Old blending with new, and clinging to truth: A faith- based look at 'A Claymation Christmas Celebration.'

 Hi, everyone, and merry belated Christmas and happy New Year from the Nightcrawler Experience!
Sorry for another late Christmas entry this year, a combination of hectic work and a jam- packed Christmas break kept me from getting it out any earlier!
In this entry, I'll be finishing out both 2023 and my "A Very 80's Christmas" series I started two years ago with the 1987 Christmas special 'A Claymation Christmas Celebration'!



This very odd (Like all the 80's Christmas specials I've looked at, now that I think about it) but charming special utilizes stop motion clay animation, is made by Will Vinton who was a real pioneer of this art form, is hosted by two anthropomorphic dinosaurs: A straight- laced and well- read T- Rex named simply Rex, and a gluttonous and rather simple- minded styracosaurus (Sort of like a triceratops) named Herb.

In this special, Herb and Rex introduce stand- alone segments of innovative performances of Christmas carols, explaining a little about the origins of each song before the performances start.

The first musical segment is my favorite: A look at the timeless American carol "We Three Kings." This is arranged in a unique way: The song's verses are performed by the three Maji themselves in a fairly standard traditional way, but the song's chorus is performed by their CAMELS, in more of a doo- wop style. Both styles sound beautiful, the designs for each of the characters in this sequence are all unique and detailed, and the final chorus actually manages to combine the two musical styles in a pretty seamless way. I have to agree with Rex in the aftermath of that segment when he says, "Now, wasn't that delightful?"

Next, we have an interesting take on the "Carol of the Bells." Here, it takes place in the Notre Dame Cathedral, with Quasimodo acting as a conductor for a choir of living bells that each peal out a different tune by banging themselves in the head with chime hammers (Remember I said this special was a weird one?). We see there is one particularly dim- witted bell in the choir who plays a key note in the song, but who messes around a lot and loses his chime hammer. Quasimodo understandably gets pretty mad, but comes up with a clever way to solve this problem by the end of the segment.

For the third segment, we hear a children's choir sing "O Christmas Tree," with the visuals showing various groups celebrating around a Christmas tree, from two little children decorating their tree, to a family (I think) of gingerbread people dancing, to the North Pole workshop with elves creating toys, to Santa and Mrs, Claus relaxing in front of their fireplace, and back. Each of these visuals segues into the next by the camera zooming in on an ornament hanging on that particular group's Christmas tree.

Segment #4 uses an instrumental performance of "Angels We Have Heard on High," which is set to a walrus couple performing an interpretive ice ballet, while repeatedly bowling over a group of unfortunate penguins watching the performance. I think it's the closest thing to a weak link the special has, but it'll still get some chuckles out of you.

Segment #5 is a REALLY pretty one, yet the only one in the special that doesn't use Claymation animation: At a countryside church, we hear "Joy to the World" performed in a soul/ jazz style, accompanied by colorful visuals which resemble the stained glass windows on the church. It's a little strange- looking, but incredibly beautiful at the same time, and the music in that segment is truly awe- inspiring.

The last musical vignette involves the California Raisins (Anybody else remember them?) missing a bus out of town after a Christmas Eve concert, and singing "Rudolph, the Red- Nosed Reindeer" while coming up with an innovative new form of transportation to get on their way. They can always put on a fun performance with talented vocals, and this is no exception. The California Raisins need to make a comeback!

Acting as kind of bookends to these segments, we cut back each time to our hosts Herb and Rex. When they aren't talking about the songs, we see Rex being increasingly annoyed as the dear old Christmas carol "Here We Come a Wassailing" is constantly being lyrically butchered by various traveling food vendors (i.e. A group of dogs selling waffles sing it "Here We Come a Waffling," some geese waddling by selling baskets full of treats sing it "Here We Come a Waddling," etc.), with none of them seeming to know what "Wassail" truly means, and Herb too busy stuffing his face with what the vendors are selling to care. Attempting to consult the dictionary on what it means doesn't help much, either. Finally, near the end of the special, Rex is pleased to hear a group of leprechaun- esque elves singing the song the right way while chugging cider. One of them explains that the actual meaning of it is to go around neighborhoods singing Christmas carols and receiving treats and drinks from the people there, which is something that both Rex and Herb can get behind. The special ends with the entire cast, including the characters from the previous musical segments, singing that song, and then "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

In spite of how strange it could be at times, 'A Claymation Christmas Celebration' remains a marvelous Christmas special which is another addition to my library of traditional pre- Christmas viewing material.
The music is consistently great, in terms of both talent and variety. The animation looks great for the time. Stopmotion animation, especially with clay, is a dying art, but this is a great example of how it can be used when done well. In addition, Rex and Herb are excellent host characters, with a great "Straight- Man/ Funny- Man" comedy duo in their segments. This special also ended up winning an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.
This special also gains points for the fact that one of the animators who worked on it was Craig Bartlett, who would go on to create the delightful Nickelodeon animated show 'Hey Arnold!'
All in all, an awesome special that needs to be remembered. Here's a link to it, check it out:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x57fkhi

I'd say 'A Claymation Christmas Celebration' has some theological messages, as well.

I think the first is on the role that both traditional and contemporary styles have their place in our modern worship, as seen through the marvelous "We Three Kings" segment. In that segment, even though the Maji sing the verses in the traditional way and the camels sing it in a doo- wop style, they both play off each other well, and meld together surprisingly beautifully on the final refrain. Similarly, both traditional hymns and worship styles can compliment each other nicely and do great things for the Lord.

 Many older Christians can look down on and dismiss more modern styles of worship in ways that come across as really closed- minded. I recently saw a depressingly ignorant blog article from a certain gentleman who shall remain nameless (I talked briefly about this jerk in my review of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' a few years ago), in which he was spewing all kinds of hateful garbage about contemporary Christian music. In the article, he at times insulted some particular contemporary Christian music artists on such ridiculously petty bases as claiming that some male contemporary performers don't look masculine enough for his liking, and claiming that certain female Christian artists (Ones who I have personally met a few times and know for a fact are genuinely kind and humble, have strong hearts for the Lord, and helped me learn more about living for Jesus than this clown ever has, btw) had too "Prideful" expressions on their faces on an old magazine cover. I used to occasionally visit that creep's web page for laughs over how unintentionally absurd he is, but now will never waste another second of my time doing so ever again. Along the same line, many younger believers can be equally closed- minded and dismissive of the older styles, claiming that it's "Boring" or obsolete. As a teacher at a Christian school, I've heard that view occasionally expressed by certain students.
 

Both views are wrong. In truth, both forms of worship have their place in the church. Traditional forms and styles of worship can keep the church well- grounded and connected to its theological heritage, and contemporary styles can inject fresh energy into things, touch people's hearts, connect to the struggles modern believers face, and draw in younger generations and thus encourage them to give the faith a chance. It all ties in to Psalm 100:5, which says "For the Lord is good, and His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Notice those last two words: ALL generations! Both the traditional and the contemporary can work together to help the church fulfill the Lord's calling to lead people to Jesus and spread His Word throughout the world, just as the two seemingly different styles of singing in the "We Three Kings" segment worked together so well to present that timeless song.

As a second theological message, the host- segments' subplot involving Rex trying to keep the other characters from butchering the wassailing carol can symbolize the importance for all of us as Christians to ensure that we stand up for the truth of the Gospel. There are some pushes to try and dilute the Gospel in our modern age and care more about shifting societal norms than about what Jesus and His apostles taught (Heck, there is a near- war developing within the United Methodist Church over such concerns). In Psalm 12:6-7, though, the Psalmist says "The words of the Lord [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, o Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." In Acts 5:29, after Peter is told by priests to stop preaching or go to prison, and the response was "Then Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." We all should, to the best of our abilities, hold to the same concept, following God's eternal commandments and callings for us rather than the fickle norms of secular society.

That sums up my look at 'A Claymation Christmas Celebration,' a timeless Christmas classic which teaches equally timeless lessons.
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned for future entries, as I work on my Top 10 movie characters of 2023 and what we can learn from them.
Until then, happy New Year, and may God bless you all!

Controlling our Inner Demons: What to Learn from "The Unfortunate Five."

 Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
This is a LONG- overdue entry I intended to be part 2 of this year's Halloween series, but one thing led to another, and I just couldn't finish it any sooner than I did.
I hope everyone had a happy Halloween, and WILL have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Another important announcement is that, in about a week, it will be the ten- year anniversary of my very first entry of the Nightcrawler Experience! Ten years and now 85 entries later, I remain as committed to continuing this ministry as ever! There have been some hangups, between writer's block, haters trying to discourage me from continuing (Nice try, Satan), and of course simple busyness and time constraints, but with God's help I persevered, and intend to keep making new entries on this blog for a long, long time to come!
Lastly, on a more somber note, this entry is dedicated to the memory of my old friend Karen Sowders, who passed away last week. She was a straight- up saint of a woman, acting as a helpful volunteer to the First United Methodist Church of Lake Alfred youth group when I was its youth director, remaining fiercely loyal to both her family and her church, and deeply committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll never forget her warm smile, and I have no doubt she's continuing to smile like that in the Kingdom of Heaven at this very moment. See you up there, Karen.
Now then, let's grab the last of our leftover Halloween candy and get to the actual entry.

For this part of my Scares and Salvation series for the St. John's youth group, I returned to a show I had previously talked about in another Halloween entry of this blog back in 2018: The British- Canadian kids' TV show 'Creeped Out.' 

(Credit for this image goes to the user llemworld on the Creeped Out wiki at https://creeped-out.fandom.com/wiki/Creeped_Out_Wiki?file=Download_%284%29.jpg)
As I said in the previous entry about it, this was a weird and creepy anthology show, sometimes filmed in England and other times filmed in Canada (You can tell which episodes were filmed where by the accents heard from the characters), with kids and teens facing all kinds of bizarre and creepy circumstances. Each episode is opened and closed with a brief narration by an unseen narrator and an appearance by the show's sort- of host, the Curious, a mysterious, silent, childlike little masked figure who apparently shows up wherever such tales happen and usually collects some sort of souvenir of the story in question.

 While the Curious does not seem malevolent in nature, it still gives off an ominous feel, especially while whistling the show's eerie theme music. For those who didn't catch my 2018 entry, here's a video that introduces an early episode of the show and paints a picture of what the Curious is usually like:

(This video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8RyW_A-nAQ)

In my previous look at this show, I focused on the Season 1 episode "Trolled." In this one, in turn, I will be looking at a Season 2 episode entitled "The Unfortunate Five."

In this episode, a group of five very different high school children are being punished for assorted misbehavior with Saturday detention: Strictly- raised rich girl Jude, social media- obsessed Feng, well- liked soccer player Mayel, shy Willow, and nerdy Stan.
Upon arriving at the school, they are met by Mr. Hawkins, a cruel sleazebag who happens to be the school's assistant principal. He promptly confiscates the kids' phones, informs them that nobody will be getting in or out of the school until the detention is finished as he has the keys, and directs them to the school's library, where we learn that the detention will be supervised by a woman named Miss Cully, though she insists that they call her Faye.

 She tells them that she apparently works for a group called "The Empathy Project," and that she will be putting them through a sort of alternative rehabilitation that day intended to help them with their respective issues that got them sent to detention in the first place. Her program is apparently called "YUMM" (Short for Yoga, Unblocking, Mindfulness, and Meditation), and it is mentioned that she used it in another school on an incredibly angry and destructive boy named Rob Dorsett, who recently went missing. Faye abruptly changes the subject and asks the students to form a "Truth circle," which soon degenerates into a screaming match as it becomes clear that the five students have personal grudges against each other, many of which led to the reasons why they were each sent to detention.

Faye then tells the students to take a break. Going to the bathroom, Jude hears a strange noise. She sees Faye growling like an animal, leaping onto the sink, and wiping a dark, inky substance from her mouth. Jude sneaks out before Faye can catch/ discover her. She goes to Mr. Hawkins's office to try and tell him what is happening, but the apathetic jerk of course doesn't believe her, makes it clear he cares more about enjoying his lunch than about the safety of the students, and rubs salt in the wound by saying that she and the other four students aren't worth saving anyway.

Upon returning to the library, Jude notices Faye carrying a handkerchief that belonged to the missing Rob Dorsett, and Faye says that that boy's fear, hostility and anger made him "Perfect for (Her) needs," but that she now needs a replacement. At this, Jude realizes that Faye is a demon who feeds on such negative emotions, and that she intends to consume the five students just as she did to Rob.

Jude shares her suspicions with the others in the group, but they too don't believe her at first. Eventually, Jude convinces the group that they shouldn't necessarily want to get rid of their anger, as it gives them the passion to do what they are good at (i.e. Mayel channels it into being unbeatable on the soccer field, Feng vents it through his social media posts, etc.).
Growing desperate as this isn't going how she intended, Faye takes Willow from the library to try and feed on her, so the students know they need to act fast, and figure the best way to do that is to give her a more tempting/ nourishing target. So, while the other kids distract Faye, Jude goes back to Mr. Hawkins's office, and does everything she can to irritate him. Sure enough, Hawkins had so much hatred and anger buried within him for so many years that this causes him to quickly explode into furious yelling and threats. At this, the other kids in the group lead Faye to him, and his rage attracts her enough that she goes to town on him (The way this unfolds is scary and intense, yet not so gruesome as to turn off the kids that are the show's primary audience, and Hawkins was such a creep that nobody would be too sad at his fate anyway).
Leaving the school, Jude returns everyone's stuff, and it's clear that they have all made up and become friends again and will not mention what happened to anyone, while Faye walks away serenely. The Curious is seen on the school's roof collecting as a souvenir a jar full of an inky black substance (Most likely all that was left of Mr. Hawkins after Faye was done with him), and the narrator says that when you're angry, you should count to five rather than to ten, as "Anger- feeders" like Faye can reach you quickly.

'The Unfortunate Five' made for a great episode of the show. It was scary, funny at times, taught a good message, and most of the acting was good.
The kids were each likable enough in their own ways (Though learning more about each of them would have been nice), Mr. Hawkins was suitably scummy and easy to hate, and Faye's actress did a wonderful job handling her both as a gentle, passive hippy- type that she often seemed to be, and as the snarling monster we soon learn she really is. 

All in all, a wonderful entry to a fascinating show. Check it out on Netflix if you want.

Now, who thinks they can guess the Scriptural message that can be drawn from this episode?

That’s right: The problems of uncontrolled anger!

Everyone feels anger sometimes. I certainly do. Heck, I faced it earlier the very day I gave this message to the youth group when I had my class at recess, and attempting to fix one student’s idiotic decision led to me getting a huge splinter in my finger that drew blood. The real issue, though, is how to respond when we feel it.

In my years as an educator in various capacities, I’ve seen loads of times when people of all different ages have lost their tempers. It never ends well. One afternoon a month ago, I saw a parent lose her temper with one of my fellow teachers over an incident that happened with that parent’s child earlier in the day that was taken out of context. It was scary to behold, and as I witnessed it, I was praying that it would come to a peaceful resolution, which it thankfully did.

As this episode showed, kids and adults alike can feel anger, and can lose their temper. Also as this episode shows, Satan and his demons love when people lose their tempers. They may not devour people consumed by anger the way that Faye does in this, but they do guide such people into acts of evil and destruction. That way, they can both spread pain and chaos, AND corrupt people’s souls.

The Bible has loads of verses dealing with the problems of not properly controlling our anger.

Proverbs 14:29 says, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” In other words, it’s saying that it’s smart to be patient, but it’s stupid to lose your temper. I often think over that verse inwardly when I start really getting angry. A similar verse is Ecclesiastes 7:9, which says “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” James 1:19 says “Know this, my beloved brothers: Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Proverbs 16:32 says “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

When you can tell you’re getting angry, and especially when you can tell that the other person is deliberately trying to get you angry, that’s when you really need to step back and make sure you have your emotions under control. Something along those lines happened to me last year. One incredibly rude student called me to my face an insult that I will not repeat here. All I’ll say is it’s something that I was called a lot by bullies when I was in high school, and I had thought my days of being called that were over. My temper immediately flared up, but thankfully I let my brain keep control: I realized that the boy was trying to goad me into losing my temper and hitting him, so I’d be fired and possibly arrested, and that it wouldn’t be worth all that just for him. So, I took a couple deep breaths, and brought things back under control.

I once came across a guy on Youtube who was talking about anger management, and he made a good point: When a person’s deliberately provoking us to anger and we give in, it’s like we’re puppets on strings letting that person control us. If we can stay calm, resist the bait, and ignore it the best we can, we’re cutting those strings and keeping control over our own lives and actions. Jesus Himself HAD to have been angry when the Romans were beating and mocking Him right before crucifying Him, but He didn't let that anger consume Him. If He can have that kind of self- control, we too should have it when facing our own much smaller- scale provocations.

Anger at its core is not necessarily a bad thing. Anger over righteous issues can be used by the Lord to help right wrongs and address injustices, like when Jesus threw out the corrupt moneychangers in the Temple, and in the Civil Rights era, when anger over racial injustice led to people standing up against hate and bringing about positive changes to the world.

The key is in what you do with your anger. As Jude tells her friends late in the episode, each of them is able to discover their personal talents and rise to challenges due in part to their anger, and finding healthy ways to express it.

It is possible to rein in your anger with practice. I right now have a student who I’ll call “Ronnie.” He gets angry very quickly, and had some nasty explosions of temper in my class early in the school year. Now, however, while some things clearly still get him angry, he shows remarkable amounts of self- control. I think one thing that helps him a lot is he has found a great positive outlet for his anger, in the form of his being on the school’s basketball team.

Letting it out in healthy ways is also important because, if you keep it all in and bottle it up for too long, it can explode out of you in the worst possible ways at the worst possible moments, like it did for Mr. Hawkins in the end of the episode. He went from eating lunch to BECOMING lunch, all because he allowed that anger and bitterness to fester within him for so long without properly addressing it. Like I said, it’s all about finding healthy ways to express and release it.

By following this, avoiding rising to the bait of people who provoke us, and finding constructive outlets for our anger, we can keep our tempers under control, model the sort of peace Jesus had, and keep the real- life “Anger- feeders” out there from making a meal of our souls.

That's all for this entry of the Nightcrawler Experience. Keep your eyes peeled, as I'll be making my annual Christmas- themed entries very soon. Until then, take care, and may God bless you all!

The Price of Pride: What Can be Learned from "Laughing in the Dark."

 

Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!

Sorry I let this blog go into a bit of a hiatus for a while, I’ve just been extremely busy.
I had to postpone my other entry in the Summer at the Movies series so I could quick get in a couple of my annual Halloween- related entries. I’ll return to it in November, but for now, let’s get into Spooky Season!
I will be using some entries in the ‘Scares and Salvation’ guest message series I do each October for the youth group at St. John’s United Methodist Church to make these.
For this entry, I’ll be returning to the classic Nickelodeon show ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’

If anyone doesn’t remember when I took a look at an episode of this amazing series back in 2016, it was a show that ran on Nickelodeon from 1992- 1996, then got a bit of a revival a couple years after that, and in recent years Nick has been doing more with it, as well. The basic gyst is that a group of teens known as “The Midnight Society” meet together around a campfire at a clearing in the woods to tell scary stories to each other. It was often genuinely scary, especially in its first season, and played a big role in me becoming a fan of horror.

For this installment, I will be looking at one of the first and most well- known episodes of the series, entitled “The Tale of Laughing in the Dark.”

(Credit for this image goes to the user ijustgottaburger at the Are You Afraid of the Dark wiki at https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_Laughing_in_the_Dark?file=Eplogo2.png#Gallery)

This story, told by Midnight Society member Betty Ann (Who often tells some of the scariest stories on the show; She also tells the other story/ episode I looked at on this blog in 2016, “The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors”), takes place at an amusement park named Playland. One of its features is a haunted house attraction called Laughing in the Dark. In the final room of it, there is a hideous dummy of a clown named Zeebo, that scares the living daylights out of all who encounter it.

We then meet our episode’s main character Josh, his best friend Weegee (Why his parents named him that, I have no clue), and Weegee’s younger sister Kathy. They don’t enter the spooky attraction, but are fascinated by it, and desire to learn more about it.
The three of them discover that the dummy was based on an actual person, a circus clown who in 1924, robbed his circus’s payroll and then tried to hide out in Playland’s original haunted house, only to be killed when one of his carelessly- discarded cigars started a fire. So, the haunted attraction was rebuilt and renamed Laughing in the Dark, now with the dummy modeled after Zeebo, and a rumor that Zeebo’s ghost haunts the attraction.

 

(Say hello to Zeebo! Doesn’t he look jolly? Credit for this image goes to the user ijustgottaburger at the Are You Afraid of the Dark wiki at https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/Zeebo?file=Zeeboagainokay.png)

Josh refuses to believe this, and being an arrogant little punk, is determined to prove how brave he is. So, he accepts a dare from Weegee (Who had clearly gotten sick of Josh’s bragging) to go into Laughing in the Dark alone and steal the Zeebo dummy’s clown- nose.

Josh makes his way through Laughing in the Dark, and while he is scared at times, especially when the Zeebo dummy comes out, he does indeed manage to steal its nose. His cockiness soars to even greater heights at this, as the next day, we see him rubbing his victory in Weegee and Kathy’s faces.
Josh’s gloating proves to be short- lived, however; Zeebo is real, and doesn’t take kindly to thieves.
A few genuinely terrifying scenes in Josh’s house late that night lead to him fleeing back to the park and returning the nose (Complete with some cigars thrown in as a peace offering; Where a clearly underaged boy like Josh got them, I guess we’ll never know), so he narrowly dodges what would have likely been an awful fate and leaves while the mysterious old carny who runs the ride eerily repeats its slogan, “It’s the most fun in the park, when you’re Laughing in the Dark!”

 

“The Tale of Laughing in the Dark” was one of the first episodes of the series, and to this day is regarded by fans as one of the best. Some of the acting from a couple of the kid actors in it isn’t the best, but other performances are wonderful. The late Aron Tager (Who also appears on the show in a few more episodes as a fascinating recurring villain named Dr. Vink) plays both the old carny AND the voice of Zeebo, and brings plenty of scares to both roles. The faux- cheery Southern drawl he gives the Carny will definitely fill you with unease.
It creates a genuinely frightening atmosphere, between the “Spooky clown”- esque music, and some of the visuals used. The scare- factor particularly shines during the climax at Josh’s house. Even with Zeebo never seen in the flesh, just the knowledge that he is nearby and some of the things he does to freak Josh out will keep your skin crawling. In fact, Zeebo remaining unseen in those moments actually makes it even scarier, as it leaves his true appearance up to the viewers’ imaginations.

The campfire bookend segments with the Midnight Society are great, too, as one of the other members, Kristen, suffers through hearing the story has she is afraid of clowns, and the other members rib her about it while Betty Ann continues the story.

This episode was also rather impactful for the show, as several other episodes after it give good old Zeebo a mention of some sort (i.e. A couple episodes show characters playing a video game called “Zeebo’s Big House” which has a picture of him on the cover, and another episode has a girl commenting that if she puts on any more lipstick, “I’ll look like Zeebo the clown!”). The show’s writers clearly knew they hit on a real winner with him! In fact, in the 2019 sort- of reboot of the show, one episode had someone in the background wearing a Zeebo mask. I myself even a few years ago wrote a decades- later sequel to it for a Facebook group I’m part of!

All in all, “The Tale of Laughing in the Dark” truly is a classic episode of a classic scary show, and it holds up pretty well over 30 years later. Give it a watch if you want some spooky yet family- friendly Halloween viewing.

 

I’d say the main Scriptural message that can be taken from ‘The Tale of Laughing in the Dark’ is on the problems that can come from pride.

All the trouble that Josh got into all stemmed from his arrogance, his unchecked pride. He was so determined to prove how brave he was and have something to brag about that he stole Zeebo’s nose, and in the process incurred the wrath of a VERY angry ghost.

While in real life, letting our pride take over probably won’t cause an angry clown- ghost to come after us, it CAN lead to all kinds of other problems for us. Many consider pride to be among the worst sins a person can commit.

A big part of the reason why pride is such a major sin is because it can lead to people in a sense worshipping themselves as a kind of God, which is idolatry.

One of my all time favorite authors and Christian theologians, C.S. Lewis (Who some of you may know as the person who wrote the 'Chronicles of Narnia' series), described pride in this way: "“According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” In fact, one of Lewis’s Narnia books, ‘The Horse and His Boy,’ dealt a lot with the problems that pride can cause a person. The main villain in that book, Prince Rabadash, ends up making a complete laughingstock of himself and ruining his own life purely out of his own ridiculous pride.

As Lewis pointed out, pride was what made the Devil who he is. He started as Lucifer, the Light- Bringer, God's highest angel. However, he became proud and arrogant, and believed that he could be the one to rule all of existence, and so he tried to lead an angel rebellion against God. He and his forces were defeated, the angels who sided with him became demons, and he became Satan. Then, in the Garden of Eden, Satan in the form of the Serpent used pride to trick Adam and Eve into disobeying God through eating the forbidden fruit, by convincing them that eating it could make them like God.Arrogant people can be such a headache to be around. It makes people think they are so superior to others, intellectually, physically, and in so many other forms. They become completely self- obsessed. An important consideration to make, though, is that while pride can be a very easy sin to see in others, it can be a very difficult one to see in yourself. That’s why it’s important to have good friends and family members we trust who we can stay accountable to, to help us keep our egos under control and stay humble.

Another reason is because pride so easily leads to so many other sins, as a root cause. In the episode, Josh’s pride drove him to steal. Pride in real life has driven people to steal, to cheat, to be cruel, and even to kill. I’d imagine many gang- related murders are done out of pride, either a desire for the killer to prove themselves, or avenge some perceived insult to their pride.

The Bible is littered with condemnations of pride. The book of Proverbs in particular has a lot of them. Proverbs 16:5 says that "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Be assured, he will not go unpunished." Josh certainly discovered that. Proverbs 21:4 says "Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin." Proverbs 27:2 gives good advice on how to avoid pride: "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips." So, try to let others be the one to praise your achievements, not yourself.

All this isn’t to say that we should have a low opinion of ourselves, either. God made us the way we are, and we should enjoy and appreciate the gifts we have, and use them as best we can. We just need to make sure we keep a healthy view of them that’s in line with how God would have us view them.

One more quick thing to note: As bad of a sin as pride is, it can always be forgiven, by trusting in the humility of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly embodied humility. As it says in Philippians 2:6-8, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He could have stayed in Heaven, as God, yet He humbled Himself enough to come to Earth as a human, live as a poor carpenter’s son, and died a humiliating death on a cross, all for the sake of saving us from our sins. THAT’S humility!

I’d say by remembering this, and staying humble, we can keep from ending up in as much trouble as Josh did and truly be the good, Godly people that Jesus intended us to be. Just be careful if you out of nowhere detect the smell of cigar smoke when you’re all alone!

That’s about it for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Check back soon for another entry, I should have at least one more up by Halloween night. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

'Dodging Peer Pressure, Seeking Righteousness, and the Voice of the Spirit: A Faith- Based Look at 'Pinocchio.'

Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience!

For this entry, I am again partnering with St. John's United Methodist Church for their Summer at the Movies event, in which they screen a movie each week and I then write out a blog entry sharing Scriptural messages that can be found in it.

Tonight we aired the first movie in that series, last year's live- action remake of Disney's 'Pinocchio'!

(Credit for this image goes to the user Alex2424121 at the Disney wiki at https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Pinocchio_(2022_film)?file=Pinocchio_2022_official_poster.jpg)

The story is largely the same as in the classic animated film (Which in turn was based on a novel by Carlo Callodi): Kind but lonely toymaker Geppetto (Played here by Tom Hanks) builds a wooden puppet boy named Pinocchio, and his then wishing upon a star leads to the Blue Fairy bringing Pinocchio to life. The boy is determined to become real, and is told that to do so, he must choose to be "Brave, truthful, and unselfish." The Fairy then charges a hobo cricket named Jiminy (Voice of Joseph Gordon- Levitt) to act as his conscience and keep him on the right path.
However, this is easier said than done. While attempting to go to school, Pinocchio is convinced by the fox and cat con artists "Honest John" and Gideon to instead pursue a life as an actor, appearing in the puppet show of the cruel Stromboli. From there, Pinocchio eventually escapes and next winds up convinced to go to the chaotic "Paradise" Pleasure Island, but that of course proves to have a much darker side than anyone anticipated. Barely escaping that, Pinocchio sets out to sea to be reunited with Geppetto, only for both of them to have one last adventure as they are swallowed by the massive sea beast Monstro (Rather than the giant whale he was in the original, here he is a gigantic monster that resembles a cross between a whale and a kraken), and have a thrilling escape that teaches all of them what it truly means to be a real boy.

I’ll admit, this version of ‘Pinocchio’ has some problems. For one thing, the Blue Fairy is underused, as she’s only seen during the scene when she brings Pinocchio to life and tells him how to become a real boy. In addition, a scene that frankly doesn’t make sense to include is, when Pinocchio and Jiminy briefly get away from Honest John and Gideon, Pinocchio makes it to school and goes in, but is promptly kicked out by the teacher who tells him that school is only for real children. That I think kind of misses the point of the original story.

All in all, though, this ‘Pinocchio’ is a nice, entertaining take on the story, and mostly faithful to the animated version it's based on. While certainly not the best of Disney's recent live- action remakes (i.e. 'Cinderella,' 'Beauty and the Beast'), it's a good watch.

It has some humor, TONS of nods to other Disney films (Especially looking at some of the special clocks in Geppetto's workshop), action, and a good amount of heart.
The environments are all unique and all look great. From the quaint Italian village Geppetto lives in, to the chaotic hedonistic theme park environment of Pleasure Island (It has kind of a "Scary clown" decor vibe that perfectly suggests both the fun to be had there, and how dangerous it really is), to the gloomy inside of Monstro's stomach, they truly built a whole world for this movie.
The songs work well too, from familiar ones like "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "I've Got No Strings," to new ones like "I Will Always Dance" and a song the Coachman sings to convince Pinocchio to go with him to Pleasure Island.

Speaking of which, Pleasure Island was as scary as it was in the animated version, though with a few changes: For instance, this version seems to let girls in as readily as boys, and rather than beer and cigars that the kids enjoyed in the animated version, here they're chugging ordinary root beer. Also, the "Rough House" from the animated version (A tent where the boys can fight each other just for the fun of it) is now "The Contempt Court," where the kids yell and write insults to each other in I suppose a nod to cyberbullying. It may be different from how it usually is, but I can see why those changes were made, and it doesn't lessen how disturbing the scene becomes when the island's true purpose is revealed.
Now for the character run- down:
Pinocchio himself is about the same as he usually is: Sweet, naive, trusting, loving, and here we see he is also pretty adaptive to changing circumstances and learning from his experiences. Oh, and in the scene near the end of the Pleasure Island sequence, a funny touch amid such a terrifying scene is that, as Pinocchio begins transforming into a donkey somewhat, his new ears and especially his tail look like they are made out of wood just like the rest of him! All in all, a pretty good rendition of such a beloved character.

Tom Hanks brings amazing warmth and tenderness to Geppetto (as he really brings to ALL his roles), as well as a little more depth than the kindly old toymaker usually has. We learn the source of his loneliness: It's implied that he'd had a wife named Constanza and a son once, but they both died some time earlier, with the son presumably dying at a very young age.
The joy he shows when he first sees Pinocchio is alive and "Almost real" is so infectious! So, too, are his panic and desperation when the little guy turns up missing. You'll find yourself so eager to see this dear old man be reunited with his honorary son.
Jiminy Cricket is as loyal and fun to watch as he always is, and we also see him struggling a lot with his responsibilities as Pinocchio's new conscience, but always sticking with it and helping Pinocchio as best he can. Joseph Gordon- Levitt gives him a perfect voice, close to the original version, but with his own touches, as well.

The assorted villains each do their thing pretty well. Honest John and Gideon are as comical as they were in the original, but they aren't used as much as they had been in the past. The scenes that they ARE used in, though, are perfect. Keegan- Michael Keys does a wonderful job as the voice of Honest John, giving him a suitably hammy, pompous voice as he leads Pinocchio astray.
The puppet master Stromboli, on the other hand, is suitably sleazy and cruel, but not quite as much of a funny, bumbling doofus as he was in the original (I miss the hilarious little whinnying sound he makes in the animated version when Pinocchio initially botches the opening of "I've Got No Strings"). A plus is that this version of Stromboli gets what he deserves by the end of the story; Very refreshing, since the original animated movie had all its assorted scoundrels getting away scot- free with their crimes.

I LOVED how this version handled the Pleasure Island Coachman (Played here by Luke Evans, who had previously played another villain in  another live- action Disney remake: Gaston in 2017's 'Beauty and the Beast')! In the original version, the Coachman was almost TOO scary and sinister, to the point that one couldn't imagine even the dumbest of kids trusting him enough to go along with him.
This version, in contrast, is MUCH more charismatic and outwardly friendly at first, you could pretty easily see how he manipulates kids into trusting him enough to go along with him. Luke Evans gives a great performance that balances charm and menace (A reviewer once described him as "An evil Willy Wonka mixed with Jack Sparrow," and I'd say that description fits), and also nails the new song that the Coachman sings. As I said in last week's "Top 10 Movie Characters of 2022" entry, he was almost on that list as my favorite movie villain of 2022 before being narrowly edged out by The Prince from 'Bullet Train.'

There are a couple very fun new characters, as well. A friendly gull named Sofia provides a couple laughs and a LOT of help to the heroes over the course of the story. Another great one is a woman named Fabiana who works as one of the puppeteers for Stromboli's puppet show. She mainly uses a cute ballerina puppet, and we see that her leg is in some sort of metal brace; She thus can't dance, so she uses her ballerina puppet to let her act it out sort of vicariously. I thought that was such a nice touch. Her song "I Will Always Dance" is very pretty.

Now, for the theological meat of the matter.
Considering that 'Pinocchio' has always been a strong morality tale, it's not surprising that this movie would have a lot of faith- based messages to it.
The first, which I shared at the end of the screening, deals with general righteousness and decency. The Blue Fairy explains to Pinocchio that, in order for Pinocchio to become a real boy, he must "Prove to be brave, truthful, and unselfish...Learning to choose between right and wrong." She adds that when a boy shows these traits, "it makes his father proud."

 This is quite similar to the sort of righteousness that the Lord calls us all to. We can see this in Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Acting this way, with honesty, selflessness, and courage, makes our HEAVENLY Father very proud indeed!

Another lesson along those lines is about the guidance of the Holy Spirit. While the Blue Fairy is explaining all this to Pinocchio, she explains that his conscience will help him decide right from wrong. Pinocchio asks what a conscience is, and Jiminy Cricket amusingly interjects "A conscience is a still, small voice that most people refuse to listen to, and THAT is the entire problem with the world today!" 

This explanation is very similar to the leanings of the Holy Spirit on all of us. It acts as the voice of morality and righteousness to all believers, influencing them on the right, Godly way to act, and the fact that so many people do not listen to this voice and ignore this influence is indeed the main problem with the world today. Romans 8:14 says "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God." Jesus tells His disciples in Luke 12:11-12 "When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." By listening more to the voice of the Holy Spirit in directing our actions and decisions, we can indeed make this world a much better, happier, holier place.

Last but not least, a final theological message to be taken from this version of 'Pinocchio' is on the dangers of peer pressure. As I said earlier, this version makes the Coachman much more effective at manipulating Pinocchio, including getting the other children on his carriage to pressure Pinocchio into agreeing with him. Giving in to this, of course, leads Pinocchio and the other children right into the Coachman's trap and to a horrible fate that the little puppet barely avoids. Peer pressure is a very real, dangerous thing for not just children, but adults, as well. It has led so many real- life people away from the guidance of God and into equally horrible fates, and will do so until the End of Days. The Bible has a lot to say about avoiding peer pressure. Proverbs 1:10 says "My son, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not go with them." Later in the same book, Proverbs 4:14-15 says "Don't do what the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers. Don't even think about it; Don't go that way. Turn away and keep moving." It may not always be easy to go against what's popular, but when it involves standing true to your faith as a Christian and your knowledge of what's truly right, it's always worth it. Peers' attitudes can change and go out of style, but the Word of God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

So, that's about it for the live- action remake of Disney's 'Pinocchio,' a funny, exciting and heart- warming ride that teaches a lot about righteousness, following the leanings of the Holy Spirit, and avoiding peer pressure if it would lead you away from the Lord. The fleeting attention of worldly fame and destructive joys of Pleasure Island can't compare to such goodness!

Come back next week when I will be looking at the next film in this series. Until then, take care, and may God bless you all!

My 10 Favorite Movie Characters of 2022, and What We can Learn From Them!

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!

2023 is now half- over, and as usual, my first entry of the year will be a faith- based look at my 10 favorite movie characters of the previous year.

Sorry it's taken so disgracefully long to get this one out, work has kept me unbelievably busy!
2022 produced a whole host of wonderful cinematic characters, so narrowing my list down to just ten this year was tough! 
All the same rules as usual apply:

1. The characters are not listed in any order of preference.
2. It can be any kind of character, be it hero, antihero, villain, or supporting character.

3. The characters can be from any movie that came out last year, be it in theaters or streaming online.

4. It can be from any genre of film, of any rating.

5. It can include original characters created for the film, or adaptations of characters from pre- existing properties that are getting the movie treatment.

6. It can include characters appearing for the first time in a movie, or those who we've seen before but who we learn more about.

Disclaimer 1: There will be some spoilers for the movies in question to better show why I like these characters and what they can teach us.

Disclaimer 2: Not every movie featured in this list is suitable for sensitive audiences (It should be pretty obvious which ones are and which ones aren't). Use discretion in deciding whether or not to see each of them or let children see them.

Disclaimer 3: I obviously do not own the rights to any of these movies or characters.

Now then, I've wasted enough time in getting this list out already, so let's jump right into it!


1. Abby Park, 'Turning Red.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user LegendsAvatar$$ at the Disney wiki at   https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Abby_Park?file=Turning_Red_-_Abby_first_appearance.png)

'Turning Red' was a fascinating and funny look at topics like growing up, different generations relating to each other (Always a topic I enjoy seeing addressed, especially when it's done in a balanced way that doesn't make it seem like one generation has all the answers and the others need to just shut up and listen), and all that those entail. It involves a preteen girl named Mei who discovers that a family curse- of- sorts causes her to randomly turn into a giant red panda, and all the problems and opportunities that this brings.

Mei has a nice little circle of friends that do what they can to help her through this, and while all of them are pretty neat in their own ways, my favorite of them, favorite character in this movie, and obviously one of my favorite movie characters from 2022 in general has got to be her pudgy, purple- clad pal Abby Park!
This girl is completely nuts, yet in such an adorable way! Her short fuse, her exaggerated facial expressions (Just look at the grin on her face in the pic of her I used), and her quickly leaping to all manner of extremes are SOOOOOO funny! Her beatboxing skills are pretty amazing, too. I'm sure most of us had a friend a lot like her when we were younger.
Her voice actress Hyein Parks gives such a great, enthusiastic performance, you'd never guess it was her very first acting role!

As crazy as Abby is, though, her heart is most definitely in the right place, and she is marvelously loyal to her friends. She does all she can to help Mei get this little problem of hers under control.
This ties in to the Spiritual lesson that Abby helps to teach us, on the importance of loyalty and helping our loved ones when they face trials. Galatians 6:2 teaches us to "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." Just as Abby helps Mei in her struggles with the curse, we all need to do what we can to try and help our own loved ones who may be facing real- life trials, such as illness (Of themselves, or someone close to them), loneliness, and depression, not to mention loads of others. That kind of loyalty and compassion is what truly marks followers of Jesus.

So, there we have Abby Parks, a kooky little girl whose love and loyalty to those she cares about are rock- solid, and she can teach all of us to do the same. Just don't try and face off against her in a game of dodgeball, she can get a little TOO intense then!

Now, we go from one rather overweight supporting character to another:

2. Jacob Kowalski, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."

(Credit for this picture goes to the user Talisrael at the Harry Potter wiki at https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Jacob_Kowalski?file=Jacob_Kowalski_with_his_wand.jpeg)

Each of the 'Fantastic Beasts' films had a different character that particularly riveted me. In '... And Where to Find Them,' it was the main character Newt Scamander, in 'The Crimes of Grindlewald,' it was the evil Gellert Grindlewald, and in this one, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,' it's the incredibly likable supporting character Jacob Kowalski. Right off the bat, Jacob is unique in that he is the only prominent character in the entire Wizarding World franchise (Including not just the 'Fantastic Beasts' series, but also the 'Harry Potter' series) who is a Muggle/ No- Maj, so seeing the ways he interacts with all the different magical elements and people he meets makes for some great moments. 'The Secrets of Dumbledore' is good old Jacob reaching his true potential and showing what a hero he can truly be.
At the start of the movie, though, Jacob is in a really rough place. He's incredibly sad and lonely due to his fiancee Queenie having left him and joined the Dark Side at the end of the previous movie, his bakery that he sunk everything he had into is now struggling to stay open, and he is just generally miserable.
Things take a turn for Jacob when the witch Lally and his old friend Newt Scamander end up recruiting him in their attempts to stop Gellert Grindlewald from seizing power over the wizarding world.
Jacob ends up having quite a few adventures over the course of the movie: He is almost certainly the first Muggle/ No- Maj to enter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in a VERY long time, he attends a number of very important wizarding world functions, helps foil an assassination attempt, stands up to one of the most feared dark wizards of all time, and is nearly killed multiple times. Yet, it turns out well in the end: He directly helps save the entire world from falling under the will of a wanna- be tyrant, his bakery gets back on its feet, and (This is what had me straight- up cheering the first time I saw it in theaters) he gets Queenie back. Throughout it all, he remains the kind, brave, loyal, lovable gent he has been all through the series, and his actor Dan Fogler's performance is as great as ever.

The Biblical point that Jacob helps to drive home is on everyday goodness and heroism that we all can show. At the start of the movie, like I said, he is not in a good state. That evening, while he is closing up the bakery and wallowing in self- pity, he sees a woman across the street apparently being harassed by a group of guys. Even though he's not exactly a combat expert and they outnumber him three to one, he still bravely heads out with a frying pan and tells them to scram. It turns out to be Lally and a few friends of hers staging it in order to sort of test Jacob and help him realize the hero he still has within him. That, then, leads to this exchange:

Jacob: "(Indicating the frying pan he is holding in his hand)  Look, see this? See the pan? That's me. I'm the pan. I'm all dented, dime- a- dozen, I'm just a schmo. I don't know what kinda crazy ideas you have in your head, there, lady, but I'm sure as Hell you can do a lot better than me."
Lally: "I don't think I can, Mr. Kowalski. You could have ducked under the counter, but you didn't. You could have looked the other way, but you didn't. In fact, you were willing to put yourself in danger to save a perfect stranger. Seems to me, you're just the kind of average Joe the world needs right now. You just don't know it yet; That's why I had to show you."

Many of the figures in the Bible who went on to do incredible things started from unimpressive, average backgrounds. David was a shepherd boy and the youngest and smallest of his brothers, yet he went on to be a king. Peter was a probably- illiterate working- class fisherman with loads of issues, yet he became the leader of Jesus's disciples. Jesus Himself was the son of a poor carpenter, yet He saved all of mankind and altered the course of human history forever.
In much the same way, I'm sure many of us see ourselves as nothing special, but through following the Lord Jesus, trusting in Him, and striving to model everyday goodness and kindness like how Jacob did in the movie, we too can do incredible things for God and for the world around us.

Even though the poor box- office performance of 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' led to the cancellation of future sequels in that series, at the very least it ends on a good note for Jacob Kowalski, as he gets the happy ending he richly deserves for the good he did and the lessons he taught us on how anyone can become a hero.

Our next entry on the list is another average Joe who ends up doing pretty remarkable things, but unlike Jacob, he was actually a real person (Albeit a fictionalized portrayal of him):

3. Stuart "Stu" Long, 'Father Stu.'

(This fan- made icon was made by the Deviantart user Nandha602 at https://www.deviantart.com/nandha602/art/Father-Stu-2022-Movie-Folder-Icon-v2-913322957)

Right when I saw this movie, based on the true story of the late Stuart Long, I KNEW I had to put him on my list!
As we watch Stu in the movie, we see this troubled good- ol' boy go on all kinds of different paths over the course of his life; From amateur boxer eventually forced out of it due to injury, to struggling actor with multiple brushes with the law, to a nearly- fatal motorcycle accident which gets him thinking more about God and the concept of eternity, to finally setting out to become ordained as a Catholic priest. Even then, life has one more devastating curveball to throw at him.

Mark Wahlberg gives one of the best performances I've ever seen from him when playing Stu. He perfectly balances humor with heart, and you can feel for him with each of the assorted struggles he faces.
I'd say the Scriptural messages to be taken from Stu are pretty obvious. The first is on redemption and calling, and how God can save even the most fallen of us and give us new hope and a purpose. Stu was going nowhere fast throughout most of his life, accomplishing very little good and causing a lot of problems for others with his crude, reckless behavior. Nevertheless, God could save even him, helping Stu to find redemption through Christ and the chance to do great things for the Kingdom of God and draw others to Him. As he at one point puts it, " "God saved me and forgave me to show me that there's a reason I'm here." Interestingly enough, an epiphany similar to that was a part of what eventually led me to accepting Jesus as my own personal Savior in high school. It calls to mind 2 Corinthians 3:18, which says "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever- increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." As learning more about the Lord saved Stu and transformed him from a directionless troublemaker into a genuine servant of Jesus, so He can save and transform all of us from flawed and desperate sinners into His true faithful servants.

Another point to be taken from Stu is the reality that if God is planning to work a miracle in us, Satan is going to do his best to try and stop it, but we must endure. Stu experiences this firsthand, between his parents scoffing at his newfound interest in the Lord, his girlfriend Carmen (A great character herself) attempting to dissuade him from getting ordained, and finally him being diagnosed with a terminal illness that goes on to have such a debilitating effect on his motor skills that the Catholic diocese very nearly cancels ordaining him because they're afraid his illness affecting his hands could cause him to not be able to properly serve Communion. Nevertheless, he pushes through, and his sufferings and losses draw him closer to Jesus than ever before. He has loads of great quotes throughout the film that show this:

"Like anything, Father, it's the struggle that brings you closer to God."

"When God wounds us, he calls us closer to Him."

"The experience of suffering is the fullest example of God's love. It is a chance to be closer to Christ."

There are loads of Bible verses that reinforce this. First up, 2 Corinthians 4:17 says "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." Also, 2 Timothy 3:12 says "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..." Lastly, God Himself says in Isaiah 43:2 that "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

It is just a simple fact that, when we start following Jesus and He begins working in us, the Devil will try and throw everything he can at us to try and stop us. Have faith, however, that God can get us through all of it, one way or another. If Stu could come to understand this so thoroughly through what he experienced, then so can we.
So, that sums up Stu, a great portrayal of a remarkable man who I wish I could have met when he was alive in real life. But, fortunately, we'll have that chance in Heaven.

Now, for the next entry on this list, we will be going from a troubled man who learns to reform and become good, to a truly evil young woman with no interest in reforming:

4. The Prince, 'Bullet Train.'

(Credit for the picture goes to Eric Berkling on the Villains wiki at https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/7/72/BT-Character-Poster_Prince_Online-FormThePrinceBulletTrain_.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20220807072118)

As proof that God works in mysterious ways, it at times is strange to me how He helps these lists come about, and how suddenly they can change. Each time I make one of these character lists, I include one villain who I consider the best cinematic baddie from the previous year, and for months it was assured in my mind that the Coachman from Disney’s live- action ‘Pinocchio’ remake (Which I'll be talking about REAL soon in a future entry on this blog) would take that position for this list, as he was a wonderful, charismatic rendition of a deeply- underrated Disney villain. I had a lot of his entry written out, and his picture selected.

So, imagine my surprise when, in mid- January, I watched the 2022 film ‘Bullet Train,’ a marvelous action film about an assortment of assassins and spies each with their own missions and agendas who all happen to be on the same bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, and found that film contained an even nastier and more effective villain who can teach a similar lesson to the Coachman, but does so in an even better way. Enter “The Prince,” a ruthless assassin posing as a British schoolgirl on board the train. She’s out to kill a powerful crime lord known as “The White Death” as an act of personal revenge, and to that end, she throws the young son of one of his enforcers off the roof of a department store, knowing that the enforcer would then track her down to the train. She points out that one of her men is watching the child’s hospital room, and will kill the boy unless the enforcer willingly acts as an accomplice to The Prince’s intricate plot to kill the White Death.

While The Prince may not be as physically capable as the other assassins on board the train, her specialty lies in her cunning and particularly in her knack for manipulation. She can quickly turn on the charm, acting like a shy, terrified schoolgirl (Complete with tears if necessary) to earn people’s sympathy or get them to underestimate her, then in the blink of an eye pull a gun on someone or drop a figurative bombshell on them.

Joey King (A young actress I’ve been a big fan of ever since 2012’s ‘Oz, the Great and Powerful,’ in which she played the adorable China Girl) gives a truly magnificent performance. When she puts on her innocent facades, even after knowing her true nature, it still seems hard to not be as taken in by her as everyone else is. When she shows her true colors and reveals what a merciless sociopath she truly is, it's genuinely scary.

The main lesson to be taken from the Prince is on being careful whom you trust. Someone can put up a good show seeming to be harmless or friendly, but turn out to be sincerely evil and out to lure you to your destruction, as the Prince was towards pretty much every character she interacted with in the movie. She saw all of them as nothing but pawns for her to exploit and manipulate for her own benefit, and there are plenty of people in the world who could view us in the same way. The Bible often teaches this, the importance of discernment in whom we trust. For instance, Proverbs 12:5 teaches that "The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful." Learning who is okay to trust is a hard skill to develop, but with the Lord's guidance, you should be able to pull it off well.

So, there we have the Prince, an amazing villain who helps demonstrate that we need to be careful whom we trust, and not follow those who seem okay but inwardly are evil to the core.

A few other memorable 2022 movie villains include the aforementioned Coachman from Disney's 'Pinocchio,' Jimmy "Mr. Scrooge" Martinez from 'Violent Night,' the Riddler from 'The Batman,' the Grabber from 'The Black Phone,' and literally ALL the villains from 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' (They're each awesome in their own way: Goldilocks and the Three Bears bring some humor and loads of heart, Jack Horner brings hilarious scumbaggery and acts as the most prominent threat, and Death brings a sense of more subtle yet terrifying menace and drives the titular character's inner turmoil).

Fortunately, our next entry on the list is a much more pleasant female British character:

5. The Ghost of Christmas Past, 'Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.'

(Here she is, guiding a reluctant Ebenezer Scrooge along the path to redemption; Credit for this image goes to the user Jeminali on the Netflix Wiki at https://netflix.fandom.com/wiki/The_Ghost_of_Christmas_Past?file=Scrooge_A_Christmas_Carol_Scrooge_and_The_Ghost_of_Christmas_Past.png)

There have been TONS of adaptations of Charles Dickens' unforgettable novella 'A Christmas Carol,' each of which brings something different to the table. While this version of it, which premiered on Netflix last November, isn't really one of my favorite versions of it (I personally think the 2009 version with Jim Carrey is the best, with 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' in close second), it definitely has lots of strengths and high points, with one of the foremost being how it portrays the Ghost of Christmas Past!
In most versions of the story I've seen, I've found the Ghost of Christmas Past to be honestly one of the least memorable of the major characters. I mean, that portion of the story in general is wonderful and quite essential to revealing Ebenezer Scrooge's backstory, getting him to feel a little more remorseful for how he treated some of the people in his life, and paving the way for his redemption, but the Spirit itself as a character doesn't have the charm or poignance of the Ghost of Christmas Present or the quietly ominous scare- factor of the Ghost of Christmas Future.
This version changes all that, making her easily the most memorable and likable of the three Spirits, and in my opinion the best character in the movie as a whole! Here, she is a perky, quirky, shape- shifting candle- woman delightfully voiced by Olivia Colman, who you can tell is having so much fun with the role! She hardly goes 20 seconds without bringing a smile to my face if not an outright laugh! Most of the movie's funniest moments involve her. I think this version of her could even make for a nice spinoff movie, maybe seeing her help someone else come to terms with their past!

Another thing I like about this version of the Ghost of Christmas Past is that, unlike prior versions of the character who are more like impartial observers of Scrooge's past, she seems just as emotionally affected by what she and Scrooge discover in his past Christmases as he does. In the scene where we see the memory of Scrooge's long- lost love Isabel breaking up with him (To the accompaniment of a suitably heartbreaking song called "Later Never Comes"), the Ghost appears to be on the brink of tears watching it. 
One more thing I like about this version of the Ghost of Christmas Past (Especially in comparison to other versions of the character) and that ties into the Scriptural lesson she helps to teach, is that she not only shows Scrooge's past, but also helps point out the real importance of our pasts. As she tells Scrooge at one point in the movie, "The past can hurt, especially yours; but, it can also heal, IF you learn from it."

 As I explained during my review of 'Avengers: Endgame' a few years ago, remembering and learning from our pasts can greatly help guide us throughout our lives and out walk with God. Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites were in a kind of loop; They'd start faithfully serving the Lord, then over time, they'd forget all that He had done for them (i.e. Freeing them from their time of enslavement in Egypt, guiding them to the Promised Land, etc.) and start sinning and worshipping false gods, then God would allow them to be conquered and subjugated by rival nations, then over time the Israelites would turn back to God and He would free them again, and the cycle would start all over again. It's all because they kept failing to properly remember and honor their pasts, using the examples of all that God had gotten their ancestors through as proof that He is there for them and will continue to lead and guide them as long as they remain faithful to Him.

Isaiah 46:9 instructs believers to "Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me." Also, Romans 15:4 says "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Through properly remembering our pasts, we can come to grips with our mistakes, learn from them, find peace over them, and see all the ways God has guided us through our lives and will continue to do so if we let Him. It might at times be painful, but it is how true healing through Christ can come.

That's about it for the Ghost of Christmas Past, a marvelous new take on a key character from a timeless story, who teaches us all an equally timeless message on the value of our pasts.

Next up is another character from a Christmas- related movie, except this one is a LOT more robust:

6. Santa Claus, 'Violent Night.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user Spongetoonnetwork on the Christmas specials wiki at https://christmas-specials.fandom.com/wiki/Violent_Night?file=ViolentNight.webp)

'Violent Night' was a bloody, chaotic, immensely entertaining Christmas action film, that can best be summed up as imagining the movie 'Die Hard' if its hero was Santa Claus instead of John McClane. And, what a Santa (And hero in general) he is!
We see here a gruff, boozy, world- weary Kris Kringle, played by 'Stranger Things' star David Harbour. He nails this role, showing that Santa's grown tired of doing this Christmas gig for going on 1100 years now, yet still tries to be committed to bringing joy to children, and is trying to power through his disillusionment with Christmas and do his job as best he can. That is a great, original way to handle this character.

Speaking of original ways to handle it, the way they use his "Naughty/ Nice List" is really cool, too. Merely opening the list will cause it to magically display the name of the person he's thinking of, which of the two categories they fall into, and their good or bad deeds. It's amazing to see, almost like a fusion of modern technology and good old- fashioned Christmas- magic (Speaking of which, this Santa also has the recurring catchphrase of saying, regarding his Santa- magic, "I still don't really understand how it works."). Plus, seeing the good and bad deeds of each character examined with it is pretty funny.

 Another thing I like about this version of Santa is that his disillusionment with Christmas that he feels at the start of the movie isn't just the usual "Christmas has become too commercialized, and kids have become too greedy and materialistic" point that we often see in Christmas movies. There is a little of that, but he also has grown to greatly dislike how increasingly tedious his job has become, as we see nearly everyone on his list now only wants three things for Christmas: Video games, gift cards, and cold hard cash.
All that changes one Christmas Eve, however. While drunkenly making his deliveries, he learns that a sweet little girl named Trudy and her wealthy extended family are in grave danger, having been taken hostage by a gang of mercenary thieves out to crack and plunder a massive safe that the family matriarch has hidden on her property. At that point, this not- so- jolly St. Nick decides to step up, save little Trudy and her family (Even though most of her relatives are pretty rotten), and teach the evil thieves a new meaning to the phrase "You better watch out."

One more immensely cool thing about this version of Santa is what we see as his backstory. Normally, in movies that show Santa's backstory (Including a couple I covered on this blog in the past, like 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town' and 'Klaus'), we see that he was always a good, kind, generous man who eventually gained magical powers. That is NOT the case here. In a neat flashback scene, we learn that this Santa was once a particularly brutal Viking warrior known as "Nicomund the Red" who spilled a TON of 10th century blood with the aid of his warhammer "Skullcrusher" before eventually reforming and becoming a symbol of hope and goodwill.
That backstory even factors into how we see Santa fight the thieves in this; He's quite skittish about using guns, but once he gets his hands on a sledgehammer, he starts wielding it like the old pro that he is.

The Biblical lesson to be learned from 'Violent Night''s Santa is on staying true to our faith and the good work we do even when it gets rough and we don't feel like doing it anymore. Santa certainly learns this over the course of the film. As I said, he had been getting sick of doing this for as long as he had and how tedious it had become, but helping to save Trudy and her family and seeing the faith that she inspires in them and in him renews his love of Christmas and his commitment to spreading yuletide cheer and goodwill. As he tells Trudy in the end of the movie, "Thank you, for reminding me that Christmas still matters; That I still matter. You gave me my 'Ho, ho, ho' back."
In much the same way, for us as Christians, remaining committed to serving the Lord with our gifts and ministries can get tiresome, and we can have a hard time seeing the point of it. I've felt that way about this blog on some occasions, and about the other work for the Lord I engage in. Nevertheless, I endure because I know that what I do in service of Jesus has eternal effects and rewards, and the same goes for each and every one of you in the good that you all do for Him in your own lives. Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Remember that always, to never give up in our acts of service for the Lord.

So, that sums up 'Violent Night''s Santa Claus, a marvelous hero guaranteed to make everyone try extra- hard to remain solidly on the Nice List, if for no other reason than to make sure none of us earn a date with "Skullcrusher."

Our next entry on the list makes for another character who's not exactly kid- friendly, and seems to not belong on this list, but he actually does have a lot to teach us in his own way if we let him:

7. Beavis, 'Beavis and Butt- Head Do the Universe.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "MasterShake" on the Beavis and Butt- Head wiki at https://beavisandbutthead.fandom.com/wiki/Beavis?file=Beavis-1.png)

Yeah, I know it seems weird to use this character in this capacity, but just hear me out.

Last year saw those two lovable morons Beavis and Butt- Head make their long- awaited return via the hilarious Paramount Plus streaming film 'Beavis and Butt- Head Do the Universe,' in which the dim- witted duo become part of a 1998 NASA mission into outer space (As you can probably guess, they mess it up), get sucked through a black hole time portal into the year 2022, and wreak all kinds of havoc in their continued, endless pursuit of some day scoring.

 While Butt- Head remains mostly the same as ever throughout the movie, we quite surprisingly see Beavis experience some real growth and development as a character, and learn that he is actually A LOT more complex than he always seemed. While Beavis has always been consumed with the obsessive desire to score with a woman, this movie marks the first time that he actually, genuinely falls in love with one, at times with no physical lust involved at all. Mike Judge does his usual great job with Beavis's gravelly voice, at times even bringing real, relatable emotion into it.

A key scene with Beavis takes place about a third of the way into the movie. Having acquired a smart phone, Beavis unwittingly activates the interactive phone service Siri, and mistakes her voice for a woman named Serena that he and Butt- Head hoped to hook up with (As you can probably guess, the feeling is not mutual). He then is alone in a room with the phone, and starts having a conversation with Siri in which he really vents his emotions and bares his soul to her, which goes as follows:

Beavis: "So, um, I know you probably like Butt- Head more, but I was thinking..."
Siri: "I don't understand 'Butt- Head.'"
Beavis: "Yeah, yeah, heh heh, me neither! It's like, he thinks he can tell me what to do, he's always trying to kick my ^## for no reason, and it just gets old after a while! Heh heh, you know, I'm tired of it."
Siri: "How can I help you?"
Beavis: "Oh, just, you know, listening helps a lot. I guess I never really had anybody that actually listens, like, when I'm talking and stuff. Like, nobody hears the real Beavis. You know what I'm sayin'?"
Siri: "I don't understand 'Beavis.'"
Beavis: "You know, neither do I sometimes! Yeah, heh heh. Neither do I."

There is SOOOOO much depth and spiritual meaning from that exchange. Deep down, all Beavis really wants is people in his life who care about him, who listen to what he has to say, and are interested what he's going through. Really, most people you'll meet are like that, just wanting to know they are loved and listened to, and we should try and do that for them, especially as part of our walk with God.

Scripture is filled with calls for this. Galatians 6:2 instructs believers to "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We need to be willing to look after each other and help each other (Especially our brothers and sisters in Christ) with a listening ear and a compassionate heart, through whatever we each may be facing.

Another Scriptural lesson that Beavis can teach relates to bringing hope. At one point over the course of the movie, the boys find themselves in jail and Beavis turns into his wild, hyper alter- ego "The Great Cornholio." In this state, he incites an inmate uprising over their unfair treatment by the guards (Most notably not being given enough toilet paper) that leads to genuine change and reform happening in the jail. A guard makes the comment that "He did the most dangerous thing he could do in this prison... He gave those men hope."
Hope can indeed be a powerful if not "dangerous" thing, as it can give people the strength to endure the hardest of times in the most desolate of places, by causing them to know that they can rise above those circumstances, even if they can't see how just yet. Hope is a key part of the Christian walk, the hope that God provides that He will get us all through this life, has amazing plans for us, and is preparing a place for us in Heaven. Romans 8:24- 25 says that "For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Jesus is truly the ultimate bringer of hope.

That's about all there is to say about Beavis. He's as funny as ever, but also surprisingly deep and teaches us a lot here. As he himself would put it, "WHOA! That rules, heh heh!"

Next up is one more "Moral grey- area" kind of character:

8. Teth- Adam/ Black Adam, 'Black Adam.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user BuccaneerMarx on the Heroes wiki at https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Adam_(DC_Extended_Universe)?so=search&file=Black_Adam_%28DCEU%29.webp)

'Black Adam' was an intense, action- packed joy of a movie, with the entire cast quite solid. However, the standout was definitely the titular antihero from DC Comics, played by action superstar Dwayne Johnson.
The movie shows his backstory very well. Teth- Adam originally lived thousands of years ago in the country of Kahndaq, and gained powers to help overthrow the tyrant who had been oppressing and enslaving his people, but in the process, he let his rage overtake him, caused catastrophic damage that killed millions, and was magically buried/ exiled until finally being unearthed in the present day. He's regarded by the history books as a liberator of his people, but when unearthed and finding a new group of villains oppressing his country, he starts throwing down against them, but he yet again starts going too far, leading to a group of heroes called the JSA having to intervene. Eventually, he learns to control himself more, use his powers in a more helpful way, show mercy as much as he can, and eventually save all the world, and gains the new codename "Black Adam."
Black Adam is a character I'm not too familiar with, other than knowing that he becomes the main archenemy of the superhero Shazam, but the movie turns him into an excellent antihero that audiences can cheer for in one scene, then cringe in terror at in another scene. A scene early on in which he completely annihilates an entire squad of enemy troops to the accompaniment of the Rolling Stones' classic "Paint It, Black" is truly unforgettable in its carnage and sheer coolness. Dwayne Johnson brings his usual excellent screen presence to the character, but at the same time makes him a good deal darker than most of the roles he usually plays.

The first Scriptural lesson that Black Adam teaches is on self- control and especially controlling one's anger. As indicated earlier, his allowing his sheer rage to consume him caused untold suffering and death, and it's not until he learns to control it that he can become more of the hero that he is remembered as by his people. Self- control is a key part of the Christian walk, including properly controlling your anger. Psalm 37:8 tells us "Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." Ecclesiastes 7:9 says "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools." Proverbs 25:28 says "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." Those who have no self- control and let their anger control them may not be capable of leveling entire kingdoms like Teth- Adam did, but they can ruin relationships, get themselves in all kinds of trouble, and greatly hinder their Christian witness. 

There’s also the matter of using your gifts for good. Teth- Adam, when he first gained his powers, became so blinded with rage over what had been done to him and his family that he became just as destructive as the tyrant he was trying to free his people from. In the present day, the JSA and the other new friends Black Adam makes help him learn that he needs to truly put his amazing powers to the best use he possibly can, becoming a force for freedom and justice rather than a force for vengeance. In much the same way, we all have our own gifts and talents, and God gave them to us not for our own benefit, but so we could help others and glorify Him. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." We all have things we are good at, that God can use to help spread His salvation and His love to those around us, we just have to be receptive to using them the right way.

That's about it for this portion of the list and the look at the great antihero Black Adam. In conclusion, to paraphrase a key quote from his movie, when someone asks you how you learned the importance of self- control and directing your talents for good, "Tell them the Man in Black sent you!"

Now then, we go from a male antihero discovering his more heroic side, to a female hero wrestling with a newly- discovered dark side.

9. Giselle, 'Disenchanted.'

(She's definitely not looking as chipper as she used to. Credit for this image goes to the user Lola987 on the Disney wiki at https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Giselle/Gallery?file=Disenchanted_-_Photography_-_Evil_Giselle.jpg)

I have always adored the 2007 fantasy film 'Enchanted,' in which animated fairy tale girl Giselle (Amy Adams) falls through a portal and finds herself in real- life modern- day New York, gains newfound perspectives and helps others to do the same through her cheer, kindness, and belief in the power of true love.
Last year brought it a sequel, 'Disenchanted,' in which Giselle has married her true love from the first movie, Robert, and we see them move along with Robert's now- teenaged daughter Morgan and their baby daughter Sofia to a new house out in the country town Monroeville. Needless to say, it turns out to not exactly be the ideal, happy existence Giselle had hoped it would be. The house is in the middle of being renovated, she's starting to have clashes with her teenaged stepdaughter, and other problems ensue.

 When Giselle acquires a magic wish- granting wand, she uses it to wish that her life could be like a fairy tale again. While it leads to some fun things like talking appliances and animals, and spontaneous musical numbers, there is a colossal downside to this: Not all fairy tale characters are good, ESPECIALLY step- parents. Giselle starts acting more like a fairy tale "wicked stepmother," cold and cruel to Morgan and viciously power- hungry, determined to become the new ruler of Monroeville. Her good and evil personalities war with each other constantly as the movie progresses, leading to a great ending.

Giselle has always been a great character, but 'Disenchanted' made her so much more complex. Amy Adams's performance as her is a masterstroke. Her "Good" moments are as delightful and heartwarming as they were in the first movie. Her "Evil" moments are brilliant as well; At times in this mode she is sinister and calculating (While still maintaining some of her old mannerisms), other times she is hilariously over- the- top, especially in the rivalry she forms with the town's snooty mayor Malvina (Maya Rudolph) who has been turned by the spell into an "Evil Queen"- type. They have an amazingly catchy villain- song- duet called "Badder," and you can tell both actresses must have been having the time of their lives making it. Nevertheless, by the end, we are eager to see Giselle restored to her pure- hearted old self, and her good relationship with Morgan restored as well.

The Biblical lesson that Giselle helps teach is on the transformative effect of unconditional love. As I said earlier, as the movie progresses and the spell does its thing, Giselle's good side and her newfound evil side clash with each other a lot, and the evil side quickly begins prevailing. Fortunately, the good in her is still there, and Morgan ultimately helps bring it back out of her again by reminding Giselle of all the love that she has always had for her husband and stepdaughter. This helps Giselle to snap out of it and undo the wish before its effects become permanent.

Unconditional love can indeed have a powerful, transformative effect on people. It can help end quarrels between families and friends, restore and strengthen bonds, and enable people to see the world in different ways. 1 Peter 4:8 shows this by telling believers to "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." It was God’s own unconditional love for all of us that led to Him sending His Son to Earth to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Romans 5:8 shows this by reminding believers that "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We all similarly need that kind of love and mercy towards others, to help mend our relationships and she a light on God's amazing love.

That wraps up our look at Giselle, a character as delightful to watch as she's always been (Even when her nastier side starts coming to the forefront), who teaches an equally delightful message on what unconditional love can do.

Our final entry in this list is another character from a film series that takes a rather satirical look at fairy tales, but this time from Disney's #1 rival Dreamworks:

10. Puss in Boots, 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user RRabbit42 on the Dreamworks wiki at https://dreamworks.fandom.com/wiki/Puss_in_Boots:_The_Last_Wish?file=Puss_in_Boots_The_Last_Wish_Official_Poster.jpg)

'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' was a straight- up animated masterpiece on a lot of different levels, a wonderful improvement from the previous movie in that series, one of the best animated films I've seen in years, and one of its main strengths is how amazingly well it handles its title character.

In this, we see that Puss (Voice of Antonio Banderas) remains the daring, adventurous hero he has always been, but also see the downside of this early on; His reckless lifestyle has resulted in him dying multiple times (Complete with a pretty darn funny montage of his previous deaths, from being trampled in a Running of the Bulls, to falling off a roof while drunk, to an allergic reaction to eating shellfish, and so on), and now he is on the last of his nine lives. A terrifying encounter with Death itself leads to Puss retiring and going to live with an old cat- lady, briefly taking up a miserable existence as a regular housecat who goes by the name "Pickles." Thankfully, this depressing state doesn't last long, as Puss learns of the existence of a magical star that can grant a wish to whomever finds it first, and so he reasons that he could use its power to get all his lives back. Along the way to try and find this star, he makes new friends, reconnects with old ones, and learns a lot. 

Puss in Boots has always been easily one of the most likable and entertaining characters in the Shrek universe, and that certainly holds true here. While he still has his charm, his courage and his cocky, devil- may- care attitude, he also now has newfound vulnerability, gains a sense of humility, and starts to develop deep connections to his companions over the course of his journey to find the wishing star.
'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' deals a lot with various concepts relating to life and death. Puss comes to learn that, rather than trying to regain the lives/ time he has lost, he needs to cherish the life he has left and make the most of it.

Indeed, making the most of our life and the time we have left on Earth are important themes talked about in the Bible. Ephesians 5:15- 16 instructs believers to "Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." An excellent way to ensure we get the most out of life is through actively pursuing the growth of our spiritual lives. Proverbs 21:21 says "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor." This is what God intended us to do with our lives. In fact, John 10:10 has Jesus Himself saying that "I came so that they (All of us) might have life- indeed, so they can have life to the fullest."

Who would have guessed that a cartoon cat in boots could teach us all such a wonderful Scriptural lesson in such a magnificent movie? Good kitty!

A few honorable mentions for this list include include Lemon from 'Bullet Train' (A black, British assassin loosely affiliated with the Yakuza who has a deep love of 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and used what he learned from it to help him read people; You gotta admit that's an original concept for a character), Perrito from 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,' Dr. Fate from 'Black Adam,' Mr. Wolf from 'The Bad Guys,' Carmen from 'Father Stu,' Billy Butcherson from 'Hocus Pocus 2,' and P.B. the potbelly pig from 'DC  League of Superpets.'

That’s all for this long- overdue edition of the Nightcrawler Experience.
You won’t have to wait long at all for my next entry, as this very Thursday I will be starting my annual partnership with St. John’s United Methodist Church’s Summer at the Movies event, so stay tuned for that.
Until then, stay well, and may God bless you all!