Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief was one of the most interesting documentaries we have watched this semester. It tackled a subject that many people are familiar with but don't really know the details of. Personally, I liked learning about the history of L. Ron Hubbard and how the religion came to exist. I also like having a better understanding of what the actual belief system behind scientology is. I was less interested in the question of whether scientology was a business or a religion. I think the answer is pretty obvious.
Anyone who steps back and looks at the actual beliefs of scientology, as they do in this film, should be able to identify that it is all a hoax. L. Ron Hubbard was literally a struggling science-fiction writer who needed a new idea to support himself financially. After he wrote a particularly outlandish piece of science-fiction (Dianetics), and developing something of a cult following, he developed a way to monetize this set of strange theories he had created. L. Ron Hubbard locked Scientology behind a paywall, and made it clear that the more his followers paid, the more access to "knowledge" they would be granted with.
If you think about it, selling religion isn't any revolutionary concept. In the 16th century, the Catholic Church fell out of favor with many of it's followers for selling indulgences; essentially a reprieve from sin, for a price. In that way, one could argue that all religions are a business to some extent. As stated previously, I'm not so concerned with whether or not scientology is a business, but more so with the fact that it is a scam created by sociopaths who draw in their followers and make it extraordinarily hard for them to leave.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
I Am Big Bird
I was not expecting much from a documentary about a member of Sesame Street, but I was happily proved wrong when I Am Big Bird sent me through a roller coaster of emotions. Carroll Spinney is the actual Big Bird, and a seemingly wonderful human being, at that; you could relate to his childish nature, the pain he felt through life struggles, the anxiety and passion of doing what he loved to do, etc. There were too many touching moments within the film to count, but the most touching to me was Spinney singing "It's Not Easy Being Green" at Jim Henson's funeral memorial service; if you didn't cry at that scene, I am impressed by your resolve or lack of emotion. What's really sweet about this documentary is that not only does it look at the world through Spinney's, it also take the perspective of the world looking back at Spinney through the decades. It shows how he and Big Bird (and let's not forget Oscar!) affected the world around them, from simple things--like bringing happiness to children around the world--to much bigger things--like warming China up to American culture and saving PBS from an attack on its funding. Big Bird is a massive cultural staple in the United States that people tend to forget about once their childhood innocence begins to fade; this film, I think, reminded us just why we all loved him in the first place, and why he'll always be around.
Jewish Experience ~ Holocaust
In the second week of November, our class was part of a special event that acted as a sort of memorial for the Jewish lives affected by the Holocaust. We viewed four films of varying length, tone, and backstory, all of which had relevance to the tragedies the Jewish people faced in the 1930's and 1940's.
At the End of the Line was a music video that told the story of the Kindertransport program that saved a multitude of Jewish children before they could be taken away by the Nazis. Although the story itself is certainly interesting, I didn't find the film to be all that fantastic. I didn't find the music to be very good, the stylistic direction of the video was a tad cheesy, and I just think it did a bad job of gripping the story in a cohesive manner.
Picking Up the Pieces does a much better job at telling a story, probably because it isn't trying to be too artistic. This film tells the often overlooked tales of child survivors of the Holocaust and how they are living today. As a journalist, a story that is not usually told is a story that naturally interests me, so I was instantly captivated. A very emotional piece, Picking Up the Pieces did a great job of creating that childhood innocence each survivor must have had when they were taken away; this allows the viewer to easily empathize with each individual interviewed.
Never Forget- A March of the Living Story chronicles the "Young Adult March of the Living" program, which sends people of Jewish heritage on a trip to both Poland and Israel, in an effort to not only capture the historical and cultural significance of the Holocaust, but also to commemorate the founding of Israel as a nation. This film is from the perspective of both the director and the many young adults on the trip with him; they are all emotionally connected as they make their way through the ghostly camp of Auschwitz and--in a much more joyful occasion--through the festive streets of the Jewish homeland. Never Forget interested me greatly and has made me think about visiting the concentration camps to gain a better understanding of them; it really showed the importance of witnessing history firsthand so that you can never let go of its importance.
The Kozalchik Affair was the last film and, in my opinion, the best one. Unlike the other three films, this one followed an extremely specific story to the point where it could just be considered a feature. Itzik, the film's narrator and primary character, goes on a journey to discover his late father's hidden and controversial past; Jacob--Itzik's father--had been a kapo in Auschwitz, forced to aid the Nazis in the camp. However, at any chance he could, Jacob would save his fellow Jews and Pols from death, and put his own life on the line to do so. This film was heartfelt and touching, and I was honored to be able to follow this man through a very personal and obviously taxing journey. When Itzik finds some resolve in the film's end, I feel like I too found some resolve deep down.
At the End of the Line was a music video that told the story of the Kindertransport program that saved a multitude of Jewish children before they could be taken away by the Nazis. Although the story itself is certainly interesting, I didn't find the film to be all that fantastic. I didn't find the music to be very good, the stylistic direction of the video was a tad cheesy, and I just think it did a bad job of gripping the story in a cohesive manner.
Picking Up the Pieces does a much better job at telling a story, probably because it isn't trying to be too artistic. This film tells the often overlooked tales of child survivors of the Holocaust and how they are living today. As a journalist, a story that is not usually told is a story that naturally interests me, so I was instantly captivated. A very emotional piece, Picking Up the Pieces did a great job of creating that childhood innocence each survivor must have had when they were taken away; this allows the viewer to easily empathize with each individual interviewed.
Never Forget- A March of the Living Story chronicles the "Young Adult March of the Living" program, which sends people of Jewish heritage on a trip to both Poland and Israel, in an effort to not only capture the historical and cultural significance of the Holocaust, but also to commemorate the founding of Israel as a nation. This film is from the perspective of both the director and the many young adults on the trip with him; they are all emotionally connected as they make their way through the ghostly camp of Auschwitz and--in a much more joyful occasion--through the festive streets of the Jewish homeland. Never Forget interested me greatly and has made me think about visiting the concentration camps to gain a better understanding of them; it really showed the importance of witnessing history firsthand so that you can never let go of its importance.
The Kozalchik Affair was the last film and, in my opinion, the best one. Unlike the other three films, this one followed an extremely specific story to the point where it could just be considered a feature. Itzik, the film's narrator and primary character, goes on a journey to discover his late father's hidden and controversial past; Jacob--Itzik's father--had been a kapo in Auschwitz, forced to aid the Nazis in the camp. However, at any chance he could, Jacob would save his fellow Jews and Pols from death, and put his own life on the line to do so. This film was heartfelt and touching, and I was honored to be able to follow this man through a very personal and obviously taxing journey. When Itzik finds some resolve in the film's end, I feel like I too found some resolve deep down.
I Am Big Bird
I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story is exactly what I look for in a documentary. The best documentary, to me, is a piece that elaborates deeply on some random tidbit of information that you never knew you wanted to know so much about. That is exactly how this documentary played out. I can't even remember the last time I thought about Big Bird, or Sesame Street--I didn't even know there was only one guy playing Big Bird-- but from the moment this documentary started I could tell I would be captivated.
The documentary is primarily a happy one, showing what a great and talented guy Carroll Spinney is, but there are a few dark moments. I think that the light-nature of the documentary (and dealing with a childhood memory for most of us) makes the dark moments that much more dark. I found the sad parts of the documentary (Spinney's first wife, the young girl, Hansen, etc.) as hard to watch as many of the things we have seen this semester.
However, aside from a few key moments, this documentary should bring sheer happiness to it's viewers. It's so refreshing to see and find out that the people behind Sesame Street are basically just as up-beat as the characters that they created. The behind the scenes footage of Hansen and Spinney (and other cast) are a lot of fun to watch. I've mentioned this documentary to a lot of friends and families mentioning that it's a great watch if they have a spare hour or two. I can't see anyone not enjoying it!
The documentary is primarily a happy one, showing what a great and talented guy Carroll Spinney is, but there are a few dark moments. I think that the light-nature of the documentary (and dealing with a childhood memory for most of us) makes the dark moments that much more dark. I found the sad parts of the documentary (Spinney's first wife, the young girl, Hansen, etc.) as hard to watch as many of the things we have seen this semester.
However, aside from a few key moments, this documentary should bring sheer happiness to it's viewers. It's so refreshing to see and find out that the people behind Sesame Street are basically just as up-beat as the characters that they created. The behind the scenes footage of Hansen and Spinney (and other cast) are a lot of fun to watch. I've mentioned this documentary to a lot of friends and families mentioning that it's a great watch if they have a spare hour or two. I can't see anyone not enjoying it!
A LEGO Brickumentary
I believe that this, along with I Am Big Bird, are my two favorite documentaries of the year so far. I'm not ashamed to admit that during this documentary I went on my phone, on to Amazon, and started looking for LEGO set's that I could buy. I think that this happened for two reasons: one, the film perfectly captured the fun and innocent appeal of LEGO's. As a toy dedicated to building, there is really no reason that they should be limited to children. LEGO's employ basic problem-solving, engineering, and architectural skills, and that is useful for any adult.
The second reason why I couldn't wait to get online and order my LEGO's is because the documentary played out a little bit like an advertisement. It is funny how even the LEGO Brickumentary fit the mold that has been with us all semester of propaganda. Even a happy film based around a childhood toy appears to have a hidden agenda beneath the surface. In my case, it absolutely worked because I got online and started checking out LEGO's (until I saw the price).
With that said, I still think the film was effective and a joy to watch. Even beyond the LEGO-porn itself, the people featured in the film were just quirky enough to be likable but not so nerdy that you couldn't connect with them. It was also just interesting to learn about LEGO's rise to power, and how they have managed to stay on top despite periodic dips in sales. The fact that they have started crowd-sourcing their new sets is a really innovative idea and I think it has become more of a trend in the toy industry following LEGO.
The second reason why I couldn't wait to get online and order my LEGO's is because the documentary played out a little bit like an advertisement. It is funny how even the LEGO Brickumentary fit the mold that has been with us all semester of propaganda. Even a happy film based around a childhood toy appears to have a hidden agenda beneath the surface. In my case, it absolutely worked because I got online and started checking out LEGO's (until I saw the price).
With that said, I still think the film was effective and a joy to watch. Even beyond the LEGO-porn itself, the people featured in the film were just quirky enough to be likable but not so nerdy that you couldn't connect with them. It was also just interesting to learn about LEGO's rise to power, and how they have managed to stay on top despite periodic dips in sales. The fact that they have started crowd-sourcing their new sets is a really innovative idea and I think it has become more of a trend in the toy industry following LEGO.
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