Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Concept of Horror in the Doctor Who Universe Part 2: Dualism

The conflict of the two natures of man has been contemplated by the likes of Paul the Apostle and put into fiction most notably by Robert Louis Stevenson in his tale The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as he wrestled with dualism.















Surprisingly, we find this oft used horror staple- dualism- woven throughout the fundamental's of Doctor Who. The dual nature and/or multiple personality syndrome affects The Doctor, Time Lord Regeneration, The TARDIS and the production in general.

"Doctor Who as science fiction must be understood in terms of both: (1) its drive toward the coherent, signified as a verifiable empirical world (the world of Pertwee's Doctor with its quest of scientism--the universe as balanced, organic, understood); and (2) its recognition of incoherence in the functionality of 'naming' the ego (the world of Baker's Doctor and its mark of Romanticism-- the constantly regenerated selves, the dopplegangers). " 1 Within the whole of the program there is continued tension and often pulls in opposite directions. Yet, these opposing concepts are part of the same continuity.

The dual nature of the program can also be displayed in how it can be considered a children's program by a large percentage of viewers, yet many adults would claim it to be meant for an older audience. The show is also considered a comedy by some and high drama by others.



Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is about a man divided against himself . Within the respectable Jekyll lurks the evil Hyde, both struggling to be free. "Stevenson's allegorical techniques reveal and reinforce this melancholy view of life. For example, the front of Jekyll's house is fair, part of 'ancient, handsome houses,' but Hyde uses the rear entrance whose facade is part of a sinister block of buildings which'...showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower story and a blind forehead discolored wall on the upper; and bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.'...the house's two facades are symbolically the faces of the two opposed side of the same man.' 2

The TARDIS (The Doctor's "house") falls victim to the concept of dualism. It is bigger on the inside than the outside. Inside it is scientific, spacious, a synbol of Gallifreyan technology. On the outside it is a simple police box (of Earth), an absurd idiosyncrasy.

When working properly it has the ability to change its appearance by use of a chameleon circuit. Jekyll used Hyde as a means to disguise himself when he desired to partake in an activity that was unbecoming of his place in the community. Hyde used Jekyll as his shelter from discovery.

Obviously, the Doctor is probably where the comparison can be most closely drawn. When Jekyll took the formula, his personality and nature not only changed, but his entire physical appearance changed also. The Doctor has altered his appearance and character 10 times. Though each Doctor brings his own persona to the character with some traits of those who have come earlier, it appears each regeneration is a reaction to the previous incarnation. "Central to the Doctor's definition, and constant throughout all his different forms, has been science fiction's definition of the 'human' as powerful but fragile, rational but irrational, material but spiritual too." 1

A key theme in Doctor Who points toward humanity's choice to choose between good and evil. The Doctor has entertained these same choices and though he most often chooses good, he has also been tempted to do otherwise. The Doctor has the capacity to do evil.

"Near the end of the "Key To Time" season (1978-9) the Doctor for a moment, plays with the 'mad scientist' persona of human pride and ambition:

'We have the power to do anything we like, absolute power over every particle in the
universe, everything that has ever existed or will ever exist-- as from this moment. Are you listening to me Romana... because if you're not listening I can make you listen, because I can do anything. As from this moment there's no such thing as free will in the entire universe.
There's only my will, because I possess the Key to Time.'
In response to Romana's anxious, "Are you all right?", the Doctor drops his rolling eyed spoof of madness for his conventionally idiosynctratic matter of fact, neat nonsense persona:

'Well of course I'm all right... this thing makes me feel in such a way that I'd be very
worried if I felt like that about somebody else feeling like this about
that. Do you understand?'" 1

In the classical tale, events are generated by a motivated villainy, and the hero is affected by the villainy. Often the Doctor arrives where nothing untoward is happening but upon his arrival events are initiated. One could reason this casts the Doctor in the role of villain as well as hero.

Of all the Docor's incarnations, it is the sixth who demonstrates the conflict of the two natures most openly. A near bipolar personality is displayed in The Twin Dilemma when the Doctor nearly strangles Peri, only to be driven off by the reflection of his fuirous-mad expression in the mirror Peri produces, and then the Doctor despondently opts to become a hermit on the desolate world of Titan Three. Later he shows genuine sorrow at the death of Azmael. In The Two Doctors, the Doctor is seen relaxing, fishing on the bank of a river, reflecting on the joys of angling. But later, this very same Doctor is complicit in Shockeye's demise and has the nerve to joke about it. This Doctor was brash, arrogant and violent. His personality hearkened back to the earliest glimpses of the first Doctor but taken to the extreme.


It was during the Trial of a Time Lord when the evil side of the Doctor was truly revealed in the person of the Valeyard. This accuser of the Doctor is in actuality a possible future incarnation of the Doctor who is an amalgram of the darkest parts of the Doctor-- a true Mr. Hyde-- The Doctor's Ultimate Foe.


1. John Tulloch and Mauel Alvaredo, Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text St. Martin's Press, 1983, pp.141, 76, 78

2. Abraham Rothberg, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (the introduction), Bantam Books, 1967, pp.xiv-xv





The Penalty, Colts Escape with Victory, Sunday Message

Thriller of the Week:

The Penalty

1920
Dir: Wallace Worsley
Starring: Lon Chaney


Along with the previous year's The Miracle Man, The Penalty helped launch Lon Chaney's career. Though technically not a horror film The Penalty brilliantly illustrates the horror of crime and Chaney who plays Blizzard, the crime syndicate's diabolical head, imparts a ruthless, evil character, yet manages to create sympathy for Blizzard as well. The fact of a sculpture of a Blizzard poses for is fashioned in the image of Satan is not lost on the audience as Chaney's Blizzard seems to be the living embodiment of the devil.





The police inspector Lichtenstein comments "It's always Blizzard- that cripple from Hell"

SPOILERS:
The story begins tragically when a young boy, who has been in an accident, has his legs amputated by a surgeon. When he awakens from surgery, he overhears the surgeon's superior telling the surgeon the surgery was unnecessary but he would cover for him. The boy's real injury was a "contusion at the base of his skull." The boy tries to tell his parents the doctors were lying but nothing is done. The boy grows up to be Blizzard.

Blizzard is motivated by revenge. He is determned to bring suffering to Dr. Ferris, the surgeon who amputated his legs and has since become a famous surgeon. Part of his revenge is to bring harm to his daughter who he has decided to model for as she is a sculpting a bust of Satan.

Blizzard leaves a wake of death and violence wherever he goes. Women are in particular peril. Women he fancies are brought into his private quarters to push the foot pedals on his piano as he plays. If they don't perform well, they are disposed of.

The police inspector recruits Rose, a police woman, to go undercover and go to work for Blizzard. She quickly finds herself as pushing the pedals of Blizzard's piano. While he is away, she tries to find evidence of Blizzard's underworld dealings. He discovers her investigations but can't bring himself to kill her. She is the best he has ever had at helping him produce his music. They are falling in love.

The fiance of Dr. Ferris' daughter is caught in Blizzard's trap and in order to save his daughter, Ferris is ordered to amputate her fiance's legs and graft them onto Blizzard. Instead, Ferris surgically removes the lesion on Blizzard's brain which has been causing his violent and malevolent tendencies. Blizzard awakens, sorrowful for what he has done. He resigns as head of the underworld but is killed by his former underlings. He dies in the arms of Rose.


Much has been said of Chaney's incredible makeups which will be explored more when I cover The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera but in this film, Chaney, instead of using special effects to give him the appearance of an amputee, he opts to wear a special harness that his knees fit into and drew his legs up behind him. This enabled him to walk on his knees, and an oversized jacket hid the bulge on his back side. He could only wear the device for short periods because it caused him severe pain and discomfort, yet we not only see him walking around but displaying athleticism in a variety of ways throughout the film.

Anyone desiring to see the movie can find it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBas0RE1C-o&feature=PlayList&p=DC6C9C941898FF47&index=0&playnext=1

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Colts 19 Chiefs 9

This is one you're glad the Colts came away with a win, but the Colts didn't look all that great doing it. Give the Chiefs credit; there game plan was to drop 8 back and make it difficult for the Colt's passing game. It was effective and the Colts seemed to be out of sync throughout the game. The problem for the Chiefs was that their offense played very poorly and it appeared to me it was more a problem with their offense rather than the Colts defense being stout.
I'll leave it at that. The Colts need to play better.
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"From Terror To Testimony"
Mark 5:1-20
Pastor Mike Gatliff

Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

I. The Demon Possesed Man
A.) A Man of Despair vs 5: 1-5
His home is the graveyard & he is tormented by demons
He has been banished to live among the dead because he had a demon in him
He was driven to the dead by the demons-- Luke's Account
The disciples go from Physical Storm (Mark 4:35-41) to a Spiritual Storm
God wanted to impress the disciples more with His power
The subtle work of Satan--makes sin/evil look good-- Angel of Light
He also works as a roaring lion looking for those he can devour
B.) A Man in Disbelief vs 5:6-12
He was a gentile (2000 pigs probably indicate this is gentile country)
When Jesus comes the man bows down to him
The demons know who Jesus is and ask Him not to torment them
Jesus sends them into a herd of pigs- the demons responded immediately
They were under Jesus authority
C.) A Man that Experienced Deliverance vs 5:13-16
Jesus delivered the man
II. The Disbelief
The people implore Jesus to leave the region 5:17
vs 15 they were frightened
III. The Desire of the Man 5:18-20
The man wanted to go with Jesus
Instead- Jesus told the man to go home to his family & report what had happened
This had to have been a gift to the man in that for a long time he had been isolated from his home and family
This guy basically becomes the 1st missionary to the gentiles
What Can we learn from an encounter with a demoniac?
1. The forces of satan recognize the person of Christ (James 2:19)
"You believe God is one; You do well the demons also believe, and shudder"
2. The forces of satan are fully under the authority of God (JOB, Luke 22:31, 2Cor 12:7)
3. The world may not be thrilled when God delivers us (1 Cor 2:14)
4. Jesus frees & forms new creatures ( James 4: 7-10)
Ephesians 6:10-17 Jesus equps us with armor and a sword
5. When God changes a life He will use them & their story
Mark 5:19
6. Jesus seeks out individuals
He is a living savior seeking the lost
In Mark 5:1 we know Jesus crossed the sea and came to this point and in verse 18 He leaves
Jesus purpose for crossing over was to reach this one man
We HAVE to have Jesus-- Jesus WANTS to have us
To Listen to the Message go to:

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Colts Lose, Sunday Message, 1920-Doctor Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Thriller of the Week
Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(1920)
starring John Barrymore

The movie begins with this statement, "In each of us, two natures are at war--the good and the evil. All our lives the the fight goes on between them, and one of them must conquer---What we want most to be, we are."

The Robert Louis Stevenson tale was made 7 times during the silent era; this being the best and most famous. John Barrymore stars as the lead character and much praise has been lauded upon the first transformation scene where the earliest stages of the transformation Barrymore evokes the change without makeup. The contortions of his face alone make one believe he is becoming another.

The good Dr. Jekyll is described as "the finest man" and he devotes himself to others. He is eventually tempted by others to embrace his dark side. He is told "A man cannot destroy the savage impulses by denying its impulses. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."

Jekyll ponders this with Millicent, the love of his life and daughter of Sir George-his temptor. "Wouldn't it be marvelous if the two natures in man could be seperated- housed in different bodies." Soon Jekyll develops the formula to alter who he is.

Jekyll is tortured by Hyde's influence and in a violent scene, he transforms in front of Sir George and Hyde attacks and kills him, ripping out his throat with his teeth and beating him unmercifully.

Hyde goes on the run and changes back to into Jekyll. We are treated to an early special effect of an etheral Hyde appearing like a huge spiderlike creature falling upon Jekyll while he lies asleep.

Holed up in his lab, Jekyll no longer has any control over his transformations. Millicent comes to his aid but Hyde attacks her. She barely escapes. Jekyll overcomes Hyde long enough to swallow hidden poison concealed in a ring he wears. In the end everyone thought Hyde killed Jekyll but as it turns out Jekyll also killed Hyde.

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Jaguars 31 Colts 28
I suppose I should give credit to the Jacksonville Jaguars for defeating the Colts this week but there was no call for it. Mistakes are death in the NFL and a pass that should have been caught on the 3 yard line that became an interception when Brody Eldridge failed to secure the ball and it was knocked out of his hands into a the waiting hands of the defense nullifying a dedfinite score. That play kept the Colts from going up buy 7 and it turned into 7 for Jacksonville. Another probable score was averted when Reggie Wayne after making an excellent catch tried for extra yardage and fumbled the ball, turning again over to Jacksonville.
The Colts defensively seemed anemic in the first half as again they got run over. The defense just doesn't seem to have mental toughness throughout the game. They also failed to stop Jacksonville's final drive with only 43 seconds left. Had Kelvin Hayden made a sure interception when David Garrard's pass hit him in the chest, Josh Scobee wouldn't have had the chance to kick the 59 yard field goal with no time remaing to win the game.
This game made me sick.
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Pastor Paul is a way this week and next so Pastor Mike Gatliff steps in and gives us the message this week.
"Who Then Is This'
Mark 4: 35-41
The Disciples (learners) have received the first Christian Education and they now shall face a test-- up to this point the disciples had been bystanders- it was all classroom training - no practical exam.
1.) The Course--The Material being taught by Jesus FOLLOWING JESUS 101
In the 1st 3 chapters of Mark they learn of His teachings, healings, parables and most recently Jesus Forgives Sin.
They come away marveling Who Is This Man?
2.) The Test Mark 4:35-39
Jesus teaching from the boat on the Sea of Galilee and tells them they are going to the other side.
A.) The Crisis
1. The Stormy Sea
2. The Sleeping Savior
The storm tested the disciples on what they learned about Jesus
B') The Cry
their faith melted during the storm and they cried out "Don't you care?" Psalm 13
Do we think when storms come in our lives that God doesn't care?
C.) The Calm
Jesus says "Hush Be still" & a perfect calm settles on the sea.
From Chaos to peace in an instant
Jesus asks why they were afraid and had no faith.
No response from the disciples is recorded.
3.) The Grade
It appears the Disciples blew it and failed the test
they do get points for following Jesus to the other side but when Jesus told them they would make it to the other side there was no need for panic when the storm came.
Jesus didn't calm the storm to keep them safe- He already said they would make it.
He calmed the storm to give them a better impression of who He is.
They receive a passing grade because when it was all over, they finally began to get it.--They became in Awe of Jesus & wound up worshiping Him. He was now more than savior- He was now Lord
Safety isn't the absence of storms in our lives but the presence of Jesus
Psalm 107: 23-32
Who Then Is This?
1. One Who invites us to follow & travel with Him
2. One Who Is with us in all of the storms
3. One Who can impress Us with Who He Is
Jesus wants to impress us so our faith will increase
Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."



A Great Way To See A Movie

Last night Judy and I went out with dear friends we hadn't gotten together with for a long time, Jim and Cindy Barnard. I have known Jim since I first became a Christian over 30 years ago. He is one the the best persons I know. I have missed the comaraderie he and I once shared.

This past week, Cindy asked if we would like to go out to eat and go to see a movie in a restored theatre in Franklin, Indiana called The Historic Artcraft Theatre. They were showing Ghostbusters this weekend. I have to tell you it was a delight.

The theatre was built in 1922 and of course has changed ownership a few times over the years. In the year 2000, the owner put it up for sale so he could run a new cinema complex. Within a week the Artcraft theatre was bought and soon The Franklin Heritage Inc. began running a Classic Film series to support the theatre. Franklin Heritage Inc bought the theatre in 2004.
Franklin Heritage was established to preserve the heritage of the town of Franklin and they have done a tremendous job with the Artcraft theatre.


Jim said it best, "It's like we've been transported back to 1958." Obviously some restoration has taken place but the atmosphere truly does take you back to yesteryear. The theatre is run by volunteers. Sponsers for the movies also defray the costs. The prices are more than reasonable, $5 for adult admission. (on a side note, I received my first senior discount. I got in for $4. At 55 you're considered a senior.)

It is wise to arrive early to see the show before the show. The curtain draws back and reveals the stage in front of the Big Screen. During this 20 minute warm-up. You are introduced to the volunteers and given a brief on the theatre itself. For Ghostbusters a group of guys dressed in Ghostbuster garb came out on the stage and did a short routine. Evidently people come to this theatre from all over the world and the historical society brings out a large map of the U.S and the world and try to discover who in the audience has traveled farthest. Last night a couple from San Francisco were rewarded with a prize. We were told the night before someone from Serbia had attended. Also they have a drawing for prizes using ticket numbers. Small gifts are donated by the town businesses. Then the lights dim and we were treated to a Warner Brother's cartoon before the movie.

I cannot recommend this theatre enough. It is only open on Friday and Saturdays. Last night the theatre was pretty full. I don't know if the festival being conducted in the square last night helped or hurt business but the capacity for the theatre is huge and it was probably at least 3/4 full if not more. Next weekend is Ma & Pa Kettle and on October 15 and 16 the theatre will be presenting Psycho. Christmas movies are on the agenda in December and future movies I'm interested in seeing on the big screen in this wonderful atmosphere are The Maltese Falcon and The Wizard of OZ.

For more information about the theatre visit their website at:
http://www.historicartcrafttheatre.org/home.html

Friday, October 1, 2010

The Concept of Horror in The Doctor Who Universe Part 1

A few years ago I wrote a multi-part article for the Gallifreyan Gazette, a Doctor Who Fanzine put out by The Whoosier Network a Doctor Who Fan Club I helped start back in the mid 1980s.

Since then I have presented the material in a lecture at Inconjunction, a local Fan produced Science Fiction Convention here in Indianapolis. I will try to reproduce the material here for those who may be interested. The majority of the material concerns the Classic Years of Doctor Who. Eventually I will write additional parts with emphasis on the recent years.

The Concept of Horror in The Doctor Who Universe
(Part 1- An Overview)

Horror films have changed considerably over the past 20 years. Tales of the Supernatural gave way to Slasher films which have now developed into the Torture Porn sub genre films we are inundated with today. Thankfully, Doctor Who hasn't followed the same path. (Torchwood however did give us the episode Countryside, a story which would please most readers of "Fangoria" magazine.)

Doctor Who has traditionally leaned more toward the Gothic elements of horror, particularly during Phillip Hincliff's reign as Producer. Russel T Davies has also included horror related material while he headed the series. We have seen werewolves, zombies and Satan himself. From the pen of Steven Moffatt we have been entertained with new classic episodes including The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances a tale which didn't rely on traditional monsters but did exude an incredible since of horror throughout, and Blink a tale which gave viewers chills and introduced the very frightening Weeping Angels.

Doctor Who has always relied on monsters to frighten young children and send them scurrying behind the sofa, but monsters including Daleks and Cybermen are better relegated to Science Fiction than Horror. In fact, most horror icons particularly those dealing with the supernatural are nearly always rebuked with a "scientific " explanation. After all, Doctor Who owes more to Quatermass than it does to Hammer.


In the Quatermass and the Pit, Demonic creatures are explained as visitors from outer space, probably Mars. Quatermass theorizes, the visitors abducted humans in the distant past and returned them with psychic abilities. Poltergeists, ghost sightings and witchcraft were all explained as originating from these visitors and the pentagram found in the space ship is simply a symbol of the alien race.
In the classic The Daemons, the opening shot focuses on a pub sign titled "The Cloven Hoof" during a stormy night. This episode sets the stage for satanic ritual, taking horror to its roots... the devil. In the town of "Devil's End", a giant horned beast, Azal is sleeping beneath a burrow called "Devil's Hump." Azal turns out to be an alien the Master, disguised as a satanic priest, is attempting to awaken and control. In one scene the Doctor explains "No not magic, Jo- science, the science of the Daemons." Anyone who has seen Quatermass and the Pit can't help but see the similarities.



Though Doctor Who has mostly excluded supernatural elements of horror, it has languished in the trappings of horror. Dualism, old dark houses (including castles and lighthouses etc.) tombs, physical incarceration, curses, antiquated codes and rituals, apparent supernatural phenomenon, mad doctors in addition to monsters have all been utilized to create an atmosphere of horror throughout the history of Doctor Who. Words such as Horror, Terror, Evil, Death and Doom permeate the myriad titles of Doctor Who serials.
Obviously, the writers took the seed of many previously screened horror tales and transformed them into stories of the Doctor Who universe. Phillip Hinchcliffe was quoted in Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text with this statement:
"What we went for was a very powerful concept. So we borrowed from science fiction...and we borrowed from horror themes and gothic... Planet of Evil originally grew of an idea to have a Jekyll and Hyde planet... In fact we also pinched a bit from Forbidden Planet because we had sort of a monster of the Id... We did another gothic thing with a mummy story, about mummies that wake up and take over-- robot mummies... And we did a Frankenstein story, The Brain of Morbius... and we did a Jack the Ripper story, The Talons of Weng-Chiang.. We did quite a few gothic ones, because I like the trappings."1

Borrowing from horror films and stories of the past was not exclusive to Hinchccliff and Holmes. This practice can be seen as far back as Tomb of the Cybermen. "It is often said Doctor Who is at its best when its roots are showing and certainly the roots of this four-part Cybermen story can be traced all the way back to Universal's Mummy films." 2

Chris Boucher wrote for Graham Williams The Image of the Fendahl which conjures up recollections of Robert Bloch's story "The Skull of the Marquis Desade" which was made into the film The Skull. Parallels can be drawn between The Phantom of the Opera and the Peter Davison vehicle The Caves of Androzani. There are many more examples of borrowing from the past in order to send the Doctor Who viewer behind the sofa.

1. John Tulloch and manuel Alverado, Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text (St. Marten's Press, 1983) p112

2. Peter Haining DOctor Who A Celebration Two Decades Through Time And Space (W.H. Allen & Co. 1983) p. 186
Part 2 - Duality

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Colts Week 3, Sunday Message, The Golem

Colts 27 Broncos 13


It wasn't a thing of beauty but the Colts won the game in spite of weak performances from the running game and an unproductive pass rush. It looked like Kyle Orton had all day to throw the ball to his receivers and he wound up throwing for 476 yards. The Colts did buckle down in the Red Zone limiting Denver to Field Goals instead of touchdowns and twice stopping them completely on 4th down attempts.


I've always felt, Denver has the best home field advantage in the league when you consider the altitude and on Sunday the temperature on the field was 110 at game time. The conditions obviously had an affect on the Colts as defensive players could be seen gasping for air throughout the game.


The passing game of the Colts did an outstanding job in the face of a well prepared Bronco secondary. With both Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzales out with injury and Offensive left tackle Charlie Johnson nursing injury, the Colts had their work cut out for them. Denver double teamed Dallas Clark throughout the game and allowed one of the best cover corners in the game, Champ Baily to work against Reggie Wayne. Both contributed but not with their usual numbers. Austin Collie stepped up in a big way and Rookie Blair White, just brought up from the practice squad, managed to catch 3 balls, one for a touchdown. Austin Collie's 12 receptions for 171 yards and 2 TDs made it his best day as a Colt. He now leads the league in receptions 27, yards 359 and is tied for TDs with 4. Engineering the passing attack of course was Peyton Manning who made a tremendous play when the Colts needed it most. On a third and fifteen from the 17 yard line, Manning hit Collie with a beautiful throw that went for long yardage and a first down. Peyton and Collie were sensational.


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"Every Mouth Closed"
Pastor Paul Woodruff
Roman 3;9-22
The Bible reveals that there is no chance at all of going to Heaven on the record of one's life.
No one should want to have their eternal destiny based on what he or she has done
God has already examined our record and declared we are guilty & that "every mouth will be shut closed' vs 19-- nothing we can offer in our defense

3 Major areas of God's Indictment of Man

1. God Looks At Man's Character
5X "There Is None"

THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS
-any one less righteous than God is a sinner Prov 20:9, Ecc 7:20
-no one can live according to God's righteousness

THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS
-we don't understand our spiritual condition no matter how smart we are
Eph 4:18 "Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them"
1Corininthians 2:14 "But a natural man does not accept the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised."
Salvation is the only way for the blinders to come off Romans 15:20-21

THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS GOD
Psalm 10: 4 "The wicked in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, 'There is no God."
Man runs and hides from God. It is God who seeks out man.

ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE & BECOME USELESS
men have become the way we are because of our rebellion

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD

2. God Looks At Man's Conversation-- Romans 3:13-14
We speak in ways that reveal our heart- Lies, deceits, Filth
God hears and inspects all our words
Matthew 12:36-37 But I tell you that every carelss word that people speak, they shall give an account forit in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

3. God Looks at our Conduct-- Romans 3:15-16
God sees all the misery & mahem Man creates all over the world
God sees all the conduct we don't see Rom 2:16 "God will judge the secrets of men."
The seeds of even the grossest of sins reside in man's heart
We live in a way that we don't FEAR God &
"The Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom"Prov 1:7
Final Verdict Man is Guilty and accountable to God we are under the guilt & consequences of sin
No one will be justified by the works of the law vs 20
VS 21-22 Jesus is the solution God provides

God does for us what we can't do for ourselves Jn 3:16
To Listen to the message go to:

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Thriller of the Week:
Der Golem
1920
Director: Paul Wegener
Set Design: Hans Poelzig
Photography: Karl Freund

Third times the charm: Paul Wegener had made two previous movies chronicling the legend of The Golem, but it is this third entry that is considered a classic of the silent era. Wegener also plays the part of the title character in the film.
Spoilers below
The film's subtitle "How He Came Into The World" indicates this film includes the monster's origin. Wegener tells the story of this Jewish legend from the 16th century.

In a Jewish Ghetto in Prague a Rabbi named Loew who dabbles in magic and astrology learns of a coming crisis for the town. Using the black arts, he creates a clay statue of a behemoth like man who he believes will protect and serve the town. A magic amulet designed in the shape of a star of David is used to bring the creature to life.

The Emperor calls upon the Rabbi to appear in his court. The knight who brings the message falls in love with the rabbi's daughter and while the Rabbi is appearing in the Emperor's court the Knight returns to his daughter's bed. Rabbi Loew has brought the Golem with him to court. After the Rabbi attempts to plead with the Emperor for his people and projects images of the Jewish people's struggles the crowd begins to mock him. Angered the Rabbi causes the roof to cave in on all in attendance, but allows the Golem to save them for a repeal of the edict against the town.

The Golem begins to show some rebellion toward the Rabbi after they return to the ghetto. A text reveals to the Rabbi:

If you have brought the dead to life through magic, beware of that life.

When Uranus enters the house of the planets, Astaroth will demand his creature back.

Then the lifeless clay will scorn its master & turn to destroy him and all it meets.

Rabbi Loew decides he must remove the amulet returning him to a lifeless, clay statue.

The Rabbi's right hand man who secretly loves the Rabbi's daughter discovers the Knight and Miriam's indiscretions and places the star of David back on to the Golem's chest and leads it to the couple.
The Golem hurls Knight Florian to his death from atop the tower and appears to be sexually drawn to Miriam himself.


When spurned, The Golem goes into a wild rage, burning down the Rabbi's home and destroying everything in its path dragging Miriam along before abandoning her. The Golem enters a large gate and a small child who shows no fear of the monster. The Golem lifts her into his arms and she reaches out and plucks the amulet from its chest. The creature goes lifeless again. and when the Rabbi arrives he proclaims, " Give thanks to Jehovah, for today He has thrice shown His love for His People."


The Golem could be considered a predecessor to Frankenstein and indeed James Whale must have remembered the scene with the little girl offering the Golem the apple when he had a similar scene when an unafraid child is confronted by Whale's monster. In addition the Golem is a creation that must go through a growing up period and like an adolescent, the creature rebels and goes through a sexual awakening. Frankenstein's monster will go through a period of child development also.

For me, the spiritual implications are not lost. Rabbi Loew, like so many has gone astray of his faith as he has begun to seek other gods and dabble in astrology as well as the black arts which are strictly forbidden in Jewish Law. His creation of The Golem is in direct defiance of
Leviticus 19: 4 "Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods". Instead of turning to God for security in the face of trouble, he trusts his arcane knowledge. In the end, what is brought forth from his apostasy is hell unleashed. The people dipicted in the movie are not unlike so many past generations of Hebrews who have been stiff necked and sought out other gods and turned from Jehovah.

The Overlook Film Encyclopedia of Horror points out "The picture marked a decisive step forward in German, as well as world, cinema, blending all the resources of acting, set design, photography, and direction into a wonderfully orchestrated piece of film which did not rely on ostentatious expense to achieve its effects. Poelzig's sets of old Prague creates a since of claustrophobia and instability with its oblique and jagged lines, while Freund's virtuoso lighting weaves its own superimpositions."


Saturday, September 18, 2010

Romans 1:18-32, Manning Bowl Results, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

What I Learned in Church This Week:
Message Title: "Worthy of Death"
Romans 1:18-32
by Pastor Paul Woodruff

Theme of Romans- The Gospel of God Romans 1:16-17 Key Text
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Diagnosis of the spiritual condition of mankind Romans 1:18- 3:20
Spiritually sick & terminally ill- all are worthy of death 3:20 and all are held without excuse
Love isn't mentioned until chapter 5
The wrath of God must be reckoned with in order to appreciate God's love.

vs 16 Humanity divided into 2 groups Jews- have the law / Greeks or Gentiles
All are sinners deserving God's wrath
Paul deals first with the gentiles

3 Reasons the Gentiles Deserve God's Wrath & Need a Savior

1. They denied the truth of God vs 18
Mankind's Ungodliness- Against the person of God-
1st half of 10 commandments dealt with this
Man's Unrighteousness is dealt with in the 2nd half od the Ten commndments
Ungodliness precedes unrighteousness
God has given us plenty of evidence to know about God in His creation
& if there is a creation then there has to be a creator
God created the world to reveal His glory-- PSalm 19:1
"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."
Man misses this because man's heart is evil.--They suppress the truth because of sin
Romans 1:28 "And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."
They become haters of God vs 30
The creation doesn't tell you about the love of God-only that there is a God & His power
It is the work of God's Hand
Calvary is the work of God's Heart
The creation doesn't provide enough information to save only enough to condemn.

2.) They Distorted the Glory of God

The Glory God deserved had been shifted to the creature rather than the creator vs 23
The Idolatry of Man
Idolatry is anything that takes away from the glory God deserves
Idolatry is the direct result of turning one's back on God and His revealed Truth

3. They Defied the Law of God vs 3

Man has a since of right & the law put in his heart by God
-Man has a conscience put in his heart by God
- Man instinctively knows when something is wrong but does it anyway
-Man moves toward all forms of sexual immorality & God gives those over to a depraved mind vs 28
21 sins listed vs 29
We can all recognize our own sins here.
God gives men over to their own lusts because man doesn't want to have anything to do with Him
There is no debate with God-- Homosexuality is unnatural, and a perversion & God condemns it -vs 26-27
We now have God's revelation & we still sin and refuse to Honor God
Our world-applauds sin, trys to silence the truth, and move God out of our lives
Man exchanges The Glory of God for Idols & The Truth of God for Lies

> The beauty of God's Love
- In spite of our sins which God hates-- God gave His Son for those who Hate Him

> The reality of God's Holy Wrath Romans 2:4
- When man refuses God, Man stores up God's wrath for himself

> The Necessity of Sharing God's Gracious Gospel
- Man can only be saved by the Gospel

> The Gravity of Resisting God's Appeal
- The Place to deal with sin is to deal with God-- Get close to Him.
To Listen to the Message go to:

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Colt's recap: Now That's More Like It Colts 38 Giants 14
It didn't take long to realize the Colts were out to reverse the performance of last week.
After the opening kickoff, they marched down the field and scored on a 7 yard run by Donald Brown.

When the Giants got their turn, Antoine Bethea blew up their first play doing a nice Bob Sanders impersonation. The Giants went three and out on their first 2 possessions and couldn't score in the first half. Freeney and Mathis went wild on poor Eli Manning each sacking him twice and Freeney produced a strip sack that turned into a defensive touchdown.

Last week the Colts were run over. No such thing this week and The Colts ran all over the Giants. The Offensive line opened up big holes and Joseph Addai and Ronald Brown Hit the holes hard and when they were hit they hit back hard.

The Giants were attempting to prevent Peyton Manning from having a big day by reducing the number of linebackers playing and using defensive backs in their place, playing nickel and dime defenses exclusively. Peyton is one of the smartest QBs of all time. He saw what the Giants were giving him and took full advantage with a strong running game. His passing numbers didn't suffer. He only had to throw the ball 26 times. He completed 20 for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns and no picks. He had to throw 57 passes last week to achieve such excellent results.
The impressive running game helped the passing game this week. Peyton's 50 yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark was on play action. The safety bit on the fake to the running back leaving Clark with a wide open middle of the field when he ran a deep route. Result Touchdown

Next week the Colts travel to Denver.
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Thriller of the Week:
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari
1919
Director: Robert Wiene
Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt
Photography: Karl Freund

This early German classic was produced between the two World Wars and relys heavily on the german expressionistic style, displaying weird sharp angles and shadows, and a story of madness and obsession.
Spoilers Follow

The tale opens with, a student, Francis relating his story of a confrontation with a Doctor Caligari, "a mountebank monk who has strange and mysterious influence over a somnambulist." Francis' story is the main body of the movie.


Francis relates that the day the showman appears a series of murders begin in the town, culminating with the kidnapping of Francis' lover by the somnambulist, Cesare. The somnambulist is hunted down by the townspeople and falls to his death after dropping Jane. Francis' investigation of the monk leads him to the local sanitarium where he discovers the head of the sanitarium is Caligari. He reads from the Doctor's notes "At last I can put the Caligari Theory to the test _____ I now shall soon know if this patient can be compelled to perform deeds he would shrink from in his normal waking state. Can he Be Made To Commit Murder?" The townspeople bring the dead body of Cesare before Caligari and imprison the Doctor.

Francis completes his tale and he and his friend walk into a courtyard where milling about are patients of an asylum, including Cesare and Jane. Soon the Doctor emerges. The Doctor is the Caligari of Francis' imagination and Francis attacks him. Francis is subdued and placed in a cell and the Doctor reveals that Francis has been a patient all along with fantasies concerning the legend of Doctor Caligari. a 1093 monk in a traveling act,who used a somnabulist to murder people.

This may be the first twist ending in film history. The kidnapping scene of Jane is truly horrific as Cesare slinks upon the sleeping beauty only for her to awaken as he hovers over her. Conrad Veidt's expressions as he grabs hold of Jane not only reveal madness but conflict as the somnambulist has been sent to kill her but can't bring himself to complete the act.

The film is not only a horror film but an art film. The schizophrenic aesthetic and sequencing events of the film are entirely appropriate to the story and content. Today, the film continues to produce nightmares.









Saturday, September 11, 2010

Romans 1:1 / Colts Run Over / 1910 Frankenstein

What I Heard in Church Today: 9/12/10

Pastor Paul began a study in the Book of Romans today.
Message: "What A Testimony"
by Pastor Paul Woodruff
Romans 1:1


"This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. it is purest Gospel" - Martin Luther

Paul wrote Romans in 58 A.D. and it was carried to the Church in Rome by a woman named Phoebe. It was written by Paul while in Greece. In this first verse, Paul sums up everything he wants to be known about himself

"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God" Romans 1:1

3 Qualities Paul Felt Essential About His Testimony

1) Paul expresses his Devotion To The Lord

word bond-servant could be translated SLAVE. This would speak to romans in that 50 % of the population were slaves

yet Paul was a Roman citizens were afforded many rights and perks

but Paul felt his greatest position was a slave of Jesus Christ

Like a slave Paul was captured by Christ and purchased by Christ & freed from the bondage of sin but Paul was in voluntary bondage to Christ. He wasn't forced

In the Bible, those most used by God are keenly aware of the Servant/ Master relationship

Paul lived to please God, and to do His will. Jesus was Lord

We are often too busy pleasing men and seeking pleasure becoming a slave to society and things.

We need to be devoted serving Jesus as Lord

2)Paul's Commission From The Lord
Called an Apostle
--He was an eyewitness of the Lord, conversion on the Damascus road
-- He was Chosen By Jesus Gal 1:15
God had a purpose for Paul
God uniquely prepared Paul for the Time & ministry
Paul was a Jew, a pharisee- a devout law keeper who knew the scriptures
He wa also a Roman Citizen, weel educated in Greek & Philosophy
Like Paul all believers are prepared for ministry
Jesus saves us, and then are called to be His ambassadors- He commissions us
God has sovereignly directed our lives in order to be His ambassadors
3) Paul's Seperation by the Lord for the Gospel
not set apart by the Gospel but For the Gospel
For Paul everything was about the Gospel and getting it out
Acts 20:20-24,
Man's greatest Tragedy- Seperation From God for eternity
Man's greatest Treasure- Salvation
Man's Greatest Task- To Serve the Lord
To Listen to the message go to:
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Colts Recap:
Houston 34 Colts 24

You have to give Houston Credit. They needed this game and they took it to the Colts. Arian Foster ran for 231 yards and 3 TDs against the Colts. The Texan's offensive line opened up huge holes throughout the second half leading to TD drive after TD drive chewing up the clock while doing it. Meanwhile the Colts offensive line struggled. Peyton Manning was being harassed and knocked to the ground constantly. Add some critical errors like Kelvin Hayden's pass interferance penalty in the first quarter which led to a score and Austin Collie's fumble when the Colts were moving in for a score, and you have a recipe for disaster. Again the Colts don't have much faith in the running game. Manning wound up throwing the ball 57 times. To his credit, he completed 40 for 433 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Colts have work to do. There are concerns about the offensive line. Defensively, the Colts simply cannot play this poorly in the future. Early in the game Bob Sanders went out with an elbow injury. We will have to see how this affects him. -----------------------------------------

Thriller of the Week:
1910 Frankenstein
The Edison Co.
Directed by J. Searle Dawley

Running approximately 16 minutes this "Liberal Adaptation of the Classic Novel by Mary Shelley" is the first fimed version of the tale and many consider it to be the first horror movie discounting Melies' Le Manoir du Diable. The Edison Kinetogram (the souvenir program) indicated "In making the film the Edison Company has carefully tried to eliminate all the actually repulsive situations and to concentrate its endeavors upon the mystic and psychological problems that are to be found in this weird tale."




The monster, played by Charles Ogle is brought to life by chemical means in a cauldron. The horribly disfigured creature leaves his horror stricken creator Frankenstein only to return on the eve of the young medical student's wedding. The conclusion of the film explores the concept of dualism as the monster peers into a mirror and then vanishes but its reflection remains. Frankenstein follows him into the room only to see the monster's reflection as his own, suggesting the monster was the evil embodiment of Frankenstein's soul.

One hundred years later the creation scene of the monster is quite suspensful and the special effects for the time are remarkable.

To be expected of such an early film, the filmed scenes look like a stage production but the story moves along well keeping the viewer engaged. Any horror film fan should see the movie not only for its historical significance but also for its entertainment value

Below is a nice little trailer of the 1910 Edison Frankenstein

The clip below was posted on You Tube by ProfessorMustard http://www.youtube.com/user/ProfessorMustard


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Building Men

As one of the educators for the brain injury program at the hospital I work for, I present inservices and also have some of our staff write up presentations on assigned topics. The other day I sat down with one of our better employees after she turned in her paper. I asked her how she would utilize the the information she learned in completing the assignment particularly how she would take it from the written page and convey it to others. I explained to her how she is the type of employee we want more of and it was my desire to see her reproduce herself. I wasn't expecting her response. She explained she had been learning from me over the years whether it was when I worked as a nurse on the unit or when I was working in my role as an educator and anything she was showing others was what she had learned from me.
This secular example caused me to pause and think about the spiritual commandment to make disciples and what Paul wrote to Timothy in II Timothy 2:2 "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

A little while back, I posted about my appreciation for Maurice Broaddus and what a privilege it has been to be a part of his life. God gave me a burden for Maurice when he was but a boy and I am thankful I was able to provide some positive influence on him. He has told me I am his spiritual father. It has been a pleasure watching him grow in Christ and his outreach has far exceeded any I have had. Praise God.

There are others however who have had a great impact on my life and without their leadership and taking an interest in me I might not have reached out to Maurice. These are my mentors.

My Dad has to be mentioned first. Dad never really led me spiritually in word. In fact, my knowledge of the scriptures exceeded his quickly after I became a Christian. My Dad led by example. Throughout his life, Dad was a man who sacrificed for everyone in need. Anyone who had a problem with their furnace or an appliance, Dad would be there to fix them up. Of course he sacrificed for my sisters and me. He would stop and help anybody. Another thing I learned was faithfulness, not only in how we conduct ourselves but in faithfulness to God. I'll never forget how after he rededicated himself to the Lord and when my mother died shortly afterwards, Dad was in church to worship the Sunday after she died. His example instilled in me the importance of faithfulness to God no matter what the circumstances.

Dad
I had known Jack Crawford for quite some time before I became a Christian. He is the father of one of my closest friends growing up. I didn't give him much thought as a kid. He was Gary's Dad and he helped us have a good time by either having a pingpong table or a dart board set up for us in his garage. He also made cokes available to us out of a coke machine. When Jack learned I had asked Christ into my life, he made a point of meeting with me regularly and supplying me with doctrinal books from his library. Jack helped me understand more about Bible prophecy as I had shown a keen interest in it and it was an interest of his own. What Jack was really doing was nurturing me, a new born babe in Christ, making sure I was being nourished with the word of God.

The third man who entered my life is the one who helped me apply the truths of scripture to practical application in my life. Eldon Kibbey was my Sunday School teacher in our new believer's class after I became a Christian. It wasn't in this class though where his mentorship took hold. I went to work for him later that year. He owned a janitorial franchise and asked me to come and manage part of the operations. During my five years working for Environment Control, Eldon led myself and his other managers in the purpose of his company-- Building Men. Eldon applied 2 Timothy 2:2 to every aspect of his business. Eldon's words of wisdom and sound teaching and the way he conducted his life inspired me to be more like him and to be more Christ like. Eldon was building me and he knew the chief cornerstone of my life had to be Jesus. And Eldon was cognizant of the need for Christ's supremacy in his life so he could, like Paul the Apostle, say "Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings... I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me."II Tim 3:10-11

Bible instruction was only one part of Eldon's impact on the lives of his managers. He took interest in our lives. We prayed together and lifted one another up during difficult times and Eldon made sure it wasn't just business. He was also my friend. He had me and other managers over to house for get togethers. We shared interests other than business and God. He made himself an important figure in my life in all aspects. He shared in my victories and my defeats. He was my councilor, cheerleader and advocate. I could count on him.

Eldon is still a great example for me. I don't have as many opportunities to meet with him but when I do have a chance to speak with him, I still find myself learning. Building Men continues to be Eldon's purpose. He does this through his work with the Christian Business Men's Committee and he has mentored many men and continues to do so. Recently, he has reached out to my oldest son.

Eldon has his spiritual mentor also. I remember him quoting Colonel Nimrod MacNair to make many a point. Looking again at 2 Timothy 2:2 we see the principle beginning with Colonol MacNair's influence on Eldon's maturation and how it continued on to others. (The things Eldon heard from Col. MacNair--Eldon entrusted to me--So I would be able to pass on to people like Maurice. And Maurice is investing these things to others) It started with one man reproducing himself in another and then that man doing the same and so on down the line.

This is a characature we, the managers of Environment Control, had made for Eldon. It depicts Eldon(with the whip) The Master Builder (1Corinthians 3:10-11). I'm the guy on the upper left.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Short Takes

One thing I've discovered is writing a blog is 1. addicting and 2. time consuming. Since my job is consuming about 50 or more hours a week, I really don't have the time to do the blog justice. Yet, I keep thinking of things I would like to write about. What I'm going to try to do on a regular basis is give weekly short updates on a few topics and when I have extra time devote more attention to the things I want to expound on. If I can at least get the short takes in, I think it will satisfy my need for a post fix.

I've entitled my first take: What I Heard in Church this Week I have been attending the Eagle Creek Grace Brethren Church on the NorthWest side of Indianapolis for 33 years and have had the privilege of listening to some of the best Bible teaching available. Pastor Paul Woodruff has devoted himself to the Word of God and his teaching has been a great blessing and has helped equip me in the faith. I thought I would briefly recap Pastor Paul's message by posting the main Bullitt points with appropriate scripture references. When I have the time I might add my own thoughts.

My second take will continue through football season: Colts Recap will be an attempt to give my short analysis of the week's Colt's Game. I may also add thoughts on other NFL games also.

Last but not least will be my attempt to present a short paragraph or two about my favorite genre of movies-- horror and all it's subgenres. I'll call it Thriller of the Week I will start with the very first horror movie and work my way through history. My horror movie collection dates back to 1896 with movies from all over the world.

These short takes may come all in one post or may come seperately.

So here goes,

What I Heard in Church This Week:

Message Title: Labor Laws
by Pastor Paul Woodruff
Date of Messgae 9/5/2010

4 Labor Laws To Live By

1.) The Law of Integrity Epesians 6:5-6,
God is more interested in how I work than what I do

2.) The Law of Priority Isaiah 58:13-14, Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Work shouldn't be prioritized over Health, Family or God
The Sabbath was made for us to Rest and give Worship to God
This particular part of the message convicted me. On Sundays, I usually stop in at work before I go to church. This has interfered with my attending Sunday School. My place of work is only a couple of blocks away from my church and I've found it convenient to stop in and get a jump start on Mondays. Because I have some commitments I am resposible for, I may not be able to completely stop going in. But I can limit some of it and I don't have to let it interfere with my Sunday School attendance.

3.) The Law of Security Psalm 62
Our efforts are not the guarantee of our security. The Lord is our Ultimate security

4.) The Law of Identity
In the work place value is palced on the bottom line (performance oriented) This causes people to evaluate others by their accomplishments causing too many people to find their value in their jobs
We are not what we do-- everyone has value & our value lies with Jesus

Colts Recap:
The preseason is over and now we can get down to real football. Again, the Colts record in the preseason was abominable. This year going 0-4. This is nothing new and not to cause worry. Since 2005 the Colts have only won 4 preseason games. In contrast, the Colts have the best regular season record in the League since 1999. They have won 6 of the past 7 AFC South titles. Over the past 7 seasons they have won at least 12 of their 16 regular season games (an NFL record)and have been to 2 Super Bowls and won one.

Thriller of the Week:
Le Manoir du Diable (The House of the Devil)
George Melies
1896

This film has the trappings of horror with a sinister dwarf, a skeleton and dancing phantoms. A bat flies about transforming into "the devil" who conjures up a cauldron and a woman who comes forth from the cauldron. "The devil" is then pitted against two gentlemen who come into his home. One of the men flees in terror as strange happenings begin, and the other must face "the devil." In the final confrontation the gentleman finds a cross and vanquishes "the devil".

Melies most famous film would be A Trip to the Moon made in 1902. Le Manoir du Diable probably should be considered the first horror film. Considering the bat changing into a man and vice versa and his banishment by a cross, it could be considered the first vampire film. Meleis was a magician and this film is an outgrowth of his work on the stage. It is filled with stop tricks (filming objects then while the camera is stopped moving them out of view making it appear as if the object disappears when the film is started)

View the film below

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Comic Books, Super-Heroes and Me: **Phase 3 1986 - Present The Old Desire Returns

When I stopped collecting comics in 1978 my love for the art form didn't vanish. It had been painful giving up my collection and just looking at comics would remind me of my loss. I didn't have the heart to resume following the monthly exploits of these characters I had had grown so fond of. I would follow what was going on with the characters in other media formats and would discuss the topic of super-heroes with others who shared in the interest but for the the most part I tried to protect myself from the h0bby. I was very wary of picking up a comic book and getting sucked back in.

In 1984, I discovered Doctor Who when a new local TV station, WPDS, began airing the Tom Baker package here in Indianapolis. I became an instant fan. In my search to find out more about the program I visited The Comic Carnival in Broad Ripple to see if they might carry merchandise associated with this British program. (The small shop I had visited in 78 was no longer in business.) To my delight, I did find items including Doctor Who Magazine in the store. I also discovered a fan produced freebie in the store called The Gallifreyan Gazette which I picked up leading me to a new host of friends and responsibilities. (A future entry will attempt to chronicle my involvement with what was then called The Doctor Who Society of Central Indiana.) My visit to Comic Carnival stirred up many old feelings but I was able to stay true to my decision not to begin purchasing those four color marvels. The temptation was great; racks of boxes containing back issues, prized collectables on display as well as the latest issues available called out to me on every visit.

Maurice Broaddus credits me with igniting his interest in horror and comic books. I confess, I probably did have a little to do with it. Ah, the corruption of the innocent. I never put a comic book in his hands, though. We just talked about super-heroes. I blame him for putting me back in the game.

Maurice, who had taken up collecting would talk to me about what was happening in the comic book world. In 1986, Maurice was excited about what was going on with Batman. He wanted me to read a couple of comic books. I was hesitant but agreed to read Batman Annual #9 and his first issue of this all new format of a comic called Batman The Dark Knight Returns.
The Annual had a series of stories, written by Mike Barr with a variety of artists, under the umbrella title "Four Faces Of Batman" examining The Face of "The Child", "The Avenger", "The Detective" and "The Man".
And then there was The Dark Knight Returns written and drawn by Frank Miller. For those who don't know The Dark Knight is a tale that takes place in Bruce Wayne's future after he has shelved the Batman for 10 years. In this dystopian future Bruce ponders "...while in my gut the creature writhes and snarls and tells me what I need..." and the Dark Knight returns. Most Super-heroes during the time period depicted were no longer active and hints are dropped as to what had become of them. Only Superman continues to carry on fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Batman takes on the tutelege of a new Robin, Carrie Kelly, after Batman saves her from Mutant gangbangers. The 4 issue run was aimed at adults and concludes with a titanic battle between the Dark Knight and Superman.

Miller's artwork matches the character of this Batman, almost psychotic but yet powerful. Batman is now more anti-hero than hero. The series reinvigorated the super-hero genre.


I was blown away. I could no longer fight off the need and like Bruce Wayne the creature writhed and snarled and told me what I needed-- Comic Books.

What a period to be reintroduced to the genre. Miller's other great work of 1986 was his "Born Again" story arc in Daredevil issues 227-233 The story by Miller is complemented wonderfully by David Mazzuchelli's art. Matt Murdock is betrayed by his former love interest Karen Page when she sells his secret identity to support her heroin addiction. The Kingpin uses this information to drag Matt through the gutter. At it's heart the story is a tale of personal redemption.


Miller and Mazzuchelli would later team up on Batman Year One a retelling of Batman's origins that many feel is better than Miller's Dark Knight.


Both Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns dealt with acknowledged super-heroes. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's Watchmen was something else...something special. Beginning in 1986 and running for 12 issues Watchmen was about a group of costumed "super-heroes" loosely based on the Charlton Comics super-hero line acquired by DC. The complexity of story and characters of Watchmen cannot be adequately explained in this post.

A nice detailed article can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen


It didn't take long for me to want to find out what was happening with other super-heroes I had been intersted in. I tried Superman but was unimpressed and wouldn't jump on board those titles until later in 86 just before John Byrne put out his new take on the character in Superman The Man Of Steel.


Just prior to John Bryne's take on Superman, Alan Moore wrote what may be my favorite Superman story of all-time "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" which was presented in Superman #423 and part 2 in Action Comics 583
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman:_Whatever_Happened_to_the_Man_of_Tomorrow%3F


I was soon reading Amazing Spider-Man again though I was dissapointed the quality wasn't up to the standards of the aformentioned titles. It would be the following year before I got excited about Spider-Man. "Kraven's Last Hunt" was spread over three Spiderman titles Amazing 293-294, Spectacular Spider-Man 131-132 and Web of Spiderman 31-32.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraven In addition to reading these new stories, I wanted to relive some of the good old days and went searching for a couple of books I knew had at one time been published. Superman: From the 30s to the 70s and Batman: From the 30's to the 70s seemed like a good way to acquire and relive some of the stories from days gone by. After searching all over town in book stores and comic shops I was able to find copies. It didn't quench my thirst for back issues, however.



It wasn't my intention to start buying alot of back issues when I resumed purchasing some of these outstanding books. I'll give some of the blame for it to The Comic Carnival. On my birthday they were kind enough to send me a birthday greetings with a coupon for $5 worth of free back issues. I promptly took them up on it and took forever trying to decide what I would take home. I finally decided upon picking up a run of Tomb of Dracula. I believe I laid down quite a few of my own dollars also. Buying back issues had begun.

I hadn't gotten on board when Crisis on Infinite Earths made its debute in 1985. But it wasn't hard finding all the issues in the back issue bins. Crisis weaves its way throughout DC History and produces a new continuity by the conclusion leaving a wave of death and destruction in its cosmic wake.



Another Prestigious title I began to buy and also hunt down back issues of was Alan Moore's run on Saga of The Swamp Thing. I was familiar with the original run of Swamp Thing by Len Wein with fabulous art from Bernie Wrightson, but this new take was something far more literary. Moore began his run in 1984 with issue 21 "The Anatomy Lesson" and turned the tale of Alec Holland on its head turning him into a plant elemental and presenting a literary horror tale month after month in a graphic format. It was held in high esteem and was the precursor to what is now the Vertigo Line of Comics in the DC stable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Thing

Sandman by Neil Gaiman won the World Fantasy Award title. His stories about Morphius, The Lord of Dreams, and the Endless family like Alan Moore's work were critically acclaimed and eventually merged into the Vertigo line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman_(Vertigo)


I am a big fan of another writer from the UK, Grant Morrison, who is currently writng many of the Batman titles. His work on Doom Patrol and particularly Animal Man are some of my favorites. His story "The Coyote Gospel" in Animal Man #5 is a brilliant piece which plays off the old Road Runner cartoons with a Coyote named Crafty.


Another Alan Moore project he did in The UK Marvel Man was reprinted here in the US under the title Miracle Man. This run of comics turned the original Captain Marvel on its head. This title was put out by a new publisher called Eclipse. The title was intense and controversial.

I didn't jump on the X-Men bandwagon in the mid 70s when Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum reintroduced the team in Giant Sized X-Men #1 and Uncanny X-Men 94. By this time the X-men were all the rage. Maurice would implore me to check it out. But it wouldn't be until the "Fall of The Mutants" storyline beginning in Uncanny X-Men 225 that I would become interested. I had to admit there was something about these X-Men and I was curious to find out more.

Later I would go back and find issues of the Claremont/ John Byrne run of Uncanny X-Men that featured the stories introducing Phoenix and the classic Dark Phoenix. I also would find pleasure reading John Bryne's run on The Fantastic Four.


I have seen the Super-heroes go through many changes over the years. Superman revealed his identity to Lois Lane and then married her. Later he wouild die at the hands of Doomsday and be restored. The second Robin died at the hands of the Joker. Jason Todd's Fate was voted for by the readers. Batman would have his back broken and Gotham would be nearly destroyed by earthquakes. He was suspected dead at the conclusion of the most recent crisis but in reality was just thrown back through history. Hal Jordan would go crazy and become Parralax, die, become the Spectre, and be resurrected with sanity restored. Supergirl and The Flash would die during the Crisis and both have been restored. Over at Marvel, Peter Parker would eventually tie the knot with Mary Jane only to have their marriage erased from history. Recently Captain America was apparently killed on a court house steps by his lover and S.H.I.E.L.D agent Sharon Carter and Bucky Barnes becomes the New Cap in what may be the best Marvel storyline over the last 5 years. The Super-heroes at Marvel would wage a Civil War and Norman Osborn would eventually reign.

The desire to collect didn't take long to emerge after my interest in comics was revived. I developed a strategy for purchasing back issues. The first books I would go after were those that either had top talent or were acclaimed story arcs within titles. An example being Frank Miller's earliest art and writing on Daredevil when he introduced Elektra.

Around town there were three Comic book stores I divided my allegiances over. Range Line Comics in Carmel, Comics Unlimited downtown and later in Speedway and of course Comic Carnival. I found many of the back issues I searched for at these locations but I also went to comic book shows to find difficult to find comics.

The two characters I was most interested in were Batman and Spiderman. I knew immediately what I wanted to pursue with Spiderman. I wanted to replenish all the comics I had previously sold, but this time I wanted the original issues, not reprints from Marvel Tales. It took a long time but I eventually not only recovered those issues but I also was able to obtain the earliest issues from the early to mid 60s written by Stan Lee with art by Steve Ditko.

Batman and Detective Comics were also on my radar. I set my sights on and obtained runs like the Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers run in Detective which has been often referred to as the definitive Batman. I found issues of Batman by Dennis Oneil and Neal Adams in a variety of places but I had the hardest time finding an issue of Batman 251 a classic Joker tale. I finally found it at a comic book show in Cincinnati.


At the same show, I also bought a Swamp Thing #1 and my first Golden Age comic during this phase of collecting. The first detailed origin of Batman was published in Batman #47. I had been looking for a reasonably priced golden age comic to add to my collection. This comic was a key issue in good to very good condition and I only had to shell out $45 for it.


Today Super-Heroes can be found in all sorts of media. The biggest hits at the movies every Summer are the Super-Hero Movies. The X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Daredevil, Elektra, Ghost Rider, The Punisher, The Fantastic Four, The Hulk and soon to be released Thor and Captain America have all been hits or will be. DC has put out Superman movies and has found its best sucess with the Batman franchise, both in the late 80s and early 90s movies first strarring Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight and most recently with Christopher Nolan's vision of Batman in 2005's Batman Begins and 2008's The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale as Batman. These latter two movies have set the bar high for super-hero movies as they were something more, movies that required serious consideration by critics as well as fandom. Both companies have had their characters involved in animated productions that are of high quality also.

When one speaks of super-heroes he doesn't say BIF, BAM, POW anymore. Super-heroes and Comic Books are taken seriously, and I am glad for it in spite of my nostalgia for the old Batman TV show.

I continue to buy my weekly new comics and rarely buy back issues since I have found the majority of the comics I wanted for my collection. When we bought our home about 15 years ago or so, we had to consider where to store my comics. Afterall they need to be stored in a cool dry environment. And they take up too much space. We passed on many houses we liked before settling on our current residence, all because of the comic book collection.

So, why do I do this? I must be a bit nuts. After all most are safely locked away, and difficult to get to. But it has been part of who I am since I was young and many memories come flowing back when I do decide to open one of those older treasures and the smell of the aging paper brings back wonderful memories of days gone by.