Videoscene

Star of Bethlehem Reviewed by CJ Henderson

Here’s one for a specialized audience, or more correctly, two specialized audiences. It is a supposed scientific study of the phenomenon known as the star of Bethlehem, the celestial body which supposedly was God’s chosen method to herald the birth of his Son. Everyone--Christian, Jew, Muslim, heretic--everyone knows this story. The question for some is, however, is it true? That’s where the idea of this one being for two very different audiences comes into play. Most people are going to fall into two major categories here: those who are true believers, who need no proof whatsoever, and those who don’t believe at all, and for whom no amount of proof would ever persuade them to believe in a figure named Jesus Christ, let alone a tale about a star stopping in the heavens to announce his first birthday.

The two groups that will have an interest in this film are off-shoots from the larger ones. From the believers there are those who enjoy having historical or scientific proof to back up their beliefs. Not because they doubt, but because they like to be armed with facts for when they get into it with non-believers. It does pay to bring a knife to a knife fight. The second group comes from the soft end of the non-believer side, from the section of that clan which considers itself reasonable. They are the open-minded, the ones who will listen to facts. Or at least they enjoy a good mystery.

All right, so we’ve narrowed down who might want to view this DVD. The more important question is--should they?

It has to be admitted, if you have any interest in this subject, you should find a viewing of "The Star of Bethlehem" as not a waste of time. Scholars have been debating whether or not the Star is a legend created by the early church or an actual astronomical event for well over a thousand years. Like Noah’s ark and the great flood, the falling of the walls of Jericho, et cetera, there have always been those looking for facts, or the lack thereof, to defend or attack the Bible.

The "scholar" in this case is Rick Larson. Larson admits up front that he has no formal training. He is a Christian, and a lawyer (a little of both camps) who got interested in the idea of the Star. Was it real or not? He explains why the notion was debated, why science had no way to provide an answer one way of another until only recently, and what he did in the way of research to come to his own conclusions.

Now, in case anyone out there can’t guess, yes indeed, the Christian lawyer did find the proof for which he was looking. But, that should not be viewed as suspicious in and of itself. Larson seems to have approached his subject with an open mind. He gets his facts (as well as this lowly non-scientist could tell) straight. He does not fall into the trap of trying to prove Jesus was born on December 25th (most scholars have agreed for quite some time he was not).

There are times when his presentation of the facts he has gathered come across more like an infomercial than anything else, but then there isn’t a lot more he could have done. The film is basically a lecture, a classroom presentation of facts. Yes, millions could have been spent on special effects, or recreations of the Nativity, or the Crucifixion, et cetera, but to what end? If anything, by keeping the graphics and soundtrack simple, by concentrating on those effects which help prove his case and ignoring those which might merely dazzle, Larson actually comes across as more of a professional with something to say.

This is good, because he does have a tendency to come across as a miracle gadget pitchman, but these moments seem more a product of his faith. He is not so much a man trying to convince someone to buy a product (if you’re watching, you’ve already rendered unto Caesar) as he is one who can not contain his enthusiasm.

Which brings us down to the ultimate point: should you invest in this one or not? My verdict is, go to www.thestarofbethlehemmovie.com and see what you think of their presentation. If you’re impressed, you can pick it up right there. If you’re not, you at least exercised your own mental curiosity. I will say that while Larson does sound like an excited huckster much of the time, he has put together an interesting study. It might not prove that Jesus the Nazarene was indeed the Son of God, but it certainly does seem to prove the long debated star was an actual occurrence.

Our final word: 4 stars out of 5.

“Gaumont Treasures: 1897-1913” by Andrew Johnson.

More than ten hours of films are to be seen on three DVDs of the boxed set of Kino International’s “Gaumont Treasures: 1897-1913” We’re back to the very invention of cinema with its growth to the art form. Here is a massive collection from the very early years of the renowned French film company.
The first of the three discs is devoted to Alice Guy’s French silent films. Some films told somewhat of a story, others were like mini-documentaries. The beginning of the disc shows mostly short several minute endeavors, one scene with fixed camera: a marvelous collection for those having any interest in historical motion picture development. These include swimming, dancing, hypnotism, bunglers, travels to Spain, plus traffic on a large Parisian avenue (with an effect used of reversing the film so everyone walks backwards). Some of these were painstakingly colored frame by frame. Lots of stop action photography for that time were used for special effects. The films of this director get longer as time progresses. Phonoscene, recorded music on disc simultaneously played with the film, may be heard on several of these films.
The second disc is devoted to Louis Feuillade (1907-1913) who used a wide range of genres. Especially notable were the social stories of father, mother, and son. “THE DEFECT” which runs for 41 minutes depicts a woman rescued from a place of ill-repute to become director of a nursing facility, from sinner to saint, a very well done social commentary. There were costume epics as well, in addition to “THE TRUST,” where the good guys win. It involves an unscrupulous rich businessman trying to gain industrial total control. Actress Renee Carl appeared in a number of these films with other players recognizable from film to film.
Feuillade made over 600 films with delicate and thoughtful drama. Childish antics were included as well. His films were thought to be morally superior to his competitors.
A good documentary: “LOUIS FEUILLADE: MASTER OF MANY FORMS,” gives us an insight into what he did that was visually more dynamic than the theatre. With his comedy (including the Bebe film series) and the serious, he showed things as they were, not as they should have been.

Disc Three is about Leonce Perret, whose films are virtually unknown in the States. He appeared in over 100 films and directed more than 250. An influential figure in the growth of the French film industry, his films were rarely seen here in the States until now. His technical mastery and aesthetic grace led to subtleties of character and meaning in his cinematic endeavors.
In “THE CHILD OF PARIS,” he uses low angle shots, backlighting, close-ups, a moving camera, and many other innovations. He had a flair in filmmaking that even D.W. Griffith lacked in this country at the time. With a fascinating story line of separation, a child missing, and eventual recovery, this film, an odyssey of adventure, was said to be the most sophisticated film of the time. I found one flaw in continuity: there is a different locomotive from when the train leaves Paris to Nice and when it arrives at its destination.
“THE MYSTERY OF THE ROCKS OF KADOR,” which is a third of the running length of “THE CHILD OF PARIS,” has Perrot playing the evil Count of the film. He is to inherit his niece’s fortune if she is not of sound mind, so money makes him do dastardly things to get the fortune. The heroine of the film must undergo a filming of events that led to her catatonic state in order for her to see and realize the deed perpetuated upon her by her uncle. The scenes shot at sea (which obviously couldn’t be) were so close to the shore as waves were breaking which they do not at sea. Another technical flaw is how the doctor, who filmed the recollection for the girl, was aware that her lover carried her to the boat and put her in; no one originally saw this. Poetic license, no?
Both of these films are color tinted and really hold interest in viewing. I do marvel how this masterful filmmaker escaped notoriety in this country
In the short documentary: “LEONCE PERRET: THE FILMMAKER’S FILMMAKER,” many scenes from his other films are shown including his direction of “MOLIERE” with a young Abel Gance both writing and appearing in the film.
The restoration of the films is top drawer, as is always the case with a Kino product. What a world of knowledge and enlightenment lies in this 3 DVD boxed set!

Logitech's Drive FX Controller
for the XBOX -360

Rating five stars out of five.

Look at all those XBOX-360 racing games and consider that you can't drive a Ferrari with an XBOX controller. You need professional gear and a trip to the local game store will prove disappointing - or at least it did until now. The available driving controllers were pretty basic until Logitech came up with the Drive FX Controller, a complete wheel with pedals that makes driving that Lotus Formula 1 a dream experience. The DriveFX looks as if it was grabbed straight out of the PC racing wheel pool. The matte black plastic wheel assembly is complimented with the standard colored 360 button array and D-pad on the spokes of the wheel, with a brushed metal central hub showing off the Logitech logo. Surrounding the central hub are evenly spaced faux-bolts to give the unit that "racing" look. The rubber hand grips on either side of the wheel help add a little texture to the smooth plastic and the small paddle shifters are tucked away discreetly behind the side spokes. The pedal unit is made of the same color material as the wheel itself, and despite having gray "drilled" pedals and this is definiately NOT a toy or arcade quality. This is the real thing. The wheel itself is quite sturdy, and provides a nice level of resistance to turning. The rubber grips on either side ensure a comfortable and firm grip for the user, and also add a little extra circumference to the grip area. The pedal is equally sturdy and comfortably resistant.

The unit needs power from the wall socket and comes with a transformer. The pedal unit is also plugged into the wheel unit and the whole assembly should be on a sturdy surface in front of the player at the right height to clamp the wheel onto. The wheel is attached to the XBOX 360 wqith a ten foot USB cable. Yeah, there are cords, but you can easily dress them off to the side.

I tested the wheel with Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Forza Motorsport 2 . The first thing I noticed was how responsive and sensitive the wheel was. This took time to get used to. There is a setup button nopt to be overlooked, a small black button on the left spoke of the wheel unit. It allows the player to cycle the DriveFX through three different sensitivity settings. Once you find the settings that are right for you and the game you are playing the onscreen response was simply amaziong and the pedals are easy to use.
The wheel's "Axial Feedback" function is more sophisticated than standard rumble features and provides shaking left to right as well as resistance to turning where appropriate. This feedback adds a great level of immersion to any game that really does make play much more enjoyable. This product get a full five stars from us and is a wonderful candidate for the gift list.