by Dean | Jun 4, 2012 | General
The potboilers continue, this time in anime and with bioterrorism. I’m talking about 2002’s Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.
The place is Mars, the year 2071. A “cowboy” is a bounty hunter, Bebop the name of the spaceship; hence we watch a team of said hunters fly the Bebop in pursuit of those bioterrorists. This is my first taste of Cowboy Bebop, which is a dubbed Japanese TV series which used to be on the Cartoon Network. Despite its imperfections the dubbed movie is cool and unassuming, far better than the ludicrous anime, Metropolis (2001). At its best it is haunting, insidious, in one scene darkly erotic.
The plot is a mess but I didn’t care, having too much fun as I did with flavorous characters and animation. The director is Shinichiro Watanabe, the animation director, a busy dude, is Toshihiro Kawamoto. Rated R, it is not a family film, but it should satisfy potboiler devotees if they don’t mind cartoon formats.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
by Dean | Jun 1, 2012 | General
Universal salvation, or universal reconciliation–in which, in my review of A Woman of the Pharisees, I said I believe–is considered heresy by most Christians. I am one Christian who doesn’t consider it that.
It is widely argued that the Greek word aionios, rather than meaning “everlasting,” refers to limited time, while kolasis (“punishment” in the KJV) means chastisement meant to correct a person. If this is true, the wicked, the “goats,” in Matthew 25:46 undergo corrective chastisement which occurs for a limited time, not for an eternity. Indeed, it may occur in the form of a second death (Rev. 21).
I said “if this is true,” but it’s difficult to see why it wouldn’t be true in the face of many things the Bible tells us. Jesus declared, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Will all people be drawn to Him after being corrected (as well as redeemed)? Does this not mean they will be drawn to Him for salvation?
In Jeremiah 3:17 we read, “At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts” (NIV). All nations? Sure, and why can’t this refer to all the people of all nations? All people drawn to Jesus, all people honoring the name of the Lord–and free from their evil hearts. Surely there is a nexus between the Jeremiah verse and what John points out in his first epistle: “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (4:14). Gee, I thought He was simply the Savior of the elect–and, yes, those who are born again at the present time were elected–but John uses the phrase “Savior of the world.” Something universal seems to be on the horizon.
Do I not believe in Hell, then? No, I believe in divine judgment and in the second death (whatever it is).
King James Bible (Photo credit: Joybot)
by Dean | May 29, 2012 | General
A confection of a costume drama by Alan Taylor, The Emperor’s New Clothes (2002) is about a make-believe scheme to get the imprisoned Napoleon Bonaparte off the island of St. Helena and back in Gallic power. Taylor’s moviemaking team–Andrea Crisanti on production design, Rachel Portman on music, etc.–quit themselves honorably, and the acting is a joy. Will there ever be a better Bonaparte than Ian Holm, the epitome of variety? And the Dutch actress Iben Hjejle, speaking English, is warmly true. How come I never see her anymore?
The Emperor's New Clothes (2001 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
by Dean | May 22, 2012 | General
Krystal Meyers is a Christian rock (not pop) artist, and a number of her songs has convinced me she made a pretty good showing during the Aughts. Her 2006 CD, Dying for a Heart, is only half-impressive, but at least it’s that. Too often only about 10% of merit emerges on Christian, and secular, albums. The cut called “Together” has a wonderful, nuanced guitar and is excitingly tuneful. “The Beauty of Grace” starts like a ballad but speeds up with a very attractive chorus to bestow. . . Okay, “Elvis is dead / But my King is alive” is not much of a lyric; still, “Only You Make Me Happy” (the “You” is God) turns out to be an ingratiating rocker.
Meyers has a fine voice, now winningly tomboyish, now nicely feminine, as in 2008’s “Up to You”–the feminine, I mean–which is an effective relationship song. . . I’ve never heard her first, self-titled CD but one of its tracks, “The Way to Begin,” is melodically interesting, forceful, saucy.
Spiritually-themed rock seldom gets much better than these five songs. Go and ahead and purchase Dying for a Heart. Or, if not, I sincerely believe Meyers has a place on your iPod.
Cover of Dying for a Heart
by Dean | May 21, 2012 | General, Movies
The Avengers (2012 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Joss Whedon’s The Avengers (2012) is consistently entertaining. Its action footage would be more entertaining, wholly exciting, if it contained greater suspense (like the car chase in The French Connection), but no matter. It’s still head-on fun and technically accomplished.
Certain Marvel comic-book movies, most of which I haven’t seen, anticipated this lengthy flick in which Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk and other superheroes band together to–you got it–save the world. (I wonder who’s going to save it from the economic policies of political leaders?) I enjoyed the movie’s humor and was certainly glad the talented, now likeable Robert Downey Jr. was on hand. I mean he’s now likeable as a human being, I think. Like the action, Downey makes us forget most of Whedon’s poor plotting.
