Cedars, April 27, 2006

Thursday, April 27, 2006 Entertainment Reviews “To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream, ay, there’s the rub. For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?” What dreams indeed. As Hollywood’s latest box office horror hit, Silent Hill is anything but silent in its well-paced buffet of shud- der-inducing weirdnesses that keeps the audience constantly guess- ing at what is really going on. Starring Radha Mitchell (Melinda and Melinda, Finding Neverland), Sean Bean ( Lord of the Rings , National Treasure ), and newcomer Jodelle Ferland, this film deliv- ers an interesting cinematic rendition of the popular video game series of the same name. It’s the usual suspects. Featuringmouthless ghoulies with consti- pated gimps and eerie children with a penchant for drawing disturb- ing pictures, Silent Hill won’t be winning any originality awards. While well-intended and certainly worthy, even its central message about the supernatural power of a mother’s love echoes many other recent Hollywood releases ( Flight Plan , The Forgotten ). But enough negativity. This movie was, in many ways, actually quite enjoyable. Perhaps the best aspect of the film was the music. Composers Jeff Danna and Akira Yamoaka completely captured the eerie, menacing heartbeat of this film. The acting was decent. There were also a few lighthearted moments in the film, such as when main character Rose wakes up in a bowling alley in Silent Hill (after having fainted at the discovery of the town’s hellish creatures) to the Johnny Cash song Ring of Fire . Also, the film’s pacing was superb. Though the film ran for over two hours, I was never bored. The central mystery of the story was well-hidden until the climax, and the ending, while somewhat confusing, was rather unexpected. Finally… the cinematography was excellent . Very much above-par. But enough positivity. This film had some obvious problems that I haven’t mentioned yet. For one thing, the plot was very confusing. At the end, the audience is left guessing… what just happened? Are they dead? In another dimension? Are we looking at a sequel here? Also, on a moral level, the film seemed to cast the Christian religion in a rigid hypocritical light. While it is true that there are many judgemental, loveless people claiming kinship to Christ, and giving the rest of us a bad name, it is unfair to present them as the sole representatives of the Christian faith—which Silent Hill does. The film’s driving message is summed up in the repeated line, “A mother is god in the eyes of a child.” In the story, Rose demon- strates that she will go to any lengths to save her daughter Sharon, even if it means making a pact with an unidentified demon…which it does. She also fights demonic baddies and religious hypocrites alike to win her daughter back. While the unconditional love of a mother is certainly in keeping with biblical ideals of parenthood, it is hard to take seriously the idea of learning life lessons from a horror film. I would have to say that in its overworked genre, Silent Hill stands out as one of the better horror films released in the last few years. While it does lapse into a few cliches, for the most part, the film displayed creativity beyond most of its brethren. If you like horror films, I’d highly recommend this movie. Silent Hill by Josh Moody FILM After the breakup of CCM youth group band Earthsuit, band member Paul Meany formed a new group, molded for a more ma- ture sound andmessage, inMuteMath. The newband recorded their highly acclaimed Reset EP in 2004, and the album’s high praise led many excited fans to hope for a quick release of a new LP. However, this hope was deferred upon Mute Math’s label switch from Word/ Warner Records to indie Teleprompt Records, founded by Mute Math’s producer, Tedd T., who has also produced Stacie Orrico and Rebecca St. James. Even now, the band’s debut full-length album is only available for purchase at shows and on the web. Neverthe- less, word is traveling about Mute Math’s exciting live show, which brings to the stage the likes of Mae, Switchfoot, Lovedrug, The Working Title and David Crowder. Add to this a performance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in February, and it seems fair to say that Mute Math is creating quite a stir. Garnering comparisons to an early U2, The Police, the more modern sounds of the Chemical Brothers, and even a slice of Ra- diohead’s creative rock, Mute Math is in good company. The album opens with the post-rock feel of “Collapse,” which incorporates a simplistic synth part mixed with ethereal guitars, indicative of the post-rock genre. This short song leads into “Typical,” a U2-esque rock anthem more representative of Mute Math’s overall sound. Other highlights of the album include the astral “Chaos,” which is about the security we have through the peace of God, regardless of the chaos in our lives, as Meany sings “I know you stay true when my world is false/ Everything around is breaking down in chaos/ I always see you when my sight is lost.” Another song, “Stall Out,” exemplifies Mute Math’s ability to add a nice programming touch to their songs, along with its mammoth bass line. Mute Math’s ability to blend different styles while remaining accessible to mainstream audiences will likely allow them to be- come fan favorites of all types of people. With their Christian roots, eclectic sound and creativity, they will likely be a band that both posers and elitists can appreciate. The fact that this more anthemic alt rock band is slated to play in this summer’s Warped Tour attests to their versatility. However, Mute Math’s accessibility is one of its only real weaknesses, as their songs often make one wonder how much better the band could be if they’d experiment a little more be- yond typical song structures or add more layers to their sound. This is a problem that many bands would wish to have: a great sound that seems to limit creative possibilities; so it’s unlikely that many will be complaining. Mute Math // Mute Math by John Durkee MUSIC C EDARS 7 | C EDARS If you, like millions of kids across the nation, grew-up with- out an active father in your life, then Donald Miller’s book, To Own a Dragon , will likely resonate well with you. Dragon , Miller’s newest book, released in February, is an honestly raw telling of his childhood years, minus a father. Miller maintains his gutsy, somewhat random writing style that has characterized his three earlier books. If you are look- ing for structured, academic-style writing, Miller is definitely not for you. He writes in a very conversational tone, almost as if he were speaking to you face to face. I personally find this refreshing, but those who prefer the impersonal writing that typifies most Christian authors might find Miller a little to close to home. Dragon recounts what it was like to have a father walk out of your life at a young age. Miller shares his confusion and struggles of trying to figure out life without an older male to mentor him. He honestly admits that the book is more geared to males, as that is the perspective he experienced from his own life, though females may find his sincere anecdotes helpful as well. Early on in the book, Miller tells of watching the Discovery Channel and hearing about young male elephants who are left without an adult male elephant. Under normal circumstances, a male elephant would leave his mother when he is a few years old, in search of an adult male. The young elephant would natu- rally release a scent that would be a sign to older elephants that he was in need of a mentor. If the young elephant found an older elephant, he would become his apprentice of sorts, learn- ing the ways of the elephant world. However, the TV show described what happens to those young elephants that don’t find older males to connect with. They become lonely, violent, and unhealthy. They attack other animals at the watering hole, ex- perience health problems, and typically die within a short time. This, Miller believes, is a very accurate picture of what hap- pens to young boys who do not have a male figure in their life. The book, however, does not end on a gloomy note. Mill- er also tells of the mentoring he received from an older male friend, professional photographer John MacMurray. Miller re- counts how he learns to live in the world of men, something he missed in his childhood. Though this growth into manhood is much longer and more painful to do after the fact, Miller’s personal story shares the joy of finally reaching the identity that God had intended for him all along. I found Miller’s Dragon very insightful, raw, and intimate. It speaks deeply into the wounded void that exists inside those desperately looking for a father figure. Miller’s gutsy approach to addressing personal, real-life issues is long overdue in the Christian culture. In a nation of people living such individual- ized, impersonal lives, Miller’s up-close-and-personal writing is a refreshing read. To Own a Dragon // Donald Miller by Bryce Bahler Book