So apparently I am in a blog-all-things-entertainment mood. I was just thinking that I've got three or four new records in the last couple of months and I have always felt an obligation to share in good music whenever I come across some. So I'd like to share briefly with you some good music you should buy.
The first record I'd like to recommend is the new The Myriad record entitled "With Arrows With Poise". If you ever run across MTV (why I do not know) then you've probably seen The Myriad. They are getting some commercial time from them, and rightfully so. I got the first The Myriad record and was really unimpressed. In fact I am not sure what drove me to pick up this sophomore release, but I am ever glad that I did. The album's music is unique, very well executed, and just a little bit dark. There are some definite nods to RadioHead and Coldplay (what band doesn't sound like Coldplay right.......more on that in a moment). The lyrics really shine on this record, as they are really thought-provoking, serious, and in a word -- redemptive. I'd like to think that if Christian music has to be a genre, then this album would be the benchmark for quality of lyrics and integrity of message and artistic integrity of the music! 
I picked up the new Coldplay record, Viva La Vida, a couple of weeks ago. In so many ways this album is a typical Coldplay record while at the same time it is so not the typical Coldplay record. I would almost venture to say that Coldplay, realizing that now everybody sounds like Coldplay, attempted to, themselves, not sound like Coldplay. Of course in trying not to sound like themselves, they at times sound just like themselves, while at other times they only sound like themselves trying not to sound like themselves. There are 3-4 standout songs, but for the most part it moves a bit slow. I was kinda excited with the lyrical content, and still think there are some great lines, questions and ponderings. They seem to have a fascination with God, death, and the spiritual. However, Rolling Stone magazine spoiled the lyrics with there interview of lead singer Chris Martin, who doesn't yet know the God of the Bible unfortunately...may he come to know him soon! 
My newest purchase was a band called Colour Revolt. I've just been exposed to them over the last couple of months and I am rather impressed, especially considering that these guys are from Mississippi! Plunder, Beg, and Curse is a quirky, loud, roller coaster of a record, going from quiet pretty melodies, to loud, distorted and repetitive screams...and not clean pseudo-metal type screaming, but primitive, visceral screaming...it's refreshing in a weird way. They are extremely artistic, and like The Myriad seemingly a bit dark, with more than just hints of redemption and salvation. Lyrically they are tops...really unique, creative, unusual, thought-provoking, and even humorous at times. They don't really sound like Coldplay that much, so that is nice!
I was going to review Hillsong United's record I Heart Revolution, but I am thinking perhaps I will not. I will recommend it, because it is a good worship record. I have my thoughts about some of the writing but I will spare you....other than to say there are several Coldplay comparisons that could be made.
As promised, I want to review a few movies (both in the theater and on DVD) that I have viewed over the first half of the summer. This post is labeled part 1, as there are a few other movies that I want to see in the near future, so perhaps by the end of the summer I will be able to post Part 2.
Now, before I begin my reviews, I would like to give you the criteria by which I will review the movies. My reason for this is because I often visit a christian movie review site called pluggedinonline. It is a decent site that kinda helps me decide whether or not to view particular movies. My only problem with the site is that if I took the advice of the pluggedin reviewers, I would never see a movie. Basically they use about 10-12 paragraphs to give their review, and only one of those paragraphs (and it's usually really short) is devoted to anything positive about the movie. They spend the other 9-11 paragraphs with profanity counts, body counts, and any other negative and oft-times snide comments about the movie. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate knowing the amount of profanity in a movie before I see it, but I also think there is more to a movie than the language used. I could go on and on, but I say all this to say that I would like my reviews to be more thorough and fair than that (hmmm...we could call it a thorough-fair review HA!). I view movies through the eyes of my faith, so I want take the good with the bad, and try to apply what I see to the depravity and redemption that is at war in our real world.
Ok, so I will rate the movie based on it's entertainment value (scale of 1 to 10, one being a snoozer and 10 being HOLY COW THAT WAS AWESOME), the quality of the various aspects of the movie (i.e. filming, graphics, script, character development, etc......no scale, just my thoughts), and I will give a recommendation value, based on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a "must-see" and 1 being a "piece-of-hot-trash-never-to-be-seen". I am sure there will be other various and sundry items of consideration for the different movies. So without further ado, I give you SUMMER MOVIE REVIEW PART 1 (one...one...one....that's the echo in case you didn't catch it!)
1. Ironman - I officially started off the summer with this movie. It did not disappoint! I am a sucker for superhero movies to begin with, but this was a lot different than many other of those sometimes-unrealistic, based-in-comic-book-fantasy-world movies. It had a much more realistic plot...of course it was a bit far fetched, but it had the reality touch that some of these type movies miss. Good action, good plot, good music and I thought Robert Downey Jr. was superb (however, coincidentally, I always get him confused with Harry Conick Jr.) This movie had some good humor as well, brought by Downey Jr. (aka Tony Stark). All around, Iron Man was a great guy movie. There is already a release date set for Iron Man 2, so be sure to catch the first one.
Entertainment Rating - 8 -
Recommendation rating - 9
2. Batman Begins - I am a little behind in seeing this one, but better late than never for sure! This was a great movie, and I watched it to gear up for The Dark Knight due out next week. Again, they made Batman seem a little more realistic, a little more dark and conflicted, and a lot more cool...er. Man this movie was really great, and Christian Bale was stellar! I am really pumped about the Dark Knight.
Entertainment Rating - 9
Recommendation Rating - 9
3. Hulk - I have mentioned a little about this movie in my last post, but I thought I'd give it a rating just for fun. The best part of this movie was the end, and Edward Norton, if you like him, which made the nearly 2 hours of the rest of the movie worth it. But all in all, it was probably a renter at best.
Entertainment Rating - 6
Recommendation Rating - 4
4. Jumper - Tasted great, but was definitely less filling. Jumper was all of the hype and special effects with hardly any plot whatsoever. I'll say the effects were cool, and I feel confident there will be a sequel, but the movie didn't make a whole lot of sense. The tiny back story in the movie had major holes, and the lead role, played by Hayden Christensen was dreadfully weak.
Entertainment Rating - 6
Recommendation Rating - 2
5. The Bucket List - Much different than what I expected from the previews, the Bucket List was an irreverent look at two guys who have just found out they have 6 months to a year to live. While participating in all kind of skydiving, rocky mountain climbing, 2.7 seconds on a bull name fu-man-choo, there is some pretty heavy dialogue about life, death, God, faith, and forgiveness. Don't look for the movie to give you the answers to life, and certainly don't look for it to line up with Jesus, but it does make one think. I really appreciated that about this movie, is that it forces the viewer to ponder a side of humanity that many of us rarely dedicate much time to (except for say at funerals or whatnot). As I said, you'll have to wade through a bit of irreverence, but this one is a humorous and thought-provoking little gem.
Entertainment Rating - 6
Recommendation Rating - 7
6. The Great Debaters - Set in the midst of the great depression, this movie chronicles just a portion of the African-American struggle to be treated equally in our country. This movie is really about a huge stain in America's history, and the story needs to be told. The Great Debaters has little-to-no action per se, but there are some suspenseful moments, and the plot is really unique. There are a couple of sub-par performances by the supporting cast (man did Forest Whitaker butcher a southern accent or what!), but Denzel, who is known for quality movies did his usual good job. (except for Training Day, I'm not sure Denzel makes bad movies!!) While this movie is about events in our history, I think it is still an important message for our culture today. We still have huge strides that need to be made when it comes to equality, racism, and seeing EVERYONE as Imago Dei.
Entertainment Rating - 7 (hard to say that such a part of history is entertaining, but I am referring to the actual story, not the historical setting here!)
Recommendation Rating - 8
7. Juno So this is the strangest movie I've seen since Napolean Dynamite. Juno is a pseudo-indie flick that is quite crass, crude, rude, and offensive, while at the same time being quite real, honest, and bare. The music that litters the flick is delightfully obnoxious (indie-folk music at its best....or worst). I think this movie is important for people to see, because I think it is a strongly accurate portrayal of this generation. The main character is like one big shinning example of today's youth sentiment, outlook, faith, and vocabulary. And amongst the weirdness, there are some important questions and commentaries about abortion, parenting, marital faithfulness, and adolescence. Again, if you're looking for all the answers, or for something that lines up with the teachings of the Bible, this isn't it, and I would scarce say that Hollywood has the moral or spiritual compass to produce any such work. But if you'll allow yourself to see this movie through the eyes of Christian faith in comparison to post-modern thought, it will be quite revealing. Too much for a movie you say...perhaps...but perhaps not.
Entertainment Rating - 4 (I wasn't really entertained due to the content)
Recommendation Rating - 8
So that is all for now. Stay tuned for Summer Movie Review Part 2 in the near future. Until then, what are some good movies you've seen lately. Any thoughts about the above reviewed movies?
I recently picked up a few new albums via iTunes and have been listening to them a good bit in the car whilst I have been traveling. As always, I like to let people know when I find some good music, so I thought I would review and perhaps recommend a couple to you.
The first record I picked up was The Statler Brothers greatest hits. Just kidding!
Really though, the first one is Leeland's sophomore release entitle Opposite Way. Leeland's first record Sound of Melodies was a solid first-record, with hardly a bad song on it. It was one of those records that I could put in and listen all the way through without having to skip any songs. Now a year or so older and a bit more experienced, Leeland has put out another solid record. The first song on the record (which was also their first single from the album) called "Count Me In" seems to pick up where they left off in the first album. These guys must have a degree in Catchy, Melodic choruses. Not to mention the lead singer Leeland Mooring has such great lyrics. He writes unapologetic words of praise and worship, but crafts songs that more-often-than-not avoid tired, overused cliches that praise and worship music is shamefully famous for.
The first half of the album stays strong. However, there are a few songs in the middle that seem to drag a bit for my taste. I am keyed in until about song 4, and then my attention starts to wane. But then the end of the record picks back up by song 8 or so.
All in all, I think it is a good record. I would agree with other reviews that Leeland didn't fall into the dreaded sophomore slump. However, I will say that with such a strong first album, the bar was set really high. While I don't think Opposite Way is quite as strong of an effort, I do believe Leeland has shown that they know how to crank out catchy and meaningful worship songs that not only allow the listener to be encouraged, but also threatens to sweep said listener in a frenzy of soaring praise to God....and I'd say worse things could definitely happen. Scale of 1-10, 10 being the best album ever made in the history of time and 1 being only a mere step up from the disaster that was The Crash Test Dummies debut that you know you bought cause you couldn't get that MMMMMMMMMM song out of your head, I give Leeland a 7......a breath of fresh air.
Ok, I'll try not to dissect so much on the next two albums. The second of my recently acquired tune-age is a band called Edison Glass. Chances are if you've hung around me at all recently you've heard me talk about this band. They are from New York, and they are really really good. This record called Time is Fiction (definitely a post-indie title if ever there was one)and is also their sophomore release. Some of you will find Edison Glass strange and unenjoyable. You other, more intelligent, sophisticated and well-rounded readers (HA!) will find them delightfull quirky, immensely talented, and surprisingly thought-provoking. I really like their lyrical stylings. Full of hope and grace, yet not to the detriment of their well-thought-out and artful packaging! I give this album an 8.
The final record is by a new group called Secret and Whisper. I think this record entitled Great White Whale will win the award for guilty pleasure for me this year. Don't get me wrong, they are a good band. However, the sheer overuse of double-base drum licks and obviously solid state-which-can-only-mean-one-thing....-artificial-harmonics-galore distortions should be the first things that turn me off. Add that with the eerie fact that the lead singer sounds like Sebastian Bach (oh come on....Skid Row...you knew that....you just didn't want to admit it!) and you have all the ingredients for a wannabe post-1980s-hair-band disaster. But alas, they pull it off, and I can't stop playing the record! Don't get me wrong, their are no silly long guitar solos, and no spandex pants (I hope), but there is an obvious nod to a day thankfully gone by. In any case, I think half of my fascination with Secret and Whisper is my attempts to reach the previously-only-attained-by-a-dog-whistle vocal notes that the lead singer belts out. That in-and-of-itself makes the album worth having. All in all I give this album a 6.5.....the .5 is for having a big white friendly looking Whale for the cover art.
Ok, so for those of you who are still reading (because I have a feeling that many stopped after review/recommendation #2) let me know if you've pick up anything new that is worth checking out (and NO Taylor Swift, Barry Manilow, nor Ludacris is worth checking out....so just keep those to yourself). And do yourself a favor and at least try one of those albums. You'll be glad you did......or maybe not.....if not then it's your own fault for going and getting music you've never heard....but if you do get it and are glad that you did...then.....you're welcome!
And a big game it was. For those of you who were in a hole on Saturday evening, the Georgia vs. Alabama was a hot one! 4 quarters of ever-so-close play followed by one very quick overtime resulting in a huge Georgia Bulldog win! As I posted before, Karen and I were fortunate enough to get tickets to the game. This was our first experience at Bryant-Denny Stadium, or any other stadium other than Sanford Stadium (or Doak-Campbell Stadium [FSU] back in high school). It was quite an interesting experience to say the least, not only to be in a place with such a football heritage, but to be in the minority, rooting for the opposite (and might I add winning) team. Our seats were on the 20 yard-line on the west end, which basically means that we were surrounded by Alabama fans. There were a few Georgia fans above us, and below us, sprinkled throughout, but we were vastly outnumbered. I'll never forget the guy who sat in front of us. Right after Georgia scored on their first drive of the game, Karen and I politely went crazy, and the guy in front of us turned around with the worst look on his face...as if to say.....well I can't say what the look was as if to say, so use your imagination. All in all the Alabama fans were cordial enough to us, and even congratulated us after the game. However, there are a few observations I'd like to make about Alabama fans in general (*please note that I use in general, so as to identify that these observations aren't applied to every Alabama fan, just the ones we sat around on Saturday).
1. Alabama fans take their football very seriously. They do have a unique history, what with Bear Bryant and what not, but come on, every school (at least SEC school) has a place in football history in some way or another (well maybe not Vanderbilt...). I appreciate their place in that history, but we don't have to go overboard with it.
2. Alabama fans shout "Roll Tide Roll" to every thing. "Sweet Home Alabama" and some other song by the group Alabama (note the connection) are two of the songs that we heard on Saturday accompanied in specific parts by a loud and collective shout of the slightly overused war cry. And by slightly overused I mean utterly obnoxious. If I hear "Roll Tide Roll" one more time I think I'm gonna either throw up or hit somebody.
3. Alabama fans are much like the tide in their fanship. When things are good, they are extremely loud (tide in). When things are bad, you could hear a pin drop (tide...out). Seriously, the first half was deafening. However, after one tiny touchdown run in the first quarter, and everybody seemed to immediately pout. This was probably magnified by the fact that we were the only ones cheering when Georgia did something good. You know that is a really odd feeling, almost like I should have apologized for cheering....but I didn't. And you should have heard it when the winning touchdown was scored...I mean it's like someone just turned the mute on a TV. They were shocked, and Karen and I were watching for a replay to make sure we really did scored. It wasn't until the guy next to me said "Welp, that's the game folks" did I really realize we had won. I mean I thought he caught it, but I wasn't close enough to tell if he was inbounds or what. So anyway, when we did finally discover we won, we jumped up and down and clapped.....in what seemed like an empty stadium (sound wise anyway). It was odd, and I felt kinda bad......so I didn't prolong my own celebration. Karen and I both decided that we still feel a little celebration deprived!
4. Alabama fans feel a close connection between themselves and their quarterback....so much that they are on a first name....nay...initial only basis with the guy. The constantly were shouting "Come on JP!" or shouting a bemoaning "John Parker" (for those of you who don't know, the Tide's quarterback's name is John Parker Wilson). Though I know our quarterback's name is Matthew Stafford, you don't hear me yelling "Hey, great job Matty boy!" Nope....it's just Stafford in my vocabulary!
5. Alabama fans will never give a coach a break, due in large part to their continued worship of Bear Bryant. If I heard the Bear's name mentioned once, I heard it a thousand times.....followed by something like "he's still here...in spirit" or "he's the best coach that ever breathed a breath of air" or "blah blah blah blah blah".....because I just had to start tuning it out. A great coach he was...but not God! Poor Sabin, he may do some great things there, but if it is short of a National Championship within the next three years, he can forget it. He's gone! They won't be satisfied!
6. Alabama fans are surprisingly polite....at least in our section. Save the one ugly look we got, no one threw anything at us, yelled obscenities, or beat us up! This is a good thing! And as I mentioned before we got congratulated by several pouting Alabama fans. Of course there were those who threw things at our players, but I have a feeling those weren't adults!
7. Alabama fans are rather whiny. This may be based on the one guy who sat next to me and said over and over in a nasally cry "Come on BAMA". Hey dude, get a tissue and stop using my sleeve. Everything is gonna be alright I promise.
8. Alabama game traffic is.......what's the word........HORRIBLE!!!! There was an estimated 125, 000 people in and around the game (93,000 ticket holders, 30,000 other lurkers who found joy in sitting outside the stadium......maybe they don't have a house...with air conditioning, and a comfy chair like I do!?!?!) We got in our car at 11:15 (giving 20 minutes for some of the traffic to clear out) and got home at 3:30 a.m. What on any other day is a 2 and 1/2 hour drive took us 4 hours and 15 minutes. Not really interested in doing that again. For the record, I still made it to church at 6:30 a.m. lead 2 services in musical worship, and then crashed on my couch for literally the rest of the day.
9. Alabama is a place where everyone should attend a game at least once. If, for at least, no other reason than to prove or disprove my assessment. It really was a cool place to be! It is a neat stadium, and it is always interesting to see how different teams and fans present their fanfare!
In conclusion, I'd just like to say HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!
So perhaps they are not that old-timey, but they are definetly before my time. The movies about which I am speaking were made by a certain Alfred Hitchcock. I spent the better half of my evening last night glued to the AMC network watching 2 and 3/4 of Hitchcock's masterpiece's. And masterpieces they are. The movies we watched were "The Rear Window", "The Birds", and "Rope." While I am by no means a film critic, I have to say that these movies were brilliant and had to be before their time, even with the slow-moving plots and less than stellar special effects. Hitchcock truly is the master of suspense, as my wife and I sat hand over eyes, waiting to see what would happen, only to be mostly left to our imaginations as to what really took place.
My favorite of the night was "Rope." The filmography of this movie was tremendous and the plot was so strangely twisted yet so elequantly played out. I sinced that the movie's ultimate goal was to provide social commentary on a Post WWII society, but then again I could be way off. James Stewart, who also starred in "The Rear Window" was phenominal as usual.
If you've never sat down to watch one of Hitchcock's movies, I would highly recommend you do so! You'll be entertained, and if you're like us, a bit spooked! If you're interested, AMC is having a 7 nights of Hitchcock through Saturday night!