There is an extremely popular new Christian church that was founded in my Seattle 'hood: Mars Hill. The Church touts itself as a young and hip type of Christianity, has rock bands plays its gatherings, and has its own club attached to the church. It is also very controversial, as the reputation and opinions of modern evangelical Pastor Mark Driscoll (with his t-shirts, jeans, and leather jackets) have reached far beyond his flock, as he preaches old school with new language: against feminism, premarital sex, homosexuals, etc.
Driscoll recently made some press (again) in his sermon from February 14, 2010, when he focused on Luke 4:31-41, aka "Jesus and Demons". Driscoll waxed poetic about Satan and demons and such. Even coffee!
And some people really get freaked out [by demons] and it’s like “Oh, my coffee’s hotter today than it was yesterday, hell is hot. This is must be the coffee demon coming to scald me from my enemy.” I mean it’s just, it’s goofy, it’s goof-tastic. That’s where
some people go. They go goof-tastic on it.
(I feel a new bumper sticker coming on...)
Anyways, in Moviepie-land, what grabs our attention (other than coffee, of course) is when he starts talking about Hollywood, and, well. Avatar. Let me just let him speak for himself:
...The world tempts you to sin, to use people, to disobey God, to live for your own glory instead of
his own, to be a consumer instead of generous, that’s the world system.
And if you don’t believe me, go see Avatar, the most demonic, satanic film I’ve ever seen. That any Christian
could watch that without seeing the overt demonism is beyond me. I logged on to christianitytoday.com and
the review was reflective of Christianity today, very disappointing. See, in that movie, it is a completely false
ideology, it’s a sermon preached. It’s the most popular movie ever made, and it tells you that the creation
mandate, the cultural mandate is bad, that we shouldn’t, we shouldn’t develop culture, that’s a bad thing.
Primitive is good and advanced is bad and that we’re not sinners, we’re just disconnected from the divine life
force, just classic, classic, classic paganism, that human beings are to connect, literally, with trees and animals
and beasts and birds and that there’s this spiritual connection that we’re all a part of, that we’re all a part of
the divine. It presents a false mediator with a witch. It presents false worship of created things rather than
Creator God in absolute antithesis to Romans 1:25, which gives that as the essence of paganism. It has a false
incarnation where a man comes in to be among a people group and to assume their identity. It’s a false Jesus.
We have a false resurrection. We have a false savior. We have a false heaven. The whole thing is new age,
satanic, demonic paganism, and people are just stunned by the visuals. Well, the visuals are amazing because
Satan wants you to emotionally connect with a lie.
And some of you say, “This is my first time, is he a fundamentalist?” I’ve never been accused of that. I’ve been
accused of many things, not being a fundamentalist. I do love film, I love story. My degree’s in communication.
I’ve got two home theater systems. I’ve got three Tivos, all right, I am not against technology and the arts. Our
film crew just was in L.A. at Universal Studios shooting on the Spartacus set to get all of our footage for Good
Friday. Some of my friends are filmmakers and poets and artists and we’re a very creative church. We just
don’t like Satan, that’s all. We love the arts, we just don’t like Satan. And it’s amazing to me that Christians
are going to the movie going “That was so enlightening.” No, that was so darkening. It’s a worldview. It’s the
way to view the world. “Oh, the problem isn’t sin, it’s disconnected from the divine demonic spiritual life force.
Oh, the problem is not that I need a savior, the problem is that I need to live in tune with creation.” This is all
eastern garbage -ism. It just is. “Spark a divinity within you, God is in everything. You don’t need God to come
and save you.” That’s all it is, it’s worldliness.
Now, Moviepie readers may remember that I'm one of the few people in the world apparently that kind of hated Avatar. I felt (and still feel) that viewers fell all over themself with praise for this movie because they were blinded by the fancy CGI and 3D even while they readily acknowledged that the script was cheesy and the characters were weak. "But it was really COOL looking!"
Well, now I know that you were all blinded by SATAN! HA!
Poor Mark Driscoll, with his three Tivos and two home theater systems. I guess he won't be buying the special edition of Avatar when it comes out on Blu-Ray. But I'll give him some credit. He did manage to change the mind of at least one person via this sermon: If the film is indeed demonic and Satanic, suddenly I might like Avatar... just a little bit more. ;-)
Most Twilight fans were born way after Joan Jett and Cherie Currie fronted the all-girl punk/pop band The Runaways. But still, seeing Kristen Stewart snapped in candid photos (and at red carpet premieres) with her punky, Jett-black hair has given this indie about the band loads of attention. Plus, there is the curiosity factor of squeaky-clean Dakota Fanning playing the "sex kitten" role of Currie. You know what? After seeing her withering, cold vampire command "Pain..." in New Moon I know she is surprisingly good at evil... so why not as a teenage rock goddess? - Linda
From the press release:
Apparition has acquired all US rights to The Runaways, the music-fueled story of the ground-breaking, all girl, teenage rock band of the 1970s, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, and will release it on March 19....The Runaways will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Directed by Floria Sigismondi, whose work includes videos for David Bowie, The White Stripes and Christina Aguilera, THE RUNAWAYS also features Oscar nominee Michael Shannon. The film is produced by John Linson, Art Linson and Bill Pohlad. Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna and Brian Young serve as executive producers.
The film follows two friends, Joan Jett (KRISTEN STEWART) and Cherie Currie (DAKOTA FANNING), as they rise from rebellious Southern California kids to rock stars of the now legendary group that paved the way for future generations of girl bands. They fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (MICHAEL SHANNON), who turns the group into an outrageous success and a family of misfits. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself—and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock’ n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten.
“The Runaways was made with the same independent attitude that defined the group,” says River Road ’s Bill Pohlad. “Kristen and Dakota really became the characters, right down to singing the vocals."
“The authenticity of the film reflects Joan Jett’s participation in the project,” says producer John Linson. “Her presence on the set was a great influence on the actors."
I'm one of the few people (of my generation at least) that I know that still gets all swoony over Gone With the Wind, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary (!) with the 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD and Blu-Ray release today from Warner Home Video. If there is anyone out there who is wondering what fine gift to buy me this holiday season, may I direct your attention -->here<--.
On Friday November 13, time was suspended as 70 couples in period costumes celebrated Gone With the Wind's anniversary by dancing "The World's Largest Virginia Reel" in the historic Marietta Georgia Town Square. Fabulously, four original cast members attended: Ann Rutherford ("Carreen O'Hara"), Mickey Kuhn ("Beau Wilkes" at age 7), Patrick Curtis ("Baby Beau Wilkes") and Greg Giese (infant "Bonnie Blue Butler" & infant "Beau Wilkes"), along with Gina Miller who was an extra. Bill Dunaway, the Mayor of Marietta (the town itself celebrates its 175th anniversary) hosted the event with special guest Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies' primetime host.
The event was topped off with the unveiling of a giant anniversary cake, which was a replica of Tara, for everyone to share. (Check out the photo below!)
Turner Classic Movies' will also be screening Gone With the Wind on December 15th, on the actual anniversary of the film's original premiere in Atlanta. (Again, hand me a mint julep, would you, dear? I'm swooning like Aunt Pittypat!)
Robert Osborne and GWTW's Ann Rutherford. (Yay!)
GWTW actors Greg Giese, Patrick Curtis, Ann Rutherford, and Mickey Kuhn.
The impressive Tara cake! Judging from the pics, if this were hollow, you could lift the roof and crawl inside!
The dancers perform a Virginia Reel.
70 couples in period costumes participated in the event.
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