You Don't Have to Just Take My Word For It

So here's what I have to say about Serenity:

This is the kind of movie that I have always intended Ender's Game to be (though the plots are not at all similar).

And this is as good a movie as I always hoped Ender's Game would be.

And I'll tell you this right now: If Ender's Game can't be this kind of movie, and this good a movie, then I want it never to be made.

I'd rather just watch Serenity again.

Orson Scott Card weighs in on Serenity.

Things That Only Happen in Movies

The first ten ...

1. It is always possible to find a parking spot directly outside or opposite the building you are visiting.
2. When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a note. Just grab one out at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.
3. Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at the precise moment it's aired.
4. Creepy music (or satanic chanting) coming from a graveyard should always be closely investigated.
5. Any lock can be picked with a credit card or paperclip in seconds. UNLESS it's the door to a burning building with a child inside.
6. If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you bump into will know all the steps.
7. All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red digital displays so you know exactly when they are going to explode.
8. Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to learn to speak German. Simply speaking English with a German accent will do. Similarly, when they are alone, all German soldiers prefer to speak English to each other.
9. Once applied, lipstick will never rub off. Even while scuba diving.
10. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window of any building in Paris.

Source

Via Looking Closer Journal

"This is the sweetest, most justified kidnapping I've ever seen."

Randy: How many kidnappings have you seen?
Catalina: Five or six.

If you've been missing My Name is Earl then you're missing one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I can't do it justice by trying to summarize the plot but I hafta say that the whole thing about smoking the carrot sticks and also the poisoned cookies had us rolling on the floor.

The first three episodes will be rerun on Saturday night if you want to catch up. Give it a try.

Examining Evil

The world we live in is surrounded by and filled with a deeper reality.

Our faith illuminates this reality as one that exists in superabundance on the spiritual level; it is filled with a myriad of angels and the surging rivers of God’s grace.

It is a reality that is not dulled by the void of space and expanse of the cosmos, but rather is brimming to its very boundaries by the brilliance of the Son of God.

It is a reality where the saints dwell around us, ever waiting to assist the pilgrim Church on her journey, and where the poorest and most despised in our world often radiate glory and praise to God, as Jesus taught.

Still, there is a dark serpent that winds his way through every part of this reality, stinging it with the pain of the absence of God and marring our world with sadness.

This excellent five-part series from The Criterion ranges from the fall of the angels to the fall of man and winds up, of course, with the divine antidote ... the light of the world. Illuminating reading for October what with Halloween and All Saints Day coming.

Oh. My. Gosh. SERENITY ROCKS SO HARD!

What if Han Solo's roguish edge hadn't been dulled halfway through the original Star Wars trilogy? What if he had walked the line between smuggler and hero instead of just crossing it at some point?

What if Star Trek's "Wagon Train" to the stars had been less of a secular utopian fantasy of human progress and more like the real old West in the wake of the Civil War? What if the story were told, not from the point of view of the triumphant Federation, or Union, or Alliance, but the disgruntled eyes of the defeated Confederacy, or Independents?

What if, instead of a who's who of alien civilizations variously representing particular aspects of human nature, a sci-fi adventure merely allowed the personalities and behavior of its human characters to be as complicated and varied as that of real people in the real world, from preachers to prostitutes?

Read Decent Films full review here.

Serenity tells the story that Joss Whedon originally was going to take two years to tell in the television show Firefly, which was cancelled in 2002 (was it really that long ago?).

Set 500 years in the future, society is a mixture of "core" planets with all the luxuries and those on "the rim" where life is more like living in a old time Western. The Alliance, the totalitarian government, controls everything in the core and would like to exert the same control over all the planets.

River Tam has been rescued by her brother, Simon, from an Alliance facility where extensive brain tampering has been done on her. They take refuge on a spaceship whose crew will do anything, legal or illegal, to keep fed and in the air. As a survivor from the losing side in the recent civil war, the ship's captain, Mal Reynolds, doesn't mind going against the authorities but has to rethink his decision when the Alliance sends an assassin to track River down. What follows is a fantastic, fast moving adventure crackling with wit. As many movie critics have observed, it is the perfect popcorn movie.

Joss Whedon is a superb storyteller. Just when you start thinking that the movie is winding down to the ending, he cranks it up another notch and careens on to a more intense ride. This is accented with hilarious, throw away lines just when you least expect it (again, think Han Solo).

The other thing to know about Whedon is that he is no respecter of characters. In his TV series (Buffy, Angel, and Firefly) he has proven time and again that just because someone is a major character doesn't mean he won't kill them off at the drop of a hat if it moves the story along ... and sometimes even if it doesn't. That adds a certain amount of tension to any story he is telling and certainly was forcibly brought to mind more than once during this movie. Unpredictability is the watchword.

As in Star Wars, which in my mind is the most comparable model for comparison, there is a major conflict between good and evil. However, where Star Wars painted those themes very broadly (Darth Vader BAD, Luke Skywalker GOOD), Serenity deals with what different men choose to put their faith in and how strong that belief is. Early on, River says that the reason the outlying planets don't like the Alliance, despite the many obvious benefits of to belonging to civilization, is that " We meddle... People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads, and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome."

Just how "meddlesome" is shown over and over again while, in counterpoint, Mal Reynolds repeatedly says that he doesn't believe in anything except survival of "me and mine" meaning his crew. Shepherd Book tells him that he must believe in something, that it doesn't matter what but that he must believe. We know this isn't true because it becomes clear that the Reavers believe, and fervently, but in nothing with which any sane person would agree. Watching Mal it is clear also that his actions speak louder than words, although by the end of the movie he does articulate his belief also.

For Firefly fans, Serenity is a must see. It tells us the big secret of why River is being pursued by Alliance agents and why they were poking around in her brain in the first place. Possibly more importantly, it gives us the closure left when the show was so abruptly canceled.

I am such a fan that I honestly couldn't tell if non-fans would like it but my husband thought it was great. He's been forced to sit through a few of the Firefly episodes but is not what you would call a fan at all ... and, as anyone who has ever watched Lost with him can attest, he is not shy about saying if something isn't measuring up.

Scott and I reviewed Serenity as episode 2 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

No power in the 'verse can keep me from talking about this movie a little more indepth so ...

SPOILERS


SPOILERS


SPOILERS

I expected Shepherd to die (having seen trailers of smoking devastation and The Operative saying, "I do [kill children]." But Wash? There is no mercy ... though I did really like the exchange of lines between Zoe and Mal at the end about the ship's readiness to fly because it so obviously was also about Zoe herself:

Mal: Do you think she'll hold together?
Zoe: She's pretty torn up, but she'll fly true.

Also the doubletalk was at the end when River says the storm is really bad and Mal agrees but says they'll get through it to clear sky (or something like that ... as far as I can remember) ... which is about their future.

I expected River to go settle the Reavers' hash and then be the only one there when the blast doors opened again. How about that scene where she was fighting the Reavers? It equaled the end of the Matrix to me. Pure poetry in fighting.

I also expected Mal to come to Mr. Universe with the Reavers' behind him like the mines in Galaxy Quest. That was fun to watch, huh?

Loved Mr. Universe glorying in his geekiness to the point of being so proud of his robot wife ... ultimate geek was his motto (if he ever had one), "Can't stop the signal."

It was interesting that the Reavers all had an uneasy cease fire with each other. I didn't expect to find them hanging thick together in space but that they'd be in hiding from each other. It was as if they had agreed that as long as one didn't turn on the other then they'd hang together.

I guess we're never gonna find out about who Book really was! Darn it! Unless there's a sequel and someone else reveals it.

I was honestly wondering if River wasn't going to be able to turn on that assassin-mode and everyone was going to die in the end ... while nobly sending out the message. Whew!

And I liked that Mal's' mercy in not killing The Operative (although he didn't intend it to be mercy really) was what saved them from being killed when the government broke through.

Nice touch also that when The Operative finally got mad it was because, "innocent people are dying in the air right now!" It was ok when it was him doing the killing because it was for The Cause.

Blogger Spotlight

SIGMUND, CARL AND ALFRED
"This blog is dedicated to the world of bloggers, many of whom exhibit more than mild symptoms of various personality disorders."

This blog has two description lines actually. The first says, "A tribute to Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Alfred Adler by an admiring psycho-therapist." It is a tribute to the mind behind this blog that I actually was interested enough to look up Alfred Adler and find out who the heck he was (turns out he's my favorite of the three but I'd never have known otherwise).

SC&A offers thought provoking opinions about news and current events, laced with the occasional post that examines faith as part of the human condition. Such topics as Islam, abortion, and journalism thus are interspersed with parenting gifted children, Krispy Kremes, and shining shoes for a funeral. All this is delivered with a piercing wit and thorough common sense. Highly recommended daily reading.

Mortification, Part III

Continued from Part I and Part II.

Another area of daily mortification lies in the conscientious carrying out of our duties, the basic material in our struggle for sanctity. Here we find God's Will for us each day. We need to fulfill our duties with hard work, high standards and much love. The mortification which is most pleasing to God is to be found in order, in punctuality, in care for the small details in whatever we do. It has to do with the faithful performance of the most insignificant aspects of our vocation -- even when it hurts. We need to struggle against the temptation to prefer comfort. We persevere in our wok not because we feel like it but because we know it has to be done. When we work in that frame of mind we will work with enthusiasm and joy (J. Escriva). The mother of a family will find a thousand reasons to give her home a warm and cheerful atmosphere. The student will offer up his efforts to study well. In this way, tiredness will become one more offering to the Lord. Let us examine our conduct to see whether we complain about our work, grumbling about something that should be leading us to God.

The third area of our mortifications consists in those sacrifices that we make voluntarily in order to please Our Lord, to make ourselves better souls of prayer, in order to overcome temptation, in order to help our friends come closer to God. We should be looking for ways to help others seek sanctity. Bring out your spirit of mortification in those nice touches of charity, eager to make the way of sanctity in the midst of the world attractive for everyone. Sometimes a smile can be the best proof of a spirit of penance (J. Escriva). Let us resolve to overcome our moods and our weariness with the help of our guardian Angel. A spirit of penance is to be found first of all in taking advantage of many little things -- deeds, renunciations, sacrifices, services rendered and so on -- which we find daily along our way and we then convert into acts of love and contrition, into mortifications. In this way we shall be able to gather a bouquet at the end of each day -- a fine display which we can offer to God (J. Escriva).

In Conversation with God: Ordinary Time: Weeks 24-34

I love the idea of gathering a bouquet at the end of each day to give to God. Certainly I have plenty of opportunities along the way. It is just keeping it in mind as I go and fighting the heroic fight to offer that smile when I feel like it least. Funny how such a seemingly small thing can be so very hard isn't it? Sometimes that is the most difficult thing I have done all day though, and sometimes it has taken a great deal of prayer to be able to do it. And that is what makes it the brightest flower in my bouquet for God on those days. Now I just have to remember to do it!

St. Therese's Miracle for a Father

I do not have a particular attachment to St. Therese but have been reading many tributes to her today. There is none better than the absolute miracle that she performed for Hector's father. Get the story at Beacon for Life.

The Most Peaceful and Satisfying Hour of My Day

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. In the many Churches that have this adoration, the Eucharist is displayed in a special holder called a monstrance, and people come to pray and worship Jesus continually throughout the day and often the night.

Source

This morning I'll be in of adoration of Our Lord in the Eucharist for the CRHP retreat (CRHP is described in my sidebar ... scroll down). During the retreat Adoration is held for the entire two days. Jesus is never left alone during that time. It is a privilege to sign up for a holy hour to sit at His feet in reflection, prayer, and adoration. It is doubly a privilege because, other than First Friday, this retreat is the only time that our parish has regular adoration.

Certainly it is the only time that it is held in such intimate surroundings. A special room is turned into a chapel, lit only by candlelight and with Gregorian chants playing. A kneeler is in front of the monstrance although there are also chairs ... along with plenty of kleenex (good thing because it's rare that I spend that hour without tears, whether or joy or contrition).

I have been craving this time with Him. It is a refreshment to my soul. I can't explain it except to say that Jesus is really there in the Eucharist. There is nothing like it on earth. Only when I get to Heaven will I find a closeness to Jesus that surpasses this for me, this time at the feet of my Master.

The Eucharist is the sacrament which really, truly and substantially contains the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of Bread and wine. It is the great sacrament of God's love in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace and a pledge is given to us of future glory...

No doubt, Christ is present in other ways besides the Real Presence.

• He is present when the Church prays;
• He is present when the Church performs her works of mercy;
• He is present in the Church as she governs the people of God;
• He is present in the pastors who exercise their priestly and Episcopal power;
• He is specially present in the Church when she offers in His Name the Sacrifice of the Mass;
• He is present when the Church administers the sacraments.

But the Real Presence is absolutely unique. It is the physical presence of Christ in our midst, no less truly present than He is now present at the right hand of the Father of Heaven. It is called the "Real Presence" because it is presence in the fullest sense possible. It is a substantial presence by which Christ, the God-man, is now on earth, no less truly that He was during His visible presence in history in the first century in Palestine.

Father John A. Hardon

Feast of the Guardian Angels

This Feast Day is properly celebrated on October 2 which falls on a Sunday this year so it is trumped by Mass (and quite rightly). However, I have quite an attachment to my Guardian Angel and so thought I'd put this up today.

Devotion to the Guardian Angels goes back to the beginnings of Christianity. Pope Clement X proclaimed the feast a universal celebration in the seventeenth century. The Guardian Angels serve as the messengers of God. The Almighty has allocated a Guardian Angel to each one of us for our protection and for the good of our apostolate...

We have to deal with our Guardian Angels in a familiar way, while at the same time recognizing their superior nature and grace. Though less palpable in their presence than human friends are, their efficacy for our benefit is far greater. Their counsel and suggestions come from God, and penetrate more deeply than any human voice. To reiterate, their capacity for hearing and understanding us is much superior even to that of our most faithful human friend, since their attendance at our side is continuous; they can enter more deeply into our intentions, desires and petitions than can any human being, since angels can reach our imagination directly without recourse to the comprehension of words. They are able to incite images, provoke memories, and make impressions in order to give us direction.

In Conversation With God : Feast Days July - December

As devoted as I am to the Archangels, I am especially fond of my Guardian Angel. He is always there when I need him and has a wicked sense of humor. Perhaps wicked is not the right word. He must, therefore, have an angelic sense of humor! This is one of my favorite feast days.

For my personal angel stories, as well as some general information, you can read more here, here, and here.

Prayer to One's Guardian Angel

Dear Angel,
in his goodness God gave you to me to
guide, protect and enlighten me,
and to being me back to the right way when I go astray.
Encourage me when I am disheartened,
and instruct me when I err in my judgment.
Help me to become more Christlike,
and so some day to be accepted into
the company of Angels and Saints in heaven.
Amen.

Mortification, Part II

Continued from Part I.

There are three main areas for daily mortification in our ordinary lives. First of all, there is the heartfelt and serene acceptance of the contradictions every day brings. In most cases this refers to the very small things that crop up unexpectedly, and that force us to change our plans or adjust our expectations. One example might be a minor illness that interferes with our performance at work or affects family life. Other examples would include having to put up with inclement weather, heavy traffic, the difficult personality of a colleague at work ... These circumstances are beyond our personal control. We have got to see them as providing opportunities to love God even more. None of these problems should take away our peace and joy.

If these small contradictions are not accepted for the sake of Love, they will only succeed in making people become frustrated and irritable. The great majority of our frustrations come from small contradictions which we have not accepted rather than from major disasters. The person who lies awake at night, who is gloomy, who is in a bad humor, has usually not suffered some great blow. He has simply been unable to turn small setbacks into encounters with God (A. G. Dorronsoro). Such a one loses many chances to grow in virtue. In addition, when the soul gets into the habit of accepting small reverses as divine favors it becomes better prepared to face more serious trials in union with the Lord.

God came into the world to provide a healing remedy for the root of all our rebellion and misery He destroyed many things as useless obstacles but chose to leave pain intact. He did not take away pain, but gave it a new meaning. He could have chosen a thousand different ways to accomplish the Redemption of the human race, but he chose the Cross. It was by this path that He has led his Mother Mary, Joseph, the Apostles and all the sons of God. The Lord allows evil to exist and he draws out good for our souls from it (J. Urteaga). Let us be sure to convert setbacks into occasions of interior growth.

In Conversation with God: Ordinary Time: Weeks 24-34

I have to say that when I remember to do this, offer up my annoyances, pray for those who are driving me crazy, to pray and for myself (for more patience, a better grip on my temper, etc.) not only does my day turn around but I really feel God's presence much more throughout the day. And why not? I am then focusing on pleasing Him rather than on making myself the center of the universe.

Coming Monday: the last two of three main areas for daily mortification.

The Shining Redux

The Shining the way you never imagined it. Pure genius. Don't miss it!

Great Google Links, Batman!

It seems that Spero News is coming right along as a content provider. And more people are figuring that out all the time. Pretty good considering they just got started in April or May!

Mortification, Part I

Just the word, "mortification," sounds terrible doesn't it? However, it is not such a bad thing at all and nothing "extra" for the practicing Christian who wants to draw closer to Jesus. I am going to put this reading up in three parts to make it easy to digest.

Mortification prepares the soul to listen to the Lord and to follow his Will: If we want to reach God we will have to mortify the soul and all its powers (St. Jean Vianney). Mortification can convert our souls into the good soil that will bring the divine seed to fruition. We have to weed out and burn those thorns that tend to flourish in the soul -- laziness, egoism, envy, curiosity ... This is why the church recommends that we review our spirit of penance and mortification on Fridays. This spirit will lead us to be more generous in our invitation of Christ on the Cross. Closely related to mortification is that happiness which we all find so necessary.

Anyone who intends to live his Christian faith seriously needs to put off the old nature with its practices (Col 3:9). This old nature consists in the variety of bad inclinations we have inherited from Adam. It is the triple concupiscence which we need to control through the exercise of mortification (A. Tanquerey). Mortification is not recommended as a negative action. On the contrary, it is meant to rejuvenate the soul. Mortification makes the soul better disposed to receive supernatural gifts. It also helps us to make reparation for our past sins. This is why we frequently pray to the Lord to grant us emendationem vitae, spatium verae paenitentiae, a time of true penance and reformation of life (Roman Missal). By means of the Communion of Saints we give help and strength to other members of the mystical body which is the Church.

In Conversation with God: Ordinary Time: Weeks 24-34

Coming tomorrow: the first of three main areas for daily mortification.

The First Cool Weather is Here

the breeze is cooler
and the sun sets early
now it's cocoa weather!

Monkey

I Concur.

Your Blog Should Be Yellow

You're a cheerful, upbeat blogger who tends to make everyone laugh. You are a great storyteller, and the first to post the latest funny link. You're also friendly and welcoming to everyone who comments on your blog.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Via Culture Shock and the blondelibrarian.

Do Y'all Think So?

Your Blogging Type is Social and Responsible

You enjoy blogging and do all you can to advance the blogging community. From helping friends set up blogs to getting rid of spam - you take a leadership role. A super blogger, you tend to blog regularly. You'd hate to disappoint your audience. And always appropriate, there's no way you'd blog something too personal!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

There were only four questions so it is short and sweet ... but I don't know if it is right or not. (I'm finding it difficult to evaluate my own style in this for some reason.) Via Fructis Ventris.

I Actually Stuck It Out to the Bitter End

... and there is an end. Enjoy!

Via ukok.

My Latest Spero News Article

Quick! What's For Dinner? ... a couple of cookbook recommendations for getting dinner on the table with a minimum of effort ... and recipe samples.

Leave Her at the Altar

CORPSE BRIDE
Tim Burton is one of our favorite directors. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of our favorite movies. However, Corpse Bride left us cold.

The animation was good. The voice talent was great. However, the story was extremely simple. Also, the look of the entire movie, both in the land of the living and the land of the dead was so dreary and sepia-toned that I almost fell asleep a few times. Tom said he had the same problem. As an additional irritation, the intended comic relief of a maggot (that lives inside the corpse bride's head) sounded a strident and obnoxious note that belonged in a different movie altogether.

It was not a bad movie and not a bad way to pass the afternoon. However with matinee tickets for four costing $22 my advice is to rent it later. Save your money for Serenity next weekend ... or for Wallace and Grommit the weekend after that (for more first rate animation).

HC rating: *** Good despite lack of flubber