The Hobbit 2: A Desolation of Tolkien

I couldn’t put it off forever, I suppose.

Regardless of how thoroughly I enjoyed Tolkien’s books (or maybe BECAUSE of it), I’ve dreaded the thought of viewing the second Hobbit movie…,

…especially considering my well-documented feelings on the first installment.

Since a good friend offered to screen it for several of us in 3-D in his home theater, this seemed the least painful way to experience what would undoubtedly be another travesty of page-to-film corruption.

**From this point on, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. Thus, “read at your own risk”… even though I was likely one of the last persons on the planet who had NOT already seen this movie.** 

60 years later: Raymond Burr in ‘Rear Window’ (1954)

Rear Window has been one of my all-time favorite movies from the very first time I saw it.

To me, it’s Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece: memorable, endlessly watchable, and nerve-wracking. For one thing, I wanted to live on that gigantic set: it was spectacular. Didn’t hurt that the film starred not only Jimmy Stewart, who oozed sincerity from every pore, but also Grace Kelly, who vied for my teenage heart with Maureen O’Hara (Maureen usually won that one, though: I had a weakness for redheads back then).

The movie’s premise is simple enough: Jeff (Stewart), a photographer with a broken leg who’s recuperating in his New York City apartment, spends his time spying on his neighbors from his window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

If the President COULDN’T Lie, …What Would You Ask Him?

Today we’re honored to have another offering from our friend, the Deja Reviewer! And given the upcoming State Of The Union Speech, this post is particularly timely. 

-JTR

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In the 1997 comedy Liar Liar, Jim Carrey plays a dishonest lawyer named Fletcher who is dismayed when he finds himself unable to lie about even the smallest thing one day. This setup results in numerous memorable gags and funny jokes.

One of my favorites is when he drives like a maniac and gets pulled over by a police officer. He’s forced to relate every little misdeed he had just done, such as speeding, changing lanes without signaling, nearly hitting pedestrians, and more. But that’s not all.

The cop then asks if there’s “anything else?”, and Fletcher grudgingly admits that he’s accumulated dozens of unpaid parking tickets, and they’re hidden in the glove compartment.

After this deluge of painful confessions, he sinks into his seat and quietly says, “Be gentle.”

10 Films That Portray Capitalists as Heroes

Have you noticed how movies normally depict capitalists, executives or business owners?

Whether it’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End with the bizarre portrayal of the head of the East India Trading Company, or the main character in There Will Be Blood, business men (and women) are rarely shown sympathetically, often cast as the default villain.

Honestly, it might seem as if all corporate and/or entrepreneurial movie roles are written to be inherently evil, guilty of the sin of simply being in business.

Thankfully, that’s not always the case, and I’d like to share with you 10 films which actually celebrate hard-working entrepreneurs, and show believers in the free market as heroes.

Christian Movies: “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby”

Conservative Christians often complain about entertainment these days. And one of our biggest peeves is how difficult it can be trying to find a movie with a positive, Christian message. Heck, sometimes I’d settle for one which doesn’t seem designed to impugn my faith.

Sure, we’ll see an occasional film like Soul Surfer, but that’s the exception to the rule.

Or is it?

The Only Causes Worth Fighting For

Conservatives, libertarians, and other guardians of liberty today remind me a lot of Jefferson Smith from the classic film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Like Smith, conservatives stand in awe of the U.S. Constitution and the wonderful institutions it created to preserve their freedoms. But then reality hits and they realize that their cherished freedoms are being eroded in the name of graft and good intentions.

It might seem hopeless to turn things around when so much damage has been done. But as Smith rightfully points out, “Lost causes… are the only causes worth fighting for.” That’s because if we are on the right side, it doesn’t matter who opposes us: truth must prevail.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington provides a blueprint for today’s battle and it offers hope that we can win. I’d like to compare that film’s events to our day and express optimism for the future.

“Going God’s Way…” – (The Next Generation of Catholic Priests)

Of all the movies I’ve ever watched in my life, ‘Going My Way‘ may be the single most influential for me.

If you’ve never seen it (and please, please tell me that you have), it was made back in 1944 and told of a young priest (Bing Crosby) who’s brought in to help save an ailing parish and its elderly pastor (Barry Fitzgerald). That year it was the highest-grossing picture, was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won seven…including Best Picture.

Wow, how times have changed.

Today this film is often rejected for being too schmaltzy, and certainly too “pro”-Catholic Church. Of course, when compared to the way the Church is portrayed in cinema and on TV these days, I guess that last criticism must be true. Think about it: it actually shows priests tending to their community, telling jokes and being all-around decent human beings.

The horror!!

The Hobbit: An Uninspiring Journey (a critical film review)

Note:  I am aware that at least one of our good friends, James over at Biltrix, is going to strongly disagree with me over this review. You should probably also go and read his reaction to the film in order to get a “fair and balanced” view of it.

I tried hard not to include many spoilers in this, but if you haven’t seen the film yet, you may want to skip to the last third of the post…I’ve marked it with an asterisk*.

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My husband and I don’t get many evenings to spend together without granddaughter in tow. So this past Saturday night we jumped at our opportunity to view The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. We’re both big fans of the original Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies. [In fact, true confession: I saw The Fellowship of the Ring seven times in the movie theater. And we own all three extended versions.]

We’d been looking forward to seeing this new film, despite some misgivings about the wisdom of turning a relatively short book into three films equal in length to the three LOTR movies (which themselves are based on a book which is about four times as long).