Expelled
Ben Stein does a dandy job asking a question so many times and from so many angles that it begs a reasonable doubt that he could be onto something. While not as heavy-handed as his more liberal-minded predecessor, Michael Moore, he is able to interject lots of humor and professionally-done graphics and other cinematographer tricks to make a documentary anything but dull. This is a good one.
His tie-in with Nazi Germany and its brain-washing tactics of an atheist intelligencia elite is a powerful punch to make against the evolution-only crowd if purporting to be unbiased; but it still goes a long way for allowing the viewer to make up their own mind. I have to admit, I am on the side for supporting the idea of giving equal time to “Intelligent Design” as a theory in classrooms and/or at least in the scientific debate. It’s interesting how the ugly topic of eugenics and its ties to a racist Planned Parenthood are touched on in passing, which if not disproved should cause some serious discomfort for the pro-choice crowd.
By following the principles of fair debate, this film scores big in its unflinching claim that censorship is happening in academic circles in regards to thoughts, ideas, and written/spoken words that bring into question Darwin’s theory of evolution. Just as no one in high school likes being ostracized for looking or thinking different, so will the underdogs on the side of the evolution debate appreciate how comedian actor Ben Stein has fought back. [Vivendi Entertainment] Doug Van Pelt
Spiritual Relevancy: 100
Obscenities: 0
Scenes Of Gore: 0
Nudity/Sexuality: 0
This DVD review was originally published in the January/February Issue (#135) of HM Magazine. You can order the Print Version of this issue online or find this issue on newsstands. You can NOW read this entire feature in the online edition of HM Magazine. If you're a subscriber, you get a free online/digital subscription with your print subscription. If you're a subscriber and you don't have or misplaced your password, give us an email and we'll get you that info. You can purchase a single online/digital edition (which includes access to back issues) for only $1.99. A one-year digital-only subscription can be had for only $6.
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Comments
By Matt
I enjoyed the film. From what I understand it was similar to a conservative "Bowling for Columbine". Ben Stein did not galvanize as much of the Christian Right as he hoped, but the movie still did better than expected. The NY Times tried to dismiss it by saying the Smithsonian guy was fired from a non-paid position. Maybe that's true, but the point of the documentary was to show that the predominant thinking of our media and educational system is godless and that it is not far from the Nazis as some would like you to believe. People who enjoyed this documentary should check out the book Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg.
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