Movies That Motivate | The Adventures of Motivatorman!

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Tip#1155: Look Forward To Something, Part 2 – San Diego Comic Con 2019 - Marvel Phase 4 – Star Trek: Picard

This summer, areas of our planet have been experiencing intense heat waves and it’s been stifling here in Toronto. And it didn’t help that my recent birthday was sadly one of the most depressing I’ve ever had. There were a lot of reasons why but it left me feeling so lonely, lost, hopeless and unmotivated in my life and work. But something happened that re-injected my soul with energy and enthusiasm! Something happened to give me something to look forward to.

San Diego Comic Con is currently happening as I write this on a Sunday morning and yesterday filmmakers announced upcoming movies and TV shows in the famed Hall H that I was excited about. Though there were many announcements (Top Gun 2 and Terminator Dark Fate) the first that grabbed my heart and lifted me sky high was the trailer for the new TV series Star Trek: Picard. It was filled with so many nostalgic references to Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager that I loved so much in the 80’s and 90’s!

See trailer: Star Trek: Picard

Just seeing Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard and all the fan-service surprises in the trailer made me so happy and giddy. I watched the trailer over and over and enjoyed reading comments from equally thrilled fans on Twitter.

The Star Trek trailer transformed my depressed mood so fast and the feel-good feelings continued with the epic Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 4 announcements for upcoming movies and TV shows. New movies included The Eternals, Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange 2 and Thor 4 as well as new TV shows WandaVision. This all energized my spirits as if I was eating delicious, chocolate cake!

As I watched Phase 4 photos and footage being posted live on Twitter I got to feel the excitement of the audience cheering as we saw the cast of each show come on stage. I don’t know anything about The Eternal comic book but I was so thrilled to see such a diverse cast that included South Asian, Mexican, African American, Chinese and a deaf actress as they were joined onstage by superstar Angelina Jolie. The film is also being directed by an Asian woman!

Watch: Each of the Marvel Phase 4 presentations

All this and more will be unfolding in the next two years and I am left feeling so enthusiastic to be around to watch all these amazing shows! Now the only thing missing is finding a warm hearted single woman who is equally enthusiastic to share this geeky cinematic journey with me! And celebrate my birthday with me next year!

For now I am feeling grateful my prayers for guidance were answered in remembering the uplifting power of cinema and the geeky passions I grew up loving. Passion really is fuel to keep each of us going especially the dark times that look hopeless. I hope you find something today to re-energize your hope and give you something to look forward to in the near future!

Related Tips:
Tip#86: Look Forward To Something - Cast Away

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Award-winning Illustrator | Movie Blogger | Speaker | Foodie
Discover Movies As Inspirational Learning Tools!
See website: www.MoviesForMotivation.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2019

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Tip#1154: Connecting with Your Inner Child, Part 10 - Shazam!

For the past week I have been passionately focused on learning more about wounded inner child healing. I was reminded by a good friend of the term reparenting therapy and I really resonated with this being the next step in my personal growth and break free of blocks still holding me back from my career and relationship goals.

While I search for counseling services in Toronto I found some very insightful resources on YouTube like Dr. Carl Benedict aka Counselor Carl. He explains reparenting so simply and clearly that even my wounded inner child could understand! Here’s an excerpt:

You don’t have a split personality. You have an Adult and a Wounded Child…
… the Adult is a metaphor for the part of the brain that is rational, lives in the present moment, and sees things as they are, right here, right now, while the Wounded Child is a metaphor for the part of the brain that contains unhealed emotional wounds and traumas, usually from childhood…
… Unhealed childhood wounds can fester in the background until a stimulus in the present moment “brushes up against them,” releasing a flood of repressed emotional pain that can instantly turn your rational Adult into an intensely emotional and irrational Wounded Child.

Read more here: Reparenting the Wounded Child

All this research made me instantly think of inner child moments in movies that touched me deeply like Hector and the Search For Happiness and Citizen Kane and inspired me to create a new section of my MoviesForMotivation website for my top inspiring inner child movies. See: Movies for Inner Child Healing

I also discovered a new film that perfectly represented examples of the happy inner child as well as the wounded inner child!

Shazam! (2019)

The superhero action film, Shazam!, is about teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who can transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) and battles Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) who wants his powers. This highly entertaining movie is brimming with funny moments, action scenes and engaging, heartfelt child characters played by Jack Dylan Grazer, Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen and Jovan Armand.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

I was so surprised at how fun and inspirational this movie turned out to be! I loved all the kid characters, the story and the recognizable locations filmed in my hometown of Toronto! This is what a great superhero movie is suppose to be because it takes the time to engage you emotionally while providing exciting action sequences and visual effects!

The real bonus is this story features an example of a wounded child in young Thaddeus Sivana and the emotional abuse he faced with his father and older brother. It shows how this resulted in a tortured life when he became an adult. At the same time Billy and his adult self represent the fun and freedom of childhood. And he gets to play out the fantasy of having superhero powers like super strength, super speed, flying and shooting energy bolts from his hands.

Through this movie we get to see ourselves through either of these inner child characters. The story also deals with issues of bullying and abandonment and celebrates the loving power of family and belonging. If you are exploring inner child healing I highly recommend you see this film for inspiration and motivation as well as others on my movies list: Top Inner Child Movies

Our childhood experiences, both positive and negative, can profoundly affect our adult lives. And sometimes our chronic blocks in life and career could stem from a wounded inner child hiding inside us that just needs a hug or to be listened to. Find a movie today to help you connect with your inner child!

Related Tips:
Tip#1149: Connecting with Your Inner Child, Part 9 - Rocketman

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, July 07, 2019

Tip#1153: Everyone Sees A Different Reality, Part 2 - Spider-Man: Far From Home

The biggest revelation from years of personal growth studies, group therapy programs and psychiatric help is that things I thought for sure were real were actually an illusion. Situations, ideas or people were actually a lie. Mostly, I believed in something that turned out to be false about myself that fueled both successes and failures of my life and career.

Whether it’s daily life, in the workplace or dealing with politics each person gets to choose to believe what is real or what is “fake news”. And from what I’ve learned there are always rewards or consequences whether or not I follow my moral compass or core values. And if I ever get overwhelmed I usually seek out the re-energizing power of cinema for answers! And some of these films can inspire with shining examples of what is truth and what is fake.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

The superhero action film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, follows the events of the Avengers: Endgame film where Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his high school European vacation is halted when he must join up with another super-powered man, Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to battle giant threats called The Elementals. This is an exciting adventure filled with many action scenes and hilarious developments for Peter and his friends. It also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei and Jacob Batalon.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

This latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe explores the nature of what makes people believe to be the truth. If something is printed in a newspaper or seen on the internet is must be true, right? Scenes in the film reminded me of a controversial technology called “DeepFake” where it is possible to combine and superimpose existing images and videos onto source images or videos. The results are astounding and scary at the same time.

See this amazing, hilarious example: Bill Hader impersonates Arnold Schwarzenegger [DeepFake]

During his vacation, Peter faces turning points where he realizes what he believed to be true was fake on a grand scale. And yet this film also highlights his will to face this challenge while increasing his self-esteem, courage, perseverance, resilience and the supportive relationships around him. The cool tech in the movie, stemming from Tony Stark/Iron Man’s genius, is thrilling to watch as is learning more about the aftermath from Avengers: Endgame. Highly recommend!

Movies can be a great resource of entertainment and they can also be excellent examples that demonstrate how reality is very subjective based on how individuals choose to view life. There can be rewards and consequences to these choices. Find a film today to help you find your ideal reality!

Related Tips:
Tip#1152: Life Lessons in Your Favourite Movies, Part 5 - Anna - Femme Fatale
Tip#236: Everyone Sees A Different Reality - My Kid Could Paint That
Tip#276: Everyone Believes Something Different - The Matrix

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Tip#1152: Life Lessons in Your Favourite Movies, Part 7 - Anna - Femme Fatale

I recently enjoyed an action thriller that featured a breakout new star and was so surprised to find there was no media promotion at all for this movie! No interviews with the filmmakers or the cast! The film Anna had a fantastic, kick-ass trailer and then it suddenly appeared in theatres with poor to mixed reviews. I felt bad for the lead actress Sasha Luss and everyone who worked on this film for the lack of promotion. Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes are at 80% so it has at least others are feeling the positive experience I had.

It reminded me of other excellent films that are hidden from the general public. The 2002 movie Femme Fatale is classic Brian De Palma oozing with Hitchcock camera work and rich symbolism that also got mixed reviews and considered a box office bomb and yet I loved it. Roger Ebert, gave it a full 4 star review and called it one of De Palma's best films and has developed a cult status amongst cinephiles since.

One of the reasons why I write this movie blog is to draw attention to entertaining movies that get buried from the public. These films deserve a viewing because they also feature life lessons that could be inspirational to wherever you are in your life.

Anna (2019)

The action thriller film, Anna, is about the extraordinary strengths and skills of Anna (Sasha Luss) a victim of domestic abuse who gets trained to work as a powerful KGB assassin. This electrifying thrill ride has an intriguing, complex story and features great performances by Luss as well as Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Lera Abova and Alexander Petrov.
See: movie trailer
Watch movie: Amazon Prime

Aside from the breathtaking action, this is one of those films that keeps you on your toes with the twists and turns that come up. What I found inspiring about Anna was her amazing resilience and strategic thinking that is hinted at because of her love for chess. She has an ultimate goal that seems impossible to achieve but she makes it happen through long term thinking, incredible perseverance and indestructible optimism. I highly recommend you see this film for all these reasons and more!

Femme Fatale (2002)

The erotic mystery thriller film, Femme Fatale, is a contemporary film noir about jewel thief and con woman Laure (Rebecca Romijn) who experiences life changing events while trying to live the straight life. This mesmerizing story features an amazing opening sequence of a diamond heist and also stars Antonio Banderas, Rie Rasmussen, Peter Coyote and Eriq Ebouaney.
See: movie trailer
Watch movie: Amazon Prime

Director Brian De Palma pours in much of his Hitchcock influences to tell this story of second chances, synchronicities and dopplegangers. And the film, with all it’s twists and turns, is overflowing with clues hiding in plain sight that will prompt and immediate second viewing! There are audacious concepts in this movie but I highly recommend you see it without knowing anymore about this sexy thriller! For me the film's message of getting a second chance to do the right thing that steers your life in a positive direction was meaningful for me.

And after you watch it read some of these essays inspired by the film...
• CULT MOVIE REVIEW: Femme Fatale (2002)
• Femme Fatale (2002) – Tuesday’s Overlooked Film
• Roger Ebert, Femme Fatale 4 star review

Movies that get negative reviews or deemed box office bombs can still have much value for each individual. They can be highly entertaining or meaningful when you give them a chance. They may have that one golden nugget of inspiration that provides an answer to challenges you may have at that moment. Or years later could give you some excitement to lift up your day. Any movie you are drawn to could be that perfect cinematic medicine with life lessons you’ve been seeking!

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Tip#1151: Why Keanu Reeves is an Inspirational, Awesome Human Being - Little Buddha - Speed - The Devil’s Advocate

I remember in the early 90's having brunch with friends at Taro Bar & Grill on Queen St. West in Toronto when we suddenly saw Keanu Reeves walk by the big front windows. It was a thrill for me and it prompted stories my friends had heard about Keanu being such a nice guy in person. I would continue to hear wonderful, heartwarming stories about this celebrity for years to come!

Keanu has made many entertaining films that I’ve featured on my MoviesForMotivation.com website and blog. At the same time he has been an inspiration for me personally for being a compassionate, humble, down-to-earth human being! One example of his generous, thoughtful spirit is the viral video of him giving up his seat for a woman in a subway car. Plus it’s also the idea that Keanu was riding a public subway car in the first place! See: Keanu's Subway Act of Kindness

I recently saw another clip of Keanu on The Ellen DeGeneres Show revealing that he had a crush on Sandra Bullock while filming Speed in the early 90’s. Sandra had actually revealed having a crush on him on Ellen's show as well. The audience was delighted! This was around the time when three movies Keanu was starring in was being released: John Wick 3, Always Be My Maybe and Toy Story 4. Suddenly Keanu was being featured on many YouTube video compilations celebrating this amazing man! See...

• Keanu Reeves Had a Crush on 'Speed' Co-Star Sandra Bullock
• This Is How Keanu Reeves Spends His Millions
• 10 Times Keanu Reeves BROKE the Internet
• 25 Breathtaking Facts About Keanu Reeves

This all inspired me to rewatch three of his early films from the 90’s that I’ve always enjoyed but haven’t featured yet on my movie blog: Little Buddha, Speed and The Devil’s Advocate

Little Buddha (1993)

The fantasy drama film, Little Buddha, is about a young boy Jesse (Alex Wiesendanger) in modern-day Seattle who Tibetan monks believe might be the reincarnation of their great Buddha teacher. It also intercuts with the story of how Prince Siddhartha (Keanu Reeves) found enlightenment 2,500 years ago and became Buddha. This lush and visually stunning film was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and also stars Bridget Fonda, Chris Isaak and Ying Ruocheng.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

This magical film explores the dedication of Prince Siddhartha and his spiritual quest in many memorable scenes including the powerful finale. Keanu is highly engaging and almost unrecognizable at first as Siddhartha and goes through several physical transformations. I’ve always loved this movie as it reflected my own spiritual journey in the 90’s. I also believe that this character really embodies the kind spirit of Keanu in real life! I highly recommend you see this hidden gem of his.

Speed (1994)

The action thriller film, Speed, is about Jack (Keanu Reeves) an LAPD police officer who tries to rescue civilians on a city bus rigged with a bomb programmed to explode if the bus slows down below 50 mph. This gripping story features many memorable moments and also stars Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Joe Morton, and Jeff Daniels.
Watch now: Amazon Prime

Jack demonstrates many leadership qualities while in the face of intense pressure such as perseverance, resilience, resourcefulness and teamwork. I was also inspired by the sense of community and support of all the bus passengers who, because of their shared pain, bond and help one another through this ordeal. Keanu clearly established himself as an action hero with this movie!

The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

The supernatural horror film, The Devil's Advocate, is about a successful young lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) invited to a major New York City law firm headed by John Milton (Al Pacino). Strange, frightening things begin to happen that threaten Jack's life and his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron). This intense and gripping movie also stars Judith Ivey, Jeffrey Jones, Craig T. Nelson and Connie Nielen.
Watch now: Amazon Prime

This film is really freaky with it’s surreal, horrific moments and Pacino’s charismatic yet creepy performance and appearance. The story also has powerful messages and life lessons about the ethical choices we make in life and the harsh consequences that result. Keanu also delivers an emotional performance as an unbeatable lawyer faced with unexpected tragedies and truths about who he really is in relation to Milton.

There are many movie stars that portrait heroes on the big screen. And then there are movie stars like Keanu Reeves who is also a hero in real life for every day people he comes across. Keanu is constantly celebrated for his films and humanity on social media and this is my special shout out for his continued service to others and for inspiring me! How about you? Has Keanu inspired you in a meaningful way?

Related Tips For Keanu Reeves Films:
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
• The Lake House (2006)
• The Matrix Trilogy
• Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation