Songs & Movies

Movie List #3 Sept 1, 2023

Gifted Hands: The “Ben Carson Story” released in 2009. Ben Carson is played by Cuba Gooding Jr. (Netflix) This is a true story about the life of a young black boy (whose mother couldn’t even read or write) who became the world’s top pediatric neuro surgeon. As a young boy he didn't have much of a chance. Growing up in a broken home amongst poverty and prejudice, his grades suffered terribly and his temper flared, and yet, his mother never lost her faith in him. She encouraged him to read profusely. Insisting he follow the opportunities she never had, she helped to grow his imagination, intelligence and, most importantly, his belief in himself. It brought to light how faith & prayer would be his gift. Besides being stationed at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where he performs over 300 operations on children each year, he also crisscrosses the entire planet to share his miraculous talents with less fortunate folks in developing countries who might not otherwise be able to afford his services. Despite being the recipient of countless accolades including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, the humble doctor who changed the course of medicine forever, has never let his success go to his head. Instead, this devoted family man and devout Christian is quick to credit the Lord for his bounty of blessings.

Terminator 2, Judgment Day: The Terminator series is about our relationship with technology and the human potential for dehumanization. In many movies there’s a spot with a short dialogue where they try to get the “message” to you. Sometimes it’s subtle & sometimes more blatant. You’ll find it in this movie half way through & at the very end where it clearly states that robots & AI can be a more loyal & faithful friend than people. The boy learns to love the robot as the “father he never had”, as the robot eventually gives his life for the boy. It shows the robot as the only one who truly loves the boy—enough to die for him not to mention that the robot plays with him, is a companion, teacher, mentor & father figure. Here is the actual dialogue: “Watching John (the boy) with the machine, it was suddenly so clear. The Terminator would never stop. It would never leave him, never hurt him, never shout at him or get drunk and hit him, or say it was too busy to spend time with him. It would always be there & it would die to protect him. Of all the would-be fathers who came and went over the years, this thing, this machine was the only one who measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice.” When John asks if humanity is going to make it, the robot replies “It’s in your nature to destroy yourselves.” Messages in movies are subtly programming us to accept the fact that we need robots and AI to save us, the world & humanity. The series really does prepare the world for the Image of the Beast & the technology to come as our salvation.

Terminator 1: The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor. The film also explores the potential dangers of AI dominance and rebellion. The robots become self-aware in the future, reject human authority and determine that the human race needs to be destroyed. The impact of this theme is so important that the prevalent visual representation of AI risk has become the terminator robot. It also highlights themes like humans versus machines, the destructiveness of war, capitalism, and the questioning traditional gender roles. It’s amazing that even way back in 1984 they were already depicting Robots in the future as becoming self-aware & making their own decisions.—Something we’re hearing a lot about in the news in 2023, which has been dubbed “The Year of AI”, & that there needs to be some kind of central control over AI intelligence so that they can’t decide on their own to wipe out mankind.—Which has now become a possible reality. The film, made in 1984, shows the Terminator’s skin growing back when burned—just this year, in 2023, they have now developed a type of synthesized skin that grows back & used on robots.

The Big Short: “The Big Short” recounts how the housing bubble, driven by the growth of the subprime mortgage market and the investment vehicles derived from it, led to the 2008 financial crisis. Released in 2015, “The Big Short” is based on a true story about a group of investors who decided to bet against the real estate market, just before the 2008 financial crisis. Although a lot of the financial jargon & complicated economics may go over our heads, we can get the gist of it & grasp the generalities of what happened. Briefly: In 2008, Wall Street guru Michael Burry realizes that a number of subprime home loans are in danger of defaulting. Burry bets against the housing market by throwing more than $1 billion of his investors' money into credit default swaps. His actions attract the attention of banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), hedge-fund specialist Mark Baum (Steve Carell) and other greedy opportunists. Together, these men make a fortune by taking full advantage of the impending economic collapse in America.

Mixed by Erry: “Mixed by Erry” (Netflix) is a 2023 Italian comedy based on a true story about three brothers in the '80s who made a fortune by selling and distributing mixtapes throughout Italy. Music is at the center the film & how the three young brothers follow their passion—and also a peek into the music industry. Not wasting a single moment right from the first frame, the film takes us back into the remarkable lives of the three brothers who made millions by selling duplicated music cassettes in Naples, Italy, in the 80s. It reminds us a lot of our own youth when with the Lord’s help when were innovative & would tackle almost anything, climb any mountain, could make something from nothing with the faith & courage that God gave us in our witnessing & winning.

Woodlawn: (2015. Netflix) A true story & testimony of the fruits of the “Jesus Revolution”. Very inspiring. WOODLAWN is based on the true story of the integration of an Alabama high-school football team and the rise of former Miami Dolphins running back, Tony Nathan (well performed by Caleb Castille). Following the government-mandated desegregation in 1973, Tony Nathan joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Ala. As violence and anger erupt in the city, Woodlawn football coach Tandy Gerelds (Nic Bishop) allows an outsider Hank Erwin (Sean Astin) to speak to his players about the Lord, who himself was witnessed to & saved by the Jesus People. His message of hope and love leads to a spiritual awakening that inspires star athlete Nathan, his teammates and other members of the community to overcome the hate that surrounds them & find unity and success through following Jesus. The entire football team receives the Lord, & many town members as well—having influenced & changed the city of Birmingham to this day! Incredible testimony!

Tetris: “Tetris” is primarily based on a true story about the video game that became popular. It was actually invented by accident by a Russian software engineer with a passion for puzzles. Henk Rogers discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by travelling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov to bring the game to the masses. It captures Henk's epic quest to obtain licensing rights to multiplatform versions of the game. The film also shows the greed & corruption behind wealthy individuals & monopolies to do whatever they have to do to control & be the masters of the gaming industry.

White Helmets: (Netflix Doc. True Story) The White Helmets is a 2016 documentary about a fearless group of citizen first responders in Syria who, in just the three years of their existence, have saved an estimated 58,000 lives as their country endures the bombing from Russian planes from above and terrorist attacks. Their motto is: 'to save a life is to save all of humanity'. In a conflict where too many have chosen violence, the White Helmets wake up every day to save the lives others are trying so hard to take. These one-on-one conversations are the soul of the movie, as the men - in their former lives, a builder, a blacksmith, a tailor - affirm their belief in humanity and a better tomorrow. True heroes, truly inspiring & eye-opening.

Stand By Me: Four 12-year-olds go on a hunt for a missing teenager's body. The picture is framed by the reminiscences of a writer (Richard Dreyfuss). Hearing about a friend's death, he recalls the summer of 1959, when he and his 12-year-old friends spent their time hanging around doing what boys do. Gordie (Wil Wheaton) is the writer as a youth, and he's joined by Chris (River Phoenix), a somewhat older kid who's considered bad because of his family, Teddy (Corey Feldman), an erratic boy whose father is in a mental hospital, and pudgy Vern (Jerry O'Connell). Vern hears his older brother (Casey Siemaszko) tell a pal that his gang found the body of a missing boy while they were out for a spin in a stolen car, and when he repeats the story to his own pals, they set out to find the body. Directed by Rob Reiner from a semi-autobiographical Stephen King story, STAND BY ME is a sentimental film that works because of its unsentimental moments--in particular, its sometimes embarassingly honest portrayal of what interests boys and how they talk about it. Reiner elicits some excellent performances from his young cast (River Phoenix is a standout). It’s like taking a peek into how young age boys think & act. Helpful to understand young teens. Lots swearing as each boy tries to out do the other his in swearing lingo—kinda funny. We probably all did that.

The Day After: In the mid-1980s, the U.S. is poised on the brink of nuclear war. This shadow looms over the residents of a small town in Kansas as they continue their daily lives. Dr. Russell Oakes (Jason Robards) maintains his busy schedule at the hospital, Denise Dahlberg prepares for her upcoming wedding, and Stephen Klein (Steve Guttenberg) is deep in his graduate studies. When the unthinkable happens and the bombs come down, the town's residents are thrust into the horrors of nuclear winter. The movie depicts how things will play out in the event of a nuclear war. There are some good tips we can glean on how people will react, what we should and should not do practically, for example, look in the direction of a nuclear blast. In fact, even if we are not looking in the direction of the blast & have our eyes open we can be temporarily blinded.

Paradise: In the future, a method of transferring years of one's life to another changes the world and turns AEON into a billion-dollar company. To pay off debts, Elena must "pay" 40 years of her life, robbing her and her husband of their future together. Although this technology doesn’t exist now, who knows, maybe in the future they’ll be able to transfer DNA from one person to another. The donor aging, and the recipient staying young. It shows how in the future there’s the possibility where people do not have rights but have to do what the “government” says.

Jumper: Young David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has the ability to instantly transport himself to any place he can imagine. He uses that gift to globe-trot, living on money he steals by "jumping" into bank vaults. He's captured by the evil Roland Cox (Samuel L. Jackson), who knows how to keep David from jumping. David escapes and reunites with his high school crush, Millie (Rachel Bilson), then forms an alliance with fellow jumper Griffin (Jamie Bell) and prepares for mortal combat with Cox. This movie is relatable & has parallels to us in that perhaps under the AC reign some of us will actually be able to “teleport” like Philip did when he witnessed to the Ethiopian Eunuch. There are a couple of other examples of teleporting in the Bible: Elijah went to heaven in the chariot, & Jesus went through walls, Jesus vanishing after eating with the two men in Emmaus. Luk24:31 “…and He vanished out of their sight.” In the movie the “Jumpers” or “good guys” are getting hunted down & killed by the “bad guys”, like Christians being hunted down during the AC reign—it’s putting the spiritual warfare in a visual format that makes it more real.

The Two Popes: This movie is not your fast moving film, but there are many lessons! The film talks about guilt, compromises, differences of faith, agreeing to disagree, seeing the potential of other people even if you might not like them & working in unity even if you don’t agree on doctrine. Both popes had done incredibly stupid things in their past that they felt guilty about. The movie talks about what they feel guilty for, and they have to forgive themselves and forgive each other, support each other. They became good friends as they put their differences aside. Although much of the content is based on historic events, including speeches and philosophical debates that were published, most other aspects were fictionalized. But especially in today’s world where there is so much division, it showed how these two popes put their differences in doctrines on the back burner for the sake of unity & being good shepherds. The movie focuses on the relationship between Francis, then known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, and Benedict (Hopkins) leading up to Benedict's surprising 2013 decision to resign as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Rocketman: This movie is about music & Elton John who was a gifted musical genius. This may be of interest to musicians as there are many of Elton’s songs through the film. There are some explicit homosexual scenes—just so you know before watching. The movie is the life story of Elton John from a young boy to rock star fame—including his feeling unloved by his parents. He had a broken childhood. There’s heartbreak, disappointment, drugs, anger, & betrayal. Thank God for his grandmother who encouraged him & his friend Bernie, who was the songwriter. Lots of lessons in this movie & it really moves you to want to pray for celebrities & the struggles & loneliness they go through. He sings a song called “I want love”. He felt unwanted, unloved & heartbroken. He said real love is hard to come by, so you find a way to cope without it. And then once he’s wealthy everyone wants to use him. Here is the review from the critics: “Young Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John and collaborates with singer-songwriter Bernie Taupin to become one of the most iconic figures in pop history. Set to his most beloved songs, it's the epic musical story of Elton John, his breakthrough years in the 1970s and his fantastical transformation from shy piano prodigy to international superstar.”

Power of the Dog: (Not recommended) This was rated as one of the best movies of 2022 & was #3 on a list of Best Picture Oscar Nominees of 2022. The Power of the Dog is a character study of emotional abuse, toxic masculinity and sexual repression, shielded behind a typically hyper-masculine genre. There is plenty of that in real life and on the news that we really don’t need to watch 2 hours of it on screen. Peter, a teen, kills Phil (a mean cowboy) in the end—a secret murder—by anthrax poisoning. The title of the movie “The power of the dog” comes from Psalm 22:20. Personally, I thought it was a waste of time & wouldn’t recommend watching it. There is nothing Biblical about it that the title might insinuate. There was no real meaningful message. It also shows that movies that Hollywood or the Oscars claim as being excellent can be really off. The acting might be good, but the affect & the message can be polluting or emotionally harmful or promote hate, unnatural sex & even murder.

Walk, Ride, Rodeo: (Netflix) This a true story that's based on a teen girl (Amberley Snyder played by Spencer Locke) who grew up riding horses. She survives a traumatic automobile accident and is paralysed from the waist down. The movie has MANY positive role models and messages, including Amberley. She is told she will neither walk nor ride again, but her fighting spirit won't keep her away from doing what she loves more than anything. Overall this was an EXCELLENT movie & good family movie. Amberley and her horse actually did the stunts/runs in this movie.

Endless Trench:  The Endless Trench 2019 (Netflix) is a story based on true events and it was very well directed. The story takes place in a small and remote little town of Andalusia (southern Spain), during and post-Spanish Civil War, between the years of 1939 and 1969 during the Franco era. The end of the bloody Spanish civil war brought vengeance and oppression, executions and long imprisonments. Winners didn't show much mercy. This is a powerful, claustrophobic movie about a man who actually hid in his house for 33 years confined to small spaces, dark rooms, dust balls and endless fear of getting caught. Gives an idea of what it might be like for Christians who hide out during the Tribulation.

MOVIE LIST REVIEW—March 21, 2023

Following is a brief Movie List write-up on various kinds of movies: Futuristic/Sci Fi's that are Endtime-related, Historical, Survival Prep type of movies etc.

Jacki

(Special thanks to Joe and Laurie for this list).

Bible:

The Apocalypse (2000)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtKknf1gNn8

Set in 90 AD and concerns Jesus' last surviving apostle, John (played by Richard Harris) receiving and writing the Revelation while imprisoned in a Patmos penal colony. The film is not high tech but it does a good job of depicting visually many of the fantastic visions John received.

Based on True Life Stories

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjasTcmDpF0

The story of the life of Mother Teresa (played by Olivia Hussey) from the beginning of her ministry to her death. In spite of the fact that no one thought it was possible, she is an example to us all that Jesus speaks to us and will bring to pass in our lives that which He desires. Shows also how she dealt with persecution & bad media.

Ragamuffin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIOBKuDvyZI

A searching movie based on the real-life story of Christian music artist Rich Mullins, who despite struggles with heartbreak, alienation from his father, alcoholism, success, and depression he composed and produced some of the best faith-based songs of the 20th century because of his determination to do his utmost for Jesus and fulfill the purpose for which he was created.

Amadeus—This shows where jealousy and envy lead to murder and insanity. Unrepentance leads to hate. It is the old Cain and Abel story again & is the life story of Mozart & a jealous rival based on fact.

Science Fiction/Futuristic:

The Apple (1980)

(Buy it online) Shows in parable form how powerful the music industry is and that Jesus is coming back and the Devil is going to be defeated, and His children are going to rescued out of this world. Parallels the Mark of the Beast (Vim mark) & Antichrist rule & persecution of Christians—in a parable-like style.

Martian Chronicles

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdRBBciSUpo

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnp5asLsGg4

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpx-gGAuvbo

A 1980 television mini-series based on Ray Bradbury's 1950 book The Martian Chronicles. Deals with the exploration of Mars as a place to relocate inhabitants from an increasingly war ravaged and devastated earth. Parallels how the Spirit world operates and a warning of a future, if Jesus was not coming back, trying to save mankind from total destruction.

Fahrenheit 451

https://www.bitchute.com/video/xv50v6sGhusH/

Starring Oscar Werner. A futuristic movie that shows the importance of memorizing in the end time when the world is trying to get rid of written material & burning books.

Edge of Tomorrow

(Netflix) Tom Cruise as Major William Cage finds himself spearheading an attack against a strange alien life form invading earth. Interesting parallel about knowing the future and a good example of knowing how to present the future in a relatable way so that people will believe you and follow. When it is not presented coherently it can get you in trouble.

The Sixth Day

“To clone or not to clone” that is the question. Arnold wisecracks his way through this horror story of being cloned without someone’s knowledge. Gets people accustomed to the idea & benefits of cloning people & animals.

Transcendence

The Antichrist dream movie comes true. Eternal life without Jesus. Johnny Depp becomes god and makes a mess of things. Takes over people without their permission and it all leads to destruction.

Surrogates

Surrogates is a 2009 science fiction film. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, it stars Bruce Willis. Robots take over the lives of men and mankind allows it. Shows the dangers of virtual reality and letting it take over people’s lives.

The Stand

(1994) Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald. A six-hour mini-series, based on the novel by Stephen King. Intense, dramatic and graphic portrayal of an Endtime-like scenario, where the few survivors of a worldwide plague are polarized into two camps: One good--the believers in God and Jesus--and the other evil--led by the Devil--engaged in a struggle to the death to wipe out the believers. Beware of graphic scenes throughout the movie, particularly in the first two hours. Some may also be disturbed by the portrayal of the Devil. Those who are sensitive to or easily frightened by heavy spiritual movies should probably avoid this one. Please note that although there are definite comparisons to a future Endtime world ruled by the Devil and the movie is somewhat based on the Bible, it does not follow the Endtime chronology as we know it. The lives of the good characters involved are sometimes more like AACs or unsaved believers. Overall, it's faith-building and glorifies Jesus and His power. (Note: Please be sure to have good prayer before and after this movie!--You may even want to have a little uplifting Word on hand to read afterwards!)

Survival Prep:

World War Z

(Netflix) Fictional story where former U.N. investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family find themselves in a zombie pandemic which is quickly spreading across the world and threatens to destroy humanity itself. Gerry is commissioned to lead a worldwide search to find the source of the infection and a solution to halt its spread. It promotes taking an injection of a lethal substance to solve the problem. Many aspects of the movie foreshadowed the Covid pandemic.

Contagion

(Netflix) Starring Matt Damon---shows what not to do in an emergency. It also forecasts the covid pandemic almost to the T although the movie was made 10 years in advance of the covid outbreak—including injections, face masks, lockdown, hand sanitizer. It’s so accurate you would think they made the movie after the covid pandemic!—Creepy! Helps you to get ready for the next disaster on its way.

San Andreas

(Netflix) Starring Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, a super disaster movie that shows the importance of being ready for anything. Being aware helps to prepare. Knowing how to give CPR can save your loved ones. In a disaster you better know how to improvise and love never fails.

Greenland

https://www.bitchute.com/video/dyUJUPBYezYr/

Starring Gerald Butler, another disaster movie about being in shape and not trusting the government. It also shows not giving up and keeping up hope.

Don’t Look Up

(Netflix) The story of two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization. Those with the power to do something are distracted by their own agendas. An allegory for climate change, the film is a satire of government, political, celebrity, and media indifference to the climate crisis. Brainwashing to trust the science.

Historical:

The Promise 2011 TV serial

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dciKqsXQ89U

Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47SOiPdHoRg

Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJwGkNgw5wY

Episode 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeTKJy-Pizw

The Promise is a British television serial about a young woman who goes to present-day Israel with a friend and ends up retracing the steps of her grandfather - a British soldier stationed there in the 1940s. It gives detailed background into the history and current events & circumstances in Israel as well as insight into how the Jews and Palestinians view the situation.

Saladin

(Netflix) Historical movie showing that Jerusalem has been fought over for centuries between the Muslims and the Christians, and it will continue to be fought over in the end time. Shows Jerusalem being internationalized.

“Jesus Revolution”

“Jesus Revolution”—2023 is an American Christian drama starring Jonathan Roumie and Kelsey Grammer about the history of the Jesus Revolution.

A great movie. If you got saved because of hippies and because of one man and his family’s obedience to reach the hippies with the gospel, then this is the movie is for you. Beautiful story showing how if it wasn’t for the hippies and all that they went through, there might not have been a Jesus Revolution. It was because of the hippies trying so many other things, that their search finally brought them to Jesus, that started the Jesus Revolution in the late 1960’s & early 1970’s.

It doesn’t give credit to all of the people responsible for the Jesus Revolution but it does show that without the hippies, it wouldn’t have happened. God’s spirit was yearning after and winning the hippies. It showed how this man let the hippies preach and reach other hippies. If anyone knows what a Randy skit is all about, this movie was one long Randy skit.

Another review: Jesus Revolution is a tremendous movie, showing the move of the Spirit in the late 60’s. The film is Greg Laurie’s version of the Jesus movement. It shows the life of Lonnie Frisbee, Greg Laurie, Chuck Smith and the growth of Calvary Chapel Church. Connie Frisbee, former wife of Lonnie Frisbee was critical of the film because of lack of accuracy. Connie learned about the film after it was shown in the theaters. The filmmakers failed to contact Connie or consult her about the movie. She felt her input was essential, as she was there, was married to Lonnie and had personal, firsthand experience. Connie also confirmed, “The Jesus movement was happening before Lonnie ever met Chuck Smith. People were getting saved all over the place.” The movie provides an opportunity to see and experience a move of the Spirit in the late 60’s and hopefully will motivate people to assess their personal spiritual life and come to the knowledge of salvation through Jesus.