Three Comedies - And A First

I've had a very bust weekend just gone, what with watching three films. All comedies, in case you were wondering. Which makes nine since I first got my unlimited card.

I was going to see 'The Inbetweeners 2' with a friend, but she could only manage Friday, and it wasn't on in Cheltenham then. But then I realised I would be working in Gloucester on Friday, so I just randomly checked to see what was on there; and it was on. At 7:45, which was fine, apart form the fact that I didn't know what to do in between then and finishing work at 4:30 - no pun intended. So, I decided to see 'The Boxtrolls' on my own. Yes, it is the first time in a while (about 20 years) since I watched a film at the cinema on my own, but I have done it before - so that's not the first. Nor is it going to see two films in one day, though that's also something I haven't done for a long time - and possibly should do more often, at least while I have the cineworld card anyway.

Incidentally, for those who haven't yet seen it, 'The Boxtrolls' is absolutely fantastic. Both exactly what you'd expect, and completely different at the same time. What I mean is that it's a brilliant children's film, with great animation, really funny with a touch of magic - well worth watching for those reasons alone. But the things you wouldn't necessarily expect beforehand are the plot, the characterisation, the surrealness, and the mild obsession with cheese. Which, you know, is definitely intriguing.

And 'The Inbetweeners' was just as funny, but in a completely different way. Which was probably a good thing. Anyway, it was a really good film, and I would also recommend you consider it - if you like that sort of thing. Which clearly I do. But 'The Boxtrolls' is good for everyone. And when I was on the bus on the way home, there were a whole bunch of students, and I couldn't help thinking about the film while hearing their somewhat random comments.
                                                      

But then we get to Saturday, and after a long day at work, I had an unplanned nap before heading out to a film premiere. Which was the first - I can definitely safely say I have never been to a film premiere before. I'm pretty sure I would have remembered. Just for those who weren't sure, it's called 'Broken Leg', and that's the promo poster. The reason I got to go is that one of the writers/producers has a sister (and brother in law) who lives in Prestbury so the U.K. premiere was at their house. So, the first film premiere I've ever been to (did I mention that?), and not only that, but the first film showing where I got to meet one of the actors - Sarah Sawyer, who plays Karla. She's over here for a year, studying at the Bristol Old Vic; past alumni of which include Patrick Stewart and Daniel Day Lewis. So, hopefully, this could be just the start of what she gets up to. And if you want to find out more about Broken Leg, you could check out the  facebook page- or watch the trailer below. It is a brilliant watch, by the way; a fun and funny family friendly film. Go track it down - you won't regret it. Really you won't.   

                                                       

Brilliant Bechdel!

Well, after seeing another film a few day ago ('Lucy'), it particularly made me think about the Bechdel Test. Named after Allison Bechdel, a cartoonist who came in at number 4 in Rolling Stone's recent list of best non-superhero cartoons; someone who was interested in feminism and gender politics - and good storytelling. And I thought it was about time I did a slightly intellectual post, after the last one.

So, now you know who Ms Bechdel is, what is her test? It was a piece from her book 'Dykes To Watch Out For', and it's a simple thing to see how female friendly a piece of entertainment is; mainly applied to films, it asks 3 questions. Is there more than one named female character? Do they speak to each other? About something other than a man? Which seems simple enough. But it's amazing how many films don't match up. By the way, by 'female friendly' I don't mean whether women might enjoy it; but rather, how positive an image of women does it promote.
                                                                 

Just think for a moment about the last couple of films you saw, and ask these questions. How does it stack up? The last couple of films I saw just about pass - I say 'just about' because both of them had minimal female characters. GOTG had 3 that I remember, and Lucy had 2 - unless you count her mum, who 'appears' once in a phone call. And these are films that actually pass. Quite a lot don't. The Avengers doesn't, for instance - although there are 3 strong named female characters (only one a superhero), they don't ever speak to each other, even when they share screen time.

But as this article acknowledges, the test isn't perfect - it has flaws. At least two that I can think of. One is that it's posssible to pass with literally a couple of lines of dialogue; and the other, just the opposite. That, as The Avengers shows, it is possible to have strong female characters and still fail. And there's also the point that dialogue doesn't reflect conversation - we generally are only shown what we need to see to follow the story. Which is why pretty much all rom-coms would probably fail. It would be a pretty bad rom-com where female characters didn't talk about the male character; though it could be possible.

However, I think the main point isn't that if a film fails this test, then it's not female friendly, not promoting a positive image of women; but rather, just that so many fail. It seems a pretty simple enough test; so, why do so many fail? What does that say about society? About us? And what can be done about it?

Being Frank!

Now I have an unlimited card, I have managed already to start using it properly - to see films that I might not have bothered with otherwise (and two films in about a week isn't bad, either). The first of these is 'Frank', which to be fair, I would have always been interested in; because it's a bit weird. To put that into context, me thinking something is a bit weird probably means most people wouldn't be able to take it. However, if you don't mind the odd bit of weirdness, then I definitely recommend it.

Without giving anything away, the film follows the course of a strange band working on what is presumably their first album, from the point of view of their newest recruit, Jon. I say strange, both because their music is, to say the least, unusual; and because most of the people in the band are too. And it's all based around the enigmatic Frank, who spends most of the film wearing a papier mache head.

Anyway, it made me think about weirdness and creativity; whether 'normal' is necessarily a good thing, or even a necessary thing. The people in the band didn't seem to be any more or less happy than the average (with possibly one exception), and they certainly produced music of some kind. It was certainly unusual, but not unlistenable - it just took a bit of getting used to, that's all. So, why be 'normal' when you can be happy as you are?

And then, there's the whole question of creativity. Do you have to be weird/abnormal/mad to be creative, or is it that people who are (very) creative see the world differently enough that they just seem mad to everyone else? The film doesn't really address this; except in Frank's case, where the two don't seem to be connected. As for the rest of them, who knows? Is this even a question that can be answered?

Go see the film for yourself, and see what you think? What I took away from it is that the world is a place where there is space for weirdness, and that weirdness can lead to a lot of laughter. Which is most definitely a good thing. Oh, and that I want to go to South By South West - or at least back to Austin.

Bank Holiday Busyness (!)

We've just had the first May Bank Holiday weekend, and, surprisingly, it was quite nice all weekend. So, obviously, I spent most of the weekend inside. And hardly saw anyone.

Not that I particularly dislike the sun as such (more that I just don't mind it), nor that I didn't have anywhere to go - things just worked out that way. I was working on the Saturday as normal, so I was quite tired; so I didn't go out in the evening either. I was invited to a barbecue, and I was told some friends had gone to the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, but I really didn't feel like going anywhere at that point. So I didn't. I stayed in and read and wrote a blog post and stuff.

And, because I'd had a couple of tiring days, I didn't get up that early on Sunday, either. I was invited out to the Jazz Festival again, but again I didn't feel like it. So I read for a bit. And then I was struck by the thought that my team was probably on duty at church that evening. But I wasn't sure. So I had to check online, and because my computer was playing up, it took me a while to find out that was the case. About 5 minutes before I was due to be there. So, what with one thing and another, I got there 10 minutes later than I should have done. But at least I now know when the next date definitely is, so hopefully I'll get to that one on time - or even early, who knows?
Church was fun - and, you know, not being ill made it much better. I ended up on the bookstall again, which kind of surprised me; and this time, I actually sold things. And met someone new called Alice, who's just moved back to Cheltenham after a couple of years in Malawi. Being on the welcome team means you might get to meet new people. And after clearing up, I went down the pub. Which was nice. Had a nice chat with a bunch of friends, and a couple of interesting things came out of that. One was that I discovered a friend is moving round the corner from us soon - she's not sure exactly when - and that led to a nice chat about theology and the like. It also came up that another friend is thinking of moving, and may well move in with us, which will be nice - he's a good guy. But the most important thing that happened was that I somehow got myself agreeing to do a sponsored walk sometime in the summer. It won't be that long; certainly less than 10 miles. It's to raise money for Hope for Justice, and it's called the Zoe Challenge. Have a look if you want to find out more; maybe you could sort out a walk for yourself as well.

Monday being the Bank Holiday, I didn't have anything to do except relax; so I did that. Then I realised I had to go into town, so I went and did what I had to do, then decided to go up and wander around the Jazz Festival. As I got there, I walked past an acoustic stage where a band was playing, so I watched the rest of their set, which I really liked; especially 'King of the Swingers', which they finished with. I then wandered around the main arena, where I met a few people I knew, including a couple called Stuart and Jade. They were with a friend of theirs, who they were trying to persuade to come on an Alpha course; and I tried to persuade them to come. I hope they do; it will be good to see them around again. I then went home via Grumpy Whiskers, where I got one of their waffles (mmhmm); and, when I got home I felt I should ask if anyone wanted to go to the cinema, now I've got my unlimited card. So I did that, and ended up going to see Spider-Man with Rhys. In 3D, which I wasn't planning on; but at least that now means I have a pair of glasses for the future. Anyway, it's a really good film, and I recommend it. And they showed a trailer for Godzilla, which definitely looks worth seeing. A good start to my year of films, I think.

Thinking About Noah (And Other Films I Haven't Seen)

I almost saw 'Noah' on Wednesday. I fully intended to go with some people from my small group, and got as far as the box office, only to discover it was full. Some may say that was a good thing, as the reviews I've seen haven't exactly been positive, even describing it as 'blasphemous' or 'heretical' - like this one (which is actually one of the better ones I've seen). However, what really makes me unlikely to see it is that people I know haven't given it good ratings - the best description I've heard was 'it was alright, but at times it was a bit like a sci-fi movie'. And that's the best. So, I'm unlikely to see it.

But, you know, I thought I'd write a bit about it anyway. An idea which was inspired by two things - this blog post and an article saying there is talk about a remake of the 'Left Behind' films with Nicolas Cage starring in it. For those who have never heard of the 'Left Behind' series, it was originally a 12 book series about the end of the world - and what happens afterwards.
The reason for the title is that, according to a particular interpretation of parts of the New Testament, at some point there will be an event referred to as 'the Rapture'; where all Christians will be taken up to Heaven, while things on Earth go through a time called the Tribulation (the capital letters are important) before Jesus returns. I have always had a problem with this, because it just doesn't seem to make sense, in that the early Christians wouldn't have read the books in that way; and I really have a problem with the idea that 'the Rapture' happens before the Tribulation. Because it simply doesn't seem to be the way in which God usually operates, in that it isn't anything like His usual pattern to remove Christians from difficult circumstances. He usually works through us in them, as well as in us.

So, I'm far from convinced that 'Left Behind' represents an accurate idea of what the future might hold. Which, knowing at least one of the authors takes it seriously, makes it difficult for me just to enjoy it as fiction. And, as there are 12 books, I almost certainly would give up before the end. So, I don't think I'll read or watch any of them. But, and this is important, God has definitely used them powerfully. They have been bestsellers, and the films made by a small company have been successful enough to be considered by a major company. And, on top of that, many people have become Christians and/or got serious about the faith they had, and serious about the Bible. Not something that many people would have guessed would happen, or at least not to the degree it did.

And that's not the only 'Christian' film in recent years. As well as ones like 'The Passion Of The Christ'* (apparently the most controversial film of all time because of the graphic depiction of violence) and 'Amazing Grace' (about William Wilberforce and the abolition of the slave trade); there are also a fair few lower budget ones, like Courageous and Fireproof. The latest of these being God's Not Dead, which has just been released. Only in Odeon cinemas in the U.K. though, so I'm unlikely to get to see it, which is a shame - I actually want to see that one.
And all of them have two things in common. There is a fair bit of attack and mis-information (with the possible exception of Amazing Grace), and all of them have been surprisingly popular. It seems as though God may well be doing something in the world of cinema. Which, in a sense, shouldn't surprise anyone - He's definitely a God of surprises; one who likes turning up where He wasn't expected.

So, what can we learn from this? One is to never try to fit God into a box; it never works, and we run the risk of missing what He is really up to. But a second is to respect and encourage creativity. If we disagreee with what has been produced or think it's not good enough, that could be a challenge to us to do it ourselves, and do it better. Any ideas..?

*Note 'The Passion Of The Christ I have actually seen - and liked.

Zombies!

A few days ago, I went to spend my gift cards that I got for Christmas. Most being for Waterstones, as, for some reason, people who know me well thought I might like to go to a bookshop. So, I went to said bookshop, and bought...a game. Called Zombies, it's pretty self explanatory-as the game says, it's not very nice, but it is a lot of fun. And, after playing it, I can definitely agree with the fun part.

After playing it, I started thinking about zombies, and how popular they have become. Which in itself is kind of strange. I mean, what is there about them that's really likable? They're just walking (well, shambling, anyway) dead bodies. No intelligence, no emotions, no real aim in (un)life-except maybe to eat. And yet, starting from the George Romero films, they have become a bigger and bigger part of popular culture; including board games, card games, TV series, films in various genres (Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead being two of my favourites), and even appear on the CDC website. Apparently when that first appeared, they had so much traffic, the site shut down for a few days. And they still have it up because they reckon if you're prepared for a zombie pandemic, you're prepared for just about anything...

So, they're clearly really popular; but why? If it's not the zombies themselves, it must be something they represent. After all, zombie films are basically disaster movies when it comes down to it (as an aside, what exactly is the difference between a disaster movie and a horror film). So, it could well have something to do with the idea that people like being scared-as long as it's in a safe situation. For example, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, this was top of the charts.

And what could be safer than zombies? Cos, apart from the fact that they're fundamentally unlikely to ever happen; they're also slow. Which gives the possibility of them being played as comedy as easily as terror-note my fave films mentioned earlier. Someone once said something along the lines of 'Comedy is when something happens to you; tragedy is when it happens to me'-i.e. the more of a distance there is between you and it, the funnier it can be.

A bit like going out on a Saturday night, as I did last night. By then end of the evening, you may well see people looking a bit like zombies:-groups wandering/stumbling around apparently aimlessly who can look quite amusing from a distance, but, it's all too easy for violence to explode. Which leads me neatly on to another reason why I think zombies are popular (almost like I'd planned this)-they look like us, but they are clearly not us. The threat, the 'bad guys' in this situation are clearly not how we can ever be described; no, never, not us.
It's well known that George Romero wrote his zombie films as a reflection of how he saw society at the time. You can't exactly call them 'satire', cos that would imply that they were primarily intended to be funny; and that's definitely not a good description-though they definitely do contain a lot of humour. Which may be why the earlier ones are more popular than the later ones-I've seen them, and they're good films. Apart from the fact that they have had longer to get into the public consciousness (including remakes and rip-offs), with the earlier ones, it is clear that those films are describing someone else; that we, as a society are not racist and materialistic like that any more. All the more so in countries other than the U.S.-we can happily watch them in the knowledge that that's what America is like, and indulge ourselves with the illusion that we were never like that. Though with the increasing globalisation of culture, particularly music and film, who knows how long we will be able to comfortably be able to say that...

Alpha Weekend And...

So, last weekend was the Alpha weekend away (if you don't know what that is, you can find out here), and I was helping on the catering team, as I had been during the course. Don't worry, I haven't been doing the cooking.

It all started on the Friday-I had the week off starting then, so I was going down early to help set up, and I had to catch a train. I caught one that left just after 1, and I should have got there just after 3-if everything had gone to plan. However, I had two changes on the route, and two of the trains were late, so I was almost an hour later than I had aimed for. Which at least meant I had plenty of time to read and pray during the journey. I am reading a book currently called 'The Circle Maker' by Mark Batterson and I felt God wanted me to write down and keep a record of the things I wanted to pray about and what the answers are. So I started that on the journey. The first thing I did was write general categories of what I wanted to pray for/about, and prayed a bit about that. And it was pretty much non-stop after that, or at least it seemed that way-when we had cleared away from one meal, it was basically time to get the next one ready. I did get a bit of a rest on the Saturday afternoon, when I should have been praying about some of the things I had been turning over on the train journey. Because I didn't do it then, I didn't get to go to the pub in the evening; God was very firm about that. I'm glad I did it, though, because as well as getting some much needed time, just me and God (that was about the only time that weekend I did), some interesting things came out of that. I'm still turning them over at the moment, so I won't write about them yet. And then, it was all over-quite abruptly, as I had to leave pretty much straight after lunch.
And got back home in plenty of time for the baptisms, so I just had to decide whether I was going to go. I don't think I did decide in the end, I just got there. And I'm so glad I did. The people's stories, as always, were amazing-and amazingly different. But it was what happened after that was truly brilliant. Two of the people getting baptised are in my cluster, and speaking to them afterwards, and hearing how it was for them was just incredible. Partly because it was more personal, and partly because I could actually see the difference in them. Wow. Just wow.

And then, the rest of this week has been a week off. Which was brilliant in itself, but also had some brilliant times in it. I spent the first couple of days resting, pretty much doing nothing, just because I could. I did mean to write a blog post about the weekend, but, as I didn't get it done by then, it's merged with the rest of the week. On Monday, I went to Costa and relaxed there; on Tuesday, I relaxed at home, and also prayed over and around the things I'd been writing in my notebook that I've been praying for and about. It was Alpha in the evening, which was fun, though I was still tired, strangely. Possibly because when you stop, you pretty much completely collapse-or at least, I do. People were talking about the baptisms; or at least one of them. On Wednesday, I went for a very long walk. I did have a destination in mind, but somehow, I got lost, and ended up somewhere I don't think I've been before. I did manage to get back, though, and got where I was intending to go, and learned a bit more about the local area in the meantime. Maybe. I'll see, if I manage not to get lost the next time I go that way. And, after that, it was cluster. I didn't know at the beginning of the week whether I was going to go, as there was a session at church on how to deal with violence, which as a member of street teams, I was invited to. Anyway, I got there-just across the road, pretty much-and had a good evening. Though for some reason, I felt a bit out of sorts all evening; and I found it difficult to concentrate. Looking back, it's difficult to remember much about the evening, which probably means that it was very important. The most important thing I can remember is that it was about not comparing yourself to others; not seeing your behind the scenes stuff in the same light as someone else's highlights-which is what you most notice. 

And then on Thursday, I went down to Faringdon to see a friend I hadn't seen properly for ages. She was at my church before she went home, and I've only seen her briefly since then. I figured since I had the week off, I should try to get down there. Thankfully, it's actually quite straightforward, so I sorted that out, and met up with her; which was brilliant. I miss having her around, cos she's one of the few people I can really relax with, as she seems to not mind my sense of humour. And it was really refreshing to spend the day with her. I mean, I was expecting it to be a good day, but right from the point we saw each other, it was good. It was essentially one very long, random, slightly silly conversation-apart from the serious bits. Which were still interspersed with random silliness. It was good to catch up, to get some sort of idea of what we had each been up to, and at the end of the day, we got to pray with each other. Just what was needed, I think. I look forward to doing it again at some point. Hopefully not too far away.

And Friday, I got to catch up with my mum, which was great. I saw my sis and niece last week, and my mum this week. We went to the art gallery, which reopened after a massive revamp, and I hadn't managed to get along there before. It was really good, apart from having to stand out in the cold for a while when the fire alarm went off. At least we assumed that was what happened, as no-one told us. We saw most of the exhibitions I think. There was a glass sculptor who had most of the space; his exhibition was huge. Some of the pieces were too. Anyway, we managed to spend over 3 hours there, and then we went and got something to eat. Which was nice. All in all, a very nice day, and it was good to see my mum again.

Saturday I kind of relaxed, and then a friend I hadn't seen for a while came round, which was great. We watched 'Pontypool', which is sort of a zombie film; and then, because he felt he needed to relax a bit, we watched 'Music and Lyrics' (my favourite film), because it's probably the lightest film I own. And it has a great 80s type music video. As well as Drew Barrymore. Sunday I was kind of hoping to go up and see a friend in Worcester area, but that didn't work out, so he came down to see me instead. It was great to catch up with him as well. I have to say that overall, it was a really good week off, and very relaxing-just what I needed, I think.