For a change of pace, here's a movie review...or four

I saw four movies this past weekend. That must be some sort of record for me. Two were old, while two were made in the past couple years. On Friday night, in a cabin in Payson with friends from college, we watched the original Sabrina, from 1954, starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden. On Sunday afternoon, at the Phoenix Art Museum, I saw 1937's Shall We Dance with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. While I like many classic films, I am not one who believes all old movies were great. But I thoroughly enjoyed both, and found myself laughing out loud throughout Shall We Dance. I was amazed by the flamboyant gay-ish characters in Shall We Dance, which made it even funnier after 70 years and many changes in the American lexicon when one of the characters said he would soon be returning to his regular "gay life." The sexual innuendo was as present in 1937 as it is in today's films, with the Astaire and Rogers' characters trying to downplay rumors of an affair between the two. What was different was the subtlety with which it was delivered - or implied. Perhaps more than decency, our society has lost its sense of subtlety. And yes, for those who were wondering, the Phoenix Art Museum frequently shows movies at 2 p.m. on Sundays. From the art deco ship in Shall We Dance, I presume that films are chosen for their artistic displays.

Among the newer films I watched this weekend, the first was Mike Judge's Idiocracy. While I am a fan of both Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill, I've always found Judge's style better suited for the small screen. In fact, this film was perhaps the stupidest film I have ever seen. The premise behind the film is that stupid people breed more than smart people, and that eventually the world will be nothing but ignoramuses (or is it ignorami?). After seeing two smart, funny, feel-good films from an earlier era, Judge's film proved its own point through its sheer stupidity.

The final film I watched this weekend was Dreamgirls, which is a thinly veiled fictional story based largely on the life of real Motown superstars. The music and cast were great, although the story line was a bit predictable. I bet this one was great on stage, though.

I tried to see a fifth film tonight, Jesus: The Lost Years. Unfortunately, it was a sold out special engagement, and tickets were only available through the marketing company that primarily sells tickets through churches. When I called the company sponsoring the special showing, I heard a recording telling me to hold for the next operator, after which I was soon hung up on. The irony of this experience, given some of my past experiences being shunned by "Christianity," is the topic for another blog. If anyone gets the chance to see this movie, please let me know how it is. The New Testament of the Christian Bible says little about Jesus's youth, especially these years in which he was in Egypt. And I am the type of Christian who believes that God speaks to us through more than just ancient scriptures deemed worthy of being in the Bible. In fact, like the United Church of Christ, I believe God Is Still Speaking. And there you have it: movies, God, and social commentary. What more could a blog post have?