The Movie The Inception is a Mind Blower

The interesting thing about the movie industry is that the creators rarely make anything original. It’s always the same storyline in the majority of the movies. You have Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s journey as the main theme amidst wonderful cinema effects.  And if you watch closely enough, you’ll notice that even some of the sets are the same. I thought that the Matrix and Avatar stepped out of the mold, but they really didn’t. But, a movie has come along and broken the mold—Inception. The directing by Christopher Nolan is superb and Leonardo Di Caprio is long overdue for an Oscar. The movie has all the right ingredients of action, romance and suspense. In fact, I recommend that you get to the theatre early and be fully rested. You don’t want to take your eyes off the screen or miss a line in this movie or you’ll be lost. So, no bathroom breaks even though it is two and half hours long. I want to see it again because of all the symbolism and truths about reality, dreams and mind programming by the media and others. It will have you questioning your own thinking, dreams and reality. Hollywood has finally stepped up to the plate and hit a homeroom for originality.

Now is the Time--Earth Day April 22, 2010

Crying Indian | Viral/Other | SPIKE.com

I hope you understand what Earth Day is truly about. Once you do, you will appreciate the time and effort and human contributions in making our country a healthier environment. Behind every great movement there is a spirit of some type of injustice. The movement brings awareness to the injustice and to get people to take a stand against the injustice. In most cases the energy associated with both the movement and injustice proliferates as in the case of the Environmental Movement.

The environmental injustice in America didn’t just start in the 1970s, but in the early settling of this country. The movie, Avatar, is a perfect example of how the native’s belief of preserving and honoring the mineral, plant and animal life clashed with their suppressors, who believed in cultivating and using the land for power and procurement of money. Environmentalism is also rooted in the American Philosophical Thought of the 1830s and 1840s by such Transcendentalist as Henry David Thoreau. In his book, Maine Woods, he called for the conservation of and the respect for nature and the federal preservation of virgin forest. Those in power didn’t listen. They pushed for expansion toppling anything, place or person that got in the way. And that brings us to the 1970s.

By then, environmental groups had sprung up fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife. I remember the commercial, “Keep American Beautiful-the Crying Indian.” It carried a powerful message: If people can start pollution, they can also stop it. See the video above.

On April 22, 1970, the Environmental Movement was born when the then U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, organized the first nationwide environment protest. Here’s the paradox: the Environmental Movement led to the establishment of United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Act. And that was a good thing; but it’s sad that we need laws to protect that which should be natural. We now have to pay for water, and I’m concerned that in the future we might have to pay for clean air. Sounds bizarre? But decades ago so did paying for water. The fight for a clean environment continues as one tear has turned into millions of global tears.

What can you do? Find out about going green in Wednesday’s blog.

Avatar

My favorite movie is the Matrix, but Avatar is running a close second or maybe even tying with it. I won’t know for sure until I see it again in 3D. What I loved about both movies is that they embody metaphysical and spiritual concepts and symbolism that enhance the main theme. Avatar’s story is not new. We encountered the storyline in Kevin Costner’s Dance with the Wolves and a host of other stories where the hero saves the world and gets the girl. What made Avatar different was the hero wasn’t saving  the USA, but a planet called Pandora. What a perfect name for this movie. Pandora of Greek mythology opened the box and evil came out and what was left was hope. 9KT3U9CYHHDB And the evil that invaded Pandora was greedy Americans bent on destroying the planet and its people to secure and mine a valuable mineral, unobtainium, located on the tribal home grounds.  Avatar is full of political, cultural, social, spiritual, and environmental messages played out against the beauty of Pandora. Even the 10ft-tall, blue striped, green-eyed Na’vi people are beautiful and exotic. Their customs are similar to indigenous cultures such as the praying over killed animals; living in harmony with nature; using plants and trees to heal; singing and dancing ceremonies; demonstrating Oneness; and worshiping a female Goddess. There is so much in this movie that I have yet to tell you about  the dreamwalkers and the Tree of Life.  Go see it and enjoy 2 hrs and 48 minutes of fantastic fantasy, science fiction, adventure, and romance. But most of all you'll get a chance to envision what Earth would be like, if we all lived in harmony and love.