Sunday, May 22, 2005

Movies, movies, movies

Did you see it yet? I thought it was fine. I wasn't expecting fireworks, just a decent movie, which I got. It made me want to watch ep 4 again.

If you don't know what I'm talking about...well you will tomorrow when the weekend's takes are broadcast.

Yesterday we went to see Dominion, which is the Exorcist prequel directed by Calvin College alum (and writer of Last Temptation) Paul Schraeder. According to J, it was leaps and bounds better than the Renny Harlin version that came out a couple months ago (long ugly story behind this film). I didn't see that one.

Long story short, I enjoyed it quite a bit, because it was extremely theologically astute, and good/God wins in the end, which is so rare to see these days. It's not really a horror film, it's more like a 2-hour Jonathan Edwards sermon. :) Let me take the liberty of recommending it. Be warned: it's boring (the guy next to me snored loudly through it) and not unlike sitting through a lecture. But I'm always so fascinated when someone puts people of faith (or of shaky faith) on film and actually gets it right.

And then I came home and watched The Passion of Joan of Arc, which J thinks might be the best film of all time, and I might just agree with him. It was quite outstanding. It's a silent film from the 1920's, that was thought to be lost in a fire. A crappy version hobbled together from reshoots and 2nd takes was all that survived, and even that film was considered genius. Then they found an original Danish print in 1981 in a closet in a Norweigan mental institution. Miraculous story. And it's quite the work of art. Very wrenching, and what a portrayal of a saint!

OK, I am supposed to be writing a paper, so better go.

2 comments:

kate said...

It's strange how our interests seem to continually converge...I just got that movie last week but haven't watched it yet, though now I am really looking forward to it after your review.

Catholic Girl said...

I LOVED "The Passion of Joan of Arc." Carl Dreyer was a genius.