has been waiting in the wings to bag Stephen (that poor deluded fool), seems likely to bag him once his fiancé (Pandora) has died alongside Hendrik: he probably gets the better suited girl. The philosopher in the circle (Harold) seems to have strange ideas about death transferring people to "the other side of time", yet them apparently still moving in time: presumably he meant "the other side of mortality". He does have some good lines.
The film has I think, a certain feel of Shakespeare, and is not too bad a watch. It could have worked better without tarot and reincarnationalism promos, and didn't need the lead lady to on a whim swim nude to visit an unknown ship in the middle of the night, expecting to meet the crew. Sure, nothing untoward seen, and conveniently she found a wrap before meeting the captain, but what girl (American) would naturally pay a visit to a new arrival in the bay, in so informal a way?
Zashchitniki (2017)
Fair popcorn movie
One picked up bit from Star Wars, and stuff like that. But not very developed themes, IMO. Much of the talking seemed to me to be tonally deaf actors reading out their lines in rehearsal, before one adds in expression. A fair bit of action, and a bit of hidden connections towards the end, but not very gripping or meaningful overall. Generally worth a watch.
Wiretapper (1955)
From going down, to going up
I personal true life story of a petty thief (Jim Vaus Jr), who to impress his girlfriend-indeed to keep her-pretends to be a respected military officer. Struggling to keep up that pretence, and to afford a marital home, small lies lead to big lies, and Jim becomes enslaved to Mickey Cohen, a big time mobster and later friend, and begins working both sides of the cop/crime street.
His wife, Alice, at one point is about to walk out, but then she sees what a mess he's in: she stays with him for him. A moving and selfless act, and many spouses might do just the opposite, ie stay until dark disclosure, instead of leaving until dark disclosure.
Jim moves up the crime ladder, ripping off bookies by wiretapping the tickertape tech of those days, and effectively retransmitting them several minutes late, so that he knows how horse races had ended before the bookies know that the races have begun.
On his way to set up his scheme for much bigger races, he lets his wife lead him into a tent, where Billy Graham is preaching. This preach lasts about 6 minutes on film, and pinpoints him. I found it mildly cringey, as I did more so the Sacred Song sung.
As a new man, he then refuses to do more crime, and in fact seeks to undo the crimes he had committed, though at risk of his liberty and life.
The film has, I think, taken some creative liberties, in trying to pack a number of easily connected and relevant themes into the runtime.
Mijn beste vriendin Anne Frank (2021)
Cringy SexEd
Certainly some rather needless cringe factor in this one, where the director has aimed at sexualisation of this story. I know, start heavy SexEd from birth, and spare no blushes. There are defo scenes in this one where parents might blush if they have teens sat watching with them. I've read the Anne Frank diary decades ago, but she takes a bit of a knock in this reflection. Perhaps duly so, but it'd be good to know how her best friend really told it.