New Evangelizers Post: Can You Compromise The Right To Life?

                                                                   

 

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

We are now in a presidential election year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The question of abortion will be on the ballot in a way that we have not seen in a long time.

As I’ve written about before, the pro-abortion side was preparing for the overturning of Roe in a way that the pro-life side was not. For many on the pro-life side, the end of Roe v. Wade was seen as the final victory in the struggle for life. But this could not be further from the truth.

The struggle is just starting.

The pro-abortion side was busy at work pushing their views through social media and mass media. Abortion, in many mediums, is celebrated and lauded. Any voice in defense of the unborn is seen as a horrible restriction on women’s rights. The Culture of Death wasted no time. This is nothing new, but the pro-abortion side hit the ground running while the pro-life side is playing catch up.

For example, in my home state of Ohio, last fall we passed a constitutional ammendment basically legalizing all forms of abortion. The winning side successfully convinced enough of the voters that Ohio’s laws restricting abortion were too broad. The average voter favors some abortion rights, but not an unlimited one. For example, the overwhelming majority of people believe abortion should be legal in cases of sexual assault.

Because of things that have happened in Ohio, some pro-life politicians have been moderating their political stances. Fearing that standing up for the life of the unborn will cost them votes, they have done the political calculus of saying that they believe abortion should be legal in some cases.

So how is a Catholic to respond to this?

To be fair, this can be an incredibly complex situation and I do not want to make the mistake of oversimplifying it.

However, we must begin with this as our bedrock foundation: killing unborn children is wrong.

Our ultimate goal needs to the the abolition of abortion and the recognition of the dignity of every life.

But how do we accomplish this goal? Can we compromise on our beliefs?

For example, let’s say that in the next election in Ohio, there is a proposed constitutional ammendment that would keep abortion legal except for in the third trimester. Could a Catholic vote for this in good conscience?

The answer is: it depends.

What it depends on is the interior intention of the voter.

If I vote for this hypothetical ammendment because I think that some human life has value and other human life does not, then my motivation is bad.

But if I vote for this ammendment because I see it is a way to mitigate the mass murder of the unborn and save some children, then yes I can vote for it. Oscar Schindler worked with Nazis and gave money to Nazis in order to bring Jewish people to safety away from the death camps. Schindler could not stop the entire Holocaust, but he saved as many people as he could. In the same way, voting for a law that limits abortion partially is a way to save some life.

The ultimate goal must still be to end abortion. Throughout the years before the Civil War, efforts were made to mitigate the spread of slavery. But the abolitionists always held that the ultimate goal was the end slavery forever. It is morally licit for a Catholic to vote for an imperfect law.

But the voting for that law must be done with the understanding that it is an imperfect compromise that is a temporary measure in pursuit of the perfect. Pro-lifers cannot accept a permanent moderation

You can read the whole article here.

Sunday Best: Summer Box Office Predictions 2024

After going over the movies that are coming out this summer, I always enjoy trying to predict the summer box office for the following year.

Michael Crichton once said that studios spend millions of dollars every year trying to predict box office.  But in the end, it is all guess work.  There is no magical formula and no one gets it right all the time.  

That is certainly the case with me.

In 2016, I got 6 out of 10 right.  By 2017, I improved to 8 out of 10. 2018 was my best year, where I made it to 9 out of 10 and my order of highest grossers was even more accurate.  2019 I did great with the top 7, but the bottom three I had all wrong.  I didn't do it in 2020 because of the pandemic.  2021, my top 3 were all accurate.  If Hotel Transylvania hadn't been pulled, I believe my top 5 would have been accurate.  However I WAY over guessed the appeal of In the Heights and I underestimated Free Guy.  

In 2022, I once again got 8 out of 10, but I only correctly predicted the #2 movie as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  I had no clue that Where the Crawdads Sing would make it to the top 10.

In 2023, I got 7 out of 10, but I didn't correctly predict any in the correct position.

I am going to try again this year.  I may be wrong about my number one and two, but we will see.

1.  Deadpool & Wolverine

The last Deadpool made over $300 million.  The Marvel brand is diminishing, but people still have great enthusiasm and affection for this character.  The fact that the trailers were one of the most watched online and that this film looks like it will be taking potshots at the MCU (not to mention that this is probaly the last time to see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine), I think the demand for this will be high.  If it is even half-way decent, there will be many who will see it multiple times.


2.  Descpicible Me 4

The last movie in the franchise made $370 million.  By the metrics, this should outgross Deadpool & Wolverine, but I'm going with my gut and saying that this will come in 2nd, not first place.  As families are turning away from Disney as a trusted brand, this franchise is looking much more child-friendly.

3. Inside Out 2

 

PIXAR has been on a losing streak.  But people have such fond memories of the original that as long as the movie doesn't follow the tone of Turning Red, then this will be a big hit.  It will depend on word-of- mouth

4.  IF

Choosing an original IP for this high on the scale is risky.  But John Krasinski has a good track record of quality.  Ryan Reynolds will be everywhere because of Deadpool & Wolverine.  And this looks like a fun and innocent film that the whole family can enjoy.

5.  Twisters

The orginal made $241 million in 1996, which would be $468 million today.  This looks like it could be a theatrical experience so it my drive people to the movies.  There are no big stars, but it also looks like it could be a thrilling adventure.


6.  The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling has built up a lot of goodwill and enthusiasm for his turn as Ken in Barbie.  On top of this, the movie looks like an incredibly fun and goofy action-comedy.  People want to have a good time at the movies and this could be that.

7. The Garfield Movie

I'm going out on a limb on this one.  The first movie that came out 20 years go made only $75 million and the sequel made $28 million.  But this looks like a high-quality animation at the time when people are looking for Disney alternatives.  

8.  Bad Boys: Ride or Die

This is another risk.  This is the first big budget movie since Will Smith hit Chris Rock at the Oscars.  But the last film in the series made $206 million.  I think that as the advertising campaign picks up, people will ignore Smith's behavior and go to see this movie.

9.  A Quiet Place: Day One

Both movies in the series have made over $160 million.  But the sequel made less than the original and that is not the trend we want to see.  Because this is a new take on the series, it may be a slightly bigger draw

10.  Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

I don't think there is as much interest in this as there was when Fury Road came out, but I think that it will different enough from anything out there that it will find an audience.  Fury Road made $154 million and I think this may make about that much.



ALTERNATES


 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

I've heard some of my students talk about how they wanted to see that, so there may be interest.

Borderlands

I think this will be terrible, but there is the off chance that it could pull a Guardians of the Galaxy and be unexpectedly good and thus draw a crowd.

Horizon

This could be the mature alternative to all the popcorn fluff.  But it is long shot at best.



Thoughts?

Trailer Time: Transformers One

This one was nowhere on my radar.  

The concept also is one that never occured to me: Transformers as a silly coming-of-age comedy.  Just from that description, it sounds like a terrible idea.

Transformers has always had a tone of seriousness.  Yes, the Michael Bay movies were full of dumb humor.  But when it came to Optimus Prime, he was grim leader: "Heavy is the head that wears the crown."  In a similar way, Megatron was not one for any kind of levity.  So when the trailer started, I was immeadiately turned off.

But as the trailer went on, I began to warm to the concept.  There are two reasons for this:

The first is that there actually appears to be an intersting story here.  Take the Transformers aspect of it out, and it feels like a classic adventure of the younger generation seeking out new horizons and discovering a great destinty.  The second is that I found myself laughing at the jokes.  

In fact, I think I laughed more in this one trailer than I have during episodes of most modern sitcoms.  

And strangely, I found myself a little sad.  It seems like Optimus Prime and Megatron are good friends with fun chemistry.  But just like on Smallville, we know where this road ends.  

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts felt like a tired offering of a once vibrant franchise.

Transformers One might be able to inject a litter energon into this universe.

Thoughts?

Sunday Best: Summer Movie Season 2024

 It is now April, so it's time to look forward to one of my favorite seasons of the year: Summer movie season.

It used to be that Summer movie season would begin in June.  But then it became standard for the big movies to come out in May.  

I know as a cinephile I should be more interested in when the "important" movies come out just before the major awards.  But I think the movies of summer are pure cinema and tend to be the ones remembered long after people have forgotten the plot of whatever film won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Here is a list, with a few brief thoughts of my own, including on a scale of 1-5 stars my likelihood of seeing it in theaters (1 being “Not at all” 5 being “Cannot wait!”).


MAY 3

The Fall Guy

Even though I was not a fan of Barbie, the bright spot of that movie was Ryan Gosling.  He is one of the few actors that can cross into any kind of genre and be amazing.  Combine that with the great Emily Blunt and the two seem to bring a fun action/chemistry to this story.  It looks silly, but it also looks like it could be simply a lot of fun.(*****)

I Saw the TV Glow

Everything about this looks bad.   (*)

MAY 1

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

I thought this franchise was completely played out.  But I have to admit that the trailer has me intrigued at least (***)

Tarot

Not a fan of horror films and I especially don't like ones about the occult.   (*)

MAY 17

IF

This has the potential to be a cloying narrative that overdoses on cuteness.  But John Krasinski is an incredibly talented writer/director so I am very curious about this movie. (****)

Back to Black

I was never a fan of Amy Winehouse, so this movie holds no interest for me (*)


MAY 24
The Garfield Movie

Garfield was a huge part of my childhood.  I used to buy the collection of his comic strips through Troll Book Orders (for those too young to remember that, ask your parents).  So I have an incredble affaction for the character.  This movie looks cute and I like the voice cast.  I can't say if it will be good, but I will see it.  (****)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

I did not think that I would like Mad Max: Fury Road, but I was pleasently surprised.  This movie is from the same film makers, so I think that I will give it the benefit of the doubt.  As a prequel, we already know where the journey will take the character.  But the bold visual style may be intersting to see.  (***)

JUNE 7

The Crow

I wrote about my thoughts on this earlier on this blog.  This remake looks pointless and terrible.  (*)

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

I didn't see the last one, but this looks like it could be a fun action romp.  It shocked me how watching Will Smith return to his action/comedy roots, I felt nostalgic and did not think about his horrible attack on Chris Rock.  I think many people may feel the same way and see this movie. (***)

JUNE 14

Inside Out 2

PIXAR and Disney have been putting out some horrible bombs, both in terms of quality and box office.  I have hope for this sequel, but now that the main character is entering into adolecants, I am so worry that they are going to handle this like Turning Red. (***)


The Watchers

High concept M. Night Shyamalan films (or in this case Ishana Night Shyamalan) are a tough sell for me nowadays.  This would have to have amazing word-of-mouth for me to be interested (*)

JUNE 21

Kinds of Kindness

All that has been released is a short teaser, but it looks pretty awful (*)

The Bikeriders

Violent biker gangs in the 1950's?  Not my cup of tea.  Why is this a SUMMER movie? (*)

JUNE 28
A Quiet Place: Day One

When they made Alien: Resurrection, they bragged that they were able to use CGI to finally give us a good look at the xenomorphs.  The problem was that by keeping most of the aliens hidden in shadows, they were scarier.  I worry that the same thing will happen with the creatures from A Quiet Place.  This could be good, but I think it is going to lose some of the primal impact of the first. (***)

Horizaon: An American Saga Part I

This is such a unique gambel on Kevin Costner's part.  But I am at least willing to give this first part a chance. (***)

JULY 3
Despicable Me 4

I've missed the last few movies in this franchise, so I'm probaly not going to see this one in the theaters unless I am babysitting.  (**)

JULY 12

Fly Me To The Moon

The movie looks slick and it has a good cast.  It seems to split the difference between the moon landing being real and fake. (**)



JULY 19

Twisters


The first movie was some decent fun.  I think this will be one that will have to be seen in IMAX so that the sound can have the maximum impact.  This looks like just a fun time at the theater (***)

JULY 26

Deadpool and Wolverine

I am excited to see this movie not only because the movie looks bonkers and it also looks like it will be a nice satire on post-Endgame Marvel,  but I really think this will be the last time we will see Jackman as Wolverine.  I also predict that this will be the biggest hit of the summer. (*****)




August 2
Harold and the Purple Crayon

I am a big fan of Zachary Levi and I am unfamiliar with the source material.  It looks like it could be a nice fun and silly children's film (**)

AUGUST 9

Borderlands

This looks like its trying to be Mad Max with a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, but I don't think it will be successful at matching either.  (**)

AUGUST 16

Alien: Romulus

This looks like it is getting back to its horror movie roots.  The shot in the trailer with the face-huggers running was incredibly scary.  I don't know if I am brave enough to see this in the theaters, though it looks like it is well-made.  (**)

Horizaon: An American Saga Part II

This will completely depend on how good the first part is (?)

AUGUST 16

Kraven the Hunter

I will say that it looks about as good as any of the non-Venom Sony Spider movies (that is not a complement)  (**)

Thoughts?

Fillm Review: Godzilla x Kong - The New Empire

 

Sexuality/Nudity Acceptable

Violence Acceptable

Vulgarity Acceptable

Anti-Catholic Philosophy Acceptable

As I mentioned in my recent review for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, I tend to be very easy to please.  This is a movie that has lots giant monsters hitting each other.

That's enough to make the 7-year-old in me incredibly happy.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the fifth film in Warner Bros. "Monsterverse."  And it feels like they finally cracked the formula: More monsters, less humans.

The story takes place a few years after Godzilla vs. Kong.  Godzilla is still keeping the surface world in balance by taking out other giant monsters.  Meanwhile in the hollow earth, Kong has been living free, but lonely in the wilds.  He still must survive against hostile forces, which he does by his strength and superior intelligence.  Kong then accidentally discovers a subteranian world deeper than the hollow earth, where he encounters other giant apes, but they are immeadiately hostile.  On the surface, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the girl who speaks to Kong starts having visions.  Her adopted mother Ilene (Rebecca Hall), doesn't know what to do, but thinks that it is related to disturbing signals from the hollow earth.  Together with monster veternarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) and conspiracy podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) they explore the source.  This eventually leads them and Kong on a collision course with the dangers ape ruler the "Scar King," who could end up leading to the destruction of the surface world.  It will take the combined forces of Kong and Godzilla to take them down.

It is amazing to me how different this movie is than Godzilla Minus One.  Whereas that one was character-driven, terrifying, and thematically rich, Godzilla x Kong is bassically a live-action Saturday morning cartoon.  There is a clear artificiality to the special effects in this movie that fits with the movie's cartoonish nature.  For that reason, I wasn't bothered by how animated it looked.  Director Adam Wingard seems to embrace this aesthetic and just completely rolls with it.  Like all monster movies, we spend time with the humans, but it feels like less, which is a good thing.  It isn't that they performances are bad, but they are not why we purchased our tickets.

To emphasize the cartoonish nature of the movie, I would contrast the emotional feel the city scenes here and in Godzilla Minus One.  In Minus One, when Godzilla comes to the city, it is a time of fear and tragedy over all the lives lost.  When the monsters fight in a populated city, they hurl pieces of skyscraper at each other and it is just fun.  There are no thoughts of the innocent civilians on the ground and in the buildings dying.  That's because this is a cartoon.  It's just a big, bright brawl.

There are some nice themes here too about love and family that are nice and wholesome, but they get completely swallowed up by the monster mayhem.

I've heard some people complain that Godzilla is only in a few minutes of the movie whereas Kong is in a lot more.  However, this is completely appropriate.  Kong is a much more human character.  He is the one that we are going to relate to emotionally.  We actually go on his journey through lonlieness and pain.  Godzilla is a force of nature.  He is power-personified.  You want to keep him on the edges and more mysterious.  He should always be someone of complete danger, even when he is on your side.  When Kong goes to make contact with Godzilla, the giant ape is taking his life into his hands because Godzilla is as likely to kill him upon sight.

Does a lot of the plot make sense?  Not really.  But it doens't need to for this movie to be enjoyable all the way through.  Why do they happen to have a cybernetic hand for Kong in the hollow earth?  Who knows, it just looks cool!

If you can accept this type of film making, then you will enjoy this movie.

Trailer Time: Joker 2 (Joker: Folie à Deux)

I remember when they first announced the original Joker movie and I thought it was a terrible idea.  When the movie actually came out, I was very happy to be wrong.  

Joker was a fantastic film with a horribly dark insight into the human condition.  It needed no sequel.

And then they announced this Joker sequel and again I thought it was a terrible idea.  Then they announced that it would a musical with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.  Each new bit of information made it sound worse.

And now they have just dropped the first trailer.

I have to say... I'm kind of intrigued.

First of all, I really like the take on Harley in this one.  Margot Robbie gave us the manic anti-hero version of the character.  This one looks to be a feminine mirror of Joker's masculine insanity.

The second thing that I am taking away from this trailer is that it will be a window into their insanity.  We got a little bit of this in the first Joker where the main character has a meditative dance after his first murder.  He found something beautiful and artistic in his violence.  It looks like this movie is going to let you see the main characters' murder and mayhem from their perpective, not as dark acts of evil but as bold, artistic expressions of their feelings.  That is an incredibly interesting take if that is the way they are going.

Finally, the final shot really got me.  Not only is it a brilliant bit of cinematography, but it highlights Joaquim Phoenix's incredible mastery of his body language to completey transform before your eyes in seconds.

I am way more intersted in this film now with trailer.

Thoughts?

New Evangelizers Post: The Resurrection Community.

                                                                  

 

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

Christ is Risen!  Alleluia!

We are an Easter people who live in the light of Christ’s Resurrection.  While it is essential that we enter into His Passion, we must never forget that the story continues past the cross and through the empty tomb.

In my Lenten journey, my spiritual director instructed me to do a 40-Day-At-Home Ignatian retreat.  I spent many hours with Fr. Mark E. Thibodeaux SJ and his book Ascending with Ignatius: A 30-Day At-Home Retreat.  Towards the end of the retreat, he had a wonderful reflection on the Resurrection and the community.

In many of the Resurrection accounts, the Risen Christ directs the disciples to community.

At the end of Luke’s Gospel, two disciples are leaving Jerusalem and are on the road to Emmaus.  Along the way, they encounter Jesus even though they do not recognize Him.  As they walk, He explains how the Scriptures pointed to His saving work.  He stays with them when they ask HIm to stay, where He makes Himself known in the “breaking of the bread.”  When they realize it was Jesus, they rush back to Jerusalem immediately.

Jerusalem is about seven-and-a-half miles away from Emmaus.  They would have set out on this road at night.  It should be remembered that night travel is not common as it is today with streetlights and the like.  They would have been rushing through the deep darkness with only starlight and moonlight to guide their way.  But they were so moved that they had to return.  After the crucifixion, they left the community in Jerusalem and headed to Emmaus.  Once they encounter Christ, they are inspired to immediately return to that community.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus appears to the Apostles gathered in the upper room.  But Thomas was not there and so missed out on the encounter.  Again, because Thomas was not with the community He missed out on the Risen Christ.  We often call him “Doubting Thomas” because of his reluctance to believe the Apostles who reported their encounter with the Risen Lord.  But Thomas had at least enough faith to remain with the others for another week.  And then Christ returns to the community with Thomas present.  He encounters Christ because He stays with the community.

Later in the Gospel, Peter tries to leave the community when he says “I am going fishing.”  It is clearly a solitary activity that he is pursuing.  But the other disciples do not let him go off alone.  6 others go off with him so that He is not alone.  When Jesus calls from the shore and enacts the miracle of the fish, John recognizes it is Christ on the shore and Peter dives into the water and swims to Him.  Notice how John and Peter have complimentary gifts.  John has insight that it is Jesus appearing, but it is Peter who has the courage to dive into the water.

While not all the Resurrection appearances are communal, these stories have a strong emphasis on the community.

This is a reminder that, as Fr. Larry Richards is fond of saying, there are no Lone Rangers in Christianity.  While each of us must have an intensely personal relationship with Christ, this should continue to return us to the community.

The story of the Road to Emmaus reminds us that a genuine encounter with the Lord will always move us back to the community.  While we do have a tradition of those who are called to be hermits and anchoresses, even these people are making themselves a part of the community.  Their isolation is part of their process to pray for and educate the community.  It would appear that if you say you encounter the Risen Christ but do not return the community, then the encounter may not be real.

Why?

In the story of Thomas, we are reminded that Christ appears to His Church.  Jesus is present at our liturgies, particularly in a substantial way at mass.  But He is also present in the people.  Once a priest gave a homily to Mother Teresa’s nuns.  He said that when they give Communion to others that they should remember that they are being Christ to them.  After the mass, Mother Teresa approached the priest and told him, “You should have told them that they are serving Christ in the people.”  The Risen Christ is here with our community.

You can read the whole article here.