Film Comment: Video Fireplace

     The ultimate exercise in vacuity!  Video Fireplace (1991) is, as the title declares, a video of a fireplace: logs blazing before an unmoving camera.  The show ends when the logs burn down to ashes.

     I think this film reflects on the modern American film industry and also on modern pop culture: an appealing bright facade which requires nothing of the viewer and gives you nothing in return, not even a little heat.

     A companion video is Video Aquarium (1991), which has twenty-five tropical fish as its stars.

     My suspicion is that most people merely viewed these films as one-joke novelties, like Billy Bass, the singing fish mounted on a wall plaque.  The question then becomes why in the world someone would spend money for them.

     I'm not just being a Grinch.  News flash!  Christians are allowed to have fun, even stupid, silly, or ridiculous fun, but we are reminded in Philippians 4:8 that our usual or continual focus should be on pure, praiseworthy things.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on those things." Philippians 4:8.

     Our modern western culture is in many ways like that of the intellectuals in Athens in Paul's time, always searching for the next thrill, the next trend, the next fad, to entertain their bored, spiritually empty minds.

"16. Now while Paul waited for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

  17. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

  18. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him.  And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

  19. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

  20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

  21. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)" Acts 17: 16-21.