Twilight and Mormonism

Life Site News author Kathleen Gilbert has done an enlightening article on the Mormon influence of the "Twilight"series.
When I saw "Eclipse", I caught the mockery of the Catholic Church in the effeminate, velvet robed, vampire bosses who dwelt in a domed sanctuary in the Italian hill country. I was put off by the hyper-sexualized chemistry between Bella and Edward and her utter helplessness in the face of the all powerful vampires. A children's author I know has used the term "kiddie porn" to describe the "Twilight" series, and reading "New Moon", I understood what she meant. These books have a sexual,  addictive quality which  and may be responsible for the popularity of the series among women who are attracted by the so-called moral values of chastity of the books.

Thus this false idea of chastity contributes significantly to the series' "girl porn" effect, despite the lack of actual sex - something that might not be apparent to men, but is all too clear to women. Touted for promoting chastity, the books in fact offer a combo of emotional titillation and steamy sexual near-misses, all bound together with a steady undercurrent of rape fantasy, that is deadly for women. These elements, as in sex-laden romantic novels, are geared toward over-stimulating female emotions and sending women hurtling towards an unhealthy escapism. Instead of the selfish male ideal of regular pornography, i.e., the perfect-bodied female delivering the ultimate sexual climax, women reading Twilight can find themselves craving a different and equally selfish fantasy: the perfectly "intense" male delivering the ultimate emotional climax.

In order to understand the addictive power sexual undercurrents, you have to understand how women are wired emotionally. Stephenie Meyers apparently does, and has captured milions of women's imaginations, and dollars.

"There be Dragons" trailer debuts

Book Review: St. Gianna Beretta Molla - A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love

St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love
by Thomas J. McKenna
San Diego: Catholic Action for Faith and Family, 2008

At the canonization of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Pope John Paul II stated “The extreme sacrifice she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to find fulfillment.” St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962, was a woman of our own time. A physician, she was a working mother who lived a life of service to her family and her community. In the booklet “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love,” Thomas J. McKenna provides a brief biography that will help introduce readers to the life of this modern day saint.

Raised in a devout Catholic family, she was devoted to Christ and the Church from her earliest days. As a teenager, she was deeply affected by attendance at a retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Soon after, she became active in the Catholic Action movement, “a lay spiritual movement that helps its members follow Christ by emphasizing prayer, service, and sacrifice.” She chose to study medicine because she felt it was the best way she could help people in both body and spirit. She would ultimately choose to specialize in pediatrics. She always felt that her role as a doctor was a calling from God.

She was an active woman with many interests, among them painting, music, and mountain trips. In 1955, she married Pietro Molla and devoted herself to Christian marriage and motherhood. She gave birth to three children in quick succession, and then suffered two miscarriages. In September 1961, she was expecting her fourth child when doctors found a large fibroid in her uterus. She was given three choices: remove the tumor, the unborn child, and her uterus (the only sure way to save her life); remove the tumor and the unborn child; or only remove the tumor. Even though she knew it was the riskiest course of action, she chose the last option and instructed her husband that if he was forced to choose between herself and the child, to choose the child. April 21, 1962, Gianna Emanuela was delivered via Cesarean Section. After suffering for a week, St. Gianna died on April 28, 1962 at the age of thirty-nine.

This booklet also contains excerpts from St. Gianna’s own writings which allow readers to get real insight into her thoughts and observations, as well as a collection of prayers to ask for St. Gianna’s intercession.

Brief, easy to read, and full of information, “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is a wonderful introduction to the life and spirituality of this saint.

To purchase, please visit: St. Gianna Booklet

Reviewed by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

Movie Review: Salt - PG13

Angelina Jolie is CIA agent Evelyn Salt.  One day, a Russian defector walks into the CIA and identifies Salt as a Russian agent.  I was a bit surprised at how readily the CIA believed him,  because she immediately becomes a fugitive.   Even Ted Winter, her superviso,r is pursuing her.   It is soon revealed that she does indeed  have an assignment, and the two questions are: will she carry out her assignment?  and where do her loyalties lie?   There a couple of unexpected twists that add to the suspense, and there is non-stop action. 

I very much enjoyed the movie, which was excellent, but I am undecided as to the ending.  It is pretty open-ended and inconclusive, but leaves it almost a certainty that there will be a sequel, which is exactly what I'm hoping for :)

http://www.whoissalt.com/

Archbishop Fulton Sheen returns to silver screen in new documentary

A documentary on the life of Archbishop Fulton Sheen is being shown in pre-release screenings across the country, as part of an effort to raise awareness of the late archbishop, whose cause for sainthood is currently underway.

The hour-long documentary, entitled, “Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Servant of All,” offers both entertainment and a powerful message of evangelization as it follows the life of the famous archbishop (1895-1979). The video includes the testimonies of dozens of individuals who were touched by the life of the archbishop. It also shows footage from his popular television program, “Life is Worth Living.”  In his day, his show was one of the top shows on television. 

Gaining a reputation as both a scholar and a man of God from a young age, Archbishop Sheen committed to praying a daily Holy Hour before the Eucharist after he was ordained a priest in 1919. It was a practice that he maintained for the remaining 60 years of his life, and it was to this daily Holy Hour that he attributed his success in spreading the Gospel.

story

Fr Euteneuer's take on the Twilight phenomenon

Fr Tom Euteneuer is the President of Human Life International and an exorcist. He has just authored a book on exorcism entitled, "Exorcism and the Church Militant". You can order his book here.
He is very famliar with demonic activity and how we invite it by our choices in entertainment and lifestyle.
His word was the deciding factor when I voiced my oppostion to this dangerous series. (this is a photo I took of him getting ready for his EWTN interview at the March for Life 2010).

Vampire Logic

With the issuing of the third movie in the Twilight series I have to speak out about our culture's twisted fascination with vampires. I don't hesitate to tell people that I am totally disgusted with the new fad sweeping over our youth culture these days. It is not just kids that are taken up with the wiles of the dark world either: many moms of teens are swooning for them too. I think that these seductive creatures are simply the spawn of the Harry Potter culture that has for over a decade now been indoctrinating kids to think that the occult world is normal and that all this evil messaging is harmless when dressed up as entertainment. That's vampire logic - and just what the devil wants us to think.

Gone are the days of Bella Lugosi's Dracula (1931) where good was good and evil was evil. A crucifix would drive Dracula away and then he had to go into his infernal coffin when the first streaks of dawn appeared. He was in every way presented as a creature of evil, dark of heart and dread to encounter. He drank human blood too, a feature that was supposed to strike terror in every person who valued his life's essence. The image of a blood-sucking creature who lives in slime and darkness and will pounce on you to drain out your very essence should terrorize every decent person. This is because vampires used to be images of demons. That's what demons are all about: the vanquishing of all human decency and life. They represent the spiritual vortexes of the demon world that drag down to the depths of hell all who fall prey to their wiles.

But, my, how vampires have come up in the world these days.

Nowadays vampires are divided into good and bad - no longer intrinsically evil. The good ones rescuevulnerable women instead of biting them and, allegedly, drink only animal blood (well, we haven't seen the last Twilight movie yet...). And crucifixes? Don't think you'll see any of those driving away bad guys in these movies. The heroes are the "good" vampires, not the Church or religious faith in Christ.
These super-star vampires also walk around in sunlight and, as a matter of fact, their skin just happens to glisten like diamonds when exposed to direct sunlight. Isn't that wonderful? The glam vamps are gentlemen, chaste and well-intentioned, yet they are always hovering around the edge of "falling" and in seductive situations which cause young people to think that they are capable, like their hero vampire, Edward Cullen, of going just so far and pulling back, out of self-control. That's teaching them to play with fire, not a real chastity message for kids.

The worst part of this fascination with vampires from a faith point of view, however, is its blasphemy of the Eucharist. "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you," said our Blessed Lord in Chapter 6 of John's Gospel. He is the One who offers His flesh and blood for the life of the world. The vampires eat (bite) the flesh and drink the blood of victims rather than give their own to redeem others. Their bites corrupt and transform their victims into vampires like themselves. They have no life in them. They are the "living dead" by their own estimate.

How sad that this generation has been so taken in by those who represent the very antithesis of the core reality of our Faith - the Eucharist. Vampire logic is anti-Eucharistic logic, and it's very dangerous for our kids. In their obsessive fascination with such darkness, kids (and adults) turn their backs on the One who actually died for them.

To those who say, "Oh, Father, it's only harmless entertainment," I say simply: You've been warned.

Book Review: "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson

Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are back in the third story of the Millenium trilogy.  Elizabeth is accused of 3 murders.  She is currently in the hospital under guard, and will then be transferred to jail to await trial.  As she recovers, Mikael tries to prove her innocence.  He enlists help from Amansky, his Millenium staff, and a couple of police (the ones he can trust).  It is no understatement that there was, and is, a conspiracy against Lisbeth and it leads higher than anyone expected, to a secret group called "the Section" within the Swedish secret police.  

Lisbeth and Mikael also get some help from Plague and Trinity, a couple of hacker friends of Lisbeth.  Ultimately, to clear her name, she must again face the people and events of her past... for the final time.

Larsson does an excellent job of building suspense.  The "Section" will do anything to stop Mikael and Lisbeth,  but it is evident that this time, Mikael is well prepared because he knows what they're up against.  I love the way that bits of Swedish culture are mentioned throughout the story.  Once again, someone is drinking coffee in almost every scene :)  This was clearly the best of the trilogy.

There are numerous content warnings:  objectionable language (the F word is used throughout),   a few sex scenes are mentioned but not described in any detail and  scenes of violence.

A Movie You Might Have Missed: 1

This originally ran as part of a series that I intended to feature 30 films. I was inspired by Good News Film Reviews' list of 50 movies you might have missed. Do go read Scott's recommendations. Specifically, I am skipping mentioning these movies here because you can read them on his list:

• Singin' in the Rain
  
• Kung Fu Hustle
• Memento (my review here)
  
• Amelie
• Brick (my review here)
  
• Babette's Feast
• About a Boy
• The Quiet Man
• Groundhog Day
• Infernal Affairs (my review here)

Sadly I ran out of steam at about #20.

I revive it here after having a conversation with friends earlier this week where they lamented having a difficult time finding good and unusual movies outside the mainstream. I don't know if this list fits their criteria but I am always surprised when I recommend these movies and no one has heard of them.

And, who knows? I may find my original list and take it all the way to 30!

1. Mostly Martha

Germany

Martha is a chef who has a great deal of discipline, an obsession with food although she never seems to eat, and little joy in her life. When her sister dies, Martha is forced into facing unknown situations after her orphaned niece comes to live with her. Then a new chef is added to the staff and Martha's loss of control seems complete. Suddenly Martha's life is no longer under control at all with the expected growth of character resulting.

This is a slow and deliberate movie but the acting and dialogue are great and a lot of the scenes are very funny. Naturally, as this is about a chef, it is a major "foodie" film. Mostly Martha is a German movie with subtitles but don't let that scare you. Actually we liked listening to the German and picking out words that were almost the same as in English ... but that's the kind of thing our family does for fun.

Do not be fooled by the American remake: No Reservations. It completely messes up the last third of the movie.

Paolo's Journey, a catechism video game launched by the Church

Director of hit movie on Spanish priest says film is causing conversions

The director of “The Last Summit,” the documentary about the life of the Spanish priest and mountaineer, Fr. Pablo Dominguez, gave an interview to CNA’s sister news agency, ACI Prensa, in which he reflected on the reasons for the success of his movie. He confirmed that negotiations are under way for the film to be screened in Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States.

For Cotelo, the overwhelming response of the film's numerous viewers –many of whom are reporting how the movie caused them to have a conversion- “owes itself to the magnetism God has on any person.”

“If Fr. Pablo’s story is attractive,” the filmmaker said, “it's because the love of his life also is. The protagonist in Fr. Pablo’s story, and of the movie, is God. Among all the famous actors and actresses in the world, there isn’t a protagonist more attractive and attracting than God.”

full interview here