Movember

It’s Movember! Yep, it’s that time of the year when many a top lip grows its winter coat. Of course, I’m taking part and will be sprouting a most outstanding moustache as soon as possible. These days it’s a global event with over £6million already raised this year! That’s a fantastic amount of money and certainly is a worthwhile cause, but I feel it’s about time someone set the record straight on where exactly Movember comes from. It’s commonly believed that it started in 2003 with a group of 30 men from Australia. This is, unfortunately, wrong. The origins of Movember go a lot further back. Back to 89BC in fact and the ancient Aztecs. It was a ritual started by Oahu, a wise and respected witch doctor of the Aztec civilization. The Aztecs were a wise and cultured civilization who believed in a number of different Gods. There was the Mextli the god of war and storms, Xilonen the god of maize and the one that Oahu followed the god Sel Ak, the god of the moustache. Every year during the Aztec equivalent of November a young warrior would worship at the altar of Sel Ak in order to prove his worth as a man and a true Aztec warrior. For the first 2-3 weeks he would go unshaven, then, when his beard was fully grown, would practice the ritual of Hig Ginz . This would involve the warriors gathering in a circle around the altar, known as the Ma, while the witch Doctor Oahu would stand in the middle with the chosen young warrior. He would hold in his hand a bowl filled with a potion known as the Ga, and a small sharpened stone knife called the Numm. Then, the surrounding Aztecs would begin a chanting the names of these sacred artifacts. During which the witch doctor would place the youngwarrior on to the Alter, the Ma, cover his face in the magic potion, the Ga and scrape it off his face with the knife, the Numm shaving his face into affine outstanding moustache. Throughout the Aztec jungle the chant of Ma Ga Numm would be heard. This was certainly a proud moment for the young warrior. And if he was really lucky and it was decided that his moustache was truly worthy of it he would receive a Hawaiian shirt and a red Ferrari! The ritual was only practised between 89-80BC when the Aztecs ran out of Ferraris. So, gentlemen you see it really is your duty to embrace the power of the ‘tache and take part in Movember this year! Cya later,


Joe

Machine Gun Preacher

So today I got a chance to see a preview of Machine Gun Preacher, the new movie starring Gerard Butler. It’s based on the life of Sam Childers. Sam is a former drug –dealing biker tough guy who finds religion. He ends up volunteering to help a missionary in Sudan and it changes his life forever. NO WAIT! KEEP READING! I know how it sounds. It sounds like one of those cheesy hallmark movies that your wife drags you along to. You know the type, bad guy finds God and now he’s Mother Theresa! This film could so easily have been like that, but trust me it’s not. This is an emotional story that doesn’t hold its punches. It doesn’t go out of its way to paint Sam as a good guy. It leaves you to make your own mind up about that. Its shows the good things he’s done but also shows the mistakes he’s made along the way. He’s definitely not Mother Theresa with an Uzi! What it does show is how he learns from those mistakes and the difference they make to him and those around him.

Gerard Butler has made some good movies, 300 for instance, and some right stonking rubbish *cough*Phantom of the Opera*cough*. Luckily this one is a good one. I reckon he plays it well managing to hit the emotional scenes well without turning them into “NOOOOO! GOD, WHY!”  This is certainly, one of his better movies. The movie isn’t without its faults though. For instance, none of the rest of the cast particularly stand out. It’s a decent enough supporting cast. Michelle Monaghan as his wife Lynne for instance, but it doesn’t really give much screen time to their story to give them a chance to develop well and they are pretty much just there to support. Mind you, its already over two hours long so any more and its heading to Peter Jackson territory! It also lives up to the Preacher part of the title at times. Yes, it needs the church scenes in the movie but sometimes it just lays it down a little too thick and that could put some people off it. Having said that though, I enjoyed this film and would recommend you go and see it and decide for yourself. Marks out of ten? I’d say an easy 7.