MR T'S 10 DAY MOVIE CHALLENGE ... REVEALED.

You may remember my post about my 10 Day Movie Challenge in which I revealed 10 of the films that had an impact on me and why. Well, I challenged Mr T to share 10 of the films that had an impact on him and here they are ... revealed.

The Life of Brian – Quintessential watching for anyone with an interest in Religion I think and not least for a lesson in bad apologetics. The Malcolm Muggeridge and Bishop of Stepney interviewing John Cleese and Michael Palin after the film is one of the most embarrassing displays by the hierarchy of begging utterly devoid of any humour.  Not least in that they later admitted having missed the first ten minutes of the film in which it is made plain that he is not the messiah, just a very naughty boy.

Pulp Fiction – My introduction to Tarantino and unsurprisingly Preacher man being the favourite character for me. It’s a style of evangelism I could get used to although I did get a bit tired of explaining to people the bible quote he recites is the fiction of his life… there aren’t even that many chapters in Ezekiel. The style of the film and the music are just so vivid and partly because the playing with timelines annoys her ladyship so much…’but he’s dead already!’

The Matrix – Watched this so many times, is it possible to wear out a DVD? Just combines so much of my interest in one good fun action flick. Christian symbology, the messiah of an oppressed peoples, truth and reality, existentialism, and the problem of choice and free will. So much to think about and ponder in the key themes it’s almost a potted philosophy of the last 2,000 years.

Metropolis – Fritz Langs 1927 epic costing roughly a million dollars at the time, engaging some 17,000 extras, 18 of whom died during production. Langs future prediction of the slavery to the machine for the masses condemned to living miserable lives underground. The elite, privileged and wealthy living above and playing in the pleasure gardens of the rich and famous. Also an interesting study in Old Testament prophecy as Maria acts as leader and comforter to the masses in their hovels inspiring them to hope and belief in the possibility of change.

The Big Kahuna – Tightly and beautifully scripted movie, all taking place in one hotel suite at a sales conference for the petrochemical industry.  All three characters beautifully drawn caricatures; Kevin Spacy as the cynical and somewhat biter misanthrope,  Danny DeVito as the tired and perhaps little world weary liberal just getting along and Peter Facinelli as the new bod from the chemical department, there to ‘look good’. The eponymous main man they are looking to hook into a contract is missed but it turns our young Bob had been talking to him socially and not knowing who he was didn’t do the business but talked about his faith with the man…  ‘I don’t suppose you discussed what brand of industrial lubricants Jesus would recommend?’ So much in this about the nature of evangelism.

The Seventh Seal – Ingmar Bergmans classic movie of death and dying with the knight challenged to a game of chess in order to preserve his life. Set during The Black Plague of the middle ages, dark and moody reflective stuff for dark days when world weary myself and the silence of God is getting a bit much for me.  Block admitting his sense of meaningless and nihilistic futility discovers the Priest in the church is in fact death who sets the game and Block’s life continues as agreed in his game with death.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – Living out my childhood fantasy of going back in history to meet major characters in history, although my choices would be slightly different, this is just simple good fun with a few moral lessons thrown in about youth and choice and the potential they hold in their awkward and unrealistic ambitions… at least they had ambitions.  Surprised but anticipating the third sequel coming out next year with Bill & Ted as middle aged family guys who still haven’t made it…

The Blind Swordsman -  A tale from Japan of a famous blind Samurai. Living quietly and making a living gambling largely he has left behind his former identity until chance encounters and high handed misdeeds by powerful but immoral individuals inspire him to take up a  cause.  Yes I do like the Chinese/Japanese stylings of this movie and directed by it’s principal character Takeshi Kitano, he knows these forms well and caters accordingly.

Heaven's Above - My favourite Ealing comedy where the good reverend Peter Sellers due to a clerical error ends up in a parish by mistake who are less than prepared for his methodology in ushering in the kingdom to come. As much of a delight for the marvellous supporting cast in Eric Sykes, Irene Handl and Roy Kinnear as the family who take advantage of him. Good farce as his ministrations lead to the threatening of a major employer, the tumbling of the stock market and questions asked in parliament. Cecil Parker is an archetypical Archdeacon frustrated by trying to manage events that are getting in the way of his social life.

The Truman Show – The only film that has ever given me a nightmare so bad I woke up screaming. Learning about Solipsism worried me intensely and this film envisions that nightmare. Never watched it again as I found it too vivid.

N.J. Terry

Funnily enough, one of these films very nearly made my list. Can you guess which one? The answer and reason why can be found below ....






Did you guess rightly?

The film that very nearly made my list was ....

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. One of the very few films with a time travel element that I actually got; that I actually sat quietly and watched.