Matrix.[M] An amazing story among the technical wizzardry of spiritual journey and coming to belief. Application to following Jesus and the journey into spiritual seeing, as well as the biblical emphases of election and free will

Once were warriors.[MA] A violent portrayal of manhood issues among NZ Maoris.The raw honesty is almost unbelievable, but you know it is real somehow. The big question: What can I do to make a difference?

American history X [MA] A violent powerful movie about racism/white supremacy/justice/the possibility of change/grace – and particularly the firghtening and exciting influence of fathers on sons.

Fight Club[R] A violent movie about being/becoming a man, but more than that. It is about ideas and entrepreneurial ideas that become locked into control and oppostion to change once they have succeeded. The idea dies because it is forced to submit to institutionalism.

Dead man Walking.[MA] The wonderful story of a nun who perseveres to model and teach forgiveness on death row and makes a breakthrough with one just before execution. The collation of a number of true stories into one.

Easy Rider.[M] All about the search for personal freedom ,the freedom that America was founded to find and lost. The story is bound up in the 70’s, but the magic of that time lives on. It is about racial prejudice & bigotry, the freeuse of illegal drugs, the spiritual journey through drugs, communes, isolated God – fearing families and motorcyles.

Stone.[R] Australian 70’s counterpart to Easy Rider. Racial/marginal group bigotry, spiritual search/reality in drugs and motorcycles, the biker club community cohesiveness, and the failure of English law to deliver justice and to deal with people who are different. IT rasies more questions than it answers, as does Easy Rider, but it is hard for a biker to see it objecitvely!

Baraka.[PG] A captivating doco on culture and religion with sound track only and a visual impression that is deeply spiritual.

Koynasqatsi [G] Francis Ford Capolla’s doco that led the way for such movies as Baraka, made in the 70’s, a bit dated but still a powerful impact. Comments visually, as does Baraka, on environment, isolation, pluralism. Has a spiritual impact.

Unmade Beds [M] A movie available through Amazon.com on the life of some single people in New York city. Similar cinematography style to Baraka with a great soundtrack, the movie is hard hitting in its depiction of the reality of the loneliness of real people looking for love and companionship. Was shown on SBS recently.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord.[MA] The movie of the novel by naturalist, Peter Mathieson is a cynical commentary on a fundamentalist Christian mission station in south America where the missionaries have not come to terms at all with the idea of incarnational ministry.Best seen on the big screen, as it is filmed on site in the Amazons. The whole trappings of fundamentalist Christianity is transported to the tribe. The impact of the movie for me is the jounrey into honesty that one of the missionaries makes when his only son dies and his wife looses her mind. There is, however, no carefully exegeted biblical/counselling answer, which we know exists, for such dilemnas, as the writer/producer does not see the need for Christ to be declared at all. The movie is a powerul comment on our insensitivity to the journeys people are on and how to be relevant.

The Cross and the Switchblade. [?Rating] Had a powerful impact as a well produced Christian film in the early 70’s about transformation and is the antithesis of At Play in the Field of the Lord.

Jesus of Montreal. [M] Forced me to think of Jesus as a radical in the now more than the Jesus movie now running aroudd the world.

Babettes’ Feast. [G] A bit slow but a powerful story highlighted in Phillip Yancey’s “What’s so Amazing about Grace?”. Here is a story of grace in situ.

The Godfather[R] Violent but powerful look at the mafia in New York. The value of loyalty to the family and particularly the extended family, how boys become men, how power if transferrred and what even an evil family unit can achieve because of loyalty, a common vision, family loyalites, the influence of being marginal. Compare God’s comment on the tower of babel!

Romper Stomper.[R] Once again violent and incredibly sad. The evil of the human heart and what power can do to one person who will not and cannot see another option or a different approach to his blind pursuit of his personal ego needs.

Star Wars [PG] . How influential was this on the direction our society is heading philosophically and spiritually? Was it a comment or was it the birthing of a cultural ideology? I think both.

Reality Bites. [M] The best movie on Gen X I have seen.