Just as Britain negotiates its inglorious retreat from Europe, and our political classes prepare to ratify the chaotic abandonment of a union intended to prevent another war, there seems to be a renewed appetite for movies about 1940. Christopher Nolan has just given us his operatic immersion in Dunkirk, and now Joe Wright — who himself staged bravura Dunkirk scenes in his 2007 film Atonement — directs this undeniably exciting and beguiling account of Winston Churchill’s darkest hour in 1940, as Hitler’s forces gather across the Channel, poised to invade. It is written by Anthony McCarten, who scripted the recent Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything.

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This is not so much a period war movie as a high-octane political thriller: May 1940 as House Of Cards, with the wartime Prime Minister up against a cabal of politicians who want to do him down. It’s interesting for a film to remind us that appeasement as an issue did not vanish the moment that Winston Churchill took over as Prime Minister; despite the famous David Low cartoon, not everyone was right behind him, rolling up their sleeves. Here, his immediate enemies do not seem to be Hitler and Mussolini as much as Chamberlain and Halifax, agitating for a deal with the Nazis and scheming to undermine Churchill’s cabinet and parliamentary position.

They are played respectively by Ronald Pickup and Stephen Dillane, the latter having a malign mandarin impassivity. Dillane makes him a pretty unholy fox. Ben Mendelsohn plays George VI, who is also an appeasement fan at first, though the film gallantly makes him a Churchill convert, conjuring a scene between the two of them in which his job is to stiffen Winston’s sinews. (This film incidentally doesn’t make the mistake in The King’s Speech of implying that Churchill sided with Bertie during the Abdication.)
Darkest Hour has obvious similarities to the recent film Churchill, with Brian Cox; like that drama it imagines a pretty young WAAF figure as his secretary, for him to be at first grumpy and then soppy with – Lily James plays this part here. Miranda Richardson played the exasperated wife Clemmie in the Brian Cox movie and here it’s Kristin Scott Thomas being exasperated and affectionate, helping the impossible old devil dress etc, in more or less the same way – although there’s more here for Scott Thomas to get her teeth into. But this movie packs a much bigger and more effective punch, and that’s down to a more ambitious scale, pacier narrative drive – and the lead performance.

Every time I sit down to another Churchill drama, I promise myself I won’t just roll over for another actor in the latex/Homburg/bowtie/cigar/padding combo and doing the jowl-quivering while speaking in thevoish and the weird cadencesh. And yet there’s no doubt about it, Gary Oldman is terrific as Churchill, conveying the babyishness of his oddly unlined face in repose, the slyness and manipulative good humour, and a weird deadness when he is overtaken with depression. There is a scene (a bit fancifully imagined) with Churchill slumped in a bleakly lit almost unfurnished room, where he looks like something by Lucian Freud. He spends a fair bit of time down in the bunker-ish Cabinet War Rooms yelling at people: these are the “Upfall” scenes, which might get YouTube-subtitled in German in all sorts of irreverent ways. And it is here that Winston reaches his nadir, before the miracle of the little boats has manifested itself. He allows Halifax to send word via the Italians that Britain would be theoretically interested in the Danegeld-price: what might induce Hitler to hold back from Britain and its colonies? Oldman shows Churchill going into a kind of stricken shock.

This is not to say that there isn’t a fair bit of hokum and romantic invention. This film imagines Churchill needing to take a journey on the tube because his official car is held up in traffic. So he meets a quaint cross-section of forelock-tugging British and empire subjects in the underground carriage, from whom he learns something very important — that he is absolutely right!

There is room for a more sceptical movie about Churchill: something revisiting his performance during the Tonypandy Riots or the Siege Of Sidney Street. Or just something that acknowledges that he hated Adolf Hitler for the same reason he hated Mahatma Gandhi: they were both enemies of the British Empire. But Gary Oldman carries off a tremendous performance here, and it’s impossible not to enjoy it. It’s as if his establishment panjandrum George Smiley was suddenly infused with the spirit of Sid Vicious.

Darkest Hour is screening at the Toronto film festival and will be released in the US on 22 November and in the UK on 12 January

Several House Democrats on Wednesday filed articles of impeachment against President Trump, arguing their commitment to voters matters more than party leaders’ fears that the anti-Trump push could backfire. “Everywhere I go in my district, people are calling for this,” said New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, one of a handful of House Democrats who joined Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen in announcing efforts to impeach the Republican president. Cohen has filed four articles of impeachment accusing Trump of obstruction of justice, illegally profiting while president off domestic and foreign enterprises, and undermining the judiciary system and freedom of the press.  “He’s used the presidency to line his pockets with money,” Illinois Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who also supports the impeachment effort, said at Cohen’s Capitol Hill press conference. “I came here to be independent, not a backdoor Washington” politician.Cohen is asking the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the filings, instead of forcing the full chamber to vote right away on impeachment. “It’s time for Congress to take action to stop this reckless and harmful behavior by removing Mr. Trump from office and to defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States,” said Cohen, who was flanked by Espaillat, Gutierrez and fellow Democratic Rep. Al Green.Green has previously led the impeachment charge, threatening last month to file the articles, only to change his mind.Cohen said at least five other House Democrats have said they “want to or will” join his effort, including Reps. Marcia Fudge, of Ohio, and John Yarmuth, of Kentucky.Mega-donor Tom Steyer is trying to stoke public sentiment to impeach Trump with a multi-million dollar TV ad campaign. And California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters continues to rally similar support — most recently at a Glamour magazine event Monday night in New York when she asked atendees to chant with her, “Impeach him. Impeach Trump.”  However, Democrats’ top two congressional leaders have warned against joining the impeachment wave, ahead of the 2018 elections in which they hope to win control of the House and cut into Republicans’ Senate majority.House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has publicly opposed the impeachment calls and has purportedly fumed over Steyer’s ads.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also opposes the effort, waiting for the findings in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump associates colluded with Russia during the 2016 White House race. “There may be a time. It is premature,” the New York Democrat recently told The Daily Beast. “And to call for [impeachment] now you might blow your shot when it has a better chance of happening.”Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez this past weekend also publicly opposed the plan and was hand-offs about Steyer’s efforts.Cohen acknowledged Wednesday that he has only limited support among House Democrats and said he’s spoken briefly with Steyer and Pelosi, with whom he spoke after the deadly Charlottesville, Va., violence that started with a white supremacist rally.“She understands,” he said. “I think this will not hurt the Democrats in 2018. … The Democratic base needs to be activated. [They] need to know members of Congress are willing to stand up to this president.”Trump called Steyer “wacky” and “unhinged” after his ads started running.The lawmakers on Wednesday cited as examples of Trump’s impeachable actions the president asking then-FBI Director James Comey to curtail the agency’s Russian probe; foreign investments in Trump’s luxury hotel chain; and $73,000 in federal tax dollars for Secret Service golf carts at the president’s Mar-a-Lago Florida resort. 

Source: House Dems file impeachment articles against Trump, over party leaders’ objections | Fox News

Before European Christians Forced Gender Roles, Native Americans Acknowledged 5 GendersIt wasn’t until Europeans took over North America that natives adopted the ideas of gender roles. For Native Americans, there was no set of rules that men and women had to abide by in order to be considered a “normal” member of their tribeIn fact, people who had both female and male characteristics were viewed as gifted by nature, and therefore, able to see both sides of everything. According to Indian Country Today, all native communities acknowledged the following gender roles: “Female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and Transgendered.”“Each tribe has their own specific term, but there was a need for a universal term that the general population could understand. The Navajo refer to Two Spirits as Nádleehí (one who is transformed), among the Lakota is Winkté (indicative of a male who has a compulsion to behave as a female), Niizh Manidoowag (two spirit) in Ojibwe, Hemaneh (half man, half woman) in Cheyenne, to name a few. As the purpose of “Two Spirit” is to be used as a universal term in the English language, it is not always translatable with the same meaning in Native languages. For example, in the Iroquois Cherokee language, there is no way to translate the term, but the Cherokee do have gender variance terms for ‘women who feel like men’ and vice versa.”The “Two Spirit” culture of Native Americans was one of the first things that Europeans worked to destroy and cover up. According to people like American artist George Catlin, the Two Spirit tradition had to be eradicated before it could go into history books. Catlin said the tradition:“..Must be extinguished before it can be more fully recorded.”However, it wasn’t only white Europeans that tried to hide any trace of native gender bending. According to Indian Country Today, “Spanish Catholic monks destroyed most of the Aztec codices to eradicate traditional Native beliefs and history, including those that told of the Two Spirit tradition.” Throughout these efforts by Christians, Native Americans were forced to dress and act according to newly designated gender roles.One of the most celebrated Two Spirits in recorded history was a Lakota warrior aptly named Finds Them And Kills Them. Osh-Tisch was born a male and married a female, but adorned himself in women’s clothing and lived daily life as a female. On June 17 1876, Finds Them And Kills Them gained his reputation when he rescued a fellow tribesman during the Battle of Rosebud Creek. An act of fearless bravery. Below is a picture of Osh-Tisch and his wife.Osh-Tisch (Left) and his wife (Right)In Native American cultures, people were valued for their contributions to the tribe, rather than for masculinity or femininity. Parents did not assign gender roles to children either, and even children’s clothing tended to be gender neutral. There were no ideas or ideals about how a person should love; it was simply a natural act that occurred without judgement or hesitation.Without a negative stigma attached to being a Two Spirit, there were no inner-tribal incidents of retaliation or violence toward the chosen people simply due to the fact that individuals identified as the opposite or both genders.“The Two Spirit people in pre-contact Native America were highly revered and families that included them were considered lucky. Indians believed that a person who was able to see the world through the eyes of both genders at the same time was a gift from The Creator.”Religious influences soon brought serious prejudice against “gender diversity,” and so this forced once openly alternative or androgynous people to one of two choices. They could either live in hiding, and in fear of being found out, or they could end their lives. Many of whom did just that.

Source: Before European Christians Forced Gender Roles, Native Americans Acknowledged 5 Genders

President Donald J. Trump is on a 14 day East Asia trip that started in Japan and will end in the Philippines next week.President Trump attended the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam on Friday and Saturday.On Saturday President Trump delivered a speech in Da Nang, Vietnam on Veterans Day.Behind him stood several US veterans from the Vietnam War.President Trump delivered another outstanding speech in honor of the US veterans:.I’m very honored to be representing our country, and I will say that, when you speak of honors, one of my great honors is to present the people standing right behind me — great, great warriors and veterans of the Vietnam War.Our veterans are a national treasure, and I thank them all for their service, sacrifice, and patriotism.To each of you with me today, you are the heroes who fulfill your duty to our nation. And each of you, under the most difficult conditions, did what you had to do, and you did it well.My administration, as you all know, is committed to rebuilding our military and honoring the hard work and sacrifices of all veterans. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve done with the Veterans Administration. Dr. Shulkin has done an amazing job with choice and accountability and so many other things that we are doing and in the process of doing. The Veterans Administration is a whole different place.Our accountability efforts in Vietnam are very, very important to all of us. We will not rest until all of the 1,253 missing veterans are returned home. I want to thank the government of Vietnam for their assistance in our efforts.Today, I’m signing a proclamation to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War.During his speech President Trump asked the veterans if they had anything to say. They took turns speaking and thanking the president for the work he is doing.And then one veteran began crying. President Trump hugged him.

Source: AMAZING VIDEO! Vietnam War Veteran Cries on President Trump’s Shoulder During Vietnam Speech

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A workshop at Harvard University on Tuesday night delved into the ins and outs of anal sex, with a presenter denouncing the “stupidity of abstinence” and the joys of “putting things in your butt,” according to a College Fix reporter who attended the event.

The workshop was held as part of the Ivy League university’s Sex Week, which launched Monday and runs through Nov. 12. Titled “What What in the Butt: Anal 101,” the event drew nearly 50 students.

At one point the presenter leading the workshop passed out gloves and butt plugs to students as she offered instructions on anal relaxation techniques.

“Remember it’s all about practice, practice, practice,” said the presenter, Natasha, a representative of the Cambridge-based adult shop Good Vibrations.

Showing students a special medical-grade butt plug, she said “a local guy named Greg makes these—salt of the Earth!”

Identifying the event with the sexual positivity movement, Natasha said the goal was to “encourage people to go after their desires and not feel shame.”

“Come up front guys, were gonna have some dirty fun,” she said as the presentation began.

Noting “not all men have penises, not all women have vaginas,” she added “the butthole is the great sexual equalizer. All humans have a butthole.”

A slide shown during the event listed other perks: “because it feels good,” “tantalizing taboo” and “increases truth/intimacy.”

The crowd appeared enthusiastic, asking detailed questions about anal intercourse. One guy even showed up in a hotdog costume.

“There are two types of people in this world, people who watch anal porn and dirty fucking liars,” Natasha told students.

She said she blames politics and religion for preventing young people from enjoying anal sex.

“You couldn’t be fucked in the ass in Texas until about 10 minutes ago,” she said.

Natasha also denounced abstinence, saying “it doesn’t make any fucking sense” and that “the population of priests and nuns are declining.”

During the event, Natasha went over relaxation and tickling techniques. She also delved into how different actions stimulate the anatomy and how to avoid messy situations. At one point she held up anal beads and explained how to use them. She also discussed how porn gives inaccurate perceptions of sex.

The event closed with a raffle for expensive sex toys, including butt plugs and vibrators. The butt plugs used during the demonstration were handed back to organizers.

Students were also allowed to take whatever they wanted from a bountiful amount of male and female condoms, sex toy cleaners, and literature from Planned Parenthood.

Anal 101 is one of a number of events as part of Harvard’s student organized sex week observance. Other events later in the week include “Beyond the Hub: Broadening Your Porn Horizons” and “Unleashed: Kink 101.”

Tuesday’s event was not the first time Harvard has hosted an anal sex workshop. It also did in 2014, The College Fix reported at the time.

Current members of Harvard’s student sexual education group, Sexual Health Education and Advocacy Throughout Harvard, or SHEATH, which organizes Sex Week, lobbied to bring it back.Source: Harvard University hosts anal sex workshop – The College Fix

WOMB transplants could allow men to have babies “tomorrow”, an expert claims.

They would not be able to deliver the baby naturally, but could give birth by cesarean.

Richard Paulson, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said eight children had already been born to women after transplants. And he told a meeting in San Antonio, Texas: “There’s plenty of room to put a uterus in there. Men and women have the same blood vessels.” He said the next step would to be trials involving transgender women to help them become natural mothers. Such ops are not allowed in the UK. However, medical ethics lawyer Dr Amel Alghrani joined calls this year for the NHS to consider them.

Last night critics said transgender women may want to think of safer options first — such as using a surrogate. Julian Savulescu, professor of practical ethics at Oxford University, said the safety of the baby should be the priority.

He added: “It it is hard to justify from the perspective of using NHS health resources, or from the child’s own perspective.”

Docs hope to perform the first UK womb transplant in 2018.

In 2014 a Swede gave birth after receiving a uterus from a living donor.

Source: Womb transplants could allow men to have babies ‘tomorrow’, claims expert

A former portfolio manager for an investment fund founded by financier George Soros sexually abused women at a Manhattan penthouse dungeon, according to a $27 million Brooklyn federal court suit.Howie Rubin, 62, whose high stakes dealing was featured in the best-selling books “Liar’s Poker” and “The Big Short,” rented the lavish Metropolitan Tower pad in Midtown to indulge in brutal sex with women whom he paid between $2000 and $5000 per session, according to the suit filed Thursday.The three unidentified plaintiffs in the case — including two Playboy Playmates — claim the married father raped and beat them to the point that they needed extensive medical attention, court papers say.At the $8 million penthouse, they were shown to a side room featuring ropes, chains, and sex toys along with other BDSM equipment.Rubin gagged, tied up and viciously abused the women — even punching one in the head, the suit filed by civil lawyer John Balestriere said.“I’m going to rape you like I rape my daughter,” Rubin barked during one of the alleged assaults.In one session, he beat one of the women’s “breasts so badly that her right implant flipped,” the papers state.The former Bear Stearns trader paid her $20,000 to repair the damage.One plaintiff was tied up, gagged and shocked with a cattle prod in her groin before Rubin allegedly raped her, according to the filing.Rubin – who collaborated with two female fixers and a lawyer – had the women sign non-disclosure agreements, the papers state.The trio sought to “cover up Rubin’s sexual misconduct and criminal abuse of women and to serve as a cover for his wide-ranging human trafficking scheme,” wrote Balestriere.A lawyer for one of the women blasted Rubin’s alleged conduct.“While arrogance and self-import may convince certain men otherwise, neither money nor power gives any person the right to victimize a woman,” said Jeremy Saland.Rubin declined to comment on the suit when reached by phone Thursday.

Source: Portfolio manager accused of raping, beating women in penthouse dungeon | New York Post

A man in a pickup truck killed seven people when he drove onto the West Side bike path in lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon — and then shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he got out of the car with fake guns, police sources said.

The suspected terror attack happened around 3:15 p.m., when a man in a flatbed pickup truck from Home Depot veered onto the bike path at West St., a few blocks north of Chambers St., police said.

The suspect, who was shot by police, then plowed his car into up to 23 people on the path, killing seven and injuring more than a dozen others, according to cops.

He continued driving south and hit another car, then got out and displayed “imitation firearms,” police said.

The man then shouted, “Allahu Akbar,” according to police sources.

Witnesses described a scene of terror, as people fled for safety.

After rising to fame as Samantha Jones’ eye candy in 2008’s “Sex and the City” movie, Gilles Marini became highly sought after, but not for the reasons he expected.

“I was approached by extremely powerful people, especially after ‘Sex and the City,’” the “Dancing with the Stars” alum told People. “I became a piece of meat for many executives in Hollywood.”

Marini, 41, who appeared as Samantha’s (Kim Cattrall) next-door neighbor in the film adaptation of the HBO series, opened up about his experience as a result of the sexual allegations piling up against Harvey Weinstein. Over 80 women have come forward, alleging they had been sexually harassed or assaulted by the film mogul. Weinstein, 62, entered rehab for sex addiction earlier this month.

“This man doesn’t need to go to a sexual addiction [treatment] … that is a joke to me,” said the French-born model. “When you violate someone, the only place you need to go is jail.”

However, Weinstein has told pals the scandal will help him “change the world,” sources revealed to Page Six.

“Harvey believes he is a savior,” an insider told Page Six.

A rep for the disgraced producer has reiterated that “any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.”

Former Hollywood actress Rose McGowan blasted “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey over his coming-out apology amid allegations he made a sexual advance on a 14-year-old Anthony Rapp.

“Bye bye, Spacey. Goodbye. It’s your turn to cry. That’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye,” McGowan said on Twitter, where she posted the hashtag #ROSEARMY.

She urged the media to “Keep the focus on #AnthonyRapp.”

“BE THE VICTIM’S VOICE. Help us level the playing field,” she tweeted.

McGowan also assailed Spacey’s decision to come out as gay in his apology — a move that was seen by some as an attempt to deflect attention from the sexual misconduct allegations.

“Gay = Gay Predator = Predator,” she wrote.

McGowan, 44, who accused disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of raping her in 1997, has been at the forefront of efforts to change the culture of silence around sexual abuse in Hollywood.

The 46-year-old Rapp — best known for his roles in the “Rent” movie and “Star Trek: Discovery” TV series — told BuzzFeed News about the alleged 1986 incident at a party while he and Spacey were both acting on Broadway.

Hours after the bombshell report emerged, Spacey, 58, took to Twitter and admitted for the first time that he is gay and issued an apology.

“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor,” Spacey wrote. “I’m beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago.

“But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”

Many followed McGowan’s lead to condemn the timing of Spacey’s announcement.

“Deeply, deeply unwise framing of this Kevin Spacey story, especially as it relates to the conflation of sexual orientation and sexual assault,” writer Broderick Greer said.

Lindsey Weber, a New York-based editor, said: “So Kevin Spacey is gonna use a coming out narrative to deflect that this ‘oopsie’ moment happened with a FOURTEEN YEAR OLD. Infuriating.”

Actress and comedian Wanda Sykes tweeted: “No no no no no! You do not get to ‘choose’ to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks!”

An actor has accused “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey of making a sexual advance toward him when he was just 14.

Anthony Rapp — best known for his roles in the “Rent” movie and “Star Trek: Discovery” television series — described the alleged incident in an interview with BuzzFeed News, claiming it happened during a party while they were both acting on Broadway in 1986.

“He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold,” Rapp said, noting how the pair had been alone in a bedroom.

“But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me. He was trying to seduce me.”

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Tony Goldwyn: We have to keep talking about sexual harassment
Tony Goldwyn: We have to keep talking about sexual harassment
Rapp, 46, reportedly met Spacey while he was performing in “Precious Sons” with Ed Harris and Judith Ivey. Spacey, who was 26 at the time, had been starring in a revival of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” alongside Jack Lemmon.

“He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp said. “I don’t know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.”

While the Illinois native claimed he was able to “squirm” away from Spacey before things could get physical, he said there was a brief moment where he panicked.

“It was a frozen moment,” Rapp explained. “In terms of fight-or-flight or freeze, I tend to freeze.”

The NYU-trained actor recalled how Spacey made a last-ditch effort to get him to stay after the teen informed him that he was uncomfortable.

“I opened the door, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to go home now,’” Rapp remembered. “He followed me to the front door of the apartment, and as I opened the door to leave, he was leaning on the front door[frame]. And he was like, ‘Are you sure you wanna go?’ I said, ‘Yes, good night,’ and then I did leave.”

Rapp went on to say that the recent allegations of sexual misconduct and assault that have been made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein ultimately prompted him to come forward.

“And not to simply air a grievance,” Rapp said. “But to try to shine another light on the decades of behavior that have been allowed to continue because many people, including myself, being silent. … I’m feeling really awake to the moment that we’re living in, and I’m hopeful that this can make a difference.”

Spacey, now 58, addressed the accusations in a tweet Sunday night, in which he admitted for the first time that he is gay — and did not deny Rapp’s claims.

“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor,” Spacey wrote in a statement.

“I’m beyond horrified to hear his story,” he said. “I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”

Spacey continued, “This story encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy. As those closest to me know, in my life, I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic relationships with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”

Almost on a daily basis of late, we’ve been receiving further confirmation for what we’ve already known — Hollywood is a cesspool of vice and corruption. From the Weinstein scandal to the growing pedophilia scandal, Hollywood is being revealed as an industry that should be steered clear of by anyone who desires to pursue God’s righteousness. The scandals aside, Hollywood’s product often violates the standards of righteousness demanded by God to begin with. One of the clearest examples in the past twenty years has been Boogie Nights starring Mark Wahlberg, who is a committed Roman Catholic. In fact, Wahlberg has admitted to praying to God and seeking forgiveness for his role in Boogie Nights.

Last week, while in Chicago to help Cardinal Blase Cupich in his efforts to bring younger people back to the Catholic Church, Wahlberg told Kim Janssen of the Chicago Tribune that “I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past.”

Can Christians Watch Movies With Nude Scenes?
When Janssen asked the movie star if he had sought God’s forgiveness for any specific movies, Wahlberg admitted, “Boogie Nights is up there at the top of the list.”

For those who haven’t seen the movie (and I recommend that you don’t watch it), Boogie Nights was a sleeper hit in 1997. With a production budget of 15 million dollars, the story of the rise to fame of a young man during porn’s “Golden Age” made over 43 million dollars at the box office and was nominated for three Oscars. It also propelled Mark Wahlberg, who played the young porn actor, to A-list movie star status.

As you can imagine, the movie is filled with explicit nudity and sex. In fact, it’s been reported that the writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson cast actual porn actors for background work in Boogie Nights’ “fake” porn scenes. Originally, Anderson wanted the film to be rated NC-17, but the production company intervened for marketing reasons.

While I’m aware that many professing Christians twist themselves into all kinds of rhetorical and theological pretzels to justify watching movies like Boogie Nights, it’s about as obvious as obvious gets that the movie is out of bounds for followers of King Jesus.

If Christians shouldn’t watch movies like Boogie Nights, what about starring in them? That’s a question that Mark Wahlberg is confronted with as a reportedly devout Roman Catholic whose job is acting in movies. And that’s a question Wahlberg has realized that he failed to appropriately interact with in the past.

At the event with Cardinal Cupich, Wahlberg told the audience of more than 1,000 that he generally goes to bed by 7:30 p.m. so that he can have plenty of time to pray in the morning. Whether his stated bedtime was hyperbole or not, it’s admirable that Wahlberg recognizes his need to come before God’s throne through prayer.

By no means do Wahlberg and I agree on important aspects of theology, much less Christian ethics (same-sex marriage is an important point of disagreement). However, I appreciate Wahlberg’s humility and willingness to admit that he made a mistake in accepting a role in Boogie Nights. I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit he will continue to grow in his desire to honor and obey God in all areas, not just in the making of movies.