A Good Sum Up of Our Mission

A couple weeks back (our first class), I remember Prof. Leeper telling us about his dislike for the movie Fireproof.  At first, I didn't quite believe my ears.  I remember, before coming to Huntington, dreading the possibility that we, as filmmakers, animators (etc.), would have to model our work in the pattern of movies like Fireproof.  Now I don't want to start a war; I respect certain aspects of the movie, and I don't have anything against people who like it.  But,  even after seeing Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous play consecutively each year at my home church, I couldn't help but feel uneasy about them.  

But after today's class, I think I finally understand what the problem is with these films, and how we as Christians should impact the media in a different light.  Now, I believe they do a decent job of identifying with the Christian audience, but who else is going to want to watch them? There's nothing there for the rest of the world to relate to, and I find it difficult to believe that they can be converted through these films.  As Christians, our goal is to go out into the world and tell the lost about Jesus and the good news of the Gospel...these films do not do that.  The way I see it, these films' sole purpose is to throw up Christianity at our culture and slap Bibles over the heads of those who do not believe it.  That's not the way to defend the faith.  You have to come at the unbelievers from their own point of view.  Always be confident in what you believe, but also be open to the views of the world, and always ask questions.  Our main mission as filmmakers is to tell a good story first and foremost, as we learned in class today.  That's what will interest everybody, because everybody can relate to a good story.  From that point, as I understand it, we can subtly integrate our faith into many aspects of the movie.  As we saw in class today, It's a Wonderful Life does a fantastic job with that.  I never even considered its Catholic background.  Now just imagine what would happen if Christian filmmakers could create such a film! 

Now, I'm open to opposing viewpoints...I understand that these films can be life-changing for some people.  I just have a hard time seeing it.  

Fun Fact: It's a Wonderful Life is my family's Christmas Eve movie.  

                                      

I really liked the lesson today. I felt like it was made clear as to what our responsibilities as christian filmmakers are. Professor Leeper had us raise our hand if we've felt pressured to- at the end of our time in university- have careers of making films that are exclusively "christian". Many of us shot our hand up. He responded saying that that is not the goal. If anyone feels called to do that, then great. But if we know ourselves and our beliefs, then it will be evident in our work, and the audience will figure this out while watching.


Frank Capra reveals hints of Catholicism in his film It's a Wonderful Life. When George asks Mary if she wants the moon, she responds asking what she would do with it. George tells her she would eat it, and then moonbeams would come out of her fingers, toes, and hair. This image of Mary strongly relates to the Immaculate Conception, a very well known image of Mary, Jesus' mom, and has been done by many artists. While this is not enough to make it a "religious film", it still gives the audience a chance to find relation between the movie and the religious things they know. And for audience members who don't pick up on that- at the very least it gets them thinking.    

Marx Bros. fanatic

I know they aren’t as deep, and emotional as things like the Lunch Box, but I think the Marx Brothers are excellent. Their films are hilarious, and they don’t need to be anything more. We don’t always need films to be an examination of ourselves and society. The reason I don’t think they are stupid is partly because of how I relate to the characters, especially Harpo (curly haired, silent guy who had the loud horn, and a top hat). Harpo despite being a bit dishonest, facetious, and naughty has a big heart. The way Harpo acts with people when they are seriously hurt is beautiful. In terms of music Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo make some pretty insanely good music onscreen. Harpo plays the harp, Chico plays the piano, and Zeppo sort of sings… sort of.  Much like Leeper’s friend who found the book about Mary, I found the Marx Brothers in a hard time. I wasn’t laughing much, sick, bored, and tired the Marx Brothers helped with that. So despite the fact that they are admittedly stupid (and Groucho admits this himself in a letter published in The Groucho letters) they are always worth re-watching over and over again.  

High Comedy in Low Tide

So we saw some funny stuff in class, but I don't think that they all quite captured enough of the Gospel as comedy. Rural red riding hood was classic slapstick, though of course Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin do it better. But for all the fits and giggles we went through, it didn't really do much for me. The Lunch Date, was a brilliant story of mistaken identity and brotherly love among strangers. The example of love showed by the black man, when the white woman thought he had taken her salad and so tried to take it back, was exemplary of the grace God shows to us as we reach for what we shouldn't have. This was great to see, but it kind of just left the point hanging there. Great job for getting the thinkers thinking but as a bad viewer, I expect a payoff. I expect an ending. The funny thing is that I already had my ending, even though I didn't know it. In chapel we had an hour of praise and worship. The songs declared God's might and constant presence while also calling us to admit our brokenness. Here I heard the tragedy and it sank in, but the comedy of how impossible God is brought my spirit up to the point that I sang til my throat was raw. I laughed all the way to class thinking how funny it was that such a great and powerful God cares anything for me personally with so much going on in his creation. I chuckled at how he loves me and how that feeling warms me from my nose to my toes. Then I came into class and laughed all the harder at the gags and tumbles in the videos we watched. Seeing the comedy of life makes everything so beautiful and brilliant. But as I write this, I am tired and sleepy, so it makes me a little more...I want to say objective but the word is negative. Sometimes it is hard to see the high comedy of God in things, but knowing it is there makes even the most logical of a person burst with joy at times. And those are the times I live for. So in the words of Yakko Warner...

Comedy

It was an interesting topic to talk about in class. Comedy can come in many different forms of film or in our everyday lives. When I think about comedy I think of classic cartoons and comedians that tell jokes or do silly things to make us laugh about the events that are happening in our country during that time. When we think about some of those events we think it's terrible, but when a comedian points it out we laugh and think how ridiculous it all is. It's also strange when you look back on death and how it changes us. For example, my great-uncle passed away a few years ago from cancer, my whole family was devastated. During the visitation everyone who knew him came and some told stories of when he was young. One of these stories we still remember for it made us laugh and smile, when he was in high school or college he ran across the gym with only a belt and shoes and the person who told us was the person who drove the escape car. Even though it was a sad day we still laughed and later realized through him we became stronger in our faith and with our family.

A lunch date with Robin Williams!!

In class on Tuesday we discussed comedy.  We learned that unlike tragedy, comedy is unforeseeable.  Which is true in a way somewhat.  Though the best comedy is something you can not predict it can still be good.  A great example of unpredictable comedy is the late and great Robin Williams.  We were shown an interview of him on the Jimmy Carson show (I believe that was it).  It was really funny.  He went from trying to eat the mic to drinking Carson's coffee.  I didn't think he was going to do any of that and it was great.  Now lunch date a short film we watched is about an older lady who misses her train and stops at the train stop dinner.  When she orders her salad and leaves it at her table while she goes get her civil ware.  When she comes back she finds a man sitting there eating her salad.  First she accuses him of eating her salad and he just gives her the look of craziness.  So she just stares him down.  Finally she starts to pick at the salad while he is eating it.  After a while he comes stops eating and gets two cups of coffee.  It is almost as if he is apologizing for eating her salad.  Then the woman leaves to catch her train.  About half way to the train she realizes she left her bags at the dinner.  She goes back to see they are missing.  She gets very upset and starts pacing around.  You see her bags in the next booth along with her salad uneaten.  She realizes this and starts laughing as she takes her bags and leave.  Though if you pay attention you can see that her bags aren't in "her" booth with the man.  It is predictable but still funny.  Why you may ask?  Because there is a good chance that you have done something stupid like that such as putting your bags in a car that looks like your's only to realize that it isn't yours.  It is moments like this that make you laugh and wonder what you were thinking.  It is especially funny because it isn't officially you messing up it is someone else.  So I leave you with the great words of Mel Brooks on comedy "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."

Comedy. Simply Comedy.

Comedy. It is one of the most important parts of our culture. It can make us laugh, think, or get angry! Comedy has so many different reactions with how people react. It is also one of the hardest things to talk about since people have so many different sense of humor. Somebody make smirk at people who chuckles at a fart joke yet has a riot with dark humor. It's such a simple yet broad subject. But I don't have the single idea what to talk about and I don't want to try too hard to be a wannabe philosopher on campus...Phil! So here is a film we watched.



The Lunch Date is a short film that is about a woman who is missed a train. She decided to wait for the next train so she decided to order food at the diner. She decided to order a salad, pick her booth, get a fork, and go back to her booth with a guy eating her salad-wait! Furious, she asks the guy to leave, but he just keeps on eating it. So after a while she eats part of the salad. The guy has a great reaction. Seriously, it's pretty funny. And then it turns into a television pilot where two people are competitively eating food! And this episode is a determined old lady versus a care-free black man (not being racist, just stating the obvious GEEZE!). Place your bets! Eventually the black man decided to accept his defeat to the old lady, which should be everyone's reaction let's be honest! He then leaves and get's her what I'm guessing coffee. She then decides to leave and catch her train, only to realize she left her bag at the cafe. When she returns, the man left with what we presume her bag, and she begins to panic. Now here's the punchline: her bag was at the booth behind her, along with her untouched salad just sitting there! Now that was funny! She saw it and laughed, and then catched her train. The end.

This movie is an excellent use of comedy. It has a great set up, build up, and pay off. It plays with our knowledge and what we presume know, only to have something unexpected to happen at the end. And I feel that this is a good blueprint for film makers or anyone going into the entertainment industry. This is how comedy can work effectively. It doesn't need to be over-the-top, racy, or juvenile, and there is nothing wrong with that. It just needs to have the three things that makes this film work; set up, build up; and pay off.

Here's the video BTW:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epuTZigxUY8

Also yes I do know that there is a bit of a race undertone with this film and I do know that it won an Oscar, but honestly I don't care 'bout that! It's all about the silly old lady not noticing her seat.

Also also, I wonder what the guy was thinking. I mean this should make for an interesting conversation piece. "So this one time I entered a competitive salad eating contest with an old lady who thought I was eating her salad!"

The Joy Of Comedy

2014. What a year it has been.
For me, tragedy is what has been defining my life this year. God has thrown many things at me this year that truly tested my faith. My faith however, is what has been made stronger through these tragedies of life. I will explain why after I tell you about the year.
You see, in January my grandfather, who I was very close to, died of a heart attack. He was an incredible man of God, and led his family in ways that I rarely see among others.
Then in March, the woman he had been married to for 67 years, also died. A stroke is what took her life, but I don't believe that was the only thing that took it. She died because her only reason for living left her 2 months before.
With the grandparents both passing in a matter of 2 months, I found it hard to get out of the sadness. I could not stop asking God why it had to end as it did. Couldn't he have made it easier for all of us?

In June, I had the opportunity of playing in the worship band at the church camp I've attended since 2nd grade. It had always been a dream of mine to play with the band, and on the first year of not being a camper, I got to do it. I could not have been more excited and happy. It was finally a highlight for the year.
During the week, on Wednesday to be exact, I received a call from a friend who broke more terrible news to me. He said that our friend Corey had just ended his own life with a 12 gauge shotgun.

While Corey was sitting in his pickup truck with that gun pointed in his face... where was God?

I struggled and struggled with that question, and to be completely honest, I still haven't figured out the answer. Will I ever figure it out? Maybe not.

I poured so much emotion, time, tears, breath, and thought into all the death that had happened around me, I never thought I would figure it all out. I thought I would be forever confused and depressed about everything. But now, I can happily say, I got it figured out.

I'm so happy about the horrible things that happened in my life this year.

How can we appreciate happiness with the sadness? How can we feel truly alive, if there's nothing to test our resolve. Sadness makes me feel human. The only possible way we can feel sadness, is if we have already felt extreme happiness. And we cannot feel happiness if we haven't experienced sadness. These tear-jerking deaths in my life will make the laughter-inducing situations all the better. It's beautiful.

Why did I wait until we were talking about Comedy to post this? Well first of all because I didn't want to talk about it at all. But I finally decided to open up, and reveal my thoughts because they seem so important to this class.
But I also feel like it is appropriate now because I want people to be happy with my post. I want people to see this and learn from my experience. The incredible thing is, God knew that I would eventually come to terms with it in the way I have. And now, through my tragedy, God can help others see that he created comedy and laughter as a way of making us feel human. I'm happy that God chose me, and put me through terrible things, in order to show his grace to everyone around me.
And I thank God for that every day.

My favorite film from Tuesday was "The Lunch Date"
Her laughter at the end illustrates how we all felt about her situation. And it showed me things aren't always what they seem.

Good or Bad? That is the Question...

Ahh~ Lovely comedy. The one thing that I live for. Okay, maybe not literally but you get the point. Anyway, comedy to me has definitely helped me through some pretty tough times within my short lifetime. Just like what was said in class its was helps soften the blow if you will of the hardest and most toughest times of reality.

Good Vs. Bad:

Generally you would think of a bad movie when it doesn't have a "good" plot or something generally along those lines. But like what Mr. Leeper had said during class session we shouldn't judge the movie or the people who watch it just basing it on it's "bad" quality. I remember someone bringing up the movie series, Transformers. Yes, it popular. But in my opinion I think they started out really well but after the sequel they just kind of lost my interest for it. Now don't get me wrong, I love the robotic graphics and art in those movies in fact, that's one of the reasons why I started watching those films but the plot and everything else just doesn't seem to satisfy me. But that's me.

Personally the best film that I have seen so far is Hugo. Just the way everything is tied together in that film makes me want to watch and re-watch it over and over again. But like said before, everyone has different views and opinions.

But all in all, you shouldn't judge a movie just by its plot and what its suppose to tell you. Even though you may not see the deeper parts of the movie doesn't mean its not a "good" movie. In someone else's eyes they might have experience that gives them advantage in finding that deeper feeling or they just know what to look for. But either way, I think we as a society should try opening our minds a bit before judging a film based on the book that's it represents or the film in general.


 

Reading the Blues

I worked in a library for 2 years prior to coming to Huntington, despite the fact that I have always been a bad reader.  I was in special reading classes in elementary school, barely read anything in middle school, and to top it off I have bad eyesight in general. I didn’t like reading. Needless to say I was surprised when I was hired at my local library, and I loved it. The library truly is a gem filled with so many wonderful stories, and it always made me a little sad when I found a book that I enjoyed thoroughly that seemed as though it hadn’t been touched in years. A wide portion of the books I handled were probably good. A wide portion of the books that were good were probably books I would have enjoyed. It is seldom likely however, that I would have double-read or dove into any of the books I may have enjoyed.

Living in this world means that time is money and when you can be fed books at a quicker pace that’s usually what people tend to do. It’s hard for me and others who can relate, to pick up a book, good or bad, and take it for what it is. It’s really hard to understand why some stories are made to be sad or confusing, or controversial, but that’s when a bad reader can decide to be a good one and take the book at face value. Sometimes I picked up books and wondered how did this ever get published? Maybe if I would have looked at the story from another angle or reread it, it would have made more sense…maybe.

There is such a thing as a bad book and it’s mainly because what we see published now is the same thing the world has been giving us forever. The stories aren’t original. Because everything is in the media and can be seen nearly instantaneously on the internet, people are able to just bounce the same old stories around and give them to us in a shiny new package. Maybe that’s another one of the reasons I’m a bad reader; I’ve heard these stories before.  I’ll be a better reader when someone gives me something worth reading well. 

Comedy

Three of the comedic short films that stuck out to me the most were Little Rural Riding Hood, the Buster Keaton film, and the appearance of Robin Williams on the Johnny Carson show. Little Rural Riding Hood was very enjoyable because of the way it showed how people react in different situations. The rural wolf didn't belong in the city just like the city wolf didn't belong in the country. Both of them stuck out like a sore thumb when they were out of their element, adding to the comedic effect of this satirical film. 

In the Buster Keaton short, the lack of words only added to the comedic value of the piece. The comedy came in the form of the actions that the main actor was performing instead of what was being said. This was a refreshing change of pace from today’s comedic movies and in many ways it was even funnier.  I laughed especially hard when he was caught cleaning a fake window and when the horse was trying on new shoes.

In my opinion the best piece we viewed in class was the Robin Williams appearance because of his great impact on comedy and the lasting legacy he will have on the genre forever. I really enjoyed the dolphin skit he performed and the trick or trout story he told because of the way it connected with the audience.    

On September 9, Professor Leeper began class by reading another one of those prayers from the "Prayers From the Ark" book again. The first couple he read in previous classes never stood out to me, but I actually enjoyed the one he shared about the rooster. I thought the author, Carmen Bernos De Gasztold, wrote a clever prayer about a rooster that seems to know exactly what his role is in the world: to make the sun rise. He affirms God that he is His servant, but nevertheless, he wants God to back off and let him do his job. 

I don't think the rooster is serious when he says this. He knows he is powerless, but he still likes to pretend he makes the sun come up. He's got himself convinced, and maybe all his other animal friends convinced, and he just wants God to believe him also. 


This made me think of our relationship to God: as humans we tend to be very serious and reverent towards God. Maybe animals like to push God's buttons a little and tell him how things really are. And the comedic response of God seems to be Him shaking his head saying "whatever, sure, ya, ok, whatever floats your boat." 

It's Good to be Bad (Sometimes)

One thing I really took away from yesterday's class was the good reader/bad reader idea. I've only thought about this concept briefly before, with not much depth. I really like it though. Some things we can all agree are terrible. The book just wasn't written well, grammar mistakes, or the film was sloppy and the acting was off. Sure, those are trivial things we can all agree on that make bad art. But what makes something good or bad is really what you take away from it. There are some movies I really don't like except for maybe a certain scene or snippets of dialogue. Then there are others that some might say aren't the best, or outdated, and I can agree but I love them anyway.

That's right, Leeper. Superhero movies included. They're my thing.

The good reader/bad reader idea is interesting. We all have different opinions and can take away whatever we choose from art. My best friend and I had this going on in my Senior AP English class. She really loved Pride & Prejudice and it's romance - it bored me to death and wasn't romantic at all. I liked Crime & Punishment and saw the spiritual value in it - she thought the ending was awful because the main character didn't die. We both had different opinions and that doesn't mean that either book is bad. When I thoroughly enjoy a book or a movie, I grab onto it and don't let go. I try to take in everything I can. I've watched some movies over 10 times and still aren't tired of them. One show I even basically quote every episode and it's a constant thing in my household. Then there are the movies where I watch it for the first time, and I kind of like/dislike it in waves. First time I love it, then I think about it..and think about..until I almost unravel the entire movie. Then I watch it again and appreciate it. So I go in lapses. What movies/books do you guys do this with?

Pen Light, instead of Foxes, Subways, and salads

 

                One thing has been sticking with me all day, when Mr. Leeper said (forgive me if I can’t quote it exactly) “on an all Christian campus with bright light everywhere it seems sometimes like I’m only holding up a pen light, like its worthless”. I think that captures faith exactly for me, how often I feel my faith is not even as large as a mustard seed. I look around me to see most everyone doing so well, or at least knowing as much about God as I, so whom shall I witness to? Is it insane that I miss discussing with my atheist friends why I do not always agree with them on issues of origin? I think not, God calls us to go out into the world, and proclaim the Good News to every nation, and every people. I think he puts the desire to talk about these things with those who disagree, but I know why I’m here, to prepare myself for when I leave Huntington to speak to the world God gave each one of us. An upside to this campus to me isn’t being surrounded by people who agree with me, but with ones that disagree on some fundamental levels, if not on where we came from. So though my light is but a flicker of a candle, each light is a different color, making each person distinctive if not biblically correct all the time. In a way that unity despite difference is beautiful.

Should We Call Christian Films Bad?

We talked about a lot of interesting things in class yesterday, The Gospel as Comedy, Good Reader; Bad Reader, and The Prayer of the Glowworm. These were all great, but I’ll be sharing my thought on one of the more secondary points talked about in class. During our time in class I expressed my distaste for the Transformers movies and how I didn’t understand why people would waste their time watching these films, but Professor Leeper pointed out, and rightly so, that I shouldn’t be so quick to judge those films and the people who watch them. Because, while I may see it as a piece of garbage, someone else, who is just as, if not more intelligent than myself, may get something out of the film that speaks to them in a special way. In light of this, why do we exclude Christian films from this standard? I’ll use Fireproof as an example here. Many people hate this film and consider it a piece of garbage, and maybe their right, but could they also be wrong? I’m sure there are countless examples of people, Christian and non-Christian who have watched Fireproof, or any other Christian film, and have gotten something special out of it, something that other people may have missed. Like Transformers, maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to judge Christian films, because possibly, we may be missing something.

I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this

BenCrane