Holy Metaphors, Batman!

After the tragedy in Aurora, it took me a little time to get around to seeing The Dark Knight Rises. After finally seeing it, though, you had to know I'd have something to say about it!

The Dark Knight Rises logo

For those who haven't seen it yet, I recommend you see the movie before continuing, as A) it's very good, and B) this post will necessarily contain some important spoilers. For those who continue, I'll explain how The Dark Knight Rises has a lot to say to Christians about spiritual warfare.

What's the Big Idea?

When I first heard the Farrelly Brothers were making a modern version of The Three Stooges, I was less than enthusiastic. I thought, "What's the big idea? How can you make a Three Stooges movie without any of the original Three Stooges?" But after the trailer showed that the new Stooges looked and sounded a lot like the originals, curiosity got the best of me, and I had to see it!

The new Three Stooges © 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Well, like a slap in the face, I was completely amazed by what I saw! Although I was still skeptical going in, I found the whole thing to be a pleasant surprise that stayed very much in the spirit of the originals while bringing in new material. If you liked the old Stooges, I imagine you'll like the new ones, too!

Thoughts on the 'Movie Massacre'

Devastating news this morning.

A gunman opened fire in a crowded theater in Aurora, Colorado last night at the midnight showing of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. As of the last report, 14 people are dead, and as many as 50 are injured. Several are critical. Children are among the victims, including one baby reportedly shot point blank. It's terrible! It's almost unbelievable! It's so incredibly sad!

Supposedly, the shooter was wearing a gas mask and a bulletproof vest, so reporters say he may have resembled the villain, Bane. As I picture the scene in my mind, the chaos they describe feels a lot like something right out of one of these modern movies. Batman's universe has always been a place filled with chaos and fear, but you don't expect that image to step off the screen and into our world. It makes you wonder what could happen next. It stirs up strong emotions.

What do we do when chaos and fear threaten to overtake our world?

Don't Drink My Milkshake!

In 2008, There Will Be Blood was nominated for eight Oscars. It won two, including the Best Actor award for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Daniel Plainview. I didn't get around to watching it until this week when I discovered it on my cable service's "On Demand" platform. I must confess I was totally unprepared. The description on IMDB says, "A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business." I read the description, noticed the poster and came to the conclusion: Western. I figured the title probably referred to typical cowboy movie violence.

I was wrong.

There were no bandits robbing the stagecoach. There were no shoot-outs at the local saloon. In fact, there really wasn't as much bloodshed as you might expect, given the title. But when there was violence, it was brief but brutal.

Instead of a modern take on the traditional western, what I found myself watching that night was an interesting but sad commentary on the downward spiral of a life without God.

Andy Griffith - America's TV Dad

July 4th is a day of great celebration here in the United States, but this year it feels a little more somber than usual because just yesterday we had to say goodbye to Andy Griffith. Andy is remembered for his roles in great movies like A Face in the Crowd and No Time for Sergeants, and for his work later on TV’s Matlock. But Andy is best remembered as Sheriff Andy Taylor on the greatest TV show ever made, The Andy Griffith Show, which aired for eight seasons on CBS in the ‘60s and has lived on continuously in re-runs for over 50 years. The news of Andy's death seems doubly harsh because it's only been a couple months since we lost Andy's friend and co-star, George 'Goober' Lindsey.

Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor

Few shows have endured as long or captured the hearts of millions quite like The Andy Griffith Show. Maybe that's because the show wasn't just hilarious, but it also had heart. The host of lovable characters often remind us of people we know, their small-town problems tend to hit close to home, and we share many of the same traditional family values portrayed on the screen (or we wish more people did!). In many ways, we feel as if we know the people of Mayberry, and their town is also our hometown, or we wish it was.

One of the most endearing aspects of the show for me was the father-son relationship between Andy and Opie. As a little boy, I looked up to my dad the way Opie looked up to Andy, and I hope some day to have a little one who will look up to me the same way. I want to be that kind of dad.

My Spider-Sense is Tingling

My spider-sense tells me there's a new Spider-Man movie coming out soon (OK, not really - I saw a trailer for it). The Amazing Spider-Man is set to hit US theaters on July 3, and will star Andrew Garfield in the title role instead of Tobey Maguire. After seeing the extended trailer, I have high hopes, but it'll have to be really good to replace 2002's Spider-Man as my favorite Spidey adventure. While we wait for the new movie to come out, let me share some thoughts about the original.

A couple months ago, I shared about how I see Superman as a sort of "type" for Christ. Well just as Superman can be seen as a representative for Jesus, I think Spider-Man makes a good representative for Christians. The 2002 movie also stands as an explanation of the two ways people can be transformed.

What Do You See?

Mr. Elwood P. Dowd is a kind, gentle, soft-spoken man. He is well-mannered and easy-going. He loves to pay compliments and invite people over to dinner - even people he has just met! He will just as quickly befriend a drunkard or an ex-con as anyone else. You might say he's never met a stranger! By his own admission, he believes every day is a beautiful day, and he has learned to find something pleasant in every situation. "I always have a wonderful time wherever I am, whomever I'm with," says Mr. Dowd.

In short: he's crazy!

People think he's crazy not so much because he's always so pleasant (although perhaps that's a good enough reason nowadays!), but because whenever you meet him, the first thing Mr. Dowd wants to do is introduce you to his best friend, Harvey. Harvey is also very easy-going and soft-spoken. He and Mr. Dowd make an excellent pair.

Oh, and by the way, Harvey is a six foot tall white rabbit (six feet, three and a half inches, to stick to the facts).

And he's invisible.

Think Pink

Whenever the Pink Panther diamond is missing, we all know who to call... Inspector Jacques Clouseau! (or is that CHIEF Inspector?)

Sellers as Clouseau in 'Revenge of the Pink Panther' (1978)

Many have imitated, but none can replace the great Peter Sellers, who - with writer/director Blake Edwards - created and perfected the character in a series of loosely connected films in the 1960s and '70s. The movies were so popular that the cartoon Pink Panther character who appeared in the first film's opening credits inspired a series of animated short films of his own! The animated version of the inspector from the second film's credits likewise got his own series of short films. In the live-action realm, Alan Arkin, Rich Little, Roger Moore, Ted Wass (as another detective), Roberto Benigni (as Clouseau's son), and most recently Steve Martin have all tried their best to take Sellers' place, but most agree that no one holds a candle to the original.

My personal favorites are 1964's A Shot in the Dark and 1975's The Return of the Pink Panther, but I also must admit I thoroughly enjoyed Steve Martin's reinvention in 2006's The Pink Panther. I know many "Panther-purists" may be unhappy with me for saying that, so let me try to explain myself.

The Real McCoy (And the Real Hatfield!)

Last week, The History Channel aired a three-part miniseries about the legendary blood feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. More than 13 million people tuned in to watch this dramatic reenactment of a nearly 30-year war that broke out between two Appalachian families at the end of the Civil War. The show set a new record as the most-viewed telecast ever on basic cable!

Now, I've lived most of my life only a couple hours from where all the action took place, but I have to admit, I never took the time to dig in and learn what really happened until now. As it turns out, it's an interesting tale - albeit incredibly sad - with much to teach us.

Kevin Costner as Mr. Hatfield and Bill Paxton as Mr. McCoy

Randolph "Ole Ran'l" McCoy and Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield started out as friends. They served together on the Confederate side of the Civil War, but through a series of events, that friendship became strained and eventually the bad blood between the two families got out of control. For one thing, Mr. McCoy may have felt put out when Mr. Hatfield found an excuse to abandon their Confederate band and returned home to build a profitable business while the others were out fighting. A land dispute between Mr. Hatfield and one of Mr. McCoy's relatives (and a later dispute over some hogs) did nothing to ease the tension. And things got even worse when it was suspected that one of Mr. Hatfield's relatives had shot one of Mr. McCoy's relatives after an argument. These and other conflicts would be hard for anyone to ignore, so it's no wonder the McCoys became so upset with their neighbors across the river!

The Real King

"The Hillbilly Cat"       "The Memphis Flash"       "The Pelvis"

Whatever you call him, there's no denying that Elvis Presley is the King of Rock 'n' Roll. 149 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, of which 114 were Top 40 songs, 40 were Top 10, and 18 went to #1. Over a billion records sold worldwide. Over 150 different albums and singles certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum. Even now, 35 years after his death, Elvis' popularity continues. Over 600,000 people visit his home, Graceland, each year. Last weekend, Amber and I visited both the Graceland mansion in Memphis, TN and the tiny two-room house in Tupelo, MS where Elvis spent his early years.

Obviously, as I mentioned last month, I'm an Elvis person. I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. I used to sing Elvis songs for my friends in elementary school. I impersonated him once for a church talent show. I've even dressed up as Elvis for Halloween a couple times!