Don't Mess with Gods: Clash of the Titans

    Most people familiar with Greek mythology know that the Greek gods were said to be easily offended. No woman in Ancient Greek would dare compare her beauty to a Goddess, for fear of major punishment. Right now we're going to look at one of the most popular Greek Myths, the story of Perseus, as portrayed by the film entitled, Clash of the Titans.

     Once upon a time, King Acrisius of Argos has locked his daughter Danae and her infant son Perseus inside a chest and has thrown it into the sea. Why? Acrisius locked Danae away in a tower to prevent the prophecy which says that if Danae were to have a son, he would be the cause of Acrisius's death. Hidden only from the eyes of mortal men, the King of the Greek Gods, Zeus, visits Danae. Soon after, Danae bears the son of Zeus, Perseus. Now a furious Acrisius has thrown Danae and Perseus into the sea. But with Poseidon's help, they survive. Now Zeus' anger has risen against Acrisius, thus a horrible monster known as the Krakken is released and destroys Argos.  
       Perseus has grown into a young man. Zeus is proud and brags about him. But Zeus frowns upon the son of Thetis, goddess of the sea. Thetis's son, Calibos, is a handsome but ignorant man spoiled by his mother. He has hunted countless creatures for sport, even Zeus's herd of flying horses, leaving only the winged horse, Pegasus. As punishment, Zeus curses him with deformity, changing him into what looks like a monster. Now Thetis is angry, for Calibos was engaged to the Princess Andromeda of Joppa. If Calibos can't marry Andromeda, says Thetis, then no one will. Being jealous of Perseus, Thetis uses her powers to transport him to the city of Joppa, saying it's time for him to experience the real world. With the help of some new friends, Perseus is able to win the hand of Andromeda. Of course, Thetis is not at all happy about this. In the middle of their wedding ceremony, Andromeda's mother compares her to Thetis. Angry, Thetis shows herself, demanding the life of Andromeda. If the people don't obey, the Krakken will be set lose on Joppa. Can Perseus defeat the Krakken and save Andromeda, or will she be lost to sacrifice? 

      Rather than the actors and like other Greek myths, Clash of the Titans is known for its monsters. In this film viewers will see a bunch of horrifying creatures brought to life by the one and only Ray Harryhausen. It may not be your typical CGI, but it still works and looks realistic enough when combined on film with the actors such as the fight with the two-headed dog, Cerberus. Without the monsters, Clash of the Titans would significantly have less action scenes. 

     During a particular scene with Andromeda, I noticed something regarding the colors. In the scene she is preparing with her ladies-in-waiting to face the Krakken. While Andromeda is blond-haired, her ladies all have dark hair, which makes her stand out from the people around her. This may be so because the film makers want you to notice her. There are many lovely women in this scene as well as the film, but in that moment Andromeda is the main character to focus on. 

       There are a bunch of noticeable aspects in Clash of the Titans. If you've seen Clash of the Titans from 2010, you should definitely see the original as well; since the two are similar but quite different at the same time. 

Do you agree with this? Feel free to check out my Easter post on Ben-Hur! Also be sure to like, comment, share, and follow to come back for more on ETF!    

     

      

   

From the guy that gave you Labyrinths and Skekses: Jim Henson's The StoryTeller

    In the past months or so I have discovered a mini series that I have been watching for weeks on end on youtube. (This isn't why I haven't posted anything in a while though.) It's called Jim Henson's The Storyteller. From the guy that brought you the Muppets comes a wonderful mini series, (starring John Hurt as the Storyteller and Brian Henson as the dog,) that uses puppets from Jim Henson's Creature Shop that may enchant every fantasy lover. 

     Once upon a time, there was a storyteller and his dog. In each of nine episodes, the storyteller tells the audience and his dog a different story. Some are about fear, some about love, and some about destiny. Will all the stories he has in store include a happy ending?

      The stories that the Storyteller gives us are delightful for a number of reasons. The first thing I noticed is that they have the elements of your classic fairy tales. This can be shown in Sapsorrow, and The Soldier and Death. The story of Sapsorrow shares characteristics with that of Cinderella; such as a lost slipper and changing from ugly to beautiful for a ball. The Soldier and Death is different because it involves Heaven and Hell. But it's still like a fairy tale given the fact that this story also has to do with acquiring magical objects and boldly doing things that everyone else would think impossible. 

     It takes great skill to tell a great story, and no one could've played the Storyteller the way John Hurt did. With his fabulous performance, I ended up enjoying the Storyteller himself just as well as his stories. The character of the Storyteller brings forth charm, wit, and emotion. He's such a pleasant old man that he could definitely be like a grandfather to someone. The Storyteller even appears in some of the stories he is telling, making those tales as, (if not more,) marvelous than the others. 

 Along with everything else in Jim Henson's The Storyteller, we have music that sounds simply magical. Done by Rachel Portman, the music that's heard in The Storyteller sets the mood and creates some of the atmosphere for each story in the series.  

Do you agree with this? Feel free to check out my Easter post on Ben-Hur! Be sure to like, comment, share, and follow to always come back for more on ETF! 

      

Hallelujah!: Ben-Hur

    I forget to post something for Easter so I may as well do it now. Easter is a very special holiday that celebrates the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 
     Released in 1959, Ben-Hur won multiple awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. There are tons of things that won these awards, and we're going to look at a few in this action Easter film. 

    Many years ago, a Savior which is Christ the Lord was born. Now we go to a time when Christ is all grown up and is teaching the Gospel to all.
        Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, is living happily with his mother and sister. But when a tile falls from their house and onto the parading governor, his old friend Messala has Judah arrested and put into slavery and his mother and sister put in prison even though he knows it was an accident because Judah refused to side with him on political views.  
On the way to the galleys, Judah unknowingly encounters Jesus Christ, who gives him water against the soldiers' orders. (More about that later.)  
     Now it's three years later. For those three years, Judah has been in the galleys of multiple ships and is now going into battle once more. This time it's different. The boat is sunk by the enemy. Judah is able to free himself and other slaves and flee the ship. He also saves Quintus Arrius, a Roman leader, along the way. This leads to Quintus Arrius adopting Judah as a son and thus gives him freedom. Judah takes this opportunity to return home. There he finds Esther, (a woman who was betrothed to him before he was arrested,) her father, and one of their servants. His mother and sister are still in prison. Will Judah Ben-Hur find his family and reunite with them? 

     Although the film doesn't have a lot of scenes with Jesus Christ Himself, His part in Ben-Hur is very special. On the way to the galleys, the soldiers and the slaves stop for water. While the locals are giving water to the slaves, the leading soldier does not allow Judah to have some. Judah falls on the ground in despair. Then someone gently pours water onto his face and lets him drink. The soldier gets angry saying, "You! I said none for him!" The man who was giving water to Judah stands up and stares at the soldier. This man is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. This stirs something special within the soldier. (I would believe this to be the power of the Holy Ghost as well as the power and Spirit of God and Christ.) This causes the soldier to say no more to the Savior, and walks away. Judah finishes drinking the water and touches Christ's hand in gratitude. 
       Judah physically encounters Christ one more time in this film. As Judah watches Christ carry the cross to Calvary, he recognizes Him as the one who gave him water. At the first chance he gets, Judah finds a well, fills a cup with water, and pushes through the crowd to give it to Christ. When Christ takes hold of the cup, He looks up to see Judah. That moment between Them is very Spiritual and dramatic. Although there's no visible facial expression,  we can see that Christ is indeed grateful to Judah. 

      By the end of his journey, Judah Ben-Hur has learned that love and peace is far better than hate and revenge, even though he has been told that hate makes you strong. But from other people, including Christ himself, he's learned otherwise. This connects to his encounter with Jesus because Christ has always taught us to "Love one another as I have loved you." Judah also hears Jesus say, "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do." Later he tells Esther that "I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand." 

        Ben-Hur is not only a great story, but a sight and sound. From chariot races to meeting the Savior, Judah Ben-Hur has gone through a ton of stuff. Remember the story of love, miracles, and hope as well as the action that raised your adrenaline levels. 

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