Norse Myth, Nazis, and Scientology

On the plane over to Thailand recently, I watched Valkyrie (film, 2008).

First, "valkyrie" was a vaguely familiar word, so I looked it up. Norse mythology depicted warrior-angel-like women who gathered the souls of the worthy fallen, took them to heaven, and served them. This is the origin of the word.

The movie, based on a true story, is about a Nazi plot to assassinate Hilter in 1944. "Valkyrie" was the code name for the operation. It highlights sincere anti-Hitler sentiment during WWII German, which is often neglected in modern portrayals focusing on the holocaust.

Tom Cruise played the lead, a Colonel von Stauffenburg. Cruise's Scientology involvement created strong opposition to the film in Germany, where Scientology is considered a dangerous cult.

Overall, I thought the film was good. Having my own scale, I'd rate it around a 4 out off 5. This means it's definitely worth watching. It made me stop and think, put me in a reflective mood, but was ultimately not much different from other such movies. I'll probably never see it again and will forget it within a few weeks. I particularly liked the conclusion: you knew where it was headed, but the artistry with which they portrayed it was compelling.

Top of the Week: Beyonce

Beyonce is an R&B singer from Houston. She became known first as a member of Destiny's Child, the best selling girl group ever. They were created in 1990 (when they were all pre-teen), took the name Destiny's Child in 1993, signed with Columbia Records in '97, and hit it big in the late 90's.

Beyonce started working solo, releasing her first album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003. She became successful and has released 3 albums. The most recent album, 2008's I am ... Sasha Fierce, includes 6 single hits (so far).

Today's song is "Halo", which reached Billboard's #5 and has stayed on the charts for 18 weeks. This song's success also makes her the top female artist of the decade, with 12 top 10 hits so far.