Reviews

It's a horror movie in outer space, much like Alien, but looks like Gravity. I found it disturbing, which I suppose horror firms are intended to do -- but regret having watch it now. Some horrible images will stay in my mind for awhile now.

Like Blade Runner it's a dystopian future, and in this is mass human experimentation by heartless corporations, as well a brutal prize fighting. But it's not a martial arts movie. It's a movie about the sacrifices that one man makes to try to save his family. I thought it extremely well done and compelling, and somewhat sad. There is a hint of the original French revolution throughout, which is interesting. The setting is Paris.

Both the original and the remake are with seeing. The original is slower, less action, but mores science, and the remake is fast-faced as is normal in today's thrillers. They're both good. The twists in the remake regarding the source of the virus were convoluted and at times a bit implausible. In the original it is just some random space virus from a comet -- more plausible. Having just seen the remake it makes me want to see the original again, after many years.

I just finished binge-watching Season 1, which appears to be all there , thus far on Netflix, from Noah to the Crucifixion. Overall, it's worth watching. It's clearly taking a page out of The Ten Commandments in showing the miracles in Egypt, and Gibson's depiction of the Passion (excessive bloodiness and a lot of tears). It's clearly an American production in many ways, with a target audience of evangelical Christians.

I noticed right off that it was racially diverse, although Jesus is portrayed as the traditional white representation, not a dark-skinned Jew. But Sampson is a black man and he is persecuted for going out with a white girl (a very civil rights interpretation). Angels often appear as black men as well, and there is one Asian angel. I believe this was to appeal to black evangelical audiences. The racial diversity was not over-played, though, and it highlighted the universality of the Gospel message.

There was quite a bit of martial arts and swordplay in the series -- very Hollywood. It's a bit gory in places, perhaps too much so, and I found myself skipping past scenes with excessive violence. It's not for everyone.

The biggest tip-off that this was written by and intended for evangelical audiences was the representation of Jesus as a saying that he is the Son of God -- from the Gospel of John. The other gospels are not as clear about that, and the historical record seems to indicate that Jesus regarded himself as a rabbi, not as the Messiah.

Another small point: there is a lot the series skips over in Old Testament history, though I suppose that's necessary when you are dealing with so many stories. I do commend the writers for keeping the story going in an engaging, entertaining, and meaningful way. The spirit of the Bible is well portrayed.

A last point: it is heavy in miracles and the supernatural. Jefferson's Bible cuts out all such miracles, focusing instead on Jesus' ethical teachings. This story, like Hollywood depictions, use CGI liberally to show miracles from God. It is an example of biblical literalism. It might have been more powerful to interpret it without such imagery, but it would have been less entertaining too. And some people's faith is based on biblical literalism, as much or more than inner spiritual transformations. However, one could also tell these stories from the vantage of rational religion, showing inner transformations. It's hard to convey this in stories, so miracles are used as representations -- but the danger is that they are then taken literally -- which for some engenders disbelief.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would happily watch Season 2. I found it thought-provoking and a good way for lay audiences to engage with the Bible stories -- which in this day and age would be a good thing. I don't think secular society has done the world that much good, all things considered. The Christian message is still a good one for this world, provided it focuses on morality and nonviolence and goodness. Jesus' teachings could be an antidote for much that ails us.

I thought this was an excellent mock documentary. Yes, it borrows liberally from Spinal Tap (some scenes are identical) but the music, script, direction, and acting were quite good. I ended up watching it several times and quite enjoyed it. The music is extremely well done. A lot of parts are funny, but esp. the part with "Momma Rag." I hope the filmmaker does a sequel to this.

What else? (this site wants me to write 10 lines for some reason). The love story was extremely well done (good acting), showing the tension between musicians and romance (a la John Lennon and Yoko Ono). The parody of the 'hardcore' gangsta persona was funny (Murder Mike flinching). I guess Durag is my favourite character. The failed aging musician theme is unfortunately all too real for most musicians in our culture, so it needed to be shown. Reminds me of the real life Spinal Tap, "Anvil" (a great documentary if you have the chance to see it).