The following recently arrived for Steve Bornfeld:
I just read your review of my play Bash (January 29, 2003) and wanted to thank you for your thoughtful piece. It sounds like a terrific production. Please pass my congratulations on to the director and cast if you run into them ...
It's always nice to read someone who takes the time to say why they feel a certain way about something—like it or dislike it—and not just give a plot summary. I found your review very incisive.
Keep up the good work. We need more critics out there who believe not just in what they're doing, but in how they're doing it. Good luck with all.
Neil Labute
Editor's note:
Steve Bornfeld recently gave up reviewing theater.
Passion is the Fashion of the With-It and Hip
Last week, as part of our flood-the-zone coverage of The Passion of the Christ, film critic Jeffrey M. Anderson and Associate Editor Stacy J. Willis—who used to work the religion beat for the Las Vegas Sun—conducted an e-mail dialogue about the controversial film. And someone read it! The following arrived addressed to Jeff and Stacy:
I read your reviews about the movie portraying the crucifixation of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I hope after seeing this you will take the time to pray and ask Jesus himself to reveal the Truth to you both ... don't let your cynism stop you from accepting HIS FREE gift of salvation to you, PLEASE, or you'll miss the point. I would like to see you in eternity in heaven and the ONLY way that can happen is if you ask HIM to forgive you for all that you've done in your life that put HIM on that cross. He will forgive and cleanse you and accept you into the family of God.
God bless you in your pursuit of HIM.
When you seek HIM with your whole heart you shall find HIM.
God bless you!!
A child of god
Editor's note:
Can you repeat that in Aramaic?
Frank 3:16
The silver screen is awash with violence and mayhem, perversion and debauchery. Major Hollywood studios have no problem with churning out bloody splatterfests like the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the recently released Freddy vs. Jason. They revel in edgy television fare such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, a special love-kiss to the militant homosexual lobby.
If you are a Hollywood director who wants to make a film that mocks, blasphemes and reviles Jesus Christ, you can be sure that the major studios will line up to bankroll and distribute it, and that critics will acclaim it. If you want to make a film that viciously portrays Catholic priests and nuns, Protestant ministers, or Christian believers in general as ignorant buffoons, corrupt hypocrites or intolerant bigots, you can rest assured of media accolades for your penetrating social commentary. Submerge a crucifix in a jar of urine or create a painting of the Virgin Mary out of elephant dung and you will be praised for your artistic brilliance by the self-anointed arbiters of culture.
So why the incredible hullabaloo over The Passion of the Christ?
Frank M. Pelteson
Editor's note:
Thanks for the, um, perspective, Frank. However: In 2003, the year Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Freddy vs. Jason were released, a canny producer could have really cleaned up by making a movie about heroic fantasy creatures fighting evil, a wayward fish, a goofy pirate—or a gentle, faith-affirming farce about a regular guy and God. While neither of the movies you mention cracked the year's box office top 10, Lord of the Rings, Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Matrix Reloaded, Bruce Almighty, X2, Elf, Terminator 3, Matrix Revolutions and Bad Boys II did. (We'll concede your point on Bad Boys II.)
Hardly evidence of Hollywood shoving filth down our throats, Frank. And while the delightful Queer Eye still gets headlines, TV continues love-kissing the militant beer-drinking hetero lobby with such guy's-guy shows as Everybody Loves Raymond, Life with Jim and King of Queens.
But other than that—and the fact that you sorta miss the point of the artworks you mentioned—your points are well-taken.
While Not as Foamy-Mouthed as Commentators on the Gay Marriage Issue, the Camel of Colorado City at Least Has a Better Explanation
In her February 5 report from the polygamypalooza in Colorado City, Arizona, Kate Silver mentioned a camel in the town zoo, which appeared to suffer some affliction that ringed its mouth in yucky foam and caused its ropy camel tounge to flop out. Camel rabies? Pat Robertson Syndrome? Who knows? A reader, actually:
Friday, February 13, on FOX 5, a show was aired called When Animals Attract, about Mother Nature and sex. Anyway, hopefully this will make you feel a bit better ... I forgot what the show said it was, but they explained it as a "mouth bladder"! Male camels foam up, then spit this ... thing ... out. It looked full of some liquid, and vibrated. I just felt you ought to know, that camel in Colorado City ... was just horny and trying to impress a female.
It was gross and I'd freak out also.
A Reader
Editor's note:
When we got to the words "mouth bladder," we thought, "Pat Robertson Syndrome, all right." But the part about it being horny and trying to impress a female quickly ruled that out.
Another Note to Sonja
Hey, I just wanted to drop U a quick line. I've been reading your column for awhile now, and I must say I'm quite intrigued with U. As I'm sure you get hundreds of these letters a week, hopefully this one finds its way into your view.
It seems as though the things U R looking for are not that hard to find. I'm 29, gainfully employed as a dealer down on the Strip, cute, fun, not crazy, don't want to wear your underwear, am not hung like a toothpick. When it all comes down to it, I'm just a regular guy who's looking for something he hasn't found yet. Every time I read your writing it makes me smile! I love the things U fret about and the problems U seem to run into. I wanted to leave it all up to chance, just hope I would run into U out somewhere, but it seems as though that might not happen, so this is my attempt to see if maybe U would like to have a drink or maybe some dinner one nite? I'm attaching a picture of me, hopefully U will get it, see it, fall in love with me immediately and rush to my doorstep begging me to marry U! hehe ... just teasin'.
Hope to hear from U soon.
A Reader
Editor's note:
You sound like a nice guy and a good catch, but we're not going to forward your note to Sonja. As part of our duties as her gatekeepers, it's our mission to screen out guys who write "U" instead of "you." Sorry.