Since October is a Halloween month, we decided to watch a horror film to celebrate it and chose this one.
The plot is rather simple. Van Helsing who lost his memory many years ago, but knows that he is very old, hunts monsters in the service of a secret order within the Catholic Church. He is sent to Transylvania to kill Dracula, together with friar Carl. There he meets Anna Velkan, the last descendant of a noble family who is on the same mission and whose brother was turned into a werewolf by Dracula. Her ancestor made an oath that unless he or someone of his family destroys Dracula, they won't be able to enter Paradise and will spend the eternity in Purgatory.
Van Helsing kills one of Dracula's brides and forms an alliance with Anna, while Dracula is plotting to conquer the world and is looking for a new bride...
I should say that the movie is not really very horrific but very entertaining. Strange enough, it wasn't a success when it came out, the fact that many commenters on YouTube trailers found surprising. My theory is that it's due to the fact that it shows the Catholic Church in positive light, something which those who run the MSM in the USA don't really appreciate.
It's also quite traditional because it shows that Evil, though seductive, is still Evil. There are no redeeming qualities in Dracula, which is quite unlike the later abominations of shining s8xy vampires courting high school girls. Europeans are played by European looking actors. Girrl power isn't very annoying. Etc etc. Both adversaries are played by the very handsome actors, btw, and Anna is beautiful, too.
On the negative side, the hint that Van Helsing is the incarnation of Gabriel (yes, that one) is bordering on blasphemous, imo.
If you are into this kind of movies and haven't seen this particular one, I'd recommend it.
I think I saw it back then and thought it was boring, even with Hugh Jackman.
ReplyDeleteWasn't that lady vampire, too? I recall a scene where she wiped her mouth of blood after fight.
But yes, world was rather innocent back then.
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I just learned there are "Safe place feminist strip tease clubs". Apparently fat and ugly feminist women perform strip tease to each other, and that is somehow empowering. I saw a clip of particularly fat and ugly woman (she claimed to be dance teacher, they didn't look QUITE that when I danced) air-h*mping (if that is a correct word) a cream cake. (Didn't quite understand, why.)
And this was ALL in MSM tv-channel, the one all grannies watch. I wasn't searching for adult material, I just saw a headline about dance teacher and started watching.
Sorry ot, just had to share with somebody.
The Village is a wonderful thriller that embodies clear lines of good versus evil. It also excludes the oversexualized characters so typical of this genre.
ReplyDeleteBlanka, Dracula had 3 (!) wives. As for feminists, they will call anything empowering:)))
ReplyDeleteAnon, I'm not really much into horror, just came across that movie by chance and decided to watch. I'll check the Village though. Also, sign your comments, please, if only with one letter.
ReplyDeleteAngel Gabriel brought to my mind one question: When new age -people see "nature spirits", "deceased loved ones", "spirit guides", "guardian angels" and such, do you think they:
ReplyDeletea) see demons, or
b) just imagine it all?
I just happened to read an article where apparently well-educated and smart woman believed she gets guidance from them ALL. And I started thinking wether she is possessed or just has very vivid imagination.
It is like Chesterton once said, when you stop believing in God, you wont believe in nothing, you will start believing in everything.
I personally find it less complicated to believe in one God and his Son.
Also I think it makes no sense to believe in angels but not in personal God?
Oh I'm sure some really do come in contact with spirits. The question is rather, which spirits?
ReplyDeleteThe root of all Western unbelief is rebellion which is very obvious when you start reading atheist discussions. An average Westerner can't accept that there is any moral authority outside his desires at the moment. And there is a certain group of people which does little else but feed their egos constantly.
Personally I have found it rather interesting that Africans and Asians or rather those outside the cities, fully accept that both Angels and demons are real. They also accept that you can get cursed, blessed, and or possessed.
ReplyDeleteWhy I find this so interesting is that the bible is quite clear that all of these are real and happen. Yet in the more (Civilized) areas there is almost like a veil of disbelief covering things. For instance if you were to walk into a church today. Well assuming today was Sunday, and strike up a conversation with a group of people. It is interesting that despite them saying they are christian, they refuse to accept any of these are real.
For whatever reason Christians in Western nations, and even more-so the closer and deeper you get to the cities, refuse to believe what God told them in his word. It is the strangest of things.
So getting back to the question, yes I fully expect all those who see spirits, deceased loved ones, spirit guides, etc. I highly suspect they are talking the the demonic spirits of the dead Nephilim. I also believe doing so is an easy way to get yourself possessed. As for the guardian angels, I'll admit I don't know on this one. I do know that the bible clearly states, in Hebrews 13:2
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for through this, some have entertained angels unawares."
So I would say the jury is out on the topic of guardian angels, but the others. Oh yea those are definitely demonic spirits without question. Best to stay away from that nonsense.
- W
I think it was VD who linked to a research pointing out that atheism correlates with autism. Also, Western people believe in "science" and despise intuition.
ReplyDeleteI remember this verse about angels walking on Earth. I think they do help people sometimes. Eastern Orthodox also have stories about saints sometimes walking around us. Not sure what the Catholics believe about it.
I once watched an Iranian movie on YouTube about a man who had a near death experience due to an accident and got ability to see angels after this and he constantly met one of them who came to people before they died (may be it was Gabriel, not sure). The angel told him that a beautiful woman he met in hospital is going to die soon because of brain tumor and go to Hell (she was a prostitute) so he tried to save her. In the end they married, she was treated for her disease and they got a daughter.
ReplyDeleteI read an interesting article about angles. It said that even though angels exist, and the kind of run God's errands, we do not have personal guardian angels. God guards us, and sends an angel if needed, that's all. And believing in guardian angel comes easily idol worship.
ReplyDeleteThen I started to think, why people want to believe in tons of spirits and dead ancestors, when it is so much easier to believe in one and only God and his Son? I mean, we christians do not NEED all that other help and guidance they believe they get from those spirits, since we have God and he will take care of everything.
So I wondered, why people want to believe in nonsense, when believing in God makes everything so very clear and simple?
But you Sanne just answered me in your comment, when you wrote: "An average Westerner can't accept that there is any moral authority outside his desires at the moment."
Thank you, you are a very wise woman. That really made it clear for me. That is why they want to believe in "universe" and "spirits", not God (if they have need to believe in something and are not atheists.) Poor, poor souls.
I personally have always found having some moral authority above very reassuring. The weight of God's word on my shoulders is all the "grounding" I could ever need. (Those spirit-believers also seem to need lots of grounding all the time.)
Thanks, Blanka! It becomes obvious when you've read a couple of atheist discussions. Also, have you ever talked to an average Boomer???:)
ReplyDeleteNoticed
ReplyDeleteOops!
ReplyDeleteSo, I noticed how people in Asia and Africa believe in demons were mentioned and it reminded me of an exchange student who came from Korea/China/or something to Finland. He was puzzled when he first saw people, in winter when coming in, stomping their before entering. The only explanation he could figure out was that they must be scaring the demons not to enter the house as they were entering. The practical point of bringing the least amount of snow in did not come to his mind. Also, Maimonides (a medieval doctor/rabbi) advises against demons in food that can make you sick. Obviously we call those demons bacteria today.
Demons exist if we believe so. But they can also be something else that we think.
I saw an angel when I was about 9. Imagination? Perhaps, but very meaningful to me.
stomping their *feet
DeleteMiriam, interesting!
ReplyDelete