Ghost is one of those movies which guys don’t readily admit they watch. It’s like Steel Magnolias on that sense. In any case I watched it on ABC’s Family channel. ABC’s Family Channel is the same channel which used to be Pat Robertson’s station which played the 700 Club which usually talked about how bad and raunchy television had become. Now we see Ghost with the clay phallic symbol and a sex scene between the two main characters. But I digress.
Whoopie Goldberg as Olda Mae Brown really made the movie watchable. Anything else would have just a silly love story with a theme song from the 50s. Whoopie won an Oscar for her role. How the mighty have fallen…to the center square on Hollywood Squares, usually reserved for washed out C list celebrities. Alf anyone?
Demi Moore as Molly did nothing for me. Mostly she just sat around and cried alot. No character development whatsoever.
What is interesting is Ghost’s portrayal of the afterlife. We see the murder (Willy) and the thief and co-conspirator (Carl) dragged off to the netherworld by the shadows. Something we’d totally expect. Yet Sam, who lived with his girlfriend (a sexual relationship outside of marriage) is shown going to an area of light. No mention of Sam’s religious belief. We only know that he loved Molly and would do anything for her.
Hollywood’s portrayal of the afterlife might not always be scriptually accurate, but who am I to judge? Sam might have been a saint. Sam’s heavenly departure was predictable, and yet satisfying for the movie’s conclusion.

Some have charactized the Star Wars prequels as being Lucas’ last chance to cash in on his franchise. The original Star Wars movies were classics. The prequels are overdone with S.E. and computer graphics, while the dialogue is terribly lacking. “I have a bad feeling about this…” was used once again in Revenge of the Sith.
I’ve now seen all 6 Star Wars movies. While I found the prequels forgettable, I did find some interesting things about Revenge of the Sith’s commentary on war and political relations in general.
In the movie the Republic is in a bitter war against the Sith and their droids. Just like today’s world our United States republic is in a war with insurgents in Iraq and with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Many see these wars (at least the Iraq war) was unjust and corrupt. ROTS patterns this view in subtle commentaries within the dialogue. Some examples:

Anakin Skywalker: “Sometimes I wonder what’s happening to the Jedi Order. I think this war is destroying the principles of the Republic.”
Padm� Amidala: “Have you ever considered that maybe we’re on the wrong side?”
Anakin: “What do you mean?”
Padm�: “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we’ve been fighting to destroy?”
Anakin: “I don’t believe that, and you’re sounding like a Seperatist.”
Padm�: “This war represents a failure to listen. Now you’re closer to the Chancellor than anyone. Please, ask him to stop the fighting and let the diplomacy resume.”

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“If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy!”
–Anakin Skywalker

Compared to this real life quote:

“Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”
-George Bush, State of the Union Address (September 21, 2001)

Maybe movies mimik real life?

Shawshank Redemption is a film about the prison life of Andy Dufresne, convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Andy learns to adapt and even thrive in prison, yet somehow always looking for a way out.
This is not your average prison. We don’t necessarily see hard labor. Instead the prisoners seem to have alot of free time outdoors to converse. They even get to see movies in a darkened room. Contraband is somehow easy to get to, yet a poster of Rita Hayworth can take a few weeks.
Like a worn our cliche, the warden is corrupt. He accepts bribes from construction companies to back off from highway bids for prison labor.
The thing that drives Andy is hope. Hope that one day he would gain freedom. With this hope, Andy is persistent. As the prison librarian he wrote letters to the powers that be in gaining funds for the library. And he didn’t give up, even when he got a one time gift.
What we learn from Andy is that escape, whether it is physical or mental, comes from time and pressure. That and a big poster to hide your tracks. Andy used small rock hammer to tunnel out of his cell and then through a sewer pipe. He crawed through the equivalent of 5 football fields of human waste for freedom. And who could forget seeing him emerge from the pipe and stand up with his arms raised high in the pouring rain? It was the personification of redemption.
The tagline for the movie is “Fear can hold you prisonor. Hope can set you free.” This is incredibly true. Wikipedia’s article describes how prisoners can become institutionalized, thinking that life inside prisons is normal. Sometimes prisoners will try to stay in prison by committing crimes on the outside once released. They are unable to function outside of the prison walls.
Yet Andy never let himself to become institutionalized. He always looked for hope on the outside.

I managed to catch Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine movie via Tivo.
This movie isn’t just about the shooting at Columbine High School. Its more or less an examination of our violent society. Moore contends that it was this violent society that caused Dylan and Klebold to commit their murderous rampage.
The movie dealt primarily with gun control, which is always a hot topic among Americans. NRA members are fearful of their gun ownership rights being slowly taken away. While those who are for some degree of gun control see automatic weapons as being unnecessary for hunting or self defense. I would tend to agree with the latter. It only takes one bullet to kill a deer or intruder. Why is it necessary for the NRA to find a reason for Joe American to have access to such leathal weapons. Falling Down anyone?

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
-2nd Amendement, United States Constitution

I’m of the belief that a well regulated militia doesn’t necessarily mean machine guns for the average citizen.
The movie came across critical of US military actions, especially while interviewing a spokeman at a bomb making factory near Columbine. Moore is arrogant toward some military actions which HAVE to be done to protect our domestic security. The military takes care of business so that I can live in a free society.
Another interesting part of the movie was celebrity interviews. Moore attempted unsuccessfully to get an interview with Dick Clark in regards to a welfare program. Dick refuses the interview and promptly tells and aid to close the car door and drive away. Clark comes across much different in candidly in person rather than how is shown on American Bandstand, New Year’s celebrations, and the $25,000 Pyramid. Dick appears to be a grumpy old man refusing to deal with real life social issues which he might have a hand in.
Moore also interviews Charlton Heston. Moore was granted an interview by saying he was a NRA member (not a lie) and was interested in talking about gun control. During the course of the interview Heston walks away. One has to realize how the mighty have fallen, at least with Heston. Heston was once a burly gun toating action start intemidating people with questions like “Do you feel lucky, punk?” Yet now he is now a feeble old man, suffering from Alzhemier’s Disease.
Moore obviously has an axe to grind with the current Bush administration. I wish he wouldn’t have put up red herrings like overseas war to try to connect it with the Columbine shootings. Moore is particularly unhappy and really should think about moving to Canada or elsewhere if he dislikes America so much.