By Matthew
Over the past week there has been excellent discussion happening at the various posts here at Sword of Gryffindor. The topics have been varied and I’d like to reflect this in today’s links.
- George MacDonald’s name has cropped up at various times, let’s take a look at the man.
- Despite some obvious errors, this is an interesting camparison of the use of mythology by Lewis and Rowling.
- Did you know that The Screwtape Letters is being made into a movie. Few detail are available at the moment. How would you cast this movie? And while we’re at it, can anyone remember that excellent TV series Millenium? Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me, a particularly brilliant episode from that series, is surely inspired by Lewis’ book. Want to watch it? View in this order 1, 2, 3. It’s not the whole episode, only what is available online.
- Another essay by John Mark Reynolds that ties in nicely with recent discussions about superheros, myth and Harry
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I watched every episode of Millenium, loved Lance Henriksen’s Frank Black, and mourned the ending of the series. The episode with the four devils at the coffee-shop was a good one. I didn’t think of the link with Screwtape Letters until now. I always liked the episodes which featured angels and devils on earth.
Speaking of which, has anyone here seen Dogma? What did you think of it? Blasphemous and sacriligious? Or insightful and profound? Or just plan sily? Remember Metatron?
Yes, I’ve watched Dogma several times, actually. Mainly because Rickman is in it. And I can’t figure out what I think of it. At times it seems profound, other times silly, and some does seem blashpemous. I’d like to know what the screen writer and director actually intended, and even when I’ve read some comments by them, I still can’t tell. It’s as if they have something they want to say, but are afraid to admit their real intent–whatever it is, it’s likely to offend one side or the other.
Ahem, and yes I do remember Metatron.
I never watched Millenium, but then there are a vast number of things I’ve never watched on TV. Sounds like I might have missed out.
Pat
Oops, I knew I had something else I wanted to say. Because of all the references to MacDonald, I ordered the Fairy Tale book, which came on Friday. I haven’t had a chance to read any of it, though, as I’m trying to finish Half-Blood Prince before we go on holiday–I plan to take Deathly Hallows with me. I am finding it interesting to read the two close together–especially while reading through all the excellent discussions on DH. It’s putting my perceptions of HBP in a whole new light.
Pat
Reyhan,
Millenium really was great. My favourite episodes were written by Darin Morgan who also wrote (in my opinion) the best episodes of the X-Files. The character Jose Chung, played by Charles Nelson Reilly (Remember him in The Ghost and Mrs Muir?), crosses over from X-files to Millennium in ‘Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space” and ‘Jose Chung’s ‘Doomsday Defense” respectively. These episodes are an absolute hoot and worth chasing up.
I’ve got an illustrated copy of The Princess and the Goblin that I’ve never read and I recently picked up a copy of Phantasies, both by George MacDonald. I should make it a priority to read these. The forward by CS Lewis in Phantasies is really informative.
Matthew
Dogma is probably the last Kevin Smith movie I saw that was really any good. Alan Rickman’s role is absolutely hilarious.
Pat and Reyhan, it’s kind of Kevin Smith’s schtick to play the profoudly dumb guy. At times he seems to be a genius, but at others he just strings together a series of fart jokes and comic book references.
Clerks = brilliant
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back = moronic
I remembered that my favorite Millenium episode involved a dark angel. Turns out there were two episodes which featured dark angels. I looked over the list of episodes and found two that feature an angel variously called Sammael (in Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions) and Samiel (in Borrowed Time). I decided to look up Samiel / Sammael in Wikipedia, and boy, was I ever taken aback.
Samael, it turns out, was the angel of death. And also Satan’s true name.
Pat, if you can ever get your hands on the Millenium DVD’s, you’ll be in for a treat.
And since we’re on the subject, does anyone remember Brimstone? The depiction of Satan and his counter-part, was, I thought, inspired.
Yes indeed! (I have all three seasons of Millennium on DVD. It’s one of my favorite TV series of all time!)
PS. Speaking of mythology… For those interested in mythology and Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” model, the master reading list for Campbell’s famous “Introduction to Mythology” class (which he taught at Sarah Lawrence College from the late 1930s to the mid-1970s) is here and filled with “must read” world texts.