C.S. Lewis

CGB Review of It (2017)

~ amyemsal23 ~ Leave a comment

I wonder if holy water would’ve worked on Pennywise.  I guess I’ll try it out the next time I see a killer clown while grocery shopping.

This is my review of It!

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Based on both Stephen King’s novel and the 1990 miniseries of the same name, It tells the story of the Loser’s Club, a misfit group of outcasts who begin experiencing frightening apparitions and visitations from Pennywise, a demonic killer clown who has been terrorizing Derry, Maine for thousands of years.

The Hits
The kids are the heart of this story and these child actors are absolutely fantastic!  Their chemistry with one another is impeccable; I could believe that these kids would hang out at a Starbucks after school together.  While it is uncomfortable to see twelve-year olds dropping F-bombs, I honestly prefer that over cheesy phrases that no kid would ever say.  I like how they don’t go into long diatribes about their friendship.  Their bond is shown to us through their actions and decisions as a group, how they come to each others’ rescue whenever one of them is reeling from an encounter with Pennywise.  Much like the first Alien movie, this film spends its first hour fleshing out Bill, Stan, Ben, Beverly, Eddie, Richie and Mike and establishing them as friends through circumstance.  You get the sense that it is in being rejected by others that they have come to accept one another.
All right, let’s talk about Pennywise because, by God, how can you not talk about Pennywise?!  Bill Skarsgård nails it as Pennywise.  Gone is the witty banter of Tim Curry’s interpretation of Pennywise.  This Pennywise is basically a Machiavellian demon, one who rules his chosen targets by presenting himself as their worst fears made manifest.  After we meet him in the film’s first eight minutes, the movie then proceeds to build up the terror of anticipating his unpredictable presence rather than having him screech at the kids in every single scene.  He is featured more prominently in end of the second act and the entire third act, but for the first hour and a half, he’s like the Fire Lord in Avatar: The Last Airbender; shrouded in mystery and kept in the shadows with a single red balloon being his calling card.
What keeps the Pennywise apparitions from becoming too repetitive is that they are used to establish the worst fears and darkest memories of our protagonists.  Bill is forced to revisit his guilt over Georgie’s death when he follows Pennywise (disguised as Georgie) into his flooded basement and faces not-Georgie, who is wearing the same yellow raincoat he was last seen wearing on the day of his death.  Mike’s first Pennywise encounter comes to him in the form of burning hands trapped behind a door, a gut-wrenching representation of the family he lost in a horrific fire.  These scenes are critical to the character development, as well as for getting a sense of Pennywise’s possible omniscience and immortality.  I really wonder if this is what it would look like if God actually gave Lucifer a free hand.  Luckily the old serpent can’t do squat without God’s permission, and after seeing this movie, I’m most certainly glad that’s the case!
Speaking of which, I would like to say that while this is a secular film, it would not be far-fetched to call this an unintentionally accurate portrayal of what it is like to deal with spiritual attack.  Not so much the over-the-top scares, but in the depiction of the unnerving reality of being bullied and harassed by evil.  Granted, this isn’t a de facto story of spiritual warfare, but I do feel that those who do work in that field (such as those involved in deliverance ministry and maybe even exorcists) could benefit from watching this film.  Spiritual attacks certainly make life challenging, but they can also serve as a wake-up call to run to Jesus if you’ve been moving away from Him for a while.

The Misses
There’s this really unnecessary love triangle between Bill, Bev and Ben (try saying those three names ten times fast) that the filmmakers do try to develop, but it ultimately falls flat because it’s just a distraction from the main plot.
Speaking of Bev, she has this reputation of being promiscuous, even though we see that it’s not the case at all.  This point is hand-fisted throughout the film.  Now while I am glad that slut-shaming is addressed in this film, it gets tiresome by the fifteenth time a character throws an accusation of promiscuity in Bev’s face.  There’s a more subtle way to write slut-shaming into your movie, and I hope filmmakers learn how to do so.
The very end of the film features the kids basically making a blood pact that they’ll return to Derry if Pennywise returns.  Yeah, I felt that was a bit much.  Hey, guys, I think a verbal agreement would’ve been just fine, but what do I know?  I guess being stalked by a killer clown can make you resort to extreme measures.

Overall It can certainly be called a crowd-pleasing horror flick.  This movie is like Deadpool in that it’s better watched with a group of friends at a midnight screening.  Fortunately even if it weren’t a midnight movie, the script is well-written and stands on its own two feet.  Add to that the stellar performances of Bill Skarsgård and the child actors, and excellent directorial work from Director Andy Muschietti, and you’ve got yourself a Stephen King adaption worthy of the hype and applause it has received.

Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us.

Given that the new It film is immensely dark and heavy, I thought it’d be fun to add the Nostalgia Critic’s review of the 1990 miniseries “It” as a bonus feature.  🙂

CGB Book Review of The Screwtape Letters (1942)

~ amyemsal23 ~ 4 Comments

“To get a man’s soul and give him nothing in return–that is what gladdens our Father’s [Satan’s] heart.”
–Screwtape

Holy cow, if that’s not downright diabolical, I don’t know what is.

This is my first ever book review of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters!

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Screwtape is a senior Demon whose nephew Wormwood, a junior Tempter, is working on securing the damnation of a man called “The Patient,” who has recently converted to Christianity.  The cunning Screwtape instructs Wormwood via a series of letters that illustrate the strategies of Satan which are used to lure the human race away from God and into the darkness of Hell.
Ever since I started Catholic Girl Bloggin’, I have dealt with spiritual warfare.  Without going into too much detail, I will say that being picked on by the devil is unpleasant at best and frightening at worst.  Reading the Screwtape Letters has been both chilling and enlightening for me.  To put this into perspective, imagine being bullied by someone for a long time and after they die you get a hold of their diary.  As you’re reading it, you say to yourself, “So that’s how they pulled it off.  It all makes sense now.” A lot of Screwtape’s temptation tactics are things that I have personally experienced.
With that, let’s take a look at The Screwtape Letters!

The Hits
C.S. Lewis was one of the most brilliant minds in literature, but he knew how to make his words accessible while remaining sophisticated.  While at times, his British jargon can get a tad confusing, the majority of what he writes is simple enough for anyone to grasp.
Many of the passages in this book are very timely.  In one letter, Screwtape tells Wormwood, “A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.” In our world today, “liberal” churches have emerged with a watered-down version of God’s Word mixed with a progressive agenda.
Another letter has Screwtape advising Wormwood, “Man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to having a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head.  He doesn’t think of doctrines as primarily “true” or “false,” but as “academic” or “practical,” “outworn” or “contemporary,” “conventional” or “ruthless.” Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church. Don’t waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true!  Make him think it is strong or stark or courageous—that it is the philosophy of the future. That’s the sort of thing he cares about.”  C.S. Lewis is clearly speaking about moral relativism; the belief that truth is subjective and can be changed to accommodate the times.
Something I found interesting is the subtle world-building of Hell.  Screwtape briefly mentions the Infernal Police, which is the underworld equivalent of the KGB.  He also talks about enclosing a booklet on the newly constructed House of Correction for Incompetent Tempters.  The addition of other background characters like Slumtrimpet and Fr. Spike help expand the worlds of both Screwtape and Wormwood, and The Patient. I also appreciate how Satan is an unseen antagonist; he is mentioned many times in the letters without ever making an appearance as an active character.  The focus of the novel is Satan’s methods being told to us through the seasoned Screwtape.
Speaking of Screwtape and Wormwood, I like their parasitic relationship.  Animosity is cleverly hinted between the two, and the self-serving Screwtape clearly sees Wormwood as just another necessary tool of damnation.  There is no “like” or “love” where they reside.
By far, my favorite passage in the Screwtape Letters is this, “The man who truly and disinterestedly enjoys any one thing in the world, for its own sake, and without caring two-pence what other people say about it, is by that very fact forewarmed against some of our subtlest modes of attack.” God is the source of true and lasting joy, so when we engage in an activity that brings us joy (reading a book, taking a walk, spending time with a close friend, etc.,) we are placing ourselves in His presence.  Disordered sources of temporary pleasure and distraction come from the devil.  Screwtape even comments, “I have known a human defended from strong temptations to social ambitions by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions.”  I will say that I feel closest to God when I am writing a story or a CGB post.  🙂

The Misses
I really wish that “The Patient” was given a name.  I understand that the point of an unnamed protagonist is that The Patient could be anyone, but it prevents an emotional connection with the character.  .
For the Americanized reader, some of the British slogan may be a bit distracting and may make it difficult to properly put the scene into context.  I had to reread some of the passages twice because I had trouble interpreting what Mr. Lewis was trying to say.

The Screwtape Letters is a Christian classic for a reason.  Written with wit and valuable insight into how evil operates, it stands the test of time with relevant observations regarding how society can be led astray without even realizing it.  If you ever wondered why C.S. Lewis never wrote a Screwtape Letters Part 2, it has been documented that he simply could not bring himself to return to the dark state of mind necessary to create the dialogue between two demons.

Saint Gemma Galgani, pray for us.