Home Media Magazine - November 4-10, 2007 - (Page 20)

REVIEWS I REBELLION OF THOUGHT: POST-MODERNISM, THE CHURCH AND THE STRUGGLE FOR AUTHENTIC FAITH Street 11/13 Exploration Films, Documentary, $22.95 DVD, NR. www.homemediamagazine.com D efining post-modernism is task enough. Creating a documentary that examines the term as it relates to the church and faith is more ambitious. Such is the attempt of scholar-philosophers Kent and Brad Williamson in Rebellion of Thought, a challenging film that attempts to merge notions of faith with postmodernism, and reconcile their strengths and differences. Post-modernism can be defined as developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture, art, literature and culture that emerge from, in reaction to, or supersede modernism. One of the Williamsons further defines the term for purposes of the film’s discussion, calling post-modernism “a term used to describe the transition from the modern era into a yet-to-be-named time-period of human history, marked by the tearing down of absolute truth claims and a hunger for human experiences.” The Williamsons suggest that by better understanding the post-modern mind, Christians can use that knowledge to help post-modern thinkers better understand Christ. To tackle these concepts, the Williamsons and other scholars offer sometimes-differing but well-spoken viewpoints on post-modernism and its place in the world today. The discussion isn’t always easy to follow, but the confidence and clarity in the thoughts expressed within help pave the way. Those who enjoy multifaceted, deep-thinking discussion may embrace this unusual documentary. — Dan Bennett I 3000 MILES Street 11/13 Revolver, Sports, $19.99 DVD, NR. B I SPIRITUAL EXERCISES (10 FILMS BY OLIVIER SMOLDERS) Street 11/13 Cult Epics, Drama, $29.95 DVD, NR. S QU ICK T A KE Making House Calls T he new “Doctor Who” shows no signs of slowing down in its third season, which hits DVD Nov. 6 as a $99.98 six-disc set from BBC Video. Our favorite time-traveling adventurer, the Doctor (David Tennant), finds a new hottie companion (Freema Agyeman) while renewing conflicts with some old enemies. As with the first two seasons, disparate elements from different episodes are tied together in a season-long story arc, in this case involving the enigmatic politician Mr. Saxon. The highlight of the season is the creepy episode “Blink,” which makes full use of the mind-bending possibilities of the time travel format. The season ends with the return of Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), fresh from his spinoff series “Torchwood.” But it’s a perfectly absurd coda leading into season four that reminds us why this show is so fun. — John Latchem hort films are usually interesting, if not always gripping. But that’s the curse of the short film — and its sister, the short story. We novel-readers and feature-film-goers are so used to time to explain characters, lengthy plots and narrative hand-holding that we can feel suddenly adrift and uncomfortable in the presence of total silence on film and people with no dialogue (“The Amateur”). Or a staid, careful narrator telling us what isn’t going to happen, or juxtaposing moments of anguish with a Venice tourist film (“Death in Vignole”). Or, perhaps, the nonviolent obsession with distancing oneself from the opposite sex (“The Amateur”). But everything beautiful, sad, serious and comical about life is here. Smolders’ films are meditations on the cruelty of the camera; it can never capture the lives of the people it films, only moments already dead. Yet those who aren’t filmed fear dying without their indelible imprint somewhere — on celluloid, DVD or photograph. Perhaps that’s why the narrator of “The Amateur” can convince women to strip naked for his camera. Smolders also again and again expresses men’s inability to move beyond their sexual need for women, their animal connection to life, death and sex (visible in the juxtaposition of monkey and man on the box art). Smolders can never get into the mind of the female. He never suggests that the women in his films, who are sensitive, hurt, bemused, or mocking, can be explained. An essay and Q&A in the 48page booklet explains better the magic behind the deliberately offbeat filmmaker’s work. Comparisons to Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch are apt. These black-andwhite films will shake, surprise, shock and impress those who thrill to arthouse film and works that wind up in eclectic film festivals. — Brendan Howard oys will be boys. In this case, the pleasure-seeking lads are skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and the characters from MTV’s “Jackass.” Hawk and company are the focus of this DVD, with the secondary action being the Gumball 3000, a wacky road rally that starts with more than a few twists and turns through the streets of London and ends on the steps of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Maxmillion Cooper, who directs this documentary, founded the Gumball 3000 in 1999. When it started, Cooper believed the race would be an excellent way to show off some of his high-profile friends and associates. They would hit the highways in customized racing toys such as high-powered Mercedes, Ferraris, Porsches and Jaguars, sometimes clocking speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour during the 10-day marathon with drinking and hard partying at each pit stop. There was a catch. Unlike other road rallies, the Gumball 3000 isn’t a sanctioned event. This meant the participants frequently played cat-and-mouse with law-enforcement officials, who followed their exploits and patiently waited for these wannabes to fly past. At times, it seemed the racers played a game of seeing who could generate the most citations. Still, and not surprising, this helped the Gumball 3000 generate plenty of fanfare. And with celebrities participating, it produced more fame and became a cult hit with many around the world. This DVD attempts to capture some of the notoriety, but viewers are subjected to the ongoing antics of Hawk and others. The film might appeal to a male audience between the ages of 18 and 34, but even that demographic will grow weary of the frequent whining, juvenile pranks and the endless panning for the cameras. — Benny Lopez 20 Home Media Magazine November 4–10, 2007 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - November 4-10, 2007

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