Open Hatch

[update: I’ll probably soon post feedback I’ve had on this.]

The Deseret News published an article by Sharon Haddock which either outright invented or seriously twisted words by Richard Dutcher, then proceeded to use them in a screed against LDS film comedies, expressly against Dutcher’s own discouragement that anyone do so.

For reference, here is the article.

I attended Dutcher’s presentation at the Scera during the LDS film festival, which this article references to build its screed. I do not recall Dutcher ever saying, as this article asserts, that many of the films that have come out since God’s Army “..call for Mormons to laugh at the Latter-day Saint religion and its culture.”

On the contrary, at this event Dutcher listed some LDS films that he likes, among them The Singles Ward, and he has said elsewhere that Halestorm’s Mobsters and Mormons is by far the best LDS comedy to date.
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This is my report of participation in the LDS film festival. I say participation instead of attendance because my ludicrous guffaws and moans of hysterical weeping were heard at several screenings. Just kidding on the hysterical weeping. I also say participation because I
wrote cryptic scrawls in forums from which I derive these notes, lest I forget.
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[Update: this generated some discussion at the LDS film yahoo group and a lot of discussions turning into four or five threads at the Association for Mormon Letters. I’ll probably gather notes and summarize the discussions here.]

Following is a discourse on the nature of man’s love and hate for art, and art itself. It is based on comments I have actually heard (but whose origin I sincerely forget), but taken into a different setting. Note my blatantly religious assumptions.

A question of “What are we reading?” in a forum prompted me to realize that of all the reading I do I mention so little of it in this blog.

Recent reads (most recent first):

The Book of Mormon - the President of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) invited all members last fall to read this book by the end of the year, promising certain blessings as consequence - an increase of peace, a greater resolve to do what is right. Those blessings happened for me. Apart from that: this book is true. It’s a mix of glory and the profoundest tragedy. It’s lighting and thunder against bad religion and philosophy. According to many it is also stylistically bland - but that was never the point for me. More than any of this, it is a witness of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and His power of deliverance.
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A note: I had the opportunity to ask Richard Dutcher his advice on screenwriting. I divulged it at this blog entry under my first comment (Alex).

States of Grace will re-release in Utah, in Salt Lake and Utah counties, on the 20th. Check the “theaters” link at the film’s website for locations.

States of Grace will show tomorrow evening at a free screening, at 7 PM, at the Regency at Trolly Square, Salt Lake City. There will be a panel discussing the film afterwards, and the screening is free and open to the public. I learned this from a newsletter forwarded from the theater.

This game expansion I wrote character dialogue for was released yesterday. It’s for the game in the subject header, on the XBOX 360 Live Arcade.

The company forum had some positive player feedback here.

Earlier positive reviews for the game were noted here.

All that running and resolve, and Mrs. Pac Man hasn’t lost anything. Doesn’t she get that she’s taking in as many calories as she burns?

She should just face it, her basic shape is round. In older times, this shape was more ideal because it signified farming power and the luxuries of living carnivorously. It’s too bad they stopped making farms to remind us that fat is power. And poor Mrs. Pac Man isn’t adored like the farm girl she should be. She was born in the wrong time.

At least we still have those holdovers of farming and fat power: Thanksgiving, and McDonald’s. Was Mrs. Pac Man ever in a happy meal? With a little straw hat? I bet they didn’t add a straw hat. They should.

No, Mr. and Mrs. Pac Man are silicon children. The best they can hope for is liposuction and plastic and silicone reshaping.

And isn’t it time for Mrs. Pac Man to have some equality? Shouldn’t she resent having Man in her name? Shouldn’t she be Mrs. Pac Myn? And isn’t it unfair that HE is in more games? Why does she keep hanging around that loser?