Frenzy (1972)

When the studio system started to shatter and the counter-culture revolution no longer identified with the everyman (James Stewart) nor the dashing hero (Cary Grant), but instead wanted the anti-hero, Alfred Hitchcock was forced to make some adjustments.

In his second to last film, Frenzy, Hitch returned to his hometown (London) and used an exclusively British cast as he tackled the changing societal movie taste by introducing a good guy (Barry Foster) who's not very likable. He's a down-on-his-luck out-of-work bartender who's abrasive, a womanizer, smokes incessantly and, in classic early 70's style, looks like he needs a good shower and a haircut. He represents the "independent spirit."

His best friend (Jon Finch) is a hard working owner of a produce business who's charming, well dressed and well mannered. Of course, circa 1970, he's the bad guy. He represents "the man."

In Frenzy, our Oily Bartender is mistaken for a serial rapist while his well groomed best friend is actually the offender. We follow the Oily Bartender as he narrowly avoids capture and a good bath while, in classic Hitchcock form, struggles to prove his innocence.

Oily Bartender and Suave Best-Friend

The film is uneven at best. The main character is a horse's patootie and you just want him to be beaten into societal submission. What a jerk. Hitchcock works best when you are able to put yourself in the protagonist's shoes. The Oily Bartender may have touched the audiences at the time, but 30 years later he just looks and acts like a loser.

The one thing I love about Hitch's films, even the bad ones, is that there is always one scene or one shot that is so well done that it makes the entire film worth viewing. This is true in Frenzy in a scene where Suave Best-Friend must uncover a victim in order to recover incriminating evidence. The scene works so well because Hitch relies on no dialogue and masterful editing.

The rape scenes are very disturbing as well, as they should be, and shows Hitchcock exploring a more literal re-creation of violence.

I remember reading an interview with him about his film Torn Curtain where he discussed a lengthy scene where Paul Newman and another woman take five minutes and multiple weapons to subdue and eventually kill a KGB agent. When asked why he had it last so long he replied that the human survival instinct is very strong and it can sometimes take a long time to actually kill someone. He felt that the way movies handles such scenes (one gun shot or one punch and they're done) was unrealistic.

In Frenzy, Hitch makes rape uncomfortable. So, in that respect, he handles those scenes very well. I can only imagine what tortures he would put us through were he a filmmaker today.

Overall a disappointment, but with enough diamonds in the rough to make the viewing worth it, Frenzy is both an example of Hitchcock's strengths as well as the struggles he faced to remain relevant in a quickly changing counter-culture society.

Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics (2006)

What is Islam? Who was Muhammad? When was Islam created? Is the Koran like the Bible? What does Islam share with Judaism and Christianity and what separates them?

Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics, by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer, is a quick read consisting of 100 common questions and answers regarding Islam, its impact in history, the world and other faiths. Ali and Spencer do a nice job of explaining the beliefs of Muslims and how they are either similar or different from Judaism and Christianity.

Did you know that Muslims believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and that his second coming is part of the end times? Did you know that the Koran includes stories of Adam and Eve, Moses and Abraham? Yes, Islam shares the names and the stories, but the details and interpretations are sometimes very different.

According to the book, Muslims believe the Koran to be the direct word from Allah as dictated by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad. These words are not up for interpretation, merely obedience.

According to the book:

• Where Christians see God as a father figure, Muslims see Allah as a master.
• Where Christians believe heaven means spending eternity in God's presence, Muslims believe heaven means spending eternity in paradise, but not in Allah's presence.
• Where the Bible is consistent in it's messages and truths, the Koran allows for Allah to contradict previous statements or change his mind on various teachings.
• Where Christians believe in the Trinity, Muslims believe in Allah alone.
• Where Christians believe Jesus was the Son of God, Muslims believe he was only a prophet.

The book also states that Muslims believe that the original Old and New Testaments were in line with the Koran at their inception, but have since been altered to meet various devious goals, thereby nullifying their value as they are considered fiction.

Ali and Stevens go into greater detail into the history of the creation of the Koran, the holy traditions, Mecca, the role of women in Muslim society and so on. It is an informative and enlightening book. It gives me a much greater appreciation as to why some Muslims take their religion and wage war with the sword against unbelievers.

This is all new territory for me and this book is a great starting point for Catholics who want to begin to understand the Muslim faith and how it varies from our own teachings. I strongly recommend it for those of you interested in the subject matter.

Eucharistic Miracle (1999)

This miracle occured on November 7, 1999, at a Mass held in the minor Basilica of Lourdes. The Archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Billé, was the celebrant. The concelebrant was the archbishop of France, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. The Mass was broadcast live on French television.

There were two large hosts on the altar. As you can see in the video, the top host rises up at the beginning of the consecration and levitates in place. The green of the priests' vestments can be seen between the hosts as evidence of the levitation.

Theology of the Body Presentation

I know when growing up that the way I interpreted human sexuality was that it was simply an animal instinct of our creation, but separate from the spiritual part of our lives. The two could not coexist easily. As a matter of fact, the more you could avoid your sexual nature the more holy you became. This left me scratching my head. Why would the Lord create such an incredibly strong instinct within us for the purpose of ignoring it or suppressing it? I never could make that work out in my head.

After attending an amazing presentation on Pope John Paul II's work The Theology of the Body this weekend, I was surprised to find out that those assumptions are not only wrong but in contradiction to Catholic teaching.

Huh?

It appears that I had fallen into the trap of confusing a puritan view on sexuality and lumping that in and replacing it as the Christian view on sexuality. This is simply not true.

Now, a title like The Theology of the Body sounds like a contradiction in terms, but what JP2 offers us is a connection between the martial sexual union and its purpose from the Creator. He delves into great detail how the sexual union between married couples is not simply a procreation animal instinct, but instead a small insight into the greater "infinite explosion of love" that awaits us when we enter heaven.

The material was presented by Christopher West, the foremost authority on "translating" JP2's scholarly work into something more digestible to the average person. The Theology of the Body is a complete paradigm shift in thought and takes a little while to really get your head around. Once it starts to settle in, however, you soon realize just how much it makes sense. How so many previously odd bible phrases suddenly come into sharp focus.

It is a teaching that everyone, especially Catholics, should understand. You treat your sexuality differently when you realize it's divine purpose. You show a much greater respect for the natural drive within you.

And you also get a much clearer understanding as to how and why Satan is attacking sexuality in today's aggressively pornographic society. As Mr. West said, "we are now treating fertility as a disease. You take a pill when your sick. Now we take a pill to avoid our own fertility as if it is something from which we should be cured."

From the first book in the Bible Satan has been at war with the womb of women and that attack continues unrelenting since then. As Mr. West so accurately stated, "The Devil has turned the womb into a tomb."

The presentation also more clearly explains why the Catholic Church is so adamant, and must remain so, in keeping the marital union defined as between a man and a woman. After all, when you understand how the marital union was created to reflect the marriage between Jesus and the Church, you quickly realize why such a redefinition could disrupt the divine intention of our Creator and confuse future generations as to the entire Christian foundation.

After 10 hours of information my head was swimming. It was a LOT to take in. And, as Mr. West stated, his presentation is only scratching the surface as to what JP2 revealed in his 136 letters regarding the subject.

For more information on Christopher West's schedule on current and future presentations, please check out his website at HERE. Mr. West layers in so many current cultural references, humor and wit that the 10 hours fly by.

The Theology of the Body should be mandatory for every Christian in the world.

It is that important. It is that powerful. It is that necessary.