The World is a Vampire

“I don’t like Twilight” was the commentary that inspired this post, the sparkling will have to be put aside because this is not another article to accompany the trend that is; things with fangs. There’s plenty of time for one of those, less than five months, until Breaking Dawn part II hits theaters. It is interesting what has happened. Vampires are no longer sadistic, threatening and fearful but instead sexy, graceful, and brooding. Let’s discuss an issue that goes deeper, the symbolism beneath white, icy skin.

First, going on a comparison trip between Anne Rice and Twilight would help set the stage. Of course, neither of these examples are pioneers in their work. An Interview with a Vampire, the 1994 film starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt although a good movie inspired from Anne’s writings about Lestat a European blood-drinker, is not the first to review the Gothic perspective. Grittier vamps go further back than the 1800’s. Just as Twilight is not the first to give neck nibblers a touching twist, but both examples are notable enough for a then-now comparison. Back in the day, a term used loosely considering the vampire perspective has recently shifted in the past few years. They were garlic hating, morbid, coffin-sleeping, sun-sheltered creatures. Vampires nowadays are attractive and elegant. They have no fear of Kodak and are quite photogenic for that matter. Have vampires gone from blood fiends to passionate post-humans who are just misunderstood?

Vampires have undergone, not a transformation but rather a change; a slight tweak that puts them in a different light, only highlighting certain parts of who they are. A transformation is an occurrence from the inside out resulting in something completely different. The old has passed away and in its place is a new creation. A change is a different behavior, or altered pattern, something much less permanent and fallible. Vampires have not experienced a transformation but they have gone through adaptation. The traits of current vampires, their looks, their skills, their appeal, echoes those of the character formerly called Lucifer. In the Kingdom of Heaven he was the best and brightest among angels, he was an immaculate creation adorned in jewels of every kind; sapphires and diamonds and rubies. Lucifer was musically gifted beyond anyone else, basically he had it going on, and at some point in time he let it get to him. Scripture says pride rose in his heart, he was then cast out of Heaven and striped of his title-we know him as Satan. Kurt Bruner, author of The Twilight Phenomenon; forbidden fruit or thirst quenching fantasy?

Says this: “Satan is cunning and seductive like the vampires inspired by his reality. His most powerful weapon is the art of deception because those who are deceived don’t know it. They are easily led to their own destruction because they willingly follow a map filled with lies. What some call “spiritual warfare” is no more than a battle between truth and lies” (Bruner, 81). The vampire is personified deception, they are not who they seem.

What the world has done with vampires is the same thing it has done with sin. The reality of vampires is that they are murderers. They are selfish, driven by lust, taking the lives of others to sustain their own. Apparently, vampires do not know how to drink responsibly. They are the darkest parts of human nature. Evil with a pretty face is no less evil. Just as sin will always be sin, no matter how it appears. We have glamorized vampires just as we have glamorized sin-we don’t even like to use that word. It’s more comfortable to say misstep or mistake. We’ve made bad things comfortable and become desensitized, creating a narrow view, and deception only reveals enough to look real. Perhaps the appeal of these made-over vampires is that they’re unpredictable. Maybe we like seeing them enslaved to blood because we as humans are all a slave to something. Maybe we enjoy watching them give into the darkness because the lie of the world says; we are our desires.

Love is the biggest twist of truth, every person wants it. We all want to be loved. Not just on the surface either, people have a greater need, we all desire a love that never fails. A demon cannot give a person the love they need, seems obvious but people have all but forgotten that vampires are what demons masquerade as these days, hence the fear of the cross. If we can’t get it from Edward Cullen or be satisfied with one of the Salvatore’s from The Vampire Diaries, where should we start looking? If those are the wrong places, where is real love? Someone already offered that love, to whosoever will accept, plus the more undeserved the love is, the better. Without being to preachy, Jesus loves you so much that He thought you were worth dying for. There is no other answer for the love we need that satisfies like Christ. A vampire or a werewolf cannot love like that, despite what Bella says.

Vampires have disguised themselves, at the root of it they are sin and sin only gives birth to death. So it’s important not to take the subject to heart. To those who are a fan of the sparkle, enjoy the story but don’t expect a greater satisfaction than mere entertainment.

Desperate or till Death?

    Not to imply negativity from the start, this Hollywood blog’s aim was to specifically avoid the cynical, no matter what the surfacing headline might be. It does seem like a perfectly objective question to ask considering how young the newly engaged couple is; Cyrus, 19 and Hemsworth 22. Though young love can still be love, it has no age really. The families are in full support of the announcement. It feels as though Hollywood moves fast with these sorts of things. In reality Miley and Liam would be in their college years together, maybe attending the same university, perhaps they went to the same high school since their relationship has a history. Generally couples like this wait to receive a degree before a marriage certificate. In the Cyrus-Hemsworth reality there isn’t any schooling but instead an ongoing movie career and the recording of a fourth album. He is scheduled to have at least three movies premiere this year: Empire State in June, The Expendables 2 in August and Paranoia in September with several to follow in 2013. With this filming schedule it’s a wonder how the Australian actor who grew up on Philip Island south of Melbourne found the time to put together Miley’s custom ring. They both skipped the education phase and already have established their careers; perhaps it’s not so fast. Love and Honor another film on Hemsworth’s résumé set to debut this year may have inspired him to get down on one knee. The couple does have a three year history that began with the making of Nicholas Sparks’ The Last Song in 2009. Hemsworth played Will, the boyfriend of Ronnie, Miley’s character and it did not take much time before the two of them had an off-screen relationship, this is not the first time an engagement was mentioned. Miley had a ring on her left hand some months ago, but she doused the rumors and tweeted for people not to panic, it was only topaz. Now the game has changed and Cyrus is sporting a 3.5 carat diamond set in an 18-karat gold band, featuring carved diamond floral motifs in an art nouveau pattern. Whether or not wedding bells have rung since their first joint script read, the important issue is marriage.

Young, middle-aged, or old it is a monumental decision. Sadly it doesn’t go beyond a Vegas chapel and a 2a.m. ceremony for some folks. The three views of marriage are this; compromise, contract, or covenant.

With the compromise view, the episode of Friends where Phoebe and Rachel are discussing which of the men in the group are their ‘backups’ should they still be unwed by forty comes to mind. Compromise does not sound exciting, it sounds begrudging and frankly, lazy. It does not sound like the choice where happiness is found. The compromise marriage is often seen with older couples who have careers and are raising kids. Ultimately, they have become nothing more than coed roommates. Word of advice; never stop dating. Go out for a drink once a week whatever it is let it be something that is done together as a team, a pair, a couple.

Following compromise is contract; the word itself is about as appealing as the courtroom connotation that goes along with it. It sounds binding, restricting, even straining. A marriage that says “I’ll do my part, you do yours” is not free the way love should be. The contract philosophy has no longevity, he or she will drop the ball because no one is perfect, not even the person who came up with the contract. Before griping about the long list of lack that certain significant other is tied to-reflect on this question. ‘Am I the person that the person I am looking for, is looking for?’ Singles can use this during the soul mate search and longtime married couples can ask that when things change or get tricky. When it’s time to look for things they saw in their beloved at first. Even those mental contacts, those selfish expectations that creep up when they’re not met, drop those don’t even let them linger in the subconscious. Love holds no record of wrongs, want love? Throw away the list.

The last is neither a compromise nor a contract but a covenant. The sacrificial commitment people desire at their core. We all want to believe in the Prince Charmings and the Proverbs 31 women. It doesn’t have to be a fairytale. Wedding vows will always hold meaning, meaning that can be revived and it is up to the man and woman exchanging them to give and sustain that life. “For better or worse…sorrow and joy…sickness and health…to laugh and to cry” all just words until it comes to action. Wives respect your husbands and husbands love your wives. Outdo one another in acts of honor literally, yes literally, try and top each other in ways of proving who cares about the other more. To upgrade a compromise/contract marriage into a covenant, the heart has to be upgraded, tenderized. This doesn’t mean mushy, Hallmark, Twilight vampire-human love but it does mean a new kind of love. Agape, love without condition, the purest of the word, only love and nothing else-Jesus love; not just a strong friendship or great sex. Both come with a covenant marriage, to be bold for a moment, the couple that prays together has better sex. To have a deeper marriage, the married people must be deeper themselves.

Reportedly, Miley and Liam have been living together in San Fernando Valley, California but there’s no solid confirmation of this for the prenuptial partners. A New York Times article published in April of this year called ‘The Downside of Cohabitation’ stated: “Half of all marriages are preceded by cohabitation” the divorce rate is also 50%. It can be solidly confirmed however, that the twenty-two year old actor dropped a solid wad of cash on the nineteen year old actress’ antique cushion cut diamond. The bill was 1000, 000 guess it’s a good thing the actor’s most recent film The Hunger Games exploded the box office.

No blogger, reporter, alleged source or even family friend of either of them could wholly speak about their grounds for marriage. Based on what the media portrays celebrity marriages, it’s always the ones that do not discuss their relationship publically that make it. The last ‘What’s Up Hollywood’ post was ironically about how Brangelina decided to become Mr. and Mrs. (outside of the film where they first met.) Here’s to a long and happy life, a strong marriage that will surprise some and encourage all in the way it is modeled, America’s next powerful duo, surely wedding of the year whenever the date may be and a killer reception without a doubt. Who knows, the guests may breakout in the Hoedown Throwdown dance. The bride might sing it’s her party she can grab that mic if she wants to. Will there be extensions yet again beneath the veil, or will she marry with the short do? What happens if Hannah Montana objects?

ring

Change of Heart

 

I suppose theirs a lot that could be said about the newly engaged, longtime couple and parents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. This, as with everything else in this crazy world has an infinite number of opinions tagged to it; not all are good, but not all are bad either. This blog is about the positive side of Hollywood and its inhabitants therefore, this will be a positive article. This is not a character debate about him or her; nor is it about the statements Brad has made about not tying the knot “until all those who want to get married are legally able.” It is however about commitment, which is positive and scarcely seen these days. Be committed is a mature decision, an expression of responsibility. It is a noble act. Regardless of how the infamous Brangelina relationship got started, a wedding is a step in the right direction. Kids can sometimes give better advice than any full-grown person with a number of degrees ever could, probably because children are simply pure and honest. Guess daddy took the advice to buy mommy a ring. Hopefully it’s for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer. Best of luck.

Lindsay Lohan needs a Hug

The purpose of my blog is to focus on the good in the bad of Hollywood, no matter how dark the scandal. Mean Girls was probably not considered the best movie ever made by everyone, but it was a film of good quality, Georgia Rule was another one that kept interest. What do the two flicks have in common? Miss Lohan, she has talent, her skill as an actress was obvious way back in The Parent Trap days. It would be nice to see her shine again. People hoping for her turn around are sick of asking; what is the deal here? The girl goes to court as often as people go on coffee runs. Dealing with a DUI from 2007, theft, breaking probation; now awaiting her November first hearing-nobody wants that on their plate; instead of pounding down on the starlets every little error; how about an article of encouragement?

 

Each one of us makes mistakes but the majorities aren’t scrutinized in the public eye. This post isn’t about clichés on not casting judgment. The Golden Rule is well known, as is the phrase about the rock throwers and the glass houses. This is about love, these ridiculous stunts she pulls, the rebellion she throws out, all she needs is love. Hollywood is not the best place to find it, though that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Fame is a tricky lifestyle that many struggle through, or flat out can’t manage. No privacy, shut off from the real world, peer pressure times a million; blaming the person who began with a simple passion for success stops making sense when looked at in their perspective.

 

The twenty-five year old is somebody’s somebody, fan or not, the fact is she is a person who should be treated with respect. Lohan’s life echoes many similarities of young people, especially girls, going through tough times. Making those mistakes which in turn, helped the most; the search for identity we are all faced with. Still, there comes a time when learning needs to be put into action, otherwise known as growth. “Enough already” can be said with love when obvious potential is just wasting away.

 

It starts at home. Schools are not to blame, not friends, or the media. Yes, these are influences but a foundation is built in the home. Where’s the parental involvement? Lindsay’s well past eighteen now but before that she got emancipation from Dina and Michael. This sends the message that; she was thrown into the fast lane of fame without proper guidance. Her parents should have been there for her, not mooched off her earnings or pushed her farther into the corrupted world of stardom. They had a responsibility to raise her with morals and values and be there for support. In the world of today, broken homes are highly prevalent, not saying since that is the trend it should continue but, a situation just like the Lohan’s could be in the home next door. Family is too important to put into words. Parents have responsibilities to set proper examples for there children, rich or poor, small or large; more of it needs to happen.

 

With Lindsay, what’s done is done, she is an adult, her own person. She has to start living like it. Going out, partying, binging, smoking…stop hiding behind bad habits. There is a reason why the Bible says “the love of money is the root of all evil” the more spent, the more accumulates. Then the accumulation of stuff that was never needed in the first place becomes a distraction to what really matters. She seems to be in a whirlpool mix of material satisfaction and the inability to confront personal demons. Rather than bad decisions that go nowhere make better ones that will bring out the best. Looking up from a bottomless pit the question how comes to mind. It starts with the thought that dictate the mindset Lindsay. “It is never too late to be who you might have been.”

The Switch-old movie, new review

A woman, unknowingly, uses the sperm of a friend to get pregnant… is what was read on the info summary for the movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman that came out early last year. Against what every movie buff hopes for, the film fell short of its potential. The idea was at the very least intriguing, with the unknowingly thrown in. A woman knows what goes where always, so naturally one wants to find out how she didn’t know. It was puzzling at the end of that hour and a half, what went wrong, where did they miss it?

Acting wasn’t the issue, not with the starring roles; both Aniston and Bateman have done multiple films, and played multiple characters well. The dialogue moved the story along, and had a bit of humor at times. The setting was one that nearly guarantees success; New York City, a story in itself. There was even the clever break of Bateman’s narration as the movie progressed; it was both thought provoking and ultimately full-circle. Was it to plot driven? The focus was off, to much time was spent on sperm donor candidate Roland (Patrick Wilson’s character) and his uneventful life, even the factor of a divorce didn’t spark much for viewers. Perhaps the characters weren’t cared about like an audience should care. Leonard (played by Goldblum) Wally’s friend/work associate didn’t keep much attention, but as a sub-character he didn’t need to, the same with Kassie’s quirky sister Debbie (Juliette Lewis) who was more of a distraction than a character who meshed. The thing is though; they all seemed to be sub-characters. The coined rule that simply states “stuff happens to people you care about” apparently was not on the mind of screenplay writer Allan Loeb. That’s how we like our stories isn’t it? We invest in these people, because we want to relate. may have dropped the ball there. Maybe if Kassie (eager mother, played by Aniston) and Wally (best friend, played by Bateman) brought out something more than just a surface preview of a long friendship, things could’ve gone deeper. Where was the back story, the memories, what makes these people, people? All things to tell a good tale were present, it just missed the mark. The movie constantly brought the hope that things will pick up, and being one of those who needs to watch a movie from beginning to end no matter what, that unfortunately did not come true.

The rating of two and a half stars given by those mystical, unfailingly accurate movie-raters was right yet again, less than three just isn’t worth it. When it comes to stars, half means a whole lot. The relationship between Wally and Sebastian had several endearing moments; the duo’s compassion for each other was palpable. The audience wants to feel what is being seen. The same characters starting on a father and son basis may have been more interesting. Of course six year old Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) was an easy win-over with his boyish charm and unique personality, none the less the two had a visible bond.

The verdict; great potential as far as actors, and setting but the storyline needs work. It was fast-pace, so fast it sped over the importance of things. The Switch is a good movie, good enough for two and a half stars and good enough if nothing else is on.

Sinead O’Connor blatant downward spiral

Having been through high school I understand what it’s like to be in a dark mind-space. The power of the human mind is unbelievably forceful; it can bring victory or defeat. I have seen both cases when it comes to dealing with depression.  Few people realize the affects thoughts have on life, letting whatever comes to mind stay there, instead of thinking about what they are thinking about. Thoughts are meant to be taken captive-us as individuals have the control in our thought life, that’s a post for another day.

Actress Sinead O’Connor has released a number of disturbing tweets regarding suicide. An obvious example: “Anyway…If any1 knows how I can kill myself…Without my kids finding out I did it deliberately pls tell me asa f–kin p.” A number of things raise alarm with this post, first, the fact that she has children and no longer wants to live for them; second, if she were to follow through, she would want it to be a lie.  More often than not, those who voice their desire to die will not end there life, in this case it is most likely a cry for attention. But this is no excuse to overlook what could be a serious issue. What escalates the intrigue is when O’Connor followed these thoughts up by saying; she does believe suicide is a sin.  “u may as well have murdered every one who loves u even remotely. Including ‘God’. And we all have people who adore us…Even if we think we don’t.” This proves the strength of the mind, even what we know, even if it is wrong, even if it’s right-our minds take us places. It is interesting that someone who was just at the proverbial end of their rope, has apparently climbed back up and rung the bell of truth, stating what any suicide hotline would; that you are loved, even if you believe you aren’t. Sinead also brings up the point that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and also address’ that it is a selfish act. Suicide is grenade that scatters shrapnel for miles; there is never just one victim. In Sinead’s case her kids would also suffer.

So what do we take from this story of a talented actress still fighting the same battle that reportedly led to a suicide attempt on her birthday ten years ago? “Watch your thoughts, they become words, watch your words, they become actions, watch your actions they become habits, watch your habits they become your character.” “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” O’Connor was right on the money when she wrote: “BUT it’s ok to FEEL suicidal. That is most definitely neither a sin nor a sign necessarily, of madness. It’s quite normal to feel that way sometimes.” Life is full of hard times, but those rough patches carve us into who we are. Looking at the big picture can be overwhelming, take a breather, it only comes one little moment at a time.

If you think you or a loved one are in an emotional or suicidal crisis, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline online, or call 800.273.TALK.

Miley Cyrus ‘permanent’ support for gay marriage

Recently, Miley tweeted a picture of a freshly inked = sign on her finger. No it’s not because she is a big fan of mathematics, the new body art was in support of gay marriage. She wrote “where does it say in the bible to judge others? Oh right. It doesn’t. GOD is the only judge honey. GOD is love.” This is very true, the Bible tells us not to judge others because that judgment will eventually come upon us, and God is in fact, love in the purest form.

Being a Christian who consistently prays for Hollywood and all its inhabitants, it makes me happy to hear a big time influence preaching with good intention. However, her message is skewed when she said “all love is equal.” According to His word, God would not say that. God is love, yes, but he is also the judge, the one who will bang the gavel. The judges in the courtrooms of today’s society don’t anxiously await opportunities to send people to prison but if you break the law, that’s where you end up. We seem to conveniently forget who we’re dealing with, who we’re answering to. The same guy that saved Noah and his family killed the rest of the people who were not on the boat; God spared Lot and his loved ones, what happened to the others in the town? Burnt to a crisp, oh, and the one who looked back…became a pillar of salt. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10) and his wrath is no joke people…he’s a serious guy and as much as he loves us (so much so he watched his own beloved child get mocked, spit on, scourged, beaten, and crucified just to give us a shot) he has, and always will, stick to scripture. So, as my view on gay marriage is lined up with God’s this isn’t something worth supporting. Marriage is between a man and a woman, period. This does not mean we judge others who are attracted to the same sex. Being gay is the same as lust, greed, or any other sin, but for some reason it seems like this one gets special attention. Hate the sin NOT the sinner, confusing this for plain hatred makes us no better than the sin itself-harsh but true.

What does one do is a situation like this; where a family member, friend, or co-worker is struggling with their view on orientation. Advice should be lined up with what scripture says, speak the truth. That is what Miley, being a child of God is responsible for, instead she’s advocating the wrong message. Her tattoo should stand for “love all equally” not “all love is equal.”