Watch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good

Under discussion:

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising  (2007)

I feel I can say that, because another movie about the fate of an entire world depending on a small child inspired me to become a reader.

My logic goes, "The Neverending Story taught me that childlike-reading (i.e. reading aloud-like) keeps The Nothing from destroying your hope, just as The Dark Is Rising would teach that self-reliance dissolves The Darkness."

Granted, some kids might be too scared to watch the movie through to Will's triumphant victory, and the beginning might have been a little too disconnected to sit through; but if your mind is open enough to wait until the story really starts, you're in for some inspirational gut-feelings!

Under discussion:

Sicko  (2007)

People start out stupid. We're born that way; no harm! we 'learn'!

You would think that we would 'learn' that everyone forgets ... that's not a bad thing, as roughly 85% of the stuff we see everyday is stuff we want to forget.

For instance, "Why Jesus came to Earth": often, it's easy to forget that He was actually here for the same reason we all are here: To Fulfill all Righteousness ... and simply dismiss His Testament (as to how we are to go about doing that) with a simple "tuh diyh fur our sinns."

Another idiotic dismissal is seen in the Hippocratic Oath (the famous-name for the central rules of all physicians). One tenet that I've seen fail time-and-time-again is 'that the physician's primary goal is the well-being of the patient.

To promote that tenet (a way that Michael Moore's movie suggested large-scale), I'm going to walk into a drug-store soon, pick out a package of ear-plugs (which I'm wearing to heal my ears back) and walk out; if they stop me to make me pay the 5$ for the package, I'll just tell them, 'Don't worry about it.' And I'll only give them $5 extra the next time I stop in (instead of the untold riches I'll donate if they don't stop me.

No, Michael Moore isn't saying we should all 'shoplift our local CVS drug-sections'; but he is saying that corrective action is needed.

It's funny; 'saying I'll do it' almost makes it impossible to believe I actually will, just like Moore's 'saying he donated that $12,000 to his antagonizer' makes it almost unbelievable.

But--whether he actually did it or not--what he's saying is "live at your 'means,' and give the rest to healthcare (if you don't need the care, pay for whoever does)."

I'll probably forget that rule soon (if I don't remind myself of it everyday ... like the Blue Bell motto: "Eat all we can, and we 'sell' the rest," except of course with the word 'give' instead of 'sell') and go back to "complaining about how I'm living in a place far worse than I'm worth."

The truth is, I don't need more than four rooms (bathroom, bedroom, living-room, kitchen ... with a couple closets) with well-tuned AC and the Internet. With that, and some occasional extra stuff, I could give all the extra bajillions the United States of America owes me (minus whatever I know I'll need) could go to Immortality-Research!

Under discussion:

Evan Almighty  (2007)

I see now the true meaning behind that word. No, I haven't "looked it up"--not what it means today nor how it ended up meaning that--but I would say that it means/has-meant/wioll-ben-haben-mennenging "a story/retelling that serves as an example" ... kind of a 'the way stuff is/was/might-be'.

Evan Almighty--like Bruce Almighty before it (only a prequel in the same sense as Vince McMahon is my ancestor)--serves as a Testament ... in this case, a reminder that God's work is here for us to pick up IF WE'RE READY FOR IT.

I'm seeing that Spout-ers--on average--aren't READY FOR IT. That's something I've noticed about the last few movies I've reviewed here---the reviewers don't understand that THE VIEWER makes the movie good or -bad! The typical review-writer--I suppose 'in order to prove `is cinematic esteem-level (or something)--will often paint the movie as bad as `e possibly can ... often going so far as to make the quid pro quo argument of 'I've seen [this actor, director, producer, caterer, whatever] do some other movies, and this one is the least worthy for that person' or something.

I probably have-written/will-write an article on "How to Watch Movies," but for now I'll just give you the Napoleon rule: When you are watching a movie, NO OTHER MOVIE EXISTS!

That rule comes from Napoleon's rule with women: gentlemen, when you're talking to a lady, SHE IS THE ONLY OTHER HUMAN BEING ALIVE!

That falls in line with something else I learned from this movie (other than the lesson it shares with its prequel): that--if you know you are doing the right thing--you will get all the help you need to see it through.

That's another dangerous lesson (the first one being something like "YE ARE GODS!" lol), because it's very-easy to misread 'knowing you are doing the right thing' as "doing whatever as if it is the right thing."

For example, John Goodman's character 'cut corners' in constructing some important work in a national-park. He managed to save himself some money in the short-run, and the build still worked as well as it seemed to need to, so the shoddy work was 'done as if it were the right thing.'

But, whether-or-not he knew the shoddy work would break down, he also knew the right thing to do would've been to use the full budget on the project to which it was assigned. Now--as it has broken--he has to pay for both the rebuilding as with full budget and the damages caused by his shoddy worksmanship prior.

But, whether-or-not Steve Carell's Evan had caught wind of any of this, he knew that God was directing him to the ARK (as God wouldn't let him be "normal" until the ARK was finished). Evan's children ALWAYS knew he was right, but they needed to wait until Lauren Graham's character listened to her heart and led them back to help Evan see the ARK through!