Religion and Film 2020

Since other people are discussing this, I thought I'd join in as well. I think now is the time we need to remain cautious and prepared, but I don't think it's the end of the world. Compared to the Spanish Flu from 100 years ago, Covid 19 is not nearly as bad. However, that odes not mean we can do whatever we want. It's still a pandemic, just not one that will destroy the fabric of our society. Thanks to modern technology, I think everyone is handling this crisis rather well. there are s few unhappy people and those that cause problems here and there, but that is to be expected. The majority of people are doing the right thing and staying safe and healthy. Hopefully by the end of all this, the nation will have a new found respect for all healthcare works, and reward them with pay increases and other benefits instead of just calling them heroes. I think that would be a great outcome from this crisis. We don't know how long the tunnel is, but I think that there is a li...

If there's one thing I learned from the anime "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood", it's that no one like their version of God. Even if he basically gave them the ability to do magic so long as they pay an equal price, he still sucks. The protagonists hate him for not allowing them to resurrect their dead mom. Their dad hates God because he's forced to live forever due to his magic rules. Other side characters think the rules of magic are too restrictive and unbending. The villains all think God is not doing enough, so they might as well try to overthrown/merge with him. Everybody hates God. In the end, it turns out that this Western style God is in fact more based in Eastern tradition. he's not a single entity, but it's made up of everything and everyone, and everything is made up of him. which is emphasized whenever he appears on screen, as he looks like a blank copy of whoever he is speaking with, as he also mimics their voice. He's the very concept of...

In the video-game series "Dishonored", there is an Cthulhu-like being who is a God (or at least has God-like power) and an Empire largely under the influence of a dogmatic, fundamentalist state-religion. It turns out thought that the state-religion in no way worships this entity, called the Outsider. In fact, the whole point of the religion is to hate on him. The religion preaches that the Outsider is the cause of all sin, and that all must reject his evil offers for power. I find that fascinating. Instead of following a God, the religion is centered on hating on him. It's the equivalent of the Catholic church focusing solely on denouncing Lucifer, with no mention of God or Jesus in any way. That's a really interesting take on religion to me. Meanwhile, the Outsider is in no way malicious. He's just really bored. He basically lives in Purgatory and is omniscient, and has nothing to do. So he gives people fractions of his power as a form of entertainment. What they...

You should go watch "Westworld" on HBO. It asks a lot of questions about the idea of sentience, what makes someone alive, and the paths humans take during their lifetimes while also being a good drama. The first season is some of the best television I've seen. Whenever Anthony Hopkins shows up, it feels like you're seeing God, and that it's truly impossible to understand him, which is terrifying. However, the second season is not as good as the first. It has some interesting concepts and plot-lines, but doe not really go anywhere with them. Characters felt more bland and the show just went into navel-gazing territory. It was like the writers were saying, "Look how smart we are for bringing up these philosophical ideas" while ignoring the actual plot. Season 3 is better so far. It feels more like Blade Runner. Some of the characters still feel bland, but I'm interested in where the overall plot goes. Still, I don't think it's going to top seas...

I thought "The Two Popes" was an interesting film. However, it wasn't an entirely accurate film. The actual interaction between the two Popes and their relationship is fictionalized, while the history that surrounds them wasn't. I think that's fair. You can take the interactions as something that could have happened instead of definitely happened, or at least get the idea behind why these interactions could have occurred. It's much like how the actual Bible probably didn't occur literally, but the stories are more metaphorical. I enjoyed the interactions, even knowing they were fake. And even if the history is also dramatized, I still think it gets the broad strokes correct. Considering I new almost nothing about the past of the current Pope, I think that means I still learned something new from this film. 

I think "Blade Runner" was my favorite film out of all the one's we saw in class. I can understand why it's seen as a scifi classic. The setting is amazing. It's really fleshed out and feels alive, even if you only see some parts of it for a single scene. I can really see people living in that city. I can't imagine the number of hours it took to make it. The various themes that were explored were also interesting, as the film kept throwing new ideas at just the right pace. Some easy were easy to spot, like Roy being a metaphorical Jesus, and other's were a bit trickier, such as the symbolism of the robotic owl. The only thing I didn't like about the film was the plot and characters. I felt like the introduction to Deckard is rushed, then you watch him try to find Replicants in a monotone voice for over half the film, then he finds and kills them in quick succession, and then the climax occurs. I didn't feel any attachment to him. I think the Replic...

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is such a depressing film. I did not like it at all. The main leads came off as awful people to me. However, I can't find the exact reason why I think so. Maybe it is because of how they treated each other that rubs me the wrong way? They are in a fairly toxic relationship after all. Or it could be that I'm just being biased, as I don't normally like romantic comedies or Jim Carrey ever since I learned he was an apparent anti-vaxxer. However, how several of the scenes were shot definitely bum me out. It's like there is a grey overlay they put on the camera that sucks out all the color. I'm sure that was done on purpose for the more dramatic scenes where their relationship is on the rocks, but it does not make me want to watch or enjoy the film in an way. In the end, I think I don't like the film because it's a little to real. I watch movies as a form on escapism. A dying romance happens way too often in real-...