I had my last meeting with my professor yesterday and handed in a stack of papers that were due. As a result, I’m completely manic today–I’m a total chatterbox, machine-gunning poor Jana with my opinions on all sort of things. I’ll subject you to a few of them here:
My first act as a seasonally scholastically emancipated man was to plunk down $9 (*gasp*) for X3 (or X-men: the Last Stand). Having collected as a teenager the entire Dark Phoenix saga (in fact, almost every Uncanny X-men between issues 100 and 200), each one of these movies is like a cinematic wet dream to me (don’t dwell too long on that simile). If you’re an X-men fan, run out and see this movie! But I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it otherwise. There’s lots of fun action and special effects, but these days, you can get that in a lot of movies. There’s a troupe of world-class actors, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and Halle Berry. Hugh Jackman got a lot of screentime as the emotionally vulnerable tough-guy Wolverine, and every minute was well-earned. Kelsey Grammar brought out the refined intelligence of the very un-Grover-like (but equally furry and blue) Beast. It was awesome to see the Frasier-monster get all bad-ass and clobber baddies in King Kong Fu style. But what ultimately made this a rewarding experience for me was all of the time and emotion I invested in them during my formative years. In some ways it’s like seeing your kid in a school concert. For others, there might be too many super-powered mutants to keep track of, and it all might just blur together after the first thirty minutes.
Oh, and the love of my 15th year, the brainy mutant girl Kitty Pride, had her first significant role in an X-movie. You know you’re getting old when any lingering remains of your teenage lust are thoroughly wiped out by paternal concerns (that little girl should not be fighting dangerous mutants! Send her home to her parents!)
One reason why the X-men have done so well through the years is that the prejudice and persecution of mutants translates well to similar troubles in our own world. One of my favorite scenes in this moview was one in which Ian McKellan, playing the villain Magneto (who has chosen to fight violently for mutant rights), is confronted by a couple of pierced and elaborately tattooed punk mutant kids and asked to display his skin-ink. He pulls back his sleeve to show the number he received in Auschwitz. “Never again,” he says.
Speaking of persecution and prejudice: tomorrow, the LDS Church will announce to its members its official support of the proposed marriage amendment and will encourage them to write their senators to support it. If you’re LDS and are troubled by this, I suggest that you write your senator saying that:
I AM MORMON AND I OPPOSE THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT.
Hopefully this will take some of the wind out of the sails of the general Mormon opposition, because every one of these seemingly paradoxical letters/emails will be more eye-catching that 20 of the other ones. Also, the Democratic senators will hopefully be smart enough to realize that you might be one those Mormons who might actually vote for them. Anyhow, I will add “…and I am straight and married” to mine so that they know that I am part of a larger constituency of straight voters who support gay rights.
I struggle with my Mormoness. One moment, I’m despising the medieval political mindset of my church, and the next I’m celebrating the artistic despiction of the same institution. This afternoon, Jana and I went to watch Strangers in Zion, a dance production of the early history of the LDS Church (a UCI MFA project). The historian in me was disappointed with the inaccurate, ritualized history that was portrayed (for example, Joseph was depicted as shot down in surprise, instead of going out fighting), but I really liked the official founding of the Church performed to a string quartet cover of Radiohead’s Karma Police:
Karma police, I’ve given all I can, its not enough
I’ve given all I can, but were still on the payroll
This is what you get, this is what you get
This is what you get, when you mess with us
And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myselfFor a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
After the production, I asked Jennifer Zmuda why she picked that song for that scene, and she basically said that she loved the music (which was beautiful and haunting and probably a joy to choreograph a dance to). I had the lyrics running through my mind, and loved the idea of Joseph Smith the prophet saying to himself, “I’ve given all I can and it’s not enough…and for a minute there, I lost myself.”
13 responses so far ↓
1 pilgrimgirl // May 27, 2006 at 9:57 pm
It’s nice to have you temporarily done with school, John. Your ebullience has been infectious today.
Like you, my reaction to the dance concert was a mixed one. I admire the choice to mix religion/belief with academic pursuits–it’s a brave enterprise. But I found myself unconfortable by the way that Mo gender roles were reinforced by an art form that seems to privilege, even exploit, the female body. For example, in the scene which potrayed how converts were torn between their allegiance to their families and their new beliefs, the dance became more like a rape than anything else. It was scary–the male religious leaders literally tearing young girls from their female friends and the men gaining physical power over their new converts. Also, in the Haun’s Mill piece the narrator spoke of violence towards men and boy children, yet the dancing was all about violence towards women and it was a woman who died at the end of the scene. Weird. Perhaps there was a dearth of willing male dancers to play the necessary roles, perhaps the form of dance underscores the physical vulnerability of women? I’m not sure. But the whole concert reinforced patriarchy, hierarchy, and the dimunition of female power & agency–perhaps this is just endemic to both Christianity and ballet?
2 Miko // May 28, 2006 at 7:06 am
$9?! Where did you go?? I paid $10.50…I, too, grew up on xmen comics and rejoice that I live in a time where the ideas of the comic book page can come to life in a movie. Wasn’t there always a movie in your head while you read the comics? I also like the mix of just-enough politics in each the xmovies to remind us of injustices off-screen.
I encourage all of your readers to write to your congresspeople (Senators, state Senators, Representatives, you name it) and let them know that you are a (insert group here: feminist/mormon/supporter of gay rights/married woman/environmentalist) and you vote! Tell your congressperson that you will/won’t vote for them if they do/don’t support the next Bill Of Concern To You. And after the vote, thank them! Write a follow up saying that you paid attention! You asked them to support & they did & you will vote for them next time around. Hold government accountable.
*Miko steps off the soap box* Ahem. Sorry…
3 PodMonkeys // May 30, 2006 at 10:41 am
I was just talking to a coworker on the way in this morning, and he said that throughout X3, he was hearing the same types of things his gay brother says to him.
Good posts everyone!
4 Rich // May 30, 2006 at 8:54 pm
John,
I love X-men, but haven’t seen it yet (only $6.50 here in Utah prime time, cheaper if you see the matinee); my nieces went to the Thursday midnight showing and all came back horribly disappointed. Guess you have to be a true fan, huh?
Interestingly enough, what I heard read over the pulpit Sunday was that members should “express themselves on this urgent matter to their elected representatives in the Senate.”, so you expressing yourself is exactly what you were told to do! :o)
FYI, our talks went well, despite the pressure; I had a General Authority show up to visit our ward and he sat right next to me (a new member of the first quorum of the 70 from Glasgow, Scotland!). I only left him about 5 minutes to bear his testimony (I had no idea he was coming, apprently he was visiting a friend in our Ward).
5 Rich // May 31, 2006 at 12:13 pm
FYI, I thought this was timely and well-written.
6 Caroline T. // May 31, 2006 at 1:44 pm
I have very mixed feelings about gay marriage and thus I feel the Church has overstepped its bounds in telling members what to think and how to act. I can understand why Church leaders have called upon its members to support a Constitutional amendment, but this is a call that will have to go unheeded on my end for now.
As for X-Men, I am so excited to see it! I never read the comic books, but my brother and I were avid fans of the TV show. If only movie tickets weren’t so expensive! Although I did notice at Costco that you can buy 2 adult movie tickets for only 15 bucks! Not bad at all…
7 Jennifer // Jun 4, 2006 at 7:12 pm
Dear John,
Thank you for attending my thesis performance and posting your thoughts on the show. I appreciate your perspective of the musical choice for April 6th, 1830. Thank you for your constructive criticism, intellectual analysis, and physical support.
Thanks,
Jennifer Zmuda
8 BHJ // Jun 4, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Thanks for speaking up about Gay marriage. Since when has the mormon church believed in marriage between “One man and one woman” anyway? Aren’t men allowed to have many wives all sealed to them? I appreciate your view and bravery for speaking out.
9 John // Jun 4, 2006 at 10:49 pm
pilgrimgirl, what you said.
Part of me wonders if there’s a tension between my ignorance of the medium and my critical knowledge of the subject.
Miko, you and your soapbox are always welcome! Thanks for the reminder–I need to get cracking on those letters…
podmonkey, Roger Ebert’s review brought in Muslim parallels as well.
Rich, thanks for the link–I’ve thought about how much of a deliberate dividing distraction the FMA is, and I wish the Republicans would use Darfur as a positive, unifying distraction instead.
Anyhow, I’m glad your talks went well. We did catch the disconnect between the GA statements on the family and the “express your opinion.” That simple divide gives American Saints some breathing room, fortunately.
Caroline, I can also see why the Church chooses to support the FMA, as much as I disagree. I think it has more to do with identity formation and less to do with morality. There are a lot of moral issues to take a stand on, but this one sets the Church and its members apart from certain groups and defines them in a particular way. At least that’s my take on it.
10 John // Jun 4, 2006 at 10:58 pm
BHJ, someone pointed out the hipocrisy of the Church leader (Elder Nelson) who signed the letter supporting the FMA, who happens to be married eternally to two women (he remarried after his first wife died, but is still considered “sealed” to her). He polygamous in the eternities, where it truly counts in Mormonism. The one man, one woman business is a strictly this-life thing. This two-faced approach to polygamy (and its negative impact on women who try to remarry) is one of the few things that truly angers me regarding the LDS Church.
Jennifer, we enjoyed and learned much from the experience–thanks for getting the word out. It was a beautiful production. Good luck to you in your future endeavors!
11 tool vicarious // Jun 5, 2006 at 5:25 am
X-Men 3 - extra scene at end (spoilers!)
I saw the X-Men 3 movie today; really good!
However, I was asked to fill out a “Producers’ Questionnaire” with part before and part after the movie….
I was filling in the part after the movie, and low-and-behold, an extra scene came on briefly AFTER all the credits were over….
spoiler:Xavier’s voice (don’t remember what he said) talking to a nurse in a hospital room…Has anyone else seen this, or was it just for “Questionnaire” people ?
12 Miko // Jun 5, 2006 at 5:27 pm
it was there for anyone who stayed for all the credits
13 Rich // Jun 8, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Finally saw X-3 last night with two of my 3 daughters (the oldest will see it tonight); we all loved it, thought it was probably the best of the 3 movies so far. Certainly the darkest, but a feast for true X-fans.
Kitty was fabulous interacting with Juggernaut! One of my favorite scenes in the movie. And yes, I did linger past the credits, worth the wait (though I’m usually one to watch the credits anyway).
Leave a Comment