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How to Become “Newsproof”

March 4, 2021 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

The 24/7 news cycle is demonstrably unhealthy at best, increasingly dangerous at worst. Social media exacerbates the problem. Would you like to become “newsproof?”

In this episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we look at a Gospel Coalition article called “News as Spiritual Deformation,” questioning some of its conclusions but gaining some solid insight too, as we develop key takeaways for being newsproof in today’s world.

Topics include: the dangers of media silos and conspiracy thinking; the need for diversity and credibility in sources; gnosticism and to what extent we should seek to be godlike; global vs. local concern; avoiding “doomscrolling” and social media flame wars; news as key to good citizenship and Christian cultural engagement; acknowledging God’s ultimate sovereignty over the news and how that makes things so, so much better 🙂 ; also, the applicability of these takeaways to the navigation and evaluation of any/all future current events and pop culture artifacts (you’re welcome); chess and Da Bears.

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: #bias, #christian, #church, #cnn, #coalition, #conspiracy, #culture, #doomscrolling, #faith, #fox, #gnosticism, #gospel, #marotta, #media, #news, #newsproof, #podcast, #pop, #silo, deformation, marotta, Religion & Spirituality, tgc, the gospel coalition

Murder Amongst the Mormons: Truth, Lies and Videotape

March 3, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

Set in 1985, Murder Among the Mormons untangles the web of intrigue surrounding a series of shocking events in Salt Lake City, Utah that shook the foundation of the LDS Church. After a series of pipe bombs kill two people and hospitalize another, the Mormon community was left mourning the loss of their own. What’s more, they were also stunned to discover that a number of early Mormon letters were destroyed in the trunk of the third victim, Mark Hofman. As a collector of rare documents, Hofman had long been known for his ability to find antiquities of incredible value. As a result, investigators immediately believe that there may be some link between these newly uncovered letters and the attacks themselves. As Hofman fights for his life in hospital, the police fight for the truth as they relentlessly search for the identity of the killer.

While true crime stories have become particularly popular during this pandemic, this is one that must be seen to be believed. Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Tyler Measom (An Honest Liar), Murder Among the Mormons is a stunning documentary that unravels like the best of mysteries. Though Murder feels like an attack on Mormon beliefs at first, the serie’s exploration of the bomber quickly reveals that these assaults have little to do about systems of faith. As they delve more deeply into the events that took place, Hess and Measom unravel a conspiracy that is utterly unbelievable (yet remains absolutely true).

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

What’s more, Murder is not a story that leaves any ambiguity as the final credits roll. This is not a series that attempts to uncover an unsolved mystery that leaves the viewer with questions regarding the bomber’s identity. Instead, this series becomes more of an exploration of the psychology of a madman and the circumstances that created him.

Without giving away any potential spoilers, one of the more fascinating aspects about Murder is its conversation about what it means to be true. When finally questioned by his captors about his actions, the bomber blurs the lines between reality and fiction when he states that “It’s not so much what’s genuine and what isn’t, but what people believe to be genuine.” To the bomber, truth gains it power not from fact but from belief. In other words, though their life was an endless stream of lies and deception to the people that they love, he justified his actions simply by the fact that people trusted them. 

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

To him, lies are as good as truth as long as they’re worth believing in.

In many ways, it’s a fascinating psychological argument. Although the bomber is definitely crazy, the suggestion that people believe whatever they want without really asking the hard questions is difficult to argue. While faith remains an essential component of our lives, it must go hand-in-hand with truth and reality. As such, what the bomber fails to understand is that the value of truth does not lie in belief but rather the opposite. Faith and belief get their power from truth.

Compelling and borderline crazy, Murder Among the Mormons may be one of the most gripping true crime stories on television right now. Though absolutely true, the series has all the elements of the best pulp fiction novels, including tragedy, mystery and a villainous madman. However, the most shocking revelation within Murder may be the lies that we tell ourselves in order to hide from the truth itself.

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 3. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

Murder Among the Mormons is available on Netflix on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021.

You can see the trailer for Murder Among the Mormons here.

Filed Under: Netflix, Reviews, SmallFish, VOD Tagged With: Jared Hess, LDS Church, Mark Hofman, Murder Among the Mormons, Tyler Measom

Breaking News in Yuba County: The Affirmations Run Out

March 3, 2021 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

He’s missing! Then again, so is a slice of my birthday cake…

I think it’s safe to say that most of us have had days where it seemed like nothing seemed to go right. The car ran out of gas; a coworker received a promotion instead of you; a stain appeared on your outfit that couldn’t be easily disguised; and many more situations that have already come to your mind. 

In the case of Sue Buttons (Allison Janney), her life seems to consist of nothing good. At the beginning of Tate Taylor’s Breaking News in Yuba County, she picks up a birthday cake for herself while muttering affirmations to herself (“I am good”; “I am special”). The cake is misspelled and she is unable to do anything about it. She drives to her job at a call center and her first call is demeaning. She thinks her workplace remembered her birthday, but their celebration was for another person.  These are only the beginning of her issues thanks to a completely dysfunctional family and a latent desire to be known and respected.

In theory, this sounds like a fantastic premise for a film. Add in an extremely talented group of Hollywood actors (Wanda Sykes; Juliette Lewis; Ellen Barkin; and Dominic Burgess among others) and actresses and you’ve got a verifiable winner.  The problem is that Breaking News in Yuba County starts off wonderfully before devolving into a muddled mess that leaves more questions than answers. How did it go so wrong?

The problems begin as soon as Sue gets home. Her husband Carl (Matthew Modine, who gets woefully little screen time) is caught up in a bad situation involving millions of dollars and a tryst in a seedy hotel. Thinking the flowers he purchased were for her, Sue follows him and discovers more than she bargained for. Catching him in the middle of an affair was bad enough, but watching him fall over dead was worse. Suddenly, the film takes on a dark Weekend at Bernie’s feel except she buries Carl and the money in the hotel playground.

This triggers a flood of cops, confusion, and a trio of Mafia-ish characters (including Awkwafina) that are geared up to inflict damage in cruel ways. There’s more, but I’ll focus on Sue’s attempt to increase her popularity as a result of a missing person case not unlike those Nancy Grace episodes on CNN. Her sister Nancy (Mila Kunis) is a local reporter and gets the word out that Sue’s husband is “missing,” but Sue wants to go higher and piggybacks on a national missing person case. At this point, the plot completely unravels and becomes a gore-fest – both in its ending and in a number of grisly deaths that would’ve made the director of Saw proud.  Will Sue be able to finally affirm herself?  You’ll find out if you can make it to the Crash-like ending.

It is important to recognize that a common thread throughout Breaking News in Yuba County involves Sue’s constant attempts to affirm herself.  She starts off talking to herself in the grocery store and is heard recounting the same phrases as she goes from nobody to pseudo-star.  It becomes a catalyst that transforms her into someone who is desperate to do anything to get seen in a popular light (at least in her eyes) by the public. The issue here is not the affirmations themselves, but where the words point her to. They give her ego a massive boost that, once triggered, is near impossible to get rid of.  Conversely, as a Christian, I believe that our affirmations should come from the Bible and the words God tells us. He loves each of us with an everlasting love and has drawn us with lovingkindness (see Jeremiah 31:3).  If that’s good, there’s a whole lot more of these God has to share.  By finding our value and worth in Him, we won’t have to resort to being a part of a racket (knowingly or unknowingly) as Sue horrifyingly discovered. Instead, we can relate to One who sings songs over us (see Zephaniah 3:17)

Breaking News in Yuba County is available on VOD.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: allison janney, Awkwafina, Breaking News in Yuba County, Dominic Burgess, Ellen Barkin, matthew modine, Mila Kunis

A Few of International Feature Oscar Hopefuls

March 3, 2021 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

Every country (except the U.S.) can submit one film for Oscar consideration for Best International Feature Film. How a country makes that choice varies. There are certain criteria, including how much English is allowed. The Academy has a process through which the films are reviewed eventually ending up with the five films nominated for the award. In early February the short list (this year it will include 15 films) will be announced.

I have had a chance to see some of the films submitted (either at festivals or through screeners), but still it is only about 1/6 of the list of films hoping for recognition. Here is a look at the ones I’ve seen, with links to our reviews if available.

Denmark: Another Round. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg. A group of friends test a hypothesis that keeping a constant 0.05% blood alcohol level is the key to happiness. Vinterberg is a masterful director and has made this a film of humor and pathos. Screenfish review of Another Round. Since it made my year end top films list, I would obviously be happy for this to get a nomination. (On the Shortlist of possible nominees.)

France: Two of Us tells the story of Nina (Barbara Sukowa) and Madeleine (Martine Chevallier), two retired women who have been romantically involved for decades. Though they spend their daily lives together, their relationship has remained largely in secret over that time, especially to Madeleine’s family. However, when Madeleine suddenly falls ill, their relationship is turned upside down and Nina must find a way to hide their secret while also caring for the woman that she loves. Directed by Fillipo Meneghetti, Two of Us is a powerful and heartbreaking piece that puts the wildness of love on full display. Well-written and earnestly performed, Two of Us is a simple film about what it means to care for someone so deeply that you’ll do anything to support them in their time of need. 

Hong Kong: Better Days. Directed by Derek Tsang. Chen Nian is trying to prepare for a college entrance exam. She and others face bullying at the school. After an encounter with Xiao Bei, a young street thug, the boy becomes Chen Nian’s protector. Can Chen Nian escape the violence around her, or will she become part of the violence? Well made film, but not as strong as some others. (On the Shortlist of possible nominees.)

India: Jallikattu. Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. When a buffalo escapes from the butcher, the whole village goes into action to try to recapture it before it destroys everything. As the day moves into night, the situation devolves to the point we aren’t sure if the animal is the real beast or the people. Interestingly, the film is bookended with title cards with verses from Revelation. (20: 1-3 at the beginning, 19:17-18 at the end). It’s a dark comedy with some very interesting camera and editing work.

Ivory Coast: Night of the Kings. Directed by Philippe Lacôte. Set in an African prison, a new prisoner is named by the convict boss as the new “Roman”, storyteller. On the night of the red moon, the Roman must tell a story that takes all night. There is a sort of Greek chorus that acts out parts of the story. Meanwhile, the boss is near death and a rival faction is hoping to seize power. It has a bit of magical realism. Interesting, but not compelling storytelling. (On the Shortlist of possible nominees.)

Japan: True Mothers. Directed by Naomi Kawase. Six years after a couple adopt a baby boy, they get a phone call from a woman claiming to be his birth mother and wants him back—or money. The film spends a great deal of time on each woman’s story before we get to the conflict and resolution. It may be a little overlong, but still a worthy story. Screenfish review of True Mothers.

Kazakhstan:The Crying Steppe. Directed by Marina Kunarova. The story of the Great Famine that was the result of Soviet policies during the 1920s and 1930s. Although there are some wonderful landscapes, the story is dismal. This is very much a Kazak story that evokes national pride and animosity toward the Soviet system. I would be very surprised to see this make it to the shortlist, let alone a nomination.

Latvia: Blizzard of Souls. Directed by Dzintars Dreiberge. The story of a young Latvian (Latvia was then part of the Russian Empire) who goes off to fight in World War I.  The innocence of youth gives way to the brutality of war. We see the terrible suffering and loss. It also runs through the early stages of Communist Revolution, and the eventual independence of Latvia. It is a very patriotic film. Screenfish review of Blizzard of Souls.

Mexico: I’m No Longer Here. Directed by Fernando Frías de la Parra. Ulises, the leader of Los Terkos , a cambia dance crew in Monterrey, Mexico, must flee to the US after witnessing a drive-by shooting. In Queens, he is lost. He doesn’t know the language. He has no connection to his culture. He’s befriended by a young Asian girl who lets him squat on her grandfather’s roof. His life had been completely centered in cambia, but now there is nothing to give him direction or purpose. To be so alone in New York City is just part of the sorrow we watch in this tragic tale. (On the Shortlist of possible nominees.)

North Macedonia: Willow. Directed by Milcho Manchevski. This is a trio of stories that focus on motherhood. All three stories focus on women who had trouble conceiving. The first, set in medieval times, is a peasant woman who goes to a crone for help. When, after the child comes, the couple isn’t willing to pay the high price, tragedy waits. The second couple (in modern times) finally conceive twins, but again tragedy will bring darkness into the marriage. The third story focuses on the sister of the woman in the second story, who adopted a child after years of trying to conceive. But there may be something wrong with the child. Very well done chance to think about love, motherhood, and striving for happiness.

Peru: Song Without a Name. Directed by Melina León. A young pregnant indigenous woman learns of a clinic in the city that will provide free maternity services. When she gives birth, however, they steal her baby for foreign adoption. In her grief she works with a journalist to seek the government’s help. The film has some wonderful scenes of the indigenous cultural arts. A very moving story of people who are treated as invisible and worthless by society. A very good film. Screenfish review of Song Without a Name.

Portugal: Vitalina Verela. Directed by Pedro Costa. A very measured, slow-moving film that has extraordinary s cinematography of light and shadow and the use of a static camera. A Cape Verdean woman whose husband left her 25 years earlier to work in Portugal, arrives in Lisbon to discover he was buried three days before. She learns bits of his life as she moves around the immigrant slum. The life they had in Cape Verde seems much preferable to what she finds here. A faithless priest reflects on the darkness of life here.

Romania: Collective. Directed by Alexander Nanau. Documentary about the aftermath of a fire at a Bucharest nightclub. Many of the victims died of infections they got in the hospital. Investigative journalist began to trace the governmental corruption. An amazing part of the film is that the new health minister gave the filmmaker total access. This is a film about the importance of the press to confront governmental lies. Very good doc. It would certainly be worth consideration in both this category and in the documentary category. Screenfish review of Collective. (On the Shortlist of possible nominees.)

Slovakia: The Auschwitz Report. Directed by Peter Bebjak. The story of two prisoners who seek to escape and bring information of what is going on to the outside world. The first half of the film takes place in the concentration camp, where following their escape, the other prisoners suffer increasing punishment. The second half is their journey to get across the border and report. But even then, their reports of the horrors are met with deep scepticism.

Spain: The Endless Trench. Directed by Jon Garaño, Aitor Arregi, and Jose Mari Goenaga. Based on true events, this is the story of a man who, with his wife’s help, hides in his house for over 30 years. During the Spanish Civil War, he escaped capture by the Nationalists and found his way home where he first hid in a hole under a cabinet, and later in a narrow room created by a false wall. Even after the war, through World War II and beyond, he is considered a war criminal until an amnesty is declared in 1969. The stresses of the confinement play out in their lives. They live in constant fear, even when it is time to come out of hiding. An excellently done film about the confines we often must deal with in our lives. It’s easy to extrapolate to the COVID-19 world.

Sudan: You Will Die at Twenty. Directed by Amjad Abu Alata. When a local holy man prophesizes that a child will die when he turns twenty, he begins with a sheltered life, but even after he begins to learn the Quran, his life is geared around his impending death. The entire village believes this is God’s will—except for a photographer who has recently returned from traveling the world. Can the boy find a way to live fully? Screenfish review of You Will Die at Twenty.

Switzerland: My Little Sister. Directed by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronica Reymond. A woman tries to give her actor twin brother one more time on stage before he dies. Her efforts could well cost her a very high price. The film is really about the bond that the siblings share. Screenfish review of My Little Sister.

Filed Under: Oscar Spotlight Tagged With: Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Mexico, North Macedonia, Official Oscar entry, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland

The Mauritanian: Hell in a Cell

March 2, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Though it takes place in belly of the infamous Guantanamo Bay, the story of Mohamedou Ould Salahi is ultimately about one man’s quest for freedom against a corrupt system.

But what real freedom means to him may surprise you.

Set in the early 2000s, The Mauritanian tells the tragic and true story of Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Tahar Rahim), a man who was arrested shortly after 9/11 due to his potential connections to Bin Laden and the Taliban. Although he remained steadfast in his innocence, Salahi was detained and shipped to Guantanamo Bay for further questioning about his involvement in the attacks on the World Trade Centre. Facing the death penalty, Salahi is offered counsel by defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). However, as Hollander and Duncan continue to unravel their client’s story, they also potentially uncover a far-reaching conspiracy that could also expose corruption within the government’s military tactics.

Directed by Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland), The Mauritanian is a poignant but painful film that exposes the abuse that takes place when power gives way to fear. Due to its unflinching moments of grim and grisly torture (especially in the second act), the film may not be for the faint of heart yet it somehow feels authentic to the era. Featuring some solid performances and a well-written script, MacDonald pulls no punches in telling the story of a man who takes the blame for a country’s grief. Set against the backdrop of the racial paranoia that set in following 9/11, MacDonald use Salahi’s story as a tragic example of what happens when a nation is willing to sacrifice their morals in their search for answers. For many, Salahi’s confession became necessary, not merely to garner justice for the attacks, but also to simply have ‘someone to blame’. 

Although stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Foster and Woodley all offer solid work here, the best performance of the film is reserved for Rahim who delivers a powerful performance as Salahi. Locked away in the darkest dungeons of Guantanamo Bay, Salahi’s story is an endless stream of suffering, cruelty and disappointments for a man who never receives any legal charges against him. As such, Rahim displays a complexity and emotional maturity within him as his character fights for his rights yet meets a never-ending stream of roadblocks to justice. However, even in the midst of this brutality, Rahim also brings a vibrancy and charm to his performance that lights up the screen. Despite his circumstances, Rahim shows a playfulness within his character that breathes life into a role which could have over-emphasized the violence instead of a man’s vitality.

Salahi’s journey is an absolute testament to the strength of his spiritual commitment. Despite the unbearable pain and torment that he experiences, Salahi clings to a faith that helps him to endure. By maintaining rituals of prayer and discipline, his spiritual lens allowed him to maintain hope and arguably even a positive attitude. (In fact, in the midst of his torture, one of the things he is most upset about is losing his copy of the Qur’an.) Though his days grew increasingly darker, Salahi drew strength from the light of his faith.

Most amazingly though, Salahi’s faith gave him a heart of compassion. Without giving away any spoilers, this becomes most clear in the climactic courtroom scene where, with his freedom hanging in the balance, Salahi speaks of the need to forgive his abusers and the US government. Although the justice system had failed him terribly, his confidence in the Qur’an gives him the strength to offer grace to a group of people who do not deserve it. (“In Arabic, the word for ‘free’ and ‘forgiveness’ is the same word,” he points out.) Though his fate remains undetermined at the hands of a corrupt system, Salahi doesn’t fight back with anger. 

He offers freedom… to others.

Therein lies the true beauty of The Mauritanian. As a man who had his life stolen from him by an angry nation, Salahi’s grace-filled heart shines brightly. In this way, while the film’s emphasis may focus on the injustice of the military system during a turbulent era, the real story is Salahi’s understanding of what it means to be truly free.

To hear our interview with the real Salahi, click here.

The Mauritanian is available in PVOD on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: 9/11, Benedict Cumberbatch, Guantanamo Bay, Jodie Foster, Kevin MacDonald, Tahir Rahim, The Mauritanian

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