Fourth Row Center

Ben Stein (speech writer for both Nixon and Ford, comedian, game show host, and actor) continues to intrigue me. Like many of you, my first introduction to him was as the droning economics teacher from Ferris Beuller's Day Off ("anyone? anyone?") . Years later, he hosts a game show called Win Ben Stein's Money , a series of Visine commercials and an internet letter. And that leads us to his documentary, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. If it was not for this appearing on Netflix's Watch Now section, I most likely would not have watched the film, but why not? I added the title to my Watch Now queue and went upstairs to have it streamed to my TV via the ROKU Box. One other thing you have to know is that Stein rejects Darwinism and embraces Intelligent Design. The premise of the movie is that Academia has created a wall that is dividing science and rejecting new ideas. In this case, Academia is rejecting Intelligent Design as a new attempt by Christian's to h...

Earlier I have confessed my penchant for "apocalyptic" style movies. These movies deal with the not too distant future, or even present day, that has somehow been changed (war, flood, famine, zombie) and the survivors must work out how they will adapt. Another favorite vehicle would have to be time travel. "Deja Vu" stars Denzel Washington and was directed by Tony Scott. Washington plays Doug Carlin, an ATF official investigating the bombing of a New Orleans ferry that kills over five hundred passengers. He is recruited by the FBI to participate in an experimental use of technology that allows investigators to peer back in time four days. Carlin uses the technology to investigate the death of Claire Kuchever, who Carlin believes was murdered by the bomber of the ferry. One of the time travel themes explored is that the past can not really be changed. It is as if "God has decided" and no matter how the characters try to affect the past, the will end up chan...