Fox Assures Hitman Will Be Rated "R"

Films buffs and video-game enthusiasts have been outspoken on the web about the rumor that Hitman, the latest game-turned-movie was being edited, or "watered-down",  for a PG-13 rating. Heaven forbid they would get another Live Free or Die Hard. Fox released a statement assuring the concerned folks that Hitman will be rated "R".

This is probably a bad example, since Hitman is a gruesome game for which a film adaption should deserve an R-rating. Still, call me old-fashioned, but I think the real artistic challenge is creating a film that can engage the audience without resorting to the "R-rated material".

I don't want to sound hypocritical - my "favorites" list of films does include many R's. Sometimes to convey the story in the best possible way, disturbing or graphic material might be necessary. But more often than not, I find the material that warrants the R-rating is actually a film's greatest weakness.

Great "PG" movies:

• Chariots of Fire
• Hoosiers
• The Princess Bride
• Apollo 13
• Star Wars
• Jaws
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• E.T.
• The Sting

And I was going to try and not make an old man joke. Too late.

The title of the new Indiana Jones movie has been revealed, along with a set photo of the major players (Spielberg, Ford, LeBeouf, Allen, and Winstone). The 65 year-old Harrison Ford, despite being of grandpa age, does look pretty darn good once again donning the earth-tones and fedora. And since Spielberg is still involved, I'm confident it won't be that disastrous.

And that title. Oh, the title. It's as if they picked out the coolest sci-fi keywords they could conjure up, threw them into Indy's trusty cap and randomly pieced together a title. But I'm being silly.. anything with "Crystal Skull" in it has to be pretty hardcore.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I will cheerfully pay my $12 next May to give you a look. This magic crystal skull business is just too intriguing.

School and work. Work and school. The routine is settling in.. how sad. I do have a couple exciting distractions though. Okay, so this is going to be a random list of what I've been digging lately..

- Arrested Development, season 3. Tobias Fumke, you are the most ridiculous fictional character I have ever encountered. You even surpass George Costanza's timeless quirks. Your lustrous hairplugs might be killing you, but you choose to brave the harsh (and absurd) consequences. {end scene}.

- xkcd. I was introduced to this clever, nerd-friendly web comic by a co-worker. Ingenious.

- End of the Spear. I just watched this film last night, which is based on the true story of a group of missionary families and their work with the Waodani tribe in 1950s Ecuador. It's a very powerful reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that was given for us, and how we are called to give our lives as living sacrifices. Even after Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and their fellow missionaries were killed by the tribe, their families continued to reach out to the Waodani. God used them to soften the hearts of even the very men who killed their husbands and fathers. I highly recommend giving this film a look.

And on that note, I need to finish some reading..

I’m a self-proclaimed semi-artsy film snob. I tend to proudly browse the indie selections at the movie store, and on occasion I find a decent (or even insightful) arthouse flick. Last week I checked out The Painted Veil, an adaptation which I had been interested in since it’s theatrical release. I’m not going to completely review the movie, as I become bored by my own review-style writing, but I will note the pleasure it was to watch. Afterall, it stars Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. Name a dreadful Norton flick. Go ahead.

The Painted Veil presents some interesting insight on love. The well-earned stereotype of love shown in film tends to be the passionate “love at first sight” perspective. This film actually starts out by showing one of the characters meddling in a passionate affair, which later is shown to be shallow and fruitless. However, a different kind of love blossoms - one that is learned. And it is not a love born through initial attraction or even sharing the same interests. The characters, while once despising each other, begin to understand each other. They begin to care for one another, and that grows to love. It’s an interesting transformation.

Perhaps I should file this one under “General Mushiness”. I think I will.

Speaking of love, congrats mom & dad - 25 years!�