Masculinity-Movies blog

What an amazing time

posted by Eivind on August 25, 2010, at 9:47 pm

Last week, I spent an amazing five days with my Brothers Peter and Pelle in Prague. It was deep and powerful work. So much has come of it already. And tomorrow, I’m going to a taiji retreat in a Franciscan monastery in Italy. St. Francis beckons. I can’t explain it, but I really feel that. It’s not a metaphorical thing.

I will tell you all about it when I come back. Prague, St. Francis etc.

And oh – don’t forget to check out Peter’s An Introduction to Gnosticism.

Help me help inmates become better men by watching better movies

posted by Eivind on August 15, 2010, at 10:47 pm

Hey guys.

Recently, I was contacted by an author who now works in a prison in the US. He is concerned with the types of movies the inmates are watching. These 30-something men of generally African American descent are often not very balanced. They are too aggressive and afraid of their inner feminine. This author wants to enlist my help in finding better movies for them, because they are currently watching the kind of crap that only strengthens their aggressive and fearful disposition.

What movies would serve these men in finding inner peace and compassion for one another?

This is your opportunity to make a difference in the lives of men on the shadow side of existence. Thanks for your contribution.

Tuning in with the guys

posted by Eivind on August 10, 2010, at 11:06 pm

I don’t have much to say sitting here as the midnight hour draws closer and the warm August night holds me in its cozy embrace. I’m simply tuning in to inform you of my existence. There have been some awesome new developments lately that I want to tell you about, but they’re not quite ready for primetime broadcasting.

Working on a bitesized Robin Hood review while planning the bigger review for American Beauty. There’s a lot going on in my life right now so it’s a little challenging to get it all done. Would have loved to be quicker about it all, but alas I cannot given my limited time.

I’m a little disappointed that the Good Will Hunting review seems to have totally flopped. Granted, I finished it in a hurry before going on holiday, but I’m surprised no-one seems to read it. I guess it wasn’t my best writing so far.

Anyway, I’m glad to have you with me on this journey, guys. Brotherhood is the way ahead.

Time’s up. The bedbugs sing their siren songs. Good night.

PS! Check this link out if you want to rock your woman’s world. Yes, it’s about sex. And yes, you will support my work if you buy the product.

Youtube video on the crisis in masculinity

posted by Eivind on August 1, 2010, at 10:18 pm

This is a mood piece I just came across that reflects the crisis in masculinity the world is currently facing. I think it works pretty well. Notice the same theme crop up again and again: Absent fathers and the resulting peer based pseudo-initiations, gender confusion and misguided pursuits of manhood.

Iron Man Family Outing, first impressions

posted by Eivind on July 30, 2010, at 11:34 am

In June, the American poet Rick Belden contacted me because he had found my site while looking for commentaries on The Last Samurai. He told me he liked what he saw and that he wanted to send me a complimentary copy of his first volume of published poetry, “Iron Man Family Outing”. I brought the book with me to the Norwegian Northlands and read it in a cabin sans electricity and water while overlooking the mighty ocean below me and the strong mountains above me.

I realized early on that I felt limited in my understanding by my lack of experience reading poetry. It felt as if there was more to be found beyond the evocative words of Belden’s, more than I was present to. This added water to my bubbling inner creek of realization that I must immerse myself in dream symbols and subconscious images in this important time of transition in my life.

The book lays out a journey from boyhood to manhood – or perhaps more accurately from bondage to freedom – taking stock of important events, dreams and relationships that made Rick’s journey uniquely his. And he binds it all together through the remembrance of his childhood relationship with the Iron Man character. It takes a no holds barred approach, exposing all of the hurt and pain and juice that arose for the author along the way. I had communicated with Rick quite a lot before I got the book – he’s a great and generous man – and so I felt a mysterious resonance with the book as I received it. Just looking at the cover art makes my belly heat up, as if there’s something here that I understand, but can’t quite put words to. The artwork throughout is excellent.

I opened the book again today and realized I could penetrate the poetry more deeply this time – that all the nature work and dream work I’ve been doing the past few weeks has paid off. I have therefore decided not to pass any sort of final verdict on the book yet. I will keep going deeper with it. Just like dream symbols and archetypes, Rick Belden’s poetry asks to be felt through and communicated with. So I will keep doing that for a little while longer before I give you my full review.

Here’s a quick poem I relate to, printed with Rick’s permission:

Senseless

I’m trying to beat the truth out of myself
beating myself senseless
visualizing world peace
while driving like a maniac

Read more about Rick Belden’s work while you wait for my final word on this unique collection of poems.