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I’m not the least bit surprised that Friday’s long awaited release of “Iron Man” brought in more than $100 million dollars at the box office, making it the second most success non-sequel in movie history (I’ll let you try to guess which film ranks number one). The success of film’s like this, sometimes even when they’re not done very well (“Fantastic Four”), comes from the yearning we all have for a clearly defined universe and moral code.
Ironically, that yearning is best satisfied not through cinematic realism but the fantastic; stories that use characters as symbols and rely on broad, classic storylines. These stories reach something deep inside us, which explains why thousands of years later Greek and Roman mythology remains popular, and why comic book cinema and space operas continue to be irresistible to filmmakers and audiences alike.
It also explains why some people take to interpreting the bible literally, the desire for certainty overwhelming. I understand that yearning, although I always want to ask them just what version of the bible they’re referring to.
Click here for more on Iron Man.
Click here for bibles and more bibles.
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To So now... wrote on May 8, 2008 3:34 PM: