Pan Bombed And I Am Glad It Did

*- Before I go any further, I must state that I have not seen Pan. I am going off what others have said.

No career in Hollywood is complete without a bomb or two. Acclaimed director Joe Wright, known for literary dramas Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, directed Pan, the latest adaptation of Peter Pan. Over this weekend, the film recouped only $15.5 million of the film’s $150 million dollar budget.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why the film may have performed poorly at the box office:

1. A story that has been retold to death: Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the story of Peter Pan. But the issue is that Hollywood often turns to the same stories and the same writers instead of taking a chance on a new writer or a new story. A good example of taking a chance on a new story is Something Rotten. I saw it for the second time yesterday and it was just as new, different, fresh and gut busting funny as it was back in May.
2. A poorly written screenplay is made up for with heavy special effects: From the perspective of a writer and an audience member, the screenplay holds the key to the film’s success. If special effects have to be brought in to fill in the holes of a poorly written screenplay, then something is wrong with the film from the start.
3. Hollywood continues the antiquated tradition of casting a Caucasian performer in the role of a minority: Rooney Mara was cast as Tiger Lily. I’m sure she is a fine performer, but we are in 2015. Tiger Lily should have been played by a Native American actress.

Only time will tell if Pan will succeed with audiences and reviews while recouping production costs. But I have a feeling that it won’t.

Pan is presently in theaters. 

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Simply Put, No

In case you haven’t heard, a fresh round of violence is taking place in Israel. As usual, the blame is not on the attackers, but on the victims.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Israeli government is not perfect. The Israeli army is not perfect. There are elements in the Israeli civilian population who are just as hate filled as their Arab counterparts.  But that does not mean that picture the media and the world paints of the conflict is completely accurate.

Israel does not and has never desired conflict with her neighbors. Her only desire is to live in peace with the countries around her, as does any country. But unfortunately, with land hungry and blood thirsty neighbors, the Israeli government and army must be on alert at all times.

I am not claiming to be an expert on the subject and I have never made that claim. I only know what my heart and my head tells me. I also know that  I have been to Israel. I know the beauty of the land, the generosity of the people and the delicious food that I eat.

I wish the media could present a balanced picture of the conflict. I wish the world would look at this conflict with eyes wide open instead of seeing it from only one side.

But unfortunately, that is not what is happening and that is what makes this issue all the more complicated.

Happy Monday.