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GIVEAWAY: Digital Copy of STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

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When it’s discovered that the evil Emperor Palpatine did not die at the hands of Darth Vader, the rebels must race against the clock to find out his whereabouts. Finn and Poe lead the Resistance to put a stop to the First Order’s plans to form a new Empire, while Rey anticipates her inevitable confrontation with Kylo Ren. (Warning: Some flashing-lights scenes in this film may affect photosensitive viewers.)

To enter, tell us your favourite force power and why. For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram.

The winner will receive a digital copy of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on iTunes.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Thursday, April 2nd, 2020.

To hear ScreenFish Radio’s episode on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, click here.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

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Daisy Ridley is Rey and Adam Driver is Kylo Ren in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

The first words in the scrolling text that opens Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker are “The dead speak!” It continues on with a few things to remind us where the story left off. But those first three words are all we really need, because as the film progresses, the dead will indeed speak over and over.

This is the final film of the Skywalker Saga that began in 1977 with what would become Episode IV: A New Hope and eventually restarted with Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Because it is the final film in the series (the last film in the last trilogy), its main task is to bring the story that has taken over forty years to tell to a satisfying end. Star Wars is such a cultural touchstone that opinions on how well that has been accomplished will vary. My own opinion is that the series does not go out with a bang, but rather with a sigh.

This episode continues the stories of two characters with strong connections to the Force: Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), son of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and grandson of Darth Vader, and Rey (Daisy Ridley) an orphan who has tried to become a Jedi by training with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Ren has chosen to follow the Dark Side and has been trying to bring Rey to join him and together rule the galaxy. They continue their dance of trying to convert each other through this film. Both are seeking a hidden planet where the real power is to be found and grasped or eliminated. While there are other characters involved in various subplots, these two are the real heart of the story.

Ren (aka Ben Solo) fashions his own version of Vader’s mask, and when wearing it has something of Vader’s ominous voice. He has taken the title Supreme Leader, and seeks to grab all power for himself, but would like Rey to join him. Together they would be a formidable power.

Rey, on the other hand, rejects the Dark Side. She trained with Luke, but still feels unworthy to carry his lightsaber. When she sets off on her mission, Leia tells her, “Never be afraid of who you are.” But who is she? That becomes a central question as the film plays out. What is it about her that has made her such a focus of the Force? (And since this is the final film, it will be revealed—but not in this review.) The knowledge of her background will be a challenge for her to accept.

There will be lightsaber duels, space fighter dogfights, explosions, and all the other accoutrements of Star Wars. There will be redemption, sacrifice, and even resurrection. Love will be declared. Loss will be devastating. And the story will be wrapped up with some tears and some celebrations. Then there will be a coda that takes us back to Tatooine, where the Saga began to bring the circle to a close. (Sigh)

But what about those first three words of the scroll? The dead speak! Initially it is because the dead Emperor Palpatine has been making a comeback. But then we get to see or hear others from the past episodes who have died as the story played out. Luke, is prominent, even though he died at the end of The Last Jedi. Now a glowing personage, he continues to teach Rey what she needs to know for her final battle. But in a decisive scene for Kylo Ren’s character, there is another visit from one who has died. Who are all these who speak from the grave? Well, they are essentially the saints of the Saga. Through their words they bring healing and they bring power. As Rey must face her final challenge, she gathers strength from many of these voices.

The scripture that comes to mind is Hebrews 12:1. After retracing the history of Israel’s heroes, the author says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that has been set before us.” [NRSV]

Star Wars has always attracted theological/spiritual reflection. The Rise of Skywalker gives us a chance to consider the idea of the fellowship of the saints. It is not just what we think of sitting drinking coffee in the fellowship hall after worship. It is not even just what it means to come around the Lord’s Table as God’s people. It is also an attachment to the whole history of God’s salvation. We are joined to those who have come before us. And we are joined to those who will come after us.

As we look at the end of the Skywalker Saga, we are able to see the whole arc of a story in which faith in action has been passed on from one to another. It has not always been an easy passing. There are those who have been corrupted, but also those who have found redemption and restoration. The past brings ist strength to a new day—a dawning of new life.

Child’s Play: Toy Trouble

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By Jason Thai

Child’s Play tells the story of a young boy named Andy who lives with his single mom, Karen. As a gift from his mother, Andy is introduced to Buddi, a doll with artificial intelligence sold by the “Kaslan” tech company, meant to assist customers by controlling their electronics and assisting them in their daily needs. However, unknown to Andy, his Buddi has had its limiters removed, allowing it to be fully self-aware. (For example, even though tries naming his new toy ‘Han-Solo’, Buddi changes it himself to Chucky.) Throughout the film, Chucky learns and adapts to how Andy feels and reacts to things, focused on his primary goal to make Andy happy. Eventually, this takes a dark turn as Chucky begins killing whoever has hurt Andy, believing that the best way to make him happy is to remove them from his life. As Andy realizes his ‘toy’ is hurting others, he tries to put Chucky away but he rebels, connecting to TVs, cars, drones, and even people’s hearing aids in order to get revenge on Andy and his loved ones. 

Through its examination of technology, Child’s Play was trying to portray the dangers of artificial intelligence and the havoc it can potentially cause in people’s lives. Paralleling the Google Home and Amazon Echo, Chucky can control functions in the house and assist you in your life and daily schedule. In Child’s Play, they take it one step further where the artificial intelligence can learn and adapt to who you are. Chucky is a blank slate initially, his only objective to make Andy happy. He develops his ideas of right and wrong from what he learns from Andy based on what makes him happy or unhappy. Unfortunately, Chucky also receives information that turns him into a murderer, having been exposed to television violence and Andy’s interest in scaring people as pranks. As a result, Chucky uses that information to hurt people.

However, though Chucky is obviously the film’s villain, he also comes across as innocent. Despite his actions, Chucky doesn’t know the difference between what humans consider right and wrong, and is unable to understand the value of human life or the pain and fear he causes someone by killing them. To Chucky, he is just fulfilling his only purpose: doing whatever it takes to make Andy happy. In light of this, Child’s Play also shows the potential dangers of having our lives so interconnected with technology through his ability to perfectly control his surroundings.

2018-10-02 The Kaslan Project 0043.dng

Overall, Child’s Play is an interesting modern take of the classic 1988 film by using technology as a replacement for the magic used in the original film. In doing so, the film has a more realistic take than the original, focusing on the potential evils of technology that could develop if treated improperly. Plus, the gore was a nice homage to the horror movies of the 80s and 90s, featuring over-the-top and impossible death-trap situations. As Chucky, Mark Hamill does an amazing job, playing Chucky as a newly conscious being experiencing the world with child-like wonder and naïveté.

In the end, Child’s Play does a solid job showcasing the impact—and potential dangers—of technology and the impact it has on our daily lives. More specifically, the film also examines our growing interest in artificial intelligence, an issue that we as a culture have only begun to explore. 

Child’s Play is killing the competition in theatres now. 

The Last Jedi: Identifying the Enemy

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I know who Snoke is.

Ok, I admit that I originally had that as the title, but could foresee the flood of “clickbait” accusations with the overall discontent surrounding Snoke’s identity, so I moved it. But in all seriousness, I do know who he is. In a way.

I know there are hundreds of articles on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so what could one more hurt? I enjoy discussing and reading countless theories and thoughts because there is always something new in the Star Wars universe that may have been overlooked the first time around. I mean, it’s a timeless story that spans generations and galaxies, and bridges the past with the experiences of the present and with a hope for the future. The conversations after the credits are part of what makes Star Wars Star Wars.

I want to be sensitive to everyone’s personal definitions of “spoiler,” so if you are still avoiding all of the press and discussion until you see it, here is where I say “it’s better to be safe than sorry,” and perhaps come back later. For everyone else, I want to talk about Snoke.

Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) has been an enigma since The Force Awakens gave us a holographic introduction of a seemingly larger-than-life villain with a mastery of the Dark Side of the Force. He not only controlled the First Order, but guided and influenced a young Ben Solo, a former Jedi-in-training under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker (Adam Driver and Mark Hamill respectively), and transformed him into Kylo Ren.

In The Last Jedi, Snoke is still in charge, and still pushing Kylo Ren to a deeper commitment to the Dark Side. Granted he isn’t as physically imposing up close and personal, but his power seems all but absolute, much like the villains that have come before him. In the prequels, Senator/Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) seduces Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) with a promise that he can prevent the death of Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). In epsidoes IV-VI, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), uses the family connection between himself, Luke and Leia (Carrie Fisher) in multiple attempts to turn the young Jedi into following in his father’s footsteps.

Snoke uses those same external influencers and family connections but in a very pointed way, as he flips the relational dynamic between the “target” (in this case, Ben Solo) and the path of darkness. And this is what makes Snoke far more dangerous, and far more recognizable as a villain, than either Palpatine or Vader.

Instead of focusing on what the Dark Side can offer, Snoke uses the weaknesses he sees in Kylo, compares him to those he has admired (or hated), and twists a manipulating knife of self-loathing and doubt deeper into Kylo’s vulnerable soul. Snoke has taken hold of Kylo’s sense of self…who he is, his bloodline, his purpose, his talent…and poisoned it with talk of inadequacy and failure. It isn’t that the Resistance is too strong, or Rey too powerful for him to defeat, it’s that Kylo is too weak. His conflicting feelings keep him from doing what is necessary. Snoke feeds the doubt that is already inside of Kylo…that is inside of all of us…to maintain his control over him.

And this is why Snoke is such a dangerous enemy – not because of his skills with a lightsaber (apparently none), or because he has a connection to the villains before him (we actually get nothing of his backstory, which I think is what makes him even more dangerous) – but because of how he pulls the strings. His approach feels familiar because most of us have seen it or lived it in our own lives.

I mentioned that we get nothing on Snoke’s backstory. Maybe it will come later, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Snoke is more dangerous for the same reason Rey is more powerful – because they aren’t anyone “special.” Like the Force can choose anyone, so can the Dark Side. Snoke is a scarred, dangerous, hurtful person not because of who he may have been, but because of how he permits the Dark Side to work within him and in turn, helps him convince Kylo Ren that is an epic failure.

There are people in our lives that seem to have an unshakeable hold, and not because they are caring and supportive, but because they feed the small voice inside of us that whispers “you aren’t good enough, you aren’t smart enough, you aren’t pretty enough, you aren’t thin enough, you aren’t rich enough.” They poison our hearts with false declarations of our identities and leave no room for us to break free. Their power doesn’t come from a supernatural source or an inherently evil past (for most people anyway), it comes from the moment we accept their assessment of our weakness.

Snoke’s identity is clear: he is the abuser. He is the former boss, the ex-spouse, the controlling significant other, the overbearing parent, the toxic friend…Snoke is the manipulator in our lives that plants seeds of self-doubt and worthlessness, who cultivates a garden of thorns in our hearts, devoid of the warmth of the sun and relief of the rain. His sickening self-confidence that Kylo will strike down his “true enemy” solidifies his position as abuser. He is absolutely convinced that Kylo belongs to him. 

Our hardest battles aren’t fought with weapons and epic cinematic throw-downs (although the tag team of Rey and Kylo was majorly epic in my opinion), but in quiet determination, with a few key people pulling us through – both past and present.

I find it no accident that Kylo cuts the tie to his abuser with the Skywalker lightsaber when he strikes down Snoke. Kylo has been unsuccessful in the past at retrieving that lightsaber, yet in this scene he wields it effortlessly. You can’t convince me that Rey’s presence in Kylo’s life isn’t fueling his already conflicting soul, encouraging him to break free, making it possible for the lightsaber to respond to his command. And for me, having it seem such a simple act is what makes it so poignant and powerful.

Now Kylo did identify his true enemy and take him out, but the remnants of Snoke’s power still run deep. We see this play out for the remainder of the film. At first this really bugged me, as I was so ready for him to turn light. But it can’t be that way. It hardly ever is. When we take that first step away from a toxic presence, we are simultaneously at our strongest and weakest points. The journey is just beginning, which makes it vital to surround ourselves with people of light, like Rey and the fledgling remainder of rebels, as opposed to dwelling on our anger and sense of injustice and pouring our energy into violent revenge. Snoke’s role is far from removed because Kylo still reels and responds to his influence.

But there is hope! There is always hope, and in true Star Wars fashion, we are left with an image of resiliency, inspiration, and dare I say it…grace for the ones fighting a battle deeper than we may ever know.

 

4.08 Letting the Past Die in THE LAST JEDI

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With the return of Luke Skywalker to the Star Wars universe, you’d expect that fans would be buzzing… but STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI has proven to be one of the most divisive films of the series. This week, Steve is joined by podcast vets Chris Utley and Patrick Erskine to talk about the dangers of nostalgia, the power of nobodies and the damage of the past.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.08 Star Wars The Last Jedi

A special thanks to Patrick and Chris for joining us!

For those of you in Canada who are interested, you can donate to ScreenFish by clicking the link below and simply selecting ‘ScreenFish’ from the ‘Apply Your Donation…’ area. 

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/connect-city/

seeing it coming [The Last Jedi SPOILERS]

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when old wineskins
make way for new,
who sees it coming?

if one waits on royalty
but receives rabble,
will one still receive?

and though death is
obviously an end,
isn’t it always also a beginning?

even so . . .

shred the Jedi texts and
burn the sacred tree,
for the force is
the force for everyone –
“The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you
cannot tell where it comes from
or where it is going.” –
true always,
clearer now

when the one book
in the one tongue
gets Gutenberged,
then can the word
truly be writ
on its true home:
the hearts of all,
not the papers of the few

even so . . .

if Rey be the seed of nobodies,
that need not mean
she cannot still be
the start of a new hope –
for the last shall be first,
the weak shall be strong,
the poor shall be rich

also forget not
the lamb yet lion,
the servant yet master,
the pauper yet king –
forget not that
things many
can yet be one

even so . . .

Skywalker is dead.
the call of the
force/wind/God
made in a way most final.
his shoot of a branch
seemingly snipped.
the Jedi –
once but a
dreamer of a boy
looking aloft to
binary stars –
finally, the last.

yes, but,
who supplants him?

who but he himself:
yet another boy dreamer,
looking aloft to a
new sky of his own

so can you see?

can you see it coming?

the new wineskins?
the royal rabble?
the end-yet-beginning?

can you see that
Luke is Rey is
the boy dreamer
is all the dreamers is
me
is
you?

and can you see that
this is the way of the
force/wind/God?

i hope,
yes

 

Scenes From A Thursday Night In A Galaxy Far Far Away

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SPOILERS FROM STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI ALL OVER THIS ARTICLE.  DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!


  • Dear Disney: You’ve got money up the wazoo! How hard can it be for y’all to give Lucasfilm a proper movie studio logo with bells and whistles and such?  Marvel’s all spiffed out.  Pixar and the animation wings are spiffy.  Lucasfilm’s got that same placeholder madness from the 90’s.  Update that thing!   PLEASE!!!
  • So…Luke’s journey with the Force started with a binary sunset and ended with a binary sunset?  Coincidence?  Doubt it. Poetic?  MOST DEFINITELY!
  • How many of y’all besides me reduced the Force to moving rocks and other inanimate objects?  That mind-melding between Rey and Kylo to get in each other’s head/physical space? Mind. BLOWN!
  • And till now, we thought that Leia’s Force gift was just sensing thoughts and feelings.  Teleporting herself in a semi conscious state?   Mind. Blown. Again! Although my heart sank when it appeared that was how she was gonna die.
  • YODA!!!!
  • I’m not so sure Finn earned that “kiss from a Rose.”  There’s gotta be some cutting room floor material from that casino planet scene to justify her falling in love with him.
  • My SF colleague Arnaldo Reyes summed it up for us all in his review.  LET THE PAST DIE…but hold on to HOPE!  And that’s why fanboys are up in arms.  We will go into Episode 9 with a dead Vader, dead Han Solo, potentially Force ghosted Luke (and Yoda) and, ever so sadly, dead Leia.  The past has died.  All we have ever know about Star Wars is gone.  And that’s a good thing.  It’s what the last scene – along with the revelation of Rey’s parentage – leads us into: A TRUE NEW HOPE – the promise of something new.  Newness can be horrifying. So many times we cling to familiarity at our own expense.  We hold onto old memories, old lives, old sins that God clearly states that we are to put away.  Paul in Romans gives us one of the hallmark statements of faith when he declares that his mission in his journey with Christ is to forget those things which are behind and press forward toward that which is in front of him.  Rian Johnson has done that for us, the audience.  The past must die in order for us to move forward.  Just like our position in Christ:  Old things passed away.  Behold, ALL THINGS ARE NEW.
  • One final point about Luke. Addressing the fanboys again who were searching for their hero who they loved back in 77-83:  Heroism has a cost.  We see our heroes in real life and admire their greatness.  But we have no idea what that heroism cost them emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Luke was supposed to be the manifested Jedi prophecy bringing balance to the Force and restoring the Jedi order.  But he failed in the process.  That failure cost him his nephew and the students he was training and also unleashed the power of the Dark Side to a new level.  Now mind you: THIS is on top of being a presumed orphan for the early part of your life, watching your aunt and uncle who were your caretakers die, finding out your sworn enemy is YOUR DADDY, losing your hand while confronting said enemy, the utter mind-blowing discovery that the most beautiful princess you’ve ever seen (and stole a couple of kisses from) is your friggin sister AND taking eleventy gazillion bolts of Force lightning from the Emperor as your enemy/Daddy saves your life and loses his in the process.  Talk about your burdens being carried!  But no one sees that.  They just see the blowing up of the Death Star, using the gift of the Force and Vader’s redemption. Heroism to the masses…failure behind the scenes.  Much like our own lives.  But as Yoda said, FAILURE is just as crucial to the journey as the successes. The American wing of the Christian Church is infected by this anti-failure mindset.  It has seeped into the fabric of the entire country. We celebrate success. We denigrate failure.  I have seen failure get people who genuinely love God removed from churches because of it. I have seen friends lost because of it.  I have seen the outright dismissal of people’s walks with Christ because of it. But, in my life, I have seen FAILURE be the launchpad into the revelation of the grace and mercy of God.  I never would know God’s genuine love if I hadn’t failed.  And I have failed epically. Just like Luke. But out of the ashes of my failures have come my greatest victories.  Just like Luke.  Luke’s final act in this film was paid for through the cost of his failures.  He became greater and more powerful than at any point in the Star Wars saga!  Can’t wait to see the lessons his Force ghosted self will teach Rey – and hopefully that little boy in the final scene.
  • JJ: Pressure’s on you, bruh.  You alienated a legion of Trekkers through your remake of The Wrath of Khan in which you made Khan an English dude and flip flopped Spock’s death into Kirk’s death.  We cannot have those shenanigans for Episode 9! No digging into your crates to find another movie to remix. The gauntlet has been thrown. Rian Johnson has set the table. It’s on you to bring the feast that will end this trilogy. DON’T SCREW THIS UP!!!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi -The Force of Hope

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“That’s how we’re going to win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.”

Okay, so millions of people are going to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the newest installment of the Skywalker saga. They will go for many reasons: They’ve been following this story for forty years. It is such a piece of popular culture that to not see it would be unthinkable. There are amazing special effects and battles. It is the last film for Carrie Fisher, who died nearly a year ago. Some will go to nitpick the physics. Others will want to consider the mythology around the Force and how that relates to our own ideas of philosophy and religion. This review is primarily directed to that last group.

The film carries the story on from The Force Awakens. The First Order is seeking to eliminate the last of the Resistance. Leia (Carrie Fisher) manages to evacuate their planet just before the First Order ships arrive, but soon the First Order finds them and puts them under siege. Fighter pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac), who is undisciplined and hotheaded, continues to break all the rules as he tries to fight against the enemy.  Meanwhile Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young woman who has an affinity for the Force, tracked down Luke (Mark Hamill) on a remote island. She wants Luke to come back and bring hope to the rebels. Luke refuses, saying the Jedi need to die off. Yet Rey persists to learn more of the Force. And so the battle goes on between the good and evil, but of course, when the Force is involved, light and dark are often at war within the characters more than they are between the armies.

Ever since the series began with what was later named A New Hope, the Force has been the main spiritual aspect of the series. It has a very mystical element.  The description that Luke gives to Rey about the nature of the Force is very close to panentheism—not that God is within all things, but that all things are within God. (But of course the Force is really a religion without a divine being.) Even though some of the characters are more connected to the Force, in reality, all live within the spiritual system of the Force. And so when each character steps up for their time of heroism or villainy, they are acting out their understanding of the Force. It allows even minor characters to bring enlightenment.

There has often been an almost monastic quality to the Jedi. Luke, like Obi-wan Kenobi in A New Hope wears hooded robes. The shelters on Luke’s solitary island are like the stone bee-hive shaped cells of an Irish monastery. Luke has become very like an anchorite, having separated himself from the world. Perhaps this hermit life is a form of penance. He had brought others here to train as Jedi, but when Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), son of Leia and Han Solo, went to the dark side, Luke’s faith in the Jedi philosophy was broken.

In this film, the real Force-related conflict is centered on Rey and Ren. Both have a special affinity for the Force. They are both in a struggle about how the Force is to be used. That good and evil exist in parallel within the Force is part of what makes the Force an interesting examination of the spiritual/theological realm.

Rey and Ren also seem to be connected in some way. While Rey in on the island with Luke, she and Ren begin to see each other remotely and have conversations. Rey recognizes that Ren is deeply conflicted. Ren sees in Rey a person who is searching. Both think the other can be brought over to the other side. There is a complexity to this relationship that opens many possibilities, both for this film and future episodes.

This film spends a good deal of time talking about hope. When Rey finds Luke, it is because she sees him as the embodiment of hope, even though he has essentially lost hope. The Resistance is trying to survive so that they can be the hope to others throughout the galaxy. Hope, in this film, is best seen in the darkest of times. It is not always easy to live in hope. Poe has not learned to hope, so he often acts impulsively. It is hope that sustains the rebels, even as they face sure annihilation. And hope that gives them new insights. It is also the need for hope that opens the door for Episode IX.

For me, the key part of the Star Wars franchise has been the web relationships. Going back to A New Hope, the links between Luke and Leia, Luke and Obi-wan, Han Solo and Leia, Darth Vader and both Luke and Obi-Wan, and R2-D2 and C3PO. In the current set of films (going back to the Force Awakens) new relationships are forming: Rey and Finn (John Boyega), Rey and Poe, Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), and in this film Finn and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). At the same time some of the older relationships are running their course to a finale. One of my complaints about the Star War series as it’s progressed is that the technological advances in effects has taken the fore and the relationship aspect of the stories has been diminished. As I said, some will go to the film to relish the battle scenes and CGI special effects. Although that is a legitimate reason, I’m not in that group. For me the amount of time blowing each other up is time away from the people and the connections that was so important in creating this franchise.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Brigsby Bear – A Stranger in a Strange Land

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 Brigsby Bear may sound like the title of a children’s TV show (and, in fact, in this film it is), but this isn’t a children’s movie. This is a look at home, family, and belonging. It is also a story about coming to grips with a world you never knew but now must live in.

James (Kyle Mooney) has lived his whole life isolated from the rest of the world. To call his parents (Mark Hamill and Jane Adams) overprotective would be a gross understatement. They live in a bunker far off the grid. The only entertainment James knows is a children’s TV show: “Brigsby Bear”. A new set of episodes is delivered each week on VHS. Now a young man, James has examined and dissected all the shows and plots. His entire intellectual life is tied to this show.

Then the police arrive and take him away, arresting his parents. It turns out he was kidnapped from a hospital as an infant. Now he is taken back to his biological family (Matt Walsh, Michaela Watkins, and Ryan Simpkins) and to a world he has never been exposed to. Jack struggles to adapt to the real world. He is emotionally and culturally stunted. Yet he has a childlike innocence that endears him to people.

James’s biggest adjustment is that there is no “Brigsby Bear”. That show was something his father created all those years. As James begins to make friends in the real world, he begins to make a movie that will tie up all the loose ends of the story and give him a sense of closure.

This film is the creation of three childhood friends who went to middle school together: Star and co-writer Mooney, director Dave McCary (both of whom have worked on Saturday Night Live), and co-writer Kevin Costello. (The group of friends making a film-within-a-film reflects a bit of reality.) Additional supporting cast includes Claire Danes as James’s therapist and Greg Kinnear as the police detective investigating the case. The comedy is rather broad, but still entertaining.

James represents a “stranger in a strange land”. He has been uprooted from his whole reality and tries to bring that old world into his new situation. “Brigsby Bear” has been so formative in his life, he just can’t let it go. It was more than just a TV show—it was essentially his education. Early on, when he is still living with his captor-parents, James explains in great detail some of the ongoing philosophical/scientific issues that the series raises.

I sometimes feel the same way trying to coax out theological themes in movies. So I’ll go off on a bit of a theological tangent here. First, let me say I have no illusion that this was a part of the filmmakers thinking, but. . .. I’m always looking for something that can shed light on things from the Bible that we don’t often think about. For me this film offered a chance to think about the post-exilic experience of Israel that is found in some books of the Hebrew Scriptures, such as Ezra-Nehemiah, Amos, Micah, and other later prophets. When the people returned after the Babylonian Exile, they were, like James, going home to a place they had never known. Coming back to their ancestral home was a homecoming, but not one that they could really feel was home. That experience reshaped Judaism in various ways as they tried to bring the worldview from their captivity to their homeland.

James is also trying to bring two worlds together. His worldview has been shaped by his (unknowing) captivity and by “Brigsby Bear”. His family and new friends can’t really understand that. By sharing his past with them, not only does James find a synthesis of his two worlds and families, but at the same time those around him discover an appreciation of seeing things in new ways.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series On Blu-ray – Heroes United!

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justiceleaguemainFrom the Warner Archive Collection, Justice League Unlimited bursts onto televisions everywhere in this fantastic, high definition version. For the first time, the entire series is now available on Blu-ray, featuring the episodes from July 2004 to May 2006 in the series that immediately succeeded Justice League. With more heroes, more villains, and more team-ups, this is stellar DC entertainment for old and new fans of every age!

Originally, the Justice League was ‘simply’ the seven best known heroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, J’onn J’onzz, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl) but after the results of the previous season of Justice League, the JL expands to include lesser known (or at least, under appreciated) heroes like Green Arrow, Black Canary, Hawk & Dove, Booster Gold, The Question, Jonah Hex, and others. It also means that these stories can use galactic enemies of the league like Mongul, Ares, or Darkseid, as well as more individualized characters like Solomon Grundy or Gorilla Grodd.

justiceleagueunlimitedAstute pop culture fans will recognize dozens of voices who coast through the show. Of course, at the core are still essential voices like Kevin Conroy as Batman, George Newbern as Superman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Michael Rosenbaum as Flash, and Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern. But isn’t it fun to hear from Mark Hamill, Neil Patrick Harris, J.K. Simmons, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Robert Englund, Fred Savage, Ioan Gruffudd, or Rob Zombie as a hero – 0r a villain?

While it’s great fun to watch an animated series featuring your favorite superhero (various Batman cartoons, Green Lantern, or Superman ones come to mind), the purpose here allows for a much wider spectrum of stories featuring science, space, magic, and more. But it also raises more questions about how the League – I almost said, Society, but that would be another thing entirely – relate to each other.

We would like to believe that all good guys (and gals) get along, right? But it doesn’t actually work that way. We don’t actually necessarily enjoy every other ‘good’ person’s company – we don’t actually necessarily like everyone else who goes to our church. The thing is, the Kingdom of Heaven isn’t about ‘liking’ everyone else, but it’s about loving everyone as best you can, about loving them as if they were yourself. While the Justice League Unlimited team doesn’t always get along, they do realize how important it is to work together on their common vision – ending evil and tyranny everywhere!

While the bulk of the content is these decade-old episodes (with their seriousness, their silliness, their cartoonish animation), fans may also enjoy other features like the creator commentary on “This Little Piggy” or “The Return,” made by well-known artists, Paul Dini and J.M. DeMatteis. Given that the series was taken in a different direction between the end of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the series special features include “And Justice For All” about using the same characters in a different way. One of the two major story arcs, Project Cadmus, gets the superstar treatment as well, with the insights from Hamill and others in “Cadmus Exposed.” Various writers, producers, and directors also share their thoughts on the wrap-up of the series in “Justice League Chronicles.”

Again, the beauty of Justice League Unlimited is seeing your favorite, well-worn characters in a new way (as kids in “Kids Stuff” – based on JLA: World without Grownups and Young Justice: Sins of Youth) and meeting new ones for the first time. No matter what combination you experience, there are moments of humor and adventure that will leave you cheering – in this case, you could watch all day!