226 Reply by Jen (edited by Jen 2005-11-27 13:51:39)

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Re: movies

CortexVortex wrote:

Hmm... never realized the metaphoric nature of most of these above mentioned films- namely the similarities with Superman and the Bible- chalk that one up to intentional ignorance on my part.......

Hi CortexVortex, here's an excerpt from an essay I wrote about Reeve and his Superman persona: 

Jen wrote:

Superman, with his X-ray vision, ability to fly, courage, and incredible strength (which could only be felled by Kryptonite--as a disabled character in the recent novel, When I Fall In Love, commented, the substance was “named after us" ) embodies  our concept of a god, or what we see as godlike. But those abilities exist for each of us, potentially, on an inner level. Just as much of the Bible’s truth is told in symbol and parable, so may the story of Superman be also. The X-ray vision becomes the ability to see beyond appearances; flying through the air becomes transcendence,  rising above limitations; and strength and courage may come down to the heroic unsung struggle: " ...you keep going even when you feel like shit..."

That last quote is taken from an interview with Reeve after he had become crippled in the riding accident.  My essay explored the implications of his disability in the context of the Superman myth.

I do agree with you about all the rehashing of whatever theme has proven to pay off at the box office.  However, there is good and original stuff out there.  I tend to stay away from the recybled stuff, mostly. 

Two movies I saw recently that I really liked:  "Wag The Dog" and
"House of Fog and Shadows."  Most NR members will be familiar with the first; I saw it for the first time last night and was very impressed, particularly with the obvious connections to the truth of how politics is orchestrated.  "House of Fog and Shadows" didn't do so well at the box office, but is a stunning exploration of the theme of how materialism and an unwillingness to compromise or see another's point of view can have tragic consequences.   Jen gives both movies five stars.

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Re: movies

Jen wrote:

Superman...embodies  our concept of a god, or what we see as godlike.

Okay, seque from the movies thread...When I was six years old, my mother took me to a doctor's office for my vaccinations.  I was terrified.  When the nurse stabbed me in the arm with a needle, I passed out cold and had a dream that Superman burst through the ceiling of the doctor's office and shot the nurse with a gun.  smile

...Superman wouldn't use a gun, but he did in my fainting spell/dream.

I also often employ the Superman pose for flying in dreams.  It works well.

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Re: movies

There's an interesting monologue about Superman in Tarrantino's Kill Bill 2 movie. In a scene near the end of the film Bill says:

"As you know...I'm quite keen on comic books.

Especially the ones about superheroes.

I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating.

Take my favorite superhero, Superman.

Not a great comic book.

Not particularly well-drawn.

Mmm.   

But the mythology...

The mythology is not only great, it's unique.

Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego.

Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker.

When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker.

He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man.

And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone.

Superman didn't become Superman.

Superman was born Superman.

When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman.

His alter ego is Clark Kent.

His outfit with the big red "S" - that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him.

Those are his clothes.

What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume.

That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us.

Clark Kent is how Superman views us.

And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent?

He's weak...

...he's unsure of himself...

...he's a coward.

Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race."

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229 Reply by Jen (edited by Jen 2005-11-28 00:53:49)

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Thanks for sharing that, Andy, intriguing, but I disagree with Bill's/Tarantino's
conclusions.   Clark Kent was not Superman's comment on the human race. He is only what the "super man" is pretending to be; his bumbling persona is only the front or cover for the super powers lurking within.  All we need is a change of "clothes" or attitude for this to emerge and manifest.

230 Reply by lyra (edited by lyra 2005-11-28 06:59:43)

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I was thinking the same thing, but didn't think it was worth commenting on.  (I figured I would sound like a comic book reading dork, which I'm not, arguing about Super Heros!  haha)  But yes, I don't agree that the alter ego of Clark Kent is how Superman views humanity -  Weak, coward, unsure of himself?  That implies that Superman looks down on humanity, and holds humanity in contempt, since those are traits with a negative connotation.  The character of Superman loves people - unconditionally, I may add, which is a really hard concept to grasp, actually.  No matter who does what bad things to him, he will not hurt them or kill them, and he won't hold it against them.  He forgives and moves on.  He loves people.   That's why he does what he does.  If he thought of us in those terms he wouldn't bother being Superman.  In that way, it does make him exactly like what Jesus is supposed to be about, when you think about it.   

Then again, consider the source......Quentin Tarantino.   That would be Tarantino's take on Superman now, wouldn't it?  wink   I wouldn't expect anything less from the 6+ foot guy who looks like a reptilian in disguise, purvayor of violence and gore and depravity, just for the sake of shock.  And other agendas.   But I digress.

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231 Reply by Jen

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Great point about Tarantino's character affecting his p.o.v. there! I do think he's a very innovative filmmaker but I confess the gore turns me off to most of his work.  Same with David Lynch, although Mulholland Drive was very interesting.

I see Superman as a prototype, just as Jesus was,  of our true nature that we paradoxically are to evolve into. One more piece of the puzzle that we are to put together via our collective unconscious...

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A journalist wrote:

Michael Bay was offered to direct the film again, but he felt the script violated the essence of Superman and refused the offer.   Source

Pity if that's true.  I thought it was cool that they were keeping the original score and a lot of story elements from the first movie.  I hope they haven't managed to mess it up anyway.

233 Reply by visavis (edited by visavis 2005-11-28 16:48:59)

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Re: movies

Jen wrote:

Two movies I saw recently that I really liked:  "Wag The Dog" and
"House of Fog and Shadows."  Most NR members will be familiar with the first; I saw it for the first time last night and was very impressed, particularly with the obvious connections to the truth of how politics is orchestrated.  "House of Fog and Shadows" didn't do so well at the box office, but is a stunning exploration of the theme of how materialism and an unwillingness to compromise or see another's point of view can have tragic consequences.   Jen gives both movies five stars.

Jen, do you mean 'House of Sand and Fog' (2003, Ben Kingsley) or 'Shadows and Fog' (1992)?  If it's the former, I really liked the first half then hated the ending.   But, I was also a wee bit more structuredly idealistic then too.  Btw, my girlfriend absolutely loved it.

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234 Reply by Jen

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Thanks for the correction, visavis.  Yes, I meant House of Sand And Fog.  And I totally understand about your hating the ending--a real shocker.  But memorable at the same time.

235 Reply by lyra (edited by lyra 2005-11-29 09:41:26)

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Saw an interesting movie last night, "K-PAX", starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges, about a man who may or may not be an alien from a planet called K-PAX, (Spacey) and the psychiatrist, (Bridges) assigned to work with him at the mental hospital where he's been put.   

All I've ever heard about this movie are bad reviews, so I stayed away, quite foolishly.  But I understand now why people hate this movie.  [WARNING!  PSEUDO-SPOILER AHEAD....BUT DON'T WORRY, I DON'T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY!  smile  )  It doesn't have a clear-cut definitive ending.  It's open-ended.  There are several possibilities for what could be going on, and one of those possibilities is something that most people aren't even aware of.   So it would naturally go right over their heads, and they'd walk out of the theater hurling popcorn at the screen, grumbling and cussing.  hehe

I believe that the average Noble Realmer would get it though, and for that reason I recommend checking this one out.  It's just a good movie in its own right, touching and intelligent, that just happens to be about something that NR'ers would enjoy.   smile  I had a coupon from Blockbuster that allowed me to get it for free, but it's worth the $1.99 rental price.

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Yeah K-PAX is a great film.  Spacey is always good anyway...but the theme in this film really is interesting.  Unfortunatly it's not the only movie out there that gets bad reviews just because people don't understand it.  Anyway - I never read movie reviews, come to think of it, I can't even remember ever reading one.  After all if we don't tend to read the news because its all biassed / subjective BS, how is a review going to be any different?

Anyway, I think some of us here could relate to Spacey's character in many ways.  Sort of being mis-understood, in some respects it is like being an alien among all the "normal" people.  It's a very clever film anyway.  From what I understand it is bassed on a novel of the same name, which also has two sequals.  I have never read them, but bassed on the film I would imagine they are worth a read...

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I liked K-Pax too for the most part, but as I think about it I'm concerned that it adds to the "love your aliens" mind-jobbing... 

Spacey is a great actor however, he seems to actually *become* the role, sometimes eerily.

"The unknown does not incite fear, but dependence on the known does." - J. Krishnamurti

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I watched K-Pax a while back and liked it - though I had recorded it from TV and I think they cut some things out that made it rather choppy... and because of that I wasn't immediately sure about the resolution/explanation that I don't want to mention here.  If you get that, then I think it's a very good movie.

It reminded me a lot of one of my favorite movies from the late 80s which is not on DVD yet - Man Facing Southeast.   Has anyone here seen that film?   It is a wonderfully done Argentinian film that likely influenced the movie K-Pax.  I am really hoping it gets released on DVD soon.  I'd love to see it again.

239 Reply by Xenopope (edited by Xenopope 2005-11-29 18:53:22)

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Re: movies

Marcus wrote:

Yeah K-PAX is a great film.  Spacey is always good anyway...but the theme in this film really is interesting.

. . ok, so K-Pax (the guy) was the guy who's wife and daughter were murdered and who committed suicide in the river but in another life? His 'friend' in the regression session was HIM when he lived on earth, right? What is the relationship between the guy who lived on earth and died in the river and K-Pax's earth visitation during the movie?? I know there's something I'm not getting there . . .

visavis wrote:

I liked K-Pax too for the most part, but as I think about it I'm concerned that it adds to the "love your aliens" mind-jobbing...

K-Pax deserves to be loved! They're not all bad, you know!

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240 Reply by lyra (edited by lyra 2005-11-29 19:09:01)

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Xenopope wrote:

. . . ok, so K-Pax (the guy) was the guy who's wife and daughter were murdered and who committed suicide in the river but in another life? His 'friend' in the regression session was HIM when he lived on earth, right? What is the relationship between the guy who lived on earth and died in the river and K-Pax's earth visitation during the movie?? I know there's something I'm not getting there . . .

AHHHH!   Like, a LOT you're not getting!   My head hurts!  My head hurts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did we even watch the same movie???

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

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"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit ... what a ride!"  - Anonymous
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