Pazdziernik Archive

Joyce Kulhawik on TDC Movie

[Archive May 18, 2006]

Reviews have begun for director Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code movie. So far, nearly all are rotten tomatoes. Boston’s CBS-4’s Joyce Kulhawik, a Boston “staple” and Polonia, gave her opinion on tonight’s 11pm newscast.

Anchor Jack Williams: Are you a believer?

Joyce Kulhawik:
I am a believer in good movies and this is not one of them. I actually got a kick out of the book which is far from literature but is a diabolically compelling read, so I had hoped that the film would maintain the intrigue and even fill in what was missing, characters, nuance. Not so. In staying so close to the revved-up plot The Da Vinci Code is as flat as the Mona Lisa without her smile.

Joyce’s full review can be found here.

Tags: Joyce Kulhawik, Boston Television

“The Armenian Genocide”

[Archive April 19, 2006]

Last night Boston’s PBS station WGBH presented “The Armenian Genocide” as a documentary on the Holocaust of Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks during the World War I period. (The First World War or "Great War" was June 1914- November 1918). Armenians funded and produced this television program. It has generated a lot of buzz in which PBS had to defend itself: PBS Stands by ‘Armenian Genocide’

Both the Turkish government and its state educational system maintain that “atrocities” and “tragedies” did indeed happen during this period of history but deny that there was any systematic elimination of Armenians. On the contrary, the evidence points that 1 – 1.5 million Christian Armenians (civilians, men, women and children) were tortured, starved, "endured forced marches" and killed with Turkish Ottoman government oversight during World War I.

In my estimation, this show was very well done, fair and balanced. It certainly presented the case for genocide. Turkish government representatives, we are told, refused to cooperate in this project. However, several Turkish scholars acknowledged — at a high personal price— the truth of the Armenian claims which are backed-up by many outside of Armenia as well. It also gave fair reasons why the Turkish government would want to maintain “denying the Armenian Holocaust.” The “stigma” of being in the same category as Nazi Germany, its aspiration for inclusion into the European Union, and the possibility of material reparation are among them.

This show presented the “incomplete mourning” of Armenians because of these denials. It also presented Armenian terrorist groups that sought revenge on Turks. I was very edified that an Armenian commentator acknowledged that there are many good and noble Turks who seek the truth. The main problem, in their estimation, is with the Turkish government and its state educational system which denies that a genocide of Christian Armenians happened in World War I at the hands of Muslim Ottoman Turks. The idea that Armenian Christians were slaughtered out of hatred for the Christian Faith —which would make them Christian martyrs— could have been explored further. The moral conscience of individuals should have been brought up as a topic rather than the sociological approach that is often taken in these types of history programs: "genocide requires popular support". However, only so much can go into a 40 minute presentation.

Turks today are not personally culpable for past events. However, it seems that a “purification of memory” is needed. Germany to its credit has acknowledged its World War II actions and concretely made spiritual and material reparations etc. In fact, Pope John Paul II on March 12, 2000 (Day of Pardon of the Great Jubliee year) asked for forgiveness for the sins of all Christians. Let’s pray that others will follow these leads. How many do?

Purifying the memory means eliminating from personal and collective conscience all forms of resentment or violence left by the inheritance of the past, on the basis of a new and rigorous historical-theological judgement, which becomes the foundation for a renewed moral way of acting.

(Memory and Reconciliation: The Church and The faults of the Past, International Theological Commission, No. 5.1, December 1999)

The Armenian National Institute has a good site for more information on the Armenian Holocaust.

Photo: Lake Sevan, Armenia © Anna Chelnokova
Tags: Armenian Genocide, Armenia, PBS,World War I

Cold Case: 8 Years

[Archive January 8, 2006]

CBS' Cold Case on Sunday January 8, 2006 (today) will feature songs exclusively from Bruce Springsteen. Cold Case is currently in its 3rd season. I don't recommend Cold Case (8 or 8:30 pm ET) as a television show but I would like to see how they integrate the Boss' music into the show. Supposedly the featured songs will be the following from The River (1980), Nebraska (1982), Born in the U.S.A. (1984), and my favorite Springsteen album Tunnel of Love (1987):

No Surrender
Bobby Jean
Brilliant Disguise
Glory Days
I'm on Fire
Drive All Night
Stolen Car
Atlantic City
One Step Up

The episode (no. 57) is titled "8 Years".

Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Cold Case

An Amazing Peace?

[Archive December 9, 2005]

We got good nor’easter today in New England. I left work early and happened to catch poet-and-best-selling-author™ Dr. Maya Angelou,77, on Oprah Winfrey. Oprah described Maya Angelou as her “Spiritual Mother.” Oprah and Angelou read together Angelou’s new poem “An Amazing Peace” accompanied with a choir singing “Joy to the World.” This was the poem that Dr. Angelou read at this year’s White House National Christmas tree lighting. (This year's theme at the White House is “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small; All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”)

In any event, after Oprah finished praising Angelou, she got to hawking Angelou’s new book Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem. I could not find the text on-line, because certainly we should buy the book ourselves. It’s only about $10. I’m sure that it will find a resonance with many people. (I may purchase the book so I can safely quote from it.)

Dr. Angelou’s Christmas Poem’s theme is peace. The words of her text, although beautiful, were highly syncrestic in my estimation. Syncretism is "the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought." I can’t be sure of Angelou’s intent but I summarize it as “we all one happy family and Christmas reminds us of this.” It is strange that for a “Christmas Poem” Our Lord (finally) makes an appearance about 3/4 of the way through. This could be understandable if the events of salvation history led up to Our Lord in the text, like the texts of Sacred Scripture do in most Christian churches and communities in preparing for the Christmas nativity celebration. But no. Her text does not take this direction. Instead, the general direction of the text is: “we find peace within ourselves, there is nothing really special about Our Lord being THE SOURCE of peace”.

She stated her opinion on Oprah that “in the depths of everyone’s heart everyone wants peace.” Wow, okay... your okay, I’m okay, we’re all okay. Sounds like the erroneous radical fundamental option theology in which our concrete actions do not effect our inmost being. If you have read this far then you should sense that I see problems in Dr. Angelou’s poetic text. We can’t have authentic peace without the Prince of Peace. A syncrestic peace may "amaze" many but will not likely ever see fruition because “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127:1 NASB)

I don't want to be sued so, Dr. Angelou’s poem can be found here.

Photo: 2005 National Christmas tree (whitehouse.gov)

John Paul T.V.

[Archive November 27, 2005]

Well, the Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) television movies are upon us. I missed Hallmark Channel’s "Karol, A Man who Became Pope" this past August because I don’t have basic cable. (Am I cheap or just wise?) The life of one of the longest reigning Popes in history (26 years) who had 104 foreign trips, 14 Encyclicals, 45 or so Apostolic Letters, thousands of homilies and speeches, and, by the way suffered under both Nazism and Communism in his native Poland and, by the way lost his mother at a young age, is going to be condensed into 2 hour and 4 hour movies. Good luck to the producers.

I’ve heard that CBS’ version will be better than ABC’s version, but I’ll wait and see.

Thursday December 1st at 8pm ET ABC-TV:
“Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II” (2 hours)

Sunday December 4th and Wednesday December 7th CBS-TV:
"Pope John Paul II" (4 hours total)

Just as most U.S. and world history from elementary school to high school and beyond is focused upon the 1960s, I suspect that the story of Pope John Paul II may be focused disproportionately on "the scandal of 2002." I may be wrong but from what I read so far ABC's program will present it.

Even though a woman portrayed Christ at World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado at the old Mile High Stadium during the Via Crucis in 1993, I understand that actual men (males) will in fact play the role of Karol Wojtyla in these television movies! I don’t want to clutter up this space by elaborating on Hollywood’s recent past projects like The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Priest (1994), The Saint (1997), Dogma (1999), Stigmata (1999), The Magdalene Sisters (2003), The Order (2003) and Saved (2004). Instead, I’ll save these references for next year’s “DaVinci Crud”... perhaps.

Update December 1,2005:
I watched ABC’s program tonight. It was hard to overlook the fact that the actor who played Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II as an adult did not look, sound, speak, or have any of the mannerisms of John Paul II. Rather, he reminded me of a Clint Eastwood-Steven Segal hybrid. Does anyone recall Pope John Paul II having a 5 o’clock shadow? An emaciated John XXIII also appeared! Also, I have no idea why a 42 year old played an 18 year-old Wojtyla. Disney posted a $516 million profit last quarter. Couldn’t they have hired a young actor for a few bucks?

This was a B movie at best. The most spiritual thing I could find during this 2 hour time block on ABC was “Someone up there loves you … Direct TV™.” At times I thought that I was watching an SNL skit. Basically, I found it to be a waste of time, but I committed myself to watching it.

Although, the producers claimed that it was based on published accounts of his life, one wonders who published these accounts, Dan Brown? If it was “based on published accounts” it wasn’t entirely based on published accounts. I understand “artistic liberty” and all, but “I am only a human being just as Christ was”, for example (one of many), is certainly nothing that John Paul would have said.

The best aspect of this movie-biography was the music. The last 10 minutes with the Pope struggling in old age before the crowds was certainly moving. The May 13, 1981 assassination attempt was also tastefully done. The low-budgetness of this movie was brought home with the superimposed rain at the end during a flashback of a 9 year-old Karol Wojtyla. I’m now really looking forward to CBS’ version.

Update December 4,2005:
The first part of CBS' movie was on tonight. It makes ABC's version look like a cable access show. Yeah baby... Now that's the JP II that we all know! "To stay alive and to stay Polish" is the response I have always heard from those who lived through the German occupation.

Update December 7,2005:
Speechless … the second part was simply awesome. I re-lived last April all over again.

“You must call by name what is good and what is evil and fight with your freedom… You must not hate. You must not kill. …Forgiveness is God’s might” - J.P. II to Lech Walesa

“You are not alone. The living God walks beside you. He will be your best friend.” – J.P. II to the youth.

Photo: Vatican one euro coin © European Central Bank
Tags: John Paul II

Little Hercules

[Archive November 7, 2005]

“The World’s Strongest Boy”, Richard Sandrak (born April 15, 1992) , was featured Sunday night on The Learning Channel. His family emigrated from Ukraine to the United States. His parents began training him at the young age of 3 with martial arts, stretching, and bodybuilding. His parents hired a manager and by age 7 he was featured in bodybuilding exhibitions and was dubbed “Little Hercules.” When he was 8 years old and weighted 70 lbs he could bench press 210 lbs! His younger sister is also being trained in the same way that they trained Richard.

Although I’m in favor of physically fit children, this story was disturbing. His father would train him with weights, martial arts and stretching for 7 hours a day. He was not allowed outside of the home and had no childhood friends. Testosterone is needed to build serious muscle. Typically a boy does not begin producing significant testosterone until about age 12 or so. His parents deny giving him steroids, human growth hormones, or testosterone. When confronted about this serious issue, his father threatened to kill the investigator. He is sure to develop serious medical problems later on in life if he was given such substances.

His parents divorced and his father is in jail for domestic abuse. Richard has new managers and is perusing a Hollywood career. Children need to be children. This is an important period in their life. It good to see parents encourage and support their children in lofty goals, but this story about Richard’s life is one of gross abuse.

Richard Sandrak’s mother runs his promotional website.

Tags: Richard Sandrak

Celebrity not

[Archive October 30, 2005]

Celebrities, actors and actresses on television and in the movies, sports athletes, political personalities, hold the attention of many. The tabloid media (magazines, television and internet) seem to be a healthy “growth industry”. It’s hard to escape the advertisement of new t.v. shows, movies and sporting events. They’re in a business and are selling a product like any other business. In this regard, it is “fair game” like any other legitimate advertising.

I have been on travel and have had time to spend watching television in my hotel room. This is one time that I actually allow myself to “vege” on television. I got hooked on a television show and made the mistake (one that I regret) of looking up some of the cast on the internet. I was not really interested in their personal lives. Rather, I wanted to see what other work they had done. Because they had appealing characters I thought that, maybe even, contrary to my better judgment, they had corresponding appealing personalities. Boy, was I wrong. I got burned and was dis-edified to learn about the “causes” that they support. Although disappointed, I was not surprised.

I have little patience or interest with exhibitionist celebrities and their boorish behavior. I have a bit more patience with those who use their celebrity to support causes that are ‘”dear” to them. I am also well-aware that some celebrities support “causes” not because they are truly passionate about them but for further career publicity.

Free speech is one thing that both I understand and agree with, but being a celebrity does not make one an expert in a particular area. At minimum it simply provides a powerful platform. I’m not even sure exactly how much influence they actually have. However, I do know that people listen to them.

There are many talented celebrities who do their craft well. Obviously, there are also less-than-talented celebrities. Not all entertainment is of moral or aesthetic quality. I don’t fault actors or actresses in this regard. They are simply trying to make a living by applying their talent. Directors, producers and other executives bear a greater responsibility for the moral or aesthetic quality of their work. However, for causes that individual actors and actresses support, the responsibility is squarely on them.

Regardless of the causes they support, the characters on television and in the movies are often not at all like the characters that they portray, especially for the older ones. (The younger ones need to stay closer to their actual personality.) It is safe to be interested in the work that celebrities have done in their career. It is not wise to go any further.

Emmet Otter

[Archive October 3, 2005]

Tomorrow Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas will be on DVD! This was directed and produced by Jim Henson (1936-1990) and was first released in 1977. Jim Henson created Kermit the Frog and other muppets like Miss Piggy, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and so forth. I first saw Emmet Otter on HBO a number of years ago. Kermit the Frog narrated if I remember correctlly.

It is basically a re-telling of O Henry's Gift of the Magi ... but with muppet otters and some musical numbers. I've asked around today and was surprised to learn how few have seen Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas. If you're looking for something good and different, this is the DVD to get. If you have children this is nearly a "must have."

StarFest 2005

[Archive May 1, 2005]

We went to Starfest in Denver this past weekend. It was a sci-fi convention at the Tech Center Marriott. I’m not a big sci-fi fan although I follow Star Trek and Star Wars. My favorites growing up were Space 1999 , Lost in Space and Force Five. Many people were dressed up as their favorite sci-fi characters, mostly from Star Wars and Star Trek. Many Klingons, Vulcans, Andorians, Jedis, Darth Vaders (…and humans) were walking the halls. William Shatner (Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek series) was the featured guest. I learned that he was Canadian. For $60 one could get a photo taken with William Shatner. No thanks. Other stars such as Katee Sackhoff (“Starbuck” from Battlestar Galactica) were also there.

Sci-fi and amine (Japanese animation like Force Five) movies were shown. We caught The War of the Worlds (1953) directed by Byron Haskin and in Technicolor! This was based on H.G. Wells' (1866-1946) 1898 novel. This adaptation was set in Los Angeles after Martians invade the earth. (I think that the original novel was set in England.) It was fun to see the “primitive” special effects. Sci-fi writing in the mid-Twentieth century was actually pretty good. It showed lots of imagination. A presenter explained the technical aspects of this film. I learned that Technicolor process actually used three or four separate strips of film to produce color. Steven Spielberg is remaking this movie. It is set for a June 29th release this year and will star Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins with music by John Williams. The 1953 version was only 85 minutes in length. I’m sure this new version will be longer. Paramount is producing this new movie. Paramount also produced the Star Trek series. Unfortunately they recently cancelled Star Trek: Enterprise.

Photo: T'Pol (Jolene Blalock), Star Trek: Enterprise, startrek.com
Tags: Star Trek