Movie Review: From Within
By Billy | March 10, 2010
Huh. So a movie review? I may only review horror and mindfunk type movies, or maybe I’ll start to feel like everyone is entitled to my opinion and spew ignorant reviews about whatever the heck I want. This IS my blog, so you should be assuming that whatever I wordvomit out to you is, well, my opinion. I don’t believe in expertise, and I don’t believe in conventional perfection (nor do I believe in absolute imperfection, as a panentheist/process theologist).
(aka: The Happening only good)
I stumbledUpon the Horrorfest Website and found immediately what I wanted to do with my Spring Break. All the movies looked interesting and in some way spooky. The zombie film of the 8 from this year’s selection is a comedy, so I set my mind to “open” and started watching. I watched Autopsy, which was mediocre enough that I didn’t feel like reviewing it, but ‘From Within’ sparked enough interest, earned solid criticism as I watched, and still captivated me enough to want to say something about it.
The bad things about ‘From Within’ are tiny cracks in the foundation, which bother me because they are evidence of an underlying giant to tackle as a planet. I am going to quote word for word one IMDB comment I came across after viewing (IMDB right after a movie is a great idea for a movie you think might have more to it than you assumed. Also, there’s more to everything than you assume). Ahem, “I thought it was quite refreshing that they showed Christians in a genuine light. From what I’ve seen, most tend to be terrible hypocrites… they definitely don’t practice what they preach. Sure there are good Christians out there but there are good nonbelievers too.”
If we replaced the word Christian with Human, I think you should be kinda upset about that. Humans do stupid stuff, especially when groupthink gets to play. Nonetheless, Christianity is put in a horrible light in the movie. Some unnamed form of Paganism is also thrown out there as another evil. Eden Lake, for example successfully introduces the viewers to humanity at its worst, but does so with an air of “hey, folks, this just aint right.” ‘From Within’ left me screaming at the confines of my skull, “No! We’re not all like that!” This wasn’t social commentary, it was using a downfall of humanity — violent fear on behalf of ignorant and closed minded religious majority — as a means for a plot.
Side bar – I dislike the term Fundie as referring to a Religious Fundamentalist, as I’d argue that Jesus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Martin Buber, and Yours Truly are all religiously Fundamental. Radical is another one. Extremist, too. Of being those things, I am guilty as charged. Firstly, using a term like Fundie (as was a word thrown around quite a bit in the IMDB discussion boards and I’ve heard it in conversations with friends) robs a person of their humanity and puts them into a box, but it also puts a bad light on the entire group they represent (without our consent!). The fundamentals of Christianity hardly allow for lynching, friends. The prophet Micah sums up Jewish (and a large portion of Christian) fundamentalism with the last bit of his scripture: What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and love mercy to walk humbly with your God.” The fundamentals.
Back to the movie.
Hm. The pace. Some might claim that the pace is slow. I think the society I know is too antsy for things to happen right away. The first scene involves an incomprehensible language and a suicide. Lots of people will die, just wait! The pace moves steady, and allows for each scene to offer something new about the mystery. It also allows for character development enough that the plot is believable.
Maybe I’m just a sucker for cute girls in getting covered in dirt, blood, and sweat in horror flicks. (See: Manuela Velasco in [REC] or Kelly Reilly in Eden Lake) but I thought Elizabeth Rice did an excellent job carrying the plot, as did several of her co-stars. Few of the actors were particularly memorable aside from her and her boyfriend(s?) in the film, but none were so horrid that I feel the need to call them out here.
![Manuela Velasco in [REC]](http://images25.fotosik.pl/191/6565ad9f28873175.jpg){kind=link}
As far as the plot goes. My taste in plots has turned me into a fiend for movies. I generally enjoy the pursuit of the perfect movie more than most other aspects of the movie, and definitely more than many movies I do watch (Dog Soldiers, Ice Spiders, Bio Zombie, and of course, Autopsy). From Within offered enough to keep me entertained, unable to fully predict the ending (and pleased enough with the plot to actively keep trying to guess the ending. Autopsy, for example, was ridiculous enough that I wouldn’t have been surprised by anything at that point, nor did I particularly care.).
As a horror film? Huh. Well. As a scary horror film, this didn’t succeed. Of all the movies I’ve listed in this post, Autopsy has been the scariest. I didn’t mind the lights off, nor will I feel particularly wary of the shadows in my room after I close this laptop. There are predictable moments where the music gets the way it does in scary movies when you know you’re about to get scared and there’s nothing you can do about it. The horrific thing in this movie was not made especially campy, nor did it go over the top trying to be frightening. This is definitely a horror film. If you are scared by scary movies, this is a scary movie too. If The Ring, Saw, and 1408 at all appeal to you, I think this one might, too.
I’m wondering now if I’ve given this puppy too much praise? I had a good time watching it. I imagine it would have been fun watching it with other people, too. I will probably show this to someone trying to get into the genre, but not my kid sister, since Night of the Living Dead scared her.
Huh. I give From Within a 7.5 — that’s someplace between Good and Great, definitely better than So-So, deserving of more than OK, not quite Amazing and definitely not Must See.
Topics: Reviews | Comments Off on Movie Review: From Within
Du. Du hast. Du hast mich erblickt.
By Billy | March 4, 2010
and I look down in surprise.
Holding the hilt in my hand as if it were I who had done it.
and instead of words,
my life flows out.
And instead of violence
I see only peace.
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The Newness of the Mourning.
By Billy | February 22, 2010
the newness of morning had not yet departed.
she sat patiently by the door
waiting to slip silently into
wherever she goes when she’s gone.
and the sunlight gently kissed my eyelids
almost reminding me of an ill fated lover.
the one of whom i am sweetly unaware
while i carelessly forgot my dreams.
she and all her glory
almost
almost made it
but a click of the latch on the way out the room
roused me with exorbitant violence.
so on this twisted back i lay
with aching spirit
breaking spirit
waking spirit
making…
prayers.
the sun has overstayed her welcome
she compliments the grains of salt
resting in my eyes
and splits the lids who cleave together
she speaks to me in lies
and the newness lurks behind the scenes
watching, waiting, free.
She hides away and still I know
she’s hiding deep in me.
Topics: poetry | Comments Off on The Newness of the Mourning.
Waning and Waxing Both Resemble Smiling.
By Billy | February 18, 2010
And along the way
I stopped to gaze at the moon.
She loves me this way.
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1/x != True
By Billy | February 14, 2010
There are corners of this circle
that we won’t comprehend
and a point to all this thinking
at the asymptotic end.
and the shadow lands between us
they don’t really make distinct
all the useless thoughts we have
and the good things that we think.
in between the stuff of moments
that we never will define
and the generalities
of life
where we thought we didn’t mind
well the clouds were pouring out
in a rush of poignant red
but we all just took for granted
that our selves can feed the fire and our lot of daily bread.
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A Cold Walk Home
By Billy | February 13, 2010
“Ducks!” I said.
They didn’t notice.
“Who are you?”
They must have heard. They just ignored me.
“Do you fall in love?”
They chattered to each other, as if deciding whether or not to answer.
“Ducks…” I whispered, “who are you?”
“Who am I?” I chortled. The air through my nostrils was cold and thin.
The stream carried my questions away with my answers.
The ducks remained as they were, became who they were being, and floated, too, down the stream into obscurity.
Topics: Utterly Random | Comments Off on A Cold Walk Home
Riot and Rage
By Billy | February 7, 2010
I want to use words like riot and rage
resist and (I) refuse(!)
revolt and rampage.
I want to climb mountains and sing from their ridges
or poison the fountains and burn all the bridges
I want all the answers to climb in my hands
and own lady Time and her infinite sands
I want my echo to be unfathomable.
…
I want to remember the marrow that lives
deep within the the bone…
and see past the skin
of this dampened perfection
into the perfect unknown.
…
I am whispering softly and no one will hear. I want my echo to be unfathomable.
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Things: We Forget To See God
By Billy | February 1, 2010
In a very similar style to the evolution/discovery of a mantra from a while back… I am frustrated with my abilities regarding expressing myself. What do I mean when I say certain things? A simple expression of how I’m feeling turns out to hold a lot more. Dissecting my thoughts as follows reveals a bit of hidden wisdom I didn’t know I had. I wrote the sentence that said best how I felt, examined it, realized it wasn’t complete and wasn’t articulate, fixed the words, and ended up with an answer. Huh.
I am looking for control
I am hurting and I want something to control.
I am hurting and I imagine that having control will stop the hurt.
I am hurting and I imagine that I can have control over something and that it would stop the hurt, even if I could.
I am always going to be hurting in some way. Control? Even if I could have it, the hurting wouldn’t go away completely.
The only source of real comfort is God. God can and does stop the hurt. God has the control.
God will heal me. God will guide me.
God is already healing me, already guiding me.
My hurt is the denial of Jesus’ sacrifice. The hurt wont exist if I allow Jesus to heal me. My clinging to control is my denying that God has my life in his hands.
Both parts of this problem are cured by faith. Faith that Jesus loves me (and the many weighty implications of that love). Faith that I am not lost, but that God knows exactly where I am going and how to get me there.
Faith is something I can do. Faith is not passive. Faith is an action, and an involved one at that.
Take a handle on your faith and you will see the Love and healing for which you have been yearning.
The only thing you can do is transform is your relationship with your God.
Have faith and grow in your God and you will be healed.
Faith in God requires more abandonment of that supposed control. (Remember that faith involves believing God loves you)
Trusting God’s plans, God’s power to transform, and God’s love is the only source of comfort.
Prayer will comfort you. Ask for comfort. Ask for faith. Ask for trust. Ask to transform. Ask to see love.
Pray. Just pray.
Nothing happens without God.
Prayer is the only thing that acknowledges our powerlessness. To pretend our finite existence is anything but transient and small is to deny how BIG God is. What better way to access this un-finite God than to smooth ourselves into the canvas and give God control. Who are we to pretend we have an ounce of control?
God, help us with our unbelief. Help us do these things. Help us forget those things.
Topics: This is my life | 2 Comments »
You Will Do It
By Billy | January 27, 2010
I found a piece of paper in my desk. It had questions typed on it. I had written answers. Here they are.
Your History?
∞
Your Future?
I have been broken, lost, patched up, and fallen to dust. From the mud I have risen up, not to anything more or less than a perfect creation of God. I have been prepared for things I wasn’t sure I could handle and am training for the obstacles I will conquer in the future. In the future I will look back and be unafraid to do the things my heart tells me to do.
What drives you?
(Everything) HOW COULD I NOT BE DRIVEN?
Your Present?
I AM A HUMAN BEING.
I belong here, standing in the footprints I presently occupy. If the ground beneath my feet crumbles apart, I will tumble down the mountain, proud to have been where I was and looking forward to life in the valley below.
Who do you want to be?
I will someday be a human who loves himself as much as he wants others to feel loved.
Faded in the background of the paper, I now see the faint letters that form the words, “Who are you?”
Topics: This is my life | Comments Off on You Will Do It
and God Noticed…
By Billy | January 20, 2010
Geneis 1:4
…וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־ הָאֹ֖ור כִּי־ טֹ֑וב
viyar elohim et-ha’ovr ki tov…
Viyar is usually translated as “saw.” God saw that the light was good. Viyar also means see-to- something. Like, see to it that our guests have enough food…
God created light, separated the light from the dark, then saw to it that the light was good. He took the chaotic world and made good with it — that is one thing this undefinable thing seems very capable of.
Then, humans ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil — the serpent said it would make them like God (the serpent never lied when he tricked the humans). (Thank you Rachel Sarah) After they ate, they learned that they will die. A real punishment, but not without a loop hole. After that they were given the chance to create (like God) through sexual reproduction. (The Tree of Knowledge… the world for Knowledge is the same as the word for Sex)
When we tango with the LORD, he will see to it that it becomes good. God created then worked to turn to chaotic universe into something good. We have the ability to create chaos, as was the case in the Garden, and between Cain and Abel, and in Noah’s time, and all throughout Exodus and… wait, did I mention the name Israel means To Strive With God ? The whole freaking nation was called Fights/Struggles with God.
He’s going to see to it that goodness happens.
We are humans. We mess up, we hurt ourselves, we hurt other people, we do things opposite of what our Maker says to do. We steal from our parents, punch our girlfriends, eat forbidden fruits, and it’s OK. God will see to it that it is good. When you read that, it should be encouraging to continue working, not just standing still.
Be still and know that he is The LORD. The Hebrew word for Peace, Shalom, is a homonym for the word Complete. If it’s seems “bad,” it’s just not complete. Keep moving, keep praying, keep loving, and you will find the Shalom there.
Topics: Philosophy | 2 Comments »
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