CONTACT (1997) rated PGWritten by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan (story)
James V. Hart and Michael Goldenberg (screenplay)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey,Tom Skerritt, James Woods, and John Hurt
Watch it with us Saturday, April 8th at 6:30pm at the Church Office. Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heartand with all your soul and with all your mind.' Read more about Contact on IMDBClick here for directions to the church office
Hello again, fellow RINGers!
The next meeting in our screening series will be
Saturday, April 8, 2006 at 6:30pm at the church office.
We'll have some goodies, watch a throught-provoking movie, and compare the film's messages with God's unchanging Word. We had a great time at the last screening, and I just can't wait to see how God wants to bless us this time around. Hope to see you there!
I just got back from a preview screening of the new film “V for Vendetta.” I could barely believe what I saw. This may turn out to be the most popular piece of modern propaganda yet directed toward our young people. I am almost positive it will be the #1 movie this weekend and the most talked about film this year so far since “Brokeback Mountain.” The only difference being, I believe more people (specifically those ages 15-34) will actually see “V for Vendetta.”
The story centers around Evey, played by Natalie Portman, and her relationship with V, played by a masked Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from “The Matrix”), an anti-hero who the government considers a terrorist. He wears the mask of Guy Fawkes, a notorious man in Britain’s past who tried unsuccessfully to blow up Parliament. V is on a revenge trip to destroy the now Religious Totalitarian England, controlled by the Chancellor (played by John Hurt). Portman’s character is put through so much in the film that she winds up sympathizing with V and eventually partaking in terrorism.
I don’t have time to tell you everything about the film. But I wanted you to know that as an audience member, the film strings you along on an emotional journey as you watch Portman’s character go from being an innocent victim, to prisoner, to government detainee; and then to actually being grateful that she’s been brainwashed into terrorism! It ends with the much-publicized (so I’m not giving anything away here) utter destruction of Parliament in a terrorist explosion and fireworks that are set off from London’s underground train system as V’s acolytes look on.
Although the focus of the story is London, it’s quite obviously a smokescreen for the Liberal fear of a total Conservative Christian State, where free-thinkers, homosexuals, and activists will undoubtedly be rounded up, subjected to torture, and finally mass-executed. The Iraq war is alluded to, as is a government detainee camp. America is mentioned as being reduced to third world status. And the Big Idea is that the government is responsible for all the things we’re told to be afraid of (terrorism, biological attacks).
What disturbed me so much about the film is how it, quite frankly, called that which is evil to be good, and what is good, evil. The villains of this story are corrupt government officials, religious hypocrites, a pedophile Catholic priest, and above all, the Chancellor himself (the conservative “President,” so to speak). The heroes/victims are peace activists, gay men, lesbian teens/women, and in the end, terrorists and their followers. It even goes so far as to say that appreciating the Koran and displaying images of gay photography are courageous and noble things to do!
All the print ads have the look and feel of propaganda art, and that’s no coincidence. This movie is totally direct in its message. What kills me is that most young people (who believe all the falsehood spread by the mass media) will actually think they’re smart enough not to be fooled by what they consider to be propaganda; go to the movie, and fall hook, line, and sinker for it anyway! And why? Because this propaganda, much like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” will line up perfectly with the fantasy world they already believe in; where Bush is a liar, the government is the enemy, and Conservatives and Christians are evil.
If you see “V for Vendetta” this weekend, know that it's rated R and has scenes of violence, torture, and some sexuality. You will also witness firsthand how this new way of brainwashing is affecting our young people. We need to be ready once more to come to the defense of our beliefs in today’s divided culture. God bless.To return to my post regarding The Decoder Ring's double feature screening of V for Vendetta, click here.
God is good.
The first meeting of THE DECODER RING was a success! We transformed the church office into a movie theater, complete with a plasma widescreen monitor (thanks God!) and had the room wired for Dolby Digital (thanks Derek!). We stocked the shelves with goodies, and watched the film "Pleasantville" in all its digital glory. The Lord provided exceedingly and abundantly. Gee, that sounds familiar :-)
For those of you who haven't seen the film, "Pleasantville" is about a teenage brother and sister who get zapped into the wholesome, black-and-white world of a 50's sitcom. When they bring modern sensibilities into this closed world, the residents start to see color for the first time, and a mini culture war erupts. The fate of the town hangs in the balance.
After the movie we had a great discussion about the film's distortion of the Garden of Eden story in Genesis 3, and its confusion over what it is that truly liberates people.
We ended with a time of prayer, focusing on people we know who need healing. We also prayed for Gary Ross, the film and TV industry, and even the Oscars!
If you're still curious what it's all about, we're gearing up for another screening next month. So take care, God bless... and if you have anything you want to add to the discussion, leave your comments and I'll post them to the blog! Or you can email me at thedecoderring&yahoo.com (click on "view my complete profile" for the link).
See you at church AND at the movies!
CONTACT (1997) rated PG
