i think for the time being i'll be retiring this blog and moving my limited time and energy over to weddingsongstories.com or davidcalvertmusic.com

check it out if you haven't before, but i'm sure i'll still need a different space for cultural reflection or theological tangents, and you'll find that here rather than there...

summer movies so far...

my wife has graciously agreed to hit up some of the movies coming out this summer... and when i say some, i mean 8 films.

this may be my last summer for the next couple decades that i can easily get to every film i want to see... soon i will be bringing my child with me. and, if it's a girl, my movie-going habits may shift a little. we'll see.

just as a reminder for any readers: a summer movie, for me, must have explosions and ridiculous visual/audio stimulation.

Thor - there are half a dozen comic-based movies coming out this summer, and i have to admit that the summer comic movies started well with Thor. now, when i say well, i guess i mean 'satisfactory.' Thor wasn't amazing, and it wasn't even great, but it was good. it served its purpose (to introduce us to the character for the Avengers movie next summer) and was very well-cast. the best thing about this film is the cast, in my opinion. If you're a comic reader, you will understand this: the plot of the film is like a 3-issue arc. Just enough to show us that Loki = bad, Thor = good; not enough for any character development or progression via dialogue. the 3 set pieces in the film are like each issue's two-page spread.
if you're planning on seeing Avengers next summer (which you SHOULD, because Joss Whedon will make this movie amazing even if the script is crap), then you should probably see Thor. if you can't see 8 movies this summer, though, i don't know if i'd say you 'have' to see it in the theatre... and, it's almost out of theaters anyway, so if you haven't seen it yet then red box or netflix this one, for sure.

X-men First Class - one of the best-reviewed comics films to be released, and the best-reviewed x-men film by far, and for good reason. whereas Thor feels like a 3-issue arc, X-men FC feels like a properly balanced 6-issue collection, sacrificing maybe 1 giant set piece action scene for proper dialogue and great interaction between Magneto and Professor X. in fact, Fassbender's Magneto is probably the best reason to see this film. If you're familiar with the comics origins of the X-men, then this film will be a bit confusing - the source material is used loosely, and in a couple cases not at all, but somehow it still feels ok! although a part of me would still have preferred to see the 'original' lineup in this reboot of sorts, i'm ok with the group that is put together in this film. i take exception with Darwin's short part, and the 'Angel' character, but the strength of the other roles definitely balance things out. Even Kevin Bacon's Shaw is great! if you have time, see this in the theater - but it'll be pushed out in the next month by all the OTHER movies coming out!

this weekend, i'll be seeing Super8 and Green Lantern... one has great reviews, one has awful reviews... but of course i'll let you know what i think in the next couple weeks :-)

current pop culture consumption

last year, my wife and i decided to jump in to LOST when we realized that it was only going to last one more season, and when i realized how much of a cultural phenomenon LOST actually was.

You see, i'm one of those people who HATE jumping on bandwagons, and by season 2 LOST had become one of those 'bandwagon' shows, and it is somehow difficult for me to imagine that lots and lots of people might be right about something, not just liking it because their friends like it but because it's good art. 

so, we jumped on the LOST train a little late, but we watched seasons 1-5 and started season 6 in "real-time," so that we could watch the series finale with some great friends.  i have to admit, the LOST crash course and then watching it with our friends was a pretty great experience, and there were some great stories told in the course of LOST. 

this brings us to our current TV show to be consumed... we have been watching Smallville. 

10 years ago, when my roommate in college started watching Smallville, i thought it was awful... i was such a comic purist that i was appalled that they would have so many changes to the established Superman mythology.  being a young snob, i refused to even indulge in a single episode, and would literally walk out of the room if my roommate was enjoying an episode. 

i don't think i'm as much of a jerk now...

sarah and i were thinking, since Smallville will end with season 10, maybe we can start with season 1 and catch up in time for the end of the show!

we came close... the series finale was two weeks ago, and we are halfway through season 9 right now.  that's right - we've watched 9 seasons of a show in just a few months!  9 YEARS of Tom Welling learning how to act, Allison Mack carrying significant storylines, and Michael Rosenbaum shaving his head. 

Here is my summary so far, in case you have never considered Smallville before:
seasons 1-5 = monster-of-the-week Buffy wannabe.  best reason to watch - Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor. 
season 6 = now we're getting somewhere
season 7 = supergirl!
season 8 = now we're REALLY getting somewhere
season 9 = finally Superman is a compelling character, and chemistry with Lois is legit.
season 10... i'll have to wait for DVD!

seriously, Michael Rosenbaum's Lex is the only character with any real levels to work with, and Rosenbaum is the only actor who uses those levels wisely.  Tom Welling looks like a comic book character, but pretty much none of his acting has been worth it until season 9.  And honestly, once you can get Geoff Johns to write an episode (1 in season 8 and one in season 9), i will definitely take you seriously.  

and lastly - if you're going to jump in and watch ANY sort of TV show that fills several hundred hours of your life... don't let it simply become an escape from your own life.  watch it with someone else.  engage with the story, and talk about what is interesting - and maybe, you could even write something just as compelling, or find ways to live your own story well.  

renewed reflection

as mentioned over on my other blog - weddingsongstories.com - i have a lot of things going on in this season of life.  with my wife expecting our first child, i literally cannot know how crazy our life may be in a few months, and the past few months of pregnancy and prayer and life have been crazy enough. 

over the month of June, i'll have a sabbatical... intended to be a time of rest for me, since i don't rest very well. 

over those four weeks, i'll be visiting four other churches, seeing how they do things, hanging out with their worship leaders, and asking hard questions. 

i'll post a response to each church i visit here in this space, and link it from FB and Twitter... please check back and comment as i share my impressions... i want to be clear, but i also don't want to be a slave to my assumptions or misunderstandings, so challenge me as necessary :-)

reading confession

ok, so i had a few other things i was reading in addition to all of that other stuff...

i just finished Death Star by Reeves and Perry, and although it was interesting at points, it was overall pretty 'meh.'  Not sure what Star Wars book i might read next, or if i'll read either the Dragon Age prequel i bought or the Fable book by Peter David i picked up...

i also just read the newest trade from Justice League of America (which had some interesting twists) and the bound version of Blackest Night, last year's big deal crisis in the DC Universe.  it had some cool moments as well, and i was glad to steal it from my friend Andrew. 

and by the way, the Walking Dead TV show (sundays at 10pm) premiered last Sunday, and it was amazing. 

now i'll jump back into Churchplanter and Following the River as i sit here in the office listening to Derek Webb's new album, 'feedback.'

upcoming posts/thoughts

i like to read

mostly, i like to read theology and/or graphic novels/comics. 

i'm anxiously anticipating the end of Ex Machina and The Walking Dead (soon to be a TV show on AMC), i've been following developments in the DC Universe with Brightest Day and the Batman franchise... i also like to read the Xmen books when i can and i keep tabs on the general happenings in the Marvel Universe.  on top of all that, i usually buy the Halo trades that come out, and have bought the Ender books that have been made in comic form recently. 

While that stuff engages my creative story-telling side, i'm also reading things that challenge me theologically and philosophically. 
I just finished Why Johnny Can't Preach, after finishing Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns, and i had previously finished Radical, by David Platt. 

this little kick of finishing books got me a little too excited, i think, and i started a HUGE list of books, all practically at once:
The Words of Jesus by Phyllis Tickle
What Would Jesus Deconstruct?  by John Caputo
Samson and the Pirate Monks by Nate Larkin
Theology Remixed by Adam English
Following the River by Bob Sorge
Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland
Church Planter by Darrin Patrick

and while i'm trying to read all of those, i'm trying to stay focused on Acts as we teach through that at GCC, so i'm reading a couple different translations of Acts as well as a couple paraphrases each week, sometimes daily. 

i'm not really sure what book to tackle first, because there are fascinating ideas in ALL of them, so if you have a suggestion of which one i should nail first, please let me know your thoughts!  and, if you've read any of the above listed books, let me know your thoughts as well. 
as i read through these, i'll try to post some of my thoughts on them.  I desperately want to post my thoughts on Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns so i can get some dialogue going with some other worship leaders and church musicians i know, so that post is coming soon...

as well as some current reflections i have on adultlescence, or prolonged adolescence, or being rejuveniled, or any of the other quirky ways to describe a period of life that is now a cultural expectation for all young men, which i think i'm only now beginning to admit applies even to me!

stay tuned...

and, check out weddingsongstories.com as i keep posting things there as well...

music updates

the WeddingSongs album is finally finished!  i've got it set up on CDBaby for download, and hopefully i'll have some money in a few weeks to print some physical CDs.  iTunes should be up in a week or two, as well...

for the stories behind the songs, updated each week for the next two months, check out weddingsongstories.com and leave a comment!

keeping score

so now we move to the last of the 3 things substituted often by video gaming...

keeping score. 


clearly, we care about the score being kept correctly - this is evident in gaming culture in MANY ways -
gamerscore (xboxlive)
K/D (kill to death ratio)
trophies (playstation network)
avatar awards (xboxlive)
leaderboards (most games that function on a network)

there are people who will play games JUST to "boost their gamerscore," which is pretty crazy to think about... someone who is willing to spend 10 to 24 hours of their life playing a game ONLY to get some imaginary points that have no bearing on any other aspect of life - they don't even play the game for story, content, or enjoyment, just the score. 
some gamers will play through a game JUST to get all the points out of it, even if they've finished the story and have no fun playing anymore, they want to get the 'recognition' that is inherent in 'earning' all the obscure and difficult achievements. 

you could actually boil down this obsession with achievements to the concept that we all want someone to keep score for us, to know that we matter.

we all want to earn respect, like i talked about in previous posts, and we want to know that we mean something in the scheme of things. 

hear this important truth: YOU MATTER to God the Father, the one who Created you.  you are vitally important to Him, and he loves you in ways you can't even understand. 

this is connected to another important truth: in Jesus, you have ALL you need - your score has been maxed out, if you will - for life and godliness.  (I Peter 1:3)


sometimes these spiritual truths don't resonate with us as much as the easier, practical thought of "if i earn it, i deserve it."  certainly, in gaming culture, you earn the weapon upgrades, the perks, and the points necessary to be respected and to matter to the game structure.  but what we find scripturally is that, in real life, we don't have to earn the upgrades or strive for respect - in Christ, we have all of that and more. 


when thinking about the idea of 'keeping score,' i think of Matthew 5:2-11 - in this teaching, Jesus is pointing out that in the big picture, God is keeping score of the things that might otherwise go unseen.  the way we live in response to the gospel of Jesus might not always be flashy, fun, exciting, and money-making, but our response to the gospel is what really matters in the end. 

there are two kinds of ways that score is kept for us in our lives, and these are relationships that are more meaningful that the kids we party up with on xbox live or the clan we want to join for WoW -  
one way is human accountability - and this is grown by intentional, consistent relationships with other people. 
i just posted about command structure, and this is directly tied to accountability.  those who are in authority and those who are serving us are also helping keep score for us, encouraging us to accomplish all that God has for us.   
think about friendships, too... we find in Ecclesiastes 4:12 that two or three who join together to accomplish something cannot be easily broken down.  Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1-3 that there is an expectation for believers to bear each others burdens, to hold each other up when necessary but also to recognize when we should be spurring one another on. 

even more significant than human score-keeping, though, is God's scorecard. 
I Thess 2:4 reminds us that God tests our hearts.  He sees deeper, through our occasional mask, knowing what our motivations really are.  and in Hebrews 4:12-13 we are reminded that God's word is powerful as a means of helping us gauge our intentions, and we will ultimately give an account to Him for how we have lived. 






that's a pretty heavy statement... we will give an account to God the Creator. 


thankfully, Christ will stand with us during that account, but nevertheless we will have to converse with our Creator about how many hours we gamed, how we loved our families, how we lived and talked about the gospel, and how we loved Him on earth. 

so ultimately, what we do matters... and therefore, what we DON'T do matters as well.  the way that games keep score for us and tell us that our actions have consequences and that we are important... this is only a dim glimpse of the fact that what you do with your LIFE matters... your actions have consequences, and you ARE important - God has given YOU a mission, hasn't He?  and he has equipped you for that mission and given you a chain of command to keep score for you and help you accomplish His mission, which is now YOUR mission. 





if you have any input or thoughts about the last three posts, please leave a comment or send me a message!  i'd love to have some help in developing these ideas so that i can share them again in small group contexts, youth events, etc.  but i need your help, kind reader :-)

posting icons

i just need to get these images to have a URL, so i'll use the ol' blog :-)

substitutes

i definitely hated substitute teachers back in high school - not because of who they were as people, or even that they were subbing in, but they never TAUGHT, in my experience.  rather, the substitute just monitored the space, and nothing really significant happened in class.  it always felt like a waste of time.

sometimes, we substitute things into our lives that are meant to be space where the Gospel of Jesus teaches and shapes us.  and THOSE kinds of substitutes are TRULY a waste of time.  instead of finding our true purpose in our life in Christ, we find purpose in pursuit of comfort, in pursuit of recognition, and in pursuit of a desire of some sort.

video games can unfortunately become a substitute for 3 key things that the Gospel of Jesus truly fulfills:
1 - mission
2 - command structure
3 - someone keeping score

last week at RE:SPAWN we talked about the fact that Jesus gives us a mission, lays it out pretty clearly for us, and then equips us to accomplish it.  the mission of God is the most powerful, life-changing mission we can undertake, and it just so happens that God WANTS us to be about His mission!
video games have mission structures - a clear goal, a clear path or two, and you have something to accomplish.  the mission of a game is WAY easy, when compared to the mission of God, and even the mission of being a good student.  it's easier to accomplish something in the game, and so we spend time doing the mission that we can accomplish with little effort rather than focusing on the mission that will affect our lives in deep and potent ways.

this week, we'll be talking about the fact that we all need to understand the command structure and function within it.

to realize how our need for command structure is met (partly) in gaming, think about how Master Chief interacts with Marines in the Halo games... there is a level of respect, they follow his orders, they assist his mission.  And, from a gamer's perspective, this just feels RIGHT.  Of COURSE it should be this way, and if there was a different interaction, it would either be an awful game or a different game all together. 

In a strategy game or an RPG, there are command structures in place that ensure that the game will flow in a manner that tells the story and accomplishes the goals.  an RPG without boundaries would be pretty weird and not terribly compelling as a game, and the concept of strategy games demands that there be rules within which you can strategize with strategery. 

these games, without a command structure and boundaries, would be chaos. 

and what would chaos be like?  i mean, seriously...

what would chaos be like in game design.  you wouldn't play it!  
what would chaos be like in gov't - what about in your  home?  as interesting as it may be to think about the momentary fun of chaos in the home or in the town, chaos would ultimately be destructive - it is not who we are, it does not truly resonate with our nature. 

God made us in His image, we bear His image, our nature is rooted in His nature, especially if we are Christians.   here's some scripture to get our minds around what all this stuff means:

God's chain of command in:
     trinity - Matt 26:39, Phil 2:5-11
          Clearly, there is a structure even within the Trinity, in whose image we are made.  Jesus submits to the Father, yet the Father lifts up the Son as Lord to whom EVERY knee will bow when things are made right.  So... the ultimate authority in our command structure is God, and the person of Jesus is our Lord and King. 
     family - Col. 3:17-21, Eph. 5:21-6:4, Prov. 17:6, I John 3:1-3
          Within the family, there is a structure - and when we function within it rather than fighting it, we might just like it.  Something deep within us resonates with proper structure, authority, and submission, and Paul lays it all out in his letters.  One of the reasons that our roles as children are so important is because we are called children of God, and He is our Father, and in order to really know how that will work, we must live out that truth with our earthly fathers as much as it depends on us. 
          Thankfully, there is no clarification that we are to obey our parents only if they are "cool," or "right all the time," or "perfect," but rather the implication is that we are to obey them even if they are NOT right!  that'll make your brain explode if you are ages 12-22. 
     church - Hebrews 13:17, I Peter 2:13-15
        Our chain of command also includes the church - the elders, the pastors, and the leaders in ministries are the ones in authority over us, and God holds them accountable for that leadership!  we should take advantage of this command structure and get to know our pastors and leaders when we are young, for they have much to teach us about God's mission if we would listen. 

so within these three contexts, we have our command structure, our chain of command.  what makes our military so (generally speeaking) successful?  do they run around and shoot whoever they want every battle (like some kids i know play Call of Duty)?  nope - there are commands... there is a mission, and there are those who are commanders. 

how this unpacks for the youth in particular and gamers in general:
 in our lives(if we are believers), the Lord Jesus is the supreme commander in chief... He is the Lord before whom EVERYone will eventually bow, and we have the opportunity to serve with NOW, since we have responded to the gospel.  it is important that we learn more and more about this Lord we serve, so as to serve Him better. 
after Jesus, the next general down is the family - your father, your mother, your grandparents, they are commanders who can give you what you need to accomplish God's mission.  this is often passed over, and frequently these commanders will neglect their duty to care for and support you... but God will still speak through even flawed commanders (or donkeys... look it up). 
within the church, there are many men and women who can serve as fathers, mothers, and brothers to help you complete God's mission, but there are also men who are Pastors, who are authorities who can give you specific goals within the mission, and who can pray with you about defeating the enemy.  we must keep this in mind, and even renew our minds with these encouraging truths.  

re:spawn

i've been pumped about Fridays in the summer for one particular reason - i get to play video games during "work."

last year, Eisenberg, Shaun, and I had the idea for some sort of gaming event that could take advantage of the TVs and network we have here at the church... we had done stuff during youth Lock-ins, but that was it...

on Fridays from 11 to 3, we are setting up the TVs, hooking up the xbox and/or Wii systems, and getting our game on. it reminds me at times of the good ol' days of playing Halo or Halo2 in the dorms at CU, where we'd have 16 guys connected through the dorm network, yelling at each other through the suites or down the hallway - nothing beats hearing your friend scream in anguish from down the hall after you get some lucky kill.

i've had a desire to find ways to redeem video gaming from the ways it is typically viewed by 'adults,' and re:spawn has been one of those ways. we don't JUST shoot each other for 4 hours... but rather, we game for a bit, then take a break to eat lunch. then, i have a captive audience for some discussion, scripture, and prayer. then we shoot each other some more.

some of the things that we talked about last summer and have re-capped this summer have been:
the gospel - the 4 key ingredients when talking about it (God, Man, Christ, Response)
the 10,000 rule - after 10k hours, one can be considered an expert at whatever skill/task has been practiced for those hours. musicians, artists, computer programmers, writers, etc - after 10,000 hrs, they are respected as masters of their craft. 10k breaks down to roughly 10 years of doing something for an hour or two a day. so, do we really want to be video game experts by the time we are 22-28? (the youth age 12-18 - i guess i'm technically already a gaming expert... yay?)
playing games/reading books/watching movies with gospel goggles - the gospel changes everything about us, affects the way we see and interact with the world. it's like wearing goggles that we see through, in a way. when we are gaming, we can't just turn our brains off. what of the gospel is there in the story of the game? is there anything redeemable or valuable? if not, we should probably turn it off... but if so, what does it show us about God and the gospel?
the social factor of gaming - using the time/games to build relationships and get to know people. online interactivity allows us to maintain relationships with people who live down the street or across the world, and if we are being intentional we can use our gaming time to serve a real purpose.

in a recent video sermon from Mark Driscoll, he said some things in passing about video games that were very challenging to me, and gave me some things to think about and chew on heading into this year's re:spawn events.
over the next 3 weeks, i'll be unpacking 3 points. for a large number of youth and adolescents, and even some adultlescents, video gaming (or insert movie watching, obsessive reading, etc) becomes a substitute for something. video games end up filling a space in us and in our time that is intended to be filled by the gospel, and we need to be aware of this - especially gamers like me and our youth at GCC. the 3 things that we need that gaming substitutes are:
1 - we need a mission
2 - we need a command structure
3 - we need someone keeping score

since some of the guys are out of town this week, i figured i'd go ahead and write up some of the key points from this week's study so that they can stay in the loop.

- video games give us missions to accomplish. in fact, most games can be broken down into various missions, and if we don't have a mission or the mission isn't clear, we lose interest in the game. video games give us memorable missions - there are levels, bosses, and cinematics that i'll remember for a LONG time because of the mission they were a part of or the mission i accomplished in the experience.
- the gospel gives us a mission that is SO much more meaningful, SO much more clear, and SO much more memorable than anything we can do through our digital selves. in Matthew 28 when Jesus gives us our mission, in the book of Acts where we read of the mission beginning to take shape, and in all the epistles where the mission is explained in more detail - we find that the mission of God has the power to transform lives, communities, cultures, and ultimately the whole world.
- so why do we spend so much time doing things on the couch?




if you're interested in re:spawn, look for the events on Facebook (publicly searchable)

songs i wish i wrote

this is a song by the classic crime entitled "the happy nihilist"

i've wanted to pen a similar song for a few years now, and now i'll have to think of a different approach... oh well. too slow on the trigger, as they say...

i am a happy nihilist
no absolute truth does exist
when i decide to shake my fist
i only got myself to blame
'cause we're all players and life's the game
i only take what i need
i am so light on my feet
i will not stop or concede
i am not driven by greed
no moral compass for me
it's all just natural feelings
existence has no meaning
there's no such thing as happy

but late at night when i sleep,
i dream of more than i see
there's something burning in me
and driving need to be free
why do i sit here and think
about the things that i need
there's nothing left to believe, oh is it all just a dream?

i've taught this to myself
piled books up on the shelf
but it still hurts like hell
to trust nobody else but me
i used to read everything
i used to need nothing
i put my money on me
i used to be something
now i can't sleep
cause i'm not happy

why am i haunted by the metaphysical
is it a cosmic lie or is it literal?
the books i read that used to free my mind
have made me more blind
but the truth
i'll find it

i was a happy nihilist
now i'm wondering why i exist

life with the red ring of death

for those of you unfamiliar, the 'red ring of death' is a term reserved for the wonderfully-crafted piece of machinery known as an Xbox360. this quality product has a 2 out of 3 tendency to have catastrophic hardware failure within 1-2 years of functionality.

it could only be made by - microsoft.

anyway, my xbox360 displayed this dreaded red ring last week, and i had to send it off to repair. the UPS store kid said they get two of those A DAY.

What have i accomplished in the time i would otherwise have been gaming?
- raked the yard of rocks/pebbles in preparation for topsoil
- bought fencing materials
- read The Lost Symbol
- read 3 trades of the Walking Dead
- read Empire, by Orson Scott Card
- read What is the Gospel?, by Greg Gilbert

The Lost Symbol was largely a waste of my time. I have the compulsion to finish books/movies/games that i start, however, so i had to keep reading even though i threw up a little in my mouth at several points. Particularly the points at which Dan Brown feels the need to completely abuse any sort of proper treatment of the Bible. He is teaching people pretty horrible hermeneutics through the course of his fast-paced, thrilling nonsense. But, i liked Angels and Demons (the book, not the film), so i had to give it a shot.

The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman, is a fascinating jump into a zombie apocalypse, focusing on a small group of key characters. the depths of human nature are plumbed, and it's not for anyone under 17, in my opinion. definitely rated-R, but also definitely thought-provoking and significantly engrossing. also just gross at times, but mostly engrossing.

Empire, by Card (one of my favorite authors), was amazing. It was fast-paced, but in so many ways BETTER than any of Brown's books. much more is left to the imagination of the reader, and since i have a pretty vivid sci-fi imagination, and watch lots of movies with explosions, my mind was able to supply some pretty sweet details to compliment the deft narrative woven by Card. the premise is: what if there was a contemporary civil war between red states and blue states, precipitated by the assassination of the president and vice pres.? you should go read this.

i just picked up the sequel, Hidden Empire, today from the library, so i'm hoping to finish this one before the ol' Xbox360 returns sans red ring.

i wonder what else i can accomplish before the gaming resumes...?

at long last - thoughts on late summer movies

District 9 -
although i am deeply saddened that the Halo feature film fell through (the downloadable short film is available on Xbox Live), that unfortunate development led to the VERY fortunate production of District 9. Blomkamp (director) and Jackson (producer) moved their energies out of the Halo universe and into fictional, near-future South Africa.
I really, really enjoyed this film because of how well it draws in the viewer - the use of documentary-style storytelling is not overdone or distracting, but rather helpful in pacing the story. The final act of the film clips along pretty steadily, and is quite intense. I'm all about intense films, but my wife was a little bit unnerved by the treatment of a baby(?) alien creature, so let the ladies be informed that this film is so good that you'll actually care about what happens to an alien. That, to me, is the mark of a great storyteller.
all of the effects shots are woven into the "real" shots so well that you have to remind yourself that what you're looking at is digitally inserted. i'm not sure how you direct something that's as much digital as it is non-digital, but Blomkamp was able to get a LOT out of Sharlto Copley, so i'm interested to see how Copley does in the role of Murdock on the new A-Team movie...
Although the Hollywood machine has deemed that this movie demands a sequel/prequel (based upon money earned), i'm a little anxious about that - this film stands alone, telling a complete story that crafts a believable world and set of characters. I will look forward to ANYthing that Blomkamp is invovled with in the future, however, even if it is an unnecessary sequel to District 9.

GI Joe -
now, i may take some flack for this, but this movie is one of the worst films i have subjected myself to in my entire life.
I am a pure child of the 80's, so Transformers, GI Joe, Thundercats, and Ducktales were some of the most powerful, formative influences in my impressionable mind. I still collect Transformers stuff here and there, and i'm a big Storm Shadow fan, so i had serious expectations for this film that were rooted in my childhood experience.
When i was a kid, it was okay for lasers to fly across the screen and no one get harmed. When i was a kid, it was okay when there was nothing resembling a storyline in the episode or connecting episodes. When i was a child, i spoke like a child and reasoned like a child. Now that i'm an "adult," i've marginalized some of the childish things, and i've certainly tried to stay away from pop drivel that melts your brain. Unfortunately, i feel a little bit dumber after having watched GI Joe.
I will give the film its due in only one area: Ray Park as Snake Eyes. it is impossible to have cast that role any better. What makes me sad is that so much of the Snake Eyes character is digital that you aren't really sure if you're watching Ray Park at all. Or maybe Ray Park is all digital too, which wouldn't surprise me.
Here's the saddest part of all - i'll probably see the sequel.

Zombieland
Woody Harrelson was perfect in this film - he basically stars with Michael Cera, i mean, Jesse Eisenberg, in a comedic take on the zombie trends saturating pop culture right now.
There's actually a pretty meaningful story at the heart of this strangely fun movie, and that story is what holds all the set pieces together. I really enjoy shooting zombies via XboxLive, and i have enjoyed SOME of the resurgent zombieness (28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, Left4Dead), so i was pretty pumped about a film that would at once embrace this zombie craze and also poke some fun at it in a tongue-in-cheek, self-aware fashion.
There were many moments of slapstick, more than a few moments of sarcasm, and a few moments of tenderness mixed together with flesh-craving special effects shots and a generally apocalyptic backdrop. I guess it's getting fairly easy for Hollywood to create an empty, trash-littered highway and deserted towns since every studio seems to be putting out a movie that would take advantage of that setting.
Catch this in the $1.50 theatre if possible, but otherwise it's worth a red-box rental. or netflix.
who even goes to blockbuster anymore?

buyer - be informed

one of the greatest problems faced by consumers in our culture is the MASSIVE amount of choices available to us. because of this overwhelming amount of choices and thus information, we often decide to sit back and just go with our instincts, our first impulse, our gut feelings when deciding what to buy.

the assumption there is that we've developed reliable guts.

the way i've seen this play out recently is in the context of video gaming. Parents, and young adults and teens, are buying games without much research or awareness of the content - rather, because the game is hyped, marketed well, or simply on sale, the game gets bought. Because there are SO MANY games and SO MANY systems available, it can definitely seem like a daunting task for parents to even BEGIN to get a handle on the content of the games being released, much less the huge library of games already available.

personally, i've been having to tighten up our family's budget a bit, and in doing so i've been forced to consider the things on which we spend money. in this consideration, i've been forced to come to terms with the amount of media i purchase (another discussion for another time), and also forced to consider the content of this media. Music, Movies, Books, and Video Games...

when Grand Theft Auto 4 released early in the year, i was amazed at the rating it received - a perfect 10 from IGN, one of the best-reputed game reviewers in print or on the web. My first thought was "man, i've GOT to play this game. it got a perfect 10 from IGN!"

i fought my instinct, though, and did a little digging before forking out $60. in the course of my research, i found some unfortunate plot points and some very unfortunate gameplay features that changed my perspective on the game. I realized that there was very, very little in the game that would encourage me but rather very, very much that would cause me to consume images of murder, prostitution, drug abuse - but more than a movie or book, i would be actively CHOOSING these activities through the medium of a game.

Paul's challenge to me (and all followers of Jesus) is to think on things that are deeply valuable, not merely entertaining. we are to consider the things that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and/or praiseworthy."

it is my opinion that not all these characteristics need be present in a particular medium, but at LEAST 2 or 3 of these should be obvious in any media that we put in front of our eyes and thus in our minds. if NONE of these characteristics is present, then what ultimate value is present...?

when i held this up to GTA4, it was left sorely wanting, so i decided to hold off. ultimately, the multiplayer portion of GTA that was so highly acclaimed dropped to only a handful of players online at a given time, and in today's highly connected video gaming world, multiplayer is almost a must-have, and if you attempt it, you better do it WELL. but, i digress...

i also realized that as a follower of Jesus, i couldn't really recommend a game like GTA4, and i began considering the other games i've played/am playing, wondering which ones i could let a youth from my church borrow, and which ones probably would need to be screened by their parents first... but i quickly realized that so many parents, and their consuming teenagers, are woefully misinformed or underinformed when it comes to the media content in front of their kids!

With all that said, here's what has prompted this whole train of thought:
in the new xbox360/playstation3 game Modern Warfare 2, a new line has been crossed by game developers at Activision and Infinity Ward. this game is rated M for "mature," meaning you can't buy it unless you are 17 or older, but that won't stop most parents from being suckered into getting it for their whiny 12-year-old who wants nothing else in this world besides that one video game that all his friends are playing (i was that kid, so i'm not hating).
If you are a parent considering this game for your child, or if you are a parent whose child has already beaten the single-player campaign for this game, or if you are a conscientious young adult who wants to consider carefully where your money goes - do some research on the content of this game.
i did, and found out something very troubling.
as usual, i went to IGN.com to read the review... most of what was said indicated that this game is a significant step up from COD:MW, and poised to be one of the "best" games of the year. the multiplayer is layered with customizable and unlockable features, and a new co-op mode promises hours of interesting gameplay. Nowhere in the review, however, did i find mention of the Moscow Airport level.
During a portion of the single-player campaign in the game, you play the part of an undercover agent in a terrorist cell that decides to attack an airport filled with unarmed civilians. This puts the player in position to end the lives of nameless non-combatants.
let that image sink in...
Now, this may not strike you immediately, but put yourself in the shoes of a young teenager who has never been exposed to this level of violence... put yourself in the position of a parent who has sought to protect their child from such images... put yourself in the position of a person who might encounter real violence like this in their place in the world. (how ridiculous this must be to someone who has lost their family to a terrorist attack - we are playing games that effectively mock their experience).
the argument from Infinity Ward may be that they intend to shock the gamer into recognizing the horrible, dark side of war... but this level is not the way to do that, no matter the story's context. this is a gratuitous, insulting use of the gaming medium to perpetuate pointless violence. a child should not be given the option of choosing whether or not to shoot unarmed civilian characters (which is why GTA4 can be a dangerous game for kids).

so, what do we do with this? already, MW2 is being referred to as the 'best selling entertainment property' of the year, with a HUGE number from release sales. so, our kids and friends are already being exposed to or have been exposed to the content from this game.
this is an opportunity for parents to engage with their kids in meaningful conversation. it's a chance for college students and young adults to pause and reflect on the things we purchase, the images we take in, and the stories we consume. How did/does this level make the player feel? How do these images make sense in light of the Gospel? What value is there, if any, in experiencing this kind of level in a video game?
If the player didn't feel anything particularly notable while playing this level... it's time to turn the video games off for a while. If the only way we connect to violence in the world is through a simulation, we are VERY disconnected from reality. If the player has no idea how to reconcile this level/these images with the Gospel, or if the player can't articulate whether or not there is value here... maybe the $60 could be better spent elsewhere. Maybe there is some room for many more conversations to happen, outside of the living room with the TV in it. Maybe there are some more important things into which the gamer could invest their time, emotional energy, and thoughts.
it's so very important that followers of Jesus be willing to hold up the things we consume to the Gospel, and let the teaching and life of Jesus help us filter out the things that are going to be destructive in the long run...

delayed reviews...

i still plan on giving some thought to District 9 and GI Joe (still haven't seen it even though it's on DVD now), so hopefully i'll have some time for that while i'm stuck on the couch next week - i have an outpatient surgery that will keep me from being too mobile for a few days, so those reviews can hopefully get done...

but before i get to those movies, i've felt like commenting on some of the newer video games being released... video game culture is a whole other post i'd like to get to, but there's a pressing matter regarding a new release in particular for which i'm forming up my thoughts... Modern Warfare 2.

stay tuned...

woe is me, my budget suffers

i was able to catch District 9, but GI Joe will have to wait for the 1.50 theatre... just couldn't justify 15 bucks for what may be an intellectually weak film. it'll have explosions, sure, but that isn't ALL that i want to pay for...
so, part 3 of the movie review will wait until GI Joe makes it to the cheap seats.

accordingly, i've also had to pay attention to where my other entertainment money goes... my wife got me tickets to U2 in October, and we are seeing Derek Webb this month, followed by Mute Math in November, and each of those tickets takes some intentional budgeting.

back in college, i had money to waste (this is a statement from that perspective). Now, almost every dollar must be accounted for, and this is not a natural thing for me to do! thankfully, God still provides me opportunities to supplement my budget in ways that are both a blessing to me and a way for me to bless others - weddings, worship events, guitar lessons, chapel at Cape Fear... all of these things allow me to have money to spend on my beautiful wife (whose birthday is next week!), to spend on movies/music/comics, and to buy Christmas gifts. i feel like, the closer we get to having children, the more that my 'side money' is going to have a different focus... namely, the child! gotta save for his/her first guitar, after all.

still working on that definition of "evangelical," by the way... hoping to sit down and focus on it in the next couple weeks, before Home Group really starts up for us.

summer movies, pt. deux

looks like i'll need a part 3... i'll hopefully be seeing G.I.Joe soon, and then i'll be catching District 9 if possible.

Up -

The men and women at Pixar are some of the few filmmakers still carrying the torch for responsible, powerful, beautiful storytelling. I dread the day when they put out a bomb, like Dreamworks animation and others are occasionally releasing. If/When this happens (Pixar releasing a bad movie), prepare for the apocalypse. So, everytime i go to a Pixar flim, part of me is anxiously waiting for this to prove to be a great movie, and part of me is calmly anticipating what will indeed be a great movie.

Up is a great movie, simply put. Whether you see it in 3-D (like we did) or in old-fashioned 2-D, you won’t be able to avoid being bathed in a palette of rich color. The depth of color used in this film really pulls you into the world of the characters. Although there aren’t enough moments to necessarily demand that it be viewed in 3-D, i can’t complain about forking out the extra cash to have this movie just a little more “in” my face. The textures are great, and even though the human and animal characters are given exaggerated/cartoony features, they look like you could reach out and touch them.

Up has some very intense moments of personal intimacy, and some very sweeping moments of epic locales. The pinnacle of the story, for me, was the old man’s relationship with his wife - i even cried at one point during the film, which hasn’t happened in several years during a movie. Although the story is moved along by the old man’s relationship with the little boy, the motivating factor of his wife really resonated with me, a relatively-newly-wed young gentleman. Even right now, thinking about this particular aspect of the movie, i start to tear up as my thoughts move to my own wife and how much i want to cherish her in a way that would approach what is communicated in this part of the film.

There are tons of slapstick moments and little-kid humor, which illustrates Pixar’s uncanny ability to reach many audiences at once - adults, singles, married couples, kids of all ages, etc. There is something in this film that will resonate with you, regardless of your station in life or the season you’re in. Take the time to see it on the big screen so that it can really sweep you away, but even if you wait for DVD, make sure that you take some time to watch this with your family and/or friends.

Transformers 2 -

Two men in Hollywood have an unnatural, even preternatural, tendency toward large explosions. Michael Bay, producer/director of this movie, is one of those aberrant men. He managed to completely surprise me with the perverse amount of explosions of all types to be found in TF2.

Granted, one of the things i am looking for in a summer movie is ridiculously-good-looking explosions - BUT, i also prefer for there to be a story in between explosions. TF2 has no identifiable story, and really no reason for human characters. All of the awkward, pointless things from TF have been drawn out even more in the sequel. Remember how dumb the dialogue was? now it’s worse. Remember how stupid the Witwicky family is? They get stupider. Remember the awkward jokes about sexuality? There’s more, and it’s even more inappropriate for kids. Remember the strange racial stereotype embodied in the Autobot Jazz? Well, take that racial stereotype and literally multiply it by two. Remember John Turturro’s embarrassing role from TF? He gets an even more embarrassing role this time around. Such a good actor… sad times.

So, you may be wondering, “what is worthwhile in this movie?”

The Robots and the Explosions.

I loved all of the scenes with robot battles, robot chases, robot mayhem… completely satisfying eye candy, and completely suited for the big screen. I may buy this on DVD, but i’m sure that the scenes won’t be quite as engrossing on the home TV… but, on DVD, i’ll be able to skip all the unnecessary scenes with human characters! The explosions in this film are epic, creative, and exciting. I really am impressed with how Bay visualized these special effects while shooting, and then implemented them on the computer. i cannot think of another movie even close to comparable in the explosion department. and the Star Wars special editions have an exploding DEATH STARS.

If you are wondering whether to take your kids or not, i really think this one is skippable. If you are a diehard action-movie fan, or a true TF fan, there are some things worth seeing in this movie, and it can be enjoyable to a point. Just make sure you have NO EXPECTATIONS from Shia LeBeouf, Michael Bay, or the absent ‘plot’ of this movie.

Public Enemies -

Captain Jack Sparrow. Edward Scissorhands. Willy Wonka. The Mad Hatter. John Dillinger. Johnny Depp.

Bruce Wayne. John Connor. Patrick Bateman. Laurie. Jack Kelly. Melvin Purvis. Christian Bale.

These two actors are shockingly capable men. When Bale was in 3:10 to Yuma with Crowe, you were able to watch two equally strong screen-personalities go AT IT in their subtle dialogue and not-so-subtle action sequences. it was a great film, you should see it. Depp, although overused in Burton movies, is a very adept actor, making all the right subtle choices that convince the viewer of his characterization.

I’m a history buff, so this movie was right up my alley. Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan) has a believable turn as J. Edgar Hoover, and all the other bit players in this piece play their roles nicely. All of the settings and dialogue are believable, and pretty engrossing to someone who enjoys the attention to detail.

This film serves as a sort of vignette, definitely an abridged picture of Dillinger’s life. All of the keys are there, however, so in its brevity it is succinct. There are only a few times where the two main characters interact, so they don’t really go head to head as much as you might hope. Depp, in my opinion, embodies the famous Dillinger charisma very well, and intrigued me enough to the point that i want to do some more Dillinger research - to read the newspaper articles from the time, read some more biographical stuff, or even re-read the book on which the movie is based. Dillinger was a bank robber who you’d probably enjoy having a beer (or soda - it’s the prohibition, after all) with, unless you were J. Edgar Hoover trying to make a name for your Bureau. I think that Bale plays a Purvis who would even have enjoyed the chance to sit down with Dillinger.

This is not necessarily a theatre movie… you could wait for DVD. There are a couple gun battles that are pretty fun on the big screen, but certainly not necessary for the experience of engaging in Dillinger’s story. I highly recommend this film to fans of the 20’s, Dillinger, Depp, or Bale. Michael Mann’s direction is subtle and not as energetic as Collateral or Heat, mostly because of the different level of intensity that Dillinger’s story requires.

summer moveis '09 - part 1

each summer, my wife and i budget to see some movies. for me, there are certain criteria that must be met before i fork over 7+ dollars for a ticket.
- there must be explosions
- there must be visuals that demand to be in your face
- there must be explosions
- there must be some sort of story being told in between explosions

so this summer, we've already seen a couple movies, so i'll give my thoughts on those:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
if this is the first of a franchise of Wolverine and/or X-men Origins movies, i am very sad. I love comics, and even though i love DC a little more than Marvel, i still voraciously consume trade paperbacks and graphic novel collections of the plotlines of pretty much every major player in both DC and Marvel (thank the Lord for the public library!). This fact, however, is mostly what made Wolverine so un-enjoyable for me. I KNOW THE SOURCE MATERIAL. and not even as much as someone who is a 'fan' of Wolverine might know it - and thus, i was sorely disappointed. This movie strays from some of the most complex, nuanced backstory available in comicdom into a land of implausible (even for a COMIC), foolish set pieces that aren't even connected together well.
What does it have going for it? the intro sequence is smooth. the two legitimate fight scenes are eye candy. There are a couple of good explosions. Jackman still evokes the essence of Wolverine (seen best in X-2). Seeing the Weapon-X crew in their ONE, short scene together was pretty interesting, but all of the things that were done well were done too briefly.
The movie's pacing leaves you little time for actually getting too caught up in all the flaws... they kind of hit you like a small car as you are leaving the theatre trying to remember what you liked about the movie.
Should you see it...? Maybe. if you're a popcorn-flick person, there are better summer movies on which to spend your money. it's worth renting on DVD if you're a fan of the comics, but there's basically no way that they can entice me to buy the DVD at this point - the plot (or lack thereof) of this film is beyond redemption.

Star Trek
Growing up on Star Trek: The Next Generation, i have a pretty significant stake in Trekdom. As much as the Star Wars films informed my adolescent imagination, the Star Trek mythos was passed down to me from my dad and is a beloved part of my childhood. I remember watching 'the Wrath of KKKHHHAAAAAAAAANN' when i was probably 12, and thinking that Kirk and Spock were looking a little old already... i remember seeing 'the Undiscovered Country' in the theatre and being pretty impressed, and then 'First Contact' brought the ST:TNG crew onto the big screen successfully.
J.J. Abrams has been successful in this attempt, in many ways. Financial Success - even with less hype, i think this film would have grossed just as much on its own merit. But, being one of the bigger movies of the summer, it is guaranteed a sequel on its financial success alone. sad how Hollywood sees things that way... Technical Success - although over-hyped as having some sort of newer, fancier special effects, i do have to agree that this film utilized massive effects shots and epic CGI sequences very, very well - i never felt like i was being hit over the head with an explosion or an effects scene, but it always felt like just enough to be the exclamation point. Casting Success - apart from Sylar being Spock, i was really pleased with how the cast performed overall. Scotty had a few forced lines, Bones had a few forced lines, but the majority of the dialogue and even some of the 'necessary' lines to connect the characters with their predecessors were organic, naturally flowing from the circumstances. The ensemble worked well together, and i hope that they don't squabble over money and make it easy for the studio to bring them together at least once more, if not a couple more times for explosiony goodness and lens flare action.
This film is pretty much a must-see in the theatre, and if my wife loved it, then that means the sci-fi-ness and the Trekishness of the film are not distractions to the uninitiate. even though i had to tell her why a couple lines were supposed to be funny, she 'got' how the characters interacted, and that was communicated well by the filmmaker and actors. The pacing is great, the images are powerful, and the plot moves along without too many tangents. I'm sure i will own this on DVD, particularly if there is a special edition!

Terminator: Salvation
This is one of the few times that i have disagreed with the aggregate score on RottenTomatoes.com. this website takes each of the reviews available in print or on the web and either considers it a positive or negative review - then, they give each movie a score on this 'tomatometer.' for instance, Terminator: Salvation got a %, meaning that only 3 out of 10 reviewers were mostly positive of this film.
The only way i can make sense of this is that the majority of reviewers had unrealistic expectations for this film. I went to see it with very low expectations, and came away really enjoying it! For someone to dislike it as much as these reviewers must have, they probably were expecting T2 again - but alas, James Cameron is nowhere to be found.
Notice how i'm not saying that about Linda Hamilton or the Governator.
Anyways, i really had a good time with this film, viewing it under the premise of: i want explosions, a decent story, and something to think about after it's over. Terminator: Salvation delivers all of those things. Lots of sweet explosions - the use of sound and light in some of the actions scenes makes these the most unique explosions in the summer movie season. Bale does indeed play a pretty static character, as he has been criticized in the proper reviews, but i wasn't distracted by his relatively monotone portrayal of John Connor. In a post-apocalyptic world, i don't know that my own personality would have too many levels if all you saw were the hectic action sequences of my life.
Consistent with the rest of the Terminator films, however, the Connors aren't really the stars. The ubiquitous Bale has great presence onscreen here, but his intensity is matched by newcomer Sam Worthington. He really does steal the attention away from Bale, but i'm pretty sure that's by design... at least, as much design as McG is capable of.

i'll post my thoughts on Up, Transformers 2, and Public Enemies as soon as i get a chance to sit still for a while!

wordpress vs. blogger

i can't decide.

but, i'm going to toss my 2cents into a collaborative blog, akin to the Rabbit Room, called The Lost Road.

not to be confused with the road less traveled.

anyways, check it out.