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City of Angels 1998- #Angels #Afterlife #Movie

2/27/2016

The 1998 movie, City of Angels stars Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. Cage plays Seth who is one of many guardian angels who watches over the people of Earth. Even though he observes people all day long, he is fascinated to understand them better. When they die and he takes them to the other side, he always asks what they liked the best. For instance, one little girl said she liked pajamas.

I liked how this movie’s portrayal of angels was theologically correct from a Judeo/Christian perspective. In fact it is a very spiritual film. Hollywood often glamorizes the incorrect notion that when people die, they become angels. Even the Catholic film maker Frank Capra in his classic It’s a Wonderful Life propagated this concept with Clarence the angel, who was once a person, missing such things as alcohol and cigarettes. But in Judeo/Christian theology the angels were created before, and separate from human beings, directly by God. The Bible says we become like the angels, but never says we become angels.

City of Angels makes this point clearly when the little girl told Seth she wanted to be an angel. Seth and Cassiel (Andre Braugher) discuss how they always want wings. Cassiel states that angels are not human beings, and never were.

Seth and the other angles watch the sunrise because they here music in it.

There is a scene where after Seth decides to be seen by Maggie (Meg Ryan, Dr. Maggie Rice) he tries to tell her that her patient who died is still alive, just in a different way. She tells him, she doesn’t believe in that. His answer to her was amazingly insightful and spiritual.

City of Angels was loosely based on the German film, Wings of Desire 1987. Its screenplay was written by Dana Stevens who seems to work on romantic and wholesome films, including an adaptation of Nicolas Sparks’, Safe Haven, which she wrote the screenplay for. A year after City of Angels, she wrote For the Love of the Game, staring Kevin Kostner.

Here is where the writer takes liberties with the theology. Because he loves Maggie so much, Seth decides to give up being an angel. When Cassiel asks him if it was worth it, he utters what could be called the most romantic line in film history.

Spoiler Alert: The film has a very ironic and sad ending. After Seth becomes human to be with Maggie, she is killed and taken from him. Before she dies, she tells him what she liked best.

The comforting factor is when Cassiel tells him: “One day you will die too.”

Andre Braugher as Cassiel

Seth asks Cassiel if God was punishing him, he is told, “You know better than that.” Another theologically correct statement.

Dennis Franz plays Nathaniel Messinger, another angel who had decided to live life as a human. Get it… Messinger?

Dennis Franz as Nathaniel Messinger

Great Film, very worth the watch.

My latest releases. Click the images for purchase options.

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Our Day of Passing - FREE eBook - 30 Authors

2/19/2016

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COMPLETELY FREE!!!! February 19th - 23rd, 2016

Do you have a fascination with death and what may come to follow?

I am proud to be one of the 30 authors who contributed to Our Day of Passing, a FREE eBook anthology about death and the afterlife. It is available on Amazon Kindle for the first time. {LINK}

Our Day of Passing has stories written by (30) thirty authors from all corners of the world in the form of short stories, essays, fictions, and poems.

Our Day of Passing was the brainchild of Ingrid Hall, author and editor {BLOG}, and compiled by: Ingrid Hall, Franco Esposito.

It was written by: Ingrid Hall, Franco Esposito, Dennis Higgins, Virginia Wright, Candida Spillard, Valeri Beers, Dada Vedaprajinananda, Strider Marcus Jones, Adam E. Morrison, Allyson Lima, D. B. Mauldin, David A. Slater, David King, Dee Thompson, Donald Illich, Edward Meiman, Eileen Hugo, Emily Olson, Joan McNerney, J.S. Little, Kin Asdi, Madison Meadows, Malobi Sinha, Marianne Szlyk, Mark Aspa, Mark David McClure, Megan Caito, Michael Brookes, Michael Burke, Pijush Kanti Deb, Prince Adewale Oreshade, Rafeeq O. McGiveron, Robin Reiss, Sasha Kasoff, Stephanie Buosi, Talia Haven.

Each contributor has their own fascinating interpretation of an event that comes to us all…eventually.

Ingrid Hall says: Whilst some see the subject of death as too morbid to contemplate, others such as the skilled writers that have contributed to this anthology, view it as the perfect subject to stimulate creative thinking. Much like ‘love’ and ‘war’, the topic of death has the ability to draw out some of the most thought-provoking pieces ever to fill a blank sheet of paper.

Whether they resonate with your own circumstances or provide new wisdom or something to ponder over, each of these carefully selected pieces will undoubtedly unlock a series of emotions within you. The anthology has been written in such a way that it can either be devoured or dipped in and out of as your emotions dictate. Either way, you can expect to feel a greater sense of self and enlightenment from reading it.

Download your FREE Kindle copy now!

Our Day of Passing

I, Dennis Higgins, am honored to be part of this anthology. My own fascination with the subject has led me to write an entire story about it, based on true events. It is called Pennies From Across the Veil (Whiskey Creek Press, a Start Media publication). {LINK}

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The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - Peter Jackson #Afterlife #Book #Movie #Blog

2/16/2016

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I saw the film version of The Lovely Bones before my mother died and before writing Pennies From Across the Veil, and I remember liking it as a good fantasy. I watched it again the other night and read some of what the author wrote. This time it was so different and I believed that Alice Sebold must have had experiences like I did with those who have passed over. It's as if she knew and felt them as I did. There were too many coincidences. So I'm finding this blog difficult to write. I could use the cheesy advertising line: If you liked The Lovely Bones, you’ll love, Pennies From Across the Veil. But I won’t. They really are apples and oranges with many wonderful similarities. What a terrific story.

The Lovely Bones was written by Alice Sebold and released as a novel in 2002. The story is tragic, sad, yet wonderful.

Alice Sebold in 2007 By David Shankbone - David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2940734

It is about a young fourteen year old girl, Susie Salmon, who is raped and murdered and tells the story from her own personal heaven, where she watches her family and friends struggle with her untimely death.

The writing is beautifully crafted, as can be seen from the numerous quotes. I could not find that Ms. Sebold had any experience with the afterlife, but she did base the novel on her own brutal rape when she was in college. That rape affected her and all of her writing ever since.

The book’s movie rights were purchased by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame. Jackson wanted to do the film justice and in my opinion, he did a wonderful job.

Peter Jackson at Comic Con, discussing The Lovely Bones.

The movie stars Irish-American actress, Saoirse Úna Ronan in the role of Susie. Her bright blue eyes added to the other-world imagery. Her parents did not want her to play the role, due to the horrific nature of the story, but after talking to Peter Jackson, they agreed. The film did not show her rape, nor her murder.

Saoirse Úna Ronan as Susie Salmon

The film also stars:

Mark Wahlberg
Rachel Weisz
Susan Sarandon
Stanley Tucci
Michael Imperioli

Mark Wahlberg as Jack Salmon

Rachel Weisz as Abigail Salmon

Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn

I was impressed with the props, look, and feel of the early seventies in the scenes. The lingo was correct as well, such as “If you’ve got it, flaunt it”, while the song, I hear you knocking by Dave Edmunds is playing in the foreground.

Alice Sebold was raised in the Episcopal Church. Against criticism that her depiction of Heaven was not theologically correct, she stated that The Lovely Bones was not meant to be a religious story. In my own opinion… yes, it was completely devoid of a supreme being, yet had many elements of truth, as noted from my own experiences. The idea that Suzie could be in a place that was, as stated, “the blue horizon between heaven and earth,” has an element of a purgatorial state of being.

“Not heaven and not the other place”. ― Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bone

Also in my own experiences, as written in Pennies From Across the Veil, I could feel loved ones immediately after their passing, but then slowly, almost without notice, realized they were gone. This is addressed in her story as well.

“The dead are never exactly seen by the living, but many people seem acutely aware of something changed around them. They speak of a chill in the air. The mates of the deceased wake from dreams and see a figure standing at the end of their bed, or in a doorway, or boarding, phantomlike, a city bus.” ― Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bone

It is Susie's father that never gives up on her. He feels her presence all the time.

“There was one thing my murderer didn't understand; he didn't understand how much a father could love his child.” ― Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones

This is also passed on to Susie's sister and little brother.

Rose McIver as Lindsey Salmon, Susie's younger sister.

Stanley Tucci as George Harvey

Although the murderer is never caught for his crime, fate deals with him in its own way. George Harvey is by far the creepiest serial killer in filmed media. He murdered at least eight other little girls, all of which Susie meets in the afterlife.

Nikki SooHoo as Denise "Holly" Le Ang, Susie's best friend in Heaven and another of Harvey's victims.

Carolyn Dando as Ruth Connors, a classmate of Susie's, who could see and feel her presence stronger than most. Reece Ritchie as Ray Singh, Susie's love interest and friend who is strongly affected by Susie's death

Time passes, and Susie sees that her family is healing, which Susie refers to as "the lovely bones" that grew around her absence.

As the story concludes, Susie finally enters Heaven, telling the audience: "My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was 14 years old when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. I was here for a moment and then I was gone. I wish you all a long and happy life."

My own Pennies From Across the Veil. Based on true phenomena.

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Groundhog Day - #Timetravel #Movie

2/1/2016

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I will take a break from my afterlife blog and return to my roots in time travel this week; although, there is an element of that with this movie. I hurried to ready this film blog to be released on February 2nd, due to the fact that it is Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Day is an American pseudo-holiday in which an old legend is played out in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every February 2nd. The legend goes like this: If the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, comes out and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.

Ever since the film by that title came out, Groundhog Day has become the metaphor for the feeling of repeating the same day over and over again. Everything from housework, mundane jobs, to military life can relate to the term.

The film, Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. It was co-written and directed by Murray’s fellow Ghostbuster, Harold Ramis. It was based on an original story by Danny Rubin.

It’s about Phil Connors (Bill Murray), an arrogant Pittsburgh TV weatherman who is sent on assignment to cover the annual Groundhog Day events in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He doesn’t want to be there but ends up in a time loop, repeating the same day (Groundhog Day) again and again.

He is sent there with cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) and news producer, Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell), who loves the celebrations but doesn’t understand Phil.

The trio can’t leave because of a major snowstorm.

Chris Elliott

Andie MacDowell

At first Phil is confused when he wakes up to the same song playing on the radio (I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher) and the snow is gone. But as day after day repeats, he starts taking advantage of the pre-knowledge he has of everyone. It allows him to do things, such as seduce women and steal money.

When this gets old, he becomes depressed and tries to end it by committing suicide. He even steals the town’s beloved groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil in an attempt to end the madness.

But this story is a metaphor for life. It has even been renowned among certain religions, such as Buddhists, Christians, and others, as a story of karma and redemption. Some have even equated it to Purgatory. He has to live the day over and over until he gets it right.

Phil eventually finds joy in using his power of knowledge to do good deeds in his little Punxsutawney world.

He eventually starts to have deep feelings for his producer, Rita, but finds his most difficult task is trying to make her fall for him. It eventually is the goodness she sees in him that does the trick.

The other reason I love this film so much, is the location where it was filmed. Punxsutawney is represented by Woodstock, Illinois, just a half hour drive from where I live. Woodstock is the ultimate, picture perfect, quaint little Midwestern town. Even today, it hosts its own Groundhog Day celebration with a groundhog borrowed from Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. The café where many scenes were filmed is still a food establishment.