Happily out and gay Patrick Strudwick is a journalist for the British paper, The Independent. Strudwick spent some time undercover going to therapist sessions with a therapist who would attempt to convert him from gay to straight, apparently by discerning the cause of his homosexuality. His experience begins at a conference in London last spring put on by Joseph Nicolosi, founder of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH).

Strudwick reports that Nicolosi claims, “Homosexual behaviour is always prompted by loneliness. It’s a pathology, a struggle to connect with the male identity.” Nicolosi goes on to use his tag line: “We advise fathers, ‘If you don’t hug your sons, some other man will.’ We train the mothers to back off.”

From there, Patrick underwent “therapy” with one of Nicolosi’s acolytes. As Strudwick writes:

She begins her wound hunt by asking about my family. I tell her that I have a close relationship with my parents and that they always gave me huge amounts of love, so I didn’t understand why Nicolosi says that homosexuality is caused by inadequate parenting. “Well, there was something happening within your family dynamics that led to your depression,” she says.

Lynne explains that people only identify as gay when they are already depressed. “There’s a confusion, there’s an anxiety, there’s a lot of pain,” she says. “Often the thought can be, ‘Oh I’m confused about my sexuality so I must be gay’.” She says that at the heart of homosexuality is a “deep isolation”, which is, she says, “where God needs to be”.

Since none of those situations seems to explain it, this therapist moves right on down the list to the crazy stuff:

“Did you have a difficult birth?” she asks. No, I say. Why?

“Any Freemasonry in the family?” No, I say, again asking her to elaborate. “Because that often encourages it as well. It has a spiritual effect on males and it often comes out as SSA.”

And then she moves into the tired old realm of trying to blame it on some un-remembered sexual abuse in childhood.

No, I say. “There was no sexual abuse?” she asks, leaning in and squinting again. No, I repeat. “I think it will be there,” she replies, dropping her voice to a concerned tone. “It does need to come to the surface.”

This is why suggestive therapy is not acceptable. This is where “wounds” are created where none exist.

I think perhaps this lady learned her craft as an apprentice in the Ms. Cleo call center. Ms. Cleo, if you recall, was on TV constantly as the spokesperson for some 900 number fortune telling scam. She’s not unlike some of these psychics–I’m picking something…I think it’s “Joe”…yes, that’s it Joe. Does that mean anything to someone in here? Let’s see, and you know a Joe, and there was something bad…no, oh yeah, it is something good. Joe is laughing, does that mean anything? Oh, Joe was mute…oh but he’s not now, and that’s what he wants to tell you.

There are certainly good people who go into counseling. I’m lucky to have encountered a couple over the years, but there are also some people who are in far worse shape than the people they are counseling.

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Genres: Documentary; Running Time: 1 hr. 33 min.; Release Date: August 22nd, 2008 (limited); MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Lay and I stumbled across this movie at Blockbuster a couple of weeks ago when there was nothing new we wanted to watch. We’d never heard of this movie, and were surprised in the extreme at how moved we were by this movie. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to post about it. It is a movie I highly recommend.

I call this an “accidental” film because it’s only a series of coincidences that bring this movie into being.

Kimberly Roberts is a 24-year-old rap hopeful who took some incredible footage just before and during hurricane Katrina. Carl Deal and Tia Lessin came down to Louisiana to film a different project about Katrina and found both her and her footage, they switched gears and this movie was the result. They blend newsreels and footage taken by the couple and the directors. It’s not polished, but it’s real.

Kimberly knows her neighborhood and is a real person. She asks people what they are going to do about the hurricane her uncle buys another bottle of booze, stumbles home, while a 10-year-old niece flashes a gang sign, and declares she is not scared of any water.

The story of the U.S. government’s response to hurricane Katrina remains shocking at many levels, but that has been covered. This is a more personal account shot by a resident during and after the storm. But it still contains plenty of gruesome insights: the failure to evacuate the hospitals and prisons, and the protection of higher ground from homeless citizens by the armed forces of the U.S. navy, are the most terrible details. The film also depicts the huge burden of trying to rebuild a life that has been completely swept away. As a piece of pure cinema, it’s limited; but it’s a story that needs to be told and re-told until something is eventually done.

There are several striking images in the film, including a recording of a 911 call in which an woman requesting help can’t get out of her attic which is flooding. The 911 attendant has to tell her that there is no help at this time, and the victim replies, “So I’m going to die?” Silence on the other end of the line.

This is a documentary you really must to see to understand the personal impact of Katrina. Sure, it’s about failures of government in the aftermath of the storm, but it’s also about ordinary people doing the best they can in the most extra-ordinary circumstances.

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But they’re no match for this traveler.  A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It’s not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive–and continue.

But neither will find it easy to deter him. Nothing–and no one–can stand in his way. Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction; Running Time: 1 hr. 58 min.; Release Date: January 15th, 2010 (wide); MPAA Rating: R for some brutal violence and language.

Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals,

Directed By: Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes

This was Lay’s choice for this past weekend, but I wanted to see the movie also.

The movie takes place sometime in the future 30 years after “the big flash” seems to have destroyed most of the world. It’s shot in a Sepia tone, and primarily follows Denzel Washington’s character, Eli, as he makes his way towards the west coast to deliver a book that will somehow help renew humanity.

The cinematography is very good, and sets the motif well for the movie. A stark and forbidding landscape is portrayed well, and frankly, it made me feel dry. The acting was good with Denzel playing a typical character for him as the quiet but explosive hero. Oldman carries the movie coming across as sinister yet portraying an appropriately strange sense of humor. Kunis’ character is mainly meaningless and provides only an excuse for Eli to explain his mission. Her acting is overdone.

Frankly, the film severely over-inflates the influence of the Bible, especially in light of how it’s treated at the end of the movie.

Overall, this movie is probably worth watching, but wait until it is out on video.

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We enter the alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth’s energy crisis. Because the atmosphere of Pandora is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human “drivers” have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora… the Na’vi.

Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na’vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na’vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake’s life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake’s relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na’vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

Genres: Action/Adventure and Science Fiction/Fantasy; Running Time: 160 min.; Release Date: December 18, 2009; MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Michelle Rodriguez.

Directed by: James Cameron

I am skipping ahead a little by writing this review, as I’m behind on a couple of other movies I’ve seen recently. I went to see this Monday. It was a holiday, Lay was working and didn’t want to see this, so it was a good time to go. I saw it at Westshore Mall, and the theater was nearly  full.

There is no doubt this is a visually beautiful film. Cameron, with WETA Workshop and ILM, have truly outdone themselves. They have created a very real seeming alien world, and made it a work of art besides. I saw the 3D version after some debate (I don’t generally like 3D), and suggest that is the only way to see it. I appreciated the fact they used the 3D effect merely to help immerse you into this world, and not using it as “device” merely for the sake of the effect (no scary creatures jumping out of the screen at you).

The actors played their parts well, and the characters came through as realistic and believable. It was a good screenplay, but frankly could have easily been 30 minutes shorter. It was also a bit predictable and clichéd. I read a comment somewhere that it was like “Dances With Wolves” meets “Star Wars”, and I can certainly see how that was an apt comparison…in nearly every detail.

I can see why some neocons and others of the believers in “American Exceptionalism” would be unhappy with this movie. It is clearly an indictment of colonialism, and points out how Americans (and everyone in this movie from earth appears to be at least english speaking) abuse natural resources and have a sense of entitlement about it. Also, it clearly portrays our own sense that “our way” must always be better. So, yes Virginia, there is a political message here, and it comes through loud and clear. Maybe some people will take it to heart.

This would normally be a film I’d recommend seeing, but suggest waiting to see it on DVD. However, because of the stunning visuals in the film resulting from the colorful world Cameron has created, and the 3D effect, I have to suggest watching it in the theater on a big screen.

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Apparently this is a trick that goes back hundreds of years. Quick-change is a performance style where a performer or magician changes quickly within seconds from one costume into another costume in front of the audience. Origins of this can be found in a book dated 1600 describing the performance of Giovanni Gabrielli, performing different change of costumes and characters in the public square of Bologna. But this couple take it to a whole new level.

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Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller, Crime/Gangster and Remake; Release Date: July 24th, 2009 (wide)

Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Brian Haley

Directed by: Tony Scott

I’m behind on writing reviews. We watched this on DVD a couple of weekends ago. We never saw this in the theater. I wasn’t expecting much from this remake of the original, especially with Travolta in a starring role, and because it was a remake by an explosion-happy director (Tony Scott). But, it was actually not too bad, with some nice plot twists.

Of course, the biggest reason the movie succeeds is Denzel Washington. Washington plays a disgraced (investigation pending) transit executive who’s currently slumming as the control chief. On his shift, naturally, a 1:23 train out of Pelham (New York City) suddenly stops in the middle of its run, and a hijacker demands $10 million to be delivered in exactly one hour, or passengers start dying unnaturally.

What makes this a little more than your typical cat-and-mouse game is the undercurrent of what’s gotten Washington’s character into hot water, as well as Travolta’s character’s actual motives.

Washington and Travolta play off each other very nicely, with Washington’s flawless portrayal of a flawed man far more convincing than Travolta’s garden-variety unhinged wacko. Essentially, Washington was good enough to counterbalance Travolta’s overacting.  Washington’s Walter Garber is unsure of himself, an actual Everyman thrust into a madman’s master plan.

There are some changes from the original, true, but they don’t seem contrived; for example, Walter Matthau was a transit cop in the 1974 version, not some under-investigation suit.

The action is tense throughout, especially since you assume that the hijackers are going to have to murder someone at some point (otherwise, why have a deadline?) Somehow, the movie manages to be gripping and realistic without being over the top. There are some minor bouts of nonsense, and maybe in the final 20 minutes or so it’s a little by the numbers in its approach to action, but overall it’s not bad at all. It’s certainly a lot better than I’d expect a John Travolta movie to be, but maybe that’s because he’s the bad guy here, and they’re expected to be over the top.

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God, we have been told byy the prophet Micah to walk with you. As we walk with you teach us to talk less and listen more…to you and to our earthly friends.

Thank you God for the processes of your world which bring us the warmth and light of the sunshine, and the cleansing nourishment of the rain. We confess we don’t always understand that natural world, and today we pray especially for our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are experiencing  a desperation we can’t begin to comprehend. Remind us too that while this a tragedy on a scale unprecedented, others experience equally difficult personal tragedies every day. We pray also for them.

As we celebrate the birthday of one of the great leaders of our time, we remember Dr. King’s story of describing the work of the town’s lamp lighter as “knocking holes in the darkness.” As we deepen our friendship with you, show us to knock holes in the darkness of our world.

Amen

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According to Robertson, the reason for the earthquake there, and the poverty of the country is because back during the days of French Colonialism, the Haitians made a pact with Satan to get the French out. I’m thinking it’s someone else that made a pact with the Devil, and he’s a mean and hateful old man who lives in Virginia.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of course, one of the obvious problems with Robertson’s statement is that both sides of the island were freed from slavery to the French at the same time. The revolution was fought on behalf of the island of Santo Domingo, which in modern days is comprised of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The sacrifice was made on behalf of both countries. So if the Dominican Republic is prosperous and Haiti is struggling I fail to see how the ritual performed in the 1700’s on behalf of the whole island is the cause of the Haiti’s problems.

Honestly, how this guy can sleep at night is a mystery to me. Pat, if you want to see the Devil, look in the mirror.

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According to report on Discovery News, a man in Sante Fe claims he’s sensitive to wi-fi signals. According to the report, he has a number of doctor’s statements attesting to this sensitivity, and now he’s suing his neighbor because she won’t turn off all her electronic devices.

Now, I get a little concerned about how we are all surrounded by electromagnetic energy. I started wondering about it when I noticed that my cell phone could set speakers on a TV to buzzing even before the phone rang, so I try to mostly use a headset.

Is it possible that a person could be especially sensitive to such transmissions? At least one study contends that this kind of sensitivity is all in a person’s head. And then there was this blog from Gizmodo, which describes how residents in South Africa complained that a nearby mobile phone tower was making them sick, but then found out later it had been turned off for several weeks. I just don’t know, but I do know that if we have electrical outlets in our house (and I assume this guy probably does), he’s already surrounded by electromagnetic energy, and given that most people don’t have problems with such emissions, it’s not reasonable for him to think a neighbor should turn off all her devices. That’s like someone with the usual hay fever type allergies demanding that all the neighbors cut down their trees and pave their yards. It becomes ridiculous on its face.

However, I’d suggest the neighbor offer to provide him a roll of tinfoil. An appropriately shaped hat should solve the problem straightaway.

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