Inside I'm Dancing

God bless the Irish.

Because that's what it took to make a brilliant movie like the 2004 gem "Inside I'm Dancing."

Remotely resembling British humor, yet the latter is infinitely less divine than what the Irish come up with in their joix de vivre, as opposed to English cynicism, and in embracing that glimpse of spirituality that the Brits have traded in exchange for Darwin.

Don't know why we missed this one for so long. Probably because our corner of the world is in a similar dilemma to her Majesty's.

But better late than never.

If you can handle hardcore humanity, try to see this one if you haven't yet.

Martian Child

I was just reminded of "Martian Child" this morning, a movie I must have watched before I started this list, because it belongs here, I'd say.

Somewhat reminiscent of "K-Pax," the difference being that this one's based on actual events.

The "Making of" reveals that John Cusack originally didn't jibe too well with the kid who was to play the "Martian Child," which shows that regardless of our preferences or reservations, when it comes down to it, we've got to trust the Director of the "Big Picture" for the choice of our partners in the cast of the movie of our life...

He knows best, dude.

Yes Man

I had read a few reviews of "Yes Man" before I finally dared to watch it. I like Jim Carrey, and have forgiven him for antics like "Ace Ventura" latest since "Truman Story," and, of course, "Bruce Almighty."

I understand that some folks can't deal with some of the lessons that movies like "Bruce Almighty" or "Yes Man" have to offer. Maybe they're not the personality types that this type of lesson applies to, so they can't relate to them, or they have a "Smells Like Teen Spirit" attitude toward movies: "Here we are now, entertain us!" and don't want to be bothered with lessons from a movie screen.

Well, I'm not a notorious "Yes Man," so I enjoyed what this movie has to say, and at the same time found it thoroughly enjoyable.

Being a former owner and fond conosseur of Third Eye Blind's '99 debut album, I particularly enjoyed Jim's rendition of "Jumper," probably one of the best 1000 rock songs of all times. I was laughing till I cried...

Apparently I wasn't the only one, judging by the amount of uploads of that scene to Youtube.

Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed!

I haven't featured any documentaries on this list so far, but I think Ben Stein's courage to be one of the few (secular) voices of truth, butting the media and mainstream description of Intelligent Design, deserves an exception.

Even the title of the documentary alone, "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed!" is a stroke of genius in itself, because by refusing to recognize the existence of intelligent information within the very basest form of life, namely within every living cell, and by refusing to acknowledge the fact that there can be no form of intelligent information without an Author, thus leaving the Evolutionary theory flawed at best, if not totally insufficient to explain where we came from, and thus crying desperately for a more sensible answer, the so-called "science" lobby Stein addresses in the movie prevents intelligent thought from happening altogether within their institutions.

Equaling their bias to practices of both the 3rd Reich as well as formerly Communist East Germany (both nations heavily influenced by the teachings of evolution) couldn't be more appropriate.

Apparently Ben is beginning to pay the consequences for his boldness, like any other lonely voice for the truth, but history will tell who were the blind, misled masses and who were the heroes that dared to speak up for the truth when nobody else did it...

10 Inch Hero

Behold, truly one more American fairy-tale, but alas, one of hope and peace, justice and free sex for all...

And that even during a time when you would have thought hippies had all been wiped out by the "war on terror."

But there is a God and He loves us, even those of us who are hippies at heart, and even if there don't seem to be many other confirmations of that fact around than these concocted fantasy tales by dreamers like us, it's enough to keep us dreaming, or hoping that some day - against all odds - there are really going to be people like that walking on this planet, actually getting along wonderfully, and making love, not war.

Jack & Jill vs. the World

Unbelievably, yet another flick cast in N.Y.City, "that great city" which, apparently, a lot of movie producers consider the "stage of the world."

Possibly so.

Well, it's nice to find - on that stage - a role played as nicely as that of Jack & Jill in this movie, as strongly opposing each other as they may initially be, and preaching a message that goes so much against the New York City Groove and its Wall Street Shuffle, and even has the audacity to label its game "stupid."

Thank you, Vanessa Parise, for making such a nice movie.

My better half specially appreciated it, since she very much resembles "Jill," and Jack's conversion probably very much my own... that mysterious conversion taking place when someone stops chasing temporal things (as in "the pursuit of happiness") and actually starts living...