Movies that inspire

One of the things I do, in order to have a “fresh start” next year is to watch old, inspiring movies.
since there are many holidays during Christmas, I squeeze my time to review those old movies that inspire.
Anyway, it would take just two hours per movie.
There are two old movies I plan to watch, which I would like to share.
One is a true story, “All The President’s Men,” a highly acclaimed movie in the 1970’s.
In fact it would have garnered the Best picture in the 1976 annual Academy awards, were it not for the tight competition in that year. It was knocked out by the film “Rocky”.
Other heavy contenders for Best Picture in that year were “Taxi Driver” and “Network.”
“All The President’s Men” was starred and produced by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
This move inspires me because it is a movie about the pursuit of truth.
Jesus has said “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
As a journalist, it is a mountain of a challenge to pursue the truth, which for the most part, is always elusive.
Many times. the truth is much like fair maiden with a conservative upbringing.
When you pursue it, it always play “hard-to-get.”
As a Christian journalist, pursuing the truth in our writings, is a way to obey the Lord Jesus’ promise that it is always the truth that will set us free.
“All The President’s Men” is a ‘re-enactment’ of the fateful events of the Watergate scandal that eventually toppled the Nixon administration.
This is a movie that recounts the events from the perspective of the two young idealist reporters of the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
These two reporters were the spark that ignited that movement leading to the resignation of a U.S. President.
Each time, after I watch this movie, I am always driven to value and pursue the truth more, whether as a lawyer or as journalist.
This is a must-see for young, aspiring journalists.
The other film I would like to watch again is "Shawshank Redemption".
Unlike "All The President's Men", "Shawshank Redemption" is fiction.
But both are critically acclaimed movies.
"Shawshank" is a movie that extolls the values of freedom, friendship and hope.
I cannot forget the line here where Tim Robbins, who plays a wrongly convicted felon Andy Dufresne, said, "Hope is a good thing."
"Shawshank" is also starred by Morgan Freeman, the fellow inmate who became Andy's good friend with whom he demonstrated the virtue of hope.
Amdist the adversities and the difficulties in life, it is still worthwhile to hope, because in life, hope is a good thing.
Hope is liberating.
Hope will set you free.
These two movies I am sharing "All The President's Men" and "Shawshank Redemption" project a common theme: Freedom.
In "All the Preisdent's Men," truth was the liberating element.
In "Shawshank Redemption," it was hope.

Superman returns

It was more than twenty years ago that I first encountered on the silver screen the comic book hero Superman which starred Christopher Reeves.

In 1983 Supreman the movie, hit the local box office in Dumaguete City. It was an instant hit, with Dumaguetetenos flocked to Ever theatre at the Escolta.

Now, two decades after, Supreman returns and it is now my son who is looking forward to watching it, this time at the IMAX at the newly SM Mall of Asia.

I am excited as well, as this would be the first time I would watch a movie at IMAX

I am looking forward to seeing a film with hi-tech effects, better than its earlier versions.

Last Thursday, we hoped to have watched Supreman. To our dismay, all seats have already been taken for the week.
The ticket we bought was for the Monday screening.

It was a long que at the ticket counters, as a lot of people were also buying tickets for later showings.

We contented ourselves with much of the mechandising activities outside the IMAX.

There were Supreman t-shirts, costumes, lots of memorabilia, chocolates being sold at the different kiosks just outside the moviehouse.

The Da Vinci Phenomenon

The Da Vinci Code will remembered in history as one of the most successful publicity stunts film promotion.

I just learned on television that in three days after it opened in movie houses worldwide, the film raked in US$224-million.

I have watched the movie and I think a lot of sectors, even those raging against the content of the movie itself wittingly or unwittingly contributed in the film's marketing success.

There was just too much hype.

Imagine, as we were heading towards the movie house, there were others riding on the publicity stunt. There was this company issuing credit cards engaging on a marketing spreee, distributing credit card applications.

Its main marketing scheme was to let its credit card holders crack a Da Vinci Code by pressing a four digits based on a series of numbers in the receipt of their last credit card purchase amounting to not less than a thousand pesos.

If the credit card holder is able to press the right combination, the vault opens, and the card holder wins P400,000.

To attract participants, it displayed a lousy replica of the Monalisa.

I condsider the Da Vinci Code more of a detective fiction I am not inclined to watch a second time.

The religious aspects of the film were just blown out of proportion, to the extent that movie goers flocked to the theaters out of sheer curiousity.

My simple mind provides an explanation why the film had to advance a baseless insinuation that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene.

Without such claim, there would have been no justification of Sophia's character. (Princess) Sophia is supposed to be last descendant of that royal bloodline that can be traced to Jesus Christ.

If I recall it right, it was alleged in the film that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. Naturally it would have created a widely negative reception in the Christian world had it been alleged that Jesus sired a descendant out of wedlock.

That is why Dan Brown had to concoct a wild suggestion that Jesus was locked in matrimony to Mary Magdalene.

I sympathize with the group Opus Dei because I think they were the ones disparaged in that film. The film suggested that this deeply religious and influential organization justified murder and assasinations. I don't think this is fair.

As a Christian, not a shred of my faith has not been shaken. I even left my faith at home when I watched the movie at Rockwell.

When I viewed the film there was nothing that made me believe or disbelieve.

There were suggestions in the film about things that happened sometime in history. We may never be able to verify and see that for ourselves.

But as an ordinary Christian, I can only find comfort and solace in the assuring words of our Lord who said that "blessed are those who do not see, yet believe."

Come to think of it, the movie only solidified my faith.

At least I have something to thank Dan Brown for.