Solidarity

Tony Kaye’s documentary Lake of Fire is a rarity: it took 16 years of production! Such time-committed attempt at a (hopefully) unbiased look on the issue of abortion that includes interviews key people on both sides, will certainly prove to bring an interesting experience. Hopefully, conversations will be sparked–a perfect opportunity for us Catholics to spread the news of how evil abortion is. Learn more about the truth of abortion by visiting preistsforlife.org.

A movie that could wind up being known more for its graphic and sensationalist nature than its honest treatment of the abortion issue is slated to hit theaters in October. “Lake of Fire,” a flick produced by “American History X” director Tony Kaye features a nearly three hour examination of the controversial subject.

Kaye spent $6 million of his own money filming the movie over a period of 16 years.

Read the rest of this article at LifeNews.com.

Were you ever curious to see what it was like in a demon’s world? This is one of the most interesting things about this film’s upcoming release. We will see an artistic rendition of the demons Screwtape and Wormwood and what their life might look like! Another film based on a great book by C.S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia), it is expected to release in 2008 (see IMDB).

Narnia: Prince Caspian is currently filming, according to the IMDB, and is expected to be released May 16, 2008, according to Narnia Fans. The plot alone sounds exciting and smacks of some amazing cinematography and special effects to come. Check out this excerpt from a recent press release:

The four children have been summoned back to Narnia by Caspian, the young heir to the Telmarine throne whose life is in danger as his evil uncle Miraz plans to eliminate the young warrior so his own newborn son can ascend the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, and a leery Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians, led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian, embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz’s tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

More upcoming films tomorrow…

Are you excited about what films have been coming out the past few years: Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and of course, The Passion of the Christ!?
Are you ready for more?

Myriam, Mother of the Christ
Written by The Passion of the Christ screenwriter, Benedict Fitzgerald. At the NEA (New Evangelization of America) Conference in Irving, TX, earlier this month, we were graced with a reading from the script. It was an amazingly discriptive taste of Fitzgerald’s extraordinary screenwiritng talents. So as not to ruin the beauty of his exact words, I will say simply that we might experience a big screen rendition of the devil, bowing before the pregnant Mary.

The film will be shot in HD (High Definition) in Morocco starting in the next couple months and will be released Easter 2008.

The Hollywood Reporter had this to say about the film:

MGM has acquired North American distribution rights to “Myriam, Mother of the Christ,” the biblical story of Mary. The screenplay is written by Benedict Fitzgerald, who penned “The Passion of the Christ.”

The film, slated to bow around Easter 2008, is a dramatic rendering of the key events in Mary’s life leading up to the birth of Jesus and the holy family’s journey from Egypt to Nazareth following the death of King Herod. The story is told from Mary’s point of view as she gradually understands the unfolding of God’s plan and responds to her calling. No director or cast is attached.

“We believe that a feature of this quality and pedigree will have an inherent appeal to many movie consumers in North America,” MGM chief operating officer Rick Sands said. “The film has the potential to become a perennial favorite each holiday season.”

Please pray for Benedict Fitzgerald as he finishes Myriam, and continues to write films based on the universal truth of his and our Catholic faith.

Gorgeous is the word that describes the story of Bella.

During a screening during the NEA Conference in Irving, TX, two of the filmmaking “three amigos”, Leo Severino and Eduardo Verastegui (Alejandro Monteverde was not there) shared anecdotes of how they came together to start Metanoia Films, bringing their “first baby”, Bella. Eduardo, after moving to LA to film Chasing Papi (which he now doesn’t recommend seeing), experienced a conversion back to his Catholic faith. Going to daily Mass is not a common occurence among young adults in LA, so when Leo began seeing Eduardo, he knew he had to find out who this other devoted Catholic was. This is how Metanoia began.

Another interesting story takes place on the set of Bella. It was the last day of filming in New York City and the forecast called for a 100% chance of rain for the whole day–the radar image was fully green. This was bad. After shooting half of the scene the day earlier on a dry, sunny day, while the budget demanded the shoot to be finished that day, the cast & crew prayed and began working in faith despite the rain. As the camera began rolling, the rain stopped! The rest of the day, there was a patch of clear sky just above them, as it poured all around them and on one side of the ice cream truck at the end of the block. People were walking onto the set soaking wet just because they came from the end of the block!

Bella will be in theaters Friday, October 26, 2007.

In the mean time, watch the trailer and pray for Bella and the Catholics in Hollywood who are fighting the good fight of faith for all movie goers.

You’ve either learned about The Secret on Oprah, heard Jack Canfield talk about it (along with the Law of Attraction, Vibration, etc.), or watched a movie called What The Bleep!? (Down the Rabbit Hole)… The fact is that our understanding of the scientific laws of the universe are expanding. Quantum Physicists, schools such as Princeton, and even NASA are coming out with studies finding that there are “laws of the universe”. These laws encompass notions that our our thoughts (conscious or not), desires, beliefs, and intentions truly affect the people and world around us (about 200,000 miles from you, in fact).

There is a problem. Those into New Age ideas are using these discoveries as a filler for the “Jesus shaped hole” inside of them. These laws are being taken out of the context of the all powerful, all knowing, all loving God and His creation! God, in His infinite wisdom and power, created a complex universe, one which we get to explore and make new (well, new to us) discoveries. This is the amazing thing about the Infinite Maker: the possibilities are endless! What science discovers in the universe is, in fact, the way God awesomely created it. It is a sad reality that many people find science incompatible with religion, specifically Christianity! The funny twist is that people who may have rejected organized religion are flocking to the new “churches” called “spiritual centers” that are based on the very laws that the God of the universe created! They are again worshiping the new and mysterious, 21st century versions of the sun and moon gods.

For us Catholics–what a testimony to the greatness of our God Almighty! He is so complex in his infiniteness, and so GOOD that he commanded us to have good intention towards others, to be grateful, to use our talents and not bury them, to keep active and not lazy… the very commandments God gives us, we are finding has more affect on everyone and everything around us than we may have ever thought!

I recommend watching What the Bleep!? Down the Rabbit Hole, which you can find in your local movie rental store, only while understanding that God created the world to be the way it is (no matter what we discover about it), and any scientific discoveries about the way it works, or “Universal Law” is yet another indication of His Awesomeness!

Also, beware of a few notions that tend to be portrayed that are not obviously misleading, but could do the trick if you don’t watch out:

Problem #1: The Focus on Feeling

Jack Canfield often says that you must feel what it’s like to be in your brand new car… that is what sends the “e-mail” from your brain to the rest of the people and universe. Today on EWTN radio, Fr. Corapi was giving the teachings of Jesus Christ, saying that feelings are what get us in trouble–especially when it comes to faith. We tend to want to love God and others only when we feel like it. But God commands us to love Him with our whole mind, body and soul. And the Bible does not say anything about you having to feel anything for God; Love is action, not feeling.

Problem #2: The Focus on What I Want.

Sound selfish already? Yes, knowing what you want and going after it is the very important first step to goal setting. Unfortunately, there is an over-emphasis to the extent of encouraging selfishness. At the same time, people have used the Law of Attraction to help millions of others, such as the story of Feed 333. Check out www.feed333.org.

The bottom line is this: watch out for the misleadings of New Age notions of “New Spirituality.” David DiCerto of the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has this to say about Walsch, a New Age filmmaker and his film, Conversations with God, on the Catholic News Service site:

“Walsch’s books promote what he calls New Spirituality, which, among other things, argues that organized religions are divisive. But in criticizing others as arrogant for claiming a direct line to the truth, what, if anything, “new” does his New Spirituality offer? Like those of “The Celestine Prophecy,” Walsch’s revelations are little more than a syncretic hodgepodge of gnosticism, pantheism and New Age mysticism laced with Christian terminology without any set dogma beyond an emotion-driven subjectivism. (“You make the rules!” God tells him.)”

(read the whole article here.)

Emily Stimpson of Our Sunday Visitor says it best:

“What did the devil say to Eve? ‘Eat this, and you’ll become like gods.’ That’s what The Secret really promises,” he said.

The promise of The Secret does seem to echo the promise of the serpent. It promises that without help from man or God you can control your destiny. It assures you neither grace nor suffering are necessary. It makes you your own god, and leaves no room for a messiah who hung on a cross.

Read the article here.

How about we let the Infinitely Wise and Loving One make the rules and we live in joy, peace and TRUE FREEDOM by following them?