Godly Action, and Never Tiring of What's Right: A Faith- Based Look at 'Olive, the Other Reindeer.'

Hi there everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience!
Here's hoping everyone had a very merry Christmas!
Even though it has passed, I still feel I should put out this Christmas entry that God inspired me on.
I'll be looking at what I consider to be a criminally- underrated Christmas gem, the 2009 animated TV special 'Olive, the Other Reindeer.' So, pull up a chair, pour out the last bit of eggnog or cocoa, and let's take a look at it.
This was based on the 1997 children's book by Vivian Walsh but greatly expands on its story, and was made by Matt Groening and his creative team for 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama.'

As things start, we quickly meet Olive (Voice of Drew Barrymore), a plucky, warm- hearted little dog who deeply loves Christmas. During this particular Christmas, however, Olive is worried that her owner Tim may be disappointed in her because she doesn't chase cars or dig up flowerbeds like other dogs do. On top of all that, Olive and her pet flea Fido (Yes, you read that right) learn through a radio broadcast that Santa may have to cancel his Christmas Eve flight and present deliveries because Blitzen has injured his leg.


(Say hello to Olive; Credit for this picture and the next one go to the user Ngh93 on the Heroes Wiki, in this case at https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Olive_(Olive,_the_Other_Reindeer)?file=Olive_the_Other_Reindeer.png)

 Olive hears Santa saying in the broadcast that the only way he can pull off the flight now is if "All of the other reindeer" chip in and help. She mishears "All of" as "Olive," and thinks it's referring to her, even though she's obviously a dog and obviously can't fly. So, she sets out on a trip to the North Pole to at least try to lend a hand in saving Christmas. She meets and befriends a rather shifty yet kind ex- zoo penguin named Martini (Voice of Joe Pantoliano) who decides to accompany her, taking along a suitcase full of phony Rolexes and zoo pens and stationary that he had been selling.


(Martini with his "Merchandise"; This image can be found at https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Martini?file=Martini_watch_selling.png)

Not everyone is so eager to see Olive succeed, however. Enter the special's villain, an evil postman (Voice of Dan Castellaneta, who's best known for his work as the voice of Homer Simpson) who hates Christmas because of all the extra mail he has to deliver. As the special goes on, you discover he also holds a spiteful grudge against Santa for putting him on the Naughty List as a kid. He's delighted at the prospect of Christmas being potentially canceled, and when he learns of Olive's intent, he does all he can to try and stop her from reaching the North Pole and ensure that Santa's sleigh remains grounded.


(The Postman, looking quite pleased at the idea of Christmas being cancelled; This image comes, again, from the user Ngh93, this time from the Villains Wiki @ https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Postman?file=Postman_%28Olive_the_Other_Reindeer%29.jpg)

Olive and Martini make it to the Arctic Junction, but the Postman causes her to miss the connecting bus to the North Pole. So, she goes into a pretty unsavory Arctic dive bar to see if any of the guys there would be willing to give her a ride the rest of the way. While they initially are mean and mocking of Olive, they quickly soften towards her, especially a flightless reindeer named Schnitzel (Voice of former REM frontman Michael Stipe, who of course sings a song in this; The opening to that song even sounds a little like the opening to REM's song "Everybody Hurts") and a trucker with the quite amusing name of Round John Virgin. The latter of the two gets Olive and Martini up to the North Pole in his rig.

Olive meets Santa (Voice of Ed Asner) and the reindeer, and while they are a little skeptical, they're still willing to give her a chance. Meanwhile, though, the Postman tries one last time to sabotage Christmas, by swapping Santa's bag of toys with a bag of junk mail and abducting Martini.
Olive of course stops him, recovers the presents, and it leads to a very merry Christmas for everyone.


"Olive, the Other Reindeer" remains easily one of my favorite "Off the beaten path" Christmas classics. In the twenty years since it premiered, I've never let a Christmas season go by without watching it.

There is so much to like about it, I hardly know where to start! One of the first things that sticks out is the animation style. It uses a fascinating animation style that I've never seen done before or since: The best way to explain it is, while the characters look flat and two- dimensional, the backgrounds and environments all look three- dimensional. It has the effect of making the characters look like storybook illustrations come to life, which fits, considering that it's based on a children's storybook (Though this is one of the few cases in which the adaptation is actually better than the book it's based on, as it has much more of a plot and better use of characters than the book had).
There are loads of incredibly funny and at times subtle sight- gags throughout the special, such as amusingly- named store- fronts and a sign in the Arctic dive bar that says "All icicles MUST be surrendered at door!" Another great one is when Olive at one point escapes from the Postman's clutches by finding a package addressed to her from "Deus Ex Machina" (Look it up), which contained a tool she used to help get away.
The songs in this special are all wonderful, too, very well- written and fun to listen to. Olive's opening song is great at putting you in a Christmas mood, right from the first notes of it. My favorite songs, though, are Schnitzel the reindeer's song "We're Not So Bad," and "Merry Christmas After All," sung by Olive and the reindeer (With the reindeer's vocals marvelously provided by the modern big- band group Big Bad Voodoo Daddy) in the end while they're delivering the presents all over the world (Speaking of whom, some of the recipients we see getting gifts from them in this scene are VERY funny, especially when we see them giving a gift to someone in Tokyo).

Now, let's talk characters. Olive herself makes for a truly wonderful unlikely heroine, VERY easy to root for. Drew Barrymore's naturally cheerful- sounding voice was a perfect fit for her. Even though so many characters in the special, even including Martini, openly tell her that she's deluding herself, is not a reindeer, and can't make a difference, she not only keeps going, but even manages to convince them of the importance of what she's doing and inspire them to cheer her on and help when they can. As Martini tells her near the climax when they've made it to the North Pole, "I don't know why, but you've even got ME believing this is gonna work!"

Speaking of whom, Martini proves to be a great supporting character. He ends up having most of the funniest lines in the special (i.e. When he learns that his old friends from the zoo saw his exploits with Olive on TV, he responds, "I hope it was a color set; Black and white doesn't do me justice!"). He also is extremely resourceful. It's really fun seeing the various ways he uses his suitcase full of "Merchandise" to aid Olive, from rolling a bunch of his zoo pens along the ground to make the Postman slip, to an honestly pretty brilliant way he tricks a North Pole guard into deactivating the place's alarm system so Olive can sneak in. Joe Pantoliano's voice works well at giving him a slightly sleazy tone, yet also one capable of showing care and goodness when the occasion calls for it. Its rather nasal tone also kind of fits with the squawking voice I could picture from a talking penguin.

The Postman makes for one of the best Christmas- special villains I've ever come across. He's one of the few I've seen who actually has a pretty valid reason for not being a fan of Christmas. Usually, those kinds of baddies just hate the holiday because they're jerks, but the fact is, Christmas is a VERY difficult time to be working in the mail/ parcel delivery service (I speak from personal experience, as someone who worked as a loader at a UPS hub for two consecutive Christmas seasons a few years ago; Basically, picture the "I Love Lucy" candy conveyor belt scene, with large heavy packages instead of chocolates), so I can definitely picture a postman not being fond of Christmas for that reason. He alternates between sinister and hilarious perfectly. Also, Dan Castellaneta does an amazing job with his voice (He in fact won an Annie Award for it, very well- deserved), making him sound kind of like a cross between Homer Simpson and Vincent Price.




I can easily think of a couple great theological lessons that we can learn from 'Olive, the Other Reindeer.' One I can think of involves acting to help meet needs that we see. When Olive is in the Arctic dive bar, the various patrons there initially laugh at and deride Olive for her plan (One even says, "Let's take her up on the roof and see how she flies!"). Olive assertively replies to them, "Maybe I'm just a little runt with no antlers, but it looks like I'm the only one who's trying to save Christmas! You could at least wish me luck!... If you want me to fail, then I guess it's too late to save Christmas; It's already gone."
 That is a very important lesson for us as followers of Jesus to learn. We're called upon to serve Jesus actively through our lives, not just sit on the sidelines (Or, even worse, become stumbling- blocks for those who are actually trying to make a positive difference for Christ). For instance, James 4:17 says, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." Deliberately refraining from doing what's right, what God calls us to do, is directly disobeying Him, which is most definitely a sin. Earlier than that, James 1:22- 25 tells believers "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word but not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." We can't just learn good lessons but then move on and not act on them; That will indeed ensure we'll be likely to forget them as time naturally passes and memories become fuzzy. So, we need to all we can to carry out what we have learned, producing Godly actions that can produce fruit that lasts through eternity. It's just a matter of having the courage, dedication and faith to turn words into actions.


Another great theological lesson to take from "Olive, the Other Reindeer" concerns the importance of not getting weary of doing good, using the Postman as a "Don't be like him" cautionary example. As I said earlier, his dislike of Christmas is rather understandable, and something I can relate to a bit due to my own time working in the UPS hub around the holidays. However, when you listen to his (Pretty catchy) villain- song early on, "Christmas: Bah, Bug and Hum," it becomes clear how completely selfish he has let himself become. He focuses exclusively on the pain and discomfort that delivering all those cards and packages causes himself, and doesn't care in the slightest about the happiness and joy he's playing a part in and helping to bring others by delivering their Christmas gifts to them.
 He's let his own inconveniences make him resentful of the good he was actually doing. In contrast, while my time working at UPS was downright horrific at times with the heavy workloads I faced, I got through it and kept a positive outlook because I kept in mind that, through what I was doing in that job, I was playing a role in helping other people to build some really happy Christmas memories. In fact, one of my mother's favorite Christmas memories concerns one Christmas when I was about five years old, in which my Christmas was saved as a gift she secretly ordered for me which I had really wanted but was frequently delayed, finally was delivered at the last minute, right on Christmas Eve. That miraculous delivery, and the great memory it brought my family, came about partly because of a loader at a delivery hub somewhere, a lot like what I did during my time at UPS. I came to realize I was essentially doing the same for a new generation of children and families, and that enabled me to not just endure in my job, but often do so with a smile on my face.
 One day, when the Christmas season was starting to make our workload at the UPS hub really heavy, I opened one shift by telling my nearby coworkers, "As of this moment, WE are Santa's elves!" They laughed and conceded I had a point.
This is all most definitely a Scriptural message. Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we can reap a harvest if we do not give up." Also, 2 Thessalonians 3:13 says, "And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing good."
It can be easy to get worn out in the work we are doing for the Lord, especially as it becomes more stressful and burdensome for us. However, if it is what God wants for us, we must endure, and I've found a good way to help with this is to keep our focus off our own inconvenience and on all the people we'll be helping with our good work.
So, there we have 'Olive, the Other Reindeer,' a marvelous hidden Christmas treasure which teaches valuable lessons on Godly action and endurance. Here's a link to a Youtube video of it, check it out if you want:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s54sLlRNmHc

That wraps up (No pun intended) this belated- Christmas edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Keep an eye on this site for the next month or so, my annual Top 10 Favorite Movie Characters list is coming soon. Until then, merry Christmas, happy New Year, and may God bless you all!

Humility and Heroism: A Faith- Based Look at 'Avengers: Endgame.'

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
It's taken a long time for me to make, but here it finally is!
I helped take the St. Johns youth group to see 'Avengers: Endgame,' and then used the movie to give the message at their weekly youth worship service.
People liked what I said in it, so I decided to tweak it a little and make it into an entry on the Nightcrawler Experience! After all, such a magnificent movie deserves another look!
SPOILER WARNING!
First, let's start with a brief look at the previous film in the series, last year's 'Avengers: Infinity War.' In that, the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far at last have to confront Thanos (Josh Brolin), the genocidal intergalactic tyrant who has been the "Bigger Bad" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years now. Thanos seeks the Infinity Stones, a group of six stones from all over the universe which each offer some form of unlimited power (One stone enables its bearer to instantly travel to anywhere in the universe, another lets its user control and manipulate time, and so on), and which could together make whoever had them all become essentially a god. Thanos wants to use this power to wipe out half of the life in the universe because he believes this kind of culling is the only way to stop those races and life forms from completely dying off due to overpopulation. The Avengers and other heroes put up an amazing fight, and kill Thanos's generals, but ultimately, Thanos wins. He gets all the Stones, and uses their power to kill billions of life forms all over the universe in an event known as "The Decimation" or "The Snap," including several of the Marvel heroes. Not exactly a feel- good ending.

Now then, in 'Endgame,' the Avengers manage to track down Thanos with help from the new heroine Captain Marvel and kill him, but the damage has been done and Thanos used the Stones to destroy each other so it can't be undone. Things fast forward to five years later. Ant- Man (Who had survived the Decimation) returns, and through his story and what he had been through, the remaining heroes learn that there can be a way to potentially reverse what Thanos did; If they, through a rather complicated exploitation of the space- time continuum and the use of Pym Particles, can travel back to certain points in time and certain areas of the universe, they can get past versions of all the Infinity Stones, bring them back to the present, and use them together to undo what Thanos did and restore all the Decimation's victims to life. Things take all kinds of fascinating turns from there, leading up to an ultimate showdown with Thanos (A past/ alternate version of him) and his army in which the fate of the entire universe is at stake.

I only had a few, very small problems with 'Avengers: Endgame.' One was with the heroine Captain Marvel. I just felt like they were trying too hard to make her WAY too powerful, borderline invincible. Also, during the final battle with all the heroes returned, I was kind of disappointed that they never had Drax (From 'Guardians of the Galaxy') directly confront/ attack Thanos. I would have loved to see Drax personally land just a couple hits on Thanos, to avenge the deaths of his wife and daughter (They had been killed by Thanos's army many years earlier). I feel like it would have been nice to see him get that kind of closure. Lastly, again in the final battle, there is a point in which they make a big deal about a group of female heroes all charging in to attack Thanos's army. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for empowering women and everything, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done an awesome job with showing that its female heroes can be every bit as effective as their male allies, but the way that particular scene was shown felt like it crossed the line from commendable female empowerment to blatant pandering.

All of that out of the way, WHOOOOOOOO!
I cannot tell you how deeply I loved 'Avengers: Endgame'! It's easily one of the best things the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever created, and will almost certainly have a cemented place somewhere on my Top Greatest Films of All Time list (At LEAST Top 15, probably Top 10). It does a wonderful job with character development for each of the major characters in it (Which is saying something, considering what an enormous cast it has). We even see the return of some past characters, such as Thor's mother Freya and Dr. Strange's mentor the Ancient One, and they too have some excellent scenes.
 There are a lot of extremely moving moments throughout it, such as Tony Stark talking with a past version of his father and Thor having a sweet conversation with his mother taking place mere minutes before her death in 'Thor: The Dark World.' We see some characters' series- long story arcs come to a satisfying end, and others' stories coming to an exciting new chapter (Let's just say I'm very interested in what they'll do with 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3'). All the performances are as wonderful as they've ever been, especially Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Josh Brolin.
The action sequences and fight scenes are brilliantly staged. In particular, the epic final battle against Thanos's army is truly magnificent to behold. There is also a great deal of humor thrown in, especially from Thor (The first glimpse of him after the five- year lapse and the less- than- ideal condition he's now in is hysterical), Hulk, and the always- hilarious Rocket Raccoon.

As I said at the start, I found a whole cornucopia of Scriptural messages in 'Avengers: Endgame.'
One of the first concerns the subject of memory: There is a key scene near the climax of the film. Thanos proclaims that, when he regains the Infinity Stones, rather than merely wiping out half the living beings in the universe, he will wipe out ALL of them. Then, he'll build a new universe in which nobody remembers the past and what was lost, to make it so that the remainders would see him as a hero rather than as the genocidal monster and tyrant that he truly was. That part really stuck out to me. See, all throughout the Old Testament, the people of Israel would often find their great empire invaded and conquered by outside nations. The reason for this? They forgot. Specifically, they would become so complacent with their lives that they forgot all the great things God did for them and their ancestors, became ungrateful for all His blessings upon them, and so they began worshiping false idols and committing other sins, so God withdrew His support from them. Memory of the past is a very important thing, especially for us as Christians. It can guide us, teach us important lessons, and remind us of the ways God has helped us and strengthen us. It’s especially important to remember the lessons of the past when we’re facing hard times. I’ve definitely been through a lot these last few months, and one of the main things that got me through them was remembering the times that the Lord has helped me in the past. Like Thanos in the movie, Satan desires for us to forget what God has done for us and not lean on Him, but we are called to always remember God as our deliverer and the source of our strength.

Another message concerns my favorite Avenger and favorite superhero in general, Captain America. One of 'Endgame''s highlights is definitely near the start of the final battle with Thanos, when it's just Cap, Iron Man, and Thor fighting him. Thanos knocks down Thor and is about to finish him off, when to everyone's surprise and exhilaration, Captain America is able to lift Thor's hammer Mjolnir (A magic artifact which can only be lifted by those whom the hammer deems to be worthy, which isn't a whole lot of people), and uses it to go to town on Thanos, dealing a ton of damage to him. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was at that moment! I knew in the comics that Cap was one of the few who could lift Mjolnir, and liked the way they portrayed Cap in the films so much that I couldn't wait to see the moment when that would be shown, and it ended up being every bit as magnificent as I knew it would be! It had me cheering in the theater aisle!
This moment is particularly important because it reminded me of a scene from an earlier Avengers film, 'Age of Ultron'; At one point, the Avengers have some downtime, and are talking about Mjolnir and how to lift it. The other Avengers try to lift it with no avail, to Thor's smug amusement. Then, Captain America takes his turn. As he begins lifting, we see the hammer briefly move about an inch or so (Instantly evaporating Thor's smugness), yet Cap apparently can't lift it either and gives up. Anyway, seeing Cap lift the hammer and use it against Thanos in 'Endgame' made me realize something; In 'Age of Ultron,' when Cap seemingly couldn't lift Mjolnir, he was FAKING IT! He could have lifted it all along, but he was humble enough that he didn't want to show off or shame the others who couldn't lift it. That humility is a big part of what causes Captain America to truly have the heart of a hero, and that was what enabled him to be deemed worthy to lift and wield Mjolnir and use it so well against Thanos. In fact, I did a mini- binge of several ‘Avengers’- related movies in preparation for the youth group screening of ‘Endgame,’ and even before he became Captain America, back when he was just frail, wimpy Steve Rogers in the first movie with him, it was his humble, kind, noble nature that first impressed the scientists enough that they chose him to have the honor of going through the procedure that turned him into a super soldier. Humility is a VERY important virtue to have if you seek to follow Jesus. Proverbs 29:23 says that “Pride brings a person low, but a lowly spirit gains honor.” When we become too proud of our abilities or our accomplishments and brag too much about them or view ourselves as better than others because of them, we’re really setting ourselves up for a fall. It's us focusing more on ourselves than on God, which will inevitably lead to us getting a rude awakening. Arrogant people driven by their pride and their egos are some of the most obnoxious people you’ll ever meet, but people who remain humble and down to earth tend to be very easy to get along with and support, and those people generally go far. Jesus always uses people who are humble enough to recognize His control over their lives rather than their own.

Another Biblical lesson that can be taken from ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is that it actually confirmed a prediction I had when I gave my ‘Infinity Wars’ message last year: The reason why Thanos won in the previous film was because the heroes let themselves be split up and divided and spread out all through the universe, and often fighting amongst each other; The reason why the heroes prevail in ‘Endgame,’ in contrast, is because there, all of the heroes banded together against Thanos, and worked together. They set aside their differences and united in the name of the greater good of stopping Thanos and saving all of existence. When I first saw that final battle scene, with all the restored heroes and warriors leaping through the portals to join in the battle, I remember thinking to myself, “Well, Thanos, you might as well start picking out your coffin now!” When all those heroes, from all corners of the Earth and the universe in general, united against Thanos, it was clear that he was finished. He and his forces may have been strong, but all of the heroes together were stronger, because of how much they all brought to the table and combined together. In much the same way, we can do incredible things for the Lord when we work together. We need to set our differences aside and combine our skills and gifts to help build God’s Kingdom and bring more people to know Him. 1 Peter 3:8 shows this by saying “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” I’ve seen this plenty of times in all the missions trips and other church events I’ve aided in. For instance, I and a few others from my church are involved in a kind of social outreach/ activism group called PEACE, which involved a bunch of churches from all over the county uniting together in spite of our differences to help spread God’s love to those most in need of it and encouraging our public officials to aid us in meeting the needs of the less fortunate, and this group has already done so much to help our community and God’s larger kingdom. Together, we represent an incredibly diverse mixture of races, religious denominations, and likely political views as well, yet we see past our differences to our common calling as followers of Jesus to do His will to the least of these.

A final Scriptural point to be taken from 'Avengers: Endgame' concerns rising above hardship and failure. At the end of ‘Infinity Wars,’ things really did seem doomed. Thanos had won, and wiped out so many billions of lives throughout the universe. But, our heroes didn’t give up. They kept on doing as much good as they could for five years (i.e. Captain America ran a support group for survivors of the Snap, Black Widow began leading and coordinating superhero efforts with the heroes they had, Tony Stark married and had a daughter, etc.), and when Ant- Man emerged and gave them the opportunity to gain the Stones and fix the damage Thanos did, they took it. Psalm 37:7-9 sums this up pretty well: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; Do not fret- It only leads to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” We may come across times in our own lives when it really feels like we’re in a pit, and there’s no hope of getting out. We can see evil people in our own world who seem to win. But, God loves us enough that He hates seeing all this evil in the world even more than we do, and when He knows the time is best, He will bring down the Devil and his followers, and lift up those of us who fully trust in Him. It’s just a matter of clinging to hope, and the promise of the better day that God will bring to us.
At times, though, that victory can come with a price. In the movie, we had Black Widow giving her life to help provide the Avengers with the Soul Stone, and of course, Iron Man dying to help wipe out Thanos and his army. We, too, may have to sacrifice things that are important to us in the name of doing what’s right. There are people who’ve given up everything to serve in overseas missions, and some who’ve even sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Gospel. But, God has ensured that what we may lose is NOTHING compared to the rewards He has waiting for us in Heaven.

So, now, as we go out, we should all do what we can to help shine God’s light to all around us, remember what He has already done for us, stay humble in our efforts, be willing to unite with our brothers and sisters in Christ regardless of our differences, and bring His peace and salvation to all in need of it. Christians, assemble!
That's it for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Keep your eyes peeled, as we're nearing Christmastime and I'll have a couple special editions in store for that. Until then, may God bless you all!

Temptation, Faith, and Strength through Christ: How to Be One of God's "Dream Warriors."

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
Happy Halloween! To conclude this blog's two- part Halloween special, I'll be looking at a great horror film sequel which was traditional Halloween night viewing for me for a few years before I discovered 'Trick 'r Treat' (Maybe I'll look at that gem next year); The 1987 film 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.'
USUAL DISCLAIMERS!
There will be some spoilers in discussing the film, and the film obviously contains some graphic content (Violence, language, and a brief scene of nudity), so be careful before seeing it if you're squeamish or letting children see it.

(Credit for this image goes to the user Andrewjan on the Nightmare on Elm Street wiki at https://nightmareonelmstreet.fandom.com/wiki/A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street_3:_Dream_Warriors_(film)?file=1987_poster.png)

First, though, a little backup on the storyline behind the films to prepare you for it; The 'Nightmare on Elm Street' films (The first of which, btw, was the very first film role for a then- unknown actor by the name of Johnny Depp) center around teens being attacked in their dreams by the evil razor- gloved Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), with the condition that if he kills them in their dreams, they die for real. In life, Freddy was a serial killer who killed dozens of children in the town of Springwood. He was eventually caught and put on trial, but the judge was forced to acquit him on a technicality. This infuriated the parents in the area, as they knew he did it and knew he'd do it again if not stopped. So, they tracked him down to an abandoned boiler room where he took his victims, and burned it to the ground with him locked inside, hence why he looks so horrifically burned. As he was burning, though, he offered his soul to a group of Aztec dream demons in exchange for their ability to enter people's dreams.  He quickly used this to continue his reign of terror, now worse than before through the newfound power he gained.

In 'Dream Warriors,' the third film in the series, we see Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), the teenage heroine from the first film, now return as a young woman who has just gotten her degree and some renown for her research into night terrors. She has just been hired to a local hospital, to intern in the teen Psych Ward, to work with teens there who all have sleep- related conditions, all stemming from them each having recurring nightmares about a boogeyman- figure (Guess who?).

The Psych Ward kids make for quite a colorful group; There's wheelchair- bound Dungeons & Dragons geek Will, troubled punk girl and ex- junkie Taryn, sweet but rather simple- minded aspiring actress Jennifer, artistic yet cynical Philip, antisocial hothead Kincaid, lovestruck and nearly- mute Joey, and the latest addition, Kristen (Patricia Arquette), who comes from a wealthy but rather neglectful home- life and who we soon discover has the ability to draw other people into her dreams.
Nancy quickly bonds with the kids, especially Kristen, and also starts to develop what appears to be a possible relationship with the other psychiatrist in the ward, the supportive Neil Gordon. Shortly after Nancy arrives, some of the kids die in what are believed to be suicides, but actually the work of Freddy. Nancy and Neil soon realize the these kids are the last of the Elm Street kids whose parents burned Freddy alive (And, indeed, I could definitely envision Kristen's mother as being among those who were there for his death), so he's out for payback. To help the kids better protect themselves from Freddy, Nancy teaches the kids through group hypnosis to channel their "Dream powers," special abilities that they possess in their dreams (Kincaid is incredibly strong in his dreams, Kristen becomes a master gymnast in addition to her aforementioned skill of bringing others into her dreams, and so on). In addition, Neil learns from a mysterious nun a little more about Freddy's backstory and that he can only be stopped for good if his remains (Which were buried in an unmarked grave by the parents) are properly consecrated. So, Neil eventually sets out to do this with help from Nancy's estranged father who knows where Krueger was buried, while Nancy herself and the remaining kids enter the Dream Realm to save one of them who's gone into a coma and face Freddy in an ultimate showdown.

One of the only real problems I have with 'Dream Warriors' is that, while Nancy, Neil and the Psych Ward kids are all cool characters (More on that shortly), a few of the adults are real jerks, yet nothing bad happens to them. The worst offender in this regard is the head psychiatrist at the hospital, Dr. Simms. She comes across as so cruel, apathetic and unsupportive of the kids, trying to diagnose what she sees as the root of their problems without caring in the slightest about how they feel or what they are actually going through, and pooh- poohing all of Neil and Nancy's suggestions on how to help them. I honestly found myself wishing SHE would get butchered by Freddy instead of the kids! Yet, to the best of my knowledge, she survives and doesn't suffer any kind of retribution for how she acted. That didn't seem fair to me.

All that being said, I absolutely LOVED 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'! I'd say it is easily the best of the sequels (Not counting 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare,' a great film which is kind of a separate film with its own storyline rather than a straightforward sequel). The sequels got progressively worse, largely because they made Freddy Krueger increasingly less scary and more comedic. 'Dream Warriors' I think portrayed him in an excellent middle- ground balance between scary (He has a LOT of terrifying moments, such as one in which he attacks Kristen in the form of a hideous giant snake) and funny (He has a few darkly amusing one- liners that help to break the tension, including one for a scene involving a TV set that has become one of his all- time most popular lines from the series).
Also, as I said before, the Psych Ward kids, who come to be known as Dream Warriors, are all great characters. Usually in a horror movie with a group of teens, there's at least one teen who's really obnoxious and whom the audiences hope will die. That is not the case with the seven Psych Ward kids from 'Dream Warriors'; They're all interesting, likable characters who you want to see survive and destroy Freddy for good. A few particularly neat characters are Kristen obviously, Taryn (She could have made for a good spinoff movie, learning more about her backstory), and Joey. That likability, in turn, makes it that much sadder when some of them do die. When you see some of them weeping and mourning over the deaths of their friends, you almost feel like mourning alongside them as their grief and desperation spreads to you. Speaking of which, the death scenes in this were all great and very creative, especially the first one which is scary and quite disturbing yet fascinating to watch (Let's just say it's one which involves puppets). In addition, the set designs(Especially for scenes in an abandoned house that Nancy used to live in) and special effects (Especially for the aforementioned scene with Freddy as a giant snake) are all awesome.
As far as performances go, they're all very good for a horror sequel. Robert Englund plays Freddy as well as he always has. As I again said before, 'Dream Warriors' provided a nice balance between the terrifying, psychotic killer that we see in part 1, and the increasingly funny, almost cartoonish figure seen in the final sequels. Heather Langenkamp once again does a wonderful job with Nancy, who now appears to have more inner strength than before, and it's cool to see her reaching out to these kids who are going through pretty much the same thing she went through in the first film. As far as the actors playing the kids go, one particular standout for me was Rodney Eastman as Joey. Even though he only has a couple spoken lines in the movie due to Joey being almost completely mute, Eastman's facial expressions and body language are more than enough to convey the emotions he's  showing in each of his scenes. Lawrence Fishburne (Who at the time was early enough in his career that he was still referred to as "Larry Fishburne") also shines in a small but quite cool role as Max, a friendly orderly in the hospital. Lastly, the film's ending was great. Krueger's death had more of a sense of permanence/ finality to it than it did in any of the other sequels, and if the series had ended there, 'Dream Warriors' would have made a great final chapter to the series.


'Dream Warriors' is also a film with some surprisingly strong theological messages. One of the first is on the need for solid faith to confront evil and face hard times. When Neil first meets the strange nun at the funeral of one of the kids, she asks him what he believes in. Neil answers "Science, I guess," the nun responds, "A sad choice," and Neil concedes that it provides him with little to no comfort or strength in stressful times like this. Then, in a later scene, after telling Neil that Freddy can be destroyed by consecrating his remains, she points out that, "If your only faith is science, Doctor, it may be YOU who's laid to rest." Eventually, Neil sets aside his skepticism, and gains enough faith in God that his consecration destroys Freddy. The Biblical truth to be taken from this is obvious; Only faith in Jesus can give us the strength to endure the storms of life. Attempting to trust in lesser things for strength in such times (i.e. Technology, progress, drugs or alcohol, vain secular philosophies, etc.) will disappoint and fail. It calls to mind Isaiah 40: 29- 31, which says that "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."


Another VERY important theological point I took from 'Dream Warriors' involves two characters who I believe can be seen as Biblical allegories. First and most obviously, Freddy Krueger can be easily seen as representing Satan. He seeks to brutally kill and destroy all, especially innocent kids. He attempts to prey on the Psych Ward kids by using their fears, temptations, and other weaknesses (i.e. He lures Joey astray by magically disguising himself as a nurse that the boy had a crush on, goes after Taryn by exploiting her past as a recovering heroin addict, stalks Will using a blade- covered wheelchair that kind of symbolizes Will's fear of being crippled for the rest of his life, etc.). He seeks to consume his victims' souls to become stronger. He is defeated by Neil's faith in God, with the consecration burning a cross onto his forehead just before he vanishes. I could go on forever!
 Satan similarly seeks to steal, kill and destroy. Satan tries to prey on people by using their temptations, guilt, fear, and weaknesses. Satan desires to corrupt people and seize and torment their souls for eternity. Satan is foil in his attacks against us by our relying on our faith in God. I'd say the comparison is pretty clear.

The other allegorical figure I found in 'Dream Warriors' was Nancy. She, I believe, acted as a bit of an allegory for Jesus. She reached out to these troubled kids and teens, many of whom are misfits and outcasts for various reasons, and offered them hope. She helped them discover and develop powerful gifts to aid them against their enemy. The gifts she offered through their dream powers included the wheelchair- bound Will being able to walk again, and the nearly- mute Joey regaining his voice and using it to develop a "Sonic Scream" type of power that helped against Freddy. She dies in the end, yet through her heroic death helps to defeat Freddy (She uses her last ounce of strength to grab Freddy by the arm and plunge his own razor- glove into his chest, distracting him enough to give Neil enough time to perform the consecration in the real world). Even after her death, Nancy's legacy continues to strengthen others, as what she taught the Dream Warriors about discovering their dream powers and pulling others into their dreams to help them would continue to be important points in the following sequels, so that whenever Freddy returned, the next heroes would be able to stand against him and defeat him thanks to the foundation that Nancy helped set.
In much the same ways, Jesus reached out to people who were misfits and outcasts and offered them hope. He helps His children discover and develop spiritual gifts they can use in ministry and to stand against Satan. He, through His healing power, helped the lame to walk and the mute to speak. He died on the cross, yet His sacrificial death defeated Satan by breaking his power over us and giving us salvation. Even after His death and resurrection, Jesus continues to strengthen and empower people, helping His followers thousands of years later gain strength, peace, and hope, and discover their strengths through Him, so that whenever Satan and his demons return and try to bring more suffering and death to the world, Christians (God's own "Dream Warriors," in that sense) will be able to stand against him and defeat him.
Both of these allegorical comparisons can be summed up by Jesus's words in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
So, that sums up 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,' an excellent film that I highly recommend, which teaches great lessons on faith and the natures of both our Enemy and our Savior.
That's it for this installment of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned in November when I finally bring in my look at 'Avengers: Endgame.' Until then, happy Halloween, and may God bless you all!

Hypocrisy and True Justice: A Look at a Phony Believer's "Fitting Punishment."

Hello again, and welcome to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience!
Unfortunately, my planned review/ look at 'Avengers: Endgame' will have to be postponed until November, so I can do my regular two- part Halloween edition. I can promise it'll be worth the wait, though!
In the meantime, I've got quite a "Treat" in store for you readers this time to help prepare you for the spookiest time of year:
Back in the Late 80's- mid 90's, the TV network HBO aired the cult- classic horror anthology series 'Tales From the Crypt.' Based on the EC horror and crime comics of the 1950s and directly adapting several of their stories, each episode had the terrifying yet hilarious undead host the Cryptkeeper (Voice of John Kassir) sharing with us a different tale of terror.

(Say hello to the Cryptkeeper; Handsome guy, isn't he? Credit for this image and the next one goes to SummerTaffy896 on the 'Tales From the Crypt' wiki at https://tftc.fandom.com/wiki/Fitting_Punishment?file=FPclosing.png)

 Sometimes the stories were supernatural, other times they were more grounded in reality. The show boasted a LOT of surprisingly heavy- duty talent, between actors like Kirk Douglas, Michael J. Fox, Demi Moore and Tom Hanks, and producers and directors like Robert Zemeckis, Joel Silver and Richard Donner.
It could often get pretty graphic in terms of its violence, language, and other such adult situations, though my first exposures to it when I was younger were the edited- for- television re- airings of it they did on networks like Fox and Sci- Fi Channel.
Now, you might think that a show like this could not ever hold any kind of theological message, even for someone like myself who has at times found such messages in other such unlikely sources, and even though many of the episodes function as dark morality tales.
However, I was recently reintroduced to an episode that changed all that, known as "Fitting Punishment."
WARNING! There will be heavy spoilers for the episode in question, and it's an episode that can be rather graphic, so use discretion before watching it or letting children watch it.

 (Imagine this being said in the Cryptkeeper's trademark voice) Now, come a little closer, kiddies, and let's get started. RA HA HA HA HA HA!

(In keeping with the show's roots in horror comics, each episode featured a title card showing something from that episode rendered in comic book style; This image was found at https://tftc.fandom.com/wiki/Fitting_Punishment?file=Fitting-Punishment-tales-from-the-crypt-41326221-720-540.png)
In this episode from the show's second season, we meet Ezra Thorntonberry (Played by the late Moses Gunn), the director of an inner- city funeral home. He presents himself to his clients as an honest, good- natured, Godly fellow who will treat their deceased loved ones with the dignity and care that they deserve. However, it soon becomes clear that this is all just a facade, and Ezra is in fact a despicable, corrupt, greedy old hypocrite only concerned with making as much money as possible with as little effort or personal expense as possible. He secretly cuts corners left and right in his work to save money (i.e. He uses regular tap water instead of embalming fluid to preserve the cadavers, and orders cheap undersized caskets from Taiwan which he presents to his clients as being American- made with the best materials), and doesn't even have a problem with swiping gold teeth from the cadavers he operates upon.

 A person unfortunate enough to be brought into Ezra's life early in the episode is his teenage nephew, Bobby. A nice enough young man with an affinity for basketball, Bobby just lost his parents in an accident and was thus sent to live with Ezra, his only living relative. As further proof of the sort of person Ezra is, rather than expressing any kind of grief at learning his only sister died in a likely- horrific car crash, he instead says with a little smile, "Head- on, huh? Messy, I'll bet. That's good for business. Charge a pretty penny to make their loved ones look presentable." While Ezra initially is not keen on taking his nephew in, he realizes that he can use the boy for free labor around the funeral home and agrees.

Sadly, as you can probably guess, Bobby's bad luck at losing his parents doesn't improve any when he goes to live with his uncle. Ezra treats his nephew horribly, giving him a wheeled metal gurney for a bed, constantly referring to him as "Boy," and treating him like a slave. When Bobby makes an apparent mistake that costs the funeral home a customer, Ezra brutally beats him with a crowbar in a fit of rage (It is very difficult to watch, as you can guess), paralyzing him from the waist down. When the bills for Bobby's consequent medical care start piling up, Ezra flat- out murders the poor boy and makes it look like an accident. Then, as one more insult, the twisted old creep cuts off his dead nephew's feet so Bobby's tall body will fit into one of the undersized Taiwanese coffins for burial.

However, as is often the case in episodes of 'Tales From the Crypt,' what goes around comes around. Also as is often the case on the show, the restless dead don't stay dead for very long before returning to seek a little payback. The episode's title ends up coming to full fruition, as Ezra ultimately receives an extremely "Fitting Punishment" for his many evil deeds. The Cryptkeeper closes the episode by giving probably the funniest (In a dark way, typical for him) summation monologue I can ever recall him doing on the show.

While "Fitting Punishment" is not my favorite episode of 'Tales From the Crypt' (That honor goes to the Season 4 episode "What's Cookin'," which featured Christopher Reeve as one of a pair of struggling restaurateurs who save their business by, shall we say, changing up the menu of what they serve), it's still pretty high up there on my list. The story is good and creepy, the music was extremely well- chosen as it ranged from a kind of somber Dixieland jazz for the scenes involving the funeral home and Ezra's work in it to then becoming more soft and mystical near the end, and the performances from the various actors are all great. Ezra makes for one of the vilest and most intentionally easy- to- hate characters the show has ever produced, but generally in an amusing way that makes you eager to see him ultimately get what he deserves. It also gets points for being the only episode of the series with a completely African- American cast.

There were definitely some theological messages to be taken from "Fitting Punishment." The first and foremost would be on hypocrisy and false faith. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that ""Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'". Ezra in this episode was pretty much the embodiment of that sort of person. He may have been able to present himself outwardly as a righteous and Godly man, but this seeming piety was only skin- deep. He frequently misquotes Scripture, and much of his pseudo- pious prattling consists of things that aren't even in the Bible at all! For instance, he at one point justifies his practice of using water instead of embalming fluid by pompously saying, "Like the Bible says, 'A penny saved is a penny earned,'" a quote which was actually first said by Benjamin Franklin. Then, of course, there's obviously the fact that the crooked ways Ezra runs his business and the heartless things he does to his nephew are hardly in keeping with one who really walks with the Lord. The Bible makes it clear that people of faith are to conduct their business with honesty and integrity, and treat their family with compassion, especially those like Bobby who have already gone through so much hardship. Simply going to church and saying some impressive- sounding words doesn't make a person a Christian any more than standing in a garage would make them a car. There are many people out there who are skilled at playing religion and claim to know Jesus, yet whose hearts are far from Him. I must appeal to all of you to make sure that you truly have Jesus as your Lord and Savior in your hearts and let your lifestyles be a reflection of this, and not become self- righteous, hypocritical phonies like Ezra.

Another Scriptural lesson to be taken from this episode is on not associating with ungodly people. Near the end of the episode, shortly before Ezra meets his well- deserved end, his assistant Clyde, whom he treated almost as badly as he treated Bobby, abruptly resigns. The reason Clyde gives for why he quits is because he knows full well that Bobby's death was no accident, and while he doesn't have enough substantial proof to get the authorities involved, he can't in good conscience bring himself to work for someone as immoral and frankly evil as Ezra another minute. The Bible frequently points out that believers should not associate with people who are known to be unrepentantly wicked. In 1 Corinthians 5:11, it says "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler- not even to eat with such a one." In Psalm 26:4-5, the psalmist says "I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked." We need to be careful to not connect too closely with people who we know are deeply involved in sinful, ungodly things. Such people can become really bad influences on us, and hinder both our Christian witness, and our personal relationship with God. Bad friends can easily lead good people astray and bring a lot of trouble down on them. For a personal example, when I was in college, the leader of the local fraternity at one point approached me with the offer to join. Something about the way he presented things set off a bit of a red flag for me, so I didn't accept his offer and politely avoided him afterwards. That ultimately proved to be a wise decision for me, as a year later, that fraternity was forcibly shut down by the university when details of a highly inappropriate hazing ritual came to light. Had I joined the fraternity and connected with its members, my reputation would have been damaged along with theirs when that happened. I'm not saying completely shun everyone who isn't perfect in every way, as we all have sinned, just to recognize that there are some people in our lives who we need to steer clear of and not associate with due to the corrupting influence they can have on us and our faith.

So, that's my look at "Fitting Punishment," a great episode of a classic show and an equally great cautionary tale about having a true Christian faith, not being religious frauds or hypocrites, and avoiding those whose ungodly lifestyles can lead us astray.
With that, I wrap up this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Come back on the 31st when I'll hopefully have part 2 of this year's Halloween special ready for you. Until then, may God bless you all!

The Power of Prayer and Divine Grace: A Look at 'War Room.'

Hi everyone, welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
For this entry, we will be wrapping up this blog's annual collaboration with St. John's United Methodist Church for their Summer at the Movies series. In finishing up our look at Christian films, we will now be looking at the 2015 film 'War Room.'
In this film, Tony and Elizabeth Jordan seemingly have a good life together. They have a big house, good jobs (Tony's a pharmaceutical salesman, Elizabeth's a realtor), and a loving daughter, Danielle. Behind that facade, though, there's a lot of trouble brewing with their marriage. Tony has no time for Danielle and no interest in supporting her jump roping team, is at times impatient with Elizabeth, and has a bit of a wandering eye.
Help for the troubled family is on the way, though, from a slightly unlikely source. Elizabeth is hired to help sell the house of the elderly Miss Clara. As the two develop a friendship over the course of this, Clara learns of Elizabeth's marriage problems. In order to help save her friend's marriage, Clara teaches Elizabeth about the importance of prayer and drawing close to God.
She shows Elizabeth that she uses one of her closets as a "War Room" for in- depth prayer.
Elizabeth starts taking Clara's advice to heart, and just in time, as Tony is about to face serious temptations that could completely destroy their fragile family if left unchecked.

'War Room' was a marvelous Christian film. It was the perfect balance of humor and heart, extremely inspirational, and had a lot of great performances. They even fit in a couple pretty exciting moments, too.

Miss Clara was easily the best character in the film. Longtime fans of this blog may recall that when I first did my "Top Ten Favorite Movie Characters of the Year" list back in January 2016, Clara made the list, and everything I said about her then still holds true now upon repeat viewings. She is a wonderfully powerful and insightful character, wise and yet also incredibly funny when the occasion calls it. As I said the last time I talked about her, she's like if Yoda from the 'Star Wars' series was a black Christian woman. Karen Abercrombie (Who actually was just in her early fifties when she did this role; It's a testimony to the great makeup effects for the film that they can make her look like she's in her mid- seventies) gives a wonderful performance as her, especially for a scene when she bravely stands up to a mugger, and the end when she gives a spirited prayer for the nation.

The most prominent Scriptural message to be taken from 'War Room,' which I discussed in the devotional passed out at the screening, concerns obviously the power of prayer. I show how James 5:16 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2 both drive home the miraculous things that can happen when followers of Jesus sincerely pray.
Another message from the film that I noticed concerned grace. There is a scene in which Clara is talking with Elizabeth about her husband. Elizabeth admits that, as much as Tony's faults drive her nuts, she still loves him, and so does God, and that she still sees good in him. Clara points out that what Tony is in need of is grace. Elizabeth says she's not sure if Tony deserves grace, and Clara responds "What about you? Do YOU deserve grace?" She points out that ALL of us have sinned and are unworthy of God's forgiveness (Romans 3:10 observes "As it is said, there is none righteous, no, not one."), but He granted it anyway.  That's the perfect description of what grace is: Sparing us the punishments we deserve, out of His love for us. We could never earn or deserve God's forgiveness, but He grants it anyway. That's why they call God's grace "Amazing."
There you have my look at 'War Room.' It remains a wonderful film which teaches wonderful messages about prayer and grace.
That's it from the Nightcrawler Experience for now. Keep your eyes out, I'll be returning to the entry I was working on before I started this series, and I know you'll like it (Let's just say you'll all be "Assembling" to take a look at it). Until then, may God bless you all!

Trust, patience and revival:A Look at 'Facing the Giants.'

Hi everyone, welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
We're now on week three of this year's collaboration with St. John's United Methodist Church for their Summer at the Movies series, continuing to look at Christian films.
This week, we'll be looking at what I'd say is the one that kind of "Started them all," the 2006 inspirational sports- drama 'Facing the Giants.'
This movie centers around Grant Taylor, who is currently the football coach at Shiloh Christian Academy, and is facing a seemingly endless series of obstacles in his life. Their team, the Eagles, has never had a winning season since he's been coach there, and his current season has begun with a three- game losing streak, prompting some of the players' fathers to try and get him fired. Things at home aren't much better. His car's a piece of junk, his house and appliances are in bad shape, and worst of all, his wife Brooke is having no luck in becoming pregnant.
At the end of his rope, Grant begins seeking God's guidance through prayer and studying Scripture. He hits upon a whole new philosophy on coaching, and uses it to motivate his players: He reminds them and himself that they need to always praise God, regardless of whether they win or lose, and put a lot greater effort into everything they do, on the field and off. He tells them that they CAN win through hard work and faith in what God can do through them.
It works wonderfully. Not only does the team begin winning games, but they start making a positive impact on the school as a whole, prompting an amazing revival throughout the school.
As the team continues winning, they enter the playoff season, and must prepare to eventually go up against the reigning champions, the practically unbeatable Richland Giants.

While there have of course been Christian films for decades, I feel like 'Facing the Giants' was the one that really brought about the current wave of mainstream Christian films we've seen since then, ones made with real effort that are good enough to get full theatrical releases and perform well at the box office.It was also the first really successful film to come from the company that would go on to direct films like 'Fireproof' and the previously- reviewed 'Courageous.'
To that end, it was indeed a worthy figurehead- movie to launch this wave. The fact that it ended up making over $10 million at the box office with a $100,000 budget speaks for itself.
The acting is for the most part very good, and it had loads of inspirational moments, with one of my favorites being when the school's revival occurs on the athletic field. We see kids praying in the field and bleachers, to the accompaniment of the beautiful Josh Bates song "Never Give Up on Me." From my first time seeing this film in theaters all the way to now, that scene never fails to leave me on the brink of tears. What's more, as should be the case for a football movie, the game scenes are really exciting and engaging, and the wisecracking assistant coaches provide for some pretty good comic relief.
One character that I really liked was the team's defensive lineman, Brock. He is one of the characters, certainly among the players on the team, who experiences the most drastic change over the course of the movie. He goes from someone who was lazy, apathetic and rude, to eventually becoming a good, decent young man and a real leader among the team. Another of the film's more memorable moments involves him, one of the moments which really brings about this change in him is when Coach Grant puts him through a grueling training exercise known as the "Death Crawl" to inspire him to give his absolute best by trusting in God's guidance. Between the way this scene was shot/ filmed, and the performances of Jason McLeod as Brock and Alex Kendrick (Who also directed the film) as Coach Grant, it is another scene which will keep you on the edge of your seat AND on the edge of tears.

Another thing I like about the film, though it's a rather strange thing to like, is simply the title of it. It can be seen as referring not only to Coach Grant and the team preparing to face the team the Giants on the football field, but also to the more figurative "Giants" that Grant faced in his personal life, such as the problems in his house and the difficulties from him and his wife trying for so long to conceive a baby. I thought calling the movie that was a very good, clever touch.
All in all, 'Facing the Giants' is a very good Christian film, sports film, and movie in general.

As with the other films we've looked at in this series, there are countless Scriptural messages that can be taken from 'Facing the Giants.' The first and most obvious one, which I discussed in the devotional flyer that was passed out at the screening tonight, relates to the importance of trusting and praising God at all times, regardless of circumstances. I show how Proverbs 18:10 and Psalm 46:1-3 both point out that the Lord provides refuge and strength to believers.

I think another important lesson to be taken from 'Facing the Giants' concerns what Godly patience can look like. A rather minor yet important character in the film is an older man named Mr. Bridges, who gives Coach Grant some important advice midway through the film. Mr. Bridges walks down the hallways each day after the students have left, praying for them and for the school. You get the feeling he's probably been doing this for a VERY long time, without much answer to his prayers due to the state the school had been in for so long. Still, he kept right on doing it, because he KNEW that God would eventually bring about the revival to the school that he had been praying for, and so He eventually did! Mr. Bridges never let himself get discouraged simply because things didn't happen when he wanted them to, and he eventually teaches Coach Grant to do the same. This brings to mind Galatians 6:9, which says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." It's easy to become frustrated when our efforts don't seem to yield much in the way off results right away, I certainly know a lot about that, but if we continue to do good and faithfully serve the Lord, the time WILL come when our efforts and our faith will come to fruition.
One final Scriptural lesson to be taken from 'Facing the Giants' concerns the matter of revival. The school as a whole is rather underperforming at the start of the movie (Indeed, for a supposedly "Christian" school, there wasn't a whole lot of evidence at first that it was a school intended to help kids learn to walk with Jesus), but when the revival in it occurs, starting with the football team and gradually spreading to the rest of the school, it brings about a complete, glorious turnaround for everyone involved. They strive to devote themselves more to serving the Lord, and He in turn helps to bless and provide for them in a multitude of ways. This calls to mind 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says that "If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will heal their land." God can bring about incredible, miraculous healing and restoration to our schools, our families, our churches, our cities, our country, and our world, but for Him to do it, we must turn from things that can distract us or hinder our walk with God, and turn our focus back to Him through prayer, worship, and studying His word. That is when true revival can happen.
So, there we have 'Facing the Giants,' and its lessons on trusting God, being patient for His work to be accomplished, and following Him to bring about change. A true cinematic and theological touchdown!
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Come back next week when we finish up this series (And the final film will be a REALLY good one). Until then, may God bless you all!

Confessing Christ, and Leaning on the Word: A Look at 'God's Not Dead.'

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
We're now on week two of this year's collaboration with St. John's United Methodist Church for their Summer at the Movies series, looking at Christian films.
For this installment, we're looking at the 2014 film 'God's Not Dead.'
This film centers around a college freshman named Josh, a devout Christian who enrolls in a philosophy class taught by the ruthless Professor Raddison (Kevin Sorbo). It almost immediately becomes clear that Raddison is a hardcore atheist with a deep hatred of all religion, and he opens the very first class period by having the students sign a declaration that says "God is dead" in order to pass. When Josh refuses to do this, Raddison challenges him to prove that God exists, in the form of a term- long debate between the two of them with the rest of the class acting as judges, and that this could count as Josh's term project for the class. Many people in Josh's circle tell him to either sign the declaration or drop the class in order to keep out of trouble, but  he remains convinced that God put him there for that moment, and that he has to continue with it. Amidst all this, some other characters are also having to deal with faith- related challenges, such as a girl in a devoutly Muslim family having to hide the fact that she is secretly a Christian and an independent journalist having to take a newfound look at what she believes when she discovers that she has a terminal illness. Their stories all come to a header at a big Newsboys concert.

A problem I'll admit I had with 'God's Not Dead' is that I feel like they made Professor Raddison too over- the- top. The filmmakers often seem to go out of their way to show what a jerk he is towards his students who disagree with him and even towards his own girlfriend, so much so that their attempts later in the film to try and make him more sympathetic by revealing his sad backstory seem too little, too late. Also, while college professors can indeed be too pushy at times trying to force their personal views on students (I speak from personal experience from when I was pursuing my B.A.), I get the feeling that a real- life college professor displaying such hostility towards a student's religious beliefs is the kind of thing that could land him in really hot water.

That being said, 'God's Not Dead' is still very good by Christian movie standards. The acting's pretty solid from most of the cast, there's some good humor, the messages are solid, and it is pretty inspirational. College can indeed be a time in which you run into people who are noticeably opposed to the Christian faith, including some of the teachers you'll see there, albeit not as blatantly as Raddison was. It is indeed a time when Christian students need to be careful and wise in order to ensure that their faith remains strong, so it's easy to root for Josh in his attempts to defend the faith in such a setting.

A character I really liked is one of Josh's classmates, a boy named Martin who has come from China to study at the college. His journey to faith is legitimately torn. His father adamantly tells him that he must take whatever position on the subject that his teacher takes in order to ensure that he passes the course, but yet he finds the arguments Josh presents to be extremely convincing. This dilemma he faces makes him into quite a sympathetic and likable character.

In the devotional that was passed out at the screening tonight, I point out that Josh in the film reminds himself of  Matthew 10:32-33, which says "So everyone who acknowledges Me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before my Father in Heaven." That verse drives home the truth that we shouldn't be afraid to confess Christ before others, but should be open in sharing His truths to the world.
Again, though, I feel there are more messages that can be taken from 'God's Not Dead.'
One that sticks out is relating to the importance of being prepared when the time comes to speak of Jesus to other people. Josh knows that, if he is to prove God is real to Raddison and the rest of the class, he'll need to work hard and be prepared to answer any questions or challenges they may present. So, he does a lot of studying and research in order to help back up his arguments. This ties into 1 Peter 3:15, which says "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." This is important. There will be people who see the hope we have within us, so we need to be ready to answer them when they have questions about it, why we believe the way we do. This takes prayer, study of God's Word, the Bible, as well as the study of inspirational and intellectual Christian authors (I recommend pretty much anything by C.S. Lewis and Lee Strobel). We, like Josh, need to learn more about what we believe and why, so we can be ready to answer anyone who may have questions about it to us, and as the verse says, do so in a gentle and respectful manner.

A final message to take from the movie is on staying true to the faith even when others may desert you. Josh's girlfriend ultimately breaks up with him when he refuses to back down from Raddison's challenge. The girl from the Muslim family, Ayisha, knows that her faith could cause her family to disown her, but she remains dedicated to it regardless of what her father may say. This calls to mind Matthew 19:29, which says "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." Sometimes, standing up for Christ can cost us a lot, including our relationships with those who are close to us. However, that's nothing compared to the rewards Jesus has prepared for those who faithfully serve Him.
So, that's 'God's Not Dead,' a very good Christian film about standing for Jesus no matter what.
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Come back next week when we look at the next film in this series. Until then, may God bless you all!

Strong Fatherhood, Strong Integrity, Strong Faith: A Look at 'Courageous.'

Hello loyal readers, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
Sorry for the lengthy absence, I've been working on another entry that's taken a lot of effort and will now be put on the backburner just for a few weeks while I do the new series I'm starting now.
It's that time of year again: Time for the Nightcrawler Experience to partner with St. John's United Methodist Church for their Summer at the Movies series! As before, I came up with a devotional for each movie to be passed out at its screening at the church, and am writing an entry on the Nightcrawler Experience to help examine each film a little deeper.
For this series, each week will be a different Christian film, my first real foray into looking at actual Christian/ faith- based movies on this blog.
When it comes to Christian films, my feelings can be rather mixed.
Some can be good, tackling Scriptural truths in ways that are both inspirational and entertaining.
Others, however, can be bogged down by overly preachy and heavy- handed messages, bad acting, or cheesy writing.
Fortunately, the films we will be looking at for this series all fall into the former of the two groups.
We're kicking it off with a real good one: The 2011 film 'Courageous.'

This film centers around four police officers named Adam, Nathan, Shane, and David. Each in their own way is dealing with an issue involving children and being a father. One has a good relationship with his young daughter yet cannot connect well with his teenage son, another is concerned over his teenage daughter wanting to start dating, and so on. They also befriend a day- laborer named Javier who is struggling to find work and provide for his own wife and young children. Eventually, a tragedy causes the five men to realize they have an obligation to be better and more Godly husbands and fathers. So, Adam crafts a detailed "Resolution" to honor God and his family in every way, and he and his friends all agree to it. This resolution is soon tested in a variety of ways for each of them, and they emerge from the situation stronger in their faith and better prepared to do all they can for their families.

'Courageous' stands out as easily one of the best Christian films I've ever seen. The acting's mostly very good for a film of that quality, it has a nice story, and it has loads of humor too.
Another thing it has in its favor, which is something of a rarity for a Christian film, is its action. In particular, near the end of the film, there is a surprisingly intense shootout/ fight scene between two of the officers and a vicious gang leader (The latter can be seen as pretty much the personification of the kind of threat that the officers realize their children and community need to be protected from) that had me on the edge of my seat. It was fast- paced, intense, and felt realistic from the way it was staged. I remember when I first saw it in theaters, that scene had me thinking something I'd never have thought of before for a Christian film: 'This deserves to get nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Scene!'
My favorite character in the film was definitely Javier. He was such a likable guy, really easy to root for. In fact, if this blog was around back then and I was doing my Favorite Movie Characters List for that year, Javier would have been one of the first characters I'd put on it. He's friendly, good- natured, extremely devoted to his family and determined to help meet their needs, and also provides a lot of comic relief to keep the movie from getting too serious.
 In particular, there is a scene with him, informally known as the "Snake Kings" scene, which remains the single funniest (Intentionally so) scene I can ever recall seeing in a Christian film. It starts with two of the officers having quite a dilemma, needing to transport a freshly- arrested gang member to the station while Javier was still riding with them in the backseat of their cop car (They were on their way to take him to lunch when they got the call about the gang), but then end up resolving that situation in a way that never fails to leave me shrieking with laughter every time I see it, largely due to Robert Amaya's hysterical performance as Javier in that scene!
'Courageous' also earns points for the fact that, while it showcases the great work that our law enforcement personnel do in protecting our streets and citizens and showing that most of them are good people just doing their jobs, it doesn't shy away from the fact that there is some dishonesty and corruption that may go on behind the scenes in police departments (As there is in most occupations). This is shown through a subplot in which the officers begin to suspect that someone within the department has been stealing drugs from the evidence room, presumably to sell on the streets. Admitting that such things can at times go on within police departments is a hard truth, but one that needs to be addressed, and it's handled in a really good way in the film.
So, yes, if you are a fan of Christian films and in the mood for a film that can help you learn to be a better and more Godly husband, father, and person in general, I wholeheartedly recommend 'Courageous.' It's a fun, inspirational film I'll never get tired of.

Obviously, for a Christian film, there are loads of Scriptural messages that can be taken from 'Courageous.' In the devotional flyer passed out at the screening, I point out its clear message on what it means to be a Godly father. I especially highlighted Ephesians 6:4 stating that fathers need to avoid causing unnecessary strife with their children and instead raise them to better know the Lord, and 1 Timothy 5:8 pointing out that believers need to do whatever they can to provide for their families both in a material sense and in an emotional sense.
That, however, I believe is just scratching the surface. I think another important lesson to be taken from 'Courageous' is on the importance of integrity. Two of the film's major characters are eventually faced with crises relating to being honest and doing what's right, both in a legal sense and in an ethical sense. One of the two, when sorely tempted to break the rules for personal gain, ultimately makes the right decision and is deservedly rewarded for it; The other does not, and needless to say, his story's ending is MUCH less happy because of it. Followers of Jesus are called upon to act with integrity in all that they do, and the Bible frequently points that out, especially in the book of Proverbs. One verse which perfectly sums up that part of the film is Proverbs 11:3, which states that "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Also, Proverbs 12:22 states that "The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy." Lastly, Psalm 41:12 says that "Because of my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever." The temptation to bend or break the rules for one's own gain can be pretty strong at times, and a hard test to have to go through, but followers of the Lord are expected to demonstrate honesty and righteousness in what they do, even if there's a price to it.

A final great lesson to be taken from 'Courageous' is relating to salvation, and how it's only achieved through trusting in Jesus, not through any good works we might do. In one scene, Nathan is having a heart- to- heart with David and trying to encourage him to take responsibility for things in his life. The discussion turns to God's judgment of all people, and David implies that he thinks all the good he has done in his life will outweigh the bad he has done and get him to Heaven. Nathan, though, points out that that's not how God works. Nathan shows this by bringing up a hypothetical situation: If David's mother was murdered in a parking lot, and the killer was caught, but tried to plead for mercy in court by saying he did a lot of good in his life, too. "If the judge let him go free," Nathan says, "Would you say he was a good judge or a bad judge?" Nathan uses this to show that God judges and punishes a person for the sins they commit, not for the good they do, and that He sent His Son Jesus to Earth to die for us, to pay the penalty for all our sins. Ephesians 2:8-9 spells it out pretty clearly: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- Not by works, so that no one can boast." Doing good deeds and living a good life are great and all, more power to you for it, but that alone cannot remove the taint that our sins leave on our souls that keeps us out of Heaven. Trusting through faith in what Jesus did, not what we did, is the only way anyone can get to Heaven.
So, that sums up my look at 'Courageous,' a wonderful film about family, integrity, and truly knowing Jesus.
Come back next week when we'll be looking at the next film in the series, it'll be another good one.
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Take care, and may God bless you all!

My Top Ten Favorite Movie Characters of 2018, and What You Can Learn From Them!

Hi everyone, welcome to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience!
Well, it's now almost the end of January, and those who've been reading my blog for a while know what that time of year means: Time for my annual look at my favorite movie characters from the previous year!
As with previous years, there have been a lot of great movie characters to hit the scene this year, so I'll be looking at ten of my favorites from 2018, why I like them, and what I think they can teach us (Either as a "Be like them" example, a "DON'T be like them/ Beware of people like them" cautionary tale, or an allegory for a Biblical figure) about being a Christian.
All the same rules as previous years apply: The characters on this list are not put in any kind of order of preference. It can be any kind of character (Be it hero, villain, supporting character, comic relief, or whatever else), from any genre of movie last year, of any rating, be it an original character or one adapted from another work. Also, as I did last year, I'll include some characters who've already appeared in previous films, but who we learn more about this year.
DISCLAIMER! Some of the films on this list are not suitable for children or sensitive audiences (You can probably tell just by reading it which ones), so do your homework before watching them yourself or letting young children watch them.
All these movies are obviously the property of the studios that released them. All I own are my own words and opinions on them.
Also, SPOILER WARNING! I'll try not to give away more of their movies' plots than necessary, but I may need to reveal some key details about the plots to better show why I like those characters and what we can learn from them.

Now, let's get this show on the road, and I think a good way to start is with a character from the first theatrical film I saw in 2018:

1. Paddington, 'Paddington 2.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Valyrian Wildfire" on the Paddington Wiki)
Even though IMDB officially lists this film's release date as 2017, it didn't premiere here in the US until January of 2018, so I'd say it counts as a 2018 film. Now then, the delightful 'Paddington' films are, I'd say, the perfect example of the RIGHT way to bring a beloved vintage children's character to the big screen. It slightly updates and modernizes the concepts behind it when needed while still remaining true to its core elements and the things that made that character so well- loved. If only more such movies had followed the 'Paddington' films' example (COUGHCOUGH 'Peter Rabbit' COUGH). In the sequel, we see more of the pure- hearted, marmalade- loving bear, and all he goes through. He continues to be hilarious, sweet, honest, and so easy to love and root for, but now faces some real hardship. He is framed for stealing a priceless book and sent to one of the scariest- looking prisons in England. In spite of all this, Paddington keeps his friendly demeanor and adheres to his philosophy of "If you're kind and polite, the world will be right." In fact, he gets everyone around him to follow that same philosophy through his good example, and ends up leading in the prison miraculously transforming from a dingy, lawless dump into a marvelous place with pastry kitchens, gardening groups, and even bedtime stories for the inmates! He also manages to help transform the prison's cook, Knuckles McGinty (Another great character who I'd give an Honorary Mention to on this list), from an aggressive, selfish, short- tempered brute who lives up to his name into a delightful man who eventually earns a pardon for how much he turned his life around due to Paddington's influence on him. It is this quality that brings out the theological lesson that Paddington can teach us. It calls to mind Jesus's words in Matthew 5: 14- 16: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." By demonstrating goodness and righteousness in our lives as much as we can and doing everything with the aim of serving the Lord, we can similarly have a great, transformative impact on the world around us. Shame that it takes a bear with a marmalade sandwich addiction to teach us that.

2. James Halliday, 'Ready Player One.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Iroberts 34" at the Heroes Wiki)
'Ready Player One' was a brilliant movie in so many ways, from its story to its characters to all the innumerable pop- culture connections and commentaries on geek- culture. Definitely one of the most interesting characters in it was James Halliday, the tech genius who created the virtual- reality world known as OASIS. We learn that after he died, Halliday's will had a very interesting stipulation as to who would inherit his company; He carefully hid three special keys in three different areas of OASIS, and whoever gets all three gets the company. The various protagonists in the movie are all working together to try and unravel the clues behind solving this challenge, while trying to evade the efforts of a scheming executive within the company who wants to take it over himself. Halliday in a strange way acts as kind of a Willy Wonka- esque figure in the movie; He wants to pick someone, a young fan, to become his successor and the new head of his tech empire, but at the same time, he wants to ensure that it's someone who has the right heart to take on such a position, who can run things the way he'd have wanted them to be run, and who can even avoid making some of the mistakes he himself had made in the past. Mark Rylance gives a brilliant performance as him (Especially near the end, via a kind of AI avatar of him that appears in the game), loaded with heart and humble sincerity. The lesson that Halliday helps to teach is on knowing your priorities. It calls to mind Jesus's words in Luke 12:34, which says "For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also." As the movie progresses and the heroes advance through the challenges to get the keys, it becomes clear that Halliday's main mistakes/ regrets in life largely involve the fact that the biggest treasures he served in his life concerned the company he built, to the detriment of his personal relationships and life outside his career. We too must remember to treasure and prioritize the things in life that really last, such as our relationships with family and friends, and ESPECIALLY our walk with God. So, there we have James Halliday, a wonderful character in a wonderful film who teaches an unbelievably wonderful message.


3. Taylor, 'Hell Fest.'


(Photo from “HELL FEST” courtesy of CBS Films.)
'Hell Fest' was mostly just a decent movie that could have been great with slightly better writing, but they atone for it with what an awesome character Taylor is! In this horror- comedy film, Taylor is part of a group of friends who go to Hell Fest, a kind of Halloween Horror Nights- esque Halloween event at a theme park, and have a great time until they find themselves being stalked and picked off one by one by an ACTUAL insane killer posing as one of the "Scare-actors" there. Among the major characters, Taylor is easily the one who steals the show, due largely to the talented young actress Bex Taylor- Klaus's great performance as her. She's outgoing, adventurous, incredibly funny, just a pleasure to watch in every scene she's in. She and her ill- fated boyfriend Asher are diehard horror fans, and from the very second they enter Hell Fest, it becomes clear they're having the time of their lives, especially her. Her excitement and enthusiasm in this place spread to all of us watching, and when things start getting deadly, her humor helps break the tension nicely.
 I think one of the Scriptural messages Taylor helps to convey is on making the most out of life. It VERY quickly becomes clear that she's not the sort of person to sit back and let life pass her by. If a challenge appears in which a volunteer is needed, she'll be right at the front, hand stretched as high up as possible, shouting "PICK ME! PICK ME!" This (Minus the rather hedonistic tendencies Taylor at times displays) is what Jesus sought for us, as He points out in John 10:10, when He said that "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." God wants us to live our lives to the fullest, to not shy away from challenges but to see life as an adventure and an opportunity to do great things.
 Unfortunately, Taylor also teaches a cautionary lesson on heeding warning signs while you can; Even as the night gets weirder and weirder (Even by the standards of an event like that), and more people in her group disappear, Taylor pays very little heed to the warnings given by the main character Natalie who suspects something's amiss. Taylor assumes it must all be part of the show, not realizing the genuine danger she and the others are in until the killer has personally singled her out to be his next victim. The Bible is clear that warnings given by wise people should be followed. The parable Jesus shared in Matthew 7:24- 27 about the wise and foolish builders is all about heeding and following Godly advice. Ignoring such advice could potentially bring about your doom.
 While Taylor's ultimate fate in the movie, if she survived or not, is left rather uncertain (She's last seen taking a pretty bad hit from the killer that could potentially be fatal, but a radio broadcast heard in the very end of the movie makes it appear likely that she survived), one thing that IS certain is that she's an amazing character who teaches a great message about living life to the fullest while still listening for wise warnings.

4. Chewbacca, 'Solo: A "Star Wars" Story.'

(Credit for this pic goes to the user "Death Trooper Specialist Elite Commander" on the Heroes Wiki)
Yes, my undisputed favorite 'Star Wars' character makes the list! Considering that this film is about Han Solo's backstory, it makes sense that good old Chewie factors into it a lot too, and they nail everything about him in it! Of course, the film had to include a scene depicting how the two of them first met, and that scene was handled even better than I thought it would be. What's more, one reviewer of the film observed that this is one of the first times that, rather than being treated like Han's pet (i.e. "Will somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way?" Not cool, Leia), Chewie is treated like the intelligent, sentient being that he is. One theological lesson that Chewbacca can teach is on the need to follow after holiness and the greater good, at times regardless of personal feelings. A sad recurring tendency throughout the various forms of the 'Star Wars' saga is that his race, the Wookiees, are often enslaved by various outside groups, such as the Galactic Empire. In one scene late in the movie, while on a mission in a mine, the heroes discover that a number of Wookiees are being used as slave labor in the mines. When they bust up the operation and free the Wookiees, Chewie at first appears willing to go with them back to their home planet. However, he realizes that his new friend Han is the one who really needs him the most, and after giving a sad parting embrace to one of the Wookiees (Who I personally theorized was his wife), he heads off with Han instead. This sacrifice on Chewie's part calls to mind Jesus's words in Matthew 10:24- 25: "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." In much the same way, we as Christians can at times be called on to sacrifice much for the sake of the Gospel. Some feel called by Him to missions work, and spend years overseas, far from their homes and families, to serve God through serving others. While we may not be called that far, there may very well be times we are called upon to make personal sacrifices, at times painful ones, in order to obey God's will for our lives.
 So, let me end this portion of the list by saying "ROOOOAAAARR! RAAAH! RAAAAUGH!" That's Wookiee for "Way to go, Chewbacca!"

5. Domino, 'Deadpool 2.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "RicoTubbs84 on the X- Men Movie Wiki)
'Deadpool 2' was as hilarious and action- packed as the first film, and one of the many good points of it is the introduction of the mercenary heroine Domino. In attempting to form his own team, X- Force, to try and rescue a friend of his, Deadpool hires a number of mutants with various neat powers. Among them is Domino. However, Deadpool mocks her for the fact that her power is apparently that she is "Lucky," and insists that is a stupid, worthless power to have, if it's even a power at all. Deadpool's taunts are soon proven to be unfounded, though, as while the other members of X- Force are killed in the initial parachute drop (Other than possibly Bedlam, who could have been revived by paramedics), Domino uses her luck/ probability manipulation powers to not only safely get to the ground, but to then dodge dozens of speeding cars and a gas- station explosion and catch up to the truck carrying Deadpool's friend ON FOOT! She can hold her own amazingly well in a fight too, with her luck powers clearly working in full force. Many of the most exciting fight scenes and action sequences in the film involve her. The Scriptural point to be taken from Domino deals with that surprisingly effective gift of hers. It calls to mind 1 Corinthians 12:15-20, which says " Now if the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body." You see, we in the body of Christ are blessed with a whole cornucopia of gifts and talents that God has bestowed upon us to spread His Word and build His Kingdom. For some it's preaching, for others it's intercessory prayer, for others it's wisdom or discernment, and so on. Some people might see their particular gifts and talents as worthless and ineffective, just like how Deadpool viewed Domino's powers so dismissively, but God doesn't see any of our gifts as worthless, even the odder or more colorful ones. My own gift of finding Scriptural messages in pop culture is not a very conventional one, but I believe God has used it through me to help do His Will and bring His Word to people, through this blog and some of the messages and sermons I've given in various settings.
Similarly, some of you might have gifts and talents that you think are worthless, but through prayer, reflection, and faith in what the Lord can do through you, you can find ways to use them to help do God's will and bring many people to know Him, just like how Domino was able to use her strange but wonderful ability to help save countless people.

Next, we go from one Marvel character to another.

6. Eddie Brock/ Venom, 'Venom.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Dr. Everything" on the Heroes Wiki)
The 'Venom' movie proved to be a great deal more enjoyable than I thought it would be, and a big part of that is due to Tom Hardy's performance as both reporter Eddie Brock, and the alien- suited antihero and frequent Spider- Man foe Venom. The alien symbiote bonds with Eddie, turning him into Venom, and he regularly finds himself debating with the symbiote as it takes control of more of his mind and body, much like a split personality or possession. Nevertheless, Eddie eventually gains more control of things, finds a balance with the symbiote, and uses it to help stop an unscrupulous villain intent on harnessing the power of similar alien symbiotes for his own purposes. Seeing Eddie go through these challenges, regain control of himself, and use this little problem of his to ultimately help save the world is quite thrilling. I'd say the theological lesson that can be learned from Venom is in dealing with the sinful nature in all of us. The Venom side is at odds with Eddie for much of the movie, largely because Venom has MUCH less reservations when it comes to violence and killing than Eddie does, and the two sides wrestle for control frequently because of that. In that sense, the Venom side can be seen as symbolizing our inward nature steering us towards sin. Ever since Eden, all people have had a sinful inner nature that can override our consciences and common sense and lead us to sin if we let it. Jeremiah 17:9 demonstrates this nature by pointing out that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Much like Eddie's conflict with Venom's influence on him, our sinful nature is in a near- constant state of conflict with the influence of the Holy Spirit which we gain when we accept Christ. This kind of inner conflict all believers face is illustrated in Galatians 5:17, which says that "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." Still, even when that nature is tempting us towards giving in to sin, God is always faithful to provide us with a way out. Through trusting in Jesus's strength, and coming to Him in prayer when we are tempted, we can keep our own personal "Venom" on a short leash and righteously serve the Lord.


Now, we go from a (Mostly) good man wrestling with an evil nature, to an evil man who presents himself as pure good.

7. Gellert Grindelwald, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Loolveus" on the Villains Wiki)
As those of you who have been following this blog for a while would know, each year I do this list, I include a villain, the one I considered to be the best movie villain of that year (For 2015 I gave the honor to Ultron from 'Avengers: Age of Ultron,' in 2016 it went to Kimmy from 'The Purge: Election Year,' and in 2017 I picked the Vulture from 'Spider- Man: Homecoming'). For quite a while in planning out this list, I intended Thanos from 'Avengers: Infinity War' to take the title this year. However, while I still think he makes a brilliant antagonist, in early December, a new surprise contender beat him to #1 on my list (In addition to Thanos, a few other memorable 2018 baddies include Phoenix Buchanan from 'Paddington 2,' Michael Myers from 'Halloween,' and i- R0k from 'Ready Player One'). We saw a little of Johnny Depp as the corrupted wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the previous 'Fantastic Beasts' film, but not much, as he spent nearly all of his screen time disguised as someone else (Though his line near the end of "Shall we die, just a little" remains one of that film's most memorable lines). In THIS film, though, Grindelwald is front and center, and in the words of Ron Weasley, he is "Bloody brilliant"! In listing Newt Scamander in the previous film as one of my favorite movie characters of 2016, I brought up that I actually liked Newt a little better as a protagonist than Harry Potter himself. Well, now, I can similarly say that I think Grindelwald makes a slightly better antagonist than Lord Voldemort did. With Voldemort, great of a baddie though he is, it's kind of hard to see how he was able to amass such a huge following. His message was basically just that pure- blood wizards should rule over all because it's their right of birth to do so, and that's not the kind of message that a lot of people in their right mind could get behind. With Grindelwald, in contrast, it's terrifyingly clear already how he amassed his own huge following: He genuinely convinced himself and others that wizards should rule over non- magical people not out of snobbery or supposed birthright like Voldemort did, but instead out of a seemingly compassionate, altruistic desire to protect them and "Save them from themselves." In a speech he gives to his followers near the end, he points out that he has predicted the then- upcoming World War II and all the horrors that will come from it, and that it can all be prevented from coming to pass if Grindelwald and his followers manage to conquer the world before then, and that he'd then help bring about a new society in which wizards and non- magical folk can all live openly in peace and freedom. Even the character Queenie, who is able to read minds and thus tell if he is lying or otherwise deceiving people, does not sense any kind of deception within him. In fact, she becomes so convinced that he is on the right side that, in a gut- wrenching scene in the film's end, she decides to leave her good- hearted fiancee Jacob and join Grindelwald's campaign.
 The cautionary theological message that I believe we can learn from Gellert Grindelwald is in not following after false teachers or bad leaders. Grindelwald is pretty much the perfect example of a false prophet. He genuinely seems so benevolent, even noble in his goals. The problem is, a benevolent tyrant who can tickle people's ears with pretty words is still a tyrant, and Grindelwald is still using and manipulating people to help himself gain power in a movement which, were it successful, would almost certainly be every bit as devastating as the war he claims to be trying to avert, if not more so. Many real- life tyrants such as Stalin, Mao, and Hitler and cult leaders such as Jim Jones and Charles Manson similarly claimed to want to create a better world for all, attempted appealing to people's better natures, and brought many to their side with such messages, yet ultimately brought about some of the most monstrous acts in human history in pursuit of those goals. The Bible is littered with warnings to avoid such people. In Acts 20:29- 30, Paul warns, "I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 observes that "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." Last but certainly not least is Jesus's admonition in Matthew 7:15 to "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." We all need to be careful who we follow, from a religious sense, a political sense, or any one of a number of other senses, that they are good and Godly people who genuinely have our best interests at heart.
So, there we have Gellert Grindelwald: Who would have guessed that a character in a fantasy film with wizards and magical creatures could help demonstrate what real- life evil can look like?

8. Ericka Van Helsing, 'Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "AlexHoskins" on the Heroes Wiki)
The 'Hotel Transylvania' animated film series, while not as epic as some of the animated films by Disney or Pixar, nevertheless remain extremely fun and enjoyable movies to watch that I always look forward to. The characters are likable, there's plenty of humor and heart, and Adam Sandler can do a surprisingly excellent Dracula voice! In the third film in this series, 'Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,' we meet the new character of Ericka, who quickly proves to be a wonderful addition to the film series' cast. She is first seen as a ship captain running a cruise for monsters that Dracula and his buddies are all invited to take part in. However, this turns out to be a trap, as Ericka is the great- granddaughter of Dracula's archenemy, the monster- hunter Abraham Van Helsing, and together with Abraham is plotting on using the cruise as a way of killing Dracula and all of the other monsters all at once. She tries many times to take Drac out early on in the film (Including a hilarious scene in which her attempts to kill him while he's obliviously dancing are continuously thwarted by his apparently- unkillable blob- monster friend Blobby). Eventually, though, as things progress, she gets to know Dracula better and realizes he is not the evil threat she had been taught he was. She grows closer to him, and even falls in love with him! She ultimately helps thwart her great- grandfather's attempts to destroy the monsters, and convinces him that he was wrong about them. This transformation for her is played out in a very effective way (i.e. Before she fully sides with Dracula, she first kind of subtly tests him while in a booby- trapped chamber to make sure he is indeed good), and is extremely satisfying to see.
Ericka can be compared greatly to Saul of Tarsus, who went on to become the apostle Paul, as documented in the book of Acts. Like him, she initially was a genocidal bigot who set out to do her part to eradicate a group that she had been taught was a threat to the world (Monsters for her, Christians for Saul of Tarsus), only to have an eye- opening experience by learning they are in fact harmless and on the side of good. Lastly, like him, she eventually joins them and inspires others to embrace them as well.
From ruthless persecutor of monsters to a great force for peace between humans and monsters, Ericka is a great character who makes a wonderful allegory for someone who would go on to become one of the greatest champions of the early church.

9. M'Baku, 'Black Panther.'


(Credit for this image goes to "Valyrian Wildfire" on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki)
This is an example of a character from a previously- adapted work proving to be better in the movie than he was in the original work. In the original comics, M'Baku was known as "Man- Ape," and was a straight- up villain (And not a very interesting one at that, not to mention rather racially- offensive) out to violently conquer Wakanda and enforce his own primal, barbaric views on it. In the quite enjoyable movie 'Black Panther,' however, they give him a LOT more depth. Like Venom, he is now more of an antihero, and while he still is the leader of the rival Jabari tribe, is still opposed to Black Panther's rule and still desires to rule Wakanda himself, he now has enough of a sense of honor that he does not resort to evil or dishonest means to try and fulfill that. He also might have a seemingly stern and ruthless demeanor, but a lot of that appears to be just for show and an excuse to joke with people. For instance, he at one point terrifies a visitor by threatening to have him fed to his (M'Baku's) children, then a few seconds later laughingly reveals that his people are all in fact vegetarians! Another thing to admire about M'Baku, which is the spiritual lesson that could be taken from him, is that he also has enough of a sense of humility and "The bigger picture" that he is willing to fight alongside his rival Black Panther (Whom he even comes to call "Brother" at one point) in order to help stop a greater threat, as he does so not once but twice: In 'Black Panther,' he helps lead his tribe's warriors in backing up Black Panther's army against the evil Erik Killmonger's army, and in 'Avengers: Infinity War,' he does the same in the battle against Thanos's hordes. Hearing him lead his warriors in their battle chant whenever they show up to battle is so incredibly cool every time, he's almost as good at making an entrance as Iron Man and Captain America are! But, I digress: The point I'm trying to make is, even in Christian circles, there are going to be people who aren't necessarily big fans of each other. It might be for doctrinal differences, or personal matters, but whatever the cause, we can still work together in the name of helping to advance God's cause. Certainly in my own experience, there have been plenty of times in which I've had to work together with those of differing religious, political, or social views than my own, but we make it work because we focus more on the faith we have in common than on what divides us. This is clearly a Biblical principle. Galatians 3:28 has Paul reminding the believers that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Also, 1 Peter 3:8 says "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." This second verse perfectly fits the attitude M' Baku eventually adopts towards Black Panther and his people.
 So, that sums up M'Baku: A fascinating character who I hope we'll see more of in future Marvel films, again leading his warriors in with that incomparable battle chant!

10. Sarah Quinn, 'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.'


(Credit for this image goes to the user "JH10" on the Goosebumps Wiki)
This is an interesting pick for me; Not only is it the second time that a character from the spookily fun 'Goosebumps' movie series made my list (The first time being when I included Champ from the first movie on my Best- of- 2015 list), it's also the second year in a row that a character played by the young actress Madison Iseman makes my list, and for a film in which she co- starred with Jack Black, to boot (The first time being last year, for her character in 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'). Sarah is probably the most relatable character in 'Goosebumps 2.' She is going through all kinds of issues in the beginning of the movie; She wants to apply to Columbia University for their writing program but is having writer's block on writing a key essay for her application with the time before the enrollment deadline ticking away, she's trying to keep her younger brother Sonny and his friend Sam from unwittingly hurting anyone or causing damage with Sonny's quite hazardous school science project and generally keep them out of trouble, and she learns that her supposedly devoted boyfriend has been cheating on her. AND, all this is BEFORE she then has to deal with the evil ventriloquist's dummy Slappy returning, threatening her family's lives and setting out to resurrect an army of mutants, monsters and maniacs on Halloween night.  Still, with help from Sonny and Sam, she manages to face her fears, defeat Slappy, and win the day. For Sarah to face so many challenges, both natural and supernatural, and overcome them so well, you HAVE to root for her! She balances so much for a girl her age, and it really is relatable for any of us who have a lot of responsibilities on our plate. The theological message to learn from Sarah mainly centers around the conclusion of the movie, when she uses her experience that Halloween as inspiration for her to write her application essay relating to the subject of fear (Which, of course, gets her in). She opens it by saying, "I think most of us are afraid that we don't have a story to tell, that there's nothing special about us. And then a moment comes, when you least expect it, where you have to step up, no matter how terrified you are. But, what I've learned is it's good to be scared sometimes. Scared of losing the people we love, or scared of not achieving our dreams. Because those moments remind us just how special our stories really are. And maybe when you face enough of your fears, life stops being so scary after all." This is all very much a Biblical concept, especially the last sentence. One of the first verses it brings to mind is James 1:2-4, which states "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." The hard and scary moments we all face in life are used by God to help us grow stronger and also more dependent on Him. Each one we face makes us better prepared for the next one, and makes us feel less and less scared. It also brings to mind James 1:12, which says that "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him." When we face such hard and frightening challenges in life, yet make it through out of our devotion to the Lord, we will be greatly rewarded for it by Him in one way or another, similar to how Sarah's perseverance leads to the reward of her being inspired to write the essay that gets her into the college of her dreams.
That about covers Sarah Quinn; A great heroine who faces a lot of trials and fears yet stands triumphant over all of them and can inspire all of us to do the same!

Honorable mentions go to George the gorilla from 'Rampage,' Mr. Chu from 'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,' Sister Irene from 'The Nun' (She nearly made this list), Knuckles McGinty from 'Paddington 2,' and Will Sawyer from 'Skyscraper.'
That's it for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Keep your eyes open for my new entries I'll have on the way soon. Until then, may God bless you all!