Movies Reviewed

This posting has taken longer to put together than most blog entries I write about movies. I recently finished watching three DVDs: The Andromeda Strain, Dr. Strangelove and Platoon. It was the first time I had seen each and I watced them in that order. Completely unbeknownst to me, I chose a lineup of movies that work really well together and can enhance each other's meaning and impact.

Andromeda Strain is a supremely clinical and sanitary study in the underground detailed exploration of outer-space microbial threats. Dr. Strangelove is a wildly hysterical and mold-shattering dark humor satire of widespread worries regarding the MAD (mutually assured destruction) of nuclear obliteration. Platoon conveys the madness of war through detailed character studies in a way no other film has yet to match.

Each movie deals with threats, imminent, apparent and existent. Each takes a different point of view; from the long process of decontamination in the bowels of the largest set (of its time) ever constructed, to an eccentric parade of character parodies to the furthest extreme of disregard for life, meaning, cleanliness or decency.

In the end, responsibility falls on the individual, on you, on me, to be good, do good and insure good (whatever good means). Justice is a personal journey. Be true to thyself and don't expect others to do what you would do. Life deserves to be lived fully or not at all. In Platoon, a "cherry's" life isn't worth as much as someone whose been in Vietnam for a while because they haven't yet "put in the time." Don't live safely just so you can live. You never know when General Jack D. Ripper will launch a nuclear attack. The point is to live, not to win the war. Don't follow someone else's definitions or expectations - that is their war, not yours.

And now, for your humorous quote of the day:
"I think we should look at this from the military point of view. I mean, supposing the Russkies stashes away some big bomb, see. When they come out in a hundred years they could take over... In fact, they might even try an immediate sneak attack so they could take over our mineshaft space... I think it would be extremely naive of us, Mr. President, to imagine that these new developments are going to cause any change in Soviet expansionist policy. I mean, we must be... increasingly on the alert to prevent them from taking over other mineshaft space, in order to breed more prodigiously than we do, thus, knocking us out in superior numbers when we emerge! Mr. President, we must not allow... a mine shaft gap!"
-General Buck Turgidson

Follow Up

Mike Golby e-mailed me some great comments to my previous post, about the privacy of religion. Lynn also threw her lot into the pot, thanks! I include Mike's comments here with his permission:

You make several excellent points but the one, often stated but seldom practiced, comes bounding out with meaning and intent.

"Religion is one of the most necessarily personal decisions a person can make. The only manifest destiny is to follow your beliefs as truly as you can."

Right on the button! And, yes, in every other avenue of life we have the same, blinkered vision that emphatically demands viewing life through the eyes of 'the other'. What happened to "To thine own self be true"? In a silent or salient way. It'll be chucked loudly at us when it suits somebody else to do so but seldom when one is doing just that, being true to oneself while respecting the right and *value* of others doing the same. One can be passionate but private, extreme in moderation.

When we demand the same of everybody to an extreme degree through fundamentalism of any kind, the wheels start coming off.

For now, though, with the benign assistance of our chosen leaders and mass media, we're becoming a world of clones, drones, and mass-produced, inflated rubber dolls mirroring the egos of those wielding the power to most forcefully impose their world views on each of us. It's definitely not on and I won't abide it.

We will experience the swing of the pendulum. What happens when we do force ourselves into molds made by others? We realize how uncomfortably we fit and start feeling every difference existing between us and others. Conformity is perverse. It supposedly destroys understanding, tolerance, interest, creativity and all the things that make us unique. Yet all it does in the long term is repress these things. When they explode unhealthily into the light again, we have chaos - as evinced globally with the breakup of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, etc. Then difference for its own sake becomes everything.

Self-Hating Jew: Exposed

I am unsure how many people are familiar with the term "self-hating Jew." I hereby attempt to explain the concept while acknowledging that my definition does not necessarily match that of any other Jew.

As with any religious group, there is constant tension between younger, more assimilated, more modernly-acculturated, more Americanized members and older, more traditional, more closed-off, more strict-constructionist members. Although it is the same religion, I practice slightly differently than my father, as he practices different from his father before him (after whom I am named, by the way). Some kids are more indoctrinated by their parents than others and some are given more freedoms to explore alternate ways of thinking than others. I assume this applies to any group, not just Jews.

The new MTV reality show, Sorority Life, follows six young girls pledging a sorority at UC Davis. For some reason, MTV chose to document the pledging practices at the predominantly Jewish sorority of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi.

When first hearing about the new MTV show I welcomed the idea of popular culture seeing a more modern, young, hip version of Judaism. A few minutes into watching the first episode I was completely horrified. The girls running the sorority are the same close-minded, short-sighted, arrogant, elitist girls I hated while growing up in a large Jewish community. They think people who aren't Jewish are somehow less human, less humane, less worthy of time and respect. The first episode was filled with lines along the line of "she doesn't share our values" in response to girls who couldn't sufficiently answer the persistent questioning of "so... are you Jewish?" Those few who said yes were quickly questioned as to what sect they were from - and judged accordingly.

But I don't need to pick too much on an MTV show, meant to garner ratings and advertisers. The sad part is that these actions are followed through in many other venues.

That's when I go into self-hating Jew mode. I mourn the way society is taught about Judaism. I regret the loss of a great opportunity. I detest having to apologize and feel embarrassed by the preposterous actions of people who supposedly share the same ideals I do. But they are going to heaven, sure!

And thus I arrive at my theory of religion:

Shut the hell up!

I don't need to hear about how Jesus will save me from having sex with young boys and I promise never to tell you can drive recklessly, beat your wife and show no respect to anyone who doesn't share your exact interpretation of Judaism but yet still make it into heaven because you ornately covered your head while doing so. I don't ask other Jews which of the 613 commandments they follow and I don't want them asking me. I don't believe in imposing anything on anyone (other than how awesome GAZM.org is!). Religion is one of the most necessarily personal decisions a person can make. The only manifest destiny is to follow your beliefs as truly as you can. That is work enough. Don't worry about me. I'm alright. Thank you very much.

Let he who is without lacking of religious piety cast the first stone.

That's just my opinion, I may be naive.

PS- for a look into a group of people doing it the right way, pick up the newly-minted second issue of Heeb.